“I know I won, but I want you to keep it and use it to buy Rana something pretty.”
“No. You won this fair and square.”
“You let me win. You could have totally eaten it all. Look at you. You’re huge.” She exited the car before he could argue with her and ran toward the steps to her house.
After she was out of sight, Landon turned to me after I moved to the front seat.
“Well, I think we found your missing nose. She looks just like you did.”
“I know.”
“It was like looking at you.” His eyes were filled with emotion. “She’s an amazing kid—so clever and compassionate.”
“Well, I can’t take credit for any of it.”
“Sure, you can. She admires you and clearly appreciates the time you spend with her. And honestly, some things are innate. She has a very similar spirit to you, even if you didn’t raise her.” He looked down and asked, “You told me you know who her father is, right?”
“Yes. The timing of the pregnancy thankfully narrowed it down to one boy. His name was Ethan. He wanted nothing to do with me at the time. I didn’t even want to tell Ethan, but my grandmother made me. We both went to his parents’ house one night, and they practically kicked us out when we told them. I don’t know whether they didn’t believe us or whether they just didn’t want to.”
“At least you tried.”
“It was a very messy time.”
We were still parked. Landon stared contemplatively at Lilith’s house. “I wonder if he ever thinks about it now, if he ever wonders if his baby is out there somewhere.”
“Honestly, I would say that he probably deserves to feel that regret, but I wasn’t that much better of a person or much more responsible back then.”
“You definitely weren’t responsible, but that doesn’t make you a bad person.” He looked down at his phone at a picture he had snapped of her. “I worry about her reaction if she finds out, though.”
Blowing out a long breath, I said, “You’re not the only one.”
“I think it could go either way, Rana. It could be really good or really bad.”
“The only reason I haven’t told her is because I’m not allowed to. Her parents have to agree that it’s in her best interest to know.”
“I just remember thinking that I wished my parents had told me the full truth sooner. It felt like I’d been living a lie. In her case, she knows she’s adopted you said?”
“Yes. Her mother told her that she’s technically not her birth mother. So, at least that part won’t be a shock.”
“What does her adoptive father do?”
“He’s a psychiatrist, actually. Both of the Allens are very well-educated. They’re good people.”
“What did her mother tell her about her birth mother…you?”
“I honestly never asked Beth how she explained it, and Lilith doesn’t talk about it. In a way, that’s a relief because I don’t know how I would handle it if she did…you know…if she talked to me about me.”
“I can imagine that when she’s a bit older, she’s going to start digging,” he said. “Once I found out, it was like I couldn’t rest until I knew exactly where I came from.”WINE STOPPERThe following morning, I was sorting through some mail at the kitchen counter when Landon came up behind me.
The sensation of his bare chest warming my back was like no other feeling.
“Mmm.” Turning around, I giggled when I noticed he was wearing the man bun. “I’m kind of digging it.”
“I thought you might. Won’t hurt to try me out once with it, right? If it works for you, I’ll wear it again.”
Looking down at his abs, I noticed a tattoo that I had never seen before. It was so tiny, located just at the bottom of his carved V.
I smiled, running my finger over it. “Is that new?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to notice.”
“Is that supposed to be me?”
“What do you think?”
“I think it is.” I grinned like a fool. “When did you get it?”
“Right before I left Venice Beach. There’s actually a funny story surrounding it.”
“Really?”
“So, I was in the truck, clearing out some of the stuff I wasn’t leaving behind, and I hear someone yelling, ‘Rana!...Rana!’ So, of course I bolt out of the truck. My heart is fucking pounding, thinking it has something to do with you, because you’re all I fucking think about. So, if someone says ‘Rana’…I think…you, right?”
I covered my mouth in amusement. “That is so freaking funny.”
“So, I tracked down the source, and it was these two little Mexican boys. They were chasing a fucking frog. The thing was leaping around and shit. I had totally forgotten that your name means frog in Spanish.” He shook his head. “After I realized my mistake, I sat on the grass and just laughed hysterically. People walking by probably thought I was a lunatic. That afternoon, I couldn’t help myself. I went to see my favorite tattoo artist in Venice. I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone and say goodbye to him, too. I told him to tattoo this little frog down low on my abs. Figured it was more original than your name above my cock.”