“What if they don’t like dogs?”
His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “I’m relatively sure Light can hold his own against a twelve-pound Yorkie.”
He had a point, but I was about to lose my mind. They’d been sitting in the car for a solid five minutes. My nerves were shot. What if Clare had changed her mind?
The DEA had been at our house all morning, inspecting the security and chatting with Leo, who had somehow managed to arrive at my front door before I’d even rolled out of bed. Not that I’d slept. I’d spent the night fretting about Roman. Despite that I hadn’t had him back for long, that bed felt entirely too big without him.
When he arrived home only an hour earlier, I was a wreck. It was Roman though. He wrapped me in his arms and talked me off the ledge of insanity. I was still a nervous wreck, but it was at least manageable with him at my side.
“Oh God,” I mumbled when I saw the passenger’s door to the SUV open, which was quickly followed by the driver’s side.
“Play it cool, Lis. She’s skittish.”
Right. Cool. I could do cool.
A child’s voice came from inside the SUV. “Look! Look, Mama. Dog!”
I could so not do cool. I couldn’t even do kinda cool. Big, fat, ugly tears sprang from my eyes.
“Not exactly what I meant, baby,” Roman said, pulling me into his chest.
“I’m sorry. I just…” The words died in my mouth as I caught sight of a woman who was only recognizable as a woman by her shoulder-length, blond hair, and her small frame. “Holy shit,” I breathed, bile creeping up the back of my throat.
“She’s fine,” Roman assured.
I stepped out of his arms. “She is not fine,” I corrected, starting toward her.
I only made it a few steps before her eyes—or at least I assumed it was her eyes, as one was so swollen I couldn’t even see the whites—landed on me.
For the way she looked, I had no idea how it was possible, but a blinding smile covered her face. It only faltered for the briefest of seconds when our gazes met.
I returned her smile and awkwardly lifted my hand in a finger wave.
She looked up at Heath as I heard the rumble of his deep voice, but I couldn’t make out what he said to her.
She nodded, shut the car door, and then headed my way.
With every step she took in my direction, my nerves intensified. What started as a knot in my stomach quickly became a raging ache that threatened to overtake me.
By the time she stopped a few feet in front of me, I wasn’t sure I would even be able to speak past the lump in my throat.
Somehow, I managed. “I think I might puke.”
Yep. I was the queen of first impressions.
She blinked.
“I mean, I’m really nervous right now.”
Her swollen lips twitched. “Me too.”
“Oh, thank God,” I breathed, extending a hand. “I’m Elisabeth.”
She took it in a gentle shake. “Clare.”
Her voice was so soft and feminine, but not at all timid like I’d expected. Actually, she seemed to be keeping her shit together better than I was.
Still holding her hand, I said, “So, Roman told me to play it cool, but I’m not going to lie—I have no idea how to do that. I’m failing miserably.”
Her mouth curved up. “I’m no expert, either. I lost it in the SUV when we pulled up.”
I smiled. “Is it wrong for me to admit that you saying that makes me feel better?”
She giggled before it caught in her throat. She nervously toyed with the bottom of her oversized scrub top. “I know I’m supposed to be introducing myself and saying thank you for having us at your home. But is it wrong for me to admit that the only thing I want to know is if and when you’re planning to take her away from me?” Her chin quivered as tears filled her eyes.
“No,” I gasped, adamantly shaking my head. I released her hand and folded her into a hug.
She came willingly, both of us bursting into tears.
“I won’t take her from you. I swear on my life,” I vowed.
Her body shook, but she held me tight.
I backed away and carefully palmed each side of her battered face, her blue gaze meeting my green. “I lost my son, Clare. No mother deserves that.”
“She’s all I have,” she pleaded unnecessarily.
“We will not take her from you,” I swore.
“It’s just—”
“I give you my word. We will not take her from you. We want her safe, but I promise you we want the same thing for you. Roman told me a long time ago that biology doesn’t make families. Love makes families. She’s your daughter. You carried her. You’ve kept her safe. We just want to be part of her life.”
She sucked in a shaky breath and searched my face. “I always thought she looked like me.”
I lowered a hand and tapped a finger over her heart. “She does in here. Everything she is on the inside is your doing.”
She laughed without humor and backed out of my reach. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing at this point. She’s been through a lot.”