Mike winked at his daughter who was gazing back at him then he moved to join the search.
He was surprised Reesee wasn’t together but then again that day of any would be the time to lose it. Usually, she was quite a bit like Dusty, except in a quieter, softer way. Confident. Laidback. No-nonsense.
He figured in one hour, fifteen minutes, she’d come back to that.
He moved through the house mostly going through the motions considering he had no fucking clue what he was looking for.
This was not a hardship.
When Dusty was pregnant with Amanda, she’d sold her ranch to the couple who’d been renting it since a month after she got shot.
Then they’d moved from the development into The ‘Burg. A big, established house on Green Street. Huge yard. A line of peony bushes that ran the long, side drive that every May burst into huge, downy blooms of colors ranging from the richest cream to the deepest pink. In the summer Dusty hung four big pots of ferns from the roof of the front porch that ran the length of the house and she put his Adirondack chairs out there. The house had big rooms, a kitchen built to make Thanksgiving dinner and lots of sash windows where, in the living room at the front of the house, they put their Christmas tree every year. Out in the vast, sweeping backyard there was a detached two car garage and an enormous, heated shed where Dusty made her pottery.
And as he wandered the rooms looking for a shoebox, like he did when he did his walkthroughs randomly at night, he took it all in and he didn’t miss what he saw.
He had it all. The full dream. His family in a big, old, graceful house in The ‘Burg, Christmas tree in the window, ferns hanging from the porch roof in the summer.
And a beautiful, smart, funny, loving woman in his bed who was his wife, the mother of two of his kids and the adoring stepmom to the other two.
He was living the dream.
All of it.
He looked into the family room hoping Rees hadn’t lost her mind and stowed her shoes there and saw Mandy on Jordy’s lap, Jordy pushed back in Mike’s recliner happily watching cartoons with Mike’s kids.
Jordy’s eyes came to his and he reported, “I already reconned the area. No shoes.”
Mike chuckled and jerked up his chin then he moved out of the door and wandered up the wood steps with their dusky blue carpet runner, rounded the middle landing and hit the top where the kids’ rooms and his office were. He’d just walked through the door to what would soon become the guest room considering Reesee wasn’t going to be in it anymore when she emerged from her closet with a scary-spiked-high-heeled, ivory satin shoe in each hand and she declared, “Found them!”
“In your closet,” Mike noted and his daughter’s eyes cut to his.
“Mike,” Dusty muttered but her voice was vibrating with amusement.
She was on her hands and knees on the floor, ass pointed in the air, her own scary-spike-high-heeled shoes (hers were pale yellow and they were strappy sandals) already on her feet, clearly having just been engaged in checking under the bed.
Mike tore his gaze from his wife’s ass and looked to Audrey who had a piece of luggage open on the bed, the folded contents of which her hands had suspended from carefully pawing through. Her dancing eyes were on Mike and her lips were pressed together to stop herself from laughing.
“Cut me some slack, Dad,” Reesee snapped and Mike looked at his daughter. “I’m gettin’ married today.”
“Yeah, to a man you’ve been with for seven years. Jesus, Reesee, you’re already practically married. You’re just doin’ this to have a party and cash in on presents,” Mike replied.
“Mike,” Dusty muttered again, now on her feet and her voice was still vibrating with amusement.
Audrey actually snorted.
“Mom!” Reesee shouted, glaring at her mother.
“Honey, your Dad is funny,” Audrey defended herself.
Mike crossed his arms on his chest and grinned at his daughter.
“I’m just cuttin’ the tension with a joke,” he told her and her eyes sliced to his.
“If that’s what you’re tryin’ to do, you’re failing!” Reesee clipped.
Mike’s grin faded and he whispered, “Calm down, beautiful. It’s all gonna be okay. Everything is going to be perfect. You’re marrying a good man who loves you, you love him and you’re starting on a journey that’ll make you happy until the day you die.”
He watched his daughter’s eyes fill with tears then she waved her hand in front of her face and exclaimed, “Don’t make me cry! My makeup! The makeup girl just left! She can’t do repairs.”
“Come here,” Mike ordered.
“No. You’re gonna make me cry,” Reesee returned, still waving her hand in front of her face.
“Reesee, honey, come here,” Mike said quietly but firmly.
She held his eyes, dropped her hand and came to him.
“We’ll just give you two a minute,” Dusty muttered and she and Audrey slid by them and out the door.
Mike lifted both his hands and cupped his girl’s jaw.
Then his eyes moved over her face.