The girl clapped her pudgy hands together. “Cee Cee Cee.”
Felicity laughed. “It’s good to see you, too.”
The baby gurgled, delight dancing across her face.
The screen widened, and Janie Kayrs, Hope’s mom, came into view. “Hi, Felicity. I hope it’s okay we called. Hope has been chanting your name for hours.”
Felicity nodded at her daughter-in-law. “Always call. Any time and any place.” Janie looked very much like her daughter, pretty with very intelligent eyes and was the perfect mate for Zane. “Zane will be home soon.”
Janie grinned, flashing a dimple. “He says you’re robbing banks these days.”
“Um, yeah.” That probably wasn’t a good example to set for her granddaughter, was it?
“Awesome. If you ever need backup, please call on me. I’d love to rob a bank.” Janie tugged on Hope’s curls. “Mom wants to come, too.”
Hope edged her way in front of the camera again. “Cee Cee Cee.”
Daire slipped into the bedroom, and Felicity scooted over so he could sit on the bed. “You’ve met Janie, but this is Hope.”
Daire leaned over and smiled into the camera.
Hope clapped her hands together. “Daire, Daire, Daire. Daire, Cee Cee, Daire, Cee Cee, Daire, Cee Cee Cee Cee.”
Felicity laughed. “I see you’ve told her about Daire.”
Janie’s eyebrows drew down. “Um, no. I haven’t said anything about Daire to her.”
Felicity blew out air. Janie was psychic, so it wasn’t a stretch to think Hope had inherited the gift. “For now, don’t worry about it,” she said softly. Hope’s future was a worry for another day.
Janie nodded and hugged her daughter close. “All right. Say night, and we’ll go call daddy.”
“Night,” Hope said, grinning. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy . . .” The tablet shut off.
Felicity sighed and put it on the night table. “So, that’s Hope. I’m young, really young, but I guess that you should know—”
“I know she’s your granddaughter,” Daire said, shoving down his jeans.
Felicity’s cheeks burned. “Yeah.”
“You’re young Cee Cee, and we can have tons of kids.”
“So I heard.” Her heart actually warmed.
He slid underneath the covers. Warmth and the scent of fresh rain surrounded them. “Were you eavesdropping when I talked to your boys?”
She grinned and rolled into his side to play with the ripped muscles along his torso. So much strength, and it was all hers. He was all hers. “I have no problem eavesdropping or confessing to such. Looks like we just formed a solid family.”
He brushed the hair away from her face, his touch gentle from a deadly hand. “I love you, Felicity. No matter what crazy scheme you come up with next.”
She leaned up and kissed him on the chin, smiling as stubble tickled her chin. “I love you, too.” For the moment, she allowed herself to bask in him. He was right in that she wasn’t crippled or less than anybody else. Abilities were abilities, and she had her own. By viewing herself through his eyes, she’d finally gotten a clear picture. “We’re going to have an adventurous life.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“That smile. All mine.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead.
Her smiled widened. “You, ah, don’t see me as a bad person since I killed Ivan?”
“’Twas self-defense.”
She sobered. That wasn’t exactly true. “I planned to kill him, and I did. Even if he hadn’t kidnapped me and tried to hurt me, I would’ve killed him.”
Daire’s lips twitched. “He killed your mate, and he would’ve harmed your sons. If you have an enemy, a real one, you take them out in order to protect your family.” He brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. “I’d expect nothing less from the mother of the kids we’ll have someday.”
Her heart swelled so large she was afraid her ribs would break. “I love you.”