Page 63 of Where the Wind Whispers

“It’s not that, Kaz. He just doesn’t care now. Not about me, not unless he’s hurting me.”

That was the best way Violet knew how to explain her father’s final words.

Alberto didn't threaten her.

He’d threatened the things she loved.

The people that were hers.

Her heart, he’d said. Her soul.

He wanted her to hurt as she had done to him.

“It’ll be fine,” Kaz assured. “I’ll figure it out.”

Violet gave him another small smile before she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his mouth once more. “Tomorrow, right?”

“Tomorrow. How long does this have to cook?”

She turned, checking the casserole in the oven. “Another forty minutes or so. Why?”

Kaz was already tugging her along with him, away from the oven and out of the kitchen before he even answered. “I have something to show you.”

Though she didn’t have a choice but to follow behind, Violet laughed lightly at the sudden happiness lighting up Kaz’s usually stoic features. In the face of their crazy life, and the darkness of the unknown, he always managed to smile with her.

She made him happy—although she had never fully understood why.

It was a beautiful thing.

“Slow down,” Violet said as they rounded the stairs.

“Keep up,” he joked.

“You didn’t have Vera come in and do the whole nursery, did you?”

Kaz gave Violet a look over his shoulder. “And risk your unhappiness, no?”

“I wouldn't have been … unhappy.”

“We’ll do that together, Violet. Whatever you want. It’s not the nursery.”

At that point, she decided to let Kaz do whatever it was that he wanted to do. He always took a great deal of pleasure in his surprises—whenever it was that he got the chance to spring one on her. There hadn’t been many in their time together, but she was sure that was only because circumstance had prevented him from doing so.

Kaz adored her smile.

She knew he was going to work on making her keep smiling for the rest of their lives.

Violet’s worries nearly overshadowed her own happiness—nearly.

The thought was fleeting.

But it had been there.

And how long will our lives last?

As fast as the thought came, it was gone, replaced by something sweet and wicked curling through her bloodstream with every beat of her heart. Kaz turned her in the hallway in front of a set of oak doors. It was one room down from where the nursery would be and not far from the master bedroom.

All she could see at that moment was him watching her.