Page 19 of Marcus

“Let you have some time with my mom. Well, you know, without her knowing about this whole thing, and whatnot.”

“Sounds like you’re adding more to your plate than was intended.”

Marcus chuckled. “You would be surprised to know it’s nothing new for me to be busier than I can usually handle. Not that I mind—I tend to like it. But would that help?”

“Depends on what you had in mind.”

“Give me some time. I am sure I can figure something out.”

“All right.”

Before the two of them could say anything further, Tiffany came back through the entryway. In one hand, she carried her mother’s purse with the water bottle sticking out of the top that she’d asked about earlier. In her other hand, she held tight to a small brown bear with a blue bow tied around the neck.

Marcus grinned. “Hey, you found him.”

Tiffany beamed back. “It was in a cupboard in the hallway.”

Ah.

So, that’s where one of the kids hid it.

“He’s very soft,” she added.

“He’s mine.” Marcus quickly corrected that with, “Well, he was mine when I was a baby. He’s never left this penthouse; my mom just kept him in her bedroom, but one of the kids must have taken him out to play with, and he went missing.”

With her big, blue eyes, Tiffany looked between him and the bear. “Oh.”

He heard the sadness.

She looked at that bear like she loved it.

“You could have him, if you’d like,” he said.

That smile was back.

So was her happiness.

Like her mother, she was so much more beautiful when she was smiling and happy. How could Marcus possibly tell her no for anything? Hell, she hadn’t even asked for the bear, and he was more than willing to just give it to her, even if its history in this penthouse was as old as the place itself. Not to mention what it meant to his mother.

He didn’t think Cara would mind, though.

“Really?” Tiffany asked.

He looked to Cella. “If it’s fine with your mom, of course.”

Cella sighed. “She has a million stuffies already.”

“But not a brown bear with a blue bow,” the girl pointed out.

Quite smartly, he had to admit.

Marcus hid his grin by looking down. He’d learned with his own nieces and nephews that it was not very smart to make kids think their quick mouths were amusing because that only notched up the attitude, and the adults in the room tended not to appreciate it.

“Yeah, not a brown bear with a blue bow,” Cella echoed. “I don’t see why you can’t take it. And thank you, Marcus.”

“Yes, thank you,” Tiffany whispered, hugging the bear.

Marcus only looked to Cella. “Not a problem at all. Should we exchange numbers, then?”