Page 97 of The Knockout Rule

hurt, they scream

but the page doesn’t rip

it softens

and thins

i’ve got you, it says

i’ll catch you, it promises

those words remain

there, unforgotten

but forever

blurred”

Isla sighed and wiped her eyes.

He held her tighter, his heart beating hard and fast. “I’ll catch you,” he said, repeating the sentiment of Ramona Estle’s beautiful words. “Always.” Never again would he lose sight of what he had and let Isla fall.

Epilogue

Isla lifted her teeny, tiny teacup and pretended to sip the invisible liquid. “The tea is lovely, Eliza dear. The perfect temperature. Don’t you agree, Miss Candy?” Isla’s English accent was pathetically awful, but the pink stuffed bear beside her didn’t seem to mind.

“Miss Candy agrees,” Eliza said decidedly. “Want a scone with your tea, Uncle Eric?” Eliza held the empty plate toward him.

He grabbed an invisible pastry and made a show of eating it slowly and wiping at his mouth. “Tell Mrs. Nutter her scones are divine.” His posh accent was perfect, of course. Isla couldn’t get enough of seeing his huge legs folded so high his knees were at his armpits, his thick fingers delicately holding his teacup and saucer. That twinkle in his eyes was too sweet. “Isla, darling, pass me the butter, would you?”

She snorted and reached for the plate, but Whit scampered over with Asher hot on the dog’s heels. The slobbery dog knocked into the table, sending Mrs. Nutter onto the floor and Mr. Green face-planting into his hot “tea.”

“Asher! You ruined everything. You always ruin everything. And you’re not allowed to run in the house. Mom! Asher’s running in the house!” Eliza’s cheeks were red with anger, tears shining in her eyes.

Instead of waiting for Rosa to settle things, Eric had his niece up in his arms, then upside down, hanging by her ankles. “Which way did your heathen brother go?”

“I’m upside down.” She wiggled and laughed, no longer on the verge of crying. “I can’t see!”

“You can hear him, though. Close your eyes and listen for Whit, then point in the right direction. We’ll show Asher upside down girls have more fun because they don’t run around the house.”

Eliza squeezed her eyes shut, then flung her arm out. “That way!”

There wasn’t far to go in the small home, but Eric extended the game, moving the wrong direction on purpose, making Eliza shake with laughter.

“He’s going to make her pee,” Rosa said as she eyed the destroyed tea party.

Isla picked up the fallen stuffed toys and righted them on their seats. “He loves Sundays.”

Sunday was family day. Regardless of how much studying Eric had to do, he spent Sundays playing with his niece and nephew, helping his mother cook dinner, getting teased by his sister.

Rosa stared after her brother, smiling tenderly. “So do they.” She gathered a couple of scattered cups. “So do I, but don’t tell him I said so.”

Isla didn’t have a brother or sister to tease and love and torment in that special way siblings ragged on each other. She didn’t have a mother like Eric’s, who tutted over her kids and kissed their cheeks and told them how special they were. She did have this, though. Sundays with his family, where she was welcomed as one of their own.

Eric’s mother called them to dinner, a raucous affair as usual. The twins talked loudly, vying for their uncle’s attention. Eric’s mother beamed at her son. Rosa called him out for dribbling sauce on his shirt, and he laughed so hard at one point, he nearly fell off his chair. Then he looked at Isla from across the table, with so much love and fondness in his eyes, she almost fell off her chair. Sundays really were the best.

He found her in the kitchen afterward helping his mother with the dishes. He slipped her cell into her back pocket. “Your father called. I think he was giving me that glare through the phone.”