Page 173 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

“She loves Evan,” he says quietly.

I swallow.

“I’ve seen it,” he continues. “That’s not fake.”

I know it’s not.

“She’s scared you’ll shut down,” Rex adds.

I don’t deny it.

Because I already did.

Fletcher leans forward slightly. “What do you want, Wayne?”

I sit with that.

What do I want?

“I want her to feel safe,” I say finally.

“And?” Rex presses.

“And I don’t want my son hurt.”

Fletcher nods once. “Then we build this right.”

Rex’s mouth curves faintly. “First step’s easy.”

“Is it?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says. “We show up.”

I glance toward the hallway again.

She’s probably spiraling through every worst-case scenario she can imagine, and we’re sitting at a table debating hypotheticals.

“We do something for her,” I say.

Rex’s brows lift. “Like what?”

“She likes it when things feel intentional,” I say slowly. “Chosen.”

Rex tilts his head. “Chosen how?”

I think about her hands when she carves. The way she lights up when something is done on purpose.

“She doesn’t need a solution tonight,” I say. “She needs to know we’re not disappearing.”

Fletcher nods once. “So we don’t talk logistics.”

“No,” I agree. “Not tonight.”

Rex leans back slightly, thinking. “We take her out.”

I glance at him. “Out where?”

“On a date,” he says. “Let her know we’re all in.”