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“Hmm.” Sherilyn settled her on the couch. “High school’s changed since my day, then.”
* * *
“What must she have thought?” Sofia was still saying as they drove back to Ian’s house after being given the all-clear—and after stopping in at her mom’s to collect her stuff and introduce Ian to her. “Especially with how your friends stayed too. I’m surprised she allowed it.”
Although she secretly thought Sherilyn had wanted to see the shock and awe on the faces of two tough men as they gazed at the screen, and how Eric had paled and clutched the edge of the table. It had made Sofia smile too.
“I’m going to keep my word to her and see that you stay out of any more adventures until the baby’s born.” Ian gave her a stern look.
Sofia would be quite happy with that as well. She leaned on Ian for the walk to the front door. “I’ve missed this place,” she admitted, looking at the house.
“Dad!” Gavin fell on his father the second Ian opened the door, any pretension to coolness gone as he hugged him tightly, then looped an arm around Sofia too, bringing her into the huddle. Oh. She hadn’t expected that.
“You’re really okay, both of you?” came muffled.
“Yes, son.” Ian ruffled Gavin’s hair.
Gavin pulled away. “And the baby’s fine?” he asked Sofia.
Ian had texted Gavin more than once since the police and DEA had arrived, and again from the hospital, but still the young kid needed the reassurance of hearing the words. “Absolutely,” Sofia replied, then threw her arms around Gavin. “Thank you for saving me.”
“Me?” Gavin asked when she let him go.
“If you hadn’t witnessed Sofia being abducted and called me, I might not have gotten to her in time…” Ian let it hang. “Let’s go sit down?”
“Dad, Ms. Popov…Sofia? Can I call you Sofia?” She’d invited him to call her Sofia outside of school when she’d first come to stay at the house, but he’d seemed resistant to the idea, and she hadn’t pushed. The change now seemed deliberate—a sign that he was accepting her as part of the family. His next words only confirmed it. “I was selfish before. But all I want is for you to be happy, and if that means being together, then that’s what I want too.” Gavin looked at the floor. “I made a cake, if you wanted to celebrate…”
“Thank you, Gav.” Sofia gave him another hug. “And of course we want to celebrate, especially if it involves cake!” Arm in arm with Ian and Gavin, Sofia walked into the kitchen, stopping short at the mess. “Or involves cakes, rather.” There seemed a lot of them…
“Yeah, I made mug cakes.” Gavin brought a handful of mugs, all with chocolate or golden-brown sponge puffing out of their tops, to the table.
“But so many?” Ian asked.
“I had to practice. I never baked them before,” Gavin explained, as though it were obvious. “I got some recipes from the internet, and these ones here are the best.” He pushed four mugs to the front.
“Dibs on the chocolate ones.” Sofia swiped two. “Let’s toast?” she suggested.
“To the future,” Ian said, clinking mugs with Sofia and Gavin.
“To the future,” Sofia echoed.
But when she looked at Ian, the gleam in his eyes said and to tonight.
Sofia shivered in anticipation.
