Full House (Stacked Deck Book 4)

by Emilia Finn

  “Oh… well, it’s okay to be scared.” She wraps her arms around his neck and squeezes. “But we do the thing anyway. And that’s called bravery.”

  A few minutes later, with Lyss still firmly in Miles’ arms, we make our way downstairs and back into the living room. We retake the seats we left, Lyss remains in Miles’ lap, and Bry comes to the back of the couch and rests his hand on my shoulder.

  For the immature brother who often annoyed me to the point of rage when we were younger, he’s now the brother that will kill someone for me. He’ll go to war for me, and because Lyss is mine, his protection spans across to her.

  “We’d like to make an offer,” Jules begins once we’re situated. She folds her legs, clasps her hands, and smiles for Karla. “Supervised visitation between now and the hearing. We’d like to create a relationship of cooperation, with the belief that this is what is best for the child.”

  “Back in our state,” Lorna snaps. “She can visit our home. The town she knows. The home she knows.”

  “No chance.” Juliette shakes her head and speaks so calmly, when I know that I was about to throw a bookend at Lorna’s head. “In this town, at a previously agreed upon location. And the meeting will be supervised by someone we elect. The entire meeting, no exceptions.”

  “She is her mother!” Lorna screeches.

  When Lyss squeaks, she changes her tack.

  “Lyssy, baby, you love Grandma, don’t you? Why are you afraid to come visit with me?”

  “Lorna is to be excluded from these meetings,” Juliette continues, and absorbs a feral glare from the woman. “You have motives that are unclear, and since you have no rights to the child, you have no reason to be there.”

  “That is unacceptable! She’s my granddaughter. Lyssa! Tell them, baby. Tell them you want me to be there.”

  Juliette looks to the opposing lawyer. “Make it so, Miss Carter. We will secure protective orders if we must. My husband is the chief of police, which means I have a fast track to get it done.”

  “What are your terms?” Miranda asks calmly.

  “One-hour visits every second week from now until the hearing. Supervised. In town. Our representative will transport the child to and from the meet, which means there is absolutely no reason for either of your clients to bring Alyssa anywhere near their car. The meeting place can be Karla’s choice, pending approval from the father.”

  “Why approval?”

  “Just a precaution. There’s a lookout at the top of town, which is pretty and all, but it’s dangerous. There’s also a lake. Again, it’s pretty, but if she falls in, and the mother isn’t paying attention for just a moment…”

  Miranda nods. “Noted. Location approval, supervision, visitation every second week.”

  “It needs to be in our town,” Lorna whines. “We can’t stay here for months.”

  Miles shrugs. “You’ve been excluded from these meets. There is no reason for you to still be here right now, let alone the next few months.” Miles flicks his wrist, the same way she did to me. “You can go.”

  “Miles! You ungrateful little bastard. After all of those years, after everything I did for you—”

  In the blink of an eye, Bry stands between us and Lorna, and right beside him, my dad. Folded arms, formidable and fiery expressions.

  Bry’s voice turns deadly and low. “Speak to anyone like that in front of Lyss again, and you will be escorted off this property. You say you’re here for Lyss, but you don’t give a single damn about her happiness or safety. If you did, you’d treat her father with respect. And you damn well wouldn’t try to steal her from a happy home. Stand down, old lady, and find your respect. When her mother comes back for her visits, you’d better make sure you’re not with her, or this agreement becomes void, and you both wait until we go to court.” his eyes move to Miranda. “That concludes this meeting. Please, Miss Carter, contact our lawyer for future communications. Jules will relay the pertinent details.”

  And just like that, he clears the room and sends mother and daughter packing.

  In all of that time, Karla remains quiet. Smothered. Scared.

  “Who’s the supervision?” Dad asks. He looks from Jules, to Bry, to Miles. “Who are you sending as rep?”

  “Me.” I stand when Miles stands, and step closer to wrap my arms around his. Exhausted, Lyss lays her cheek on Miles’ shoulder, but she’s turned my way. Her eyes scour my face. “I’m going to be with her the whole time.”

  “But, do you…” Daddy frowns. “Is that safe?”

  “If it’s not safe, then we don’t send Alyssa either.” I reach up and stroke a thumb over her cheek.

  When she’s tired, when she’s cuddled into Miles, I get a glimpse of the toddler she was when I first met her. Still a little chubby, still a baby.

  I missed her first six years, but I intend to squirrel away the rest for myself.

  “It’ll be okay. I promise, guys. I’ve got this.”

  The first message comes through Jules the very next morning.

  Karla would like to meet us at the park in the middle of town. It’s central, it’s safe, it may be near a road, but the road is generally quiet. And little does she know, but our friends at the Checkmate office already have that area on security feed.

  So we agree.

  Brooke

  How My Life Has Changed

  It’s cold out. The wind is up, and the chill in the air bites at our noses as I open Lyss’ car door and lean in to unbuckle her seatbelt. I’m driving Miles’ car, since it’s easier than switching the car seat out, and he’s driving mine… straight to the gym, he said.

  He has a tournament to win, prize money to claim, and a lawyer he swears he needs money for. Jules has promised she’s working for free, but Miles has spiraled into survival mode, much the same as how he was during that first year of Stacked Deck.

  He hadn’t wanted to hurt Mac during their fight, but he had a daughter to take care of. Bills to pay. And Mac stood between him and that money.

  History has swung back around, so while I take care of Lyss and supervise the meeting from hell, Miles is on a steely mission to win that tournament. He won’t quit until Lyss’ future is secure.

  “Come on, baby. Are you warm enough? I didn’t realize the wind would pick up while we drove.”

  “I’m warm.” She grins up from beneath a cotton hat with flappy ears and a pompom on top.

  She wears sweatpants and snow boots – though the snow is still a couple weeks away. A coat with a faux-fur-lined hood, and knitted gloves that will be lost in minutes when she realizes it’s hard to play with them on.

  “I wish Daddy could play too.” She stops at the door of the car, standing on the seat inside, and jumps when I hold my arms open.

  She brought no doll with her today, no teddy, no stuffed toys. But I guess maybe that’s because she has Twain.

  He jumps out of the car behind her, no leash, no coat, no shoes, and shakes so violently that his collar jingles as he moves. I fix Lyss in my arms and set her on my hip, then I slam the door shut and turn to the woman who was already sitting on the park bench when we drove up.

  She wears basically the same outfit she wore yesterday, but has added a hat to keep her ears warm, and sports different jeans. The pair she wore yesterday were darker.

  “You ready, baby? You’re going to be brave?”

  Lyss nods and wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m not scared. I’m brave.”

  “Yes, you are.” I press a kiss to her brow and breathe in the scent of her shampoo.

  We make our way across the park while Twain sprints a fast perimeter. He still makes it back seconds before we reach Karla. He approaches her first, and sniffs her legs, even as she recoils from the scary dog.

  “Twain.” Firm voice. I’m in control. “Sit.”

  He plops down, but he’s still only two inches from the woman that hasn’t looked up to meet my eyes.

  Finally, I take the lead. Because I’m supposed to be
brave too.

  “Karla?” I set Lyss on her feet and duck a little lower to catch her mom’s eyes. “Hey.” I smile. “We’re here to play.”

  She nods. That’s all she gives me, but she stands and points toward the swings.

  I nod for Lyss when she turns to me with uncertainty. “You should go swing, baby. It would be fun.”

  “Okay.” And because she’s a fucking miracle, she extends a hand for Karla to take. “I can take you if you like.”

  Finally thawing out a little, Karla meets her daughter’s gaze, and nearly kills me when her eyes well up. “Thanks.” She takes her hand and slowly meanders toward the swings. “You’re six now?”

  “Uh huh. But I’ll be seven soon. Did you know Christmas is coming? First the tournament, and then Santa. Does Santa bring you things?”

  Twain remains in place, but he whines, groans, vibrates. So I release him.

  “Go, Twain. Go be with Lyss.”

  He shoots off like a rocket, and closes the twenty feet in a second so that tanbark and dirt fly up as he skids to a stop and sends Lyss into a giggling frenzy.

  “This is Twain,” she tells her mother. “He’s really friendly. I think he’s my Christmas gift. I didn’t ask yet, but I hope he gets to be mine forever.”

  “He’s not yours right now?” Karla helps Lyss onto the swing and gently releases her. “Whose is he?”

  “He belongs to Miss Brooke.” She points toward me as I turn to sit on the bench Karla left. “There are a lot of dogs. Miss Evie is our friend, and her dog had puppies.”

  “Is Twain the puppy?” Karla asks softly. “He doesn’t look like a puppy.”

  “He’ll be two soon,” Lyss giggles. “Oh, Miss Brooke! It’s almost Twain’s birthday!”

  “Uh huh.” I wave her off and pray her mother realizes I’m trying my best to give them space.

  I will not leave them. I will not turn away. But I can try to give them a little space and privacy, and all the while, I can watch the surrounding roads to make sure psycho bitch Lorna doesn’t try to sneak in.

  “I wonder if we’ll do a cake,” Lyss ponders to herself. “I bet Twain loves cake.” She looks over her shoulder and smiles for her mom. “Do you like cake?”

  Karla nods and continues pushing the swing. “Sometimes. But sometimes it gives me a stomachache. So I have to be careful.”

  “For real?” Lyss tries to spin in her seat, and almost topples to the ground in her rush. “Cake gives me a stomachache too!”

  “Yeah?” Karla’s eyes sparkle with unshed tears. “That’s… um… I’m sorry you don’t get to eat cake. That’s my fault, I guess.”

  “Are you allowed to eat peanut butter? Because I’m not allowed.”

  “Yeah,” Karla nods. “I’m allowed to have peanut butter. You’re not?”

  My heart skips and thrashes so painfully that I almost fold forward.

  She literally knows nothing about her child.

  “No, peanuts will make me dead.” She makes a splat noise that, while it makes her giggle, makes my stomach drop. “Did you know some dog foods have peanut butter in them?” She nods to confirm her own revelation. “Daddy looked it up on the internet when we moved in with Miss Brooke. Because maybe Twain likes peanut butter, but if he eats that and kisses me…” She repeats the splat.

  “Um…” Karla clears her throat. “No, I didn’t know.” Her eyes come to me. They narrow, but it’s more a look of curiosity than anything else. “You moved in with Miss Brooke?” She nods toward me. “That’s Miss Brooke?”

  “Uh huh. But it was okay, because Twain’s food didn’t have the peanut butter. So we could kiss and it was okay.”

  “Does… uh… does your daddy kiss Miss Brooke?”

  “Uh huh! They do it a lot, and they giggle sometimes too.”

  I drop my eyes, study the pleat of my jeans, and pray she stops.

  “Miss Brooke writes books in her treehouse, and–”

  “Alyssa.” I sit taller and clear my throat. “Why don’t you tell your mom about kindergarten? What do you learn at school?”

  “Oh! Did you know Isaac Newton invented the cat door? And Vincent Van Gogh died in France. And I got an extra gold star in class last week because I used commas in my writing.”

  “You did?” Karla slows the swing and peeks down at her daughter. “You can write?”

  “Uh huh! I’ve already written eleven books. Miss Brooke helped me.”

  I throw my head back and swallow my groan.

  Children don’t know how to keep a damn secret.

  Miles

  Family

  Brooke: Everything is fine. Lorna isn’t here. Miranda isn’t here. Karla is pushing Lyss on the swing, and Twain is standing guard, and shows his teeth every few minutes to make sure she doesn’t forget who’s in charge.

  It’s hard for me to breathe. Hard for me to focus. Hard for me to do any fucking thing except fall to the floor and curl up.

  Instead, I cling to my phone and send Bry insane with annoyance because I can’t focus.

  Me: Pic?

  It takes only a minute for her reply, a picture just as she described it; Karla stands behind Lyss and pushes a swing, and Lyss smiles, throws her legs out on a high arc in the air. Beside them, Twain lays ready to rescue his girl if she needs it.

  Brooke: She’s safe. You can trust me.

  Me: I’ve always trusted you. I handed my daughter over to you the very first day I met you. The very minute I met you. I blow out a breath when that reality sinks in. Jesus, Brooke. I met Evie. Two seconds later, I met you, and bam! You had my daughter in your arms and were leading her to another room… I’ve trusted you since the moment I met you.

  Instead of a reply text, my phone buzzes with a call.

  Her name on my screen makes me panic, despite the fact I know Lyss was safe only a second ago. But maybe she fell off the swing. Maybe she broke her leg. Fuck, maybe they took her to the hospital and the doctors administered pain relief before asking about allergies.

  “Hello? Brooke?”

  “Ugh.” Bry throws his head back and undoes his gloves.

  He knows we’re not getting anywhere until this is done, despite my big talk about how I need to win Stacked Deck for the third year in a row. This might be the most important year of them all.

  “Relax,” Brooke whispers. “If you listen carefully, you’ll be able to hear her.”

  “Why are you whispering?”

  Her soft laughter flitters into my ear. “Because I want to tell you something, but I don’t want to be loud and obnoxious about it. I’m not here to slap your ex when she’s already so uncomfortable.”

  “Okay…” I frown. “What do you wanna tell me?”

  “That I love you. And that I’m thankful that you share your daughter with me. I’m thankful you trust me. I’m thankful that your daughter is so smart and caring and wonderful. Also, she sucks at keeping secrets.”

  “What secrets?” My heart thunders. “What secrets, Brooke?”

  “She told Karla you and I kiss a lot.” She laughs. “That we moved in together. That I write books.”

  “Ugh.”

  She snickers. “My thoughts exactly. We probably should have given her a list of things not to talk about. Instead, she’s already told Karla about the stolen statue, so we’re probably going to prison after this.”

  “Stop it.” I lean against the ropes of the boxing ring I stand in, and grin. “I won’t let the cops take you. I swear.”

  “If they get me, they’re taking you too. That’s your house, Miles. You’re the one holding onto stolen goods.”

  “Entrapment.”

  She laughs. “Everything is fine here. And I already got a text from Checkmate.”

  “You did?”

  I can see her nod in my mind. “Yup. They said Lorna is at the hotel, and Miranda has already left town. She’s got work to do, so she’s going home to do it.”

  “I don’t hate Miranda.”

  She sighs
. “Me neither. She’s just doing her job. And… I don’t hate Karla, either. She’s shy, Miles. You said she’s wild and ready to party, but that’s not who I see right now. She’s insecure and scared of rejection from a six-year-old.”

  “She’s changed since she left.”

  “Changed, like… you’d like to reunite and live happily ever after with her?”

  My laugh comes out on an almost silent breath. “No. I’m kind of in love with someone else.”

  And yet, my stomach cramps. “I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I? Lorna wants a happy family, but I won’t do it. I’m not going back there, and I’m not letting Lyss go. Karla is her mother, Brooke. But I’m saying no. Please tell me I’m doing the right thing.”

  “Keeping Alyssa happy and safe is the right thing. Being with a woman you don’t want to be with just to create an image of unity isn’t. It’s a lie, Miles. Every child is better off with two separate, happy families, rather than one full of tension and hate. But…” she sighs. “Maybe I’m the wrong person to ask. I’m clearly biased on this.”

  “I think you’re right.” I lower my head, and roll it along the ropes in front of me. “Jesus, Brooke. This shit might be the scariest thing I’ve ever done. People are asking me to let go and trust. But she’s all I’ve known for a massive chunk of my life. I was all she had, she was all I had, and now they think they get to come back because it’s easier now?”

  “I don’t think it’s an easier time,” she ponders. “I think maybe they’ve forgotten the details. Rose-tinted glasses, and all that. No, don’t– Shit, hang on.”

  “Brooke?” I shoot up tall as her breath races and footsteps stomp along hardpacked dirt. “Brooklyn!”

  Bry looks to me. He’s ready to go again. He’s ready to drive me wherever we have to go.

  “I’m sorry,” I hear Brooke say. Her tone is light. Unhurried and kind. “I’m so sorry, but she can’t eat that. Just…” She pauses so noise, wrappers, breath echoes into the phone. “You don’t have to worry about feeding her. We had a big breakfast before we came, and we have lunch waiting at home too.”