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Authors: R. D. Brady
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again?”
Laney nodded. “Yup. But these are different ones from the ones I was reading last time you were in here. They all look alike.”
“Have you found what you’re looking for?”
Laney glanced at the old books, her mind traveling over what she had found. She and her uncle had discussed what the references meant, but she wanted to go over them one more time before they shared that information with anyone else. To be honest, she was looking for an alternate explanation, because the one they had come up with seemed so impossible.
“I’m not sure. I think so.”
Max nodded. “You’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so.”
Max sat straight and looked at her, his expression serious. “You will. You’re the ring bearer. You have to.”
Laney searched his face for a moment. “Max,” she began slowly, “what do you know about the ring bearer?”
“You’re important, Laney. More important than anything.” His face clouded for a moment. “Or anyone.”
Laney narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean—”
“There you are,” Kati Simmons said as she stepped through the doorway. Kati had the same brown hair as Max, the same small stature and high cheekbones. They were practically doubles of each other. The only difference was their eyes: Max’s were a bright blue while Kati’s were brown.
Max hopped off Laney’s lap. “Hi, Mom.”
“Lunch is ready.” Kati looked at Laney. “There’s extra if you want some. Meatloaf.”
“Sounds good.” Laney glanced back at the desk. “I’ll be out in a little bit. I just need to finish up a little more.”
“Okay.” Kati held out her hand and Max clasped it. The two of them disappeared through the doorway.
Laney turned back to her desk with a sigh. She picked up the journal she’d been reading. Okay. I finish this one and—
The patter of little feet had her turning to the door. Max burst through the doorway and threw himself at Laney. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her chest.
“Max, honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” But he didn’t let go.
“Max?”
He looked up at her. “I love you, Laney.”
Touched, she pulled him tight. “I love you too.”
“Hey,” Maddox said from the doorway. He glanced at Laney and raised his eyebrows. She shook her head, shrugging back at him.
“Max?” Maddox said, stepping in.
Max glanced up at Laney. She stared into his little face, remembering when she’d first met him—the day he was born. His little fingers had reached out and grabbed one of hers and that had been it. She was in love. And that love had only grown over the years.
“You need to remember you’re important,” Max said.
Laney stared at him, surprised by his intensity. “I will, Max. I promise.”
He nodded, releasing her. “Goodbye, Laney.”
Laney felt her heart clutch. “You mean see you later.”
Max looked at her over his shoulder and then took Maddox’s hand.
Laney stared at the empty space. Max hadn’t corrected her. But his look had spoken volumes. And what it had said loudest of all was that she didn’t understand.
Laney had a sinking feeling he was right.
CHAPTER 19
“H ey, Laney,” Maddox said from the doorway.
Laney glanced up in surprise. “Hey. Tell Kati I’ll be right out.”
Maddox laughed. “Laney, we finished eating an hour ago.”
“What?” Laney glanced at the clock above the desk. Almost two hours had passed since Kati had been in here. “Wow. Sorry. I totally lost track of time.”
“Gripping reading?”
“Actually, yeah.”
She had been going through more of the Council records from Flourent’s home. And she’d found more references to a woman who looked incredibly like Victoria. But the journals didn’t hint at an actual identification.
But that wasn’t the biggest surprise in the books. Jorgen was in there—a lot. In most of the drawings, his eyes had been covered, but in some they weren’t—and they were pitch black,
Laney nodded. “Yup. But these are different ones from the ones I was reading last time you were in here. They all look alike.”
“Have you found what you’re looking for?”
Laney glanced at the old books, her mind traveling over what she had found. She and her uncle had discussed what the references meant, but she wanted to go over them one more time before they shared that information with anyone else. To be honest, she was looking for an alternate explanation, because the one they had come up with seemed so impossible.
“I’m not sure. I think so.”
Max nodded. “You’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so.”
Max sat straight and looked at her, his expression serious. “You will. You’re the ring bearer. You have to.”
Laney searched his face for a moment. “Max,” she began slowly, “what do you know about the ring bearer?”
“You’re important, Laney. More important than anything.” His face clouded for a moment. “Or anyone.”
Laney narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean—”
“There you are,” Kati Simmons said as she stepped through the doorway. Kati had the same brown hair as Max, the same small stature and high cheekbones. They were practically doubles of each other. The only difference was their eyes: Max’s were a bright blue while Kati’s were brown.
Max hopped off Laney’s lap. “Hi, Mom.”
“Lunch is ready.” Kati looked at Laney. “There’s extra if you want some. Meatloaf.”
“Sounds good.” Laney glanced back at the desk. “I’ll be out in a little bit. I just need to finish up a little more.”
“Okay.” Kati held out her hand and Max clasped it. The two of them disappeared through the doorway.
Laney turned back to her desk with a sigh. She picked up the journal she’d been reading. Okay. I finish this one and—
The patter of little feet had her turning to the door. Max burst through the doorway and threw himself at Laney. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her chest.
“Max, honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” But he didn’t let go.
“Max?”
He looked up at her. “I love you, Laney.”
Touched, she pulled him tight. “I love you too.”
“Hey,” Maddox said from the doorway. He glanced at Laney and raised his eyebrows. She shook her head, shrugging back at him.
“Max?” Maddox said, stepping in.
Max glanced up at Laney. She stared into his little face, remembering when she’d first met him—the day he was born. His little fingers had reached out and grabbed one of hers and that had been it. She was in love. And that love had only grown over the years.
“You need to remember you’re important,” Max said.
Laney stared at him, surprised by his intensity. “I will, Max. I promise.”
He nodded, releasing her. “Goodbye, Laney.”
Laney felt her heart clutch. “You mean see you later.”
Max looked at her over his shoulder and then took Maddox’s hand.
Laney stared at the empty space. Max hadn’t corrected her. But his look had spoken volumes. And what it had said loudest of all was that she didn’t understand.
Laney had a sinking feeling he was right.
CHAPTER 19
“H ey, Laney,” Maddox said from the doorway.
Laney glanced up in surprise. “Hey. Tell Kati I’ll be right out.”
Maddox laughed. “Laney, we finished eating an hour ago.”
“What?” Laney glanced at the clock above the desk. Almost two hours had passed since Kati had been in here. “Wow. Sorry. I totally lost track of time.”
“Gripping reading?”
“Actually, yeah.”
She had been going through more of the Council records from Flourent’s home. And she’d found more references to a woman who looked incredibly like Victoria. But the journals didn’t hint at an actual identification.
But that wasn’t the biggest surprise in the books. Jorgen was in there—a lot. In most of the drawings, his eyes had been covered, but in some they weren’t—and they were pitch black,
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