Ian squeezed her shoulders and drew back. “I know, but I want to be here.”
“Dr. Monroe said we’ll have to go back to our normal lives eventually,” Lucy reminded him, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips. “You can’t take me with you to the station, and you can’t be a cop from home.”
Ian shrugged. “I’ll figure something out with the station. For now, I’ve got the next couple of weeks off, and all I want to do is spend them with you.”
Lucy’s expression made the butterflies in his stomach erupt. “You’re amazing.”
Ian smiled and tweaked her nose. “Only because of you and the kids. Without you, I’d just be boring old Ian.”
Lucy snuggled into his side, the smell of vanilla and peaches wafting up his nostrils. “There’s nothing boring about you, sweetheart.”
Ian pressed a kiss to the top of her head and shifted. “You have to say that; you’re my wife.”
Lucy’s chest vibrated with laughter as she slapped his arm.
He was in the middle of a conversation with his dad when his phone rang. Frowning, Ian took it out of his pocket and stared at the name flashing across the screen. Then he glanced over at Sophia, who switched places with him and tucked Lucy into her side.
Ian stepped into the study and closed the door behind him. “Hey, Bryce. Look, I appreciate you calling me back, but now really isn’t a good time. Can we talk later?”
“This is only going to take a minute. I’ve been doing some more digging, and I uncovered something that I think will help you and your family.”
Ian glanced over his shoulder and ran a hand over his face. “Can you get in touch with Liam and tell him?”
“I already did, but I thought you’d want to know too. The evidence I uncovered proves Eric bribed the original judge in charge of Lily’s custody case.”
The room spun and dipped out from underneath him. “What?”
“It took a while and a lot of elbow greasing and vibes, but I finally managed to do it. This is it, Ian. This could be our smoking gun. If you combine this with everything else we’ve learned, I think we’ve got enough to open up a formal investigation into Eric.”
Ian expelled a harsh breath. “Are you sure?”
“Well, Liam will be able to confirm what I just said, but yeah. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
Laughter spilled in underneath the closed door. “Okay, that’s great. Thank you so much for your help, Bryce. I’ll be in touch.”
“I’ll coordinate with Liam.”
In a daze, Ian went back out into the living room, where a few board games and cards were taken out. Lucy was leading the charge, but she did a double take when she saw him and paused. Several pairs of eyes turned to him, and everyone fell silent.
It was so quiet Ian could’ve sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears.
He sank into the nearest chair and ran a hand through his hair. “That was the PI. He found evidence that proves Eric bribed the judge who was overseeing Lily’s custody case.”
Lily’s hands flew to her mouth.
Ian looked over at her. “I’m sorry, Lil.”
Lily shook her head, and her hands fell to her sides. “It’s not your fault. Why are you apologizing? It’s not like you’re the one who did it.”
Sophia came to stand beside Lily and draped an arm over her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Lily stood straighter and glanced around the room. “I’m sorry he’s making you all relive a painful chapter of your life. I wish things weren’t like this.”
“None of us blame you, sweetheart,” Grandma Jen told her before rising to her feet and glancing around. “Eric is the one at fault here, and he’s going to live with what he’s done.”
A murmur of agreement rose.
“The question is, what do you want to do now, Ian?” Grandma Jen turned to him, her bright eyes wide and attentive. “Whatever you decide to do, we’re going to support you.”
