“You didn’t,” he said as he glanced at their clasped hands. “You almost didn’t come back because of my past.”
“But I did come back despite your past. Your past is your past, not your future.” She slid her arms around his neck.
“You are my future,” he said as he pressed his forehead against hers.
“Ew! Not the time, Daddy!” Sierra shouted.
He lifted his head to glance at his daughter.
“Really, Dad. You spent two years avoiding telling her how you felt, and now you can’t keep your hands off her? Come on,” Kyle scolded.
Grant held his hands in the air with a shake of his head. “Fine, fine.”
“Maybe you ought to put those hands to use digging us out of here,” Kyle suggested.
Grant arched an eyebrow at him.
“Wait, I still don’t think we should try this. It’s risky,” Julia said.
“How long are we going to wait?” Kyle asked. “We should set a time limit.”
Sierra nodded. “Yeah, I agree with Kyle.”
“Well, that’s a first,” Grant answered. “How long do you propose we wait?”
Kyle toggled on his phone and glanced at the time. “It’s six-oh-seven. I think we wait until six thirty.”
“I say we wait until ten after,” Sierra said.
“Six thirty works. It shouldn’t take Ally any longer than that to get through the house and fine us.” She eased onto the floor and leaned against the vault’s wall.
“Fine,” Sierra said, flinging a hand in the air as she plopped down to sit.
Grant and Kyle settled on the floor with them. Grant narrowed his eyes at Sierra’s top. “What is wrong with your shirt?”
“Nothing,” she said with a shrug.
“There’s something sticking out of the top.”
Kyle rolled his eyes as he tugged the neck away from her skin. “She’s ‘hiding’ some jewelry for when we escape.”
“Sierra! Put those back,” Grant said.
“No,” she said tugging the fabric over them again. “It’s the least Lydia can do. She owes me. She spent my entire life lying to me…and you.”
“But it worked out for the best because I got a fantastic daughter out of the deal,” Grant answered.
“Thanks, Daddy.” She grinned at him. “But I still want the jewelry.”
Grant shook his head at her as he looped an arm around Julia’s shoulders and pulled her closer.
“I don’t blame you. Lydia kind of owes all of us.”
“I think she’s already given us something that’s priceless,” Julia said as she leaned her head onto Grant’s shoulder.
“Please don’t say something ridiculous like self-respect,” Kyle answered.
Julia smiled at him and shook her head as she leaned forward to reach for Sierra’s hand and his. “No. But without Lydia, we probably wouldn’t be a family.”
