Read Dream & Dare for Free Online Page B

was sick or couldn’t sleep. I sang it to Connor when he was little. I never really thought about the words. I only think about the love.”
     
    Faith walked in and stood next to the crib with Bibi, watching her daughter sleep. “She’s getting so big. Did Michael tell you she stood on her own today?”
     
    “About the first thing out of his mouth when I got back. I’m glad he was here to see it. I thought he was gonna bust open with pride.”
     
    “Yeah, he was. Her, too—she applauded herself. Stood up, let go, looked around at us grinning like a fool, then clapped so hard she knocked herself back on her little booty.”
     
    Bibi laughed quietly and patted the little booty in question. “This girl is gonna run y’all ragged, you know that?”
     
    Lana stirred, and both women stepped back quickly. In unspoken agreement, they tiptoed to the door and let the sleeping baby lie.
     
    In the hallway, they could hear the low, happy sound of Demon telling Tucker a bedtime story, and Tucker interrupting repeatedly to ask his questions. Once he’d found his voice, that little guy had discovered that he liked to use it. Bibi and Faith smiled at each other.
     
    This was a happy house. Even though she was only a guest, even though she no longer had a happy home of her own, Bibi took great comfort in the contentment and love surrounding her.
     
    She needed it. The past week or so had been agonizing. Hoosier had taken ill, brought low by a virus, and it had been days since he’d even looked at her with recognition. For the first time since he’d woken, she was truly afraid she’d never get him back.
     
    Faith put her hand on Bibi’s back. “Got a minute? I have something to show you.”
     
    “Sure, darlin’.”
     
    “Cool. I’ll meet you in the dining room. I need to run out to my studio for a sec.”
     
    Curious, Bibi nodded. She stopped in the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine from the box in the fridge. Demon came in and walked up behind her, kissing her cheek and taking the fridge door from her as she was about to close it. He leaned in and grabbed a beer.
     
    “You have a beautiful family, Deme. I’m so proud of you.”
     
    He blushed and beamed. “I don’t know how I got so lucky. I never had luck before.”
     
    “Ain’t luck, honey. It’s what you deserve finally comin’ to you.
     
    He didn’t look comfortable with that, but he shrugged without disagreeing. “Tell Faith I’m out in the garage working on Hooj’s bike.” All of Hoosier’s bikes had been destroyed in the fire, including his first bike, the one he’d still been riding when she’d met him. A 1970 Sportster custom chopper. A few weeks back, Demon had found the same stock bike at an auction and was working on restoring it and replicating the customization.
     
    Biting back tears, Bibi nodded. “I’ll let her know. You’re a good man, Michael.”
     
    He cocked his head at her use of his name. Only Faith called him Michael, and Bibi couldn’t recall the last time she herself had. But it had felt right in the moment, so now she only smiled.
     
    He went out the back, and she headed to the dining room to wait for Faith.
     
    Who was carrying a cardboard box, about medium-size, when she came in. “Michael in the garage?”
     
    Bibi nodded. “Yep. What you got?”
     
    Setting the box on the table near Bibi, Faith said, “This was in my mom’s stuff. When we were moving her and selling the house, I opened every single box, so I thought I knew what was in here. But I just actually went through it a couple of days ago, and it’s different from what I thought. I thought it was family photos—and it is. But it’s your family. I don’t know why Mom had it, but this is all you and Hooj and Connor. Some of us, too, but with you guys.”
     
    She unfolded the flaps of the box, and pushed it toward Bibi. Peering in, Bibi could see that it was full of photos, framed and loose, and even a couple of albums. “What