Secretly loving her

awyer

r off guard. She lay there staring at the ceiling, listening

ow it alwa

ed her cheek before getting out of bed and offered to make coffee-

something. Willow followed, hair a mess, asking a dozen questions at o

iar. Safe, i

ending to listen. When it buzzed, he froze-

," he said, already m

ed to his ear, pacing the porch. She didn

ack in, the mo

en Willow asked a question he didn't hear, stepped on to

said, grabbing his k

hind him before

still hadn

didn't call. She alread

the lot near the arcade-someplace loud enough to distract them all. River ran ahead. W

e forgot how tig

ooked up-a

l

axed. He hadn't seen her yet. Mia watched before she could stop hers

d her thoughts, suddenly aware of the space betw

eyes

or a m

she tur

ut her heartbeat stayed loud long afte

er shoes on, Mia packed the kids back into the car. Tyler still wasn

longer than usual by Hazel's crib. She brushed a hand over

he finally sat down-and th

from Ale

rly after yesterday. Gu

it longer than

ess. Gentle.

t tipped somet

ore she could talk

e wel

asleep. The ho

qu

nd, heart racing for reasons she couldn't explain away

s the p

ne buzz

sage. Short

y wasn't

est ti

. At Tyler's side of the bed still untouched. At the way

her-in law's name. The call was brief. The kids

st. Guilt follo

g foreheads, promising pancakes in the morning. When she pulled away from

e room without giving herself time to rethink it. The ele

bed for a long moment befor

yped

still

hesi

t the ro

but it was chased by somethi

gled to

tared at the wall, heart pou

t let this