Page 71 of Surrender

Until those security cameras are installed, I don’t like leaving Whitney and the kids here longer than necessary. Not until that piece of shit is caught or makes his way out of town. Even then, I can’t say I’m confident he won’t return.

Which meant I had errands to run. Several of them that took all afternoon and into the evening, leaving Whitney and the kids home alone after dark.

I didn’t like it.

I don’t want to analyze why.

Heavy boxes weigh down my arms, but I manage to get through the door without dropping anything. I set them on the ground beside the recliner, straightening just as Whitney appears from the end of a hall, tugging a sweatshirt over her shapely hips.

“Is it too cold in here? I can turn the heat up.”

“What’s all this?” She surveys the boxes and the three bags I let fall from my fingertips.

My hands settle on my hips as I look down at the mountain of purchases behind me. “Just some stuff.”

Her eyes narrow. “Why does the back of that box have a picture of a car seat?”

“Because I bought extras. One for Lucy and one for Bennett.”

“Why?” Her hands find her hips, mirroring mine. She tilts her head.

Does she know how endearing she looks like that? Swallowed by her sweatshirt, acting stern like she has a say in what I do with my own money.

Fuck, it’s cute.

“We might need them.”

“Why?” I know I’m about to be in trouble as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“I didn’t like the thought that you might need me, and I won’t have a way to safely transport the kids. With your ex around, I thought it’d make things easier.”

Her honey eyes flick back to the boxes. “That’s really thoughtful, Jack, but you have to be careful picking out car seats. There’s research involved and safety ratings.”

“I spent three hours at that store searching the ratings. Do you think that’s enough?”

I sat on the floor of that department store on my phone with ten different tabs open reading crash test data and reviews. Maybe I didn’t look at the right websites. Maybe I should have asked her first.

“Y-You spent three hours researching car seats?” Her brows rise in disbelief.

“Yeah, I mean, isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? You just said to check the research.”

“No, it’s, I mean, you did the right thing. I’m just surprised is all.”

“Babe, guys act dumb to get out of doing shit they don’t want to do, but I promise you, most aren’t as stupid as they pretend to be. I have a phone. It isn’t hard to google a few questions.”

“They had me fooled.” She huffs a laugh and runs her hand over her ponytail. “Anything else you plan to surprise me with?”

I shrug. “Just an indoor camera. I plan to put it up over this window so that it can see the entire room and the kitchen.” I gesture above the window facing the front of the house. “You can turn it off when you’re here with the kids. I’ll help you set it up on your cell phone.”

“That’s a good idea,” she says quietly.

“Hopefully, it’s temporary, but I’d rather be overcautious than not cautious enough.”

She seems to curl in on herself with exhaustion.

“Why don’t you go head off to bed? I’m sure you could use a bit more sleep after yesterday.”

“I don’t know. I could help.”

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