Page 33 of Single Mom's Firemen

“Oh, nothing, I just didn’t know Mr. Wyatt was awake,” I reply, looking toward the living room and feeling the blood drain from my face when I see it’s not just Wyatt who’s awake and waiting for me by the coffee table.

“Going somewhere?” Chase raises an eyebrow, his steely gaze fixed on the backpack hanging from my shoulder.

I feel like a deer caught in the headlights of an incoming 18-wheeler and I am at a loss for words. I’ve kept secrets from these men who have been nothing but kind to me and my children, who opened up their home to us in the face of tragedy. I’ve lied to them. These things will haunt me for the rest of my life.

“Halle, where are you going?” Eric asks.

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been standing here, gawking at the Danson brothers with my kids in tow. I didn’t even get one foot out the door, dammit. My backpack is getting heavier with every passing second.

My conscience is playing tricks on me, deep down I know this isn’t one of my better decisions.

I can’t stand the way they’re looking at me.

“Mama said we’re going on a vacation,” Sammy tells them.

“Vacation?” Wyatt asks, a confused look on his face.

Eric is right there with him but Chase’s expression tells me he’s picking up on the lie. I’m guessing he knows what it is that I was trying to do and that makes me feel even worse.

“What are you three doing up so early? I thought you had the day off,” I quickly change the subject, hoping it’ll steer them away from the obvious. I’m just trying to buy some time—my brain isn’t functioning too far ahead in this situation, much to my chagrin. “You should be sleeping.”

“We wanted to talk to you,” Eric replies.

“We don’t want the kids here for this, though,” Wyatt says. “It’s for adult ears only.”

He’s not wrong. Luna and Sammy have been through enough. They don’t need to bear witness to a conversation that’ll have me tearing my own heart out, so I nod slowly and beckon my children to wait for me upstairs.

But before they can take a step, a knock on the front door has me in a cold sweat.

I look at the guys and they look back at me with equally confused expressions. A second knock on the door has me taking a couple of steps back.

“Open up, it’s me!” Marie calls out, and a wave of relief washes over me.

“What is Mom doing here?” Wyatt is the first to wonder aloud.

I open the door and let her in. “Hey, Marie. You’re super early,” I manage, forcing myself to smile.

“Gammy!” Luna cheers as she and Sammy run down the stairs and into her arms. So much for them going upstairs as I instructed them to.

“Hey, there, sweetie pies!” she giggles, catching them both in a loving hug, then looks up at me. “I figured you’d have some catching up to do with the boys, so I’m here to take the little ones to daycare for you.”

“But I thought we were going on a vacation,” Sammy mumbles, looking slightly disappointed and definitely confused.

“What’s this about a vacation?” Eric asks. “You never mentioned it before now.”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. A mere misunderstanding.” I try to do some damage control, but I can tell from the faint smile on Marie’s face that she can see right through me. She suspected that I was about bolt, that’s why she’s here so early. “Yeah, sure. Thank you, Marie. Looks like it’s off to daycare with the two of you,” I tell my kids.

“Alright, let me get these two munchkins out of here. I’ll see you boys on Friday evening for our monthly dinner,” Marie says, then waves her sons goodbye and ushers my children out the door.

“Bye, Mama!” Luna says.

“Love you, Mama,” Sammy adds.

“I love you both. Have a great day.”

Marie gives me one last look over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about them,” she says in a low voice. “We’re gonna use the back entrance, and all staff have been advised to not let anyone in without an ID.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

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