Page 3 of An Endless Memory

When Lily turned, I was faced with wide indigo eyes surrounded by dark lashes. She had equally dark circles under her eyes, but they didn’t detract from her loveliness. Her hair was cut short, and it puffed into a halo around her head. She looked like a coked-out pixie.

“Thanks.” She was out of breath.

When she pushed her hair off her face, my gaze was drawn to her chest and—shit. “Um…”

“I’ll take him from here.” She held her hand out, her expression no-nonsense with flushed cheeks and wild hair.

“You have, uh…” I kept my gaze firmly on her face. Should I tell her? Pretend I didn’t see anything? Would she want to know? Wilder had said she’d just had a baby.

A squall sounded again from somewhere in the building. Was that baby here?

“I can take him,” she said firmly.

“Sure. Yeah.” I handed the leash over. I’d keep my mouth shut.

The dog nosed at the cookies on the floor. The lid had popped open when they hit the floor.

“Bug.” She sighed.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll clean them up.”

She barely spared me a glance. “Thanks. Can you make sure to keep the door closed after I leave?”

“Mommy.” A little blond girl was in the doorway. “Kellan’s crying.” When her eyes landed on the dog, she gasped and grinned. “A Dalmatian!”

Bug lifted his head, his tail wagging. Cookie crumbs fell off his chin.

“Not now, Cali. Can you go sit with Kellan until I get in there?”

The girl’s wide brown eyes pinned her mom, and she pointed at Lily’s chest. “You’re leaking.”

“What?” Lily looked down. She stiffened. She folded an arm across the wet spots. “Cali, please go wait with Kellan.”

Bug lunged against the leash. His tail was going wild. He was so interested in Cali he’d run her over if he had a chance.

Lily needed help. A lot of it.

“I can put Bug back in his kennel,” I offered.

Lily didn’t look at me. Her neck was as red as her face had been when she’d chased Bug. “No, it’s fine. I got it under control.”

Bug barked, and we all jumped. The crying grew louder.

“How about I help with the baby? I’ve got plenty of nieces and nephews. Cali can boss me around and tattle to Wilder if I do something wrong.”

Cali grinned, showing off two missing front teeth.

Lily peered at me from the corner of her eye. She was half turned, keeping the wet spots over each breast as hidden as possible. “No, really. That’s fine. I’ve got it.” Bug strained against his leash and coughed. He was going to choke himself out.

“Follow me,” Cali said, beaming. She marched out of the room.

Lily side-eyed me. “Cali, come back, please. Bug will trash the office.”

“I can get the baby or the dog.”

Alarm lit her eyes, too close to panic for my liking. She must be worried for her kids and her job.

“How ’bout I get the baby and comfort him until you kennel Bug? Honestly—I’ll keep the door open—except the break room one—and Cali can watch me like a hawk. We can come find you.”

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