Page 114 of Torn In Two

“Then don’t,” I whispered back.

He shook his head. “I’ve got some things I need to take care of. Some people I need to check on.”

I stepped back, feeling guilty for taking up so much of his time with my drama. “Of course. I’m sorry. You have patients.”

“Something like that.”

I didn’t get to question what he meant because Hayden returned, his work uniform replaced with jeans and a hoodie. His perfect eyes focused on me as he came and fit a warm arm around me. “Need you tonight,” he murmured against my hair. “Need you to come with me.”

His fingers slid down my arm to tangle around mine.

I stared up at him. “What’s going on?”

He tugged me toward the door, his grip tight. “I’ll tell you when we’re in the truck. Queenie—”

“I’m on bedtime duty tonight. No sweat. Little Miss here has school tomorrow.”

I had no idea what was going on, but it was really starting to worry me. Impatient to know whatever it was Hayden was going to tell me, I knelt in front of my daughter, tugging her up onto her feet. “Eat some dinner and don’t forget to brush your teeth, okay?”

Hayley Jade frowned, then pulled away, running to her bedroom.

She appeared a moment later with the picture book I’d read to her at least four times before bed last night.

I took it from her fingers and passed it to Queenie. “Queenie will read it for you tonight.”

Queenie tapped her long fingernails across the book’s cover. “Sure will. This one looks great.”

Hayley Jade shook her head, pushing the book back to me.

My heart squeezed and leapt and broke all at once.

She so rarely wanted me over one of the others.

I stared down at the book in my hands. It was about families, the illustrations depicting a mom, a dad, and a young, dark-haired daughter. I couldn’t say no to her. Didn’t want to. Especially when she sat so close to my side it could almost be considered a snuggle.

Hayden and Queenie leaned on the wall, watching me read the story, Hayley Jade listening attentively to every word.

I read the short story twice and laughed when she pushed the book at me again, clearly asking for a third round.

“I think I could read this book a hundred times and you’d still ask for more, wouldn’t you? How about you come into my bed in the morning and we’ll get cozy and read it again then? As many times as you want.”

She nodded so enthusiastically, I smiled.

“It’s a date. And after, I’ll make you some of those pancakes you like.”

Hayley Jade’s gaze slid to Hayden, her expression turning hopeful.

He chuckled. “Or I could make them for both of you?”

Hayley Jade nodded, and I laughed.

“That sounds like a much better idea.” I ruffled her hair affectionately. “Night-night, sweetheart.”

Queenie whisked her away into the kitchen, Hayley Jade skipping after her happily at the prospect of Hayden-made pancakes in the morning.

My heart brimmed over with gratitude for the people I’d found here. How we were all raising Hayley Jade together. That was what a true community did.

It was what Ethereal Eden preached but had never actually put into practice. I’d had no support when she’d been a baby. Nobody had been there to help me when she’d cried all night with colic or when I was too sick to take care of either of us. I’d just been told to get on with it. To do my job as a wife because the men had more important things to do.

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