Page 46 of The Rogue

I pull over the first chance I get and flip around. “You alright?”

His eyes are wide with confusion. “Are you?”

“Oh my God. Yes. No. Yes.” My hand is on my chest. “You’re buckled, right?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

I turn back to the steering wheel, whispering to myself. “What happened?”

“You…fell asleep,” Jackson answers, making my blood run cold.

Twenty minutes later, we’re climbing the steps to the house and I turn to Jackson, bending to his level.

“Hey, Wiggles. We’re friends, right?”

“Yeah.” He holds up the plush dolphin. “We’re night light buddies now.”

I smile thoughtfully, not fully grasping his meaning. “Listen, maybe let’s not tell your dad I dozed off in the car, okay?”

He hesitates, then shrugs. “Okay.”

I ruffle his hair, my heart still in my throat. “Thanks.”

Somehow, our little agreement doesn’t make me feel better.

Not one bit.

11

“It didn’t occur tome to ask if you like fish.” I say as we clean up. I’m rinsing and loading the dishwasher while Tessa and Jackson clear the table. She fiddled with her food more than Jackson does when I give him a plate of greens and barely looked my way.

“I like fish,” Tessa says dryly. Or maybe it’s not dry. Maybe her voice is a little shaky.

The three times she’s spoken since getting home has been distant. It’s setting off all kinds of alarms.

Did I push it this morning when I touched her?

I get my answer when my reflexes catch the salad bowl that slips from her hands.

She’s tired.

“Listen, why don’t you head upstairs? I can take it from here.”

Tessa shakes her head. “I promised Jackson a movie night.”

“Yeah, movie night. I’ll pick the movie.” My kid cheers, racing for the remote like either of us had a shot.

Setting the bowl down, I catch her hand, ready to insist she go to bed.

Averting her gaze, she breaks free. “I’m fine. It’s early. I’m good,” she claims. “But I am a bit warm. I’m just going to change and come back down.”

I nod. “Take your time, we’ll make some popcorn.”

I pop a bag into the microwave and head to the living room.

“Hey,” I grab Jackson’s waist and twist him with a tickle. He wiggles in my arms. “Tell me something. How was your day?”

“It was so fun. We got to paint, and I stacked Harry Potter books and then Charlie let me set up the reading buddies table.”

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