Page 113 of Things We Burn

Kip turned to acknowledge me with an easy smile. “Avery,” he winked. “Looking absolutely beautiful. Glowing, in fact. You better take me up on building your crib and installing the car seat; I’m practically an expert now.”

I wanted to smile, I really did, but it felt traitorous with the man at my side.

The man who Kip had just noticed, his smile freezing and his blue eyes going wide.

“Holy fuck, you’re Kane Rhodes,” Kip exclaimed, hands on the bottom of the baby in the carrier. He spoke loudly, almost yelled, yet the baby didn’t so much as twitch.

“Dude, I’m a huge fan.Huge.” He leaned over, presumably to shake Kane’s hand, but Fiona grabbed onto her husband’s wrist.

“Uh-uh,” she tsked. “We arenothuge fans. Not of men who abandon their pregnant women for months at a time.” Her tone was hostile yet coated with a protectiveness that made me feel warm.

It was all so strange. We weren’t’ friends, I’d made sure of that. But there she was, nostrils flaring and seemingly ready to go to battle for me.

Kip’s demeanor instantly changed, looking stricken. I didn’t know the man well enough to decipher the subtleties of his expression, but he looked almost hurt.

He looked down at his sleeping daughter.

Turning to her husband, Fiona’s expression changed too, softening. “Babe,” she whispered soothingly. “Not the same.”

The two shared a look that again felt intimate, special.

“You don’t know that,” Kip retorted. “Things are always much more complicated than they seem. And I think you’ll find out that Kane has a pretty good excuse as to where he’s been these past few months.” He gave Kane an empathetic smile. “Glad to see you’re out, bro. AndnowI know why you look so fuckin’ familiar, Avery,” he added, eyes on me. “I probablywould’ve figured it out sooner, but little June here doesn’t like to sleep unless she’s right here.” He peeked down at June again. “And my brain is eating itself these days.” He winked at Fiona. “But it’s worth it. So fucking worth it. Trust me, you won’t die from lack of sleep. Not immediately anyway. You may see the effects when you’re seventy or some shit, but we’re living day to day here, baby.”

He leaned over and kissed his wife on the neck. “And may I say, you look so fucking hot today. You’d think you got at least a full five hours.” He looked at me and Kane. “Five hours is considered sleeping through the night in our house. Anyway, look how hot my wife is. Wouldn’t she look even hotter pregnant like you, Avery?” His eyes rushed to Kane. “Not that I’m calling your woman hot, well, objectively, she is. But I can only have sexual feelings for one woman on this planet.” He craned his head toward Fiona who was smiling and shaking her head.

“First of all, no more children. One and done,” she playfully scolded Kip. “Second, stop talking so much about sleep. Avery doesn’t need that bullshit. Better to be blissfully unaware of the horrors that await you.” She smiled at me. “Kidding. Kind of.” Fiona’s sharp gaze returned to Kane. “And I am not distracted by all this to decide I like you just because my husband seems to go all douchebag bro over you. Actually, that’ll be a strike against you, not that you need any more. So even though my husband seems to know, I’m going to ask you… Where have you been?”

Fiona was quite obviously a dog with a bone. Again, despite my complicated feelings toward Kane right then, I opened my mouth to speak up for him, to save him.

“I’ve been in prison,” Kane answered before I could. There was no edge to his tone. No irritation at having to explain himself to a woman he didn’t know. “I went there because I beat a man half to death. A man who laid hands on Avery, and that was after he tried to assault her. A man who did much worse inthe past before I was there to protect her, but that’s her story to tell.” He grasped my hip tighter. “My piece of shit manager spouted poison in her ear that he will never finish paying for, not even when worms eat his corpse, so I didn’t know about the baby until last night.”

His hand drifted to my stomach, rubbing my bump protectively. My heart did cartwheels.

“And trust me, I’ve been wondering for the past thirteen or so hours whether I would go back and not punish the bastard who laid hands on my woman and stole these months from me or if I’d do it again to make absolutely sure he paid.”

Kane spoke the words quietly but with confidence, with emotion that seemed to seep from every vowel. Violence, guilt, anger, and determination all mixed together.

Fiona stared at him, struck silent for a handful of seconds before she recovered. “Okay, I like you,” she decided, as if she heard heartfelt declarations every day. She reached under the counter, getting my croissants. “Now, I’ll get you coffee ready and whatever other sweet treats your badass heart desires. We’ll have you over for dinner one night, but be forewarned: we eat at five on account of the tiny terrorist.” She pointed to the baby carrier. “I have a feeling you’re gonna get on just fine with the badass dad crew.” She jerked her head at her husband who for some reason was grinning wildly. “Rowan will like you.”

“We’ll bring you the coffee,” she said, pushing the croissants across the counter. “You two obviously have alotto talk about, and now I have to gossip with my husband about you.” She winked, and I took the croissants and walked away, more out of shock than anything.

Kane was close behind me as I sat in the one table that was free, Kane pulling out the lush, bright-pink chair for me.

We sat in silence for a bit as I stared at my croissants.

“Pink bakery,” Kane observed, looking around at the space that was indeed decorated in shades of pink.

Everything was simple, white framed art on the pale-pink walls, elegant, charming and definitely girly.

“Not something I think would be your style,” he continued, eyes darting to me. There was a familiar, playful glint in them that made my mouth dry like it had in the beginning.

I pushed one of my croissants over to him.

“Taste this, and you’ll understand why it’s everyone’s style.”

He looked from me to the croissant. “I’m not eating that. It’s yours, you need it.”

I quirked a brow, looking down at the two remaining croissants in front of me. “I’ll be just fine with two, and those will change your life.”

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