Page 13 of Wild Reckoning

Stewart gave up on trying to remember.

Killian just nodded, adjusting Ethan slightly in his arms. “No problem.” He held out the toddler, nodding for Stewart to take him. He moved to do so, and Ethan, as small as he was, suddenly felt like a sack of cement in his arms. Ethan’s limp weight pulled at Stewart’s shoulders and back, and he couldn’t help a quiet grunt.

“Jeez, kid. You’re making me feel like a wimp,” Stewart muttered, trying to reposition Ethan without dropping him.

Shrugging off his leather jacket, Killian chuckled softly, taking Ethan back with a practiced ease that only made Stewart feel more inadequate. He watched as Killian wrapped the leather around Ethan, the garment enormous on the little boy but somehow providing a sense of comfort.

Good lord. All those delectable muscles. In the diner, Killian hadn’t taken off his jacket for some reason. For the first time, Stewart was gifted with a drool-worthy view. He wasn’t even aware that muscles could be that big.

“There,” Killian said softly, as he laid Ethan down on the bed, the jacket serving as a makeshift blanket. He straightened, glancing over at Stewart with a small smile. “See? Improvised bedding. It’s like survival skills but for toddlers.”

Stewart swallowed, his throat suddenly tight. Ethan shouldn’t have to survive anything. The boy had been handed a raw deal in life, but he was still taking this better than Stewart.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Killian’s eyes met his, and for a moment, they just stood there, the silence stretching between them. There was something in Killian’s gaze, something warm and understanding, and it made Stewart’s chest ache.

“I don’t mind helping you,” Killian replied. And for some reason, Stewart believed him.

“Are you seriously going to leave your expensive-looking leather here?” Stewart moved toward the bedroom door, needing some space between them.

Killian’s presence made it hard to think.

“I don’t think it could be in better hands.” He turned to face Stewart.

“In a three-year-old’s hands?” He gave Killian a look. “You sure you don’t want to reconsider that decision? That jacket had to have cost a mint.”

For one, it looked like it was a size 3X and had hand stitching and… Well, Stewart didn’t know. It just looked damned expensive, and it smelled like real leather.

“He needs it more than me.” The man shrugged. “I can’t think of a more worthy cause.”

There had to be something wrong with Killian. Something. No one was this freaking perfect, and Stewart refused to allow himself to fall for someone he’d just met.

Especially while running from an ex-boyfriend who’d only been an ex for roughly twenty-four hours.

Stewart stepped into the narrow hallway, cursing himself for not asking for interior pictures. Who rented a home a couple of states away without seeing what the inside looked like?

A desperate person.

Oh yeah…

Stewart headed for the top of the stairs but paused. What if his little tater tot woke up? Ethan would be in a strange room he’d never seen before. Plus, there wasn’t a safety gate at the top of the steps to prevent the little guy from tumbling down them.

Before Ethan, Stewart had worked in the emergency department once a week. He’d treated children who had had accidents because safety measures hadn’t been in place.

Stewart was due to start at the hospital in two weeks, but he didn’t want an early tour of the ER because of an accident.

Pivoting, he nearly ran into Killian’s massive body.

“Whoa.” Killian gripped Stewart’s upper arms to steady him. “Throw up a signal the next time you’re making a U-turn.”

All Stewart could concentrate on were Killian’s large, warm hands on his body. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying his hardest to slow his racing heart.

Which was impossible since Killian hadn’t let him go. He simply stood there looking down at Stewart like he wanted to kiss him.

Suppressing a squeak, Stewart pulled his arms away and sidestepped Killian, heading for… Where? There were only two bedrooms and a bathroom. He damn sure wasn’t leading Killian into the bedroom, and what was he going to do, sit on the closed toilet seat?

What Stewart needed was for him to leave, but a large part of him wanted the man to stay. This was an unfamiliar house, and Stewart just didn’t want to be alone, especially with his thoughts. The quietness would only cause him to dwell on the abuse he’d endured with Clive, the guilt of Ethan witnessing the violence, and his overwhelming attraction to Killian.

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