Page 42 of Safe With Me

“Yes, I’m his new office manager. Your dad is really nice.”

She nodded as she strategically placed slices of pepperoni over the mountain of cheese. “He is, and my mom is too. But Mike’s my favorite.”

My hand flew to my chest as I glanced at Mike. He shook his head and lifted a shoulder when he found my gaze.

“You’re my favorite too, K.” He stood and gave her hand a gentle slap. “But leave some pepperoni for us.”

“Oh, sorry.” She scrunched her nose. “Here you go.” She pushed the bowl of pepperoni toward me. “I like a lot of pepperoni, so sometimes I can’t help myself.”

“I can totally understand that. Do you guys make a lot of pizza together?” I asked Keely as I spread some sauce over my pizza.

“On the Saturdays Mike doesn’t have to be a cop. Where did you live before you came here?”

“Philadelphia. It’s a big city, very different from Kelly Lakes.”

Her mouth twisted as if she was mulling it over. “Like Mom and Aunt Claudia used to live in Brooklyn. That’s a big city too.”

“Yes. Brooklyn is a big city too.” I looked over at Mike, gazing at his sister with so much love I wasn’t sure if my heart or my ovaries ached more.

“Do you have a brother or sister?”

Keely’s innocent question was like a knife to my gut.

“A brother. He’s a few years older than me.”

“And he lives in Philadelphia, where you used to live?”

Mike popped out of his seat and took Keely’s finished pie to the oven.

“He does. My parents too.”

“That’s so sad.” Her bow lips pulled into a frown. “I know if I moved away, I’d miss Mike. Mommy and Daddy, too.”

I stilled a minute, pushing a smile across my lips as my nose burned. I couldn’t explain to this sweet little girl why the thought of my family did make me sad, but I didn’t really miss them.

Especially since I couldn’t explain it to myself.

Mike squeezed my shoulder before he sat back down, shooting me a tiny smile that flooded my chest with enough warmth to ward off the usual sting.

I helped Mike clean up the table as the pizzas cooked and Keely was engrossed in a movie.

“I love how she adores you,” I whispered as I put the last dish in the drying rack by the sink.

“It’s always been that way. Even when she was a baby, she’d only want me when I was around. My dad would get pissed.”

“That’s really adorable. And foreign to me. My father wasn’t a bad guy, but both of my parents focused more on not riling up my brother rather than ever checking to see if I was okay or had what I needed. It’s nice to see a father and brother compete over who a little girl loves more.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Well, it’s not a competition since I always win,” Mike said with a wry grin. “I’m sorry it was like that for you,” he said in a soft rasp. “You deserved so much better than that.”

“Happens, right?” I lifted a shoulder. “Keely is an awesome kid. I’m happy for her.”

“She is.” He looked back to where she was sprawled out on his futon with a wistful smile. “She’d still be chewing your ear off if this weren’t her favorite movie.”

“This is fun. I wouldn’t mind intruding again when you make pizza the next time.”

He shook his head. “You aren’t intruding.” He held my eyes and grazed my jaw with his thumb. “Flour,” he whispered, turning his thumb around to show me. “Told you that you’d go home with it somewhere.”

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