Page 55 of Lucky Strike

“I don’t know what to do,” he admits, phone in hand. “Calling the cops?—"

“Wait.” I glance around, pinpointing what feels so off. “Where are the dogs?”

Conlan’s eyes widen again, roving around the room. “I don’t …”

Suddenly, I hear a faint sound coming from the patio. The back door is slightly ajar, the cool night air stirring the blinds. “Conlan,” I say, pointing.

He rushes over and opens it to find Liam standing there in his pajamas, holding his blanket tightly to his chest. Shelby and Bacon walk casually back inside, as if nothing’s amiss. “What’re you doing out here, Liam?” Conlan’s voice breaks as he sinks to his knees, scooping his son into his arms. “You scared the shit out of me!”

“I’m sorry, Daddy!” Liam cries, his little voice wobbly with tears as he realizes how upset Conlan is. “I’m sorry! I wanted to see the stars!”

Conlan stands, still holding tightly onto Liam. “Right now? In the middle of the night?”

But Liam just cries, his face buried in Conlan’s shoulder.

“We were really worried about you,” I say, wiping tears from my own cheeks. “You can’t do stuff like that, Liam.” I close the door and lock it, wondering what possessed him to go outside in the middle of the night. Stars or not, he knows better.

“Bria’s right. It’s dangerous to leave the house by yourself, especially at night,” says Conlan.

“I’m sorry,” whimpers Liam.

Conlan kisses his head. “I love you, buddy. So much.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

Conlan carries him out of the kitchen, murmuring about the alarm as I turn off the lights and lock the kitchen door. Sure enough, the keypad near the back door to the patio is blinking green; disarmed. Disturbed, I reset the alarm and double check that both the back door and front door are locked. Did I forget to set it? Or did Liam figure out the code?

We tuck Liam back into bed, saying prayers and reassuring him that he is safe and loved and not in trouble. As relieved as I am that everything turned out okay, my stomach is in knots. What would I have done if Liam was injured or missing? He’s my job, my responsibility. I’ve always cared deeply for my charges, but it’s different with him. He’s extra-special to me. Maybe I’ve gotten attached, too.

My throat closes as I watch Conlan gaze at his son, recalling his helplessness and panic when we couldn’t find Liam. Now that the crisis is over, and the adrenaline has worn off, my throat thickens with tears. I rise from the bed and take a step back. “I?—"

“You set the alarm before bed, right?” he asks suddenly.

“I thought I did, but it’s possible I forgot. I doubt he knew the code.” My voice shakes, and I look down at the carpet. “I’m sorry, Conlan. I should’ve known. I should’ve been here.”

“You were here,” he rasps. “You were sleeping, because it was the middle of the night.”

“But—”

“You know who should’ve been here? Me.” He looks at me as he lifts the blankets and slips beneath them. “I’m sleeping here tonight.”

In the morning, Conlan takes Liam with him to his office downtown to get a few things done. They spend the day together, and when they come home, Liam’s back to his old self. He prattles on about their Grand Adventures which include breakfast at a fancy donut shop and an astronomy workshop at a local bookstore.

“They have an astronomy club for kids like me,” he says, brandishing a couple of books and a membership card.

“They meet monthly.” Conlan grins, ruffling Liam’s hair. My heart flip flops. Conlan is hot when he broods, but he’s beautiful when he smiles.

“It’s hard to see stars here because of light pollution,” Liam adds. “Dad said we hafta go to the beach.”

“That makes sense,” I say, but he’s moved on to the kitchen, where Nola’s making dinner. I look at Conlan. “I’m glad you took him today. He really missed you.”

He nods, sitting beside me. It’s a nice evening, so I’m on the patio, reading.

“And me being sick so long didn’t help. I think he’s had pretty bad cabin fever.”

“Probably.” He checks his phone, quickly tapping out a text before returning his attention to me. “How would you feel about getting out of town for a while? Just you and Liam?”

“Why aren’t you coming?”

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