Page 69 of Everlasting Love

“What were you talking about?” I grab an elastic and smooth her hair into a ponytail like I’ve seen her wear before.

“My friend, Wyatt, and how his son Evan seems sad, and I don’t know how to make him feel better.”

“Why does Evan feel sad?” She spins around to face me, studying me closely.

“I think he misses his daddy.” Guilt snaps through my body like a current, making my heart stutter and tightening my stomach. This guilt is different from before. I no longer wish it had been me who died because if it’d been me, I wouldn’t be looking toward a possible future with this little girl and her mother.

She goes quiet for a long time and I realize my mistake. She probably misses her father. “Where’s his daddy?” she asks softly.

“He’s in heaven.”

She thinks for a long moment and tips her head toward her shoulder with a small smile. “I always feel better when Mommy hugs me.” She strips off her pajamas and grabs the school clothes she and Violet laid out last night. I spin around so she has privacy but not before I see the birthmark Violet told me about across her stomach.

I swallow past the thickness in my throat. “Hugs are definitely good.”

“Yeah, I love hugs. I can give Evan a hug and see if that makes him feel better.” My heart thumps against my ribs at her innate kindness.

“That’s really kind of you. Maybe when you come with me to soccer you can give him a hug.”

“Yay! I’d like that.” She steps in front of me fully dressed for school. “I’m hungry.”

“All right, let’s go make breakfast.” She slides her little hand in mine, and the trust she has in me makes me feel like the luckiest man on earth.

25

VIOLET

Well,it’s been interesting. Having Shane here has changed the dynamic in the house. Every morning we’ve worked as a team to get Jas to school and me to work. At first, I tried to stop him because I’m more than capable of looking after myself and Jas but after day three, I gave up. It seemed to make him happy, and I know Shane well enough to understand that he likes to help others.

In other, more disappointing news, there have been no more sleepovers or impromptu orgasms in the garage. And even though I wouldn’t say no to either of those things happening again, the night he opened up to me about his army friend was more intimate than any time we’ve spent together before that. It felt like an enormous step toward closing the final distance between us. I felt the shift in him. In us. And I don’t think it was my imagination or wishful thinking. He’s been different. Lighter. Freer. Especially with Jas.

My phone buzzes, and when I grab it out of my pocket, Mom’s face is smiling at me. “Hi, Mom. How was the conference?”

“Amazing. I’ve learned so many new things and made loads of new connections,” she says, excitement filling her voice. “You’ll never guess what happened.”

“I’ll never guess. Tell me everything.” I lean forward, waiting with bated breath.

“Well, the second day at lunch, I was sitting next to a man and we were chatting about the industry. There was something familiar about him but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Well, the next day we found each other again, and he commented that I seemed familiar. It took us the entirety of lunch to work out we moved in the same circle at high school. He moved away and lost touch with our group and well … life moves on, I guess.”

“Oh, that’s great, Mom. And how coincidental that you work in the same industry.”

“I know, right? Anyway, he lives here and invited me to stay for another week. He’s going to take me around and show me how he runs his business, then he might come out to visit me in a couple of months so I can return the favor.”

“That’s awesome.”

“You don’t mind, do you?”

I frown. “Of course not. You deserve to have a break. Stay as long as you like.”

“Well, I figured you have Shane there to help you, so this is the perfect opportunity for me.”

“Even if Shane weren’t here, you could take time for yourself, Mom. I can manage. It’s not like I didn’t do everything for me and Jas when we lived with Allen.” Shit that sounds like I don’t appreciate her help. “I appreciate everything you do for us, but you’re entitled to have some time for yourself. Have fun, see the sights, relax.”

“Thanks, love.” There’s a long pause on the other end of the phone. “So, how are things going with Shane?” I get up to pace.

“Uh, good. Great actually.” As Mom always does, she knows there’s more and waits me out. “It’s been really nice having him here and it feels like hewantsto be here with us. Not that it’s just a convenient place to stay while his apartment is renovated.”

“Uh-huh.”

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