Page 19 of Everlasting Love

I nod. “Yes, way. Funny thing is that Cassia crushed on him in high school, and now he’s famous and has been teaching her daughter how to play guitar. Mom even met him and didn’t realize who he was.”

She chuckles. “Oh, this gets better and better. So his bodyguard was in the military?” I sigh and I’m sure my cheeks are flushed pink at the thought of Shane in his uniform. Quinn’s lips widen, and she points her wrap at me. “There’s something going on there. I can see it all over your face.”

I shake my head adamantly. “There’s nothing going on. Jas sees him each morning when he comes to take Poppy to school. She’s taken a liking to him.”

Quinn shakes her head, her grin still in place. “I think someone else might have taken a liking to him too.” She winks at me.

I dart my eyes to Jas. She’s concentrating hard on picking the chocolate chips out of her cookie, and I don’t think she’s listening to our conversation. “He’s really …” I fan my face and mouth a single word, “hot.”

Her brows rise halfway up her forehead. “Nice.”

“Yeah.” I sigh and Quinn wiggles her eyebrows. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not ready, and he has a girlfriend … maybe. She was there with her son after the parade.”

Quinn’s shoulders drop and so does her smile. “That’s a shame. You could have had a little fun with him to help you get back on your feet.”

“He doesn’t come across as thebit of funtype. He’s pretty quiet and intense, shy even.”

She pouts. “That’s disappointing.”

I shrug and hope that’s the end of the conversation. I need to put Shane out of my mind. I’ll get myself too worked up over something that will never happen, and I need to stay far away from men.

“Can I hold Barney, pwease, Aunty Quinn?”

“Of course. Go and wash your hands. You know we have to be careful not to give him any germs.”

Jas cheers and hops down from her chair, heading straight for the bathroom while I carry our dishes to the sink and wash them. When Jas returns, Quinn carefully collects the lizard and motions for Jas to take a seat. She places Barney on Jas’s lap and my daughter’s expression turns serene as she gently strokes along his back just the way Quinn showed her. I swear the lizard preens under my daughter’s attention. The smile on Jas’s face is bright so I snap a photo of the moment to show Mom and Cass when we get home. Jas spends time snuggling—if that’s the right word to use—with the two new female Western fence lizards, and Quinn gives her the honor of naming them.

“I fink we sould caw this one Pechunia and this one Daffodiw.” She looks up at us with the broadest smile and pride fills her face.

Quinn giggles. “They’re great names. I love them. Now I have to work out how to tell the girls apart so I don’t call them the wrong name.”

Jas and Quinn study the two lizards closely. “This one has a wittwe bit of yewwow on her toes. Se sould be Daffodiw ’cause they’re yewwow too.”

“Good idea. Thanks for helping me name the girls.”

“No pwobwem.”

“It’s time for us to go. Say goodbye to Aunty Quinn.”

Jas and Quinn hug each other tightly, and Quinn carries her out to the car for me and we head home so Jas can have her afternoon nap and I can catch up on laundry. With five females in the house, the laundry piles up quickly.

8

SHANE

“Hi, Shane!”Evan calls as he sprints toward me, his lips spread wide as his mom follows behind. She has a permanent black cloud hanging over her, one that matches mine. I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for Evan she would have given up on this life. It’s a double-edged sword for her. He looks so much like his daddy that he’s a constant reminder of what she’s lost, while also being the most important thing he left behind. He throws himself at my body, giving me no choice but to catch him as if he didn’t just see me on Saturday. He’s so full of life and fun, which is exactly how his father would want him to be.

“Hiya. You ready for practice?” I dip my chin in hello to Hope as she stops in front of us, watching our exchange.

“Sure am. I practiced my sprints yesterday. Mom timed me.” He turns to his mom. “I’ve improved my time, haven’t I?”

She musses his hair as she giggles at his excitement. “You sure have. I’m excited to see how you do with getting the ball down the pitch toward the goal.”

“All right, let’s go.” Evan runs forward, full of energy, toward his friends near the pitch who are already warming up, leaving Hope and me to follow behind. “How are you doing?” I ask her since this is the first moment we’ve had alone. She seemed really down at the parade and again on Saturday when I did the yard work, and I’m worried about her.

She shrugs. “Okay, I guess.” She looks away from me. “I, uh, I’ve decided to go back to group.” Her voice is shaking as she gives me her update. “I think it’s time, Shane. I can’t keep living in this limbo where everything’s gray.”

I nod. “I get it.” Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pull her in. “I’m proud of you for making the decision. Wyatt would want you to get the help you need. Let me know if you need me to watch Evan for you.” A wrenching pang hits my chest at the mention of my buddy’s name, though I’m more accustomed to calling him Sullivan. I pull his tags out of my pocket and hold them out for Hope.

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