Page 78 of His Greatest Treasure

“Gonna continue to do it, princess,” I say.

“A text would work the same,” she teases.

“No it wouldn’t.” Not even close.

Adams tosses an arm around my shoulder, the bulky bicep weighing me down. “I did interrupt for a reason other than meeting your girl, Lieutenant. Captain’s wondering where you are. Wants to have a chat with you.”

“Thanks.”

I shrug off his arm and take Avery’s hand before looking down at her one last time in this room.

“Call my mom and take Nova home. I’m off again starting Wednesday morning.”

She tips her chin, giving my hand a squeeze. “Thank you for taking care of Nova.”

“Anytime, Avery. And I mean that.”

“I know.” The corner of her mouth lifts before she’s slipping out of the room and crouching beside her daughter at the kitchen table.

“That’s the one, huh?” Adams asks, standing beside me now, staring at the same scene I am.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

26

AVERY

Adalyn sitson the couch cushion beside me with Nova on the floor between her legs. She weaves another strand of my daughter’s hair into a sophisticated braid and repeats her steps to me as if I’ve got a single goddamn clue what she’s doing.

“Yeah, I’m already lost,” I admit.

Addie giggles, running another section of Nova’s silky hair through her fingers. “This is one of the most complicated ones. I had to teach it to myself because my mom couldn’t get it either.”

“Did you always do your own hair? I don’t think I saw you often without your hair done up, even when you were a little girl.”

“I convinced Maddox to try a couple tutorials with me, but he was even worse than Mom. And Dad, well . . . he’s not to touch anyone’s hair but his own,” she says.

Nova twists to look at the both of us, and Addie grips onto her hair to keep from losing it. “Grandpa once cut my mom’s bangs.”

“He did?” Addie asks squeakily.

“Did the whole grab, twist, and cut method. They were less than an inch long and stuck straight out.” I shiver at the memory, sinking into the cushions.

“That’s rough,” Addie notes, offering a sympathetic smile before turning Nova back around. “My dad didn’t cut my hair or anything, but he did help me box dye my hair the first time and missed an entire section at the back of my scalp.”

“What colour?”

“Hot pink.”

I chuckle before stopping myself. Nova’s silent, shoulders slouching forward. Tugging at my lip, I look to Addie, and she’s already watching me, waiting.

She mouths an “I’m sorry,” but I shake my head. There’s no need for her to apologize. Nova’s sudden silence is because of Chris, I’m sure of it.

“Do you want to dye your hair,mitt hjärta?” I blurt out.

“No, thank you,” she says too softly.

Addie smooths a hand over the frizzy hairs on the top of Nova’s head. “Do you want to cut it? I’m a pro with some scissors.”

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