Page 122 of Safe and Sound

“No, buts.” Reaching into my memory, I remembered one of the threats Callum used on Julianna. “And if you don’t stop crying, I’m going to call Santa and tell him what a bad girl you’re being.”

Piper’s eyes bulged comically wide. “No, no!”

“Then are you going to be a good girl?”

She bobbed her head obediently. And just like Callum always had Julianna apologize to Caterina for not listening, I said, “Now tell your Mommy you’re sorry.”

“I’d sowyy, Mommy.”

Ava merely blinked in disbelief at me and Piper. “Uh…good. Right.”

“Come on. Let’s go home.” Before I could set Piper on her feet, she wrapped her arms around my neck. When I dared to glance at Ava, her jaw unhinged.

Since I still didn’t have a fucking clue about the car seat, I just eased back for Ava to do it. To give her the space she desired from me, I decided to sit up front with Thomas.

The drive back to Ava’s was quiet. When I peered in the backseat, Piper’s eyes were heavy, and I could tell she was fighting sleep. Ava was furiously texting on her phone. I could only imagine she was talking to Nick and telling him what an asshole I’d been, forcing her to let me take them to dinner and then offering to take Piper to get her cat.

When we pulled into the driveway, Ava began working on Piper’s buckles. “Come on, Pipes. We need to get you inside and in bed.”

“Hang tight, Thomas. I’ll walk them in.”

“Yes, sir.”

As I was getting out of the passenger side, Ava got out with Piper. When I started to hang back, Piper glanced at me over her shoulder. “Mommy, can Dare reads my bedtime story?”

Ava’s body tensed. To my surprise, she nodded. “Of course, sweetheart.”

I fell instep beside them. At the thought of what my nieces and nephews' bedtime routine entailed, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Should I wait downstairs during bathtime?”

“Piper takes her baths in the morning.” At what must’ve been my surprised look, she replied, “She still has some nighttime accidents.”

Piper shrieked in horror. “Don’t tells him dat!”

“Watch your tone, young lady,” Ava chastised.

As Piper peeked at me in mortification, I held my hands up. “It’s okay. I used to have accidents until I was five.”

“You did?” she asked.

“I sure did.” Chuckling, I replied, “None of my brothers ever wanted me to sleep with me because I’d get them wet.”

Piper giggled. “Oh no.”

“I grew out of it, and you will too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Okay,” she replied with a yawn.

After Ava unlocked the door, we headed inside. As she typed in code on the alarm system’s keypad, I remarked, “I’m glad to see you have that.”

Ava merely nodded and started up the stairs with Piper in her arms. She stopped at the first bedroom on the right. When we entered Piper’s room, I was surprised not to be assaulted by a pink overload. Instead, her walls were done in mint green with some purple.

“Looks like you’re a fan of green, huh?”

“I am.”

A smile curved on my lips. “Me too.”

“Is your room gween?”

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