Page 52 of All Along The Watchtower

Maybe I ought to look for another roommate. The cottage had plenty of space, and the extra income would help cover some upgrades I’d been considering, like a pergola to cover the back patio.

Keeley’s tail thumped against her bed, drawing my attention. She gave me that soulful look that always made me feel like she could read my thoughts.

“Don’t give me that look. This has nothing to do with getting attached to Ford’s kid.” I took a long sip of coffee. “I just miss having a roommate.”

But I was fond of Peyton. So was Pop. He’d had a grand time telling her pirate stories. He’d never admit it to me, but that man really wanted to be a great-grandpa. Lord knew, it wasn’t likely to ever happen through me. If he could have a bit of that relationship with Peyton, I didn’t see the harm in it. The two of them enjoyed each other. And the more people she had in her corner, the better off she’d be.

But it also meant that Ford was inevitably becoming part of my life again. I wasn’t sure what to do with that. There was a part of me that wanted to just fall back into the way things used to be. Once upon a time, he’d been comfort and safety. And there was no erasing the years of history we shared.

But there was no erasing the pain, either. And it was there, each and every time I saw him.

A soft knock sounded on the kitchen door. Keeley bounded over, wagging, and I glanced up to see the very object of my thoughts standing on the other side, as if I’d summoned him.

What the hell was he doing here?

I crossed over to open the door. “Is Peyton okay?”

Ford blinked. “What? Yeah. I dropped her off at school a couple of hours ago.”

“Did she forget something?” I could’ve sworn I checked the guest room for her stuff.

“No. Can I come in?”

Still worried, I backed up to let him inside.

The house that had felt so big just minutes ago immediately shrank with him in my kitchen. Somehow he just took up so much space, beyond the physical.

“Did you hear something more from the FBI about all that mess? Or find out what the deal was with Casey’s job?”

Ford’s lips twitched, his green eyes sparking with faint amusement. “No. If you’ll let me talk, I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

Right. I had to actually shut up to get any answers. Still, my nerves spilled out of my mouth again. “You want coffee?”

Wait. Why was I offering him coffee? I didn’t actually want him to stay any longer than necessary.

“Coffee would be great.”

I filled another mug on auto pilot, waiting for him to speak. But Ford only watched me move around my kitchen, apparently not bothered by the silence.

I handed him the coffee.

“Thanks. Can we sit?”

Oh God. Was this really a sitting conversation?

“Easy. This isn’t some kind of bad news. You tense up exactly like Peyton.”

“We’ve both got plenty of reason to.” But I sat at the kitchen table.

Ford dragged out a chair opposite me and dropped into it. “She reminds me so much of you.”

“She’s not as prickly as me. More years with someone who seems like she was a really good mom.”

He studied his coffee. “I think she was. And I’m so torn about that because if Casey had lived, I don’t know if she’d ever have told me about Peyton. I could’ve missed out on my kid’s entire life without ever even knowing she existed.”

I could see how much that idea of that killed him. “Both of those things can be true. She could have been a great mom and still made a mistake in not telling you. No sense dwelling oncould have. You have her now, and I know you’ll do everything in your power to make your time together count.”

His chin dipped. “It’s made me rethink so many things. Really evaluate my priorities and what matters.”

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