Page 103 of Reckless Harmony

He managed not to fist pump the air in triumph but couldn’t stop the grin from breaking out on his face. He quickly brushed his teeth before changing into one of his tighter t-shirts that highlighted his dedication to exercise. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as his doorbell rang, and he was slightly embarrassed by the little boy’s look of eagerness on his face.

Telling himself to rein it the fuck in, he opened the front door. “Hey, come in.”

It was bitterly cold tonight, and Rayna wore a thick winter jacket with the hood up. She removed her boots and pushed the hood back, and his smile faded.

“What’s wrong?”

She unzipped her jacket, shrugged it off, and hung it on the coat tree. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Something’s wrong,” he said. “You look exhausted and worried.”

“Aren’t you the charmer,” she said, but it wasn’t accompanied by her usual eye roll, as if she didn’t even have the energy to be annoyed.

She pushed past him, and he followed her to his bedroom, worry eating at his stomach. She’d obviously just gotten out of the shower. Her wet hair was in a messy bun, and she wasn’t wearing a bra under her t-shirt. But his usual erection at even the thought of Rayna braless wasn’t happening, his lust buried under a thick layer of concern. What had happened the last few days?

A sudden thought struck him as they entered his bedroom. “Is it Louis?”

She paused by the bed as Molly hopped out of the plastic container with a happy chirp. “What?”

“Are you upset because of Louis? Did he do something or say something? Did he show up on your property again?”

“No,” she said. “He hasn’t been around since I took out the restraining order on him.”

She petted Molly, giving her a few chin scratches. “Hi, sweet girl. You’re looking so good.”

Molly rubbed up against her as Rayna studied the babies. “Which one has the squinty eye?”

“Oh, uh, the grey tabby,” he lied.

She scooped up the baby, a soft smile crossing her face as she glanced down at Molly. “They’re getting so big. Good job, Mama.”

“She’s a great mom,” Stark said.

“She is,” Rayna said as she carefully examined the baby’s face.

He tried to keep his face neutral as she gently ran her finger over the baby’s head. “Which eye was it?”

“The right,” he said.

She brought the baby up to her face, holding it closer to the light and doing another careful examination. “It looks fine to me now.” She flipped the baby over and checked his bottom. “He’s a boy.” She studied his face a third time. “His eye isn’t red, there isn’t any discharge, and he isn’t squinting now.”

“Oh, okay, well, that’s good, then,” he said.

She nodded and put the baby back before taking the other two out and giving them a quick look over. “Both boys and they’re looking great.”

She petted all three a final time before giving Molly a few more pets. “If you want to name the babies, feel free. Just let me know what their names are so we can add them to the foster database.”

“Sure,” he said. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s all good,” she said. “But I do have a busy night, so I need to get back to my place.”

He caught her arm as she walked past him and drew her closer before sliding his arm around her waist. “Please tell me what’s wrong, Rayna.”

She sighed. “Honestly, there isn’t anything wrong. I’ve just had a crazy few days.”

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Ian did a welfare check on an elderly woman. The neighbours hadn’t seen her in a couple of days, and her dogs were barking nonstop.”

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