Page 36 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

She shrugged and the vulnerability shone through her brighter than the lights twinkling on the tree. “I mean, it’s your job, right?”

He couldn’t help but smile as he closed his free hand over hers, tugging gently to bring her even closer. “My job is to protect all the citizens of this county, of this town. I love my job and I take it very seriously. With you, it’s different.”

“How?”

Now it was his turn to shrug. “At first, when I saw myself in your children, I wanted to do whatever it took to shield them from the ugliness that had reentered their world. But I’d be lying if I said that was it. You’re special, Clara. I look forward to seeing you every day at Lulu’s. I love making you smile, seeing you happy. I’ve witnessed you stepping into your new life, and I don’t want to see you go backwards. And I know how hard that is under normal circumstances. Add in everything else thrown at you, and I just want to make sure you know you aren’t alone. Ever.”

Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. “I’ve never met a man like you before, Heath Sterling, and I’m not exactly sure what to do with you.”

“You can do whatever you want with me, Clara. Whenever you’re ready.”

Her jaw dropped and red splashed against her cheeks.

“Oh shit,” he said, yanking away his hands to rub the back of his neck. “That’s not what I meant. I just?—”

A peel of laughter shook her shoulders, and she pressed her hands to her stomach as she gasped for air. Her body leaned to the side, pressing against him. “Oh goodness. It feels really good to laugh. Thank you for that.”

“For what? Sounding like an idiot?” he asked, chuckling.

She stilled and stared up at him. She was so close he could make out the golden tinges in her green eyes.

“No, for being you. All the time. You’re not the only one who looked forward to those visits to the diner. You’ve done more than protect me and my children the last few days. You’ve given us something so special.”

“What’s that?”

“Hope.” Erasing the space between them, she gently pressed her lips to his cheek then pulled back. She didn’t move far, stayed in his personal space with a look of longing so intense it would have knocked him backward if he’d been on his feet. “Can we just sit here for a little while longer? Just sit and stare at the pretty tree and know there’s hope for a beautiful future. One with more laughs and happiness than I know what to do with.”

“I’d love nothing more.”

He hooked his arm on the back of the couch, and she cuddled against him. His fingertips grazed her bicep, and he breathed in the smell of her familiar lavender shampoo.

And for this one moment, with the lights down low and only the glow of the Christmas tree to keep them company, life was perfect.

14

Clara jolted upright, her heart lodged in her throat and panic in her veins. She patted the bed around her only to find it empty. No kicking feet or drool covered cheeks. A glance at the clock on the nightstand had her jumping to her feet. 9:30 am? No way Davey and Avery slept past 7:30. Something must be wrong.

Grabbing her robe from her bag, she ran from the room as she jammed her arms through the opening and tied the belt around her waist. She hurried down the hall, but the sound of laughter and softly playing Christmas music reached her ears, slowing her pace.

She took a second to collect herself, catching her breath and finger-combing her hair, before peeking into the kitchen. The beautiful chaos that greeted her brought tears to her eyes.

Heath stood at the stove wearing black joggers and a gray t-shirt that stretched across his broad back. His hair stuck up, and he slid fluffy pancakes from the pan to a plate sitting on counter. Davey stood on a stepstool beside him, whisking the batter in a large bowl.

Avery sat at the table with Sally. A collection of cookie cutters cluttered the red and green cloth, and Sally showed Avery how to use them to make fun shapes of the pancakes, then passed them to her to cover in a rainbow of sprinkles.

Clara stayed hidden behind the doorframe, soaking in the moment. The beautiful, normal moment most children—and their mothers—took for granted. Sally’s off-key singing joined Avery’s lively humming, and Davey proudly poured batter onto the pan as Heath whispered something in his ear. She captured snapshots of the simple, easy flow between her children and Heath and his mother in her mind. No matter what the future held, she never wanted to forget this morning, and she prayed her kids wouldn’t either.

“Mama!” Avery squealed and jumped from the chair, scattering sprinkles like confetti all over the floor. She stopped, eyes wide and filled with fear. She dropped her chin to her chest. “Sorry. I so sorry.”

Davey leapt down and ran to Clara, wrapping his arms around her knees. He pressed his faced against the soft material of her pajama pants. “She didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

Clara locked eyes with Heath, emotion lodged in her throat. This is what a lifetime of yelling and punishing and blaming had done to her children. Left them scared and paralyzed in the face of any kind of accident—no matter how innocent.

Heath grabbed a pancake, and a small smile curved the edges of her lips. “You were supposed to wait for the grand breakfast finale until your mom was at the table, buddy, but I guess you were too excited, huh? Here,” he said, tossing the flapjack across the room like a frisbee toward his mom. “Your turn, Mom. Show ’em what you got.”

Sally chuckled then tossed a handful of sprinkles into the air. “Avery, grab some more sprinkles!”

Giggling, Avery sniffed back her tears and toddled back to Sally. She climbed into her lap, reached into the bowls, and scattered more sugar-filled fun onto the floor. Her tears dried and giggles smothered out any lingering sadness.

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