Page 221 of At the Edge of Surrender

Charleigh looked up at me from where she lounged on a lower step. “She’s acclimating well?”

My nod was soft. “Yeah.” I paused, then whispered, “Kane told her who he was to her yesterday. She knows she’s going to be living here permanently. Of course, I think she’s still confused about her mom, but I feel like that’s natural.”

Understanding washed over her pretty features. There was something so intuitively soft and genuine about Charleigh.

“Absolutely.” She issued it quietly. “She’s so young, and I’m sure she’s going to have a lot of questions as she grows older.” She reached out and gently squeezed my knee. “And it’s so good she has you to share all those memories of her mom with her. She’s going to need that.”

Raven peered over at me with her midnight eyes sparking. “And what about you, Em?”

I could tell what she was thinking by the gleam in her eye.

“What about me?” I deflected.

“Oh, come on, do you think we can’t tell that you’ve been absolutely loved up by that man? Kane Asher is written all over you. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Redness splashed my cheeks.

Raven giggled like mad. “In bold streaks and bright colors. Look at those cheeks.” She fanned herself. “That man must have really done you up right.”

I bit down on my bottom lip, but I found myself admitting it on a hushed whisper, “So right.”

Raven squealed and batted at Charleigh’s shoulder with the hand that wasn’t holding her mimosa. She still sloshed a little over the side. “I told you!”

A sweet smile played over Charleigh’s face. “Um, I don’t think that was your psychic abilities kicking into action. It was clear and blatant last weekend at my house. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a kickball game quite like that. The chemistry coming off you two? Scorching. I thought we were going to have to take the kids inside and give you and Kane some privacy.”

More redness flashed, mostly due to the memories of what had happened after we’d gotten home that night.

When that chemistry had finally exploded.

“It wasn’t that obvious,” I defended, though there was a guilty laugh to the words.

Raven cackled. “Oh, girl, they had to call the fire department to put out the fire you two left. Their lawn is completely ruined,” she teased.

I shook my head at her, embarrassment and joy fighting for dominance. I wasn’t sure how these two had managed to take this place in my life.

“Well, he is hot, so…” I couldn’t help but play along.

“Like, seriously. You should have seen when I was in high school.” Raven took a sip of her mimosa. “The only place any of my friends wanted to hang out was at my house so they could get a good look at mybrothers.”

“I imagine you wereverypopular.” I jostled her in the shoulder.

She gestured at herself with her champagne flute. “Prom queen.”

I laughed. “Of course, you were.”

Though I doubted it had much to do with her family. I bet she had stolen hearts her whole life.

Maci’s laughter rolled across the lawn, and I looked out to where she and Nolan were doing somersaults halfway across the yard.

“Not any farther than that,” I hollered, reminding her of the boundaries we’d set. We didn’t want her getting anywhere near the stream or the woods.

“I know all the rules, Auntie Em,” she hollered back. “I gotta stay way away from the stream because I’m only four and I gotta get swimmin’ lessons, and I might get lost in the woods, so I gotta have you or my daddy come out and watch me when I want to come outside.”

She lifted one finger at a time as she checked off the rules until she was holding up three.

Amusement rippled through me, at odds with the nerves that I couldn’t shake.

“Smart girl!” Raven shouted with a grin.

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