Page 52 of At His Wife's Behest

Kellan froze. He glanced at Emma and back to their daughter. “Who said anything about me kissing boys?”

“I saw you through the window.”

Dumbstruck, Kellan didn’t know what to say.

“I saw Mama kissing a girl one day, too.”

Kellan’s gaze whipped to Emma’s wide-eyed one.

“I’ve never seen you kiss Mama like that,” Emma whispered. “Don’t you love her?”

“I love your Mama very,verymuch, but it’s also very complicated. It’s a long story, Sweet Pea. One that’s hard to understand when you’re only six years old,” Kellan said. “What I can tell you is that your mother and I do love one another. We’rethe very best of friends and always will be. But we don’t love each other like married people should because you’re right. I like kissing boys, and I was scared of people finding that out.”

“And I like kissing girls,” Emma murmured to the side of them. She rubbed her palm on Abigail’s cheek. “Not everyone is kind to people like us, so sometimes we hide to protect ourselves.”

“Like Pawpaw and Grandpa. They don’t like gay people.”

“Yep, like Pawpaw and Grandpa,” Emma murmured. “How does that make you feel?”

Abigail shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You know how much we loveyou, right?” Kellan asked.

Abigail nodded.

“Nothing’severgoing to change that. You are the most special thing in the entire world,” Kellan said. He added a tickle, and she giggled.

“I snuck downstairs one night and heard you and Mama talking. She said something about a divorce.”

“That was just talk,” Emma said. “Just talk.”

“But if Daddy wants to kiss Mr. Q, and you want to kiss that lady, maybe youshouldget a divorce so you can love other people the married way. You can still be best friends and love me.”

“How’d you get to be so smart?” Emma asked, brushing some hair back from Abigail’s face.

“I dunno,” Abigail said. She focused on Emma. “Can we go watch the movie now?”

“Sure thing,” Emma said.

Kellan gave her a kiss on the cheek and lowered her to the ground. “Have fun.”

Abigail took Emma’s hand and headed in the direction of the big house. A few steps away, she looked over her shoulder at Connor. “Iknewthat was my daddy in that picture.”

Kellan’s gaze flicked to Connor’s.

“Yeah, you were right, Abby,” Connor said, grinning.

Abigail smirked and looked up at Emma as they walked away. “Are we gonna live in Pawpaw’s house now?”

Emma glanced over her shoulder at Kellan and then down to Abigail. “Is that what you want to do?”

“Davy Burrows has two houses. He lives some days with his mama and some days with his daddy. He also getstwoChristmases. I like that idea.”

Emma cast one more look Kellan’s way before they moved out of earshot.

Connor sidled up beside him. “Your daughter is wise beyond her years.”

“I don’t know where she gets it,” Kellan admitted.

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