Page 68 of Stealing Forever

“Hopefully within the next forty-five.”

It’ll be longer than that, I’m sure. It always is with that unruly bunch of Bears.

“Perfect, see you then.”

Declan says goodbye, and I jab my finger into the screen on the dashboard to hang up, feeling much more at ease.

At least for a moment.

When I turn onto Declan’s street, the dread hits me like a brick to the stomach.

I can’t explain the feeling—everything looks normal. Everythingisnormal.

Sailor wakes up when I pull Declan’s car into the garage, already cranky from the crooked-neck catnap. Walking around to her side, I take her out of her car seat, and she goes limp in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder.

The garage closes behind me, and as I go through the door leading into the house, I immediately catch the scent of a perfume I don’t recognize.

My stomach drops, and I realize I’m not alone.

Startled, I jump back and cradle Sailor tighter in my arms, staring at the woman sitting at the kitchen table, looking down at her phone.

Her dark hair drapes over the side of her face, but it only takes about fifteen seconds for me to recognize her. “Addison?”

Her attention snaps to me, and she places her phone face down on the kitchen table, plastering a saccharine smile on herperfectly made up face. “Oh! You must be the new nanny. Hi, I’m Sailor’s mom.”

Really bold of you to assume you’re a mother when you’ve been absent for the last two years, but okay, I think to myself, but don’t dare voice it aloud.

Standing, she takes a step toward us, and instinctively, I take a small step back. “Sailor! My love, come see Mommy.” She speaks to her in a baby voice, and Sailor lifts her head, looking over at her mother.

I’m not all that surprised when shedoesn’tmake any attempt to wiggle out of my arms.

Visibly annoyed, Addison crosses the kitchen with her arms out like she’s about ready to grab her from me.

Protectiveness rears its head despite this woman being Sailor’s mother, and I pivot so she can’t pull her from my arms. “Sailor just woke up from a nap in the car. She’s not quite awake yet.”

I smile, but anger flashes through Addison’s eyes as she watches me with her child.

It feels wrong not to immediately oblige and reunite her with her daughter, but Declan would have told me if he’d known she was going to be here. He wouldn’t have let me walk into this blindly.

Sailor doesn’t even know her. She was a baby when she left.

“Give me my daughter,” Addison demands. She leaves no room for me to object and pulls Sailor from my arms, despite the tight hold I have on her.

Sailor immediately starts crying.

Anger turns into shock as she tries to console her. “Why are you crying, baby?” she coos. “Mommy has you.”

Addison starts bouncing as if she’s trying to comfort a newborn, and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut.

I’m at a complete loss for what to even say to her. Questions race through my mind, and I realize I should probably dig my phone out of my purse to call Declan, but the thoughts don’t fully register for me enough to actually do it.

Why is she here?

How did she get in?

Does she still have a key?

“Put me down!” Sailor whines, squirming in her mother’s grasp.

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