Page 128 of Unravel Me

Thanks, Adam. Not off to a great start.

A photo follows, a tearful Connor wrapped around her.

Connor has a stomach bug.

Ah fuck. Poor guy. I zoom in on the picture, Connor’s sleepy eyes, his unusually pale skin. It’s the exhausted, stressed look in Rosie’s eyes that has me hitting the Call button, slipping out Carter’s patio door into his backyard.

“Hey,” Rosie answers.

“I’m sorry Connor’s sick, Rosie. You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just…” She sighs. “Crap timing. I can’t send him to daycare, and obviously Brandon isn’t an option anymore.” She sniffles, tugging at my heartstrings. “Sorry, I’m frustrated and exhausted because we’ve been up since two, and it’s making me emotional. I’m supposed to be in surgery in two hours, but I’m going to have to miss it.”

“I’ll watch him. I can take Connor today while you’re at school.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not. I’m volunteering. I already did my workout with the guys; I’ve got the rest of the day free.”

“It’s not going to be an easy day. He’s clingy and emotional when he’s sick.”

“I like clingy and emotional.”

“Adam—”

“Let me help you, Rosie. You can count on me. Plus, I’ve missed the fuck out of him. Lean on me today.”

She hesitates, and I imagine her teeth tugging on her lower lip, the little crease between her brows while she overthinks this. “Are you sure?”

“Sure as hell.” I head back through the house. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

Carter throws his arms in the air, following me to the front door. “You promised to do that TikTok with me!”

“I did not.”

“Aw,man. But all the girlies love to see you dance.”

“No, Carter.” I open the door, looking at him in his DILF T-shirt. “They love to see your shirtless daddy content.”

“You could be a shirtless daddy too!” he shouts out the door as I climb into my truck.

Right now, the only person I’m okay with calling meDadais Connor.

Andshitis the poor kid ever sick, all red-rimmed eyes and snotty nosed from crying, his skin pale and slick with sweat.

“We’ll be fine,” I promise Rosie forty minutes later when we’re out front of her school.We might not be fine.“We’ve got it under control.”We don’t have it under control at all.I grin at Connor. It’s way shakier than I’d like, so I try for plan B, which is two thumbs up. “Right, buddy?”

He heaves, and Rosie manages to get the opened bag into position a split second before he vomits.

“Oh, baby.” She wipes his face, worried gaze coming to mine. “I don’t know, Adam. Maybe I should stay with him.”

“Rosie.” I grip her shoulders, squeezing gently. “This is scary because you can’t control it. But you aren’t going to be able to control him being sick if you’re home with him either. I know you just want to be with him, make sure he’s taken care of, and I promise you, I’m going to take care of him. He’s going to be loved to pieces at home with me and Bear. Right, bud?”

Connor wipes the tears from his face, sniffling. “Dada, Bear?”

Rosie smiles softly, pushing his hair off his damp forehead.

“Trust me?” I ask her quietly.

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