Page 36 of Love in the Storm

Lyric laughed and headed for the stairs. “Wouldn’t want you to get hangry. Do you keep a stash of doughnuts in your patrol car?”

“You think you’re funny, but I happen to like doughnuts. Not because I’m a police officer. They’re just good.”

Lyric laughed. “Agreed.”

The cheerful sound made him forget all about his hunger. They set the soup and crackers on the counter and got to work.

As soon as he finished, his phone rang in his pocket, and he answered the call from his mom.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Good,” his mother crooned. “We’re making cookies and goodie bags for the class reading party. It was supposed to be tomorrow, but the teacher called and said they were postponing it to Monday because of the weather.”

Asa leaned against the counter and watched Lyric pour the soups into the pot. He was supposed to be cooking, but she’d taken over as if they were two players on the same team. “Jacob going stir-crazy?”

“Not at all. He put together the model car we bought at the hardware store last week.”

“Good.” Asking a ten-year-old to stay inside all day was tough. If the snow wasn’t covering thebottom five feet of everything, he could play with his friends in the neighborhood.

Asa was the kind to get bored inside easily too, but Lyric had kept his attention for hours.

“Everything okay where you are?” his mom asked.

“Great. Lyric is making soup right now.”

“Tell her I appreciate her taking care of you,” his mother said.

“I could take care of myself if I had to.”

“But I’m glad you don’t have to. Life is better with someone beside you.”

Asa glanced at Lyric. He was a father, and Jacob was his top priority. Staying out of the dating scene had always been the safe option. If he dated, the woman would have to understand Asa and Jacob were a package deal. He wasn’t looking for a fling, and he wasn’t the type to give up when things got tough.

Indecision warred within him. He wanted to listen to what his mom was saying, but he also didn’t want to forget the love he’d had with Danielle. How could he put himself out there again?

Despite all those things, he couldn’t ignore the pull he felt toward Lyric. Meeting her had opened his eyes to all the things he’d been missing.

“You’re right about that. She’s been a big help. Is Jacob around?”

“He just put on those headphone things to play agame,” Asa’s mom said, clearly stumped by anything to do with the Xbox.

“I’ll call him later. Thanks for everything.”

“We’ve got it covered here. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Asa laid the phone on the counter beside him and crossed his arms over his chest. He missed his family, but knowing they were taken care of eased his worries. Was it enough to let him relax and enjoy his time with Lyric?

13

LYRIC

Lyric stirred the soup more than necessary. She’d overheard Asa’s conversation with his mother, and the love in his tone both warmed her heart and made her long for that bond she missed with her own parents. As far as she knew, they still lived in a suburb outside of Casper.

She hadn’t meant to listen in, but Asa hadn’t gone into another room or tried to hide his conversation. She wasn’t the sneaky, spying type, but her track record made most people wary of the information they shared around her. Addicts never trusted each other, and with good reason. Her “friends” had been overly cautious, and it hadn’t taken her long to build high walls around her life in that environment.

Being around Asa was different, only because he didn’t know any better. If he knew the truth, he would have kept her at a distance, shielding himself and thepeople he loved from the wreckage addicts were known to inflict on anyone who dared get too close.

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