His Lullaby Baby

By Airicka Phoenix

His Lullaby Baby ©2015 by Airicka Phoenix

All rights reserved.

www.AirickaPhoenix.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owner and/or the publisher of this book, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Cover Designer: Airicka’s Mystical Creations

Interior Design: Airicka Phoenix

Editor: Kathy Eccleston

Beta Readers:

Kimberly Schaaf

Nanette Bradford

Krystal Marie

Sam Destiny

Jaime Radalyac

ISBN-13: 978-1518660580

ISBN-10: 1518660584

Published by Airicka Phoenix

Also available in eBook and paperback publication

Also by Airicka Phoenix

TOUCH SAGA

Touching Smoke

Touching Fire

Touching Eternity

THE LOST GIRL SERIES

Finding Kia

Revealing Kia

REGENERATION SERIES

When Night Falls

THE BABY SAGA

Forever His Baby

Bye-Bye Baby

Be My Baby

Always Yours, Baby

SONS OF JUDGMENT SAGA

Octavian’s Undoing

Gideon’s Promise

STANDALONE

Games of Fire

Betraying Innocence

My Soul For You

Kissing Trouble

The Voyeur Next Door

Transcending Darkness

Dedication

Krystal

For putting Toby in my head.

HIS LULLABY BABY

Chapter 1 ~ Toby

What Jedi mind powers did a mother possess that instantaneously turned a grown man into a five year old child just by the volume and tone of her voice? There had to be some kind of hypnosis involved. Subliminal messaging. Ouija boards. Who the hell knew? The only thing Toby was absolutely certain of, was that his mother was the queen of guilt trips and he had no one to blame but himself.

“Mom, I’m fine!”

The mantra of my life recently, Toby thought as he leveled his weight out on his cane. The rubber grip at the bottom stayed against the concrete and he heaved himself up onto the curb without putting pressure on his right leg. Nevertheless, the nerves gave a twinge of pitiful protest and he gritted his jaw. His fingers tightened around the phone. He was careful not to make a sound, to keep every breath regulated and even; his mother could sense pain like some homing beckon.

“But you’re not sleeping at night,” she protested. “Have you seen the doctor about that? There could be something wrong—”

“I swear I’m … wait, how did you know I’m not sleeping?”

His mother hesitated, but he knew. The stench of betrayal was strong in the crisp afternoon air.

His gaze swung over to the silent figure walking next to him, deliberately studying the heavens like all the world’s mysteries lay floating up there with the clouds.

“Did you tell my mother I wasn’t sleeping?” he hissed, careful to mash the phone into his jean clad thigh as he half growled, half hissed the accusation.

Mark flinched like he’d been physically assaulted. “Dude, your mom scares me, okay?”

“You stinking Judas!” Toby shot back, still careful to keep his voice low.

“I’m sorry!” Mark cried back. “I panicked.”

“I am going to show you panic!” Toby muttered before stuffing the phone back to his ear.

“So I was thinking I would like to go with you this week to see Dr. Nalway and maybe go over some ways to—”

Yeah … no.

“I think I’m hitting a dead zone. You’re cutting out…”

“Toby!”

“Bye Mom! Love you.”

He hung up before she could suggest she put him in diapers and breast feed him all over again. The very idea of the latter made him recoil and shudder.

He wedged his phone into his pocket and rounded on the traitor. He punched Mark in the arm.

“You asshole!”

“She ambushed me!” Mark protested, rubbing his injury. “I don’t know what it is, but the second she says hi Mark, my entire body seizes. I feel like I’m giving an oral examine … naked.”

Toby could only shake his head at that visual. “You’re a twatwaffle.”

Leaving his best friend gawking, Toby pushed onward.

Mark caught up to him in two long strides. “You know, I don’t know what a twatwaffle is, but it kind of sounds like it would taste delicious. I mean, I like twat and I like waffles, so…”

“Jesus!” Toby burst out laughing. “How the hell are we friends?”

Mark grinned. “Just luck on your part.”

Toby shook his head and kept walking. Sweat gathered between his palm and the foam grip around the cane handle. The iron rod creaked slightly beneath every limp. He hated the thing, but the clever doctors and pretty nurses had assured him that it wouldn’t be forever, just until the damage to his nerves could repair themselves. A year, maybe two at the very most. It could have been worse. The bullet could have hit him in the head. Kind of hard to walk that off. But as though the humiliation of being discharged from the only career he’d ever known wasn’t enough, he’d been confined to an old man’s wheelchair, an old man’s set of crutches and then, because he hadn’t suffered enough, he had another two months of hobbling around on an old man’s cane.

Life hated him.

“You know what would make you feel better?” Mark piped up, jolting Toby out of his self-deprecation. “We should stop by your sister’s shop. See how the McClain ladies are doing.”

“You do know both my sister and cousin are married, right? With kids.”

Mark squinted back at him. “So? A man can look. If I had sisters that looked like yours, I would…” He paused to consider his train of thought. He blanched as it sunk in. “Okay, so I wouldn’t, but they’re not my sisters. Besides, MILFs, man. Hot! You just know they’re freaky in bed.”

Toby would have hit him if he thought it would do any good. Mark had a single goal in life and that was to work his way through every woman in Willow Creek. Toby wasn’t even sure there was a limit or some line drawn. His friend had problems with boundaries.

“Well, just so you know, Damon and Jared will kill you if they hear you talking like that.”

Mark snorted. “I wasn’t going to tell them. Anyway, where are we going?”

“Bank. Then we need to make a stop at the grocery store.”

“Why?”

“Because the inside of your fridge looks like a third world country and I, for one, enjoy the little things like food.”

The phone buzzed in his pocket. He dug it out and checked the screen. Willa’s number flashed up at him. He hit the talk button and mashed the phone to his ear.

“Will?”

“Hey!” she said at once in her upbeat enthusiasm.

Toby frowned. “Did my mom make you phone?”

Willa hesitated. “No, was I supposed to?”

“No, sorry. What’s up?”

Something shuffled in the background, followed by a beep and Willa’s frustrated sigh.

“I was hoping you could do me a favor.”

For Willa? There was very little most people wouldn’t do.

“Yeah, shoot.”

“I’m in the middle of an interview and I promised the kids I’d take them horseback riding today. Would you mind?”

“Taking them horseback riding?”

“You just have to drive them there. I’ll be done by the time they finish.”

Toby pulled his phone away from his ear and checked the time. “When?”

“In an hour. Please, Toby?”

“Yeah, sure. That’s not a problem. Where?”

Papers rustled.

“Uh…” Willa mumbled something absently. Then, “Macy’s Bed and Breakfast. Sorry.”

Toby nodded. “You got it.”

“Thank you again, Toby. I really appreciate this.”

He was in the process of disconnecting the line and returning the phone to his pocket when a glass wall appeared out of nowhere. The full frontal assault sent him staggering backwards a full two feet before the sidewalk vanished entirely and he was falling. Concrete met him with the gentle and loving arms of a pissed off bull. It crashed into his back and shoulders. Pain shattered in a splinter of colors. A series of creative words that would have horrified his mother expelled in a long, five minute rant that was broken by his snarling grunts. Then he just lay there and stared at the sky. Fluffy white cloud that looked like a dildo and the other one that closely resembled a dog.

At least they’re not together, he thought miserably as the pain in his body gradually subdued.

“I am so sorry!” A dark, bobbing shape appeared in his line of vision, obscuring his view of the dog cloud. “Are you okay?”

“I was assaulted,” he declared. “I didn’t see by what, but I’m pretty sure it’s wearing an imprint of my face.”

There was a pause, followed by, “I don’t know what … what does that mean? Are you hurt?”

Groaning, Toby pushed into a sitting position and found himself the center of a very large ring of concerned and nosy people.

“Show’s over, folks,” he called out. “I will live to see another breakfast. Be gone.”

A few left, shuffling away with a mild sort of grudge, no doubt infuriated that they would have nothing interesting to share at the dinner table that evening. Oh, if only he’d shattered his skull like a normal person.

Finally, he focused on the figure crouched down next to him. Warm, brown eyes the delicious hue of milk chocolate peered back at him from a small, heart shaped face surrounded by a tangle of hair in the same brown. Fine lines of concern puckered the soft skin of her forehead, drawing delicately arched eyebrows together over eyes dominated by an endless sweep of lashes. A fine dusting of freckles speckled a slender nose and spread across elegant cheekbones. Lips the soft pink of his mother’s favorite china sat slightly parted, revealing just the hint of straight, white teeth. The smooth column of her throat bobbed where the single button on her blouse had been left parted at the hollow. Dressed in a long, loose skirt and a floral top, she reminded him of a prim school teacher, the kind in pornos just before they brought out the ruler and gave the naughty boys detention. It was hot as fuck.

“Hello?” she whispered when he could only sit and gape.

“Marry me,” he blurted, uncaring how insane that sounded. Part of him even meant it.

“I’m sorry?”

She wasn’t real, he decided. How could she be? No one that gorgeous lived in Willow Creek. He would know. He was born and raised there. He knew everyone. This person … this magnificent goddess was not from the town, which made him wonder…

“Christ, am I dead?”

His companion’s look of stunned dismay was almost amusing. “No?”

The question at the end of her comment nearly made him laugh. “Well, that’s a relief. Not sure I could pull off the dress and harp ensemble.”

Her gaze moved over him. Starting at his shoulders and working down the sprawled length of him to his boots. Maybe she was determining whether or not he could pull off a dress, but Toby knew enough about his own masculine appeal to recognize when a woman was checking him out. The fact that it was this woman was just the boost his deflating self-esteem needed.

She licked her lips and … shit.

His cock hardened against the rough grain of his jeans, making the stiff denim uncomfortably tight. His heart escalated in his chest. Each beat cracked just a little too hard against his ribcage.

Her lashes lifted and he was caught in those eyes again. Light splintered off the starburst of gold and shimmered across the velvety surface. He could just make out his own reflection gawking back at him with the slack-jawed wonder of a pubescent teenager catching his first glimpse of a Playboy Bunny. He would have been mortified if he could pull his senses together.

“Do you feel okay?” she asked quietly. “Did you hit your head?”

That seemed to be the only explanation for the molasses taking over his brain.

He shook his head to clear it. “No, I’m good. I think I’ll live to see another day.”

The lines of concern smoothed away, softening her face into a wide smile that kicked him square in the gut.

“Good.” She drew in a breath that strained her generous chest against the front of her thin blouse. “I’m glad to hear that…?”

He stuck out his hand when she trailed off uncertainly. “Toby McClain.”

She eased one soft palm into his rough one. “Addy … Nixon.”

“Addy?”

She gave a little shrug and rolled her eyes. “It’s short for Adelaide.”

“No kidding, that’s crazy, because Toby is actually short for Toby so we already have something in common.”

Her quiet laughter muted the background noise taking place around them. She sat back on her heels and hugged her knees. Her head cocked to one side with a teasing grin lifting the corner of her mouth.

“It’s nice to meet you, Toby, but what do you say we get you off this sidewalk?”

“We could ooooor you could join me and I could introduce you to a dog and a penis.” He paused to replay his own words over in his head. He grimaced. “Wow! That sounded so much better in my head.”

Addy chuckled, but she looked as wary as he expected her to after such a proposition. Honestly, he’d half expected a slap. Instead, what he got was worse.

Mark shoved his ugly face in over Addy’s shoulder.

“Hey, you okay?”

While that awkward moment was successfully broken, it also left no room for him to explain that he wasn’t a pervert … most of the time. Plus, when he glanced up, the penis and the dog were both gone, so he had successfully made himself come out looking like a weirdo.

Fabulous.

He heaved himself up without his cane. As snazzy as it was, the pimp cane rarely got the ladies wet and he really wanted this one dripping. But his pride had serrated fingers of agony splintering up the length of his thigh to his hip in sharp stabs of pain. The unexpected burst of heat had his knee jerking out of pure reflexes and he staggered forward. His hands flew up to catch his crashing weight only to be assaulted by the sweet fragrance of frosting and cupcakes. Slender arms caged around his ribs in a firm embrace. The slight figure tucked against his chest with the perfection of a lost puzzle piece. His own arms jerked up and locked around a tiny waist. His palms splayed across her narrow back, gripping her possessively to his chest. Fine strands of silk tickled the underside of his chin and caught along the stubbly lines of his cheeks. It whispered along his mouth and he had to resist the urge to turn his face into the wavy locks.

“Okay?” Addy’s cool breath fanned across his cheek. Her lips grazed his chin and he felt the unconscious gesture all the way down to his toes in a hot rush of electricity. “Just hold on.”

Just when he was getting uncomfortably comfortable with the weight of her firm breasts crushed into his and the taunt of her tight nipples burning holes through his t-shirt, she released him. She unclasped her arms and pulled away, leaving him biting back a whine as she swooped down and grabbed his cane. Then it was being shoved into his palm. His fingers were made to wrap around the gripper and the end was settled against the concrete. Toby reluctantly settled his weight on it.

Cheeks flushed, Addy stepped back. She brushed her hands quickly over the front of her blouse and straightened her floral skirt. She brushed back a lock of hair and exhaled in satisfaction.

“That is not normally how I impress the girls,” Toby told her.

Addy laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell.” She turned away to snatch up her purse off the sidewalk. She dusted it off before slinging it over one shoulder. “Is there anything I can do? Do you need a ride somewhere?”

Toby shook his head. “No, but I would like your number.”

The pink in her cheeks deepened and her gaze dropped to their feet. Her fingers fumbled with the strap on her shoulder.

“I kind of don’t … I don’t date.”

She peeked up at him through her lashes, trying to gauge his reaction with an apologetic little grimace.

“All right, then we won’t date,” he offered. “We can undate.”

“Undate?” Amusement curved her delicious lips.

“Yeah, that’s where neither one of us ever mentions the word.”

She chuckled. “Just because you don’t say the word doesn’t make it less of the thing it is…” She trailed off, eyes narrowing as she finished slowly. “Did that make sense?”

“Okay, option two then, we will meet somewhere at a specific time, get separate tables and text each other from across the room.”

Her laugh was a beautiful wave of sound that radiated from deep in her belly. It rocked her head back. Her shoulders trembled despite the hand she lifted to stifle the flow. Her eyes twinkled as they met his.

“That is tempting…” She smiled brilliantly. “Very tempting, but I really can’t.” She started edging backwards. “I need to go. I’m sorry again for hitting you with the door. I’ll, maybe, see you around.”

With a wave, she was gone. Toby watched the sway of her hips and the shimmer of sunlight weaving through all that hair before she rounded a corner and was gone.

“That was painful,” Mark decided with a slow, contemplative nod. “But hilarious.”

Toby shoved him. “Shut up.”

“You know what we need?” He didn’t wait for Toby to tell him he didn’t care. “Ice … for your balls!”

The asshole burst into a riot of laughter that turned heads. Toby ignored him and made his way onward in the direction they’d been headed before he’d been mowed down by a door. He glanced back once in the direction Addy had taken and wondered if they really would see each other again.

Toby loved his niece and nephews. At least, that was what he told himself on repeat the whole way out of town in the direction of Willow Creek’s only bed and breakfast, but between their various ages and genders, having the four crammed into the back of Willa’s minivan was like putting a pack of hungry mountain lions in a small cage and then throwing in a steak. It was a nightmare and he was relieved he was rarely asked to chauffeur them anywhere.

The eldest at sixteen, Rosie, seemed to be the only one watching the scenery pass by with the anticipation of a child on her way to Disneyland. One seat forward, Willa’s two kids, Kari and Owen were screaming at each other for all they were worth over who was in who’s space more. At the very back, Colten sat in a teenage pout, glowering at the world outside the window like it had peed in his breakfast that morning. Yet despite their differences, all four had one thing in common and that was the family history.

The McClain’s had a long standing tradition of never doing anything the traditional way. It started with his dad and his Aunt Lily, back before she married his Uncle Sloan. The two made a mistake that landed them with Toby’s sister Calla. Lily went on to marry Sloan, who was Toby’s father’s brother and together, they had Willa. His dad went on to marry Toby’s mom and had Toby. They also adopted Damon, who wound up marrying and having two babies with Willa. Calla married Damon’s best friend Jared and had Colten. Then a few years back, Damon learned he had a half-sister and Rosie was brought into the family.

In the scheme of things, it all made perfect sense to him. He just hated having to explain to people that no, Willa wasn’t his sister, but his cousin. Yes, Damon was his brother, but not by blood. No, Calla wasn’t his full sister. Yes, Rosie was family. It was just easier to walk away or go along with it. Most of the people from Willow Creek knew the story. The McClain’s were practically celebrities and not just because of the scandalous stuff, but because they had made a big name for themselves throughout the years. Calla had her fashion boutiques. The one in Willow Creek and the new one she’d opened up in Newburry the year before. Willa had her photography studio that she shared with their mom and printed small, freelance articles in the Willow Creek Gazette. Also, the entire family had chipped in to open Willa’s bistro. Plus there was his Uncle Sloan’s moving company that was mostly run by Damon and Jared, and Toby’s dad had his computer repair business. In all, the McClain’s were a household name, except for Toby. Aside from his ten year long service in the military and his charity work around town, he didn’t own a business. He didn’t have a family. He didn’t even have a home. His last real girlfriend had been back in high school and she’d left him the moment he’d told her he’d enrolled. Apparently, she was too young to wait for a guy going overseas to fight someone else’s war. He’d been fine with that. Truth be told, he’d been kind of relieved. He hadn’t been sure he liked the idea of someone waiting for him at home, putting their lives on hold and worrying about whether or not he’d come back. He saw Lindsey occasionally around town. She was married with two boys.

The dirt road curved off the main highway leading out of town and veered deep into miles of wilderness. If it weren’t for the giant sign hammered down on the edge of the split off, no one would ever know the inn existed.

“Macy’s Bed and Breakfast,” he muttered under his breath as he turned the wheels onto the path.

Macy’s Bed and Breakfast was no longer owned by Macy Boyd. After fifty years, the original Macy had packed her things and gone off to explore the world before her time was up. She’d bought an RV and left her pride and joy to some niece Toby had never heard about or met. Frankly, it had never bothered him. He’d never had any reason to stay at the place. His very last memory of it was being eight and getting lifted onto the tractor for the Halloween hayride. Then he’d gotten older and refused to go.

The charming little cottage, painted a faded slate gray with white trim, sat in the hollow of endless wilderness. Rolling hills stretched to the base of towering trees way back in the distance. It brought back memories of him, Calla, Willa and Damon running crazy through the place. He’d been younger and slower, and ridiculed for both. Had it not been for Calla, he was sure no one would have ever noticed him. It was why Calla was his favorite sibling to this day.

“We’re here!” Rosie’s shriek of joy nearly sent Toby off the road in fright.

He’d barely pulled to a full stop when she leaped out of the car and sprinted around the side of the house. The others followed at a far less enthusiastic manner, except Kari, who was forced to wait for Toby to help her with the seatbelt her four year old little fingers weren’t strong enough to disengage. It was a fact Owen teased her about mercilessly. Today was no exception.

“Aw, can’t Mommy’s baby get out of her seat?”

“Owen!” Toby’s warning went ignored as Kari broke into tears.

“I’m telling Mommy!” she wailed.

Swearing under his breath, Toby threw open his door and rolled out, cane first, just as Owen hopped out, snickering and pointing a finger at his sister in mocking torture.

“Stop it!” Kari shrieked, legs kicking.

“Owen, dude, seriously?” Placing a hand on the top of the boy’s head, Toby maneuvered him away from the van. “Not cool.”

Moving around him, Toby leaned into the car with some difficulties and unsnapped the belt. He scooped Kari up and set her gently down on the dirt path.

The moment her tiny feet hit the ground, she was off running with Owen chasing after her. Toby let them go. He turned to the only other person remaining.

“Hey, you ready?” he asked Colten.

“This is stupid,” the boy grumbled.

“It’s horseback riding,” Toby said. “What’s stupid about that?”

“It’s for girls,” Colten replied tartly. “It’s stupid, but Mom won’t let me drop it. Apparently, I made a commitment.” Toby almost smirked at the air quotes around commitment. “But I didn’t ask to be here. She signed me up for it.”

“Okay, but…” He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “If you’re the only guy surrounded by girls…”

The look on the boy’s face of sheer disgust said it all before Toby could even finish. It took him a moment to remember that twelve year old boys didn’t care about girls and if they did, it was all still too awkward to talk about.

He decided to change tactics. “Owen’s there.”

The sneer deepened. “Owen’s a wimp.”

“Ooookay, how about this? We will find you the most fierce and dangerous horse they have and we will make you look badass riding it, even if I have to go out and buy you a cape.”

Eyes that were the same blue as his mother’s narrowed. “Who wears a cape horseback riding?”

Toby hesitated. “Zorro? Look.” He put a hand up when the boy recoiled. “My job is to drop you guys off. I am not prepared for motivational pep talking. They’re horses. They’re big and smelly. That is basically all I can tell you about them, but I do know that your mom wants you here so this is where you will be.”

Colten’s mouth pursed. “This is stupid.”

“Yes, but imagine how much stupider it would have been if you’d agreed to the cape.” He set his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “So, how do you normally do this? Do I have to sign you in or something?”

“I don’t know,” Colten muttered grudgingly.

“Signing in it is.”

Boy in tow, Toby made his way to the house and stepped through the squeaky screen door. Immediately, he was assaulted by the change. All the lacy dollies and creepy cat figurines were gone. The faded lattice wallpaper had been removed and the walls were painted a very dark grayish blue that complimented the oak counter taking up the foyer and the stairs leading up further down a narrow, sunbathed hallway. On either side of him were doorways, one leading into the dining area and the other to a parlor of sorts. But the whole placed smelled like hot, gooey, delicious cookies. The chocolate chip kind. His favorite. His stomach whimpered.

“Are you here for a room?”

The disembodied voice startled the crap out of Toby before he found the source of it.

A boy of ten sat behind the desk, peering back at him with big, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion through a mess of unruly brown hair. The high counter completely hid him unless one were to peer over the top and down. He sat rigid on the stool, reminding Toby of a stern teacher lecturing students about tardiness.

“Uh…” Toby stole another glance around the place. “Is there a—”

“We don’t do by the hour,” the boy stated flatly. “All charges must be made by cash or credit. There is a deposit of—”

“I’m not here for a room,” Toby cut in. “And why would you think I’d need it for the hour?”

“Willow Creek is about eight miles east.” The boy seamlessly changed gears, tactfully ignoring Toby’s insulted question. “Just turn around and head—”

“Horses!” Toby blurted before he could be given anymore rates or directions. “Dear God, we’re here for the horses.”

The boy never blinked. “Out those doors and around the house. Someone will meet you.”

Eyeing the kid a moment, Toby reached for Colten who stood staring a little too intensely at a stack of brochures lining the counter. The boy followed his hand. His head tilted to one side to get a better view and his eyes widened.

“Colten?”

Colten barely glanced up. “Hey Sean.”

Sean glanced at Toby again. Then at Colten. His expression stating very clearly that he didn’t understand why Toby was there with Colten, but he didn’t trust the situation not to be something weird.

“I’m just the uncle,” Toby told him quickly before the situation could get any more awkward. “Thanks for your help.”

The boy said nothing as Toby led a stiff Colten out the door.

“You guys friends?” he asked as the screen door shut behind them.

“We go to school together,” Colten mumbled. “He’s in Owen’s class.”

Toby nodded slowly. “That must be nice.”

Colten shrugged. “Guess.”

But there was a distinct flush in the boy’s face as they made their way around the side of the house. Toby wondered about it, then just as quickly dismissed it and focused on locating the rest of his crew.

The barn came into view almost immediately. It was tucked away at the bottom of an incline, right up against a clump of trees. The scream of children laughing filled the air, growing louder the closer Toby drew.

There were at least ten of them, Toby realized with some surprise. Children of various sizes and ages all ran crazy over the fields. He spotted Kari and Owen, but his attention prickled when he couldn’t find Rosie.

“Where’s Rosie?”

“She’s probably inside with Nightmare,” Colten supplied shortly.

“Nightmare?” Because that wasn’t concerning at all.

“Her horse,” Colten said. “Rosie’s the only one she’ll let ride her.”

“Interesting.”

They moved further in to join the others. He was the only adult present, he noticed with some suspicion.

“So, how does this work? You all just rush the barn and grab a horse?”

Colten eyed him like he was crazy. “We’re assigned horses, but we’re not allowed to go near them until Ms.—”

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by an uproar of delight as every child in the vicinity lost their ever loving minds. Toby whirled around, initially looking for Justin Bieber and finding something even better.

Addy walked out of the barn, leading a beautiful chestnut brown mare by the harness. She’d changed her clothes. The skirt and blouse had been replaced by tight, body molding jeans and a loose t-shirt tucked into the waistband. Her feet were encased in soft, leather boots and her hair had been tied back at the base of her skull. She smiled wide as she took in the children. She waved at a couple who were bouncing up and down wildly for her attention. Behind her, Rosie followed, guiding her own mount, a beautiful white steed with spots of black and brown. There was nothing nightmarish about it, but Rosie looked on top of the world standing next to it.

The pair came to a stop at the edge of the clearing and the crowd calmed gradually, but a few continued to bounce like the excitement was just too much for them to handle standing still.

“Hey guys!” Addy beamed at each of them in turn. “You ready to start our class?”

Like she needed to ask. The group shrieked with an enthusiasm that would have made Kiss fans proud.

Addy laughed. “Okay, you guys know what to do, right? Rosie is going to help you so please wait for her or me.”

They really did rush the barn then. But without the noise. Colten grumbled obscenities under his breath, but followed at a much less graceful stumble down the incline.

Toby debated between walking over and leaving. Thankfully, his legs made the decision for him and he found himself ambling up to the woman and her horse.

“Hey.”

Brown eyes made even lighter by the glow of the sun shot up to him and widened. Her smile, he noted, grew into one of actual delight.

“Hey!” She transferred the rains from one hand to the other. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood and I realized we never exchanged information for that … incident.”

Addy chuckled uncertainly. “Really?”

Toby grinned. “No, I’m dropping people off.”

“Oh!” Her eyes went even rounder and bounced off the little heads running around. “You have children? Which—”

“Yeah, no, I am not a card carrying member of the parental society.” He motioned to where Kari stood with two other little girls. “I’m on uncle duty.”

“McClain!” she blurted and smacked herself lightly on the forehead. “Why didn’t…” She squeezed her eyes shut tight and shook her head. “It didn’t even dawn on me. I should have realized who you were.”

Toby arched a brow. “Like from what you’ve heard about me, because I can promise only the majority of the rumors are true?”

Her laugh filled the space around them. “I meant I should have recognized the name. I guess I was more worried about you … being hurt,” she added quickly and with a slow, steady climb of warmth darkening her cheeks.

“I appreciate that.”

“Ms. Nixon, Libby took my horse and she says it’s hers!” a girl with giant glasses and pigtails whined.

Addy shot him an apologetic smile. “Duty calls.”

Toby nodded. “No problem. I should let you get back to having fun with … all this.”

With another laugh, she waved and led her horse and the girl towards the barn. Toby shamelessly studied her ass as she sauntered away.

Perfect, he thought with a low groan. Absolutely fucking perfect. She had the kind of ass that could easily fill a man’s greedy hands as she rode him…

“Excuse me?”

Startled out of his dirty thoughts, Toby actually jumped. He would have yelped if his pride would have allowed it. Guilt and mortification made his face hot, but he turned to the voice.

Cartoon eyes blinked up at him. Each one could have passed for saucers, big and round and an intense gold that reminded him of cat eyes. They sat center on a small, pixie face littered with freckles and framed with an unruly mess of frizzy brown hair that had escaped the thin elastic struggling to contain the fine strands. She peered up at him, way up. Her neck was twisted as far back as it could possibly go and she was watching him with a seriousness no one that small should ever possess.

“Hello,” Toby said.

“That’s my horse,” she stated briskly, jabbing a finger towards the pony several yards away. “Her name is Pink Fairy Glitter.”

Toby bit the inside of his cheek … hard, to keep from letting his grin take over. He gave the girl his best business face.

“She is a very fine horse.”

“Yes,” the girl agreed with a definite bob of her head. “But I’m small and I need help getting up. You’re an adult and I know I’m not allowed to talk to you, but I need to get on my horse.”

“I see,” Toby mused. “Well, I can definitely try and help.”

“Mommy says that I should tell you that I can scream very loudly.”

Yup, this kid totally rocked.

“I’ve been properly warned.”

She led him to the horse and handed Toby the reins.

“You hold the rain.”

Toby arched a brow. “Do you mean reins?”

The girl frowned at him. “That’s what I said.”

He held the horse steady as the girl grabbed the horn on the saddle and hoisted herself pretty expertly on the pony’s back. He passed the leather straps over and made sure she was properly positioned before taking a step back.

“There you go,” he said.

She offered him a wide smile that showed off the two rows of white baby teeth. “Thank you, Stranger.”

He watched her trot away before making his way back to the house. It took a bit more time thanks to the incline, but he limped his way to the van and paused. He dug out his phone and called Willa.

“Hello?” She sounded breathless and a bit distracted.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Toby, hi. Everything okay?”

Toby glanced at the house. “Why don’t you let me pick the kids up after the lesson?”

There was a pause, then, “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s nice out. I think maybe—”

“You met Addy Nixon,” Willa teased.

“What? Who?”

Willa laughed, clearly not believing his feigned innocence. “She’s nice. Calla and I both like her.”

“Sooo … I’ve got your approval to have inappropriate relations with her?”

He could almost hear her shaking her head in amusement. “You’re incorrigible, but I love you and thanks.”

“Love you back. Bye.”

He hung up and made his way to the screen door. He let himself in and glanced straight to the desk where the boy continued to sit, watching him back with a hint of wariness that made him feel like a pervert.

“Hi … Sean, right?”

The boy gave a curt nod, his wariness seemingly growing.

“I’m Toby. I was here a minute ago with Colten … from your school—”

“I know.”

Toby nodded slowly. “Right. Of course you do. Anyway, how old do you have to be to join the lessons?”

“Usually only little girls want to ride,” he was informed slowly.

“Right, because little girls like ponies.”

It sounded wrong even before the words left his mouth. Sean eyed him as though he really was a pervert, which Toby couldn’t blame him for. What grown man—besides a pervert—wanted to sign up for lessons made for little girls, knowing little girls liked ponies?

Pervert.

“That came out wrong,” he explained to the incredibly intimidating child watching him. It made Toby slightly wary of the pen the boy had clutched in his grasp like a knife. “I don’t like little girls. I mean, I like little girls, but I don’t like-like them, you know? I have a niece and I like her … wow, I really need to stop.” He blew out a breath and dared a glance towards Sean. “Has anyone ever told you have a remarkable poker face?”

“Owen said his uncle was funny,” Sean mused at last.

Toby perked. “Yeah? You think I’m funny?”

“No,” it was said with the most deadpan expression on the planet.

Toby grimaced. “Wow, way to let a guy down, kid. Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “So, about those lessons?”

“You can sign up if you want, I guess, but if you are a pervert, I will call the police.”

“Fair enough. Where can I do that?”

Still watching him, Sean pulled out an application and slid it carefully across the counter. “We take check or cash. The classes are every Tuesday and Thursday from four to six, and they’re only running for another two weeks before the season is over.”

Snatching up the pen Sean set down on the page, Toby began scribbling down his information at a pace that made his penmanship appear almost childlike. He passed it and his credit card over to a child that needed a stool to stand on and watched as he expertly ran it through the machine, gave him a receipt to sign and a pamphlet of the lessons.

“Can I join the group now?” he asked.

Sean shrugged. “I guess. Unless they’re already gone.”

Grabbing his things, Toby hurried as fast as his cane would allow out the door and around the building. He almost whooped in triumph when he spotted the group still assembling on the field. Addy was helping Kari up on her pony when he joined them. The younger children had different colors of helmet on their heads. Kari’s was blue.

“Hi again.” She said, handing Kari her reins. “Hold tight, okay?” She told the girl before turning her focus on Toby. “Did you need something?”

He held up his pamphlet and receipt. “I signed up for lessons.”

Addy’s confusion deepened the lines between her eyes. “Horseback riding?”

Toby nodded. “Unless you have some other type of lesson you would like to give me that involves close, personal alone time…”

She rounded the back of the horse to stand in front of him. She paused a moment before motioning him to follow her as she started walking.

“I really appreciate you taking an interest in riding, but I don’t normally give instructions to … adults.”

“It was the close, personal alone time, wasn’t it?”

She chuckled weakly. “Yes, I mean, No … no! Of course not. I just…” She drew in a breath and faced him. “I meant what I said. I’m not dating right now and I wouldn’t feel right to string you along when—”

“Hey, I just want lessons on how to ride,” he argued. “Promise.”

She eyed him with the same profound wariness the boy at the front had given him and Toby couldn’t help wondering if maybe they were related.

“Okay, but I normally only teach children.”

“I promise it will be no different.”

Her laugh was long and sweet and made him chuckle.

She led him into the barn and assigned him a beautiful mare the color of butterscotch pudding named…

“Sunshine Glitter? Seriously? Any relation to Pink Fairy Glitter?”

Addy winced sheepishly. “It’s the only one I have that is your size.”

“Can’t I switch with Rosie? I don’t mind riding Nightmare.”

“No, sorry, that’s been her horse for the last five years and she’s not very good with other people.”

Toby sighed. “Fine. But I’m accepting under protest.”

Biting the plump fold of her bottom lip in a way that was seriously distracting, Addy offered him the reins. Their fingers brushed and the shock that bolted between them nearly had him dropping them. She jerked back as well. The smooth column of her throat worked rapidly as she rubbed at her fingers and refused to meet his gaze. She licked her lips.

“Do … do you know how to use one of these?”

Still hypnotized by her mouth and the sheen her tongue had left behind, Toby nodded. “I’ll figure it out.”

He had been horseback riding before. He knew the basics. But there were a few things, like getting the bit between the horse’s teeth and tethering the harness that Addy had to walk him through. The military worked with horses, but despite his brief training, he’d never had to use the animals in an actual situation.

“Okay?” she said once they had Sunshine Glitter saddled and ready.

“I think I got the gist of it,” he promised.

Dusting her hands on the thighs of her jeans, she stepped back. “Great. I’m going to go make sure everyone else is ready. Shout if you need any help.”

She left him alone to figure out how to climb on. That was something he had not taken into account, but the animal was damn high and despite being six foot five, he also had a bum leg that refused to do a lick of work. No matter how he looked at it, that leg would need to hold his weight if he was to get on.

“Well, shit,” he mumbled, eyeing the saddle horn.

Propping his cane against the side of Sunshine Glitter’s stall, he hopped his way back to the animal and grabbed the horn with one hand and the saddle with the other. Then he leveled his weight just enough to slide his good foot into the stirrup without putting pressure on his injured leg. Once he had his weight balanced, he heaved himself up and over. The result was only mild swearing.

It wasn’t the injury that continued to give him grief. It was the stiffness where the tendons had been torn and the healing muscles. The wound itself had fully closed, the stitches removed months ago. It was nothing more than a puckered indent of smooth, pink skin that was shinier than the skin around it. It had looked worse in the beginning, but at least he hadn’t lost his leg completely.

“Ha!” he declared, proud of himself. “Look at that.” He patted Sunshine Glitter on the neck. “So far so good, eh, girl?”

The horse seemed unimpressed by his victory. It clopped one massive hoof and tossed its head.

Toby tightened his grip. “All right, calm down. We’re going.”

He gave a gentle kick and spurred the creature forward and out the stable doors. The rest of the group was already ready and standing in a deformed circle around Addy’s horse. The woman herself was talking, giving instructions while keeping her mare perfectly steady. She smiled at everyone when she was finished. Her gaze lingered a moment longer on Toby before flicking away.

“Now, everyone knows the rules, right?” She waited for the confirming nods before resuming. “We stay together. No one falls behind,” Addy reminded them anyway. “We don’t race or poke each other or kick the horses, right?”

More nods.

Satisfied, she twisted her reins towards a break in a group of trees in the distance. The others followed as she steered them over the clearing towards the forest. Rosie took the rear, her horse falling in line with Toby’s.

“You taking lessons too?” she asked.

“Giving it a shot.”

He looked over at her. With her thick black hair fastened in a braid and her cool blue eyes focused, she reminded him of Damon. Their father’s genes were clearly strong. There was very little of her mother in her, except maybe the chin, which was much more delicate and tapered. She was tall for a girl with broad shoulders and an athletic build that came in handy in all the sports she played. Toby couldn’t even remember them all.

“You like it?” he asked her.

“Love it!” The passion behind the declaration was undeniable. It was vivid and full of the kind of joy that screamed of true passion. “I wanted to give up lacrosse and swimming to ride full time, but Mom says I can’t.” She gave him a rueful little smile. “She’s hoping I’ll get into a college with an athletic scholarship. You don’t get one of those with horseback riding. I mean, you probably can, but Willow Creek High doesn’t exactly have it on their books and…”

Toby nodded. “I can understand that, but once you’re done with school…”

The grin was back. “Yup, I am going to work here at Macy’s. Ms. Nixon says I can. She says she’ll hire me full time to take care of the horses and give lessons, but I have to finish school first.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

“Kind of.” She peered over at Toby. “I’ve been thinking about becoming a veterinarian, not just for horses, but all animals. Mom’s on my case about getting into something really good, you know?”

“I think being a vet is a great idea.”

Beaming, Rosie faced forward and they watched the steady sea of bobbing heads moving down the path. Addy was at the helm, back straight, head high as she moved with graceful sways through the foliage. Behind her were the younger kids with the older kids just behind them. Colten was amongst them, sitting slumped and bored in his saddle. He kept yawning and darting glances at his watch. Owen was a few horses over talking to a boy of eight or nine. Unlike his cousin, he didn’t seem to mind being there.

“So, how long have you been doing this?” He turned his attention back to Rosie.

“I saw the flyer pinned up at the market about five years ago?” She shrugged. “I didn’t think I’d like it, but I came to a few lessons and it was amazing. Miss Macy was giving them then. This was before she left. Ms. Nixon had just arrived from out of town. I liked her. I mean, I still do. She’s really nice. Plus she lets me drop by on the weekends sometimes to take Nightmare out. I think when I get some money, I’m going to buy her. Nightmare, not Ms. Nixon.” She chuckled at her own joke. “I asked Ms. Nixon and she said we could talk about it after I graduate.”

“How come they call her Nightmare?” Toby wondered.

Rosie patted the horse’s neck lovingly. “Because when Macy got her, she was wild and no one could break her. She was a nightmare.” Rosie grinned at Toby like they shared a secret.

“But she seems to like you,” he observed.

“Yeah! I would bring her apples and carrots and I’d sit with her for hours, trying to get her to trust me enough so I could touch her without losing fingers. It took months and then another whole year before I could convince Macy to let me ride her. My mom nearly died when I told her. But I kept trying and trying, and eventually…” She gestured at the horse. “She let me ride her.”

“That is amazing,” Toby murmured. “You’re like the pony whisperer.”

Rosie laughed. “It’s just a lot of patience. Horses are stubborn and if they see you’re equally stubborn, well…” she trailed off with a small jerk of her shoulders.

“So, where exactly are we going?” he asked, glancing around them.

“Around the property. It’s an hour ride. Then we head back for snacks. You missed the actual training stuff. We’re on our last two weeks so we’re basically just taking it easy and enjoying the horses.”

They skirted along the edges of the forest to the main road and back again in a wide circle. Nothing much happened, but the children seemed to love it. They cheered as the inn came back into view and everyone began their descent down to the stables. Rosie helped Toby dismount and showed him how to properly brush and water his horse. The whole process took longer than one would anticipate. There was a method to everything, even the even strokes of the brush.

When they finished, Rosie took Sunshine Glitter back to her stall and Nightmare to hers. Then she hurried off to help the other children.

Toby took up his cane and followed the herd of shrieking and stampeding children back to the house.

The backdoor opened into a spacious kitchen, the soft yellow of sunflowers trimmed in white. Large windows opened to the fields on either side of a glass door draped in sheer lace. Squares of sunlight cut into the white linoleum, hurting the eyes and giving the room an extra glow of illumination. The room itself was broken into two spaces, one side held a long, wooden table that could easily seat fifteen people. On the other was a wall of stainless steel appliances, polished marble countertops, and a beast of an island smack dab in the center. That was where Addy stood, pouring milk into cups while the entire place shook with chaos. Children were everywhere, running through the planks of sunlight, laughing, screaming, and being all kinds of crazy. She seemed to be in control of the situation, but he could see the strain pinching the lines around her mouth as she tried to focus on about fifty different things.

“Hey, want me to round them up?” he asked, moving up next to her.

Her head came up. Her eyes were dark with exhaustion and gratitude.

“Please? If you could. That would be so great.”

With a nod, he turned to the room at large and cupped one hand around his mouth.

“Cadets!” he bellowed, using the voice he learned in the military academy. “To your stations!”

It took about five minutes to get everyone seated. Cookies and milk were passed out and a tenuous sort of peace settled into place that seemed infinitely louder than them running crazy. Toby perched his butt on a stool at the island and reached for his own cookie.

“Thank you.” Addy joined him, but didn’t sit. “They always get extra hyper after a ride.”

Toby wasn’t listening. He was in some weird chocolate heaven that had never existed outside his secret fantasies. Every nibble was a sort of sin and he couldn’t get the cookies down fast enough.

“Jesus, what’s in these?” he garbled around a mouthful, even as he grabbed two more off the plate.

“Um…” Addy pulled in a breath and tried to think. “Flour, chocolate—”

“No, I mean seriously, are these laced with crack? You can tell me. I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

She laughed nervously. “No?”

“Christ, woman.” He shoved the two whole cookies into his mouth and reached for another one with his free hand, and stopped when his fingers skimmed ceramic and crumbs. His gaze shot to hers, big and round with panic. “Do you have any more? You’re out.”

The smile that blossomed across her face broke into a series of giggles that she covered with her hand even as she shook her head at him. She moved to the cupboard next to the stove and brought down a large plastic container brimming with cookies. There were six more lining the shelves.

“I make enough to feed a small army,” she told him as she pressed the container into his hand. “For running you over today.”

Toby hugged the offering to his chest. “I will cherish this always.”

Still chuckling, she propped her hip against the counter and fixed her attention on the children. Her face was relaxed and she seemed content to stand there, but every so often, her gaze would move to the clock mounted above the backdoor. Then her lips would twitch at the corners and she’d turn her gaze back to the children.

“Are you waiting for someone?” he asked.

Addy sighed and dragged the second stool over to her and away from him. “I had someone booked to come by at five to repair some stuff around here, but he’s late or … I don’t know. Maybe I got the date wrong.”

“Anything I can look at?”

Addy shook her head. “Oh no, thank you. I’ll just call him later and double check.”

Nodding slowly, Toby turned forward. “An old place like this must take a lot of up keeping.”

“Sometimes, yeah.” The freckles on her nose bunched with the wrinkling of her slender nose. “I don’t mind it though, you know? I love this place.”

“Has Macy been your aunt long?” Realizing how stupid that sounded, he corrected with, “I mean, what made you move to Willow Creek?”

Smiling, she shrugged. “We just needed a change.”

“We?”

Her answer was interrupted by the girl he’d helped on her horse earlier. She held up her plate in tiny hands and offered it to Addy. There were crumbs clinging to the corners of her mouth that Addy lovingly brushed away with her thumb.

“Mommy, can I play outside with Kari?”

Addy nodded. “Yeah, sure, but stay off the road, okay? The parents will be arriving soon and I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

With a delighted smile that was all her mother, the girl turned and hurried over to where Kari stood waiting by the backdoor.

“Oh!” The realization struck him like a two ton truck.

“Yeah,” Addy whispered. “That was Hanna. You probably already met Sean.”

“Two,” he observed with a buttload of surprise. “So, you’re … what? Married?”

“No!” she blurted. “Yes. I mean…” She exhaled and ran her hands through her hair. “It’s very complicated.”

Toby opened his mouth to say something, not entirely sure what, but knowing he should when Colten ambled over, scowling.

“Can we go now, please?” he muttered.

“Hey, Colten,” Addy said. “Did you have fun today?”

The look on the boy’s face said very clearly that fun was a word he would not use, but he and Toby both knew his mother would flatten him if he was ever disrespectful enough to actually voice his displeasure out loud.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

Addy smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”

“Can you grab Owen and Rosie? I think Kari went outside with … with…”

“Hanna,” Addy supplied.

“Right. Hanna. I knew that. With Hanna. I’ll grab her and you grab the other two.” He grabbed his cane and pushed to his feet. “Okay, well, we’ll see you around.”

Something flickered across Addy’s delicate features, but it was gone before he could figure it out.

She nodded. “Okay, thank you for coming and we’ll see you Thursday.”

With his own nod, Toby ushered Colten out the backdoor into the dimming afternoon. He found Kari running around with Hanna by a wooden play structure. He called her over as Colten pulled away to hunt down Owen and Rosie.

“Why are we leaving?” Kari jogged over. “Hanna and I only just started playing.”

“You did, yes, but your mommy wants you home in time for supper.”

It was a fucked up lie. The truth was that he was a little more than freaked out by the bombshell that was Addy’s confession. While he had no problem with children. He did have a problem with married women, like the fact that they were married. He didn’t poach on another man’s territory. That wasn’t him. He didn’t like the word complicated either. Either she was married or she wasn’t. There was no maybe married or possibly married. If they were in the process of divorce then, no, she wasn’t married. If they were separated, they were so still married and she was so off limits. It was as simple as that.

“Hanna.” Addy stood at the backdoor, arms folded. “Time to come in, baby.”

Hanna pursed small lips. “We’ll play tomorrow,” she promised Kari. “Bye.”

With a wave, she hurried to join her mother and together, they disappeared inside.

Sullen, Kari followed Toby to the van and let him clip her in. Colten arrived with Rosie and Owen and the pair climbed into their seats. Toby glanced towards the structure once before getting in himself and pulling away.

Chapter 2 ~ Addy

“Mommy, can I have brownies for supper?”

Sitting at the island, short legs swinging, Hanna watched as Addy whisked eggs in a bowl. She had her small chin propped on her fists and her hair was an untamed riot around her small face. It didn’t seem to matter what Addy did, that girl’s hair had a mind of its own.

“You can have a brownie after supper,” Addy told her, as she’d been telling her for the better part of an hour.

“But what if I get too full and can’t eat the brownie?” Hanna protested.

“Don’t think that will ever happen,” Addy assured her.

“It could,” Hanna insisted.

“When has that ever happened?” Addy teased, pouring the egg mixture into a cupcake pan.

“But if it does?”

Using her free hand to brush back a curl out of her eyes, Addy sighed. “Then we will wrap it up and put it away for tomorrow.”

“Sean will eat it!” Hanna cried, horrified by the very idea.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”

“Can we put it in my room?”

Laughing, Addy shook her head. “Absolutely not. But you can help me add the veggies if you like.”

Bottom lip drawn, Hanna leaned closer to sprinkle bits of cut peppers, mushrooms and diced parsley over the eggs.

Addy left her to the job and busied herself chopping potatoes into tiny cubes for hash browns. She was salting them when Sean walked in.

“I put all the paperwork away,” he said.

“Thank you, darling.” She offered him a smile. “Hungry?”

He shrugged and climbed onto the stool next to Hanna. “I could eat.”

“Good, ‘cause we’re almost done with our egg cakes.”

Dinner was eaten as it was normally, with Hanna describing her entire day even though Addy had been present for most of it. Sean ate his food quietly then waited for everyone else to finish before helping with clearing the table.

“I’m going to bed,” he said as Hanna and Addy grabbed a board game out of the hallways closet.

“But it’s still early,” Addy protested. “Can’t you play one game?”

Sean shook his head. “I’m tired.”

“Okay,” Addy relented. “Goodnight.” She kissed the top of his head. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She watched him shuffle out of the kitchen and disappear down the hall in the direction of the stairway. His thin back was curved as though the world’s problems had settled on his shoulders. The sight of his exhaustion hurt her heart.

“Can I be pink?” Hanna asked, interrupting Addy’s thoughts.

Her gaze dropped to the game board in her hands.

“Yeah, of course.” She grinned at the girl impishly. “You know the pink ones make me hungry.”

Hanna giggled. “Remember when you ate one?”

“Yes!” Addy groaned. “It was so good.”

Hanna squealed and made a face as she ran for the table.

Addy watched her with a sort of lightness only her children could ever bring out in her. It filled her with a sense of purpose. Both had been given to her by the same man, but were born under completely different circumstances. Sean had been born in a world of stress and darkness while Hanna … Hanna was light. She was born and raised in freedom. She would never know or understand, but Sean would never forget and that was a guilt Addy lived with daily. Had she been stronger, had she been smarter, he wouldn’t carry his past like a dagger in the chest. His pain and suffering was her fault and there was nothing she could do about it.

“My calendar says you were supposed to be here yesterday.”

Phone tucked between her shoulder and ear, Addy rushed around her kitchen, scrubbing down every flat surface she came across with a wet rag and a bottle of all-purpose cleaner.

“I’m telling you, you’re not in the books!” the grumpy man on the other end snarled back.

“I booked you guys a week ago!” Addy protested. “Look, I have guests coming in three weeks and I need an inn that is actually functioning.”

The man huffed. “The best I can do is sometime early October—”

“October? Are you—?” The bells above the front door chimed. The sound carried through the entire house in a frenzy of jingles that made Addy’s already throbbing temples scream. “Are you kidding me?” she finished sharply to the man. “This is your … you know what, never mind. I’ll find someone else.”

Snapping the phone off, she slammed it down on the counter, stared at it a full minute, before pulling in a deep breath and trying to put on a face that didn’t scare the customers away.

“Coming!” she called in her most cheerful tone. She wiped her hands and headed into the next room. “Hi, sorry about that. How can I … Mr. McClain?”

He stood in her foyer, sucking up all the air in the room. Blue eyes lifted and met hers from a face perfectly kissed by the sun and surrounded by an unruly mess of hair the color of wet sand on a beautiful summer afternoon. He held his cane in one hand and her Tupperware container in the other.

“Toby,” he corrected in that deep, rich baritone rumble of his. “Hi.”

Stunned by his presence and the flurry of unwarranted emotions he seemed to be able to invoke just by being too close, Addy could only stand there and gape at him. Her mind churned with a million things she knew she ought to say and yet her mouth refused to deliver them.

“Hi!” she blurted at last, coming to some of her senses. “You’re back.”

“Yeah, I came to drop this off.” He set the container down on the desk. “There’s banana bread inside. I didn’t make it. Damon did. So it’s safe to eat.”

“Oh!” She gave a weak chuckle. “Thank you.”

He nodded slowly and the awkward tension that radiated off him actually hurt. She knew it hadn’t been there yesterday when he’d flirted with her. It had blossomed to life just after she told him about Hanna and Sean. Part of her had expected it. Using her children as a deterrent was something she’d done frequently in the past when men had shown their interest. There was nothing like the dreaded C-word to make men turn tail and run and she had always appreciated that. But Toby’s rebuff actually hurt. She had no idea why, yet it did.

“There’s enough there for you and the kids, unless you’re like Willa.”

“Thank you,” she said again, wishing he would just leave already.

He sighed heavily. “I, uh, I want to apologize for how I acted yesterday. It was … weird. I don’t normally—”

The phone rang in the kitchen, cutting him off.

Addy put up a finger for him to hold on as she darted back towards the kitchen. She snatched the receiver off the counter and mashed it to her ear.

“Macy’s Bed and Breakfast. How may I help you?”

“I think we got disconnected,” said a gruff, annoyed voice.

Addy frowned. “Who is this?”

“Bill from—”

“We did not get disconnected,” she retorted sharply. “I hung up. I don’t need your services. Thank you.” She hung up a second time and hit the tiles with the phone she tossed down. “Jerk,” she mumbled to herself.

“Everything okay?”

Toby’s presence in the doorway made her jump. She whirled around.

“Yes, it’s nothing.” She cleared her throat. “My repairman never booked me and I have a couple coming in a few weeks and—”

“What do you need fixing?” he asked. “I’m kind of handy with a screwdriver.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse. Having him around when he made her so uncomfortable was just asking for trouble. But the work did need to be done and it would take the three weeks to get through the endless list.

“Can you fix a clogged tub?” she asked with grudging acceptance.

He rolled a broad shoulder. “Lead the way.”

It felt so wrong forcing him to climb a flight and a half to the second floor, but he shrugged out of his leather jacket, tossed it over the banister, and started the climb without complaint. At the top, she led him into the third guestroom on the left—the Sun Room. The room itself was painted a soft, buttery yellow that complimented the sheer drapes and the white bedding. In the early hours of dawn, the whole place seemed to glow. It was the room the sun touched first.

“It’s just through there,” she told the quiet man behind her.

She watched as he shuffled into the attached room and propped his cane against the doorframe. He limped the rest of the way to the tub and leaned over the edge. He studied the drain, ran the water, studied some more. Finally he straightened.

“I need to grab some stuff from the hardware store.” He turned and hobbled to his cane. “I’ll get some chemicals and a snake.” He stepped into the bedroom with her. “Is that the only thing that needs fixing? I can grab everything at once if it’s not.”

Addy pulled in a congested sigh. “I have a list downstairs.”

Leading him all the way back to the kitchen, she went to the counter and picked up the list she’d made for the original repairman. Then she made her way to where her purse hung on the hook next to the backdoor. She fished out the business credit card and walked back to him.

“Just put everything on my card,” she told him, passing both over. “I’ll pay you for your time and service—”

“Why don’t we not worry about that right now, okay?”

He took the items from her and started for the hallway. She watched him until the front door closed. A second later, she heard the soft shuffle of feet padding down the stairs and then Hanna was ambling towards her, sleep rumpled and adorable with her hair a wavy mess around her flushed cheeks. She had a tiny fist grinding into the back of her eyelid as she stumbled in an almost drunken stagger into the kitchen.

“Mommy?”

“Hey darling.” She scooped the girl up and nuzzled her warm neck. “How was your nap?”

“I don’t like naps,” Hanna grumbled, slumping full on in Addy’s arms with her legs and arms dangling and her head flopped down on Addy’s shoulder. “They make me sleep.”

Chuckling, Addy moved them to the island and dumped the girl onto a stool. “How about a snack to wake you up?”

Hanna perked. “Brownies?”

Darting a quick glance at the clock on the oven, Addy nodded. “Sure. Why not? Brownie it is.”

“And juice?”

“How about milk?”

Hanna nodded. “Can I play with Kari afterwards?”

“You can play with her tomorrow when she comes for her lessons.”

The sulk was back, but she didn’t complain. She nibbled on her brownie and sipped her milk as Addy finished cleaning. Afterwards, Hanna took herself out back to the playset and Addy went to check the Sun Room. It was the one her guests had specifically asked for and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for their arrival. The sheets were clean. The towels fresh. She had swept and dusted every inch of it and would do so again before their actual arrival. The only thing left to change was the light bulbs, the creak in the closet door, and to put an end to the leaky faucet in the bathroom.

She did the lights herself, not because she enjoyed climbing a rickety ladder, but because she didn’t want Toby to have to do it with his injury.

The simple glass shade was easy enough to unscrew and set gingerly on the flat of the ladder. It was balancing with her hands up while the ladder rocked unsteadily beneath her that made things complicated.

“What are you doing?”

With an undignified squeak, Addy tipped forward. Her hands grabbed the sides, nearly knocking the shade to the ground.

Toby stepped into the room, a bag in one hand and his cane in the other. “What are you doing?” he repeated with an edge to his tone.

“Changing a light bulb!” she cried breathlessly. “What are you doing?”

“I just got back,” he said, moving into the room. “Isn’t that on my list?”

“Yes, but I was here and thought I’d do it,” she said shortly.

Ignoring his scowl, she turned back to the task at hand. She switched the bulb out with a new one and replaced the shade. Job done, she gingerly climbed down to face the man taking over the doorway.

“Were you able to find everything you needed?” she asked, slightly breathless.

Toby held up the plastic bag dangling from between two fingers. “Yup, got the rest downstairs.”

“Great! That’s good. I’m glad.” She dusted her hands and turned to reach for the ladder. “I’m going to put this away and finish cleaning downstairs.”

“Sounds good.” Toby shuffled back into the hallway, not far enough for her to get through, but enough to leave a bit more air for her. “I’ll bring up the rest of the bags and start—”

“I can get them,” Addy volunteered.

Blue eyes narrowed. “I’m not in a wheelchair. I can walk up and down a set of stairs.”

It was a task not to grimace. The last thing she wanted to do was offend the guy helping her out.

“Of course, I never meant to imply…” She sighed. “I’m going down anyway so I just thought it would save you some time.”

Those unfathomable blue eyes bore into her, deep and intense, and filled with a shimmering reflection of light that caressed the length of her. She’d never met anyone with eyes like his. There was something so incredibly infinite in them, like a book. Falling into them was an adventure that hummed with danger and an intensity she wasn’t prepared for.

She quickly looked away. “If you’d rather do it, then that’s fine, too.”

“I would,” he said with a finality that left no room for argument.

No choice but to accept, Addy nodded. She folded the ladder up and tucked it awkwardly beneath her arm. It rattled slightly in the silence that strained through the subtle scent of furniture polish and lilacs. Toby let her pass before ducking into the room she’d vacated. The muffled thump, thump, thump of his cane echoed across the hardwood. Addy didn’t wait to hear him reach the bathroom. She took herself and the ladder downstairs.

The ladder went back on the peg behind the laundry room door and she headed into the kitchen and the phone she’d abandoned on the island. The device was picked up as she made her way to the window overlooking the backyard and the play structure she’d talked Macy into building a few years back. The children loved it, but at that moment, there was only one child there and the sight of her daughter sitting alone on the swing made her insides hurt. It made her set the phone down and head outside in the cool autumn midafternoon. Her shoes crunched on discarded leaves as she crossed to the caged off play area and the little girl absently kicking sand with the toe of her sneakers.

“Hey baby.” Hanna’s head popped up. One brown eye squinted against the sun as Addy drew closer. “What are you doing?”

Hanna jerked a tiny shoulder. “Nothing.”

Addy took the empty swing next to her. “How come you’re not playing?”

Wisps of light brown hair feathered across rosy cheeks with the soft whisper of wind. “It’s no fun playing alone.”

“I’ll play with you,” Addy volunteered. “What do you want to do?”

Hanna shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Addy reached over and brushed the strands back behind Hanna’s ear. “Want to help me make muffins?”

Hanna’s head bent to the side. “Can I lick the bowl?”

“Oh absolutely!” Addy rose. “I wouldn’t let anyone else take that honor.”

Delighted, Hanna hopped off the swing and took the hand Addy offered. “When is Sean coming home?”

“In a few more hours.”

They started back towards the back porch. Their combined footfalls seemed twice as loud. Once inside, Hanna dumped her shoes on the mat next to the door and hurried to the island. She scurried onto a stool and waited.

“What kind do you think we should make?” Addy asked as she circled around.

“Blueberry!”

Nodding in approval, Addy pulled a large mixing bowl from the cupboard. “Good choice.”

The soothing process of measuring, dumping, and mixing was broken by giggles and stories of all the things Hanna wanted to do when Kari returned for their next lesson. The list was long and grew longer the more the girl talked. A simple tag game turned into a three week camping expedition through the Amazon. But Addy didn’t stop her. If there was anything she loved more than having children, it was listening to them talk.

“Can me and Kari borrow a horse?”

Addy was getting ready to tell her not this time, when Toby darkened the doorway. His clothes were wet, his hands blackened, and there was a scowl on his face that made her pause mid scoop.

“Are you all right?” She set the bowl and spoon down and turned to face the man more fully. “Is something wrong?”

His wide chest heaved with a sharp exhale. “Your drain is unclogged.” His hand lifted and, there, pinched between his thumb and two fingers was a small, pink shoe. “This was the culprit.”

“Nancy’s shoe!” Hanna bound off the stool and bolted forward to take the shoe Toby offered her. “We were wondering what happened to it.” She peered up at him with those enormous doe eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Kari’s Uncle.”

“Mr. McClain,” Addy corrected. “Remember what I told you.”

Hanna bobbed her head with all the seriousness a four year old could muster. “We respect our elders.”

That wasn’t what Addy had meant, and hearing her daughter say it made her want to grimace.

“Jesus, how elderly do I look?” Toby muttered, looking no less pleased.

“You do have a cane,” Hanna was kind enough to point out.

“Hanna!”

Neither Toby nor Hanna seemed to be listening to her.

Toby glanced down at his cane like he’d forgotten it was there. “This isn’t a cane. It’s my sword. Every knight needs one. And I prefer Toby,” he added. “Kari’s Uncle will get confusing if you meet Jared…” At Hanna’s blank expression, he shook his head. “Never mind. Toby’s fine.”

“I don’t know,” Hanna mused, brown eyes narrowed. “I have to ask my mommy. You’re a stranger.” Doll shoe clutched to her chest, she spun around to face Addy. “Can I talk to him?”

Chewing the inside of her cheek to keep her laughter contained, Addy nodded. “Yes, you can talk to him.”

Beaming in full dimple mode, Hanna whirled around to peer up at Toby once more. “Mommy says I can talk to you. I’m Hanna.” She thrust up her hand, tiny fingers pinched around the doll shoe. “This is Nancy’s shoe. She lost it when we were having a war with the sea demons. It’s her favorite pair.”

It was a task to maintain the proper sort of seriousness when confronted by a four year old with a deadpan expression. Addy could barely contain the laugh bubbling up her chest. Toby didn’t seem to be having that problem. He stared down at her daughter with a look of great consideration.

“Well, that is lucky then,” he stated at last. “Can’t kill sea demons without the proper foot attire. Happy I could help.”

Hanna beamed. “I’ll bring Nancy down to thank you!”

With that, the girl was gone in a flurry of unkempt hair and excitement.

“That was really nice of you,” Addy said, going back to scooping batter into muffin cups. “Not many people would have played along.”

The quiet squeak of rubber on linoleum drew closer as he did and she was so painfully aware of it; the entire left side of her tingled with his approach.

“Wasn’t playing along.” He stopped on the other side of the island and sat on the stool Hanna had abandoned. There was a stiffness in the gesture and a wince of pain she didn’t miss. He propped his cane against the counter and stretched his leg out. “I’ve seen the sea demons with my own eyes.”

Addy’s lip twitched. “Have you now? Well, that saves me thousands in therapy bills.” Her smile slipped and she studied him closely. “Are you all right?”

He waved her concern away with a dismissive wave. “Fine. Just getting used to actually doing something for the first time in months.” His palm rubbed at his thigh. “I’ll get started on the rest of that list in—”

“Have some tea first,” Addy cut in. “I was about to make myself a pot anyway and I would love to have you join me and maybe discuss how to pay you for all your help.”

Bowl and spoon being set down a second time, she dusted her hands and turned to the stove. The empty kettle swung on its handle as she moved with it to the sink. Toby said nothing as she filled it quickly and set it on the element once more. The knob was snapped on and she returned.

“I hope you don’t mind green.”

He was watching her when she dared herself to face him again. Those unnerving eyes seemed to be digging straight inside her, searching for something she was too afraid to produce. His perfectly chiseled features were set with careful blankness, but there was a tightness in his jaw that made her stomach flutter and her hands shake. She snatched up the bowl and spoon before he noticed.

“Green is fine,” he murmured.

Addy kept her focus on evenly distributing muffin batter into cups. All the while, his focus burned into her, stripping away layers to singe flesh. She wondered if he was deliberately trying to make her uncomfortable.

“So, which McClain are you?” she asked, needing to break the tension weaving around her. “I’ve met Willa and Calla, oh and their mom Lily. They used to bring the kids to the autumn wagon ride when Macy was here. I still see Calla and Willa occasionally. More so lately with the riding lessons. Oh!” She looked up. “And Rachel, of course. Rosie has brought her to see Nightmare a few times.”

The whole McClain family had always been a sort of mystery to her. She’d heard stories over the years, but she rarely spent enough time in town to pay much attention. It was a conscious and deliberate thing. Town meant getting involved and letting people know you and that was dangerous. She’d managed to keep her children safe for as long as she had because she kept to herself and didn’t let people delve into her personal business. Thank God Macy had already built a steady and reputable reputation for the inn or Addy wouldn’t know what to do.

“Lily’s my aunt,” he replied slowly. “Calla’s my sister. Willa’s my cousin. I’m the youngest of the group.”

Addy chuckled. “The baby, eh?”

She made the mistake of glancing up and getting struck by how not a baby he was. Everything about him was rugged and fit and carved and toned. God, he was beautiful. Even with clothes, she knew his body would be a work of art, abs and a chest practically stolen from a fitness magazine. He’d removed his sweater and the cup of his sleeves strained around the hard bulges making arms designed to make women whimper. The thin material hugged his pecs and pulled over magnificent shoulders. Beefy men normally did nothing for her—men in general didn’t—but he wasn’t beefy. He was fit and gorgeous, and he made her want things she had no business noticing she’d never had.

Dropping her gaze quickly, she picked up the pans and turned to the stove. The whistle on the kettle shrieked just as she yanked open the oven door. Steam wafted back into her face, making the hairs at her temple cling to her damp skin. Pans put in, timer set, she plucked the kettle off the flames and started on the tea.

“Do you normally do handyman work?” she asked, hating that she was unable to relax in even a speck of silence. She normally enjoyed the peace, but with him right there, scrutinizing her every move, she felt flustered and frumpy, which was ridiculous, because she had no desire to ever let a man notice her again. Yet every inch of her begged for him to notice and that was dangerous on its own. “I thought Bill was the only one in town.”

“He is.” Toby accepted the teacup she slid over to him; she’d been careful not to give him a floral printed one. “I know the odd thing from what my uncle taught me, but I’m more of a computer guy.”

Not what she’d been expecting. Him doing hard, manual labor explained the ripped body. It wasn’t the sort of body one got from sitting behind a computer screen.

“You look surprised.” His dry amusement made her flush.

“No, of course not!” She forced out a chuckle. “You just don’t look like someone who works on computers.”

A pale eyebrow lifted over twinkling blue eyes. “What does a person who works on computers look like?”

The skin on her face felt molten. It seared behind her eyes, making them sting.

“I really don’t—”

“I could wear glasses next time,” he went on. “A pocket protector. Maybe corduroy pants.”

Addy paused stirring sugar into her drink and eyed him. “Do you have glasses and corduroy pants?”

“I could be tempted to buy a set.” He raised his cup to his grinning mouth. His eyes shimmered over the rim. “Wouldn’t want to disrupt your illusions of me.”

Oh the illusions of him. She had so many and none involved him wearing overly much, especially when he could sit there, holding a teacup of all things and make her insides dance and her core clench.

“Next time?” she blurted instead, feeling feverish. “Does … does this mean you don’t think you’ll be able to finish everything today? Not that I’m rushing or pushing—”

He set his drink down with a soft clink. “It’s fairly late. I’ll get as much done as I possibly can, but I might need to come back. Plus, I noticed a penal loose on your stairs and the banister is wobbly. I thought you’d like that fixed. It’s not on the list.”

Addy drew in a gulping breath that lifted her shoulders. Her gaze lowered to the cup cradled between her palms.

“I’d been meaning to get those looked at.”

Toby nodded. “I can do it. It won’t take me more than a day, maybe two depending on whether or not anything needs replacing.”

While she knew the inn needed some repairs, some more urgent than others, her bank account wasn’t exactly brimming with possibilities. Her biggest flex in income came during the summer when tourists drove through town and needed to make a quick stop. She made the rest by offering the town wagon rides, horseback lessons and the odd other venture she could think up. In no way would she be able to handle thousands of dollars in repair.

“Maybe we should discuss your fee first.” She brushed a strip of hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “There were quite a few things on that list so just throw out a number and I’ll—”

“Five thousand.”

Her cup nearly upended with the unhesitant response. Her jaw unhinged and she stared at him in horror.

“Dollars?” she cried. “To unclog a drain and … and bolt in a few screws?”

“Cookies.” He straightened, flattening his palms on either side of his tea. “Five thousand cookies in batches of fifty once a week.”

That stunned her even more than the initial blow. She couldn’t be sure if he was teasing her or if he actually meant it. His features were calm and so blank, like they really were having a business meeting. All professional. And yet, his request was insane.

“Are you serious?”

“Oh, I never joke about cookies, especially your cookies.”

He wasn’t kidding. She waited for him to laugh or tell her of course he wasn’t serious, but he simply met her gaze and waited.

“I can’t pay you in cookies!”

“Why not?”

She threw up her hands. “Because!” She huffed when he continued to stare at her, waiting for a better explanation. “That isn’t a proper payment considering the amount of work you’re apparently going to be doing around here.” She put her hand up before he could argue. “I am not paying you in—”

“I should get back to work.” He picked up his cane and started to heave himself up. “I expect my first payment today.”

With that, he started towards the door. Addy abandoned her spot and hurried after him.

“Toby!”

She hadn’t meant to call him by his name. It was ridiculous, but saying it out loud somehow felt so profoundly intimate. The glance he gave her over his shoulder didn’t help the feeling of vulnerability. A simmering darkness expanding over the ring of blue seemed to pulse. They settled on her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken and her strides falter.

She swallowed hard. “Let me pay you.”

Thick, dark lashes lowered over those hypnotic eyes, fixing them on her mouth. The object of his sudden fascination parted. They tingled with deep anticipation. His lips parted. She could see words reflecting in his eyes, but Hanna took that moment to come barreling back into the kitchen.

“I can’t find Nancy!” she wailed. “I looked everywhere!”

Heart still an orchestra of war drums between her ears, Addy forced herself to look away from the man touching her without ever lifting a finger and focused on the girl.

“Did … did you check the piano bench?”

Hanna’s eyes lit up. “I remember now!”

She took off as quickly as she’d come, dragging behind her the moment she’d shattered. The tension remained, but the palpable heat that had settled between them faded a notch.

“I want your cookies, Addy,” Toby murmured. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

It marveled her how something as innocent as the word cookies could make her core liquefy and her nipples harden. Her entire body seemed to hum with an unwarranted eagerness that almost made her whimper when he left the room.

Chapter 3 ~ Toby

Toby prepared to leave Addy and the children sometime after six. He packed up his things, which mostly consisted of his cane and jacket and began towards the front of the house. He was met with the comforting clang of pots being stirred and dishes being drawn out. He’d hoped to make it out before Addy noticed him leave, but the woman seemed to have a sixth sense and appeared just as he was shrugging his coat on in the foyer.

“Leaving?”

Hair pulled back from her beautiful face and bunched into a messy knot at the back of her head, she started towards him with a dishrag twisting between her hands. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a distracting shade of pink that swirled colors like the inside of a seashell. Toby had to pull his gaze away and focus on the woman rather than her feet.

“Yeah, it’s late and I should get out of your hair.”

She offered him a half little smile that always did odd things to his insides. “My hair is fine. You’re welcome to join us for supper.”

He wasn’t entirely certain what supper was, but it smelled like heaven. The rich aroma of meat fried in tomatoes and spices lingered the house, winding with the fresh scent of lilacs and lemon wood polish. He’d caught sight of her dicing celery earlier, but hadn’t bothered to ask what she was making.

“Mark’s waiting for me,” he lied.

Her eyes widened. “Oh! I didn’t realize—”

“No!” he practically shouted before she could get that thought stuck in her head. “Absolutely not. No. Mark’s a friend and I’m staying with him for a little while. That is all.”

She gave a delicate shrug. “It’s fine if you are. I don’t judge or—”

“But I’m not,” he assured her. “I like women.” Especially ones that can bake like the devil and smile like an angel. I especially, really like you, he wanted to add, but wisely kept it clamped back.

Addy chuckled and swept an escaped wisp of hair back behind her ear. “Well, the offer stands if you change your mind. I can’t thank you enough for helping around the place. I’ve been trying to do it myself since Macy left, but I’m not as equipped with that gene. I always wind up making it worse so I really appreciate you being here. Oh! Which reminds me!” Turning on her heel, she bolted back the way she’d come.

Toby took his opening and moved closer to the door, eager to leave before his common sense could be shanghaied into doing something he knew he needed to fight. All day he’d been walking the fine razor’s edge, teetering from side to side as he struggled to maintain his perseverance. It was a challenge when his mind and body refused to pick a united side.

She’s married, had become his personal soundtrack. It repeated without end through his mind while his body physically ached with the need to touch her, to cradle her tiny frame against his and plunder that mouth. It was insane considering he hadn’t even known the woman existed two days ago. Nevertheless, the longing was palpable. It was insistent and demanding.

“Here it is.” Addy returned, two containers of cookies in hand. “I’m not exactly sure there’s fifty in here, but they’re the last of the batch I made the other day. I promise to make more tomorrow.” She held them out. “I hope that’s okay?”

He took the containers and balanced them between his left forearm and chest. “That’s fine.”

Smiling, she hurried past him and opened the door.

“Thank you again.”

With an inclination of his head, Toby meandered his way into the setting dusk. The sun had slipped behind the horizon and the entire world was a murky blue only those in the country would understand. The boards beneath his feet groaned as he started his way down the steps. Addy was still standing in the doorway after he’d climbed into the cabin of his truck and set his cane and the cookies into the passenger’s side seat.

She seemed even smaller framed in the pale light radiating from the desk lamp behind her. Her thin arms were pulled around her as though warding off the evening chill. Her face was bathed in shadows, but the glow formed an auburn halo around her head. She raised a pale hand and waved. Toby waved back. Then he put the truck into drive and made his way into town.

Mark’s apartment was a flimsy door wedged between the shoe repair and the locksmith. It opened to a flight of narrow stairs that ended in a long, narrow hallway and more stairs. It was only a blessing Mark’s place was on the first level. The climb was never ideal. He would have preferred being home, in his own bed, except his mother was there and no matter how much he loved the woman, her fussing could drive a saint to drink. One would think that being a retired nurse meant she would be calm and understanding, but since his return home, she had lost her mind. Were it up to her, he’d never leave the bed again. She’d pull a full on Misery on his ass and Toby was pretty certain that was the scariest shit Stephen King had ever written.

At Mark’s door, Toby let himself in. No one in Willow Creek ever bothered locking their door, except maybe Damon. His brother was anal about locks and always pestered the rest of them to be equally anal. Since he had no home, Toby saw no reason to make locking up a priority.

The single bedroom dwelling with its kitchen and living room combo sat in a murky gloom cast by the eerie green light Mark was so fond of. The damn lamp sat on an end table across the sitting room, throwing everything into toxic green shadows.

Toby shut the door and made his way into the kitchen. He stowed his cookies away in the cupboard where the pots and pans were kept. He knew they would be safe there; Mark didn’t even know the cupboard existed. Then he made his way to the sofa. His cane was propped against the armrest as he threw himself down. The cushions expelled air as his weight settled. His jacket hit the opposite end, abandoned until morning as he reclined.

It had been months since he’d done anything nearly as strenuous as climbing repeatedly up and down two flights of stairs. His physical therapy had always been paced and his doctor had warned him about doing too much all at once. Nerve damage like his took years to fully heal and to rush that could cause permanent impairment. But he couldn’t let Addy down either. Something about the worry in her eyes had gotten to him. Maybe it was the soldier in him or the fact that he’d been raised by men who worshiped the ground their women walked on, but damsels in distress had always been a weakness of his. He just needed to remember to take it easy.

The leather squeaked as he shifted off his back onto his side. He stuffed a lumpy throw pillow between his knees, alleviating some of the pressure. The other one went beneath his head. He bunched it into a near roll mostly to support his neck. He shut his eyes and tried not to focus on his bent legs, or the fine tendrils of pain crackling along his thigh to encircle his kneecap. The steady thrum was making his stomach churn, but exhaustion kept him pinned in place, refusing to even consider getting his pain pill.

Somewhere in the silence, wood creaked. A frame shifted. His eyes opened and he lay there, staring at the shift of shadow across the wall. His ears strained.

The sound persisted. It grew louder and faster. Moans and gasps accompanied the chorus. It was all still a mystery until he heard the female whimper.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself as the grunts rose in volume.

The slap of flesh on flesh stung the air, barely muffled by the rhythmic crack of headboard against the wall separating him from Mark’s bedroom. He should have known his friend would have company. He almost always did. But since Toby’s arrival, Mark had taken to going to the girl’s place. Toby should have known that when he’d texted Mark and said he’d be home late that Mark would take it as an invitation to use his own bed.

“Mark … God, Mark, harder!” The female voice was unfamiliar, but deep and breathy.

She followed the plea with a sob as the tempo increased. Her screams rang through the apartment, as did the sharp slaps that made Toby cringe.

Little by little, the wails dissolved into sobs. Literal sobs. The kind filled with pain. Toby’s spine stiffened even as he reminded himself Mark would never hurt a woman. But the all too familiar sound of despair and suffering continued. It was a sound Toby was all too familiar with. He’d heard it enough during his service.

Comfort and sleep forgotten, he rolled himself off the sofa. He grabbed his cane and hobbled to the door. Closer, he could hear Mark’s voice calling the woman a whore and telling her she deserved it as he pounded into her. The whole thing made Toby pause. He hated hesitating, but he couldn’t be sure if the whole thing was some game or if he really was about to beat the ever loving shit out of his best friend.

He opted to risk the other man’s wrath and pushed open the door. Without the barrier, the sound was nearly deafening. The shrieks made his head throb, but he pushed it aside and smacked the light on.

“Get off her!” he snarled.

The two jumped ten feet into the air. Mark nearly tumbled backwards over the bed as he dislodged from the blonde’s ass. Face tear stained and flushed, the woman Toby now recognized, blinked at him from her all fours position. Her blue eyes were wide, made wider by the streaks of mascara raining down her cheeks and forming thick smudges. She made no move to cover her nakedness and Toby was rewarded by the sight of small, firm breasts and a bare pussy that blazed an abused red. But it was the thin, silver chain connecting the bar piercing her clit to the two in her nipples that momentarily distracted him.

“Jesus Christ, McClain!” Grabbing a pillow and slapping it down over his now flaccid penis, Mark glowered across the room. “What the fuck, dude?”

After taking a moment to scrutinize Roxana Harman’s face for signs of distress and finding none, Toby shifted uncomfortably.

“Sorry, man. Misheard the sounds.” He edged backwards. “Carry on.”

Mark looked about ready to throttle him. Roxana looked intrigued.

“You know, you can join us,” she propositioned in that silky, sex phone operator voice of hers. She sat back and parted her knees, giving him a clear view of her dripping cunt. “It’s been a while since I’ve had two men. You can be as rough as you like. I like it hard.” She bit her plump bottom lip seductively. “What do you say?”

“What?” Mark stared from her to Toby and back with enough horror to almost offend Toby. “He’s my best friend. I don’t want to see his naked ass!”

Toby couldn’t deny the woman was sexy as fuck and yet his cock gave a weak twitch then went back to sleeping, completely uninterested.

“Thanks, but no.”

He escaped before Roxana could try and coerce him. He shut the door behind him and shuffled his way to the kitchen. He left the lights off as he hobbled to the sink.

He was in the process of filling a glass of water when the bedroom door clicked open and Roxana emerged, fully dressed in a slinky pink halter dress and heels longer than her arms. Her face was still stained with makeup and her hair was in tangles around her bare shoulders, but she stalked to the door and out without sparing Toby even a glance. Mark appeared a moment later, tugging sweats on over his boxers.

Toby slapped the faucet off and turned to his friend. “Hey, man, I’m really sorry.”

Mark put up a hand to stop him. “You did me a favor. Chick was a total freak. I was beginning to fear for the safety of my cock.”

Toby curbed his grin as he twisted off the cap on his pain killers and quickly tossed back two. He chased them down with water.

“You sounded like you were having fun.” He rescrewed the cap on his pills and set the bottle aside.

Mark scoffed. “It was fun until she was screaming for me to go in deeper. I mean, I was as deep as I was going to get and I’m sitting there like, fuck, how deep is this chick’s vagina? I can only go so far.”

Toby burst out laughing.

Mark grinned. “Way to give a guy a complex, huh?”

Shaking his head, Toby made his way out of the kitchen. He circled his friend and started for the sofa. The ass groove he’d made earlier cushioned him as he gingerly lowered himself down once more. A groan escaped as the knee on his right leg protested ever bending again.

“All right?” Mark asked.

Toby nodded. “Yeah, just did a lot of moving today. Might have set my therapy back by ten years.”

Mark moved to the armchair and flopped down. “What did you do?”

Gritting his teeth, Toby gouged the heel of his hands up and down the length of his thigh, pressing down hard over the raised bit of skin where the bullet had torn through muscle. One couldn’t actually feel it through denim, but he knew where it was; the pain was astronomical despite the months that had passed.

“I was at the inn,” he mumbled. “Addy needed some help fixing a few things.”

Mark squinted. “Addy? That chick you ran into the other day?”

Toby nodded. “I ran into her again when I took the kids to get their riding lesson.”

“No shit!” Leaning forward, he snatched up the pack of smokes and lighter off the coffee table and pulled out a cigarette. He tucked it between his lips and lit it. The flame flickered across the sharp angles of his face before it went out. White smoke bellowed into the sickly green air, filling it with the stink of tobacco. “Did you get under her skirt?”

“No.” Toby leaned back. His leg stayed stretched out under the table. He was too afraid to move it until the pain meds kicked in. “She’s got kids.”

“Shit!” Mark hissed through his teeth. “Tough break. But there are other women—”

“Not really sure I want another woman,” he confessed, staring down at his knees. “I kind of like this one.”

Mark squinted at him through another plume of smoke. “Bad move, bro. Women with kids…” He grimaced. “That’s just asking for trouble. Them bitches only want a daddy and you’re too young to get that noose around your neck.”

Toby frowned. “Addy’s not like that. Plus knowing she’s got kids don’t bother me. I like kids. But she’s married.”

“Holy Jesus on the dance floor, are you shitting me?” Mark flicked his ashes into the ash tray and wound up scattering them across the coffee table instead. He didn’t seem to notice. “Dude, back away slowly now before you get your ass kicked. What’s the matter with you?”

“That’s just it!” He straightened and leaned forward like they were sharing some deep secret. “The guy is nowhere to be seen. I mean, I don’t even know what’s going on there.”

Mark shook his head. “I still think you should cut ties and run. Chick sounds like bad news.”

Toby considered it. He thought about walking away from Addy and he couldn’t picture it. He told himself it was because he’d made her a promise to help her around the inn, but it was also because … well, he didn’t want to. That clearly made him an absolute douchebag if she was married, but he swore to himself that he wouldn’t do anything. He would help her and that was all. There was nothing saying he couldn’t be a good neighbor. He knew his boundaries, knew right from wrong, and he knew how to control himself. He’d be a gentleman. Just like his mama taught him.

He arrived at five the next morning. Gravel crunched beneath his tires as he pulled his truck into the empty parking spot off the circular driveway. The sun was still working its way up over the horizon when he cut the engine and simply sat there. Frost glittered in the pale sheen of light. The temperature outside hovered somewhere just shy of zero and Toby knew it was only a matter of time before winter kicked them all in the pants.

Absently, he fiddled with his keys as he waited for six to roll around. Unlike him, the rest of the world was less inclined to be up before the sun. It was a habit drummed into him at the academy, where they had beaten the idea of sleeping in straight out of his system. But since Mark was still comatose across his bed and there was nothing for Toby to do, he’d gotten himself out of the apartment as quietly as possible and decided to sit outside the inn until Addy woke up. It had seemed like a good idea until he was actually sitting outside her house. Now he just felt like an obsessed stalker. All he needed was his forehead grease smudging her windows.

“You’re so sad,” he muttered to himself.

He was still thinking it when the front door opened and Addy appeared on the porch, wrapped in a wool blanket. She waved at him, motioning him to come in before she ducked out of sight once more, leaving the door open.

Startled by the presence of another person, Toby didn’t hesitate. He threw open his door and lowered himself to the ground. His boots and cane disturbed the gravel as he made his way to the house.

“I thought I saw headlights.” Addy smiled at him as he stepped through the door and shut it behind him. “Morning.”

“Morning.” He looked over the foyer and the shadows still straining over the furniture in the sitting room. “Did I wake you?”

Addy shook her head. “I’m usually up around five.”

She was dressed, he noted. Her slender body was draped in form fitting jeans and a light sweater in soft purple. Her hair was down with the sides pinned back from her freshly scrubbed face. She looked incredibly sweet, the kind of sweet that made him want to nuzzle into.

“Sorry if I arrived too early,” he said instead of following through with his desires. “I’m an early riser, too.”

Addy shook her head. “It’s fine. Coffee?”

She didn’t wait. Turning on the heel of her flats, she hurried towards the kitchen. Toby followed at a slower pace, not because of his leg, but because watching her move was quickly becoming an obsession of his.

She was behind the island when he stepped into the space brimming with the warm scent of baked bread and coffee. Only the lights over the counter were on and they shimmered along the silky strands tumbling in straight lines down her back. Cups clinked as they were set on the island. Cupboards thumped closed. It was the only sound in the place. The rest of the house seemed to hum with the predawn silence.

“Where are the kids?” he asked.

Addy checked her watch. “Sean will be up in an hour. Hanna will sleep until nine.”

She poured coffee into the mugs and slid his over to him. A sugar bowl and a milk dispenser were set down between them. He touched neither, but she added two scoops of sugar to hers.

“And what are you doing awake?”

She kept her eyes on the spoon she was stirring into her drink. Her hands were steady, but he caught the tightening of her jaw.

“Just a habit,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat and lifted her chin. “What about you?”

Toby exhaled. “Also a habit.”

The corner of her mouth quirked. “Darn habits.”

Turning away, she reached for the cupboard with all the cookies and withdrew one of the containers. There were several new ones lined along the shelves. Each one had a neat label stamped into the side. He couldn’t see what they said when she shut the doors and returned. The container was set down and uncovered.

“Muffin?”

Toby stared at the offering, then lifted his gaze to the woman offering it. “I’m beginning to think you’re trying to fatten me up.”

Her laughter ran through the quiet and glided like tender fingers along his spine. She set the container down and turned to the oven just as the timer chimed. He watched as the door was yanked open and mitts were donned. She bent forward and he was perverted enough to study the delicious curves of her ass.

She had a nice one, firm and round and perfect. The jeans hugged them like a lover’s hands. His own hands tightened around his mug as he imagined gripping her as she rode him with slow, even pumps. Against the zipper of his jeans, his cock hardened. The teeth bit into the head, but the pain wasn’t enough to stifle the image.

“Five more minutes.”

The bang of the oven door jolted him back to the present. He snapped his gaze up just as she dusted her hands and straightened. She turned to him and their eyes met. Hers were bright and warm, and reminded him of rich, melted chocolate. Her cheeks were pink from the heat of the oven and framed by stray wisps of hair that had escaped the clips. She looked so young and vulnerable. Everything about her made him want to gather her up and protect her, even while a part of him wanted to strip her naked and violate her.

“Would you like breakfast?” She didn’t wait for him to answer as she practically ran to the fridge. The door was thrown up and she ducked inside. A moment later, she returned with an arm full of things. “I can make eggs or pancakes, or—”

“Why don’t I make you breakfast?” he cut in, surprising them both.

He knew how to cook. It was a trait his mother had instilled in all her children. It was just not something he’d ever done for another person outside his family. But he found himself getting to his feet and making his way around the island. Addy stayed where she was, which surprised him even more than his offer. The wide eyed look on her face had made him so sure she would bolt the moment he drew closer. Then they were on the same side and sharing the same sliver of space. Her chin tipped all the way back as his six foot five towered over her slight five foot five.

“Can … do you know how to cook?”

Toby followed the movement of her lips forming every word and tried not to imagine them wet and swollen, and gasping under his as he pushed inside her. But that close, it was all he could think about.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” He forced his gaze upwards to catch her eyes. “Are you insured?”

That haunting mouth of hers bowed. Straight white teeth glinted as her lips pulled back in a wide smile that sucker punched him in the chest.

“Lucky for me then that I made that payment last week.”

“Lucky,” he mumbled. “Take a seat.”

She hesitated, but turned and skirted around the island. She dragged her coffee over and claimed the stool next to the one he’d occupied.

Leaving her there, he returned all the items she’d drawn out back into the fridge. The thing was full of neatly labeled containers that included dates of creation and dates of expiration. He chuckled to himself as he adjusted his weight on his good leg, propped his cane against the counter and began loading his arm with items. He hobbled slightly as he drew back and let the door snap shut. Thankfully, the counter was only one step on his bad leg. He made it without losing his balance or losing feeling in his limb. The items were set down and he levied his weight against the table.

“Bowls?”

She pointed to the cupboard over his shoulder. “There. Pots and pans are in the cupboard next to the stove and spoons are in the drawer behind you.”

He found everything in neat order and oddly exactly where things should be. His mother had had a system of sorts, but Addy’s could be measured with a ruler.

It took less than ten minutes to make an omelet filled with shredded pieces of leftover steak, cheese, red and green peppers, and parsley with a minor pause to haul out the pie from the oven and set it on the cooling rack. He added salt and pepper to the omelet, rolled it up into a tube and slid it neatly onto a plate. Then he put it in front of Addy with a fork and waited.

“This is delicious!” she said around a mouthful. “And I didn’t need to call my insurance guy.”

Toby chuckled. He gathered up the mess he’d made and returned everything to its proper place. By the time he was finished, Addy had polished off her plate.

“Hey, where’s my half?” he demanded. “You were supposed to share.”

Big, brown eyes blinked up at him. “What? Really?”

The look of torn guilt on her face broke the serious face he was trying to maintain. He snickered. “No, I need like two of those to fill me up.”

Her scowl contradicted the laughter shining behind her eyes. “Not funny.”

He took her plate and fork and set them in the sink. He wiped down the counter area.

“Wow, you are very domestic,” she observed.

“Blame my mother.” He shook out the cloth and draped it over the ledge between the two sinks to dry. “She drummed all kinds of manners into us. I even remember to put the toilet seat down … occasionally,” he amended.

Addy laughed. “I thankfully don’t have that problem with Sean. He’s just naturally amazing.”

“Oh, Mom would never call us amazing. I was the bane of her existence for the first seventeen years. She couldn’t wait for me to leave for college.”

“No!” she protested. “I don’t believe that.”

“You can ask her. I was a pain in the ass. Always getting into trouble at school for doing really stupid shit. Clever, but seriously stupid.”

She was still chuckling. “Well, you turned out really nice.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Think so?”

Bright, red patches appeared in her cheeks, darkening them, but she held his gaze. “I do. I don’t know many people who would go out of their way to help a complete stranger.”

The island creaked beneath the arms he folded over the smooth marble. He leaned in, mostly to ease the pressure off his leg, but he found himself falling into those warm, brown pools instead.

“You know, I—”

His words were scattered by the soft shuffle of feet. A small person appeared in the doorway, clad in Tony Hawk sweats and a t-shirt, Sean squinted at them from the doorway. His brown hair was in disarray and stood up straight on one side. There were pillow marks on his left cheek and sleep crusting one eye closed. But it popped open when he spotted Toby. Both shot to his mother, then back at Toby in wary suspicion.

“Hey sweetie.” Addy rose off the stool. “Go wash up and I’ll get breakfast ready.”

Sean didn’t move. He stayed rooted to the threshold, glancing between them like he couldn’t fathom why his mother was anywhere near someone like Toby.

“Hey.” Toby offered him his best smile. “Had a good night?”

Sean frowned. “Yes.”

With that, he turned and padded out the way he’d come. Toby turned his questioning expression back to Addy.

“I’m sorry.” She hurried around to his side of the counter. “Sean’s just really shy. It takes some doing to get him to warm up to people he doesn’t know.”

Retrieving his cane, Toby switched sides. His untouched coffee was cold, but he took a sip, hoping the caffeine would start working some of its magic.

“It’s all right.” He set his mug down. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Well…” In the process of cracking eggs into a clean bowl, Addy glanced up. “I have to get some groceries and pay off a few bills. You?”

“Mostly going to work on finishing up the rest of the list.”

She nodded slowly as she beat the eggs with a fork. She added milk, salt, and pepper to the mix and turned to the stove. Her movement was fluid and unhurried.

“Will you be all right if I left you alone for part of the day?” The pan hissed as the batter was poured over hot metal. The bowl was set inside the sink before she faced him. “I’ll try to be very quick.”

Toby shook his head. “No, I’m pretty self-sufficient. I haven’t made a mess in the living room in years.”

The dry glower she sent him was tainted by the silent laughter glimmering in her eyes. “That isn’t what I meant.”

He nodded. “I know, and yes, I will be fine.”

“Would you like me to pick you up anything while I’m out?”

Toby scratched his chin. The stubble he hadn’t shaved that morning rustled beneath his nails.

“No, I think I’m good.”

The pan behind her began to sizzle and she hurried back to break the clumps up with her spatula. The eggs were scooped onto a plate and stuffed into the microwave. The bread box was yanked open and a full loaf of bread was drawn out. Two slices were cut and stuffed into the toaster.

Sean’s breakfast was ready by the time he returned, properly showered and dressed. He walked to the microwave and drew out his eggs. He buttered his own toast, grabbed his own juice and dumped himself in a chair at the table without a word to anyone.

“Sean, is your hamper full?” Addy asked as she wiped her hand and started towards the door with the rag still twisted in her grasp.

“I brought it down and sorted it already,” the boy mumbled into his plate. “It’s in the laundry room.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

Then she was gone and Toby was left alone with the boy. Toby, who was normally really good with children, was at a loss for words to break the tension. Instead, he sat there and watched as Sean finished his breakfast, rinsed out his plate, and left the room. His footsteps echoed all the way to the foyer. A moment later, there was the hum of a machine as the computer was booted up. He returned with a backpack in one hand and a pile of books clutched against his chest with the other. Toby remained in his place as the books were tucked neatly into the bag. The bag was left by the door as the boy walked to the fridge and began preparing himself lunch. All this was done without even a glance in Toby’s direction.

Addy returned. She stepped around Sean and brought down a bowl. It was set in the spot next to Toby. A spoon joined it with a deafening clang.

“Hanna!” Addy called without pausing. She grabbed a box of cereal out of the cupboard. “Come on!”

Disheveled and miserable was the only way to describe Hanna as she staggered almost drunkenly into the kitchen. Her hair was a chaotic mess around her sulky face. Her pajamas were a wrinkled mess. One pant leg was bunched all the way up her thigh and the top was twisted around her torso. She dragged herself onto the stool and slumped face first onto the counter.

“It’s too early!” she moaned, her voice muffled by marble and hair.

“Get your face off the table and eat your breakfast. We’re going to Newburry today.”

Hanna looked no less miserable, but she lifted her head and stared blurry eyed at the bowl Addy was filling for her.

“Not a morning person, eh?” Toby mused, watching the girl all but face plant into her cereal.

“She’s absolutely miserable before ten AM.” Addy muttered as she returned the cereal to the cupboard and the milk to the fridge. “Sean, do you have everything?”

The boy nodded. He carried his newly made lunch to his bag and stuffed it inside. Addy checked her watch.

“The bus is going to be here in ten.” She looked to her son. “Do you want another piece of toast?”

Sean shook his head. “I’m going to wait outside.”

Addy bent and kissed him on the cheek. “All right, baby. Have a good day.”

With a wave, Sean ambled out. They heard the front door close a few seconds later.

With Sean gone, it took no time at all to hurry Hanna along. By the time her cereal was done, Addy had already set out her clothes, tossed in a load of laundry, and cleaned up the morning dishes. She left Toby with her cell number before coaxing Hanna into the minivan and setting off.

With everyone gone and him standing in the middle of someone else’s foyer, Toby couldn’t help the ripple of uncertainty that worked over him. Aside from his family and Mark, he couldn’t remember the last time anyone left him alone in their home. That either made Addy really trusting or, well, there was no or. Nevertheless, he liked that she trusted him enough not to rob her blind.

List in hand, he set off to finish as much of the repairs as possible. There were many and most were minor things that took no time at all.

He was pounding new nails into the loose boards on the stairs when the front door swung open some hours later.

“We’re home!” Addy called out.

Toby set his hammer down, brushed his palms over his thighs, and went to greet them.

Addy looked up when he stepped into the foyer. Her nose was pink, matching her cheeks and the end of her chin. Her lips were stiff despite the wide smile she gave him.

“Hi!”

“Hey.” He took the paper bag from her. “Is there more in the car?”

She nodded. “Yes, but don’t worry. I can—”

“Take your coat off,” he cut her off. “You look cold.”

She offered him a doleful grimace. “It’s freezing outside.”

“Make us some coffee and I’ll grab the groceries.”

Her mouth opened, no doubt to protest, but Toby had already turned away. He took the bag into the kitchen and left it on the counter before making his way back to the front door. Addy was helping Hanna with her coat.

“Careful on the stairs,” he told them. “I have tools there.”

“I’ll be careful,” Hanna promised dutifully.

Chuckling, Toby pulled open the door and propelled himself out into the frigid cold. It was winter without the snow. The wind tore at his hair and nipped at the tips of his ears. He kept his head down as he hurried to Addy’s van. His knuckles blistered around the handle of his cane, but he gripped on tight.

There were four more bags. It took two trips to bring it all in.

“Jesus!” he hissed as he dumped the last two on the counter.

Addy nodded. “Like I said, freezing.”

He walked to the stool and sat. The frozen material of his jeans rubbed uncomfortably against his skin, making him fidget.

“Coffee’s almost ready,” Addy promised as she emptied the bags.

Toby watched her, brows furrowed. “When did the market get paper bags?”

In the process of folding said bags into neat squares of paper, Addy glanced up. “Oh, I didn’t go into Willow Creek.” She ducked her head and stuffed the bag in the cupboard under the sink. “I usually get my groceries in Newburry.”

His frown deepened. “Why?”

She shrugged. “Just something I prefer.”

The coffee pot quit brewing. It was brought to the table, along with the sugar and milk, and only one mug.

“No coffee for you?” he asked.

She shook her head. “One cup is my limit.” She gestured to the stove and the kettle heating on the element. “I’m making myself tea.” She tugged absently at the hem of her sweater. “Did you have lunch yet?”

He’d forgotten all about eating. He’d been so preoccupied by getting the work done, but now that she’d brought it up, his stomach took that moment to whimper pitifully. He prayed she hadn’t heard, but her brown eyes had gone enormous with alarm.

“Oh my God, Toby!” She rushed to the fridge and yanked it open. “You’re welcome to whatever you like in the kitchen,” she shouted at him while pulling out containers. “I don’t ever want you to think that you need to work yourself to death and not at least get a meal!” The containers were set down on the counter and immediately torn open. “I should have said. This is my fault. I am so sorry—”

“Addy.” He reached across the counter and settled his hand lightly over her much smaller, trembling one. “Deep breath, baby. I’m fine.”

The self-deprecation in her eyes, the downward tilt of her mouth cut at him.

“I should have told you,” she murmured.

“I’m the one who forgot,” he assured her. “I wasn’t even thinking about it until you brought it up.”

She drew her hand out from beneath his and went back to popping off the lids on the containers. Several items were scooped onto a plate. The plate was set inside the microwave. Then there was nothing to do but stand in silence as the food was heated up.

“I really am sorry,” she whispered at last. “I’m not used to having people here.”

Toby chuckled. “You run an inn.”

She nodded. “Yes, but I have a system with them, a sort of timetable I stick to rigorously. Otherwise, it’s just me and the kids. Sean’s usually at school and Hanna eats whenever she’s hungry. Aside from supper, I don’t really enforce meals.” Her brows drew together in a stubborn sort of determination. “I’ll do better tomorrow,” she promised. “I’ll make sure lunch gets served at a reasonable time and this won’t happen again.”

“Addy.” He waited until he had her full attention before offering her a small smile. “I’m a grown man. If I get hungry, I’ll get myself food. I don’t need you to worry yourself over me.”

She said nothing, and if she was going to speak, it was silenced by the shriek of the kettle. She turned away to make herself tea, keeping her back to him the entire time.

“Mommy?” Hanna trotted into the kitchen, arms laden with dolls in various shapes, sizes and colors. “Nancy is having a problem.”

Addy didn’t move. She stirred her drink, her head down for a full minute before her shoulders tightened and she drew herself up. Her face was void of its earlier panic. It was calm and soft and bright with a slight grin that he could see was costing her a lot to keep in place.

“What’s wrong with Nancy?” she asked, stepping up to the island and setting her cup down.

The dolls were dumped on the island and Hanna claimed the second stool.

“Her hair came down.” One of the dolls was separated from the others and held up so they could see the disarray that was the doll’s rumpled blonde locks. “We can’t fix it. I asked Margi, but she and Nancy had a fight and now they’re not talking.”

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Margi?”

A second doll was held up. “She is,” Hanna stated with that same, unblinking seriousness. “She’s a mortician.”

Addy choked on her tea. “Beautician, baby. Beautician.”

Toby burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. The humor in the entire situation rocked through him and he couldn’t stop. On the next stool, Hanna clutched Nancy to her chest and giggled shyly, but with a sweetness that absolutely captured his heart. He leaned over and ruffled her already tangled mane.

“Don’t ever change,” he told her.

Hanna grinned. “Okay.”

It took him two days to get the stairs in order. The banister was bolted more securely along the side and the boards that had been loose were nailed down firmly. It took him another day to grease the hinges on all the doors and sand down the one in the laundry room so it fit without grinding against the frame. He replaced the scarred wood to fit more snuggly with the door and installed a better door handle, one that didn’t rattle every time someone turned it. By the fifth day, he had swapped every light switch and plug cover in the place for new ones, had slapped on a fresh coat of paint over the trim in the parlor, cleaned out the gutters, and wrapped the shrubs along the side of the property for the winter.

The weather had settled a notch. It was still crazy cold in the mornings and evenings, but the afternoon was almost bearable. Since the incident over lunch, Addy had kept her promise; a bowl of soup and a thick sandwich was placed before him at exactly noon every day. Hanna usually kept him company, introducing him to her dolls and warning him to take the tomatoes out of the sandwiches.

“Dogs pee on them!” she’d hissed when her mother wasn’t around.

He wasn’t entirely certain that was true, but he indulged her and removed the tomatoes.

“So Nancy said I should put Margi in the closet and keep her there until she was sorry.”

Buried under the sink with a wrench and a bucket, Toby nodded as a new chapter in the Nancy/Margi drama continued. Hanna sat on his toolbox a few feet away, Nancy hugged to her chest. Occasionally, she’d pause to take a sip of her juice box before resuming.

“I think Nancy’s jealous,” he panted, putting his entire weight behind dislocating the bend in the composter tube. “She sees that you and Margi have a good thing going and she doesn’t like it.”

“That’s what I think too!” Hanna declared. “But I don’t know how to fix it.”

Toby grunted as the plastic gave beneath his insistence. “You should have a tea party and get everyone to talk.”

The pipe gave and a waterfall of sludge gushed from the end. Toby just got the bucket under it. He drew out of the cupboard and wiped his hands on a rag.

“A tea party?” Hanna considered this. “Maybe.”

Toby dropped onto his butt on the linoleum. “Communication. That’s the key.”

Hanna’s head bobbed in wide eyed wonder at his sage words of advice.

Addy took that moment to walk into the kitchen, flipping idly through the morning mail. The sight of her, as it always did, spurred his heart into a wild gallop. His concentration wavered as his mind became clouded with how she moved, how her hair shimmered in the light, how her sweater pulled a bit too tight across her chest. Even from his place on the floor, he could just make out the faint outline of her hardened nipples. They jutted proudly forward in tight little bundles that begged to be skimmed. Already he could feel his hands palming the mounds while he pushed her into the nearest flat surface and ravaged her mouth. He’d skim the points with his thumbs, circling and teasing until she was begging him to take her.

“What’s going on here?”

She peered from Hanna to him and their gazes locked in the familiar dance of fire that never seemed to end. It crackled between them, the tempo fierce and demanding. He knew she felt it too, knew she was as hot and needy as he was. It was all there in the subtle parting of her lips, the savage flare of desire in her eyes and in the way her breasts always swelled just a little more the longer he held her attention. Too often he’d caught her watching him with a flush in her cheeks and a plea in her eyes only to have her turn away. It was a maddening tease he didn’t know how to deal with short of just fucking her where she stood.

Hanna leaped to her feet, startling the link into breaking. “Mommy, we need a communicating tea! I’ll tell Nancy and Margi!”

She was out of the room in a streak of pink pajamas.

Addy looked to Toby, eyebrow raised in question.

“Nancy’s feeling a little threatened right now,” he explained as he gripped the edge of the counter and heaved himself up with a grunt. “She thinks Margi’s taking her friend. So, we decided that everyone needs to have a sit down and talk about what they’re feeling over tea.”

She stared at him with a mixture of amazement and confusion. There was something else beneath all that, apprehension maybe. Maybe even suspicion. But it was buried deep. Too deep for him to be certain.

“You have grease on your face,” she told him softly.

Toby snorted. “Baby, I got grease and crap everywhere right now.”

Her lashes lowered with the downward tilt of her chin. She studied the bucket of goop that had been accumulating in the bend of her compost. The letters were set aside and she took a careful step closer to get a better look.

“I can’t believe all that was clogged in there.”

“I’ve almost got it cleaned out,” he said. “Should be running like new when I’m done.”

Her face lifted. “Thank you.”

It had been two weeks since he started working around the inn, two weeks of being near her and stubbornly keeping his hands to himself when all they wanted to do was stray. Each day seemed to get harder. He could feel himself losing the battle every time she was within grabbing distance. Everything about her was a siren’s song beckoning him to crash into the rocks and let her take him under. God help him, but he was ready to surrender.

“Are you hungry?”

Innocent, the question shouldn’t have affected him the way it did. It shouldn’t have torn through him with the reckless abandonment of a wild beast ravenous for flesh, yet it did. It made his entire body hum with an inner vibration that tightened the coils in the pit of his stomach. He wondered what she would do if he kissed her. He wondered if she would kiss him back. Every primal instinct in his body hungered to find out. It drove him forward with every intention to fulfil that need. His hand extended from his side, fingers reaching, aching to touch the object of his obsession.

“Toby…” She made a sound between a gasp and a sob and jerked away. “No … I can’t! I’m sorry.”

Chest heaving with the shock of being slammed headlong into a metaphorical brick wall with an abruptness that left him ragged and reeling, Toby staggered back from her. It was only a foot, yet the gap seemed infinite straining between them. Tremors of restraint pitched through him in pulses thumping between his ears. It was a task not to growl in frustration, but that too was bottled back when he saw the anguish in her eyes, the guilt, need, and regret. It was all there, bared for him.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, voice broken.

Fire successfully tapered, he shushed her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Her luminous gaze met his, bright with unshed tears and a level of pain he couldn’t even stand seeing without wanting to kill the bastard responsible for causing it.

“I want you, but I can’t…” Her head dropped forward. “I just can’t.”

“No.” He struggled to contain his hands when all they wanted to do was reach for her. “Don’t. I can wait. I will wait, for as long as you need.”

His words only seemed to increase her grief. Her bottom lip trembled before she stiffened her chin and lifted her eyes.

“You shouldn’t. I might never be ready.”

He considered that. He knew it was a very real possibility that he was chasing a rainbow, but it didn’t seem to matter. Like the men who obsessed over capturing hurricanes and leprechauns, he was dangerously addicted to her. Tasting her had become his only source of comfort.

“I want you, Addy. Christ knows how badly I fucking want you, but I’ll wait, because I know it’ll be damn worth it when you’re ready.”

A weak sound escaped her. “Toby…”

He cut her off. “Don’t answer right now. I may never be the man you deserve, but I’m going to try. Just let me try, Addy.”

“I was thinking about starting on the porch today.”

In the process of smoothing out a lump of dough with a rolling pin, Addy’s head jerked up. “The porch?”

Cradling his steaming mug of coffee between both palms, Toby nodded. “I think one of the boards might be rotted. It gives too easily when you step on it. Eventually, it’ll break and you’ll have a broken ankle on your hands.”

“Oh!” Thin brows pulled together. “All right. How much work do you think it’ll need?”

“I’d have to take a closer look, but shouldn’t be too much.”

She nodded slowly as she went back to making the bottom lining for a pie. She tackled the task with the same unhurried insistence she showed everything, but there was tightness in her shoulders and along the length of her spine that didn’t go unnoticed by him. Plus she was too silent.

“Addy?”

“It’s just that it was a very slow summer this year,” she explained, not meeting his gaze. “The inn didn’t make as much money as it normally does and I don’t want to make too many repairs if I can help it.” She wiped her hands down her thighs, leaving a streak of flour in their wake. “I realize the porch is important so just let me know what it’ll all cost.”

He’d helped rebuild the porch on his Aunt and Uncle’s house a few years back and roughly estimated it would cost the same, if not a little higher, depending on wood and size.

“Hundred bucks?” he guessed off the top of his head. “Maybe one fifty with supplies. That’s only if I redo your entire porch, including the railings and posts.”

The disbelief on her face was almost comical. “How is that possible? Wood alone—”

“I helped Mr. Holloway build a sunroom for his wife a few summers back. In return, I get a lot of my hardware material for dirt cheap. So I could probably redo the whole porch for practically nothing.”

“Jesus, Toby, I…” The oven beeped, signaling it was done preheating. She hurried over with her first set of pies and stuffed them on the racks. Pies in place, she set the timer and turned to him once more. “I don’t know…”

“Don’t know what?”

“I can’t ask you to use your favor for me,” she said evenly.

“It’s not a favor.”

She shook her head. “Still. I don’t feel right taking advantage of Mr. Holloway like that, especially when I had nothing to do with his sunroom.”

Toby sighed. “How about this? Why don’t you come with me and talk to Mr. Holloway yourself and he’ll give you a better estimate?”

The lines continued to furrow along her brow, but she nodded reluctantly. “All right. Just let me get Hanna ready.”

The girl stumbled into the kitchen as though she’d spent the entire night partying. For being one of the most adorable little people Toby had ever known, she was also one of the most miserable first thing in the morning.

She staggered to the stool and sat. “Why is it morning already?” she whined.

Toby chuckled. “You are going to be a basket of fun once school starts.”

Hanna shot him a dirty glower from amongst the fuzzy curtain of hair draped over her face.

“None of that.” Addy set waffles onto a plate and slid it over to her daughter with a pitcher of warm maple syrup.

While the girl ate, Toby left to get her booster fitted in the backseat of his truck. The thing was pink with giant flowers stamped all over it. Toby couldn’t recall the last time he willingly brought anything pink and floral into his truck, except maybe a woman. But he positioned the thing right in the middle.

Hanna and Addy were in the foyer when he returned. Hanna was grumbling about still being tired while Addy shoved the girl into her sweater and zipped it up. She made no comment about Hanna’s complaining as she hurried around the desk and did something with the computer and phone.

Leaving her to it, Toby stalked into the kitchen and wrapped two muffins into a paper napkin and returned just as Addy hung up the phone.

“What are those for?” she asked.

“Incentive.” He pressed the treats into her hands. “Just hang on to them.”

Looking bemused, she eyed him, but didn’t ask. She slipped the muffins into her purse.

Holloway’s Hardware was the only place in town to get lumber, nails, and anything else one needed for household repairs. Growing up with his uncle, Toby had spent a great deal of time learning how to use his hands. Unlike his dad, Uncle Sloan actually enjoyed manual labor. He used to take Toby and Damon with him when he did repairs around town. At one point, Toby had even worked in his uncle’s moving company, but that had been short lived. It took three months for him to realize he wasn’t a fan of furniture moving. His uncle hadn’t minded. He’d had Damon, but occasionally, Toby would help when he’d been off duty. Now, he was just useless. He couldn’t help his uncle. He couldn’t return to duty. He couldn’t even walk down the block without needing to catch his breath.

He parked just outside and circled around to open Addy’s door. He offered her his hand before moving to get Hanna out. Together, they stepped into the hardware store and the sharp stench of metal and grease.

Ben Holloway looked up from behind the front counter when the bell jingled. Blue eyes ringed with deep crow feet widened. Full lips beneath a thick mustache curled. He closed the register and made his way around to greet them.

He was a big man, not just tall, but round in the shoulders and wide in the gut. He had always reminded Toby of Santa Claus without the beard. Him in white and maroon didn’t help the image. But he was one of the most decent men Toby had ever known.

“Toby! How have you been, son?”

Toby accepted the other man’s hand in a hearty shake. “Good, sir. How are you and Mrs. Holloway?”

“Good. Good.” He dropped Toby’s hand and turned his attention to Addy and Hanna. “What brings you to my shop today?”

“This is Addy Nixon,” Toby introduced. “She’s the owner of Macy’s Bed and Breakfast.”

Mr. Holloway’s eyes widened with interest. “Yes, of course. We were all very sad to see Macy leave our town.”

Addy nodded. “She’s not really gone. She will return, but she’s just doing what she loves right now.”

With a reluctant sigh, Mr. Holloway ambled back to his place behind the counter. His bulky frame filled the cramped little strip of space.

“That is the thing, isn’t it? You grow up in this town and the next thing you know, you’re pushing seventy and have never left. It’s good that she got out for a while.” He offered them a broad smile and clapped his hands together once. “But that’s not why you’re here. Tell me what I can do for you.”

Addy stepped forward, her smile sweet. “I would like to know what you would charge for some wood and the required items to rebuild a porch. That includes the porch itself, four steps, railings, and twin posts to hold up the short porch roof.”

Mr. Holloway’s brow creased as he considered her request. “Is this for the inn?”

Addy nodded. “The current wood is rotting.”

“I would imagine so,” Mr. Holloway deduced. “The inn has been an inn since I was a boy and that was a long time ago. I can only imagine the sort of repairs it would require.”

“Right now, we’re focusing on the porch,” Addy said not unkindly.

“But before we get to that.” Toby stepped forward. “Have you tried Addy’s baked goods?”

Taking that as her cue, Addy pulled out the muffins and held them out. Mr. Holloway’s eyebrows lifted with interest before he accepted.

“They are incredible!” Toby went on as the man set the desserts down on the counter between them and tore off a piece. “I’ve gained twenty pounds since I’ve met Ms. Nixon.”

Addy blushed and shot him a teasing frown. But there was a glimmer of nerves beneath the slight smile, a shine of uncertainty that he understood quickly when her gaze flicked just as quickly back to Mr. Holloway. Her teeth caught the corner of her lip as she watched the man tear off a piece. The expression deepened when Mr. Holloway furrowed his brows and stared at the muffin like he couldn’t figure out what he’d put into his mouth.

“Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?” he demanded at last. “These taste just like my mother’s muffins, but better!”

Addy’s shoulders sagged beneath her brown, wool coat. The muscles of her face relaxed and she smiled.

“I added cinnamon to the batter.”

Mr. Holloway stuffed a bigger piece into his mouth and chewed. “Whatever it is, best I’ve had in ages.” He wiped his fingers on his apron. “You know, Martha and I had our honeymoon at the inn near forty-two years ago. We were young and it was the only place we could afford at the time.”

Addy nodded. “I’ve gone through a few of the guest books Macy kept and I remember seeing that.”

Mr. Holloway frowned a moment longer before coming to some inner conclusion. “You know, our anniversary is coming up next month. I think a weekend at the inn might actually be a nice treat, don’t you think?”

Addy’s mouth opened. Then closed. But no words came out.

“That is a fantastic idea,” Toby said for her. “I highly recommend the Sea Room. It’s my personal favorite.” Those sweet, brown eyes shot to him. The surprise in them made him grin. “But they’re all real nice.”

Her cheeks pinkened and she looked away to focus on Mr. Holloway once more.

“We would love to have you,” she said. “Just let me know when.”

Mr. Holloway nodded. “I most certainly will!” He took a last bite of the muffin before stuffing them under the counter. “Not supposed to be eating on the job,” he explained in a hushed whisper. “I’d have to fire myself.”

Addy laughed.

Mr. Holloway grinned. “All right, so let’s talk about your porch problem, shall we? We of course have all the wood you could possibly want or need in the back. Toby knows the way around the shop, but if there’s something specific you want, I can definitely order it in.”

Addy nodded. “That’s very kind. Thank you. But I’d also like to discuss payment.”

“Right.” Mr. Holloway dug under the counter and unearthed a clipboard. He set it on the counter along with a pen and turned them to face her. “I have three different options here for you to go over. Most people with large projects such as this go for store tab. That one is good if you’re not sure how much you’ll need. Anything you don’t use, you are welcome to return within sixty days. There is also the full payment up front, but, like I said, if you’re not sure just how much you’ll need, that one might be tricky and time consuming.”

“I like the store tab,” Addy murmured. “I think I’d like that one.”

“All right.” Mr. Holloway dragged the clipboard back to him and quickly filled out the information. He returned it once he was done. “Just fill in the bottom.”

The bottom consisted mostly of her name, address, and credit card information, which she had to dig out of her purse.

“Mommy?” Hanna tugged the corner of Addy’s coat. “Can I get a hammer?”

Addy never looked up from the form. “A hammer? What do you need a hammer for?”

Finished, she set the clipboard down and passed it to Mr. Holloway.

“It’s shiny,” the girl explained.

Addy touched the top of her daughter’s head. “Not today.”

“This all looks in order,” Mr. Holloway stated. He looked up and smiled. “Do you have someone to help you with the remodeling?”

Addy gestured to Toby. “Mr. McClain has generously offered his services.”

Mr. Holloway beamed. “Then you are in very capable hands. Toby helped build Martha’s sunroom. She loves it. Absolutely superb job. All right.” He skirted around the counter once more. “I keep all the wood in the back. Toby, you know where everything is, don’t you? Take this with you.” He dug out a pen and notepad from the pocket of his apron and passed them over to Toby. “Let me know if there’s anything you can’t find. I’m putting an order in this afternoon so I’ll make sure to add it on the list.”

“Thank you, Mr. Holloway.”

Setting a hand on Hanna’s shoulder, Addy guided the girl towards the back with Toby taking the rear.

The shop was the biggest one in town, a solid force of concrete and iron. It had the feel of a warehouse with metal rods overhead and steel shelving bolting in long, neat rows to the double doors at the back. The doors opened to a flat, open stretch of space with three dock doors along the far wall. More shelves lined the space, holding rows of wood in various shapes, shapes and sizes.

Hanna skipped on ahead, running her small hand over the planks as Addy and Toby followed at a much less hurried pace. Toby was relieved. His leg was beginning to throb and he had no pain killers on him.

“Hanna, you’re going to get a splinter if you keep doing that,” Addy called after the girl.

“Can we build a treehouse?” the girl asked in response.

“Maybe next year,” Addy said.

“A treehouse?” Toby asked over Hanna’s groan of protest.

Addy nodded. “She’s been asking for one since Kari got one. What?” she asked when Toby grinned.

“Well, who do you think built that treehouse for Kari?”

Addy blinked. “You did?”

Toby nodded. “For her birthday.”

“Wow!” She chuckled. “It was really nicely made. I’ve only seen it once, but even I wanted to live in it.”

Toby laughed. “Maybe I can make one for Hanna once we’re done with the porch.”

Addy shrugged. “Maybe.” She stopped and glanced at the shelves around them. “So, which wood would you recommend?”

Toby considered that while casting furtive glances at the planks around them. “Teak is the best, but the cost is astronomical. The wood you have now is pine. Pine is soft and inexpensive, but it’s not durable and you’ll be here in a few short years to redo it over again. Cypress or redwood would be your best bet.”

“Which ones are those?”

He took her to the proper racks and stepped back as she surveyed her choices.

“I really like the redwood,” she decided.

“I like the redwood, too,” he admitted. “The color will look very nice with the outside of the house.” At Addy’s nod, he asked, “Is that the one you want?”

“Yes, please, but I would like to do some changes to the porch layout, if that’s possible?”

“Yeah, for sure.” He left her side to limp over to the binder Mr. Holloway kept hanging off every shelf in the place by hooks. The book was full of catalogues dating back to the starts of evolution. The newer ones were at the back, but he unattached the whole thing and brought it over. “There are some great ideas in here, unless you already know what you want?”

Addy shook her head. “I don’t, but the front porch is the first thing people see when they come over, so I want it to look really nice and eye catching.”

Toby bobbed his head slowly. “That makes sense. Okay, well…” He dumped the book down on the planks and flipped it open with the hand not holding his cane. “There’s some good ones in here. Just have a look and let me know. Most of those also have measurements and number of planks you’ll need so that’ll help, too.”

Addy glanced over to where Hanna was pulling chunks of wood out of a bargain bin and building a castle on the floor. She looked about ready to tell the girl to stop, but decided against it. She turned her attention back to the book and began flipping through it.

“Oh! This one is gorgeous!” she gasped.

It was a sprawling work of art hugging the entire house in rows of soft, pale wood. There was a porch swing and a whole path around the side of the building to the back where there were benches built into the railings of the patio and a gazebo and even a hot tub. It continued off on one side for a patio built on slabs of stone. The stones led in a winding path to a cozy sitting area equipped with an outdoor fire pit. The set up was perfect for large get-togethers and parties, but there was a homey feel to it that even Toby had to admit he liked.

“This one!” she breathed, running slender fingers over the picture. “It’s perfect. Macy has a patio set that would look beautiful with this and I can get a pretty table for the patio and have cookouts in the summer during peak season. Oh, and that fire pit … the kids would love that. They could have campouts and roast marshmallows.” The joy in her voice tugged at the corner of his mouth. The happiness reflected in the flush in her cheeks and lit the light behind her eyes. She caught her lip between her teeth and turned the page to look over the required items and the price listed at the bottom. She visibly blanched. “Oh my goodness!” she gasped. “I should have checked first.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Maybe in a few years.”

“Wait.” Toby set his hand over hers before she could flip away. “I like that one.”

Addy sighed. “I do too, but I would have to take out a mortgage just to afford—”

“I think you should do it,” he cut in. “Not the second mortgage, but get that one.”

“I can’t afford that one.”

He took the book from her. “That’s the one,” he told her quietly. “I’ll make it happen. Trust me,” he murmured when she opened her mouth. “You’ll have that porch.” He set the binder aside. Then he took her hand to keep her from reaching the catalogues again. “Hanna, come on, sweetie.”

Hanna’s head jerked up, her brown eyes questioning. Toby expected a fuss, maybe even a protest, but she quickly dumped her blocks back into the bin and hurried over to them.

“Are we leaving? Did we buy a new porch?”

“Yes and yes.”

With a grin, Toby motioned her onward before following with Addy’s tiny fingers clutched in his. He felt like he was holding a baby bird, fragile and so precious. Part of him didn’t want to let go, but once they left the solitary confines of the back and entered the ever watchful eyes of the town, he let her go, but only long enough to slip that hand around her waist to settle on her lower back. Even that was dangerous, but his hand had grown its own mind and didn’t care about the wagging tongues of the ever watching. Nevertheless, he forced it to drop away once they hit the front. Mr. Holloway glanced up when they approached the counter. His bushy eyebrows migrated north as his blue eyes jumped from Addy to Toby.

“Back already?”

Toby set the blank notepad and pen on the table. “Yup, Addy found the porch of her dreams in the catalogue.”

Mr. Holloway reached under the desk and pulled out a matching binder and set it down. He waited as Toby flipped it open and showed him the page.

“That’s a real good choice,” Mr. Holloway agreed. “Now, it’s going to take me about a day to get all of this together for you, but I’ll call you.”

Thanking him, Toby tugged Addy and Hanna to the door and out into the autumn morning. The spicy scent of spices and pumpkins wafted down the street from the bakery. It danced around them with its tempting little fingers. He wondered if he could bribe Addy into getting a couple of donuts. He was starving.

“I shouldn’t have picked that one,” she blurted suddenly. “It will take me thirty years to pay Mr. Holloway back and—”

“Will you stop?” He offered her a half smile. “I told you to trust me.”

“Yes, but I don’t know what that means!” she cried. “Trust you to do what?”

He guided her and Hanna to the truck. “To take care of it.”

Addy dug her heels in and whirled around on him. “You’re not paying for my porch,” she warned him. “I don’t want your charity or your pity, or whatever—”

“It’s not charity and it’s definitely not pity.” He yanked open the backdoor and helped Hanna into her booster. “The inn is a historical landmark. As an upstanding member of this town, I feel it’s my duty to partake in its upkeep.” Hanna properly belted in, he slammed the door and turned to the woman watching him. “Besides, I didn’t say you weren’t going to pay for it.”

There was a pink flush in her cheeks before she turned her face away. It was covered by tendrils of hair the wind lifted to conceal her expression, but Toby felt a thrill go through him as it always did at the knowledge that he affected her.

“I don’t like games,” she murmured quietly. “I don’t like…” Her arms lifted and closed around her slight frame. “I don’t want to owe you anything, Mr. McClain, so I’m asking you to please not toy with me.” She turned back to him, her face set in firm determination. “Tell me what you want.”

You.

The word jumped out at him before his brain could even formulate another thought. It took even him by surprise before he caught himself.

“I need a place to stay.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Free labor for room and board.”

Addy’s lips parted in silent shock.

Toby plunged on. “I don’t eat much. I’m reasonably clean. I’m quiet. I can get you references if you like.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why can’t you just rent a place in town?”

“Because I’d like to stay at the inn, especially since I’ll be working on it. Saves me time traveling.”

It wasn’t entirely true. He could get a place before the end of the day if he really wanted one. But his mind was made up. She fascinated him and he wanted more of her.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Can I think about it?”

He wasn’t sure why, but her request didn’t surprise him. Part of him had actually anticipated it.

“Absolutely.” He reached for the passenger’s side door and tugged it open. “Take as long as you need.”

She started forward only to stop and peer at him. That close, her chin was forced up and her body heat washed over him.

“Are you sure about this, Mr. McClain?”

“Like I said, logically it makes the best sense if I—”

“No, I mean is this a one person job? It seems like a lot to do for someone who … someone in your position,” she amended gently.

Amusement tugged at his mouth. “There is no way I can build an entire porch alone,” he admitted. “But I’ll have help, and for the love of God, stop calling me Mr. McClain.”

Color rose up the smooth column of her throat to flood her face. “I’ve been thinking about that and I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Putting his weight on the cane, he leaned his body forward a notch. “And why is that?”

Heavy lashes swept downward, concealing her eyes from him. “Because things have to stay strictly professional between us. Calling you by your name will complicate things.”

“It’s only a name.”

Her head rocked slowly from side to side. “It feels like a lot more.

Chapter 4 ~ Addy

Willa arrived promptly at four with the entire gang in tow for the last riding lesson of the season. The children stampeded through the house in a flurry of raised voices and hurried feet. They went straight through the kitchen and out the backdoor without a word to Addy. Willa stopped at the island and smiled at her.

The McClain women had always intimidated her. They were all so ridiculously beautiful and successful in a way that made other women feel inferior and inadequate, not that they had ever done anything to make Addy feel that way. But the three she had met, Willa, Calla and their mother Lily, were blonde, blue eyed, and beautifully willowy with skin like porcelain and the kind of aura that radiated strength and determination. She had always admired that. Of the three, the only one she felt semi comfortable around was Willa. Unlike her sister who exuded confidence and sexual appeal, Willa was sweet and dainty, like a fairy princess.

“Hey Addy,” she said. “Are we late?”

Dusting her hands on a rag, Addy shook her head. “No, you’re just in time. I was finishing up our after riding snacks.”

Blue eyes surveyed the small clutter on the counter between them. Pink lips curled.

“I love glazed pretzels!”

Addy nudged a freshly glazed pan closer. “Help yourself. I have enough to last a month.”

Willa took one and popped it into her mouth. She moaned as she chewed.

“So good!” She swallowed. “You really have to reconsider my offer to have your desserts sold at Under The Willow. The town’s people need you and your talents.”

Addy had been reconsidering her decision, more seriously now that she had a seven figure porch to consider. She’d thought about getting a loan from the bank, but that would require ID and questions, two things she was unable to provide. Part of her wished Macy was still around. The woman could fix anything. But she wasn’t and the responsibility of the inn fell on Addy.

“I would really like to talk to you about that when you have some time,” she told the other woman.

Willa ceased chewing and stared. “Really? You’ve changed your mind?”

Addy tried not to act too desperate. She smiled with all the calm she could muster.

“I might have, if we could really talk things over.”

“Yes!” Willa laughed, delighted. “Absolutely!” She brushed her fingers over her beautiful wool coat and reached into her purse. She dug out her phone and quickly flipped through it. “I have an article I’m writing for the paper all this week, but how about this weekend?” She lifted her eyes to Addy. “Saturday … oh, wait…” She hissed through her teeth. “Weekends are family time. Okay, what about Monday?”

Addy nodded. “Monday sounds great.”

Willa stuffed her phone back into her purse. “Great! I can come right over with Kari after I drop Owen off at school. Does that work for you?”

Addy agreed without a second of hesitation. She knew it was a big step, joining forces with the likes of the McClain’s, but it was a necessary evil. Her inn needed it. Plus, how bad could it be? It was just selling her baked goods to the one—and only—café in town. It didn’t change anything.

“I hear you’re getting your porch redone,” Willa cut into her fretting.

Addy blinked. “I only just decided yesterday. How did you—?”

Willa chuckled. “Toby called Damon and Jared in to help.”

“Oh!” She nodded slowly. “He did mention getting help. I guess I just never asked who.”

Willa’s smile faded. “Is that a problem?”

“No! No, it’s perfectly fine. I mean, if it’s okay with you … and Damon.”

Her smile returned. “Of course!”

Hanna and Kari took that moment to rush into the room, rosy cheeked and out of breath. They slammed the backdoor and stumbled to the island.

“Mommy, Owen hit Colten!” Kari cried. “They’re fighting.”

“What?”

Willa reached the backdoor before Addy and threw it open. They both hurried onto the porch and squinted across the field to where the group stood waiting to get their horses. Even from a distance, raised voices carried in with the wind. The screaming was unintelligible, but anger vibrated through every shout. Willa and Addy jogged down the steps and sprinted the distance to where the group stood in a tense circle around the two scuffling across the ground.

“Hey!” Willa broke through the circle and grabbed her son by the back of the jacket. She hefted him off his cousin. “What is going on here?”

“He started it!” Owen shouted, jabbing a finger at a glowering Colten. “He said I was a baby because I don’t like sleeping in the dark.”

Colten heaved himself up onto his feet and dusted off the seat of his pants. His face was a bright scarlet beneath the freckles and his eyes were the gray of an approaching storm. He stared at the other boy with pursed lips and an angry bruise blossoming along his right cheek.

“You are a baby!”

“Colten!” Willa shot him a warning glare. “You’re older and should know better!”

Colten said nothing.

Willa turned her attention to her son. “As for you, what have I told you about letting that head of steam get the better of you?”

Blue eyes lowered to the ground. “To not to.”

“Right.” Willa straightened. “Now, I want the two of you to apologize. Then I don’t want to ever hear that you two were fighting again, understand?”

Both nodded and muttered, “Yes ma’am.”

Exhaling, Willa made her way back to where Addy stood. “I am so sorry.”

Addy shook her head. “Don’t be. Kids are kids. Nothing you can do about that.”

Willa checked her watch. “I need to get to the café, but I will pick up the troops at six.”

Addy walked her back to the house. They cut through rather than go around. Both took the same length of time, but it just seemed easier.

At the front door, Willa paused and glanced back. “Call me if you have any trouble with those two.”

“Which two?”

Toby hit the last step on the stairs and joined them. He was leaning a little too heavily on his cane, Addy noted. His knuckles were white around the grip and there was a sheen of sweat across his brow.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Toby waved her concern aside. “Oh yeah, so which two?”

“Colten and Owen,” Willa muttered. “They’ve been down each other’s throats for days and I just don’t get it.”

“They’re kids,” Toby justified. “Just let them beat it out of their system.”

“Toby!” Willa gasped, outraged.

“That is how men handle their problems,” he stated evenly. “We use our fists then buy each other a drink. It’s normal.”

Willa groaned. “Please don’t tell them that.” She sighed. “I have to go. Don’t let him near the children,” she told Addy, pointing a finger at Toby.

“Hey!” Toby protested. “I am fantastic with children.”

Chuckling, Willa opened the door and stepped out. “I’ll be back later.”

With a wave, she jogged down the steps. Addy watched her get behind the wheel of her minivan and pull out of the driveway before shutting the door.

“Riding lessons are about to begin,” she told the man next to her. “Will you be joining us?”

“You paid for six weeks and there are no refunds.”

The third voice in their group made even Addy jump. She squeaked and pressed a hand over her startled heart.

“Sean!” She stared at her son sitting behind the desk, quiet and so small she hadn’t even noticed him. “What have I told you about being so quiet?”

“I’m always here,” he reminded her.

Composing herself, Addy nodded. “You’re right.”

“Why are you always here?” Toby cut in. “Why aren’t you out there riding or playing with the other kids?”

Sean squinted at him. “Because someone needs to man the front when Mom’s not here.”

“So you just sit there?”

“I do homework,” he corrected, gesturing to the books and papers open in front of him. “It’s nice and quiet when everyone leaves.”

Addy could tell Toby didn’t get it. Sean wasn’t like normal children and that confused a lot of people.

“Why don’t we get the kids situated?” she suggested.

Toby looked like he had more questions, but he relented and followed her back towards the kitchen.

“Is that normal?” he asked once they were alone. “I mean, I don’t know kids very well, but normally, they like being with other kids and having fun.”

“That is fun for him,” she said. “Sean knows the workings of this inn better than I do. Macy taught him everything before she left and he likes doing it.”

“But he’s ten,” Toby argued. “What ten year old anticipates being alone to do his homework?”

“Sean,” she said simply.

Toby thought about that a moment. She could tell it still made no sense, but he accepted it with a shrug.

“All right then.” He stalked past her and opened the backdoor. “Let’s see the troops.”

They walked to the stables and the children waiting none too patiently. A few spotted them coming and immediately started bouncing around in excitement. Cheers rose through the crisp air. It drew Mr. LaRue from inside. His rail thin frame seemed even thinner beneath the heavy coat stooping his shoulders. His faded gray eyes squinted against the sun as he studied Addy from a narrow face.

Addy went to him. “Hello Mr. LaRue.” She offered him a smile. “You’re here early.”

Reaching well into his seventies, Kevin LaRue had been the inn’s stable hand since Macy bought the place. He lived down the road with his dog who was probably older than he was and made the journey of checking on the horses three times a day, every day. Addy didn’t know what she’d do without him. Macy had taught her the odd thing about horses, but it wasn’t nearly enough to properly care for the creatures.

“Was just about to leave,” he grumbled in his raspy, smoker’s voice. “I’ll be back later tonight to put the horses to bed.”

Addy nodded. “Thank you.”

He bobbed his head on a neck that could have doubled as a twig. His gaze shot past her to Toby.

“Oh!” Feeling incredibly rude, Addy shifted back so the two could properly see each other. “Mr. LaRue, this is Toby McClain. He’s here to help make some repairs around the place. Mr. McClain, this is—”

“I know who you are,” Mr. LaRue cut in. “Whole town knows your family.”

It was unclear if that was a compliment or an insult, but Toby accepted it with a slow nod.

“There are many of us,” he agreed. “We’re planning world domination.”

Mr. LaRue was unimpressed by the remark. He regarded Toby with a look of pure annoyance.

“I’ll be back later,” he said to Addy, but kept glowering at Toby. “Don’t kill the horses.”

He ambled back towards the house without another word. They watched him go until he was a tiny speck in the distance.

Addy turned to Toby. “I’m so sorry about that. He’s not normally so prickly.”

“Not your fault. Mentions of my family either bring smiles or frowns. I’ve learned to accept it.”

Oddly enough, that confession didn’t surprise her. The McClain family was infamous in the sleepy town of Willow Creek. Their antics had reached even the isolated corners of her world. Everything she’d heard was second hand from Macy or the occasional passerby. At no time did she ever believe everything, but there had been enough to make her nervous about having her name associated with them. Her mother used to tell her she was the people she associated with and the wrong kind could damage her reputation beyond repair. That had never felt truer until now. It really only took one person to cast her entire world into chaos, one person to really question her presence in Willow Creek. Questions were a phobia of hers.

“Hey.” Five blunt fingers wound around her elbow. “You okay?”

She forced herself to nod and smile, and both felt exorbitantly painful. “Yes.” She tugged her arm free. “I … the kids are waiting.”

Mind a tangled mess of all the errors of her decisions, Addy hurried away from him with her head ducked and her strides long. Her chest hurt by the time she reached the head of the group. Silence descended without a word from her and all eyes focused. She offered the small faces her best smile as she rattled off the rules. She didn’t have many, but the few she did, she enforced with severity. It took no time at all to get the eager nods and an excited little hop from Kari.

The idea to give lessons had been hers. She’d never ridden a horse in her life before that day, but Macy had the creatures and they only ever saw real exercise during big events and holidays. Macy had leaped on the idea, pointing out it would also give Hanna and Sean other kids their age to play with twice a week. That was also the reason Addy had continued the tradition after Macy had left.

“Okay, get your horses and remember, no yelling or running in the stable.

She followed them in. Mr. LaRue had already brushed and saddled the horses. Rosie retrieved the ponies for the younger children and helped Owen with his mare, but the rest got their own. Addy waited until everyone was out on the field before getting Lady out of her stall. She patted the mare’s caramel coat.

“Ready, girl?”

The horse clomped a hoof against the concrete that Addy took as excitement. With her reins in hand, Addy led the mare out onto the field. Rosie was lifting Kari onto her pony. The others were already mounted. Everything seemed in order, except…

“Are you coming with us?”

The man stood a few yards away, one hand tucked lazily in the pocket of his form fitting jeans. He seemed comfortable and in no hurry to move.

“Not this time,” he said, captivating her with those intense eyes of his. “I want to start measuring the porch and getting a few more things knocked off the list before this weekend.”

Since that first riding out, he hadn’t gone on any of the other lessons. He remained behind to work, which was something he did with a single minded determination. His dedication astonished her, especially when his movement was restricted by a length of metal and rubber. It also heightened her respect for him. He never let his injury stop him from accomplishing what needed to be done. He wasn’t bitter or aggressive. If anything, he was too perfect and that made her equally wary.

Leaving him there, she quickly mounted Lady and started the assembly. The children pulled their horses in the direction of their familiar path and followed. They circled the property at a slow clip, enjoying the change of colors in the trees and the quiet whisper of secrets being told amongst the leaves. Their progress added to the calm in an almost soothing musical. At the back, Rosie followed on Nightmare.

As much as Addy loved giving lessons and seeing the children, part of her was relieved that the season was over. It meant no longer having to deal with people or tiptoe around questions she had no desire to answer. But it did mean the loss of an income and she sorely needed as many of those as possible until spring. More and more, it seemed like the only option she currently had was to bake for Under The Willow and bake well.

The lesson ended with a cheer as they reached the clearing. Addy dismounted.

“Get to the house when you’re done!” she called over the noise. “Snacks will be on the table.” She turned to Rosie. “I’m going to get everything organized if you think you can…”

Rosie nodded. “No problem.”

Leaving Rosie to round up the kids and tuck away the horses, Addy hurried back to the house. She stomped up the steps and straight into the kitchen.

Five fully grown men dominated the usually spacious room with Sean standing mute and small in the doorway, watching with guarded eyes. The intruders stood in a casual circle around her island, eating her glazed pretzels and looking like they belonged on some nature hike catalogue in their jeans and flannels. The only ones she actually recognized were Toby, Damon and Jared. The latter two from having the kids picked up and dropped off when their wives couldn’t. The final two were unfamiliar, but the resemblance to Toby was just enough for her to guess they were related to him somehow.

“Uh…” She shut the door and stared at the group that had stopped and glanced over at her like they couldn’t understand why she was there. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

Sean hurried over to stand next to her and she set a hand on his shoulder.

“Addy.” Toby broke away from the cluster and started towards her. “Sorry. I should have told you. I asked them to have a look at what we were dealing with. Oh!” At her confused expression, he paused. “This is Uncle Sloan, my dad Cole, my brother Damon and … who are you?” he asked the final guy, who flipped him off. Toby snorted. “That’s my brother in law Jared.”

“Oh!” Outrageously flustered, Addy hedged closer by a step, faltered, before pushing the rest of the way forward, hand extended. Sloan took it first. “It’s nice to meet you.” She offered her hand to Cole next. “I know your wives, except for yours, but I’ve heard great things.”

Cole chuckled. “That’s my Beth. Not very social. Never really got used to the whole small town thing.”

Cole resembled Toby greatly with the same sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. There were laugh lines around his eyes and a relaxed calmness around his shoulders, unlike his brother. Sloan was all business. Everything from his tense posture to the wary glint in his eyes made her wonder if he hadn’t been a cop at some point. There were very few laugh lines around his eyes, no amusement around his mouth. This was a man who took his job very seriously.

Then there were the other two. Damon was the only dark haired one in the group. But he had the same intense blue eyes and watchful expression as Owen. Jared was more laid back, like Cole. But he was a bear of a man with hands that looked like they could punch holes into steel. He didn’t need to act intimidating. He just was.

She took a step back, her palms too clammy to dare anymore handshakes. “Thank you for coming.”

“Toby says you want a porch built around the place,” Sloan said when the others only nodded. “I had a look at the one you got now and you’re lucky it hasn’t come down around your head ages ago.”

Addy tried not to grimace. “I did some remodeling a couple of years back. It wasn’t very big. Mostly painted the outside, a few of the rooms and had the floors redone, but the guy I hired said the porch was fine so, I just took his word for it.”

“Sam Hogan?” Sloan muttered dryly.

Addy nodded. “He was recommended—”

“He’s a crook,” Cole interrupted. “He’d sell you snake oil if you let him.”

Addy’s jaw dropped. “What…?”

“He’s not the most reliable source,” Sloan said much more calmly. “I’m going to give the place a once over and we’ll fix whatever needs fixing.”

“What? No! Wait.” She hurried forward when the group actually started moving as though preparing to follow orders. “Hold on! I really, really appreciate you coming and helping with the porch, but I can’t ask you to—”

“You’re not asking,” Sloan interrupted. “We’re offering.”

“But…” She rubbed the tips of her fingers across her brow. “We need to still discuss payment and labor and material, and don’t all of you work? What about your jobs?”

Sloan glanced at Toby. “Payment?”

Toby shrugged. “I recommend the cookies.”

“No!” Addy cut in. “No, I am not paying anyone in cookies! Anyone else!” she added when Toby opened his mouth. “Please, this needs to be done right.”

Sloan surveyed her a long moment. She could feel the others doing the same, but it wasn’t with the same level of scrutiny.

“All right.” Sloan straightened. “Let’s put a proposal on paper.”

Addy exhaled. “Thank you. I’ll—”

The backdoor flew open and a herd of children bulldozed their way into the kitchen, screaming and laughing loud enough to make the windows rattle. Kari spotted her father and squealed in delight. She tore away from the group and launched herself into Damon’s arms. He caught her mid lunge and clasped her to his chest.

“Hey baby.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Have a good lesson?”

The rest of the McClain children walked over to stand with their family. Jared clapped a hand on Colten’s shoulder and turned him to get a better look at the bruise on his cheek. He raised an eyebrow, but Colten shook his head.

“I thought Mom was going to pick us up,” Owen said to his grandfather.

“She still is,” Damon answered before Cole could. “We’re here to talk to Ms. …”

“Nixon,” Addy supplied. “But Addy’s fine.”

“Are we still getting snacks?” Kari asked.

“Absolutely!” Addy hurried around the circus that had become her kitchen. “Everyone in your chairs, please!” she shouted over the commotion.

The kids scrambled to the table and took their proper places, everyone, except Sean, who remained frozen in place. Addy quickly scooped handfuls of glazed pretzels into bowls and took them over with glasses of orange juice. Rosie abandoned her seat and hurried over to help distribute. Addy smiled her thanks as the last treat was passed out.

Finished, she dusted off her hands and turned to the men still clustered around her island. “Would you mind just waiting until some of the kids leave? We can go into my office and work the plan out there.”

Sloan nodded. “That sounds fine.”

“What kind of glaze is this?” Jared asked around a mouthful of pretzel.

“Salted caramel,” she said. “It’s homemade.”

Jared stopped chewing and stared at her. “You make homemade caramel?”

Flushing, Addy chuckled. “It’s really not very hard.”

Uncomfortable, she turned her attention on the children, not that she needed to. They were actually behaving, which gave her nothing to do, but stand there and wait. Thankfully, not for long.

No sooner had they finished eating when parents arrived to get their children. One by one, the group diminished until only the McClain crew, Sean, and Hanna remained. Even then, Willa arrived promptly at six. She didn’t seem surprised in the least to find her husband and half her family in Addy’s kitchen.

“Hey everyone!” She hurried over to kiss her father’s cheek first. Then her husband lightly on the mouth. “I’m going to take the children home and give you guys a chance to talk to Addy.” She turned to Addy with a smile. “Are we still on for Monday?” At Addy’s nod, her smile broadened. “Great. I’ll drop by first thing in the morning. Unless you’d like to meet in town?”

Addy shook her head. “Whatever is easiest for you.”

“I can come here,” Willa assured her. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

She herded the children from the room. Hanna followed, leaving Addy and Sean alone with the five men.

“I’m going to man the front,” Sean muttered when it became apparent that the men weren’t a threat.

“Thank you.” She said as he stalked from the room. She turned her attention to the men. “I’m sorry. You all must be very busy.”

“It’s not a problem.” Sloan straightened. “Do you have some paper and a pen?”

She started to offer they head into her office, but thought better of it. There was no way she could fit all of them in the tiny space. Instead, she hurried out and returned just as quickly with a legal pad and a pen. She offered both to Sloan and watched as he lowered himself onto a stool and began to write.

“All right, so there are five of us,” Sloan began, still writing. “We’ll have to work around Damon and Jared’s jobs, but you’ll have more than half of us here at a time. I think if we hold a steady pace, we could probably get this place up and running in two months. That’s including the porch. In the meantime, I think five hundred up front with an extra five hundred upon completion would work best.”

Addy frowned. “Five hundred for what?”

Sloan raised his head. “Our fee.”

Addy had never been a mathematician, but even she knew that wasn’t right. “That’s only a hundred a person.”

“Two hundred,” Sloan corrected. “Have you talked to Ben Holloway over at the hardware store?”

“Yes, but—”

“He’s putting the order in today for tomorrow,” Toby said at the same time.

Sloan nodded. “Good. Okay.” He set the pen down and fixed Addy with his eyes. “Jared and I will pick up the supplies tomorrow and bring it back here. That should be a little after eight, which is the time the hardware store will open. But we’ll be here early after that. Does seven work for you?”

“In the morning?” she blurted.

“The earlier we start, the more we can get done in a day.”

“I have to be home for supper by six,” Jared piped in.

Sloan nodded. “Work will end at five thirty.”

“And no working weekends,” Cole chimed in.

“No weekends,” Sloan agreed. “So every weekday from seven to five thirty. Does that work for you?”

Addy couldn’t get her head around it all. They were talking too fast and throwing too much at her all at once.

“Yes to everything, except the two hundred dollars. For all the work you will be doing, I insist on something higher.”

Sloan looked to Toby, which made Addy wonder what he’d told his family.

“I’m fine with cookies,” he said evenly.

“Two hundred works for me,” Jared said.

Damon shrugged. “Yeah, me too.”

“No!” she protested. “That isn’t fair. You guys are doing such an enormous favor for me and you don’t even know me and I won’t feel right taking advantage of you.”

“All right, how about this.” Sloan shifted on his seat, making the stool squeak. “You throw in lunch—”

“And snacks!” Jared added.

Sloan shot him a sidelong glance before focusing on Addy once more. “You throw in lunch … and snacks, and we’ll call it even. That’s the highest I’m willing to go,” he added when Addy opened her mouth.

She had no idea what the hell kind of logic that was. How … why would they do all that work for nothing? It made no sense. They didn’t know her. They defiantly didn’t owe her anything. Yet there they were, practically handing her everything on a silver platter. Well, she’d had experiences with gleaming plates. She knew they never came for free and the strings that always came attached weren’t worth the metal.

“I will put it all on paper,” Sloan went on almost gently. “We’ll all sign it.”

Her heart was racing, cracking between her ears in a wild drum she hadn’t heard in years. They were offering her too much and that scared the hell out of her. It had taken her so long to escape the last act of kindness someone had thought to bestow on her.

“Take it,” Toby murmured. “It’s fair. I promise.”

“Okay,” she heard herself whisper. “But with a fair cut for everyone and I’d like you to start at eight until five.”

To most, her request would have made no sense. They wouldn’t understand why she was looking a gifted horse in the mouth. But then most people hadn’t lived in the shadows of that gift. They didn’t know that people never did something for nothing and eventually, they would want something from her that she would be powerless to deny. It was a situation she would never put herself into again.

“Those are my conditions,” she said.

“Addy—”

Sloan put his hand up, stilling Toby’s protest. His blue eyes studied her without blinking. The contemplation in them made her wonder what he was thinking, if he was regretting his offer to help. Men didn’t like a woman who went against their word. No doubt he thought she was being a hormonal and emotional female.

But he nodded.

“Fair enough.” He kicked his brother in the leg, motioning him off the second stool. “Let’s work it out then.”

It wasn’t what she’d been expecting, but she swallowed back her relief and took the offered seat.

The talk turned out to be a lot of back and forth about what was reasonable. Addy knew she was being an idiot. As it stood, she didn’t even have money to pay for the equipment, never mind the actual work involved. But she knew what they were owed. A real contractor would have asked for thousands. While there was no way she could afford that, she knew she couldn’t allow them to get nothing either.

“Thousand each,” she said when Sloan started to offer her another low option. “Twenty-five hundred up front and another twenty-five upon completion. Plus lunch and snacks.”

He hesitated, but he inclined his head. “All right.”

Sloan jotted the new agreement down before holding the pad out to her. Addy took it and read over the lines carefully.

It was all there, exactly how they’d discussed.

She sighed and passed it back.

“Good?” Sloan asked.

Addy nodded. “Yes.”

Satisfied, he signed the bottom. Cole did next, followed by Jared and Damon. When the pad was passed over to Toby, he shook his head.

“I’ll sign it, but I don’t want the money.”

“Toby…”

Toby cut his uncle off with another shake of his head. “Addy and I already have an agreement. She can put the money towards that if she wants, but I don’t want it.”

The lodging, she thought, which still made no sense to her. But she couldn’t have him working on her house if he wasn’t going to get paid and something told her that he would do it even if she told him no.

“Okay,” she told him. “I’ll give you one of the rooms upstairs.”

“And cookies,” he reminded her. “Five thousand of them. You promised.”

Damon frowned. “You asked for five thousand cookies?”

“Dude.” Toby faced his brother. “You have not had these cookies.”

“If they’re anything like these pretzels, I believe you,” Jared muttered around another mouthful.

Sloan rose. “I think that’s everything.” He dug into his pocket and removed a business card. He pressed it into Addy’s palm. “Call if you have any questions.”

Addy peered at the bold, but clear print on the simple, white bit of paper and her confusion grew.

“McClain’s Pack N’ Go?” She peered at the man in charge. “You’re movers?”

“For fifty years now,” Sloan answered.

While that gave her some sense of relief if she ever needed movers, but that didn’t explain what kind of qualifications they had for renovations.

“Uncle Sloan’s the guy you want.” Toby voiced the answer to her unasked question. “Trust me. He knows what he’s doing.”

Addy inhaled deeply and held it until her lungs hurt. Really, she had no choice. Anyone else would ask for triple what Sloan and crew were asking for. Plus the McClain’s were a big deal in the community. While stories of them were infamous, their characters were not. Plus, she did trust Toby, as crazy as it was.

“All right.” She tucked the card into her pocket and got to her feet. “Thank you, Mr. McClain.”

He took the hand she offered him. “Sloan.”

Addy offered him a small smile. “Sloan.”

“Hey, why is he Sloan, but I can’t be Toby?”

Chapter 5 ~ Toby

Mark wasn’t home when Toby returned to the apartment with Damon. The place smelled of cigarettes and too much testosterone. Maybe it was because he was getting used to the sweet fragrance of Addy’s place, but he never realized just how funky Mark’s apartment actually smelled until that moment.

“I only have a duffle here,” he told his brother as Damon followed him in and shut the door. “I already texted to let Mark know I’m leaving.”

“And why are you leaving?” Damon wandered away from him towards the glowing green lamp. “This place has such potential.”

Ignoring the man, Toby grabbed his meds off the kitchen counter, his toothbrush, razors, and shampoo from the bathroom and stuffed everything into the duffle he kept by the sofa. He cast a final glance around the place before turning to his brother.

“Done.”

Drawing away from the bulb he was tapping experimentally, Damon skirted around the coffee table and took the duffle from Toby. He tossed it casually over his shoulder and met Toby’s gaze.

“You know Mom’s going to want an explanation, right?”

He knew she would. She hadn’t been so concerned when it was Mark, because Toby wasn’t moving in with the guy. It was more like a sleepover. But his mom would not be so understanding about him moving out, not when he was in such a delicate state.

“Maybe I’ll just leave my stuff there,” he mused.

Damon snorted. “And what’ll you tell her when she finds out, which she will?”

“That I’m living in sin,” he decided. “I don’t know. Can you—?”

“Nope.” Damon turned on his heels and marched towards the door. “You are so on your own, pal.”

Grumbling, Toby followed. “What kind of brother are you?”

“The kind that likes watching you suffer.”

They walked the rest of the way to Damon’s Jeep in silence. Toby’s bag was tossed into the back as the two climbed in.

“You don’t think she’d pull a Misery, do you?”

Damon started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot before answering. “Misery?”

“Yeah, like the book by Stephen King.”

Damon shot him a quick sidelong glance. “It’s a good possibility.” He drummed his fingers on the wheel. “But on the bright side, she’d only have to break one of your knees.”

Toby shoved him. “Ass.”

The drive to their childhood home took all of twenty minutes down a long, dirt road that strained like a muddy gash into the distance. The house was the only one for miles, sitting neatly on a sea of grass their dad had actually put in over what used to be miles of wheat fields. It was all so flat and empty that Toby could stand on the porch, look to the west and see his Uncle Sloan’s house. Over the years, his mom had planted a few trees and a fence had been put up when the children were small to keep them contained in the backyard, but nothing had changed since then.

They climbed out of the Jeep once Damon had pulled to a stop in the driveway. Toby limped forward, putting more than a touch of his weight on the cane as he climbed the front steps.

The front door opened to a foyer and a set of stairs that led straight upstairs. There were two doorways on either side, a dining room on the right, and a spacious sitting area on the left. Three enormous sofas sat in a half square around an empty fireplace and coffee table. Each one was a different color, but large enough to accommodate the large number of people that inhabited the place normally; his parent’s house was the hangout spot. It was where all the family gatherings took place and always smelled like home, which Toby could only describe as rich, hearty, and warm.

“What do you think our odds are of running upstairs, grabbing my things and leaving before she—?”

“Toby?”

At the sound of their mother’s voice, Damon grinned. “I’d say not very good.”

Toby grimaced. “How does she do that?” Drawing in a breath, he headed for the kitchen. “Hey Mom!”

Beth McClain was a vampire. At least, that was what Toby always thought. She and his Aunt Lily seemed incapable of aging. Both could have passed for women in their mid-thirties at the very most. He had no idea how they were able to still look so young, but he was sure magic was involved.

She hurried towards him with her long, quick nurse strides. Her long, dark hair swung at her back like a pendulum from the elastic clasping the heavy strands in a ponytail. She wore jeans and a blue t-shirt. Her feet were bare and she had no makeup on, but she was still one of the prettiest women he knew.

“I was beginning to wonder when I would see my boys.” She pulled Toby into her arms and held him a full second before doing the same with Damon. “You’re just in time for my homemade enchilada and bean sauce.”

Toby’s stomach whimpered. “Maybe a bite.”

That brought a smile to her face. She squeezed his arm before guiding them deeper into the kitchen.

The smell was even stronger once they passed over the threshold. The kitchen had always been the main source of the house’s power, the place all the magic happened. It was where the family came together. Already their mom had started the preparations for that weekend when the McClain clan would fill the house. Pots and bowls of prepaid things cluttered the counters. Something was baking in the oven and his mother’s personal cookbook sat open on the table.

Damon and Toby took their seats as their mom grabbed them plates. She brought the dishes to the table and glowered at her boys.

“Did you wash your hands?”

Grumbling, they both rose and followed orders while she dished steaming rolls onto their plates. She was pouring them orange juice by the time they returned.

There was very little she couldn’t cook and cook really well. The enchiladas were no exception. Toby wolfed down two platefuls before his stomach begged him to stop. Damon was on his third before he called it quits.

“Now that you’re both fed…” She pulled out the chair opposite them and sat. “What do I owe to this visit?”

Damon, being no help whatsoever, picked up his juice and sipped idly while watching Toby expectantly from over the rim. Toby was tempted to flip him off, but his mom would probably hit him with a spatula.

“Have you talked to Dad today?” he asked instead.

His mom nodded. “Only a few minutes ago. He was on his way to the bank. Why?”

“Did he tell you about the inn?”

Again, she nodded. “He mentioned you boys helping … I can’t remember her name…”

“Addy,” he supplied.

“Right, Addy with some renovations.”

“Her porch,” he explained. “And a few other things. The place isn’t exactly falling down or anything, but it needs a few touchups.”

“All right, that sounds great.”

Toby cleared his throat and sat back. “Well, I was thinking I’d get a room over there … at the inn,” he clarified. “To save on the travel every day. Plus, I’m already doing a few things round the place as it is, so it’ll be easier on my knee if I stayed close.”

Her blue eyes narrowed, but there was amusement shadowing her mouth. “That’s very kind of you. Any specific reason?”

“To be kind?”

“All that for someone you don’t know? Unless you like her?”

Heat prickled the back of his neck and it took some real effort not to look away from her prodding gaze.

It was one thing to like a girl when you’re sixteen and having your mom ask if you like her. It was another thing to be nearly thirty and have your mom make it sound like something naughty.

“Yeah, I do like her,” he confessed. “Probably more than I ever expected to like someone.”

Maybe she’d been hoping for something else, denial maybe, but her eyes widened with surprise. “Should I break out the china?”

Toby grimaced. “Take it easy, Mom. I’m still trying to get to know her.”

She looked like she was about to say something, but she thought better of it and bobbed her head yet again in slow nods. “Well, I think it’s a great idea.”

It was a tossup who was more surprised by the comment, Toby or Damon. They both exchanged wary glances.

“You do?”

Their mom nodded. “Of course!” She rose out of her chair and walked over to the pot simmering on the stove. She stirred it once before setting the ladle aside and turning to them once more. Her grin mischievous. “I’ve heard she’s very pretty.”

The heat crawled up his neck and singed the skin of his face, but he grinned. “Yeah, she is.”

“You’ll be careful?”

Toby scoffed. “Of course. It’s my middle name, remember?”

It was her turn to snort. “Right.” She started back towards the table. “So when do I get to meet her?”

Toby blanched. His gaze shot over to his brother and was met with a raised eyebrow and curved mouth. He turned back to his mother.

“Meet her?”

Her grin was mischievous. “Well, you’re moving in with her. I think that entitles me to at least a sit down over tea.”

“Jesus, Mom!” But he chuckled.

She regained her seat and turned her attention on Damon. “How’s Willa and the children?”

Toby listened for a few minutes while Damon went on about Owen’s accomplishments at school and Kari’s ability to recite the alphabet before pushing to his feet and making his way to the stairs. He loathed stairs. By the time he reached the top, he was drenched in sweat and out of breath, but he hobbled to his old room and started the slow process of packing his clothes. The rest of his things were boxed up neatly in a storage facility just out of town.

After his injury, Damon and Jared had packed up his apartment and brought whatever Toby needed over to his parent’s house. He’d lived on the sofa the first few months, but once his leg was well enough to hold some of his weight, he’d moved himself back up to his room. He had every intention of getting his own place again, but for the time being, living at the inn seemed like the next best thing.

“Hey, need help?” Damon appeared in the doorway, hands in his pocket.

Leaning his weight on his cane, Toby nodded. “Yeah, Just the one bag.”

Moving deeper into the room, Damon grabbed the suitcase and hauled it out the door. Toby followed at a slower pace. The pang in his thigh had worsened the last few days. It was all the walking and climbing, but there was no helping it.

“Toby?”

His mom appeared at the bottom of the stairs, one hand on the railing, the other bunched around a dishrag. Her brows were furrowed over watchful, blue eyes. They studied his white knuckled grip around the stiff rubber, the sweat dampening his hairs at his temples, and the tight knot in his jaw. He knew she saw it and braced himself for her avalanche of concern.

“When’s your next appointment?” she asked instead.

“Next week.”

Her chin lifted. “You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“Mom…”

She put up the hand holding the rag. “Don’t Mom me, Tob. I’m allowed to fuss. It’s my job. Now, you’re too old for me to ground, but you better believe I’m still going to take care of you. Start taking it easy, do you hear me? Or I’ll be on the phone with your doctor before you can even think about taking another step.”

“Jesus, Mom—”

“Don’t cuss. Now get down here and let me look at your leg.”

Crap! He thought miserably as he descended the last few steps to the bottom. His mom watched him like a hawk the whole way to the sofa. Once he was properly seated, she moved to kneel in front of him.

“You’ll need to take off your pants.”

“I am not taking my pants off!” he muttered. “It’s fine. I swear!”

She glowered at him. “That wasn’t a request.”

“I ain’t doing it,” he shot back, equally stubborn. “Now, you can poke and prod to your heart’s content, but I ain’t taking my pants off!”

She sucked in air through her nostrils, making them flare, but she didn’t push again. Huffing, she placed her hands on his thigh and gingerly messaged the tight muscles. Every prod, no matter how careful, made his entire body erupt in hot and cold sweat. The pain clawed at his insides until he was certain he’d be sick.

“Is it real bad?” his mom asked gently, her anger evaporating into concern. “On a scale of—”

“Fifty,” he choked out. “Stop!”

He set his hand over hers. His was trembling and clammy. His chest heaved as he struggled not to pass out.

“Toby—”

“I just … I need my pills.”

Her face tensed as it always did at the very idea of someone relying on medication for anything. But she relented.

“Where are they?”

Vomit curdling at the back of his throat, he jerked a nod towards the open doorway. “Car. My duffle.”

She rose quickly and hurried away. Toby waited until she was out the door before letting the sob escape. His head dropped back and he squeezed his eyes shut tight. He didn’t have very long before his mom returned. She dashed into the kitchen and was back in front of him with a glass of water and his painkillers.

He took three. He would have taken the whole bottle if his mom hadn’t been standing there, watching him. Her distaste for medication had always been a sort of joke in the family, what with her being a nurse and all. He knew it was because her mom had overdosed and left her in the hands of the system, but it never failed to amuse him just how against pills she was.

“Maybe you should stay the night,” she advised, studying his face.

Toby shook his head. “Addy’s expecting me. Besides,” he hoisted himself forcibly up, more to ease her mind that he was all right than anything else. “I’m fine now.”

A neatly defined eyebrow lifted. “You only just took those pills. No way they kicked in that quickly.”

Rather than respond, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the lunch. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Her lips pursed, but she didn’t stop him when he made his way outside. Damon stood by the jeep, phone mashed to his ear. His face was bunched in concentration.

“Eggs and toilet paper. Yeah, I’ll get them on my way home. Love you, too.”

“Willa?” Toby asked once his brother had hung up.

Damon shoved the phone into his pocket and circled around to the driver’s side door. “Yeah, needs me to grab a few things from the store.”

They got in. Toby waved at his mother as they backed out of the parking spot.

“Thanks for helping me,” he said.

Damon nodded. “What are big brothers for?”

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Buying beer when you’re underage?”

Damon snorted. “You’re twenty-seven. I think you can buy your own beer.”

“True, true, but I owe you one.”

“All right, you’re buying Friday.”

Laughing, Toby nodded. “Deal.”

They drove for some time before Damon broke the silence.

“So, you and the innkeeper, eh?”

Toby glanced over at the other man. “Whada-ya mean?”

Damon jerked a shoulder. “Nothing. Willa likes her. Says she’s real nice.”

Still not understanding the direction of his brother’s cryptic remarks, Toby nodded slowly. “Yeah, she is.”

“She’s got kids.”

Muscles tensed along Toby’s shoulders. “Yeah, I’ve met them.”

There must have been a warning note in his tone, because Damon put up a hand to ward off anything Toby was about to say.

“Calm down, I’m not insinuating anything. I’m only making sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. That’s my job, to look out for you.”

“I’m not getting myself into anything.”

“Dude, who are you trying to lie to? I am the king of hiding my feelings. I was twenty-five before I told Willa I loved her. I get it. But if you go down this path—”

“What path?”

“Fine,” Damon muttered. “Be like that. Just be careful. It’s not just your heart on the line.”

Neither said a word until Damon pulled into the inn’s driveway. He hopped out while Toby was still untangling himself from his seatbelt and reaching for his cane. His duffle and suitcase were taken inside. Damon was waiting in the foyer for him when Toby caught up.

“My mom is busy,” Sean was telling Damon when Toby joined them. “I can help you if you’re looking for a room.”

Toby shut the door and the kid’s brown eyes shot to him. He offered Sean a small grin.

“Hey, this is my brother, and Owen’s dad, Damon,” he introduced. “This is Sean.”

Damon inclined his head. “We met briefly.”

Sean looked from Damon to Toby and back again like he was trying to piece together a complex puzzle. But whatever was on his mind, he never said it out loud.

“Mom told me you’ll be staying with us,” he said instead. “Your room has been prepared. I just need a credit card on file.”

Toby, having already experienced the kid’s incredible brilliance, never batted an eyelash as he passed over his card.

Damon was less impressed. “Maybe we should wait for your mom…”

“It’s fine,” Toby said for Sean. “Sean’s the lord and master of this here passageway.”

Sean’s bland expression never changed as he accepted the card. He rang it through the computer, made Toby sign the reservation and policy documents and passed over a silver key hooked to a soft, leather keychain.

“You’re booked in our Victorian room.” He hopped off his stool, practically disappearing under the edge of the counter as he circled around to their side. “It’s the one closest to the kitchen and has a wonderful view of the forest. I can take your bags.”

“I’ve got them,” Damon said quickly when Sean reached for the suitcase. “Why don’t you just lead the way?”

Sean hesitated, but he stepped back and let his hands drop down to his sides. “Breakfast is at seven, lunch at one. Supper is held in the dining room promptly at six. Please don’t be late. We also offer carriage rides, but let us know a day in advance when you wish to take the trip. There is to be no alcohol, smoking, or drugs in the rooms. Any damages caused to the rooms will be taken off your credit card and you will not be allowed back.”

Damon shot Toby a glance when Sean’s back was turned. Toby just shrugged.

“This way please.”

They were led down the hallway, past the parlor and kitchen. The corridor curved, veering left. The passageway came to an abrupt halt before a wooden door. Sean pushed it open and stepped aside to allow them to pass.

The room opened to a spacious chamber straight out of a Victorian romance novel. Burgundy wallpaper stamped with gold leaves lined the walls over mahogany paneling. Dark, rich wood made up a king sized bed with high posts and an honest to goodness canopy with thick drapes fastened to the carved beams. The same wood was used for the vanity with its oval mirror, the trio of dressers and the two end tables on either side of the bed. On the floor, an area rug covered the stubbornly polished hardwood. Off to one side, facing a wood fire place, was a small sitting area.

“For maximum privacy, your room comes with its own Jacuzzi,” Sean went on, talking like a miniature-sized guidebook. He headed towards a set of doors tucked away across the room and threw back the heavy drapes keeping out the late afternoon sun. “You also have your own set of terrace doors out onto the back deck.”

Damon peered over at Toby and grinned. “This is a very nice room. Perfect for you.”

Sean turned then, saving Damon the finger Toby was about to flip him. “Is there anything you’ll need before supper?”

Toby shook his head. “Nope, this is great. Thank you.”

With a quick bob of his head, Sean hurried back to the door. “Then I’ll leave you to unpack. Thank you for staying with us.”

Then he was gone.

Damon snickered as he pushed his way into the room and dumped Toby’s bags down on the bed bench. He stepped back and surveyed the room more closely.

“Willa would like this room,” he mused.

“Well, it’s a place to sleep, so I’m not picky.”

Damon tucked his hands into his pockets and wandered his way to the door. “Yeah, I have to get going.”

“You’ve arrived!” Addy appeared in the doorway behind Toby. Her brown eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of them. It brought a flush to her cheeks that matched the soft pink of her mouth. She must have been outside, because she wore her coat over her jeans and flats. “Were you able to find everything?”

Toby nodded. “Everything’s great.”

“Good!” She turned her attention to Damon. “Hello Mr. McClain. Will you be joining us for supper?”

Damon shook his head, already edging his way out. “Promised Willa I’d pick up a few things from the market before heading home, so I should be on my way, and it’s Damon, please. We’ll be here a lot the next few months and Mr. McClain will get very confusing.”

Addy smiled wide. “You’re right. Thank you for coming.”

Damon inclined his head before glancing back at Toby. “You good?”

“Yup.”

With a final nod, his brother left and Toby was alone with the woman of his fascinations.

“Is the room all right?” she asked quietly when the awkward silence strained into minutes.

Toby nodded. “It’s very nice.”

She eased a step closer, but stopped when she was balanced on the threshold. “It’s the only one on the ground floor and I thought it would be easiest for you.”

It was. Not having to climb stairs made his life very easy.

“I appreciate that.”

That awkward silence returned. The one that made him painfully aware of how odd their situation really was; he’d never lived with a woman before.

“I should get supper ready,” she said, breaking the silence. “Is there anything I can do for you before I go?”

Toby shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m set.”

Nodding, she started to back away slowly. “Supper’s at six in the dining room. I’ll send Sean to get you.”

He started to tell her not to bother the boy, but she was already hurrying away. He shut the door and made his way to the bed. His cane was propped against the nightstand as he lowered himself down.

The mattress cushioned his backside like a pair of lover’s hands and his entire body sank into tufts of downy comfort. Every muscle groaned with pure bliss as he reclined. He shut his eyes and let the bed hug his frame into the first peaceful sleep he’d had in weeks.

He’d been dreaming about ham sandwiches, an ice cold Corona, and white sandy beaches when the knocking began. It rode up over the soft whoosh of ocean lapping against the shore and the cawing of the seagulls. His peaceful bubble wavered and the slow rise of reality shot cracks through his peaceful slumber.

“No…” His low groan went ignored as the thumping persisted.

He cracked one eye open and squinted at the mute darkness creeping through the unfamiliar room. The unfamiliar alarm clock winked at just a little after six. The glowing red numbers reminded him of demon eyes.

Across the room, a thin, pale line appeared where the door was being pried open. It grew wider until the light was a square hole in the wall broken by a tiny figure. It hesitated on the threshold before tiptoeing to the bed.

“Hello?” a tiny voice whispered. “Mr. Toby McClain?”

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he kept his features perfectly unresponsive, just to see what the pint-size would do.

She stabbed him … in the ribs, with a pointy little finger. The assault on his tickle spot nearly sent Toby leaping off the bed. His yelp of surprise tore a scream from the girl, who jumped as well.

“I’m sorry!” Toby said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Hanna?” Addy appeared in the doorway as though materializing out of thin air. The light was snapped on and Toby winced. “What’s going on?”

“I was trying to wake him up like you said,” Hanna stated, still wide eyed and visibly freaked out.

“It was my fault,” Toby groaned, pushing up.

“Hanna!” Addy took a long stride deeper into the room. “I told you to knock and if no one answers, leave Mr. McClain to rest!”

Big brown eyes blinked. “I did knock.”

Realizing the girl just wasn’t getting it, she sighed and turned her attention to Toby. “I am so sorry.” She fixed her gaze on her daughter once more. “Go back to the kitchen. I’ll be there in a second.”

Hanna left with a skip. They heard the soft patter of her feet fade towards the front of the house.

“I’m fine,” Toby assured Addy. “Really.”

“I really am so sorry,” she said again. “Please. Go back to sleep.”

She started to turn away.

Toby reached for his cane and heaved his legs over the edge of the mattress. He rose, realizing with some embarrassment that he still wore his shoes and was fully dressed.

“Let me just clean up,” he mumbled.

“You don’t have to—”

“Addy.” He waited until her eyes were on him before speaking again. “I’ll be there.”

She hesitated a full second before giving a slight nod of her head. “All right.”

He watched her leave and shut the door behind her with a soft click. He listened to her footsteps fade away before making his way to the bathroom.

It was a fairly large room with a Jacuzzi tub built into one corner, a stand up shower in the other, and a counter with two sinks in the third. Unlike the bedroom, the walls were a soft, eggshell white. The floors were white tiles and the whole place smelled of cinnamon and roses from the bowl of potpourri sitting between the two sinks.

Toby shuffled forward and propped his cane against the smooth marble. Water rushed into the white porcelain with just a twist of his wrist. He shrugged out of his coat, tossed it into the second sink and hurriedly splashed water on his face. He located his toothbrush next and scrubbed the pasty sleep from his mouth. Satisfied that he was as refreshed as he was going to get, Toby left the room.

The warm scent of tomato sauce, fried meat, and spices greeted him the moment he threw the door open. It punched him in the nose and toyed with his rumbling belly all the way to the dining room.

Sean and Hanna glanced up when he entered. They were the only two in the room, sitting on opposite sides of the neatly set table. Neither said a word as Toby edged a few steps in.

“There you are.” Addy hurried out of the kitchen, a steaming casserole dish clasped between mitted hands. “Please. Take any seat.”

There were only four chairs. The table was the kind his mom and dad had bought when family dinners had become a tradition. It was the kind that expanded to seat up to fifteen people if need be. The middle leafs must have been removed because this table could only fit six. He wasn’t sure where the sections were, but he took the only other chair at the end of the table. Addy took the opposite end and set the pan in her hand down in the middle.

Lasagna. He couldn’t even remember when he’d last had lasagna, but he knew it had never smelled as incredible as this one did. Maybe it was because he was starving, but it was taking all his control not to scoop it up with his bare hands.

“Did you both wash your hands?” Addy asked of the other two in the room, and Toby was amused at how much she sounded like his own mother.

Both children nodded.

Addy cut the thick slab of pasta, sauce and meat with a knife. Steam plumed up from the gash and further perfumed the air with its succulent scent.

“Mr. McClain?”

Toby jolted and lifted his gaze up to the woman watching him. “Sorry?”

Christ, was he drooling? He tried not to check.

Addy smiled. “I asked if you would like to sit.”

“Right!” He tugged out his chair and lowered himself into it. He leaned his cane against the side and went back to watching her cut neat squares. “That looks delicious.”

She offered him the first slice. Toby almost groaned as he was forced to wait until everyone else had their plates in front of them. Then for Addy to properly seat herself and reach for her fork and knife first.

“Do you normally say grace?” she asked, her expression endearingly concerned.

Toby shook his head. “We do during weekend dinners, but it’s not something I enforce when my Aunt Lily isn’t around.”

She nodded acceptingly and cut into her meal.

“Do you?” he asked. “Because I don’t mind—”

“No,” she said with a finality that bordered on sharp warning. She seemed to realize her tone and repeated more gently. “No.” She cleared her throat. “Would you like a drink? I can bring you a beer or a soda?”

Toby shook his head. “Water’s fine.”

She relented and returned her attention to her own plate.

The meal tasted like something baked in the glory of heaven. Every mouthful burned his tongue and seared a painful path down his esophagus, but Christ, it was worth the suffering. He couldn’t even tell what it was about the dish that made it irresistible, but he was on his fifth slice before he even recalled finishing his first.

Silence strained, occasionally broken by the clink of silverware, the creak of a chair beneath a shifting body, and the scrape of water glasses on wood. Having come from a large family and weekend dinners that consisted of fourteen people all talking at once, laughter and stories being shared, the somber atmosphere filled him with a discomfort he wasn’t used to. Even during his years in the military, it was really hard to get that many men quiet.

“Does anyone have plans for tomorrow?” he asked at last, unable to stand it any longer.

Hanna shook her head first. “Weekends are clean up days.”

“We also have guests coming tomorrow,” Addy piped in. “But Hanna’s right. Weekends are usually reserved for cleaning.” She took a bite of her lasagna, chewed and swallowed before speaking. “Do you have plans, Mr. McClain?”

Her insistence to continuously call him Mr. McClain was riding on his last damn nerve.

“I usually spend it with my family,” he stated. “It’s a weekend long event so you might not see me until Monday.”

Addy’s head came up, her eyebrows lifted with interest. “Do you leave town or…?”

He shook his head. “Not always. Mostly we just … hang.”

Interest folded into genuine confusion. “Hang?”

“It means spend time together,” Sean explained to his mother.

“I know what hang means!” she muttered with a twitch in her lips. “I don’t understand how one … hangs an entire weekend.”

Toby chuckled. “Oh, trust me, my family has been doing this for years. We are amazing at hanging out and doing nothing but spend time together.”

She seemed to deliberate his remark while cutting her lasagna into neat little squares.

“Can we come?” Hanna blurted. “I want to hang with Kari—”

“Hanna! We do not invite ourselves to places!”

Hanna’s thin shoulders lifted up around her ears. She sunk lower in her seat until all he could make out was the red of her forehead.

“Sorry.”

“No,” Toby said quickly. “Don’t be sorry. It’s fine. I know Kari would love to have you there. It’s normally her against the boys.”

Hanna said nothing.

“So the whole family goes?” Addy broke in.

Toby nodded. “Yup, the whole McClain clan. Occasionally, Aunt Lily’s parents will drop by and Jared’s parents, but other than that…”

“That must be very nice,” she mused quietly. “To be so close to your family.”

“Trust me, we had no choice.” He grinned across the table at her. “Family is the most important thing in the McClain household. It’s synonymous with loyalty, respect and honesty. Thicker than thieves.”

She smiled. “I like that. I’ve always wanted a large family.” As quickly as the words had left her, she looked away and cleared her throat. “It’s good that you have such a close connection with them. It is very important.”

Unwilling to let it go, Toby pressed. “Do you have any siblings?”

Addy shook her head. “No, I was an only child.” But that was all she would give him.

Between bites, Toby studied the woman on the other end of the table. She hadn’t glanced up from her plate, which she was picking at absently. On either side of the table, the children were quiet as they polished off their plates. Maybe it was because he was used to Kari and Owen screaming at each other from across the table, but the absence of children being children was unnatural. Part of him wondered if they were always like that or if they were just uncomfortable with him being there. He was a stranger. But they had to be used to having people sitting at their dinner table, people they didn’t know.

Nevertheless, he let it go. He’d only been there a few hours—most of which was spent sleeping—so he was in no position to question the way of things. Plus, it could change tomorrow.

Supper ended. Sean helped Addy haul dishes into the kitchen, where Hanna dragged a stool over to the sink and climbed onto it. She passed plates to Addy, who scraped the excess food into the disposal, rinsed the dish, and stuck it into the dishwasher. The system was fluid, one that came from habit. Not given any instructions, Toby sat in the second stool and watched.

“Paperwork’s done.” Sean returned to the kitchen an hour later. “I left the numbers on the desk for you to double check.”

“You do the paperwork?” Toby asked.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else,” Addy replied without an ounce of concern as she wiped the counters down. “He’s better than even Macy was.”

He’s ten! Toby wanted to protest, but he’d already begun to accept that everything he knew about children from watching his niece and nephews didn’t apply to Sean. That kid was in a league completely on his own.

“I’m going to read and then go to bed,” Sean said when no further comment was made. “Do you want me to check on the horses before I go?”

Addy shook her head. “I checked on them before dinner. Mr. LaRue will be by in a few minutes to put them to bed. Go ahead and turn in.” She set the rag aside and went to her son. She kissed him on the top of the head. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Night.”

With a quick nod at Toby, the boy turned and ambled from the room.

“He’s one hell of a kid,” Toby murmured, genuinely impressed.

“Yeah, he is.” Addy returned to the island. “I got very lucky.”

“What about me?” Short legs swinging, Hanna peered at her mother with wide eyes.

Grinning, Addy kissed Hanna on the brow. “Definitely lucky to have you, too.”

Pleased, Hanna beamed. “Are we going to play Candyland again?”

Addy shrugged. “Sure. If you want, but after your bath.”

Squirming, Hanna turned on her stool and faced Toby. “Do you want to play?”

“Candyland?” At Hanna’s nod of confirmation, Toby rubbed his jaw. “I think I can handle that.”

Face bright with excitement, Hanna pivoted around to tug on her mother’s sleeve. “Mr. McClain—” Toby flinched. “—says he wants to play!”

Addy’s gaze moved over the girl’s head and fixed on him. “Does he?” She lowered her eyes to Hanna. “Then we better hurry and get cleaned up.”

With a nod, Hanna scooted off the stool and booked it out of the room. Addy draped the damp rag over the faucet to dry, checked for any stray dishes she might have forgotten, and then turned on the dishwasher.

“Thank you,” she murmured, still staring at the dishwasher buttons.

“For what?”

Her head lifted. “Everything.”

Chapter 6 ~ Addy

There was an infinite sort of peace in the predawn hours when the rest of the world was either still sleeping or just climbing out of bed. There was a time Addy could sleep until noon and still wake up exhausted and miserable. But that hadn’t happened in years and it had nothing to do with the children. Her inner alarm clock immediately sprung to life the moment five o’clock pushed around the corner. It didn’t matter what time she’d gone to bed the night before or how tired she still was. There was no going back to sleep after that. It was the one piece of her past she was unable to relinquish. It was the one bit of control he still held over her and she hated him all the more for it.

Nevertheless, she tried to see it as a way to bake and spend a few hours alone before the children woke up or guests arrived. In the summer, it was her chance to take her morning coffee and stand on the porch and watch as steam rose off the grounds and the birds began their first song of the day. In the winter, she busied herself preparing cakes and cookies and watched snow shimmer along the windowsill. That morning, she put the three pans of bread in the oven to bake, made herself a cup of coffee, and stared at her reflection in the calm liquid.

She hadn’t bothered with any of the lights, except the one over the stove. The house hummed with its usual tranquility and calm, but there was a war raging inside her. It hammered at her and built up like a storm in her chest until she could feel herself drowning. The familiar fist of panic and worry clung like a funeral shroud to her shoulders, pulling her under even as she struggled to remain afloat. It had been years and still every day felt like that last one, the day after. Any moment he would find her somehow. Someone, somewhere, would tell him where she’d gone and he’d show up. He’d take Sean and Hanna and—

“Morning.”

The unexpected intrusion snapped her out of her crumbling abyss with a ferocity that jerked at her nerves. The coffee mug toppled out of her grasp. It struck the counter flat on its bottom and cold coffee erupted from inside in a glorious arc that splattered across the marble. Addy yelped and jumped back, not from the brown puddle now streaming to the floor, but reflexively from the shadow that stood hovering in the doorway.

“I’m sorry.” Toby hobbled in a step closer. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Addy shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not used to having people up with me at this hour.” Heart still hammering¸ she pulled out the mop. “Please, come in. Would you like some coffee or breakfast?”

Toby did as she asked and made his way to the island while she cleaned up her mess. He sat, but didn’t speak until he had her full attention.

“You okay?”

Flustered, she nodded. “Yes, of course.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “How are you? Did you sleep all right?”

A lopsided grin turned up the corner of his mouth. “I haven’t slept that good in ages. I might steal that mattress.”

Addy laughed despite herself. “It’s my favorite as well. I practically lived on it when I was pregnant with Hanna. It was the only bed I could get comfortable on.”

He hadn’t shaved yet. His jaw was a dark, stubbly carpet of growth that prompted an unexpected desire to touch, to rub the bristle beneath her palms and feel the contrast of his smooth lips. His hair was tousled and he wore a white t-shirt over a pair of loose flannel bottoms. His feet were bare and the sight of him so … casual in her home did strange things to her insides. But it was the swirl of ink winding down his arms that made her skin tingle. There were so many, an overlapping sea of colors and images. So many she couldn’t even begin to describe them all.

“Are you hungry?” she blurted, tearing her eyes away from the way his shirt strained over his chest. The material was nearly transparent, revealing even more tattoos underneath that she couldn’t properly make out. “I was going to make French toast.”

Not waiting for a response, she turned away from him and all his distracting ways and began gathering the ingredients. She set them on the counter between them, along with a mug. She filled it with coffee.

“Do you have any plans for today?” she asked, cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Going to shower then probably head on over to my parent’s place.” One hand unfurled from around the mug and lifted to scratch absently at his jaw. The soft rustle was a nice sound. “Might not be back until Sunday evening though, or early Monday morning.”

Addy never glanced up from her task, but she nodded. “That’s all right. The Charleston’s will be arriving later this afternoon so…” she let the rest trail off, not entirely certain where she was going with it to begin with.

“Addy?”

Something about the way he always said her name made her stomach flutter and her chest tighten. The conflicting emotions never failed to mess with her head.

She peered up at him. “Yes?”

His blue eyes were so incredibly focused. They burned into her, tearing away everything to get to her very center. Addy shifted.

“I hope you don’t feel like I ambushed you into letting me stay here,” he said at last. “That wasn’t my intentions.”

Taken completely by surprise, Addy started. Her whisking paused as she regarded him.

“No, I never thought that.” And she hadn’t. She’d been ambushed and strong armed into doing things she didn’t want to do her entire life. She knew the feeling well. She hadn’t once felt that way with Toby. “I appreciate everything you’ve done and are doing for us.”

Toby searched her face a moment before speaking. “Good, because I don’t mind leaving if you would rather not have me here.”

The offer was tempting. Him being there was a distraction she couldn’t afford to have, but fair was fair. He’d already done so much for her without asking for a single worthwhile thing in return. Giving him a bed was hardly skin off her nose. It was the very least she could do.

The mug was brought to his mouth. The ceramic rim rested lightly against his bottom lip. It was tipped back and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. It was a normal gesture, but everything about it momentarily captivated her. He captivated her. It was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help feeling a stab of jealousy towards the inanimate object.

Feeling like an idiot, she quickly turned her attention back to the bread soaking in her batter. She dropped several pieces onto the hot, greased griddle.

“Would you like another cup of coffee?”

Dusting her hands off on the soft grain of her jeans, Addy turned to the man taking up too much space in her kitchen. “No, thank you. One cup is usually my max, spilled or not.”

A grin turned up his mouth. “Did you even drink any of your first cup? When I got here, you were trying to scare it into submission. Had it offended you?”

She laughed. “I’m all right. Thanks.” She returned to the pan and poked the soggy bread with the edge of her spatula. “So what do you guys do all weekend?”

The stool under him creaked. She didn’t glance back.

“It all depends on the weather and the season,” he said. “We mostly do family stuff.”

“All weekend?”

She did turn then, just in time to catch his nod.

“Fridays, Jared, Damon, and I go to Billy’s for a few beers before heading over to my parent’s place. It’s something we’ve been doing since I turned twenty-one. Never miss a Friday with the boys. But other than that, most weekends, we’ll go away or we’ll make plans for more than one activity so we just crash at my parent’s place or my aunt and uncle’s.”

She flipped the breads before dusting her hands and turning. “That sounds so wonderful.”

“Do you have family nearby?”

Addy shook her head. “No.”

“So it’s just you and the kids?”

“Always has been,” she murmured quietly.

He leaned forward resting his forearms on the counter between them.

“Where’s your husband?”

A muscle tightened in the pit of her stomach, a familiar fist of dread that never really went away.

She prolonged responding by busying her hands checking on the breads. She switched them out for new ones and brought the cooked ones over to the table. The syrup and powdered sugar were set down next to the steaming plate.

“He’s not in the picture,” she told her hands while she set a second plate in front of Toby. “He hasn’t been since Sean was six. It’s just the three of us.”

“So Sean and Hanna, different dads?”

She shook her head. “Same dad. I didn’t know I was pregnant when we left. Hanna was a surprise.”

“Ah,” he murmured softly. “Does he see them?”

“No.” She turned away to face the griddle, hoping that was enough of a deterrent to make him stop asking questions.

“Has he ever met Hanna?”

Her fingers tightened around the spatula. “No.”

It was only the fear of letting the breakfast burn that kept her from making an excuse and leaving the room. Even then, the urge was overwhelming.

“I’m sorry.”

I’m not, she wanted to say.

“It’s okay,” was what she actually said. “We’re fine.”

He said nothing else, to which she was eternally grateful. She stayed by the stove while he polished off two stacks of French toast and two cups of coffee. He was carrying his dishes to the sink when Sean arrived, dressed and showered and dragging his backpack behind him. He dumped the bag down next to the door and heaved himself up onto the stool Toby hadn’t been occupying.

“Morning,” Addy said to her son as she slid a plate down in front of him. “Do you have everything?”

Sean nodded mutely and dove into his breakfast.

Addy made three more stacks and wrapped them away. She cleaned off the griddle and polished down the counters.

“The Charleston’s will be here around noon,” she told the boy. “Is everything ready up front?”

Again, Sean nodded. “I’ll turn the debit machine on before I go.”

Addy smiled. “Thanks, love.”

“You are amazing,” Toby piped in as he shoved his newly rinsed dishes into the dishwasher. “Owen can’t even find his socks in the morning and don’t even get me started on Colten.”

Sean lowered his head, the tips of his ears red. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Dude, totally big deal,” Toby argued. “I have never met a ten year old like you. Someone needs to clone you or something.”

A muscle at the corner of Sean’s lips twitched into an almost grin before he chased it away with the forkful of French toast he shoved into his mouth.

“I’m going to double check the room,” Addy decided. “Make sure everything is perfect before they arrive. Hopefully your sister will be awake when they get here or God help us.”

With a shared grin exchanged between mother and son, Addy left the kitchen.

Realistically, there was nothing wrong with the room. She’d already gone over every inch of it with a fine tooth comb the last three weeks. But she needed to put space between herself and Toby’s questions. Aside from Macy and her support group, no one knew about her past. No one ever asked. The people who visited the inn were mostly out of towners and politeness kept them from asking. People from town, when she’d first arrived had been waylaid by Macy, who had insisted Addy was her niece from out of town and her business was her own. Nothing more, nothing less, and Macy had been part of Willow Creek for too damn long for anyone to press. Addy had clung behind that for so long that she didn’t know how to answer anything beyond the last four years of her life. Now, with Toby crashing into her world, she had nowhere to hide.

“Mom?”

Spinning away from the bed she’d been staring at the last ten minutes, Addy turned to the small figure standing in the doorway.

“Yes, baby?”

Sean adjusted the strap on his backpack higher on his shoulder. “Bus’ll be here in a few minutes. I started the debit machine and pulled up the Charleston’s application on the computer.”

Toby was right, Sean was an amazing kid. She had no idea how she got so lucky, but he and Hanna were the only things that made her past bearable.

She crossed the room and pulled him into her arms. He’d gotten so tall; he reached her shoulder. She crushed him close and kissed the side of his head.

“I love you.”

He didn’t hug her back, he never did, but he didn’t pull away.

“Love you, too.”

She stroked the back of his head a couple of times before drawing back. She peered into his brown eyes and tried to only see her own face peering back, but he looked like his father. There was no escaping that.

“Have a good day at school, okay?”

With a nod, he turned and shuffled out of the room. Addy stayed a moment longer before making her way further down the hall in the opposite direction of the stairs. Her, Sean, and Hanna’s rooms were at the very end. All three doors were closed, but she stopped at Hanna’s door and gingerly nudged it open. The girl could sleep like the dead, but Addy was still careful not to wake her if she could avoid it. That was the last year Hanna would be allowed to sleep in and she wanted her to enjoy it while it lasted.

Sure enough, the girl was sprawled star-fish style across the bed, surrounded by an army of stuffed animals, dolls, and books. Her little face was mashed into the pillow, her mouth propped open. Her hair was a chaotic tangle. One tiny foot twitched, but she remained blissfully ignorant to Addy.

Addy shut the door and crept to Sean’s. She opened the door and peered inside for leftover laundry or an unmade bed. Instead, she found a perfectly made bed and a room that could pass a military inspection. Every book was neatly in its place. Every hanger was exactly two inches apart. It was the room of someone with severe OCD tendencies, but that wasn’t the case, nor did it seem to matter that he’d only been six and four years had passed since those days. Some habits could never be broken. She knew, because her own room was the same.

Chest hurting, she closed the door and stepped away from the thing she could not change. Her feet made no sound as she made her way further along to her room. Her hands actually hesitated reaching for the doorknob.

Simple. So simple it could have passed for a nun’s chambers. A small, twin sized bed against an undecorated wall, a nightstand with a single lamp and alarm clock next to it, and a circular rug beneath it. There was a dresser across the room and a closet. That was the extent of her living quarters. Macy had offered to decorate it, but Addy had refused. So Macy had turned all her attention on the children. She’d had Sean’s room painted a sky blue, had gotten him a beautiful bedroom set and as many toys and books as she could fit. For Hanna, everything had been pink and white. Macy had stayed through every moment of Addy’s pregnancy, had gone to every appointment and had stayed with Sean when Addy had gone into labor. They may not have shared a drop of blood, but Macy was the only family Addy had. She’d been devastated when the other woman had decided to up and travel the world, leaving Addy alone once more. Every day was a day she prayed Macy would return, but that hadn’t happened yet. Occasionally, Macy sent a postcard or a letter from wherever she was. The last one was a few weeks back and the return address was some RV park in Nebraska.

With nothing to do and nowhere to go, Addy sat on the bed and stared at the dresser directly across from her. There were six drawers and she had counted them a million times before there was a knock.

Jumping to her feet, she hurried to the door.

“Hi.” Toby stood on the other side. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You didn’t.” Hurriedly, she stepped out into the hallway with him and shut the door behind her before he could see in. “What can I do for you?”

He seemed to hesitate at her question, like he hadn’t thought that far ahead when he’d knocked. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he finally spoke.

“I was going to head out and wanted to know if there was anything you needed before I went.”

Addy shook her head. “I’m probably just going to finish baking and wait for the Charleston’s, but thank you for asking.”

His head bobbed slowly up and down in quiet deliberation. “Okay, well, I left my cell number on the table. If you need anything, you can call me at any time.”

Irrationally touched, she offered him a smile. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you…”

His head dipped and for a fraction of a second, her breath froze. Her muscles seized, locking her in place between him and the door. A bell shrilled to life between her ears, a mangled sound of panic and excitement. Her heart jumped in her chest in an unsteady patter that sounded impossibly loud inside her own head.

“You smell like cookies,” he whispered, jarring some of her senses back enough for her to speak.

“I haven’t made any cookies.”

She didn’t personally think there was anything amusing about her response, but his mouth twisted upwards in a slow, heart dissolving smile that hit her square in the gut.

“Then maybe I just like the way you smell.” He pulled back. His smile was gone. “Don’t have too much fun without me, eh?”

Cotton mouthed, it took three swallows before she could unglue her tongue to speak. “I can’t promise anything.”

He snorted a quiet chuckle. “See you in a few days, Ads.”

“I’ll walk you out,” she blurted.

He didn’t argue. He led her downstairs where his overnight bag already sat next to the door. He hoisted it up.

“Be safe,” she told him, opening the door to the autumn morning. “I’ll see you hopefully Sunday or Monday.”

He nodded. “I will. Bye.”

She waved as he started down the porch steps and ambled to his truck. She watched him climb in and pull out of his parking spot. He waved as he drove out. Then he was gone.

The Charleston’s arrived promptly at half past noon with their three suitcases and sunny smiles. The elderly couple crowded around the front desk as Addy logged them in. Sean had made everything very simple for her, but she still had no skill with computers. Truthfully, she had no skills for anything, except baking; the downfalls of dropping out of school at fifteen. But she managed to work it all out and handed over their keys.

“Thank you so much for staying with us,” she told the pair. “We’ve been anticipating your arrival for weeks.” She skirted around the counter. “Your room is prepared. I have the list of food preferences you faxed over and I have scheduled you for a romantic carriage ride around the town.”

Laura Charleston, a beautifully elegant woman with hair the color of popcorn and eyes so blue, they could have been torn straight out of a summer sky, smiled kindly at her.

“Thank you, dear. I hope we weren’t too…” She stole a peek at her husband for the proper word.

“Impossible,” Richard supplied.

Laura wrinkled her fine nose. “I was going to say too needy or unreasonable.”

Addy chuckled. “You were neither, I promise. We try to do our best to accommodate our guests the best we can.” She clasped her hands together once and kept them folded at her midsection. “Now, how about we get you to your room? Just leave your bags. I’ll have them brought up.”

With Richard and Laura at her heels, Addy led the way down the hallway and up the stairs, chattering on about all the sights they had to see before they left and the shops they should look into while they were in town. She went over the house rules and assured them again that she had everything organized the way they specified.

“Here we are.” She pushed open the door to the Sun Room and motioned them in first. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Lunch is over, but I’m happy to bring up some tea and sandwiches if you like?”

“Oh, I’m all right,” Richard assured her, settling a hand over the strain bulging up the front of his coat. “Had a full lunch not an hour ago.”

“I wouldn’t mind some tea,” Laura said. “But don’t worry yourself about bringing it up. I don’t mind taking it downstairs.”

Addy smiled at them both. “All right, it’ll be about ten minutes.”

She closed the door between them, waited a full heartbeat to make sure neither came out before running downstairs. She grabbed their bags, one at a time, and hauled them with great effort up two flights of stairs. Once they were all outside the door, she paused to catch her breath, smooth out her hair and compose her features before knocking. Richard opened the door.

“Your bags have been brought up,” she stated, relieved when her voice didn’t come out breathless.

Richard thanked her and dragged them inside. Then he closed the door and Addy stumbled her way down again to the kitchen on shaky legs.

During the summer, she usually hired someone from town to help with the heavy lifting, but during low season, when guests were less frequent, she usually did it herself, which was always murder. Macy used to tease her about doing too much, but then Macy never had a problem finding guests to stay weeks, even months at a time. Addy didn’t know what she was doing wrong. Maybe it was because she wasn’t Macy and people had a fear of change. Whatever the reason was, she needed to do something to turn the tables or … no, she couldn’t think about closing. That wasn’t even an option. The inn was all she and her babies had. She had to make it work.

Putting the kettle on the stove, she went about putting cakes and cookies out. She was in the process of pouring sugar into the sugar bowl when Hanna staggered groggily into the kitchen, looking like someone who partied a little too hard the night before.

“Morning, baby.” She stepped around the counter and hefted the girl up into her arms. She nuzzled Hanna’s warm cheek. “Sleep okay?”

“Can I have cake?”

“How about French toast?” she offered. “They’re cold, just the way you like them.”

Hanna didn’t protest as Addy set her at the table. A plate of French toast was set before her, along with the syrup and powdered sugar. Addy left her there to finish brewing the tea.

Laura arrived before her husband. She’d changed from the neat little dress suit into a pair of beige slacks and a cream colored sweater, and still somehow managed to appear regal.

“Would you like this in the parlor?” Addy asked.

Laura nodded. “That would be lovely.”

Setting everything onto a silver tray, Addy led the way out of the kitchen and into the parlor. She organized everything on the coffee table and motioned Laura to pick a seat.

“Please let me know if there’s anything else you might need.” Laura thanked her and Addy left. She passed Richard on her way back to the kitchen. “Your wife is in the parlor,” Addy told him, pointing the way.

Richard smiled and moved past her.

Toby didn’t return Sunday. Addy wasn’t sure why she felt disappointed when ten o’clock rolled around and still nothing. She made her way to bed, pausing only twice, both times to lock Hanna and Sean’s doors before doing the same to her own. Laura and Richard Charleston may have appeared like kind and decent people, but she knew all too well the mask people wore that only the very few were ever privy to. She knew the evil many carried inside and she wouldn’t let that evil touch her family. Maybe it made her paranoid and the wrong person to run an inn, but it wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.

Crawling into bed, she lay there, thinking of all the things that she would need to do the next morning, including her meeting with Willa McClain.

It was five thirty in the morning when the lights broke through the paned windows at the front of the house and swept through the hallway. Addy, who’d been waiting with none existent patience for that moment, jolted despite having almost expected it. The coffee clasped between her palms sloshed, but remained in the confines of her mug. She set it down quickly, her nerves jittering like a teenager expecting a celebrity. Her anxious hands smoothed along the material of her long, pale sweater and black tights before she hurried at an almost run. She heard a car door slam and the disturbance of gravel beneath approaching feet. Then boots on the porch. She yanked the door open just as they stopped on the other side and her heart jumped at the breathtaking sight of him.

Tall, dark, and rugged, he dominated her doorway in black denim and a leather jacket. His duffle hung at the side not gripping his cane. His blue eyes were piercing and hungry beneath the light she’d left on for him.

“Hi.” Even to her own ears, she sounded weak and breathless.

Toby’s features softened even while his eyes devoured her. “Hey.”

She stepped aside to let him in. “How are you?”

His cane thumped on hardwood as he eased past her and stopped. “Good.” He pivoted on his heel to face her as she shut the door behind him. His eyes raked over her in the shadows of the foyer. She felt the lingering caress straight through her clothes. “How are you?”

Hot. So damn hot.

“I’m all right,” she actually said. “The Charleston’s arrived on Friday. They’re nice.”

“Yeah?” He bent his head to the side and regarded her. “You look tired.”

Addy felt herself flush. “I don’t think you’re supposed to tell a woman that.”

His answer was a quiet hum, then, “Let me put my bag away, then I’ll join you for coffee.”

She didn’t stop him. She was too busy watching the graceful strain of his back as he lumbered away. The soft leather of his jacket rippled with his unhurried strides, moving with his broad shoulders. Her gaze traveled lower to his hips and thighs hugged by course pants. Aside from the limp, which never bothered her, his movement was powerful and strong. Confident. He was so confident. Such a drastic contrast to everything she was.

She pried herself away from the foyer and hurried into the kitchen. She had his cup filled and placed in front of his normal stool by the time he joined her. Her own drink had grown cold, but she cradled it between her hands as a way to have something to do when he claimed the entire room with his presence.

“All right.” Cane propped against the side of the counter, he pulled his drink close, closed both hands around it and peered at her over the rising steam. “First things first, did you miss me?”

The question was so unexpected that she momentarily couldn’t think of anything to say. Then she found herself grinning and dropping her gaze.

“No,” she lied.

“So, you did,” he observed in that low murmur of his. “I tried to come back Sunday, but they wouldn’t let me leave. I was practically held hostage. They stole my cane.”

Addy’s head jerked up, amusement gone. “What?”

“The kids,” he clarified. “They were very adamant to keep me there.”

“Oh, well, it’s good you stayed.”

One forearm settled alongside his mug, fingers loosely balled and he leaned forward. His eyes seared into her.

“I don’t think I would have minded half as much if you’d been there with me.”

Her heart thumped in her chest as it always did when he said things like that, especially when it was said with that husky whisper that sent shivers along her spine. He was determined to make her surrender and she was so close to obeying.

“Tell me about your weekend,” he coaxed when she could think of nothing to say.

There really wasn’t much to tell. Like most of her guests, the Charleston’s didn’t stick around the inn. They left as soon as breakfast was finished and returned in time for supper. After supper, they had tea in the parlor before retiring to their room. So, Addy basically cooked and cleaned all weekend.

“What about you?” she asked once her short and boring story was finished.

Toby took a sip of his coffee before responding. “We went to the orchards in Newburry. The kids picked their own apples. They loved it, until Owen and Colten had an apple fight, which went really bad when an apple hit Rosie in the eye…”

“Oh my God! Is she all right?”

Toby nodded. “Yeah, they’re used to stuff like that. It’s not a family activity until someone comes home with a shiner.”

Addy rocked her head side to side slowly. “Poor thing.”

Toby lifted a shoulder. “But other than that, everyone had fun. We rented a cabin for the weekend and it had a dock so the kids took turns pitching each other into the pond. Now, Owen has the sniffles and Kari has a rash.”

She couldn’t help it, Addy laughed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, but that sounds like a horrible family outing.”

“Nah.” Toby chuckled. “That’s what makes it so great, all the things you can look back on later and laugh.” He paused. His chin lowered and he rapped his fingers lightly on the counter. “I, uh, I was thinking maybe next time Sean and Hanna might like to come.” He lifted his eyes to peer into her face through thick lashes. “I think they’d have a lot of fun.”

“Oh!” She fought not to grimace. “I don’t know. You guys already sound like you have your hands full and—”

“You’d come too,” he interrupted. “I wouldn’t leave you here alone.”

“You want me to go on one of your family outings … with your family?”

It baffled her which stunned her more, his offer to take the kids or his insistence that she come too. Both seemed equally concerning, especially since she was never any good in social situations. It was a flaw her mother had abhorred. Meeting new people always left her anxious and clammy. It made her trip over her tongue and fumble for chitchat. But meeting his family would be worse, because, lord help her but, she liked him. As wrong and selfish as it was. The thought of his family not liking her, made her nauseous.

He lifted a careless shoulder. “Why not? There’s always room for more and…” He touched his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue and her stomach fluttered. “I kind of want you there.”

She couldn’t for the life of her figure out how he could be legit serious about this. Had he lost his mind? He barely knew her and meeting his family was such a huge deal.

“Toby…”

“I know I said I’d wait and I’m trying, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to play fair. Besides.” He paused to offer her a smirk. “Think of the children. I really think Sean and Hanna will enjoy some of the outings.”

They would love it. She knew they would. Being out in the middle of nowhere, away from their friends and classmates, away from most people, it was hard for them to socialize like normal children. She knew she was to blame for that. She kept them too sheltered, just in case they accidentally said something to the wrong person. It was wrong of her, but it was better than the alternative.

“I’m not sure your parents will like that,” she hedged. “Two extra kids…”

Toby snorted. “Are you kidding? Your kids will be a picnic compared to the others. They might actually adopt the pair.”

Not sure what to say, she brought her mug to her lips. Seconds chipped away into minutes and the silence grew. Addy broke it.

“I made strawberry cake yesterday for desert. Would you like a piece?”

Toby visibly perked. “I never say no to dessert.”

Snorting a quiet chuckle, Addy turned away. She grabbed the cake stand and brought it over. Most of it was gone from the night before, but there was enough for two. She cut it into equal halves and placed each one on a plate. She slid his over to him with a fork.

“Willa’s coming over today,” she said as she lifted her own fork.

Toby nodded. “She mentioned that.”

Addy raised her eyes to his face. “Did she say why?”

Again, he nodded. “Yeah, and I think it’s a great idea.”

She lowered her hand before the prongs could cut into spongy cake. “You do?”

“I do.” He chewed the piece in his mouth and swallowed before speaking again. “You’re a genius in the kitchen. Under The Willow would be lucky to have you.” He paused and peered at her. “Any reason you don’t think it’s a good idea?”

Only one and it was one she couldn’t tell him about. Instead, she could only shake her head.

“No.”

Satisfied, he went back to his cake. “The guys’ll be here in a few hours, too,” he reminded her. “Uncle Sloan wants to start measuring the space around the house. Did Mr. Holloway call you about the shipment?”

Addy shook her head. “No, maybe I was supposed to call him?”

Toby waved her concern away with a wave of his fork. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll handle it.”

He wasn’t joking. The moment Sloan’s truck ambled up the path and the man himself lumbered to the door, Toby told him about the no call from the hardware store. Sloan took the news with a slight nod and reached into his pocket.

“The others are right behind me,” he told Toby as he punched numbers into his phone. “Jared had a job, but your dad and Damon should be here soon.”

No sooner had he spoken when Damon’s Jeep pulled into the driveway and parked between Sloan and Toby’s trucks. Damon, Willa, Kari, Calla, and Cole got out. They moved to the porch and clustered around the group already standing there.

“What’re we doing?” Cole asked.

“Calling Holloway,” Sloan told him, pressing the phone to his ear.

“Well, while you boys figure all this out…” Calla circled the crowd to stand next to Addy. “We girls have some business to attend to.”

Willa pressed a kiss to her husband’s mouth before guiding Kari to the door as well. Then the three were in the foyer, waiting for Addy, who glanced at Toby.

“Is there anything I can do or…?”

He shook his head. “Nope.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “We got this. Go have fun.”

She wasn’t sure how much fun she could possibly have with the two women watching her, but she offered him a weak smile and followed the trio into the kitchen.

“Would anyone like some coffee or tea?” she offered, oddly nervous. She glanced down at Kari, who looked unnaturally wide awake for so early in the morning. “I have muffins and juice, too.”

“Coffee for me, please. Black.” Calla shrugged out of her coat and seated herself at the head of the table.

“Oh, please, let me take your coats.” Addy hurried forward when Calla draped the crimson fabric over her lap.

Calla passed it over. Willa and Kari did the same. Addy marched them to the hallway closet and hung them up before returning. Willa and Kari had made themselves comfortable around the table. Addy left them there as she put together a fresh pot of coffee. She poured juice for Kari and set it down in front of the girl with a cranberry muffin.

“Willa? Coffee or tea?”

“Neither, please,” the woman replied. “Thank you.”

Addy didn’t make herself a drink either, but she brought over a platter of cookies and Calla’s coffee. With nothing else to do and no way else to stall, she joined the women.

“I hope it’s all right that I invited Calla,” Willa said sheepishly. “She’s my partner at the café so I thought it would be best if we all worked together on this.”

Addy shook her head. “No, of course. That’s fine.”

It really wasn’t. The older sister made Addy feel about two inches tall, which was ridiculous because Calla had been nothing but kind to her. It was just the woman’s aura. It was so thick and formidable.

“All right, so let’s get straight to business,” Calla declared. “We’re looking to expand Under The Willow. We want to give the people of Willow Creek something new and fresh. Something this town does not have, like a catering service.”

Addy stiffened. “Catering service? But I thought—”

“It’s really an amazing idea,” Willa interrupted hurriedly. “Calla thought of it this weekend and I have to agree that it’s right up your alley.”

Addy wasn’t so sure about that, but she waited for Calla to continue.

“For weddings and funerals and parties,” Calla explained. “Food that is delivered straight to their events. With Ma having finally retired, it gives us a little leeway without treading on toes.”

“I really don’t understand,” Addy said. “I thought you just wanted my desserts.”

“We do!” Willa broke in.

Calla nodded. “Our current provider isn’t working out. Plus, he’s not one of us, as rude as that may sound.”

“One of us?”

“He’s not part of the town,” Willa explained. “Which is not the reason we’re parting ways. He’s been with us for years.”

“But the town is more responsive and supportive when it’s one of their own,” Calla finished. “Like you.”

“I’m not really part of the town,” she argued.

“You’re Macy’s niece,” Calla reminded her. “That makes you part of the town. Besides, that’s not really that important. It’s just an added bonus. What’s important is that you come highly recommended by Willa and Toby, and myself. Oh, and Jared. Lord knows he talked about your glazed pretzels like a boy with a crush all weekend.” She grinned when Addy chuckled. “We want you to be part of our team, Addy.”

Being part of something sounded really nice. Too nice.

“What would I need to do?”

“What you’re already doing, bake, create.” She lifted her mug to her lips, but didn’t drink. “We don’t want to change a thing.”

Willa nodded. “You can work right from home. We will supply you with anything and everything you need, including material. Just make everything here and deliver them to the café first thing in the morning before opening.”

“When we do get a catering job, it’ll be the same thing,” Calla picked up where her sister left off. “You will be given a list of everything needed and you just deliver it to wherever the event is.”

It all sounded simple enough. The inn was practically dead during the winter months, which gave her plenty of time to cook and create. In the summer, she could always hire someone to help with the inn while she did the catering. The whole thing tumbled effortlessly into place in her mind, becoming tangible and possible. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was forgetting something.

“I can do all that,” she told the two. “But there is one thing I need to ask you…”

She broke off in what was sure to be a long and awkward explanation of something she couldn’t even explain. The entire thing wedged into her throat and stayed firmly fixed while the women looked on, waiting.

She couldn’t do it. Not only because she wasn’t comfortable divulging her personal business, but because it was unprofessional. They were offering her a huge break. The whole thing could mean big things for her and to act weird and shady would only complicate the partnership they were offering. But somehow, she needed to tell them she didn’t want her name out there. She didn’t want people to know she was the one doing the baking.

She took a deep breath. “It’s going to sound a little strange, but I would really like to remain anonymous in our partnership.”

Confusion furrowed Willa’s brow. Suspicion furrowed Calla’s.

“Why?” the two said simultaneously in two very different tones.

Addy couldn’t blame either of them.

“I like my privacy,” she stated evenly. “Willow Creek isn’t exactly known for keeping their noses out of other people’s business. I don’t want my inn overrun by busybodies with too much time on their hands. I will help with the catering and the café, but that’s my only condition.”

The sisters were quiet. Their blue eyes clashed in a long, silent debate that made Addy want to fidget anxiously and take it back.

When Calla slanted her gaze back to Addy, all the muscles in Addy’s stomach tightened in an anxious knot. Her chest seized mid compression as she waited for the verdict.

“This could work,” she decided at last. “People like a good mystery, especially the people in Willow Creek, but I do need to warn you that nothing ever stays hidden for very long here. Eventually, it will come out and if it looks like keeping you a secret jeopardizes the café or the catering service, we will need to renegotiate.”

Addy nodded. “I understand and I accept.”

Sloan ambled into the room then, his boots thumping like claps of thunder on the hardwood. He wasn’t as big as Jared, but he moved like a big man.

“We’re making a run to the hardware store,” he said. “The material is all there and we’re going to pick it up.” He turned blue eyes on Addy. “The garage out there, is it empty? We’ll need a dry place to put everything.”

Addy nodded. “Macy’s old car’s in there, but I think there’s still room if you need it.”

“Okay, we’ll let you know.”

He left as loudly as he’d come in.

“All right, so back to the topic at hand—”

“Mommy, where’s Hanna?” Kari cut in before Calla could finish.

“She’s still sleeping,” Addy said. “But you can go on up and jump on her if you like.”

Kari’s eyes widened. They shot to her mother. “Can I?”

Chuckling, Willa nodded. “But gently.”

Elated, the girl scurried out of her chair and darted out of the room.

“Sorry,” Addy said to Calla. “You were saying?”

Calla shook her head. “It’s all right. I was saying that we should jump on this quickly before someone else comes up with the same idea. We have a contract already made up.” She dug into her purse and removed a blue folder. She set it on the table between them and opened it to a small stack of papers. “We also wrote up a payment system with all profits being cut three ways with you getting forty and us splitting thirty. Anything you require beyond the usual supplies will be reimbursed with a receipt … within reason, of course.”

She passed the papers to Addy and sat back while it was read over carefully. Addy was still on the second page when Kari bounded into the kitchen with a grumpy faced Hanna shuffling along behind her. Next to the blonde with her neat little braids and cute sweater and jeans, Addy’s daughter resembled a zombie that had walked into an electric fence.

“Kari jumped on me,” she complained miserably.

Papers still in hand, Addy rose. “Do you want breakfast?”

Hanna shook her head. “Not hungry.”

“Let’s go play then!” Kari decided, grabbing Hanna’s arm and dragging her back out of the kitchen.

“She’s not a morning person.” Addy explained as she regained her seat. “So would I be investing in the catering company as well?” she asked, reaching the bottom of the contract. “Like a partner?”

The two women shrugged.

“We would like that, if you’re willing.”

“These contracts don’t get seen by anyone, but us,” Willa assured her.

“And the courts, should anything happen,” Calla added quickly. “Not that we foresee such a thing.”

“No, of course,” Addy mumbled.

“Aunt Beth is a silent partner at Calla’s boutique,” Willa continued. “I don’t think anyone outside the family knows that.”

“I don’t want to make this a big thing,” Addy told them. “I’m not trying to be difficult or weird.”

“No, no, we understand,” Willa assured her. “We’ve all been at the end of the town controversy at some point. It’s harder when you have children.”

Relieved, Addy offered the other woman a grateful smile. “I just want to bake, make some extra money, and live in peace.”

“But we will need to give you a name,” Calla said. “We still haven’t decided on a business name so we can put you under that.”

“You could tell people it’s you guys,” Addy offered. “I really don’t care about getting the credit.”

Willa giggled. “No one will believe it was us.”

Calla snorted. “Neither one of us can cook worth a damn.”

Addy chuckled. “What about Tasteful Seductions?”

Calla’s head bent to the side, reminding Addy of a Golden Retriever hearing a sound. Her face tipped towards her sister, eyebrows raised.

“I like it,” Willa said.

Calla glanced at Addy. “Tasteful Seductions. Simple, elegant … sexy. Yeah, I think I like that one, too.”

Willa smiled. “Where did you come up with that?”

Addy shrugged. “It kind of just came to me.”

“That!” Calla pointed at Addy with a coral pink nail. “That is how I know this will work. It’s all just coming together.” She dropped her hand and grinned. “I have a guy in Vancouver who does fabulous artwork. I’ll see about getting us a simple, elegant, and sexy logo to go with our new name. In the meantime.” She folded her fingers. “We have a job for you this weekend,” Calla said evenly. “It’s a catering job, fairly on the large side with a good payout at the end of the night.”

Excited and nervous, Addy glanced from one to the other. “What kind of event?”

“It’s our annual Meal Deal charity gala,” Calla said.

“Fundraiser,” Willa whispered.

Calla rolled her eyes. “Fundraiser,” she amended. “All proceeds go to the schools to pay for children whose meal cards are in the zero and they can’t afford to buy a lunch.”

“It’s what gave us the idea to do a catering service,” Willa added. “Normally, we hire a company out in Newburry and they put the meals together.”

“But this year, we thought, hey, why can’t we open our own service?” Calla picked up.

“Oh, wow!” Addy breathed, feeling overwhelmed. “Well, I would … wow … this weekend … that doesn’t give us much time.”

Calla shook her head. “It doesn’t, but we already have a list of everything you would need to make.”

“It’s all very simple.”

Calla passed Addy a menu. “We’re doing a pot luck this year so you won’t have to worry about the actual meal, but we do need snacks and dessert for afterwards.”

“What about drinks?” she asked.

“Oh, we have the drinks covered,” Willa promised.

Addy nodded. “Okay.”

“Yeah?” Calla beamed. “Awesome. Okay, we’ll get my dad to stand in as witness to the sign. I don’t trust anyone else to keep this private and he used to be a lawyer. Then we’ll cut you a check to cover the cost of everything you need for this weekend. The rest of your share will be given to you at the end of the night.”

The woman sure was prepared, Addy thought as Calla rose out of her chair and hurried out of the room.

“Are you sure you’re all right with all this?” Willa asked once her sister was gone. “I know Calla can be a little … assertive. She was the same way when I wanted to open the café. I only mentioned it and she had a whole business proposal written up in seconds. It’s just how she is, but I know she can be overwhelming.”

Addy shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m excited. I want to do this.”

Reaching over, Willa took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. “I’m glad. It’ll be wonderful to work with you. I know me and Calla think very highly of you.”

Touched, Addy smiled at her. That was all she had time for before Calla was back, Cole in tow.

“I hear my insufficient legal services are required?” Calla set the contract down for him to read, which he did much quicker than Addy had. “All right, so you understand the terms and conditions?”

Addy nodded and continued to agree as he spelled out every line and clause. He explained each paragraph, even the ones she fully understood. It made her really like him, and the sisters. There was no gimmick or shady areas. They were upfront and honest. It only solidified her decision to sign on the dotted line.

“Congratulations!” Cole said as Addy made the final sweep of her signature. “You’ve got yourself a catering service.”

“Why didn’t we think to bring champagne?” Calla mumbled.

Addy laughed. “I have juice.”

Calla wrinkled her nose. “That’s not nearly the same.”

“But it’ll work for now,” Willa stated. “We can properly celebrate after our first successful catering job.”

Her first catering job. Her first real step into something bigger than her. It may not have been much, but it was something and it was hers.

Chapter 7 ~ Toby

The house smelled like something between heaven and a bakery the next morning. The scent of melted chocolate, caramel, and bread pooled in every corner, making it impossible to remain in bed and pretend to sleep. He wasn’t sure why he was doing it, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to leave the downy arms of his bed. The last three nights he’d spent on the stiff sofa provided by the cabin owners had been pure torture on his leg. The cushions had felt like concrete and he’d spent the entire night trying not to toss and turn and agitate the injury even further. He’d even tried sleeping on the floor, to which his mom had badgered him about and he had no excuses to give her. His bed at the inn seemed to be the only place he could sleep where he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night feeling like his entire leg was on fire.

But it was already after five and he knew he needed to get up and start his day. He just lacked the energy, until the smells.

Tossing back the blankets, he heaved his body over the edge of the mattress and used the nightstand as leverage to get to his feet. And for once, his thigh didn’t scream in agony. Spots didn’t obscure his vision. The urge to vomit didn’t send him to his knees. Oh, the tightness was still there, tugging at torn ligament, a faint reminder that he still had a long way to go before recovery, but it was bearable.

Gingerly, he tested his weight. He balanced out his posture, using both legs rather than relying mostly on one and a thin web of pain broke out up his thigh, a sharp warning to stop. He listened. Taking hold of his cane, he leaned on it as he made his way to the door.

The rooms upstairs lay quiet, a clear indication that the rest of the house continued to slumber. Everyone, except one.

Sure enough, light spilled from the kitchen, more light than normal. Usually, she only had the ones over the oven on, but every one in the room was now lit. The sweet smell of baked sugar poured through the open doorway, a much stronger force than it had been with his bedroom door closed. Toby stepped over the threshold and paused.

The entire place was filled with trays of baked goods. Everything from tiny little cakes to cookies, breads and even flaky little pastries filled with what looked like jam. It took over every inch of space and in the center of it all, was Addy with her dark hair drawn back from her flour speckled face and her sleeves rolled to the elbows. She had her head bent forward as she carefully crowned a cupcake with thick, white frosting. Toby waited until she was done before speaking.

“Did the dessert fairy finally come?” He made his way deeper into the room, careful not to nudge anything. “It only took her twenty-seven years.”

Addy chuckled. “I wanted to get a head start for this weekend.” She swiped hair away from her brow with the back of her hand and left a smudge of icing in its place. “I thought I’d freeze everything … or do you think that would make them taste gross?”

The concern in her eyes propelled him forward. He stopped once he was a safe enough distance not to give in to temptation and touch her.

“It should be okay. The baked goods Willa gets at the café come frozen and she thaws them overnight. I don’t see how this would be different.”

Relief lifted and dropped her shoulders. She turned back to the dozen cupcakes still waiting to be decorated.

“How long have you been doing this?” He eyed her. “Have you even slept?”

She nodded. “I went to bed early and woke up at three.”

“Addy,” he murmured quietly. “You’re going to crash before lunch time.”

She glanced sideways at him. “I’m okay. Honest.”

Not sure what to do short of dragging her back to bed and joining her, he reached for the dishrag instead. He propped his cane against the island and reached for her face.

Addy immediately went rigid. Her brown eyes went wide and watchful. She said nothing as he took her chin between his thumb and finger.

“You’re a mess,” he said, as he raised the cloth and dusted lightly at the flour coating her cheeks and the icing smearing her forehead.

He ran the rag over her eyelids and across her lips. The latter parted, revealing just a hint of straight, white teeth. With her eyes closed, there was nothing stopping him from really taking in her delicate features. He was free to trace the delicious curve of her mouth and the promises they held. That close, he was practically begging for trouble.

“There.” He willed himself to lower his fingers from her chin. “Now you won’t be mistaken for a pastry.”

Her answer was an upward sweep of her lashes as dark eyes opened and met his. She stayed where she was, which was too close to him. The sliver of space gave him no mercy to the unique scent of her filling what little space was between them. It was sweet, but not floral or any type of food. It was calming and seductive, and musky, but cool, like the fresh scent of running water. Part of him wanted to stand there forever until he could identify it, but she had lifted her face to his and her mouth was moving, forming words that seemed lost in the obsession of his mind. Yet he studied the curve of them, the dip and contour with a growing sense of yearning that made all other thought process impossible.

Then, when she touched him, a harmless brush of her fingers down his arm, those urges roared up over him in a swallowing wave.

He kissed her. He took her upturned lips in a hard claim that surprised even him. Beneath his, her mouth parted with her gasp and he surged forward, conquering any objection she might have with a sweep of his tongue. His hands moved up and grasped either side of her head, holding her to him as he sampled the taste of frosting off her tongue. And for a moment, she just stood there, seemingly frozen as he devoured her mouth. Then she was kissing him back, pushing into him, demanding more. Her small hands curled into the worn material of his t-shirt as she leaned up on her toes to meet him.

It was his turn to groan as every inch she closed seemed to ignite with some inner fire. The currents snapped through him in sharp nips that blistered skin. Yet it wasn’t enough.

“Addy … Christ, I need you!”

He locked one arm around her middle. The hand on the other arm braced against the island. He lifted her up. Addy’s legs wound his hips. Her arms went around his neck. In that position, there was no way she couldn’t feel just how badly he wanted her, nor did he miss the heat of her core burning through both their clothes. She was as hot and hungry was he was and that knowledge nearly destroyed him.

“Addy…” Damn it! Somehow, he needed to get them to his room. He needed to do that without his leg going numb and sending them both to the floor. “Hold on, baby.”

Adjusting her weight higher, he fumbled for his cane. He almost had it. His fingers brushed the rubber grip, only to have the thing slide sideways and slam into the hardwood with enough momentum to crack like gunfire. In his arms, Addy jumped. Her head jerked up, breaking the carnivorous lock of their lips. Under the harsh light, her eyes were dark pits haloed by a ring of gold. Her lips were swollen and wet, and red from his whiskers. She had scratches on her chin and cheeks, and looked like the sexiest woman on the fucking planet. But he could see the creep of reality chasing away the glaze of passion. He could see horror part her lips and widen her eyes. He set her down when she struggled and didn’t touch her when she backed away from him, one hand cupped over her mouth.

“Oh God!” she gasped. “I am so sorry! I shouldn’t have … I don’t know what…”

The oven timer beeped behind him and she practically lunged at the door. He stumbled back just in time to keep from getting nailed in the knee by the hot metal swinging open. Heat bellowed free, tinged with the sweet scent of baked cupcakes. Addy didn’t seem to notice as she snatched up the oven mitts and reached in. Each pan was yanked out and set on the stove with a noisy clatter. She shut the oven door and stared at the four trays like she couldn’t believe they could betray her.

“Addy…”

She shook her head. Her eyes squeezed shut tight. “Please don’t.”

“No!” Ignoring her protest, he took her elbow and pulled her rigid body back to him. “You don’t, because I am so fucking hard right now, I can barely stand it and I know you’re wet. I know you liked that kiss just as much as I did and I know that if we hadn’t gotten distracted, we’d both be in my bed right now and I’d be so deep inside you, you’d lose your fucking mind.”

An intense surge of arousal rode up her neck. It flooded her cheeks to a deep crimson that only deepened his burning desire for her.

“Is it ‘cause of your husband? Do you still love—?”

“No!” Her vicious snarl cut into his question before he could finish. Her eyes flashed and the lust was raw anger now.

Relief softened his tone. “What then? Why won’t you give me a chance?”

“You don’t like children,” she blurted, then winced. “I mean, you don’t like women with children.”

Toby recoiled. “What? Where the hell did you hear that?”

Her shoulders lifted in a deep inhale. “The first time you found out I had kids. I saw your face.”

“No!” It was his turn to cut her off. His hands closed on her arms. “Sean and Hanna had absolutely nothing to do with that day. I love kids. I am a kid half the time. What I’m not is a guy who steals another man’s woman, no matter how badly I want her for myself.”

“I told you it was complicated—”

“Yeah.” He shook his head. “I don’t do well with complicated women either. Either you’re married or you’re not. I don’t see blurred or gray lines when it comes to two people’s marriage.”

“I am,” she whispered so quietly he almost didn’t hear her. “I’m still legally married, but I took Sean and we left. I haven’t seen or heard from him in five years.”

Instinct warned him to let go and step back. Those were the kinds of blurred lines he just wasn’t comfortable with. But he got caught in her eyes, in the swollen state of her lips, the tension forming a crease between her eyebrows, and he was done. His mind made itself up.

“Why haven’t you filed for divorce?”

The skin on her arms vibrated beneath his palms. It wasn’t the same hum of passion that had claimed her earlier. This was wrought with and tension. It was hesitance and fear.

“It’s complicated, Toby. There’s so much I can’t—”

The steady clip of approaching feet stilled the rest of her quiet words. Laura Charleston appeared in the doorway, clad in black slacks and a peach colored top. Pearls hung in three neat rows along her collarbone, matching the studs in her ears and the bracelet on her wrist. Toby had met the woman and her husband briefly over dinner the night before and she reminded him of someone whose husband was running for presidency. Everything about her screamed money and social standing, without the stick up her ass. From what he’d concluded about the pair, they were both decent people. Nevertheless, he really disliked the sight of her just then.

“Morning!” she greeted them with a wide smile. “What smells so delicious?”

Addy hurried past Toby and rushed to the table. “Sorry! I’ll just clear some of this away—”

“No, no, don’t worry yourself.” Laura chuckled. “Rick and I are going out for breakfast today. We’re driving out to Vancouver for the day so we might not be back for supper or the night depending on how long our sightseeing goes.”

“Oh, would you like me to pack anything for the drive?”

Laura shook her head. “No … actually…” She eyed a tray of apple turnovers. “I wouldn’t say no to a couple of those, if you’re willing.”

Richard took that moment to appear at his wife’s shoulder, two coats slung over his arm. He eyed the display of desserts laid out around the kitchen and whistled through his teeth.

“It’s like Christmas,” he decided. “You’re like a one woman bakery, Addy.”

Addy chuckled, it was soft and sweet, but Toby could hear the underlying strain just underneath. “Thank you. I’m helping some friends with their business.”

“What kind of business?” Laura inquired, looking genuinely interested.

Addy grabbed a couple of napkins out of their holder on the table and folded two turnovers into them.

“They’re starting a catering service in town.”

“Well, that is wonderful,” Laura said.

Addy just smiled as she offered the other woman the treats. “Drive safely and please call if you need anything.”

Agreeing, the pair left the kitchen. A moment later, the front door opened and closed. Then it was just them once more.

“Why didn’t you tell them it was your business too?” Toby asked.

“Because I don’t want people to know,” she murmured, her back still to him as she reorganized the turnovers to cover the gap left behind.

“That you’re working with my sisters?” Toby ventured, attempting and failing to keep the indignation from his voice. “Because they’re McClain’s?”

Addy turned to him, her eyes narrowed in disgust. “I adore Willa, and Calla has been nothing but kind to me. Them being McClain’s mean nothing to me. But this is my business and if I don’t want people to know, then that’s my business too.” Her features softened. “I’m a private person and Willow Creek isn’t known for minding its own business. I don’t want people traipsing around my inn trying to get the latest gossip about me or my kids.”

He wasn’t sure why her decision to keep her involvement with his family a secret bothered him as much as it did, but it did. It almost felt like a slap, like somehow they weren’t good enough to be seen with her and that infuriated him; his family might have been a lot of things, but they were his. All their quirks and oddities made them special and he’d be damned if he let anyone turn their nose up at them.

Swooping down, he snatched up his cane and started for the door.

“Toby, wait—”

He jerked to a stop just inside the doorway. His head turned over his shoulder and he pinned her with hard eyes.

“I can handle a lot of things, you having kids, you wanting your privacy, you not wanting whatever this is between us, and maybe even you being married, but my family means everything to me and I’m not sure I want to be with someone who’s ashamed of them.”

Steeling his nerves at the flicker of hurt that shot across her face, he left the room.

“Toby!” Uncle Sloan’s sharp snap jerked Toby out of his dark cloud. He turned to the man on the other side of the porch railing with an almost stagger when he lost his balance. “Are you listening?”

He hadn’t been. He couldn’t think past his fight with Addy and it was affecting his focus, but he realigned his weight and concentrated on his uncle.

“Yeah.”

Uncle Sloan didn’t look convinced. “We’ve got a lot to do today so I need your full attention.”

Next to Toby, Damon shot him a curious side glance that he ignored. “Got it. I’m good.”

Nodding, Sloan peered at the others. He plunged into details about tearing out the porch and leveling out the foundation around the house. Holes needed to be dug for support and filled with concrete. It really would be a full day’s work, but Toby was ready for it. He needed the mind numbing task to forget about that morning.

They were in the process of ripping out the rotted planks when Jared’s truck rumbled up the path, Calla at the wheel. Hammer in hand, Jared straightened as his wife pulled into the parking spot next to Damon’s Jeep and cut the engine. She hopped out and pocketed the keys as she made her way to them.

“Don’t mind me,” she said as she drew closer. “Just cutting through.”

“You might want to go around back for now,” Uncle Sloan urged. “The structure in front isn’t sound.”

Calla nodded, but made no move to follow directions. “How’s it going?”

“Only just started,” Jared answered. “What brings you out here?”

Calla drew in a deep breath. “Addy called. She asked if she could store some of her baked goods in the café freezer.”

“Who’s watching the boutique?” Damon asked.

“Willa and Mom.” She checked her watch. “But I should hurry. Willa has to get to the newspapers at two.” Calla glanced at Jared. “Mind giving me a hand? It’ll get me out of here faster.”

“I’ll do it.” Uncle Sloan descended off the porch. “You three keep working.”

The two disappeared around the side of the house. Toby watched them go, partially wishing he’d thought to offer, not that he’d have been much help. He was in no position to carry anything, not with only one hand. Even as it were, it was hard enough working on one leg.

“So how’s things been living here?” Damon asked as he ripped out the railings along the side.

Toby shrugged. “Fine.”

“Only fine?” Jared asked.

“It’s a bed. Not sure what you guys expect me to say.” Even to his own ears, his response sounded defensive and angry.

The two glanced up at him, their eyebrows raised.

“It’s nothing!” he snapped. “It’s a place to sleep. Nothing else.”

“Whoa! All right.” Jared put both hands up in surrender. “Calm down.”

“What’s your problem?” Damon demanded, not nearly as nicely as Jared.

“I haven’t got a problem. I just don’t know what you want me to say.”

He closed his hands around the second set of railing and jerked back with all his weight. The notches he’d made along the bottom and top gave easily and the post came down with a crack.

“What did you guys fight about?” Damon asked in all his infinite married wisdom that Toby did not appreciate.

“Nothing,” Toby muttered, hefting the torn strip up and tossing it in the pile a few feet away.

“Nothing sure looks like something,” Damon badgered.

Panting and sweaty, Toby straightened and faced his brother. “Will you drop it? I said it’s nothing.”

Damon’s dark eyebrow winged up, but whatever he was about to come back with was silenced by the hard jab of Jared’s elbow into his side. The assault nearly sent Damon toppling over. He regained his balance and focused on something over Toby’s shoulder.

Toby didn’t move. He didn’t need to. He could feel the full weight of her presence scorching up his spine. Each second was another twist of the knife in his gut.

“I’m sorry to interrupt.” Addy’s soft voice lashed through him like a whip. “But lunch is on the table.”

He heard her hurry away back along the side of the house and he mentally kicked himself.

“Mind telling us what that was about?” Damon demanded, actually crossing his arms and glowering at Toby.

“You guys have a fight?” Jared prompted.

Rubbing a hand over his face and back through his hair, Toby dropped down on the steps they’d yet to demolish.

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled lamely, knowing full well his brother wouldn’t let up on his ass no matter how many times he said it. “Just…” he trailed off with a shake of his head. “It was a bunch of things that kind of all went from bad to worse.” He peered up at the two standing over him. “I kissed her and it was a stupid hot kiss. I mean like melt your socks and make you forget everything, except…”

“Got it!” Damon cut in quickly.

“Anyway, turns out she’s still married.”

“Shit!”

“Jesus!”

Toby nodded. “They’ve been separated for five years and she hasn’t seen or heard from him in all that time, but…”

Damon hissed through his teeth. “Dude, I don’t know…”

“Yeah, that’s kind of really pushing it,” Jared agreed.

Toby shook his head. “That’s not even what the fight was really about. I can handle the whole not legally, fully divorced part, but…” He paused as Sloan and Calla stomped into view, arms laden with bags. He waited until they had dropped everything off in Jared’s truck and had gone back inside before resuming. “You guys know about the catering thing?” At Jared and Damon’s nods, he went on. “Well, she doesn’t want people to know that she’s part of it, like she’s embarrassed or something. I don’t know. It just hit me the wrong way,” he finished.

“Well, you can’t really blame her, can you?” Jared spoke first. “If anything, she’s being rational. You kind of have to be when you’re in this town and got kids.”

Damon nodded. “Georgia May may not be with us anymore, but there are plenty of vultures left in the sea.”

“So?” Toby blurted. “What bad thing could they possibly say about her partnering up with Calla and Willa?”

Jared jerked a wide shoulder. “Whatever her reasons are, I really don’t see the harm in her request, especially if Willa and Calla are okay with it.”

Feeling about two inches tall, Toby stared hard at the space between his boots. “I don’t like the idea of anyone looking down on my family.”

“I don’t think she was looking down on us, Tob,” Damon said quietly. “It’s common knowledge that we have a track record for stirring up town controversy. This family has had more excitement happen to it in the last thirty-six years than anyone I know. That’s enough to make anyone gun shy, especially if they really do want to protect their privacy.”

“And she’s got kids,” Jared piped in. “As a parent, I get it.”

Damon straightened. “Anyway, let’s get lunch before Uncle Sloan comes back and beats our asses for sitting around.”

He waited for no one as he started around the house. Jared started to follow. Then stopped to glance back at Toby, who hadn’t moved.

“You coming?”

Toby waved him off. “Yeah, I just need a minute.”

With a nod, Jared set off.

No sooner had he rounded the corner when Calla and Uncle Sloan appeared once more, plastic bags stuffed full of bagged pastries in tow. They marched to Jared’s truck and organized everything on the backseat floor. Uncle Sloan glanced at him, but said nothing as he stalked past. Calla stopped.

“You okay?”

Toby shrugged. “Can I ask you something?”

Dusting her hands on her form fitting jeans, she nodded. “Of course. What’s up?”

He used the remains of the railing to heave himself up to his feet. “Did Addy tell you why she didn’t want to be part of the catering job?”

Delicate eyebrows folded together in contemplation. “She didn’t say she didn’t want to be part of it. She just didn’t want her name put out there.”

“She didn’t say why?”

Rather than answer, Calla eyed him. “Why are you interested?”

He shrugged again. “Just curious.”

Light glimmered to life behind her eyes, a twinkle of amused realization. “Ah! I see.” She folded her arms and thrust out a hip. “You’ve got a thing for our lovely little cookie maker.”

Toby grimaced. “I haven’t got a thing for her. I’m not thirteen.”

“Right.” She grinned. “I like her. I know Willa and Mom do too.”

“Fantastic,” he muttered. “Now that I’ve got three out of four of the McClain women’s vote of approval on the matter…”

She swatted at him. “Don’t be smart. I’m just saying, she’s a good choice.”

“Calla?” Uncle Sloan was back, weighed down with even more bags. “There’s still plenty of bags left inside.”

“Sorry, Uncle. I’ll be right there.” She turned back to Toby. “Look, as someone who has had her share of demons in the past, I respect her decision. Whatever her reasons are for not wanting her name out there is her business. If you really want to know, then maybe you should ask her.”

She gave his arm a comforting squeeze and left.

Toby grabbed his cane and made his way along the side of the house in the direction of the stairway leading up onto the porch. He’d made it partially there when Uncle Sloan caught up to him.

“How’s the leg?”

“Still attached,” he said with a grin. “How’s the back?”

Uncle Sloan grunted, but did as he always did when the matter of his back pains were brought up—he ignored the question.

“Your mom asked me to remind you about your appointment.”

Toby rolled his eyes. “I’m the one who told her about the appointment and it’s not for another three days.”

“Hey, she worries. We all do.”

“I’m fine,” he promised, fighting like hell to keep the tightness out of his tone. “I won’t be tap dancing any time soon, but I’m fine.”

Uncle Sloan drew to a stop and pulled Toby along with him. He rubbed a hand over his jaw and peered in the direction of the door with narrowed eyes.

“Look, I know your mom’s been on your case since the accident, but you need to remember that no mother wants a call from the hospital saying her son has been injured in combat. I was there when she got that call. It wasn’t a pretty picture. So, just … give her a break, okay? Let her fuss and worry. She only does it because she loves you.”

Feeling properly chastised, Toby sighed. “I know. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Uncle Sloan patted him on the arm. “Nothing to be sorry about. Now, come on. Let’s get lunch before Jared and Damon eat it all.”

Addy wasn’t there when they arrived. Hers was the first face he looked for when he walked through the door. Damon and Jared were at the table, now clear of the pastries. There were several freezer baggies on the island filled with muffins and tarts, but the rest were gone. Calla was gathering up what was left into a plastic bag when he stepped inside.

“They ate your carrot sticks,” she told him.

Sure enough, one of the plates on the table was only a thick, meaty sandwich with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. The other one had a ring of carrots and celery, which he guessed was Uncle Sloan’s plate. Clearly, Damon and Jared hadn’t touched that one.

“You assholes!” he muttered.

“You snooze, you lose,” Damon tossed back around a mouthful of sandwich.

He was about to respond when a movement by the door grabbed his attention. He turned his head as Hanna staggered her way into the room, clutching a floppy, tattered bunny to her chest. The left side of her face was etched in deep pillow lines and she barely had both eyes open, but she blinked at the unfamiliar faces around her kitchen and frowned.

“Where’s my mommy?” she demanded, like they were singlehandedly responsible for Addy’s disappearance.

“Hey sweetie,” Calla said. “I think your mom’s in the other room.”

“I’ll go with you,” Toby volunteered. “We’ll find her together.”

Hanna eyed the others with a wariness that was actually comical before accepting the hand Toby offered her. She stumbled along next to him as they ventured out of the kitchen and followed the glossy hardwood to the parlor. They found her sitting cross legged on the floor with several piles of magazines stacked around her. She glanced up when they entered the room. Her brown eyes met his and just as quickly dropped away to focus on the girl.

“Hey you.” She offered her daughter a smile. “I was beginning to wonder when you would be joining us.”

“What are you doing?” Hanna asked.

“Just tossing out old magazines no one wants to read.” She set aside the pile in her lap and rose to her feet. “How about we get you some lunch?”

“Mr. McClain helped me find you,” Hanna declared as Addy joined them at the door.

“Did you thank him?”

Hanna’s head dropped way back. “Thank you.”

He offered her a grin. “Welcome, kid.”

“Come on.”

Addy settled a hand on Hanna’s shoulder and ushered her back into the hallway. They passed Toby.

“Addy, Please wait.”

He caught her delicate wrist with his free hand. Her pulse jumped beneath his fingers. He expected her to pull away, to tell him to get his hands off her. Instead, she stopped. Her shoulders lifted in a deep inhale and stayed there as she held it for two heartbeats.

Then she smiled at Hanna and said, “Why don’t you wait for me in the kitchen, okay? I’ll be right there.”

Hanna skipped away without complaint and disappeared from sight into the kitchen. Addy waited until she was gone before turning to Toby.

“I’m sorry about what I said this morning,” he said. “I have no excuse, except that I misunderstood—”

“You didn’t,” she interrupted. “You didn’t misunderstand. You were right. A lot of the reason I don’t want people to know that I’m working with your sister and cousin is because they’re McClain’s, but!” she said quickly when he opened his mouth. “Let me explain. Please.” At his nod, she continued. “I meant what I said about loving your family. I love everything about them. I envy them and you, and would give anything in the world to have people like them in my life. But I live out here in the middle of nowhere, away from the prying eyes of town for a reason. It’s not something I want to share, but I have to do this. I can’t have people poking around me, wanting to get to know who I am and where I’m from and what I’ve done and who I’m with. Everyone is curious about the McClain family. You guys are celebrities. The Taylor Swift of Willow Creek.” She offered him a rueful little smile. “You guys can’t do or go anywhere without people needing to know your business, and that scares me. A lot.”

“Why?” He stared into her face, baffled and intrigued by the plea he could see reflecting in her eyes. “Why are you hiding?”

“I’m not…” She trailed off and lowered her chin. “I can’t … please don’t ask. I don’t want to lie to you.”

Toby shifted. His voice lowered. “Addy, are you in trouble?”

She said nothing for so long that he was beginning to think she wouldn’t. Then she lifted her face and the turmoil in her eyes nearly broke him.

“I’m asking you to please respect my decision, Toby.”

With that, she turned and left him.

Chapter 8 ~ Addy

What the hell had she been thinking telling Toby her darkest secrets? What had she been hoping would happen? That he would simply accept her request to back off? It was human nature to dig and solve a mystery and she’d given him a Nancy Drew worthy one. But she couldn’t lie to him either. She’d meant it when she’d told him she loved his family. They’d been nothing but good to her. And she’d meant it when she said she envied them. Growing up, her life was like one of those black and white photos of the mom and dad standing sullen and tense over a small, meek child in frilly clothes. There had been no room for love or mistakes. There had only ever been consequences and misery. But ten minutes with the McClain’s and she wanted so desperately to have what they had, unfaltering love, devotion and respect, except that wasn’t how her life worked.

“Knock, knock!” sang a female voice from the open backdoor.

The men had been going in and out of the house all morning, forcing Addy to leave the door propped open. Plus, it was the first nice day in weeks and she liked having the smell of sunshine, baked dirt and pine surround her while she worked. She hadn’t been expecting company.

“Hello, Mrs. Donnelly. Mrs. Clout!” She hurriedly wiped her hands on a rag and skirted the island to join them as they stepped over the threshold. “It’s been so long.”

Three years. That was how long it had been since the two busybodies had darkened the doorway. Addy hadn’t seen hide nor hair of them since before Macy had left. She didn’t believe for a second it was coincidence them showing up unexpectedly.

“What brings you all the way out here?”

The pair used to drop in every Sunday after church to have tea and gossip about everything from the sermon to how so and so was dressed. After Macy left, they stopped coming around. A blessing, really.

“Why, to see you!” rasped shriveled little Mrs. Donnelly with her floral sunhat and straw purse. She clasped her gloved hands together delicately in front of her and peered at Addy with watery gray eyes from a face stubbornly absent of a single blemish or wrinkle, despite being well into her seventies. “It has been so long.”

In contrast, small and poised, Mrs. Clout bobbed her head rigorously, making the feather in her cloche hats nod with her.

The two could have been fraternal twins. Both barely came to five feet, but where Mrs. Clout was rail thin with a horse face, Mrs. Donnelly was round with thin lips that never seemed to close all the way around her large teeth. They always reminded Addy of cartoon characters.

“It has been a long time,” Addy insisted, smiling like she had never been so delighted to see anyone. “Will you stay for tea?”

Mrs. Donnelly beamed. “Why, we would love to!”

“We’ll take it in the parlor,” Mrs. Clout piped in, to which, Mrs. Donnelly nodded in agreement.

“Oh, of course! Please.” Addy motioned them to follow her out of the kitchen, down the hall and straight into the parlor. She waited until they were properly seated before asking, “Cream and sugar?”

“Yes dear,” Mrs. Donnelly said, picking at each finger in turn and fluidly removing her gloves.

Nodding, Addy left the room and hurried back into the kitchen. She set the kettle on the stove and set a plate of cakes and cookies while she waited for the water to boil. Her foot tapped anxiously with every second that passed and the water didn’t boil. Her gaze shifted towards the backdoor and she wondered if it was too late to sneak out and sit with the horses until the two women got the hint and left.

Unfortunately, that was something she would never do. Not because she didn’t have it in her, but because it would only draw more vultures. Pamela Donnelly and Susan Clout may have been the worst, but once they got their flock together, it would be unbearable. So, she would play the gracious hostess and pray they left quickly.

“Hey.” Toby stepped into the kitchen, Hanna glued to his side with Mr. Tinkles clutched to her chest. “We came for juice.”

Abandoning her spot, Addy moved to the fridge as Toby and Hanna took the stools. She set a bottle of water down in front of him and a juice box in front of her and stepped back.

“How’s the job coming along?”

“Good,” Hanna declared as she tore the wrapper off her straw. “We’re making good progress.”

Toby chuckled. “What she said.”

Addy smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” She peered over at Toby. “She’s not bothering you guys, is she?”

“Are you kidding?” He scoffed. “My dad is ready to take her home with him.”

It was her turn to snort. “He says that now. He hasn’t seen her first thing in the morning.”

“True!” Toby confirmed with wide eyed agreement. His face sobered. “How are you?”

Blowing out a breath, Addy rolled her eyes. “I’m all right. Mrs. Donnelly and Mrs. Clout dropped in—”

“I know!” he grumbled. “Trust me. They were outside for an hour grilling us.”

“Oh God! I’m so sorry!”

He waved her apology aside. “We’re used to it.” He glanced around the kitchen. “You didn’t kill them and dump them in the basement, did you?”

Addy laughed. “We don’t have a basement, and no. They’re in the parlor … waiting for tea.”

Toby grimaced. “I do not envy you.” He turned to Hanna. “Ready to get back to work?”

Straw still in her mouth, Hanna hopped off her stool. “Yes sir!”

Toby saluted Addy. “Good luck.”

With that, the two disappeared through the door just as the kettle whistled. Addy fixed the tea, set everything on a tray and made her way slowly to join her company.

The two were chattering on to each other … at the exact same time. It was beyond her how they were having a conversation when each was talking about something completely different, but they didn’t seem to mind.

“Tea!” Addy announced as she made her way into the room.

She placed the tray on the coffee table and set out pouring.

“How have you been, Adelaide dear?” Mrs. Donnelly asked as her teacup was offered to her.

“I’ve been good,” she said, passing Mrs. Clout her cup. “How about you?”

“Oh, never get an old woman talking about her health,” Mrs. Donnelly mumbled. “We’d be here all day.”

“How are the children?” Mrs. Clout chimed in, dunking a cookie into her drink and nibbling at it.

“Good! Sean’s at school and Hanna’s outside.”

“We saw!” Mrs. Clout cooed. “She has gotten so big!”

Mrs. Donnelly nodded. “She was barely walking the last time we were here.”

“She’s four now,” Addy supplied. “Almost five.”

“Four!” Mrs. Clout pressed a palm to her chest. “Precious. They grow too fast.”

“They do.”

“And your boy?”

“Sean’s ten.”

The two gasped and murmured rapidly about how time flies. Addy just smiled and nodded.

“We were just talking to Wendy Lockwood this morning and she mentioned that she heard from Martha over at the hardware store that you were putting in a new porch,” Mrs. Donnelly said.

Mrs. Clout nodded. “And Pam said how tragic it was that we hadn’t come out this way in so long.”

“So of course, we drove straight up,” Mrs. Donnelly finished.

“I really appreciate that,” she lied. “It’s wonderful to see you both again. Macy thought very highly of you.”

“Macy!” Mrs. Donnelly gasped like that just reminded her of something. “How is Macy?”

“Good. She sent a postcard from Nebraska only last month. She seems to really be enjoying herself.”

“Well, good for her!” Mrs. Clout cheered. “She’s been going on about traveling for ages.”

“None of us actually believed she would.” Mrs. Donnelly chortled.

“Why?” Addy asked.

“Oh, well, because this town does that,” Mrs. Donnelly said. “Either you leave straight away or you never leave.”

“Kind of like your mother,” Mrs. Clout added. “What was her name, Pam?”

“Francine,” Addy supplied quietly.

“Yes, Francine.” Mrs. Donnelly sighed heavily. “I barely remember her. It’s been, what?”

“Years!” Mrs. Clout said.

“How is she?”

It was a struggle as it always was when she was asked to remember a lie, but she’d gone over it so many times over the year that even she sometimes believed she was the daughter of Francine Boyd, Macy’s younger sister. It was all a cover Macy had put into place when Addy had first arrived and Addy hadn’t stopped her. And since Francine never returned after leaving Willow Creek straight out of high school or kept in touch with anyone, no one had questioned it. It was the perfect identity.

“She’s good.”

Addy had no idea if that was true or not.

“Where is she again?”

“New Mexico.” At least, that was the address on the last letter postcard Macy ever received from her sister.

“Must be so nice there,” Mrs. Clout sighed.

“She likes it,” Addy continued to lie or not. For all she knew, Francine really did like New Mexico.

The two women paused to take dainty little sips of their drinks. Their cups rattled in their unsteady hands.

“You always made wonderful tea,” Mrs. Donnelly said, setting her cup and saucer down on the table. “Macy’s was always too strong.”

“Thank you.”

“So, tell us about your renovations,” Mrs. Clout cut in, blinking blue eyes like a baby owl.

“There’s really nothing to tell. The wood was rotting so Mr. McClain was kind enough to offer his help rebuilding it.”

“Oh, how terrible!” Mrs. Clout gasped.

“What possessed you to hire the McClain family?” Mrs. Donnelly pressed on. “Everyone knows they’re a moving company. We had no idea they did renovations as well.”

“That’s not entirely true, Pam,” Mrs. Clout protested. “Didn’t they do some work up at town hall a while back?”

Mrs. Donnelly clicked her tongue. “Right you are. Of course.”

“But it’s certainly a very large job,” Mrs. Clout said. “With winter around the corner, do they foresee themselves finishing in time?”

Addy nodded. “Mr. McClain has assured me that it will be built just a little after Halloween.”

“Halloween!” Mrs. Donnelly gasped. “We absolutely love Halloween.”

“All those adorable children all dressed up.” Mrs. Clout giggled. “Love it.”

“Macy used to make such a big fuss every year and it was just splendid,” Mrs. Donnelly continued. “I do so miss her antics.”

Addy just smiled.

“Oh, will you be attending the charity event this weekend?” Mrs. Donnelly demanded.

“You must!” Mrs. Clout pouted. “The town hardly knows you and it would be such a delight to have you there.”

“We would of course introduce you to all the proper people,” Mrs. Donnelly promised with a solemn little nod of her head.

“So important,” Mrs. Clout insisted with the same dire expression. “One tiny step in the wrong direction and, well…”

“Disaster,” Mrs. Donnelly supplied.

“Absolute disaster.”

Addy could feel her smile growing tighter with every passing second. “Oh, well, I don’t know if I—”

“Oh, but you must be there!” Mrs. Donnelly insisted. “You must. I won’t hear a no. The children are welcome, so no need to worry about babysitters.”

“It is for them, after all,” Mrs. Clout added.

“For them?”

“The school,” Mrs. Donnelly replied. “The whole thing is a very recent thing. Only, what?”

“I’d say six years now,” Mrs. Clout guessed with a little shrug.

“About that,” Mrs. Donnelly agreed. “Toby McClain would know better.”

“Toby … I mean, Mr. McClain? Why would he—?”

“Why, it’s his event,” Mrs. Clout said. “Started it just before he shipped off.”

Mrs. Donnelly bobbed her head. “Every year, rain or shine.”

“Holds it just after school starts,” Mrs. Clout said.

“Raises enough to last the entire year.”

Addy had no recollection of Willa or Calla mentioning that the charity they were catering to was Toby’s. It made no difference either way, a paying job was a paying job and it was for a good cause, but she never would have guessed that Toby would have his own annual charity to help feed the children of Willow Creek. Something about that touched something really deep inside her.

“That’s really kind of him,” she murmured.

The two women nodded.

“He’s a good one,” Mrs. Donnelly agreed. “I’d like a taste of him myself if I were a few years younger.”

“Try nearly fifty, you old lush!” Mrs. Clout cackled.

Mrs. Donnelly waved her friend away. “A man needs a woman of experience!”

The two shrieked. Addy couldn’t help it, she laughed as well.

“I think Adelaide should toss her hat into the pit,” Mrs. Clout suggested, casting Addy a meaningful sidelong glance. “Turn your womanly wiles on him before that good for nothing Sandra Perkins sinks her claws into him.”

“Yes!” Mrs. Donnelly gasped. “Toby deserves a good girl like you in his life.”

Mrs. Clout bobbed her head fiercely. “Sandra would only use him.”

Addy had no idea who Sandra Perkins was, but she forced a smile. “I’m sure Mr. McClain wouldn’t be interested—”

“Interested in what?” Toby appeared in the doorway and Addy had to wonder how he got there without her hearing his cane.

“We were just telling Adelaide she needs to put her bid in this weekend for you,” Mrs. Donnelly piped up without missing a beat.

Addy blinked. “Bid in for—?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Toby cut in before she could ask bid for what. “It’s for a good cause after all. Every penny helps.” He offered the two a devastatingly gorgeous grin that even Addy wasn’t immune to, especially when it made her think of that morning when he’d kissed her. “Now, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to steal Ms. Nixon away for a second.”

Addy rose quickly, relieved for the excuse to get away and followed Toby out into the hallway. She peered down around his legs.

“Where’s Hanna?”

“Outside with my dad. He’s teaching her how to use the tape measure.”

She lifted her eyes to his face. “Something wrong?”

He shrugged. “No, just thought you could use a break. You’ve been in there with them for an hour.”

She glanced down at her watch. Sure enough, an entire hour had passed.

She stifled a groan. “I don’t think they’re ready to leave.”

He lightly skimmed the tips of his fingers gingerly along her arm, eliciting a whole fireworks display beneath her skin. “Leave it to me.”

She watched curiously as he stepped back into the parlor. He was gone for a minute, but when he returned, Mrs. Donnelly and Mrs. Clout were following him.

“Of course we’ll be there!” Mrs. Clout was saying. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Toby thanked them while leading them past Addy and into the kitchen. She hurried after them and watched, astounded as the pair walked straight out the door with barely a wave to her.

“What did you say to them?”

Toby pivoted on his heel to face her. “That I needed to drive you into town to pick up supplies for the porch.”

Addy huh’d. “That’s actually pretty clever. I wish I’d thought of it an hour ago.” She blew out a breath. “I’m never going to finish this order in time for this weekend.”

“Yes, you will,” he assured her. “You’re a one woman baking machine, like those Easy Bake Ovens, but hotter.”

Addy laughed. “Thanks.” She sobered and peered at him. “You didn’t tell me you started the charity.”

Toby physically recoiled. “I don’t call it a charity. I actually really hate that word. No one wants to be considered a charity case, especially not kids and they shouldn’t.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. The event,” she corrected.

“It’s something I’ve been working towards since I was in high school and I’m real proud of it.”

Addy smiled. “I think it’s wonderful.”

“Does that mean you’ll come and—”

“Mommy!” Hanna tore into the room, waving a measuring tape in the air. “I learned cinaminers.”

Cole stepped into the kitchen after her, slightly breathless, but grinning. “I think she means centimeters. I hope.”

“That’s really great, baby.”

Hanna tugged at the tongue and the ruler rolled out of the device in a bright yellow sash. “Look! It goes on forever!”

“That’s nice, but don’t break it, okay?”

“I have a million of those,” Cole assured her. “I told her she could keep that one.”

Addy smiled at him. “Thank you for watching her. I hope she didn’t give you a hard time.”

Cole shook his head. “Nah, it’s nice to have a little girl around again. Mine’s too old to teach new things.”

“Don’t let Calla hear you say that,” Toby muttered.

Cole chuckled. “We actually came in because we need new things to measure.”

Hanna released the end and the ruler snapped back into the case. Hanna laughed, delighted.

Chuckling, Addy shook her head. “Measure away.”

With Hanna leading the way, the pair disappeared down the hall, leaving Addy alone with Toby once more.

“Back to the fundraiser,” Toby pressed. “Are you coming?”

“Oh, um…” She turned away and made her way to the island and the cake she had yet to finish decorating. “I don’t think so.”

“You have to go,” he argued. “It’s your first catering job. Don’t you want to hear what people think?”

She had thought about that, but at the same time, what if no one liked anything she’d made? She definitely didn’t want to be around when that happened. Yet a part of her had been curious since Calla had told her about the event and even she couldn’t deny that she was actually excited. It was her first real job. One that wasn’t given to her already established.

“I don’t know if that would be a good idea,” she ventured. “People would wonder why I’m there.”

“It’s a fundraiser,” he reminded her evenly. “It’s fairly straight forward.”

“Yes, but I’ve never been to a single town activity or fundraiser or tea party or anything since I moved here. I drive twenty minutes into Newburry to get groceries. It’ll be weird if I just show up for no reason.”

“It’s not for no reason,” he argued. “Your son goes to school in town. Next year, your daughter will be joining him. It’s important. That’s all people need to know.”

“Why now when I haven’t in five years?”

He shrugged. “Who cares? This is your town. It’s not anyone’s business what you do and you can’t let them make it their business. You can’t let anyone tuck you away out here in the middle of nowhere, no matter what your past circumstances. Only you can give them the power to isolate you.”

He made it sound so logical. So simple. Yet there were so many things that could go wrong. There were so many questions she wasn’t prepared to answer and too many people who could take an interest in her and get curious enough to dig deeper.

But maybe they won’t. There were hundreds of people in town. Who was to say anyone would even notice her? She could stick to the back, keep in the shadows. She could … no, it was a bad idea. She needed to stop.

“I would really like for you to come,” Toby murmured when she took too long to answer. “I think you and the kids would like it, and it really is for a good cause.”

“Addy, I don’t know how you do all this.” Laura scooped up another forkful of her strawberry cheesecake. “Every meal is…”

“Magic,” Richard finished for her. “And she’s right. This cheesecake is delicious!”

Cheeks warm, Addy smiled. “Thank you.”

“Have you ever considered opening this place up for lunches or dinners?” Laura asked. “I think people would love to come here, enjoy the atmosphere and eat this cake!”

“My aunt had the place open for lunches, but no one wants to drive all the way out here when Ma’s Diner is so much closer.”

“Ma’s Diner?” Laura glanced at her husband. “I think we stopped there the other afternoon for coffee and there was this … foul little woman behind the counter.”

Across from Addy, at the other end of the table, Toby choked on his cake. He coughed and thumped his chest with a fist as he struggled not to laugh. Addy met his gaze and bit back her own chuckle.

“That would have been Ma,” she told the Charleston’s.

“The owner?” Laura blinked at her, appalled. “She was horrible and her coffee was atrocious.”

“Ma retired a while back, supposedly, but she refuses to actually leave the diner,” Toby volunteered. “We’re sure she’ll want to be buried there one day.”

Richard nodded. “You could steal her business if you really wanted.”

“Actually, you should think about visiting Under The Willow,” Addy suggested. “Their coffee is much better.”

“Under The Willow.” Laura glanced at her husband. “Did we go there?”

Richard shook his head. “We must have missed it.”

“Well, you have another four days with us so you can—”

“Actually, we’re thinking about leaving in the morning,” Laura cut in, giving Addy an apologetic little smile. “We got a text from our son this morning and we’re needed at home. It’s why we returned from Vancouver early, to pack.”

“We were going to tell you after supper,” Richard assured her, looking equally remorseful.

“Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope he’s all right.”

Laura exchanged a quick glance with her husband before returning her attention to Addy with a tense nod. “He will be.”

Addy set her fork down. “We hate to see you go, but of course we understand. We can go over the paperwork tonight. I’ll refund you—”

“No, please don’t,” Laura broke in. “You deserve every penny. The last few days have been wonderful and we will be coming back.”

“Mommy? Can I have more cake?” Hanna nudged her empty plate closer. “Please?”

Addy checked her watch. “Actually, it’s time to start getting ready for bed. Get your bathroom things and I’ll come up in a minute to help with your shower.”

Bottom lip puckered and big, brown eyes peeked at Addy from her daughter’s tiny face. “Please?”

Laura laughed. “I see the puppy dog eyes hasn’t gone out of fashion since my kids were younger.”

Addy chuckled. “No, I’m pretty sure this one perfected it.” To Hanna, she said, “One small piece.”

Delighted, Hanna sat back, plate in hand and waited. Addy cut a sliver from the slab on the table and set it in the plate. She peered over at Sean.

“Now’s your chance if you want another slice,” she told him. “Before your sister’s charm wears off.”

Sean shook his head. “I’m okay. Can I get my shower now if Hanna’s still eating?”

A sort of sadness passed through her as it always did when Sean refused to act like a child. She only had a few more years with him before he really was an adult and she felt like she’d already lost him. But she relented with a small smile.

“Yeah, sure.”

Excusing himself, Sean pushed his chair back, picked up his plate and walked out of the room.

“You have very sweet children,” Laura remarked as Addy settled back in her chair.

“Thank you.” She offered the other woman a grin. “They grow up too fast.”

“Our oldest just had her first baby six months ago. I don’t think I felt old until that moment.”

Addy laughed. “I’m not even thinking about that right now. I’m still trying to brace myself for the teen years.”

Laura blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. “Valium and vodka.”

“My nephew’s going to be thirteen in a few months and my sister’s about ready to ship him off to boarding school,” Toby said. “He’s a good kid, but damn he’s moody.”

“He said a bad word!” Hanna declared, thrusting a dirty fork towards Toby. “I’ll get the jar!”

She was gone before Addy could tell her not to worry about it.

“The … jar?” Toby murmured, one eyebrow lifted. “Should I be worried?”

Addy opened her mouth to explained, but Hanna was back, jar in hand. She slammed it down in front of Toby.

“That’ll be a dollar, please.”

Toby cocked his head towards Addy, waiting.

“It’s the swear jar,” she explained, feeling her cheeks warm. “Macy started it when we’d get badly behaved kids at the inn. We haven’t used it in a while…”

Toby lowered his lashes to study the empty jar. “Explains the cobwebs. Well…”

He tipped to the left and reached for his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet.

“Oh no, you really don’t have to—”

Hanna unscrewed the lid helpfully and waited for Toby to toss his dollar in. The lid was slammed down and screwed into place before the coins even hit the bottom. Then the jar was snatched to her thin chest as she cackled.

“I’ve got a dollar!”

With the coins rattling around at the bottom of the jar, she bolted out of the room, still cackling.

“I am so sorry,” Addy gasped, horrified. “She … I’ll get your dollar back.”

Toby snorted. “It’s a dollar.”

“And you did swear,” Laura added helpfully.

Addy grimaced. “The actual swear cost is a quarter…”

Toby gasped and peered in the direction Hanna had taken. “That little crook!”

“Inflation,” Richard decided with mock gravity. “Bright side, you’re free to swear three more times.”

“Right you are!” Toby agreed with a definite nod that made Addy laugh. “I will certainly have to get my money’s worth.”

Addy fought not to point out his swearing that morning when he’d been kissing her. The memory of it was still too fresh to speak of without blushing, or worse, wanting more. The whole thing was a blur of need and want and so much repressed heat. No matter how she twisted it around in her head, she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what she’d been thinking or how she could let herself go so easily. Her behavior was mortifying.

“Would anyone like some after dinner tea or coffee?” she asked as she pushed out of her chair.

“Only if you bring this cake with you,” Richard said, scooping the last of the cheesecake off his plate and into his mouth.

“Will do.”

“Let me help you!” Laura rose quickly and began gathering the plates and cutlery from around her.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that!”

Laura waved Addy’s protest away. “Why don’t you men head into the parlor? We’ll bring the drinks there.”

“I think we’re being dismissed,” Toby remarked.

Grunting, Richard pushed back his seat. “I believe you’re right.”

The two left and Laura helped Addy drag everything into the kitchen, and stayed while Addy made the coffee.

“You don’t have to stay with me,” Addy said as Laura took a seat at the island.

“Oh, you’re doing me the favor,” Laura murmured. “Richard’s just been miserable since that call this morning. I need some space before I kill him in his sleep.”

Wiping her hands on a rag, Addy turned to the woman. “Is everything all right?”

Laura sighed heavily. “Robbie, our son, has been getting in and out of trouble since he was a teenager and it seems the older he gets, the deeper he seems to get.”

“Oh, Laura, I am so sorry…”

The older woman waved away the apology. “It’s our own fault. We spoiled him, gave him no boundaries and let him get away with just about anything.”

Addy set her hands on the island between them. “Is there anything I can do?”

Blue eyes lifted and met hers. “No, but thank you.” She forced a tight smile. “Besides, you’ve already given us one of the best vacations we’ve ever had. This town is gorgeous and our time here with you has been incredible. I’m almost tempted to move here just so I can come by every day and get fed by you.”

“You are welcome anytime,” Addy promised with a laugh. “I am really sad to see you go.”

Softness relaxed the wrinkles around Laura’s mouth and eyes. “Well, at least you won’t be alone. You’ll have that very handsome young man all to yourself.”

Crimson waves rushed up Addy’s face, turning it a hot red that had Laura laughing.

“Toby?” she blurted. “Oh, no, there is nothing—”

“Oh, but there should be!” Laura drawled with a wiggle of her eyebrow. “I would not let that one get away if I were you.”

Feeling the heat only increase until tears filmed her eyes, Addy shook her head and quickly turned away. “I’m just not in a place for that.”

“Well, if you ever change your mind, I am fairly confident that the feeling is mutual.”

Addy glanced back. “What do you mean?”

Laura grinned mischievously. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It’s very inappropriate.”

Gasping, partially in horror, partially in amusement, Addy pitched her dishrag at the woman, who burst out laughing and caught it.

Laura and Richard turned in as soon as their cups were empty. Addy left the room long enough to help Hanna with her shower and got the girl in bed before returning to clean up, only to find the dishes all put in the dishwasher and the counters scrubbed clean. Even the dining room was put back in order and the cushion on the sofa in the sitting room fluffed. She would have accused Laura of sneaking down, but she’d heard the woman talking with Richard up in their room. Sean was sleeping and Hanna could barely keep her room clean on a good day. That only left one other person.

She found Toby standing on the back porch, staring across the yard in the direction of the stables. He didn’t have a coat on, but he seemed unperturbed by the evening chill. Nevertheless, Addy grabbed her jacket and his and joined him.

Toby glanced back when she opened the backdoor.

“Hey,” she whispered. “I thought you might be cold.”

“Thanks.” He accepted the coat she offered him, but didn’t put it on. “Kids in bed?”

“Yes.” She eased into her own jacket. “And the Charleston’s have turned in. They want to leave early and we still need to go through the checkout.” She sighed and folded her arms. “Thank you for cleaning up.”

He draped the coat over the railing and propped his injured hip against it. She wondered just how badly it actually hurt him and if he would tell her if she asked. She doubted it. Most likely to keep her from worrying or fussing, which she would; the last thing she wanted was for him to agitate his injury beyond repair.

“Is it bothering you?” she asked, gesturing with a nod to his leg.

The freckles bunched with his wrinkling nose. “It has good days and bad days. The cold only seems to make it hurt more than it should. Doctor said that was normal and I should get used to it.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, not sure why. It wasn’t like it was her fault.

His chin tilted in her direction. Shadows played chase across that beautifully defined lines of his face from the kitchen lights breaking through the windows. They glimmered off the velvety surface of his breathtaking eyes and collected in dark pools in the hollows of his cheeks and temples. She stared hypnotized as he studied her.

“What are you doing, Addy?”

Having not been doing anything, Addy gave a start at the gruff demand. Her thought scattered as she tried to think.

“I’m not—”

Surprisingly warm fingers cut through the space between them and ghosted lightly along the side of her cheek. The feather light caress rocked her all the way to her toes.

“Toby…”

The light shifted and she could just make out the slow curl of his lips. “You just can’t seem to make up your mind which one to call me, can you?” The fingers drifted back and curled around the nape of her neck. She was dragged to him and positioned with her hips cradled between hard thighs. “If it makes any difference, the way you breathe my name, the way you say it with just a hint of pleading, makes me all kinds of crazy with the need to devour you.”

Shit.

His fingers tightened in her hair, locking her in place, helpless to do anything more than allow it when he pulled her closer. Her hands flew to his shoulders.

“Kiss me, Addy.”

She should have said no. Commonsense demanded it. Logic and rationality insisted. But his mouth was right there, a delicious, taunting sin begging her for just one taste.

Her fingers curled into the material of his sweater, gripping him like a life preserver even as he was the one pulling her under. Her body dipped into his, no longer under her control. His heady scent of man, soap, and cheesecake consumed what little sense she had remaining.

She kissed him. It wasn’t the soul shattering viciousness his had been, but it still plowed through her with a ferocity that made her gasp. Beneath the gentle coaxing of her lips, Toby groaned. His hand slid along the curve of her spine to settle at her waist. He clasped her closer and took long, liquid sips of her in a way that had her head reeling.

“You have absolutely no idea what you do to me, do you?” He drew away first, just far enough to graze her lips with every husky murmur.

A smile broke across her face. “No, but I like hearing you tell me.”

Her own boldness stunned her. She thanked the heavens it was too dark for him to see the blush stinging her cheeks.

His growl tickled her mouth. “You enthrall me, enchant me, absolutely mesmerize and infuriate me.” He nipped lightly at her bottom lip. “I am so lost in you I can’t even think straight.”

She kissed him without being told this time. It was harder, deeper, and snapping with the powerful surge of electric desire that pulsed through her. The vicious drive pushed her to claim, to mark and devour the man wrecking her in all the ways that could destroy her forever. The primal need terrified her, it was too much and quickly veering completely out of control, but she couldn’t stop. Her body was on fire. The pressure was unquenchable and foreign. It built deep inside her in a place that had never felt anything like it. Against the cotton material of her bra, her nipples were throbbing. Her breasts were swollen and tender to the point of agony.

“Toby!” Her sob was desperate, but then so was she.

“Fuck!” His snarl broke against her gasping mouth. His hand shot away from her waist and plunged through the opening in her coat. He located the snaps on her jeans and tugged the button free. Then the zipper. “Hold on, baby. Hold on.”

Addy shrugged out of her coat and let it fall to the porch floor. Her temperature had risen to a boiling point and she was sure she was about to suffocate.

He jerked up her sweater with his free hand to expose her abdomen. The cold evening licked at sweat dampened skin. A shiver worked through her that had her hands tightening on his shoulders.

Then he was littering her ribs with open mouthed kisses, working his way up to the underside of her bra while his hands tugged and fumbled with the waistband of her pants. The material eased down her hips, revealing the thin elastic of her panties.

He stopped. He gave a low groan of misery and settled his forehead against her abdomen.

“What—?”

“I can’t do this.”

Devastated and confused, Addy pulled away. Her hands worked with impressive speed to cover everything he’d uncovered.

“Is it me?”

She couldn’t help the prickle to her self-esteem. After two kids, her body wasn’t exactly that of an eighteen year old’s. It held the lines and curves of motherhood, marks that had never bothered her until he was pulling away after seeing them.

“God, no!” He reached for her hand and pulled her back to him. “You’re perfect, Addy. Everything about you makes my blood hot. But I’m not going to fuck you on the goddamn porch. For one, it’s cold out here. For another…” With his free hand, he cupped her cheek. “You don’t really want this. It kills me to say it, but I know you’ll wake up in the morning and you’ll regret it.” He blew out a breath that rang with frustration. “I don’t want that.”

It shamed her that he was right. Twice in one day, she had let her hormones take control of her body and both times, she had come that much closer to losing herself all over again. The realization was mortifying.

“I’m sorry—”

“Hey.” He pushed awkwardly to his feet without releasing his hold on her or putting weight on his leg. “Don’t do that. Don’t be sorry. It’s my job to make sure you’re comfortable. I’m fine with cold showers until you’re ready. I actually prefer them to a woman’s warm, willing body anyway.”

Against her resolve, Addy snorted a miserable laugh and hugged herself against the cold that had begun to suck greedily at her heat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll think about us.” He pushed back a wisp of her hair off her cheek and back behind her ear. “Say you’ll at least consider the possibility and that you’ll give me a shot to make you happy.”

She raised her eyes to his stunning face and drew in a breath at the exposed and vulnerable look barely concealed in the shadows. The openness captured her heart.

“What’s wrong with you?” she whispered so quietly, she had to pause to make sure she’d spoken out loud. “How … no one is this perfect.”

The tension that had appeared along his jaw softened. His mouth bowed.

“I wear my socks to bed and scratch myself at the dinner table.”

Amused, Addy wrinkled her nose. “I’ve had dinner with you. You do not.”

“Well, I’ll start to, just to make you feel better.”

Addy laughed. It broke off into a gasp as a shiver passed along her spine. She started to bend down to grab her coat, but a heavier one dropped around her shoulders. The soft leather cocooned her all the way to her thighs in a bulky, black weight. Toned fingers reached up and unhooked her hair from the collar, and another shiver stole through her. This one had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the whisper of his fingertips brushing along the sensitive bit of skin on her neck.

“Come on,” he murmured, reaching for his cane. “I’m getting you inside before you get sick.”

She scooped her coat off the ground and let him take her hand. Together, they stepped into the warmth of the kitchen. He took her coat from her and hooked it up next to the door. She passed him back his and watched him repeat the motion.

“Are you tired?” she asked him once there was nothing left to do.

He shook his head. “No, painfully awake.”

She tried not to let her gaze roam down to the front of his jeans, to the bulge she’d felt pressing against her thigh only moments earlier.

“I could make us some tea and we could…” she abruptly broke off at the idea of sitting alone watching TV with another person. The memories of pain and fear suffocated her and she had to turn away.

“Addy?”

A gentle hand settled on her arm and she flinched. She physically recoiled as though his palm had burst into flames. Her skin crawled and it had nothing to do with him.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “Just … give me a second. Please.”

She moved away from him quickly and barricaded herself on the other side of the island. She kept her back to him as she clung to the oven door and tried to regulate her breathing.

Slow breaths. Slow, easy breaths.

“What did he do to you?”

Addy blanched at the quiet question. Her eyes squeezed closed and she lowered her chin.

“Do you want tea or … or coffee?”

“Addy!” The warning in his tone lashed through her, tightening the pit of her stomach. “What did he do?”

She should tell him. In therapy, her therapist used to tell her that in order to have a positive and trusting relationship with another person in the future, she would need to open herself to them. The idea had always been ridiculous to her. Who in their right mind would want a relationship after what she’d gone through?

Then Toby waltzed into her life and … he had a right to know, didn’t he? A man needed to be made aware before he put money on a cow that he was getting a damaged one. Her therapist would be appalled if she heard Addy say that out loud. She’d tell her that she wasn’t damaged and anyone who didn’t accept her for all that she was, didn’t belong in her life.

But she wanted Toby to belong. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to accept her without question and never have to find out.

“I think I’m tired,” she lied instead. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

She ran out of the kitchen as though the place were on fire.

Chapter 9 ~ Toby

Toby arrived the next morning to the familiar sights and sounds of Addy bustling around the kitchen. The air was fraught with a tangle of scents and thick with heat. He half expected to be able to take a bite out of it. His strides slowed as he reached the open doorway and peered in.

Beautiful in tights and a lavender sweater, Addy stood fresh faced and alert at the stove, gingerly stirring a pot. Her dark hair shone in the harsh light. It spilled down her back from the ponytail at the top of her head. Wisps curled around her ears and framed her face.

She was breathtaking. Not a supermodel, but natural. The girl next door. Soft, sweet, and incredibly inviting. She was the sort he would have definitely fallen for hard in high school.

“Morning.”

Her head jerked up and around to him. Her surprise dissolved into a hesitant smile.

“Hi!” She returned her focus on the pot. “I’ll get coffee in two minutes.”

Moving away from the doorway, he made his way forward. “I got it.”

She didn’t argue, but continued to watch the thick, tawny substance bubbling at the bottom of the pot. Her spoon moved in slow, even circles.

“What’s that?”

“Caramel,” she answered without looking up. “It’s for the twisted donuts.”

He flicked the switch on the coffee pot. The machine came to life with a gurgle. Toby turned to the woman two feet away from him.

“We need to talk, Addy.”

Her reaction was instantaneous. Her spine went rigid. The muscle in her jaw clenched. Her spoon hand slashed across, cutting through the circle. Even her breathing quickened. She stared intently at the glaze with a look of such steely determination it broke his heart.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Toby propped a hip against the counter. “We’ve got a problem on our hands. It’s been almost four weeks and I have yet to see any cookies.” Her head shot up and snapped around. The look of shock and confusion, and relief made him think maybe he’d done the right thing. “That was our deal wasn’t it?” he murmured.

She nodded mutely.

“Well, I haven’t seen a single cookie since that last batch you gave me the first day,” he mused evenly. “Seems to me like you’re trying to wiggle out of our arrangement.”

The spoon struck the side of the metal rim with a resounding clang and before he knew it, she had thrown herself at him. Her arms were steel bands encircling his throat, choking and suffocating as she clung with a fierceness that took him completely by surprise. But he held her back, crushing her middle with both arms and nuzzling her neck.

“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear.

He didn’t ask for what. He knew.

“Don’t think this excuses you from baking me cookies,” he whispered back, and was rewarded with her giggle. He drew back and kissed her lightly. “Late payment fee.”

She smiled before pulling away and hurrying to her caramel. She dragged the pot off the element and quickly took it over to the eight large pans of unglazed twisted donuts lined across the island.

The coffee pot finished brewing and Toby made them both a cup. Added two scoops of sugar to hers and brought it over.

“It’s Friday,” he murmured as he set the mugs down on either side of her and slipped up behind her. His arms slid with unnatural ease around her middle and locked at the hands over her abdomen. He nuzzled the back of her neck. “I have to meet Damon and Jared for man time.”

Her silent chuckle shook between them. “What do you do during your man time?”

He nipped playfully at her jaw. “Man stuff.”

Her head turned a notch over her shoulder. “Strippers?”

He paused to consider that. “You know, we have never been to a strip club together.” He kissed her soundly on the cheek. “Thanks for the idea.”

Leaving her laughing, he picked up his mug and circled around to claim a stool. He sat and watched as she poured caramel over the baked dough. She was still grinning, but her hands were steady.

“I have a million more of these to make for the event tomorrow. Then I’m going to call Calla and let her know they’re ready, and that is pretty much my day.”

Toby took a sip of his coffee. “How did I fall so hard for such a wild woman?”

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, yet it popped out of him and hung between them. Addy’s head came up and her eyes locked with his. But she didn’t say anything before she resumed her glazing with a pink tinge in her cheeks.

The arrival of the Charleston’s had their conversation on hold as the couple said their goodbyes.

“Just something to take with you on the road,” Addy said as she passed them a bag of goodies. “Drive safely.”

Laura hugged her. “We are really going to miss you and the children, Addy. We will definitely be coming back.”

Smiling, Addy drew back. “I’ll walk you out.”

Toby stayed where he was as the trio left the room. He was contemplating whether or not to eat one of the donuts when Sean arrived, dressed, showered, and ready to face the day.

“Hey,” Toby said, turning in his seat.

Sean inclined his head stiffly, but said nothing. He rarely said anything, even less when Toby was around. He couldn’t help wondering if the boy just didn’t like him.

“Ready for school?”

Sean nodded. His gaze moved over the room.

“She’s saying goodbye to the Charleston’s,” Toby told him.

Sean considered this the same way he deliberated everything before making his way deeper into the room. He set out pulling out bread. He used the counter that put his back to Toby while he made himself lunch.

“How’s school?” Toby asked, needing to find something to bond with the kid. Hanna had been easy. She just accepted people. Sean was a sullen old man in the body of a ten year old. “Any subjects you like?”

“Math,” came the curt response.

“Is Mrs. Humphry still teaching that class?”

“Pollock,” he muttered. “Mrs. Humphry retired five years ago.”

Toby hissed through his teeth. “I didn’t think they were ever going to get her to leave. We had polls going to see if we’d walk into class and find her dead in her chair. Nobody ever won the poll.”

The moment he said it, he wanted to smack himself in the forehead. What a creepy and rude thing to say.

“Brittany Sawyer did.” Sean glanced back over his shoulder. “She bet Mrs. Humphry would retire. She was the only one.”

“No kidding!” He mulled that over while he took a sip of his drink. “That pot must have been enormous. It was running since I started high school.”

“Over twenty grand.”

The mug struck the counter with a crack. “No!”

Sean nodded, grinning. “Yup.”

“Ugh!” Toby shook his head. “I spent a small fortune on that pool! I feel so ripped off.”

Sean snickered and went back to the bread. “She put it towards her get out of town fund.”

Toby snorted. “We’ve all had one of those.”

“I don’t.”

He peered over at the boy. “Like it here?”

“My mom and sister are here,” was his answer. “They need me.”

If Toby could even think of anything to say, it was interrupted by Addy’s return. She brushed her hands together and stalked back to the island.

“The Charleston’s have left,” she declared.

“Did you check them out on the computer or just the book?” Sean asked, peering at his mother closely.

Addy huffed and speared a hip with one balled fist. “I’ll have you know I do sometimes know what I’m doing with that monstrous contraption.”

Sean continued to bore into her, expression dry.

Addy relented. “Yes, I removed them off your precious computer.”

The boy seemed unconvinced, but he went back to preparing his lunch without a comment. Addy turned to Toby.

“Not a fan of computers?” he teased.

Addy winced. “Hate them,” she mouthed with a roll of her eyes.

“She thinks it’s a devil’s spawn,” Sean supplied. “And I saw that.”

Addy swatted at him with a dishcloth. “Quiet you.” She turned back to Toby. “For your information, the feeling is mutual. That thing hates me.”

“It’s an inanimate object,” Sean reminded her. “It’s incapable of hate.”

“Then explain why it beeps at me every time I touch it.”

Sean paused mid application of mustard to face his mother. “Because you hit the wrong keys.”

“Which I swear keep moving every time I try to type,” Addy complained vehemently. “Technology hates me.”

“It’s technology now, eh?” Sean muttered, unimpressed by dramatics. “Is it Skynet, Mom?”

Addy burst out laughing. “Okay, no more Terminator for you, and stop teasing me, you evil child.”

A comfortable silence descended while Sean packed his lunch into his backpack and Addy finished glazing the donuts. Toby watched the pair with a sense of amusement and something else he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Do you want a donut for breakfast?” Addy asked Sean. “Or do you want eggs?”

“Pick donuts and I’ll show you a really cool trick,” Toby suggested.

Sean’s eyes narrowed as though Toby had offered to show him how to properly break the law. “What kind of trick?”

“Pick donuts,” Toby countered smoothly. “Trust me. It’s Colten’s favorite.”

Something like interest sparked behind the kid’s eyes, but it was quickly masked and he shrugged. “Okay.”

Toby leaned over and patted the second stool. “Join me, my Padawan.”

Casting a cautious glance at his mother, Sean rounded the island and sat.

Toby turned to Addy. “Two donuts please.”

Biting back her grin, Addy set two donut rolls on a plate and set them down with two tall glasses of milk. Toby rose and made his way to the cupboards he’d seen Addy used for baking and rummaged behind boxes, jars and containers until he found what he was searching for.

“Sprinkles and chocolate shavings?” she mumbled, with a hint of disgust.

Toby paused to shoot her a look. “Hey, shush you.”

Addy put her hands up and watched as he regained his seat. Deftly, he sprinkled a layer of sprinkles across each of the donuts, then covered it with a heavier dose of chocolate shavings. Then he dusted his hands and sat back.

“Go on.”

The boy looked apprehensive, but he pinched the dessert between his fingers and raised it to his mouth. Toby watched as he tore off a piece and chewed. Suspicion melted into wide eyed surprise.

“This is good!” he declared.

Addy grimaced. “Looks like a sugar coma waiting to happen.”

“We like sugar,” Toby told her firmly.

“I can see that.” Addy chuckled. “Would you like a shot of diabetes with that?”

He shot her a glower. “I’ll have you know, it took years to perfect this recipe.”

Laughing harder, Addy left them to their unhealthy choices and finished packing the rest of the donuts. Sean polished off his donut. Toby started nudging his over to the boy.

“No!” Addy snatched the plate away. “I’d like him to retain at least some of his brain cells.”

“Chocolate doesn’t kill brain cells,” Sean protested. “Studies show that chocolate is actually good for you.”

“Your dentist would disagree.”

Sean pouted, a first as far as Toby was concerned, and hopped off the stool. He downed his milk, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took his dishes to the sink.

“I’m going to wait outside,” he told his mother.

“Hey, doesn’t Owen ride the same bus?” Toby asked.

Sean shook his head. “Colten does. Owen’s mom drops him off.”

Toby nodded slowly. “Do you guys sit together?”

The look that crossed Sean’s face was one of horror, like the thing Toby was asking was just ridiculous. “No!” he blurted with the same burst of alarm.

“Why not?”

Sean frowned. “Because he’s Colten McClain. He’s like the coolest kid in school. You can’t just sit with him.”

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Right. The hierarchy of the bus. Gotcha.”

Fidgeting with the straps on his backpack, Sean lowered his gaze. “I gotta go.”

He waited for his mom to kiss him and say her goodbyes before rushing from the room. A moment later, the front door opened and shut.

“What’s the bus hierarchy?” Addy asked once they were alone.

Toby snorted. “Just a group of kids who sit at the back. They’re usually the popular kids.”

“Huh,” was all she said. “Were you in the hierarchy?”

Toby shifted. He rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. “You know, that was so long ago. I don’t think I remember…”

“Uh huh.” She grinned at him. “So you were. I can see that.”

He lowered his arm. “How’s that?”

She shrugged awkwardly. “You’re … you.”

Setting his forearms on the counter, Toby leaned forward. “No, no, explain.”

Her cheeks darkened. “Well, you’re smart and funny, and…” She faltered. Her gaze flicked away from him. “You’re good looking,” she finished in a mumble.

Highly entertained by the rise of color up her face to graze her hairline, Toby smirked. “Really? How good looking?”

He caught the dishrag she pitched at his face and laughed.

“You’re awful,” she muttered around the grin twisting her lips.

Abandoning his stool, he worked his way around to her side. She didn’t back away or seem uncertain when he caged her between him and the counter with one hand planted on the edge. He leaned into her space and was rewarded by the upward tilt of her face.

“We have an hour and a half before the others arrive and Hanna’s sleeping.”

A different type of heat worked up into her face. It soaked into the warmth of her eyes and they flared with an immediate glint of arousal. The place her mind had gone with just those words nearly destroyed his self-control. He licked his lips and her eyes followed the movement with the same yearning clawing through him.

“Shit…” he hissed and dropped his head.

Somehow, they wound up in the sitting room with him reclined on his back across the sofa and her straddling the hard, throbbing length of his cock. Their mouths moved together in desperate and intense passion that radiated in heatwaves off their fully clothed bodies. Hands raked and glided and palmed skin through too much fabric. But neither made took the step to delve under. The thrill was in the tease, in the run of his fingers over her hardened nipples and listening as she hissed and tightened her thighs around his hips. It was her low, tortured whimpers, the frantic rolls of her pussy over the length of him.

“Christ, I want to fuck you!” he snarled, fisting both hands in her hair and dragging her head back as far as it would go. He attacked her throat, marking the smooth flesh with his teeth and whiskers. “I want to shove my cock deep inside your tight little body and pound into you until we’re both seeing stars.”

“Oh … God, Toby!”

“Fuck!”

He couldn’t hold off anymore. He pushed his hand past the elastic of her tights and pushed forward, needing … dying to sink his fingers deep inside her. The tips of his fingers reached the mound before the prize when the doorbell chimed. The sound reverberated through the entire house in a shockwave of reality.

Above him, trembling like a leaf in a strong breeze, Addy made a choking sound of protest. Her darkened eyes bore down into his, begging him not to stop.

“It’s the guys,” he told her quietly. “We’ll finish later.”

Nodding, she eased off his lap and got to her feet. Toby did the same just as the chime went off a second time.

“I’ll get it,” he said when she started for the door. “You might want to use the washroom.”

Wide eyed in confusion, she lifted slim fingers to touch the marks around her mouth. The skin was red and tender from his mouth and his early morning stubble. Her lips were swollen and wet. She looked properly ravaged and so deliciously fuckable.

“We are definitely finishing this later,” he promised quietly. “Now, go.”

She left the room quickly and headed in the direction of the main floor bathroom. Toby hefted his cane off the floor where he’d pitched it aside and made his way to the front door.

“What took you?” Damon demanded. “It’s fucking cold out here!”

“Didn’t hear the bell,” he lied. “Sorry.”

Damon’s blue eyes narrowed. They took in Toby’s disheveled hair, the wrinkles on his clothes and the stupid grin that wouldn’t abate and shook his head.

“You’re sad.”

“Oh, sad is definitely not what I’m feeling right now.”

With a smirk, he stepped aside to let them in.

“Are you going to drink that or marry it?” Jared teased as Toby stared absently into the dark ripples of his soft drink.

Around them, Billy’s pub roared with late evening life. Men and women let themselves unwind for the weekend and spent their paychecks on watered down beer and stale pretzels. But crap beer or not, it was the only alcohol serving establishment in Willow Creek. Toby supposed they could just buy their own beer and take it home, but there was something relaxing about heading out with the guys and watching people get drunk and make idiots of themselves.

“I’m thinking about it,” he retorted with a crocked grin. “We’ve got a good thing going right now.”

“Should we leave you two alone?” Damon grinned around the bottle posed at his bottom lip.

“Would you?”

Jared laughed. Damon snorted.

“You seem to be in a better mood today.” Jared took a swig of his beer. “Things work out with Addy?”

“Of course they did,” Damon jumped in. “Didn’t you see him this morning?”

Toby’s cock twitched at the memory. He’d been consistently hard all day. Odd, normal little things made him think of Addy, of her body moving over his, her soft little pants whispering in his ear and the taste of her as she’d consumed him. It was a wonder he hadn’t cut off a hand manning the power saw.

“Yeah, they kind of did,” he answered, shifting in his seat. “But I could use some advice about kids. How do you get them to like you?”

Jared frowned. “Are we talking about Hanna?”

“Yeah, because that little girl likes everyone,” Damon added.

Toby shook his head. “Sean.”

Jared’s frown deepened. “You know, I haven’t seen that kid very much.”

“I think I’ve seen him a couple of times. Quiet,” Damon observed. “He’s always at the front.”

“Exactly!” Toby smacked the table with his fingers. “He’s the strangest kid I have ever met. He likes homework. He puts himself to bed without fussing. He cleans the house, does the paperwork, likes math!” He paused to shake his head. “I’m telling you, there is an old man out there with a ten year old’s soul, because this kid is not normal.”

“Hey, just because he’s not raising hell and acting like a shit doesn’t mean he’s not normal,” Damon protested.

“That isn’t what I mean,” Toby cut in. “He is a fucking amazing kid. I mean, I can’t even begin to tell you guys, but he needs…” he broke off, not entirely sure how to explain it.

“To act like a ten year old?” Jared offered.

Toby shook his head. “It’s more than that. He just seems so … broken. Like he’s seen all the bad and wrong in the world and it had soaked into his soul. Ugh! I’m not explaining it properly.”

Damon had gone very still in his seat. His beer hand hovered several inches off the table, but made no move to continue upward or downward. Blue eyes cut through the swirling haze of second hand smoke and bore into Toby.

“Did Addy ever tell you why she left her husband?”

Toby shook his head. “No, but I know it must have been bad. She gets this look sometimes for no reason at all, and I’ve seen that look a lot on the faces of war survivors. Men and women who have seen and been through the worst life could throw at them.”

Damon’s gaze lowered. The beer bottom struck the table with a muffled thump. Long fingers unfurled and lifted to rub at his jaw.

“Tob…” he broke off, scratched harder at his chin. “I’m not going to make assumptions, but there is a long and painful road somewhere in her past, and his, and you need to be sure you’re ready to take it on, because once that kid lets you in, that’s it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Toby wasn’t an idiot. He knew perfectly well what his brother was implying and the knowledge that he wasn’t the only one thinking it cut a hole in his stomach.

“Yeah.”

Damon picked up his beer and took a long swig. He set the bottle down and stared at it hard. “Talk to him. That’s all he wants, someone to listen and hear him.”

Damon’s words plagued him all the way to his parent’s house. They arrived just as Willa turned into the driveway in Damon’s Jeep. She cut the engine. Toby pulled up behind her in his truck and did the same.

“Hey,” she said as they joined her on the crowded path. She went to her husband and kissed him lightly. “How was boys’ night?”

“Man’s night,” Damon corrected. “And uneventful.” His arms found their way around her. “Where’s the kids?”

“Inside. Calla’s had them all day.” She sighed. “I had to do a rewrite on my article. Jeff refused to print it until I did.”

“He’s an asshole,” Damon muttered. “Want me to talk to him?”

Willa shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I got it in. Now I get to finally spend some time with my babies.”

“Calla inside?” Jared asked, already making his way to the front door.

“She texted me around three and said she was on her way here so I think so,” Willa replied.

That was good enough for Jared. He walked straight into the house. Toby followed.

The placed smelled like roasting meat, steamed vegetables, and pine cleaner. He kicked out of his shoes and made his way deeper into his childhood home. Colten sat in the armchair, one leg dangling over the armrest as he watched whatever was on TV with Cole and Sloan. Rosie sat in the matching armchair on the other side of the coffee table with a book open in front of her nose. No one looked up when they walked in.

“Hey!” Jared greeted as he undid his coat and tossed it over the back of Colten’s seat. He ruffled his son’s hair. “Hey bud, how was your day?”

“Long.” The boy griped. He tipped his head back on the armrest to peer up at his dad. “Hey, dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think I could go camping with some of my friend next weekend?”

Jared frowned. “Camping? Camping where? With which friends?”

“He already asked me and I already said no.” Calla stalked out of the kitchen, dishrag in hand, eyes furious. “Nice try, but you’re not going anywhere overnight, especially not in the wilderness with a group of boys who spend their time flushing people’s heads down the toilet.”

“The Emerson kids?” Jared rounded furious eyes down towards his son. “Oh hell no.”

“They’re my friends!” Colten protested.

“They’re little punks,” Calla countered. “And if I ever catch you with them or hear that you’re pulling the same crap they are, I will put you over my knee. I swear I will.”

“That’s not fair! You don’t even know them.”

“Oh, I know them. I know exactly what kind of little monsters they are. They bully other children to make themselves feel better. Well, I will not have my son turn into one of them.”

Colten turned big, blue eyes towards Cole. “Grandpa, tell her she’s being unreasonable.”

Cole shook his head. “Sorry, buddy. Your mom’s right. I don’t want you hanging out with those kids.”

“This is so lame!”

Leaping to his feet, Colten stormed from the room. They heard the thunder of his footfalls all the way up the stairs. Followed by the door slamming.

“Thanks, Daddy,” Calla murmured, setting a hand on her father’s shoulder. “We’ve been having this argument a lot lately.”

Cole patted her fingers. “He’s almost a teenager. You weren’t exactly a basket of roses yourself when you were his age.”

Calla grimaced. “God, I hope he doesn’t turn out like me.”

“Hey.” Jared went to her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m pretty fond of the way you turned out.”

Looking away when the two kissed, Toby claimed the chair Colten had evacuated. “What are we watching?”

“A documentary on crab mating habits,” Rosie answered without looking out of her book. “It’s fascinating.”

“We are not!” Cole muttered. To Toby, he said, “She’s upset because no one wanted to watch the Second Dimension.”

“Oh my God, Grandpa!” Rosie wailed, slamming her book shut. “One Direction! And it was a documentary of their rise to fame.”

Cole met Toby’s gaze and raised an eyebrow.

Toby chuckled.

His mom walked into the room then. She caught sight of Toby and beamed.

“Hey baby, how are you feeling?” She hurried over and brushed a kiss to the top of his head.

“Really good, actually,” he replied.

Beth blinked. “Really? No pains? Did you see your doctor? What did he say?”

“I did see him and he said everything was good. I should ease up on the walking a bit, but other than that, he said I should be able to walk independently by next year.”

His mom beamed. “That is fantastic!” She kissed him again, this time on the cheek. “So happy to hear it, but I hope you’re listening about the walking? Take it easy, okay?”

Toby nodded. “I will.”

Stroking his head once, she peered at the rest of the room. “Where are Damon and Willa?”

“Probably making out in the backseat of their car,” Jared answered with a grin, his arm still slung loosely around his wife’s waist.

“Oh, ew!” Rosie made a face.

“Jared, can you go tell them to knock it off and come inside, please? Rosie, can you check on Kari and Owen? It’s been too quiet upstairs. Thank you!”

Orders given, Beth returned to the kitchen. Jared went to grab Damon and Willa, and Rosie rose and hurried upstairs.

“Toby?” Calla stepped around the sofa and stopped next to Toby’s chair. “About the event tomorrow, I was wondering how you would feel if we switched the set up? I was thinking, we could move the stage to the opposite end of the hall and circle the tables around the outer edges. That way, people won’t have to walk past the stage to get to the main area and—”

“Cal, whatever you think is best,” he cut in. “It’s why I hired you on as the coordinator. I trust your judgment. Just please don’t make the whole affair pink.”

Calla frowned. “I don’t even like pink.”

“And that is why you’re my favorite sister.”

“Hey!” Willa appeared in the doorway, small hands undoing her coat. “That isn’t fair. What about me?”

Toby grinned. “You know I definitely love you more than I love her.”

He barely managed to duck before Calla swatted at him.

“You’re such a horrible brother,” she muttered, barely suppressing her grin. “Just for that, I won’t give you your present.”

Toby narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you’ve got a present. You’ve lied before. My trust in you is shot.”

Calla gasped. “I’m hurt.”

“Liar.”

Casting him a feigned glower, she started for the kitchen, only to stop and peer back at him. “I do have a present. Now you’re not getting it.”

“She really did,” Willa vouched when Calla disappeared from sight.

Toby exhaled and dropped back in his seat. “You McClain women are just mean.” Shaking his head, he glanced at the only person who hadn’t spoken since his arrival. “Where’s Aunt Lily, Uncle Sloan?”

Uncle Sloan tore his eyes away from some home building show he was watching and seemed to notice him for the first time. The man blinked once before straightening on the cushion.

“She’ll be here,” he said. “Had to take pictures of birds or bees or—”

“Whoa! The birds and the bees? Just what is Aunt Lily into?” Toby gasped with mock outrage.

Uncle Sloan shot him a glower, badly concealing his grin. “It’s some nature shot.”

“The hummingbird exhibit,” Willa supplied, laughing. “They’re in Newburry for the next forty-eight hours before they go back to Arizona.”

Willa hung up her coat and stalked into the kitchen without another word.

“At least you were right about the birds,” Toby said to his uncle. “Good call.”

“Speaking of calls.” Cole leaned forward to settle his elbows on his knees. “Ben called me today about the supplies for the inn project.” His gaze moved to Toby. “He wanted to know if you still wanted that extra lumber.”

Toby nodded. “Yeah, I do. I’m going to build Hanna a playhouse like Kari’s. I haven’t told Addy yet.”

His father’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly is going on with you two? Are you together?”

Toby shifted to face his father better. “Would that be bad?”

Cole shrugged, hands splaying between his knees. “Not at all.”

“It’s not official or anything. I mean, we haven’t even gone on a date, but … I really like her,” Toby confessed. “Her and her kids.”

Uncle Sloan nodded. “She’s good people.”

“And she’s raised some pretty special kids,” Cole added.

Damon walked in then, followed by Jared. Damon claimed Rosie’s old chair and Jared dropped down on Sloan’s other side.

“Oh, that reminds me.” Sloan glanced at Toby. “I have Max coming by the inn Monday to bring his disposal bin so we can get rid of some of that debris we’ve been accumulating. I was going to call and let Addy know in case Max gets there before us. She has to sign for it.”

Toby nodded. “She’s home now. Want me to let her know?”

Sloan shrugged. “Yeah, sure. If you want. I was going to do it in the morning—”

“Or you can tell her tomorrow at the event,” Willa piped in, returning from the kitchen with a frosty glass of water.

“She’s going?” Toby asked before he could stop himself.

Willa blinked. “Isn’t she? I assumed she was, what with her catering and all. Calla?” she called over her shoulder.

Calla poked her head out of the kitchen. “Yeah?”

“Do you know if Addy’s coming to the event tomorrow?”

Calla frowned. “Isn’t she? She’s catering.”

“Uh, someone better let her know, because I don’t think she does,” Toby remarked. “She told me she wasn’t.”

“Of course she is!” Calla retorted sharply. “She might not want people to know it’s her, but she still should be there.”

Willa nodded. “How else will she know if people like her food?”

“That’s what I said!” Toby cried, exasperated.

With a sigh, Calla pulled out her phone and punched in what Toby assumed was Addy’s number. She mashed the device to her ear and waited.

“Tell her about the disposal bin,” Sloan quickly put in while they watched her.

Calla nodded that she understood, her mouth opened, but whatever she was about to say was silenced as Addy’s muffled voice broke through the speakers.

“Hey, Addy, it’s Calla. Hi! How are you? No, everything is fine. Yes.” Calla’s blue eyes jumped to Toby. “Yes, he’s fine.” Toby felt himself flush under Calla’s amused smirk. “I’ll let him know. No, everything is all ready for tomorrow. I took everything out of the freezers myself this morning so they should be thawed and ready. No, everything looks great. Yes. Okay. I’ll check. Actually, there’s another reason I’m calling. Toby just informed us that you might not be coming tomorrow.” She paused as she listened to whatever Addy was saying. The silence stretched for several minute and was followed by the occasional nod from Calla. When it hit five minutes and Calla hadn’t argued, Toby began to worry she would let Addy off. “No, and I completely understand that, but Willa and I both agree that, as a partner, you need to be there. Yes. Oh! I see. Okay. Mhmm. Right. No, I understand. Okay. I’ll call you in the morning. Goodnight. Oh! Uncle Sloan wanted me to let you know that he has Max Hall swinging by the inn in the morning to drop off a disposal bin. You might need to sign for it if Uncle Sloan isn’t there.”

There were a few more words exchanged. Then Calla hung up and stuffed the phone away in her pocket.

“What did she say?” Willa asked when Calla took too long to speak.

“She’s fine about signing for the bin,” she told Sloan first. “She said she’s up early anyway so that wouldn’t be a problem. She also wanted to know if we needed more hors d’oeuvres, but I think we have enough.” She looked to her sister for confirmation.

Willa grimaced. “Last I checked the guest registry, we had close to about three hundred people.”

“So, maybe a few more?” Calla guessed.

“Maybe,” Willa agreed, looking unsure. “But we do have a ton of other stuff if we run out before the night is over.”

Nodding, Calla dug her phone out and began jotting down notes. “We should alternate between hors d’oeuvres and maybe those tarts and…”

“The cheeseballs,” Willa suggested.

“Yes!” Calla put it into her phone. “That should be good.” She took a deep breath. “We’ll have the rest on the table.”

“Cheeseballs and tarts?” Cole jumped in. “That makes my stomach churn just hearing them together, never mind eating.”

Calla looked up. “You’re right. That is kind of gross.”

“Where did everyone go?” Beth emerged from the kitchen. “I looked up and everyone’s gone.”

“We’re trying to organize the food dispensary for tomorrow,” Calla explained.

Beth moved closer. “What’s the problem?”

Willa explained as Calla went through the list to see what to put together.

“What kind of hors d’oeuvres did she make?”

“Crostini,” Calla mumbled absently, still flipping through her phone. “And Canapés.”

“I’d just have those with the cheeseballs,” Cole said. “Keep the tarts on the table.”

Beth nodded. “That sounds good to me.”

Calla clicked her tongue, relenting. “I think that’s the best we can do. We’ll improvise later if we need to.”

“If all else fails, just pass out lots of wine,” Sloan supplied. “People get drunk enough, they won’t notice the lack of food.”

The front door opened then and Aunt Lily hurried in, flushed and breathless. She dumped her camera bag and purse down next to the door, swung out of her coat and hurried into the sitting room.

“I am so sorry!” She circled the coffee table and kissed her husband quickly. “I didn’t think it would run as long as it did.”

Sloan offered her a lopsided grin. “Did you get your pictures?” At her nod, he shrugged. “Then there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Smiling, she kissed him again before straightening to face the rest of the room. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing.” Calla stowed her phone away. “Just going over some last minute details for the event, but I think we’re set. Actually, I should call—”

“Baby.” Jared rose and went to Calla. He put his massive hand over the one holding her phone. “Everything is fine. Just relax. Whatever’s left, I’ll help you with in the morning.”

“Yes, but I should—”

“No, you shouldn’t.” He took her phone and snuck it back into her pocket. “It’s family time. You know the rules.”

Calla’s delicate nose wrinkled. “No business talk during family time. I’m sorry. I’m done.” She laughed when Jared raised an eyebrow. “I promise!”

He planted a quick kiss to her mouth. “Good. Now, need any help in the kitchen?”

“Yes, actually!” Beth jumped in. “Since everyone abandoned me!”

Chuckling, Willa and Calla followed Beth back into the kitchen.

“I should go help.” Lily sighed and smoothed a hand over her pale sweater. “Would you boys set the table, please?”

The dinner continued as it always did with too much talking and laughing. Sitting there between Calla and his mom, Toby couldn’t help the familiar rise of bliss that always overcame him. That table was the glue that held the entire family together, or at least it always felt that way. All his childhood memories circled around that table with the same familiar faces. Over the years, new faces had been added, but the feeling never faltered. He knew no matter what, weekend dinners would never change. They would eventually need to buy a bigger table, but it would always be his place of peace. Even ten years of duty hadn’t changed that. Coming home, sitting at that table was all he looked forward to. Nights when the nightmares woke him up, drenched in cold sweat, it was the knowledge that those faces would be there smiling back at him that kept him going. His crew wasn’t on the ground, fighting the enemy head on, but he’d seen men get gunned down. He’d seen IEDs tear a grown man apart. He’d had his men die in his arms, had their blood spilling over his hands. In all that madness and chaos, that table had held him together.

“Tob?” Calla touched his arm. The gesture was barely a brush of her cool fingers, but Toby jumped as though electrocuted. His good knee struck the underside of the table and dishes rattled. Calla’s fingers tightened even as all heads turned in their direction. “Hey, you okay?”

Heart thumping in his chest, Toby forced a grin. “Yeah, sorry. Guess I was daydreaming.”

Blue eyes searched his face, scrutinizing and wary, but she offered him a small smile. “Lay off the coffee, huh? It’s making you jumpy.”

Toby snorted. “You got it, boss.”

She gave his wrist a squeeze before releasing him. “I was asking how Mark was.”

“Mark?” He shrugged. “He’s all right.”

“Have you talked to him since you left?”

Toby frowned. “Yeah, he’s texted me this morning. Why?”

Calla hesitated. “His dad had a heart attack yesterday. He’s at the hospital.”

“What?” He was reaching for his phone even before Calla stopped talking.

“It’s not serious,” she assured him quickly. “I thought you knew.”

Toby shook his head. “No, he never said a word about it. Excuse me.”

Pushing away from the table, he grabbed his cane off the back of his chair and left the dining room, fingers dialing his best friend’s number.

Mark’s phone rang four times before it was answered.

“Hey!” Toby said when his friend’s voice filled his ear. “What’s going on?”

“Hey, not much. What are you doing?”

Toby frowned. “Dude, Calla just said your dad was in the hospital.”

“Yeah, heart attack or something.”

The nonplussed response made Toby pause.

“Seriously? Where are you?”

“Home.” There was a rustling sound, like a bag of chips being torn open. “How’s the family dinner?”

“Mark!” Toby cut in. “Your dad’s in the hospital. What the hell are you doing at home?”

Crunching ensued.

“Where would I be? Old man told me not to bother coming. Said he didn’t need me there. Nothing I can do about that.”

“Jesus!” Toby rubbed a hand over his face. “Get your shit. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Nah, don’t bother. I am too comfy to go anywhere.”

“Get your things!”

He hung up before Mark could protest. He stuffed his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the dining room. All heads turned when he walked in.

“Toby?” His mom wiped her mouth on her napkin and twisted her body to face him. “Is everything all right?”

He sighed. “I’m going to take Mark to the hospital. But I’ll be back.”

Both his parents nodded.

“Okay, let us know if you or Mark need anything,” his dad said.

Promising he would, Toby grabbed his coat and left the house. He got into his car and drove to Mark’s apartment, and because nothing ever happened in Willow Creek, he left the keys in the car and the engine running.

Mark was exactly where Toby expected, sitting in the armchair, a bag of chips in his lap, a lit cigarette in one hand and the TV remote in the other. He was idly flipping through the channels when Toby walked in.

“You hung up before I could tell you not to bother,” the other man grumbled. “I’m not going over there.”

“He’s your dad,” Toby stated sharply. “He’s had a heart attack. I think that qualifies as some kind of, oh, I don’t know, emergency!”

“The guy’s an asshole. Besides.” He took a deep drag of his cigarette, blew out the smoke, and continued. “He’s already at the hospital. Nothing I can do for him.”

“Jesus, Mark!” Toby crossed the room and stopped next to the armchair. “If there was ever a time to put the past behind you—”

“My dad isn’t your dad, Tob. My dad doesn’t give a shit about me. Hell, he’d rather see anyone, but me. Frankly, that suits me just fine.”

“Get up!” Toby barked. “There’s a lot of things you could do now that you’d forgive yourself for later, but if he dies and you sit here, you’ll never be able to brush that away. Come on. Car’s running downstairs.”

“Damn it, McClain, I ain’t going!” He jammed his cigarette into the ashtray, tossed the bag of chips down on the coffee table and shot to his feet. “Trust me, this ain’t something I won’t forgive myself over. He deserves to die and I hope it’s the most painful death in history.”

“Fine, I’ll go.”

Mark frowned. “What the hell for?”

“Because someone needs to be there and if it won’t be his only son, the only family he’s got left, then it’s gonna be me.”

Fury shone across his eyes, illuminated by the sickly green lamp, reminding Toby of a swamp at night. A muscle coiled in Mark’s jaw that tightened his mouth.

“Do you think he deserves your kindness?” Mark spat out. “You’ve got no idea what he’s done, the things he’s said. That man is pure evil.”

“Maybe, but he’s still your father and maybe you don’t owe it to him, but you owe it to your conscience.”

Shaking his head, Mark relented. He tossed the remote into the groove his ass had made in the armchair and splayed his hands.

“Fine, but he starts his shit and I’m leaving.”

Toby nodded. “Fair enough.”

The drive out to the hospital took less than fifteen minutes, but it was the longest drive in history with Mark stewing in the passenger’s side seat. His anger was a physical force pouring through the cabin. Toby had to roll down the window to breathe. He parked in the guest lot and cut the engine. Then he followed Mark in, mostly because he didn’t trust the other man not to bail at the first chance.

He’d met Jeff Pierce a few times in the past when he’d gone over to Mark’s place when they were younger. He’d seen less of him over the years, but he hadn’t changed overly much. Mark’s mom had left them when Mark was five. She’d been twenty years younger than Kyle and realized too late that she wasn’t ready for a family. Everyone knew the story. It was around that time when Kyle started drinking heavily, went through a shit ton of different jobs before breaking his back during a head on collision where he’d been driving drunk. He filed for disability and got it. Mark’s grandmother raised him mostly, but that didn’t stop his dad from reminding him just how worthless he was every chance he got. Toby didn’t blame Mark for hating the man, but he also knew his friend well enough to know if his dad died and he didn’t at least get the chance to see him one last time, it would eat at him.

“Want me to come in?”

Mark shook his head. “No, thanks. I’d like to get humiliated alone.”

Toby said nothing, but moved to hold up the wall outside the door to wait. He’d been there ten minutes when his phone buzzed. The text message was from Calla asking how things were going.

“Fine,” he wrote back. “Mark’s with his dad now. Will message when I’m headed back.”

He stowed the phone away and watched the bustle of hospital life. Most of the people were doctors or nurses, but there was the occasional civilian visiting loved ones before visiting hours were over. Toby didn’t recognize any of them, but he did get a saucy glance from a nurse as she passed him, which he returned with a grin. It was pure reflexes, but the nurse stopped and walked back to him.

“Hey,” she said, in a deep, throaty voice that didn’t suit the soft, roundness of her face.

“Hey.”

“I’m—”

He never did find out what her name was when Mark charged out of his father’s room, swearing like a sailor on leave. His face was a frightening shade of crimson and he looked murderous enough to, well, murder someone.

“You better not call me when you die in here!” he was screaming.

“Mark!”

His friend wasn’t listening as he spun around and charged down the hall with a head full of steam. Toby excused himself from the wide eyed nurse and hurried as fast as his cane would allow after his friend. He caught up to him by the truck. He was pacing in front of the hood, a cigarette in hand.

“He’s an outright bastard, you know that?” he snarled when Toby came to a stop, panting slightly. “You know what he says to me for coming? Who let you in? Then he went on about how I was the reason he was in there. That if it hadn’t been for me, Mom would never have left and he’d never have started drinking and his life wouldn’t be a mess. Then maybe you should have put a fucking condom on!” he screamed at the building, as though his father could somehow hear him.

“Hey.” Toby set a hand on his arm, hoping to calm him. “Let it go, okay? He’s a dick, but you know what? It’s no longer on you to repair the bridge. The ball’s in his corner.”

Mark puffed on his cigarette, blew out the smoke, then crushed the rest under his boot. “Yeah, well, he can shove the fucking ball up his fucking ass. I’m done. He can fucking die, and they better not call me to come get him, because I’ll tell them to just toss him in the trash bin out back so some homeless guy can piss on his fucking corpse.”

Inwardly grimacing, Toby patted his arm lightly. “I don’t think Willow Creek has homeless people, but I’m sure we can bring some in for the occasion.”

Mark looked at him, bafflement furrowing his eyebrows. He burst out laughing. He shoved Toby gently.

“You’re a douche.” Still chuckling, he turned to the truck. “Come on, asswipe, get me home.”

Toby paused. “Actually, why don’t you come back with me? I know Mom and Dad won’t mind.”

Mark hesitated. “I don’t know … I thought it was a McClain’s only thing.”

“Hey, I’m the one driving, so unless you’re going to throw yourself out of the car halfway there … you’re coming. Now get in.”

Leaving Mark no choice, but to follow, Toby started around the hood to the driver’s side. He fished out his phone and sent a quick text to Calla.

“Bringing Mark over. Don’t bring up his dad.”

He stowed the phone away once it was sent and climbed in behind the wheel.

“We’re going to make a quick detour,” he told the man fastening himself into the seat next to him.

Mark shrugged. “Okay.”

He drove to the inn. It was in the complete opposite direction of his parent’s house, but he pulled into the driveway and threw open his door.

“Be right back,” he told his friend as he hopped out.

The evening air nipped at his curled knuckles, but he gripped his cane tighter and moved hastily up the newly rebuilt porch steps. At the door, he paused only long enough to wrench the doorknob.

“Addy?” he called as he stepped into the foyer and the familiar, cozy warmth inside.

The lights were on in the hallway and the kitchen, but the rest of the house lay in a comfortable darkness. He shut the door behind him and took a step deeper.

“Addy?”

Hurried footsteps pounded on the stairs and then she was there at the end of the hall, looking like Christmas.

“Toby?” She jogged over to him. “What’s wr—?”

His arm sprang out and he grabbed the back of her neck. He hauled her to him, colliding their bodies in all the places that counted and claimed her mouth. He kissed her with all the maddening passion of a man dying, and that was exactly how he felt, like she was air and he was drowning. The woman beneath his grasp whimpered beautifully. Her small fingers gripped his shoulders as the supple length of her melted down the length of him. Her firm breasts flattened against his chest and the nipples cut through their clothes to graze him. It took all his control not to strip her right there and take them into his mouth.

“Come tomorrow,” he growled into the kiss. “I need you there, Addy.”

Misty brown eyes opened into slits and she peered up at him through heavy lashes. “Yes.”

Her breathy whisper made him grin. It made him fucking hard. But he bottled it all back.

“Good.” He kissed her one final time before releasing her and taking a step back. “Just came back for that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Smirking at her flushed, bemused expression, he walked out. Mark glanced up when Toby heaved himself back inside the truck.

“Got what you were looking for?”

Toby grinned and put the truck into drive. “Yup.”

Everyone was in the sitting room when they arrived at his parent’s place.

“Mark!” Beth smiled wide. “I am so glad to see you. Come help me win this debate.”

Mark shifted uncomfortably at the enthusiasm in the woman’s voice. “What debate?”

“He’s not going to side with you,” Cole said with a chuckle. “It’s a guy thing. There’s a code.”

Patting him on the shoulder, Toby started past Mark and ventured deeper into the room.

“What’s the question?” Mark shuffled in a few steps.

Calla answered. “Do men tell their friends about their conquests?”

Mark’s eyes widened. “Whoa, yeah, sorry, bro code.”

Cole and Sloan burst out laughing. Beth boo’d and threw a chip at Mark that drew a smile from him.

“That isn’t fair,” Calla insisted.

“Oh, don’t give me that!” Damon broke in. “Are you telling me that girls don’t tell each other about the guys they’ve slept with?”

“Willa and I have never shared that information,” Calla insisted.

“But that’s different!” Jared shot back.

“How?” Willa demanded.

“Because she’s my sister, too!” Damon pointed out. “And it’s gross.”

Willa and Calla exchanged glances.

“This is true,” Calla conceded. “But I’ve never told anyone else either.” Her eyes narrowed at her husband. “Are you telling me you’ve told people about our sex life?”

Jared’s eyes immediately went enormous with panic. They shot to Damon who inexplicably found a spot on the ceiling and stared at it hard.

“Warning! Warning! Abort! Abort!” Toby snickered as he took the armchair.

“Who would I tell?” Jared blurted at last. “Damon certainly wouldn’t want to hear about it.”

“And he’s got no other friends,” Damon piped in helpfully and got an elbow in the side for his efforts.

“Mark.” Lily turned to the man still standing just inside the doorway. “Are you hungry, sweetie? There is loads of food left.”

“And take your coat off,” Cole said. “Make yourself at home.”

Mark shrugged out of his jacket, but held on to it as he moved deeper into the room. Beth rose and took it from him with a smile and went to hang it up as Lily went to make him a plate.

“I’m okay, really.” But Lily was already clanging around in the kitchen.

“Just let it happen.” Toby told his friend. To the rest of the room, he asked, “Where’s the kids?”

“Bed.” Calla sat back and folded one long leg over the other. “Tomorrow is going to be absolute chaos and everyone needs all the sleep they can get.”

“Mark, you can take the sofa, if you like?” Lily was back with a steaming heap of everything.

Mark took it with a quiet murmur of thanks.

“Actually, he can take my bed,” Toby offered. “The sofa is better for me.”

Lily checked her watch. “We should start heading there ourselves, actually, especially since Calla wants everyone up at five.”

“Five?” Jared, Toby, and Damon blurted simultaneously.

“Yes, five!” Calla retorted. “We’ve still got a lot to do before the event, and what are you all outraged about,” she shouted, rounding on Toby. “You’re always the first one awake anyway.”

While true, only those who had seen Calla in full battle mode could understand his dismay. Tomorrow would prove to be one hell of a nightmare, but there was one silver lining he was deeply looking forward to.

Chapter 10 ~ Addy

I’ve officially lost my mind and it’s all Toby McClain’s fault.

Addy had had no desire to attend the event. Just the mere thought of it had filled her with unimaginable dread, yet she found herself dressing up the children and packing them into the van Saturday afternoon. She herself had gone with a simple cotton dress in soft, slightly faded, black. The thick straps over the shoulders dipped into a modest V down the center of her chest and the hem dropped just an inch above her knees. She wasn’t entirely certain what the dress code was for such an event, but it was Willow Creek, not New York. Odds were things would be simple, but formal.

She drove into town, berating herself the whole way. She kept cursing Toby for making her temporarily lose her ever loving mind and seducing her into complying. But it was too late to back out. Truthfully, a small part of her, didn’t want to back out. She was excited to see him again. An even larger part of her, missed him, which made her crazy. She had no idea what any of it meant. She had never had a relationship, had never been on a date or even had a real kiss. In many ways, Toby was her first for everything and it was all so frighteningly new and a disaster waiting to happen.

The other reason she had decided to go was to help with the preparation. All she could think was what a huge disaster everything was going to be if she didn’t get to Town Hall quickly and help organize. Calla had assured her that they had people to oversee the arrangements and the display, still Addy’s inner neat freak refused to stay quiet. All she could think was what if things didn’t get prepared properly and it looked badly on the company, and Willa and Calla realize what a big mistake they’d made in hiring her? What if they ran out of something and no one was around to make more or fix it? There were so many nagging voices in her head that she almost didn’t hear Hanna calling from her seat in the back.

“Mommy!”

“Yes!” she cried a little too loudly.

“Where are we going?”

Addy turned left onto Main Street and continued forward. “We’re going to a party.”

The parking lot behind Town Hall was crowded with vans and cars and people all rushing around preparing. Addy recognized no one as she found a spot at the back and cut the engine. She pocketed the keys, grabbed her purse and took a deep breath before pushing open her door and stepping out. She opened the door for the children and took Hanna’s small hand in hers.

“I need you guys to be really good for me tonight, okay?” she begged quietly as they made their way across the lot. “Just stay out of everyone’s way and we will leave before you know it.”

“Is Kari going to be here?” Hanna asked. “Can I play with her?”

Addy had no idea if other children would be there. She hadn’t asked. Truthfully, Calla didn’t even know she was coming. But she figured she wouldn’t be staying long and her kids were normally pretty good about not misbehaving.

“I don’t know, but yes, if she is.”

If at any point she thought the outside was a mess, the inside was a stampede of movement. She was pretty sure it was how a circus looked right before opening, people rushing all over, furniture getting dragged and repositioned, footsteps thundering on hardwood. It was a cacophony of sound that rebounded off the walls. In the midst of it all, a general overseeing her troops, stood Calla in all her glory. She wore jeans and a baggy sweater. Her hair was drawn back from her face by an elastic. She held a clipboard and pen in one hand and a cellphone in the other. Every so often, she’d consult one or the other and direct people accordingly. She spotted Addy and her eyes flickered in surprise, but it didn’t last.

“You’re here.” She said when Addy reached her. “The food is going to be set up over there.” She gestured with her phone towards a set of double doors tucked away behind thick, navy drapes. The drapes were shoved back to allow movement, but Addy saw the concept. “That’s the kitchen. The curtains will serve as a shield and the tables will be set up just in front.”

Addy nodded. “That sounds great.”

Calla glanced down at Hanna, then at Sean. “The kids are upstairs. Rosie and Rachel are watching them. You can take them up or … actually, one sec.” She dialed a number on her phone and pressed it to her ear. “Hey, can you come down? I have two more for you. Thanks!” She hit off and peered at Addy. “Rachel’s on her way. She’ll take the kids up and I’m going to show you where everything is.”

Addy knew Rachel from the few times Rosie had brought her mom over to see Nightmare. She’d always struck Addy as a quiet, gentle woman and that stood true when she arrived with a big smile on her face. She was draped in a light, floral dress with short sleeves and a belt fastened around her waist. Her light, brown hair was drawn back and pinned in a twist at the back of her head. She looked from Hanna to Sean.

“Hey guys! Want to come with me? The others are upstairs.”

“Is Kari there?” Hanna demanded.

Rachel nodded. “Kari and Owen, and even Colten.”

Sean shifted mutely.

Hanna peered up at Addy. “Can I go?”

Addy turned to Sean. “Watch your sister, okay?”

Sean nodded. He took Hanna’s hand and followed Rachel from the room. Addy watched until they were out of sight before focusing on Calla.

“Ready?” the blonde asked.

Without waiting for a response, Calla stalked with wide strides in the direction of the kitchen area. Someone had propped the doors open wide and yellow light gleamed in the semi darkness of the corner. Two men were hauling out wooden fold up tables. Calla waited until they were out before vanishing inside.

“Addy, this is Farrah. She’s coordinating the banquet. Farrah, this is Addy. She’s going to takeover—”

“No, please,” Addy cut in quickly. “Do what you’re doing and I’ll follow along.”

Calla looked ready to respond, but gave a nod. “Okay, well, I’ll leave you here. I’ll be in the other room if you need anything.”

Then she was gone and Addy faced the beautiful, dark haired woman.

Farrah, with her smooth, tan skin and enormous brown eyes, reminded Addy a little of Pocahontas. She wore beige slacks and a black t-shirt. Her hair was fastened with a clip at the nape of her neck. She smiled kindly.

“Let me show you where we’re putting everything.”

It took no time at all to get into the swing of things. Eight long tables had been erected along the wall with two bent in an L to block off the kitchen. Only three of those tables were for desserts. The rest were kept for the pot luck people were supposed to bring. A few platters were already there, wrapped in tinfoil and plastic wrap.

“Just organize the desserts the way you want to present them,” Farrah said after her quick walk through. “I have four servers lined up for you to do rounds. You’ll be in charge of them.”

Thanking her, Addy set to work. She stalked into the kitchen and the whole wall of steel counters containing everything she’d baked over the week. She didn’t have time to watch the rest of the place getting put together. She stayed focused on her section, making sure every plate that came out was perfect. The color scheme of the evening was three layers in different shades. White over powder blue over baby blue to set off the Sonia blue orchids floating in the cylinder vases of water. White gems lined the bottom of each vase and a single candle floated at the top. Each table held three in a neat cluster at the very center. The warm glow glinted along the curve of each metal tray. It shimmered off the prongs of each fork. She wasn’t sure where Calla got the idea, but it was beautiful.

Two men ushered her away to pin ropes of sheer, white silk along the back. The miles of fabric looped all the way around the room. The fine threads glimmered like sunlight off the delicate web of a spider. Hanging over the tables in gentle waves, they complimented the set up to perfection.

“Wow!” Addy breathed.

“Pretty, no?” Farrah said, joining her. “You did a good job.”

With a pat to Addy’s shoulder, the other women ducked back into the kitchen. Addy stayed a moment longer to admire the magic before following.

The kitchen was an organized mess of people and things. Every person had been given an order and a section and they stayed within that area. So far, no one had bumped or dropped anything. Addy owed all that to Farrah. The woman was incredible.

“Do you do this sort of thing often?” Addy asked her when there was a second of lull.

Farrah laughed and shook her head. “I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

“Well, you are amazing,” Addy confessed. “This whole thing has been such a great experience.”

Farrah touched her arm and leaned in close to whisper, “It’s all about knowing what you want and making sure others follow.”

Addy chuckled. “Gotcha.”

They were in the process of setting out champagne glasses when Willa appeared in the doorway. Her blue eyes scanned the room before spotting Addy. She beamed and hurried over.

“Sorry, but I need to steal your helper for a moment to get ready,” she told Farrah, her hand already curled around Addy’s arm. “I promise to bring her right back.”

Farrah waved them away. “Take her. We’re nearly done here anyway.”

Smiling, Willa began tugging Addy to the door.

“Get ready?”

“Oh, you need to get much fancier than that,” Willa stated simply.

Dread slithered down the length of Addy’s spine. “Oh, didn’t bring—”

Willa shot her a grin from over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We thought of that.”

“We?”

Rather than answer the question, Willa hauled Addy upstairs. The sound of children screaming and laughing filled the entire corridor. It grew louder when they passed the first set of doors. Addy guessed that was where the children were, but Willa didn’t stop for her to check. She was marched straight to the very end and forced into the last room on the left.

Calla was already there, so was Lily and Rachel, and another woman Addy hadn’t met before, but had a feeling was another McClain. All eyes turned when Willa shut the door behind them.

“Brought her!” the blonde announced.

“Addy.” Calla hurried forward. Her hand curled around Addy’s arm and she was pulled closer. “You know everyone, don’t you?”

Addy nodded. “Kind of.” She turned to the dark haired woman with intense blue eyes and offered her a hand. “Hi, I’m Addy.”

“Beth,” the woman said evenly, giving Addy’s hand a brisk shake. “I’m Toby’s mom.”

Something tightened in the pit of her stomach. Nerves. She could feel them dampening her palms and making her heart race. She stared tensely at the dark haired beauty watching her back with a searching scrutiny that only intensified Addy’s desire to bolt.

“Hello,” she blurted.

“So, you’re Addy,” Beth said, eyes narrowing. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately.”

The urge to throw up came and was quickly shoved down. What on earth was she so nervous about? She hadn’t done anything. She was a grown woman with two kids for God sakes. Yet she was sweating like she’d robbed a bank.

“Oh,” was all she could manage, and even that came out uneven.

“I’m told you make incredible pastries.”

“Oh!” she said again, with more than a bit of surprise. “I don’t know about incredible—”

“Oh, they are amazing!” Willa praised for her. “Wait until you try them.”

Beth never looked away from Addy, even when her head bobbed slowly. “I’m looking forward to it and I am really looking forward to getting to know you better.”

The feeling of nausea returned with a vengeance.

“But first, we really need to get dressed,” Lily interrupted. “The guests will be arriving shortly and there is still so much left to do.”

Addy turned to the nearest woman to her and grabbed Calla’s arm. “I wasn’t sure how formal this was. I haven’t brought anything—”

“No worries.” Calla smiled. “I brought a few items from the boutique. I wasn’t sure your size so I guessed.”

“Oh! Oh God … really, you didn’t have to—”

“Of course I did. This is your big coming out as much as it is ours. You need to look stunning.” Her smile softened. “You’re family now.”

That stopped her. Her hand dropped away from the other woman’s elbow and she could only stare as those words revolved around her head.

Family. Addy knew she didn’t mean in the same sense as the rest of them, but more of a business sort of family, but the word still lashed at her, making it impossible to argue. A pathetic part of her actually melted a little at the thought of being part of a family like the McClain’s, while the other part told her to snap out of it and pull herself together.

The first part won.

She let herself get dragged forward to the racks lined in three neat rows next to a dressing screen. Lily and Willa were already drawing beautiful dresses out and chattering on like this was a normal thing. Rachel stood with them, more pensive as she admired each gown she pulled out. Beth hadn’t moved. Addy could no longer see her, but she could feel the woman’s eyes boring into her back.

“I think something gold,” Calla mused as she released Addy to rifle. “To bring out your eyes.”

“This one.” Beth seemingly appeared out of nowhere, holding a gorgeous, black number. “Try it.”

Too self-conscious to say no, Addy took the dress offered and ducked behind the screen. She stripped quickly and redressed, careful not to let her sweaty palms touch the soft silk. The dark fabric shimmered all the way down the length of her, molding and hugging all the places she’d kept carefully hidden from view most of her life. It outlined the hills and valleys with a natural grace that was borderline indecent, especially when it was clear that nothing could be worn underneath. The bodice was sheer with a spray of glittering flowers embroidered tactfully in all the right places with just enough opening in between the petals to show a hint of breast, but not enough to warrant raised eyebrows. A sheer stretch of fabric slung over one shoulder in a dark, shimmering anchor keeping the dress in place. A slit was cut from floor to hip on one side, exposing her entire left leg. The flowers at her chest rained down the front and split off to follow the line of her gash all the way to the hem. More flowers circled around her back.

It was incredibly sexy and completely out of her comfort zone.

“I’m not sure about this one,” she called out.

“Well, come out and let us see,” Calla called back.

Addy hesitated. Part of her wondered if they would give up if she just stayed hidden behind the screen, but the last thing she wanted was for Toby’s mom to think she was a baby, or worse, ungrateful.

Sucking in a breath, she stepped out.

“Oh my God!” Willa gasped. “It’s perfect!”

“That’s the one,” Calla agreed with a definite nod. “It’s you.”

While her stomach fluttered in excitement, she ran unsteady hands down the front, careful not to crease the flowers.

“You don’t think it’s a bit … intense?”

“Intense is good!” Lily said. “You want intense. Trust me. Everyone will be dressed up.”

“And that dress is the only one of its kind,” Calla announced. “I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, but it doesn’t fit me.” She gave a wistful sigh. “At least someone will get to wear it.”

Addy glanced over to where Beth stood studying her. “Thank you,” she murmured.

Beth nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“Me next!” Willa tugged on her aunt’s arm. “Find me something.”

Beth’s face immediately softened as she peered at her niece. “I’m not a magic hat.” She laughed. “But I think I saw a pink number over here with your name on it.”

While Beth and Willa moved to one of the end rakes, Addy allowed herself to exhale.

“She’s not normally so creepy.” Lily appeared at Addy’s side, a smile on her lips. “I think she’s just curious about you.”

Addy blinked. “Curious? About me? Why?”

One slender shoulder lifted. “Well, you’re the woman who caught her son’s eye.”

Heat swarmed up Addy’s neck to fill her face. “Oh, well, Toby and I we’re … I’m not even sure what it is we have, if anything.”

Lily chuckled. “Doesn’t mean we’re not excited to have you here with us.”

“Here. Try these.” Calla appeared next to Addy with a pair of bright red pumps in hand.

Lily stepped away and Calla took her place. She stayed with Addy through every step of her preparations. Maybe she could tell Addy hadn’t dressed up once in her entire life, because she even helped with her makeup and hair. In the end, even Addy didn’t recognize her own reflection.

Her eyes had been deepened. Her lips matched her shoes and the glossy coat of polish Willa swept over each of Addy’s nails. She was given no jewelry, but the outfit didn’t need it. The whole thing shone on its own.

“Would this be a bad time to confess I’ve never worn heels?” Addy murmured.

Five pairs of eyes fixed on her, making her flush.

“Never?” Calla pressed dubiously.

Addy shook her head. “Never.”

“How have you never worn heels? I live and breathe heels.”

“It’s true.” Willa laughed. “Heels are like her reason for living.”

Addy hesitated, wishing she hadn’t spoken.

“I, uh, I got pregnant when I was fifteen. Didn’t get many chances after that to dress up and wear heels anywhere.”

There was more to the story than that, but it was the easiest one to give.

No one spoke for a long time and the longer it took, the tighter the coil in her stomach became until it was nearly impossible to breathe.

“I can’t even imagine that,” Calla said at last. “No heels … I think I would cry.”

The others laughed at the look of horror on the blonde’s face, everyone, but Beth, who had turned away at Addy’s confession. For some reason, her reaction hurt worse than if she’d actually said something. It made Addy feel small and ashamed, like she’d done something wrong. While she wouldn’t encourage anyone to have a baby at that age, it hadn’t been something she could avoid. It hadn’t been her choice. But she had Sean and she didn’t regret it no matter how it happened.

“I’m going to check on the kids,” she whispered. “Thank you for the … everything.” She forced a smile for Calla and prayed it didn’t look as tight as it felt. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

She moved quickly to the door before she could be stopped. Her insides jittered. Her eyes burned and it made no sense how one person, a person she didn’t even know could make her so completely emotional. She couldn’t fathom why it hurt. Yet it did.

“Addy!” Willa sprinted out of the room and hurried over. “I’ll come with you. I’m done anyway.”

Willa looked stunning in a soft, pink gown with thin straps over the shoulder and no back. Her hair was braided over one shoulder. A camera dangled from around her slender neck.

Addy didn’t stop her. Together, they walked in silence to the children’s area. Willa pushed open the door and they stepped inside.

There were thirteen kids crammed inside an enormous room scattered with toys and boys. A group of teenage girls stood off to one side, watching the chaos, but there were no adults.

“We get kids from the high school to help with the babysitting,” Willa explained. “We have one for every five children.”

Addy countered eight teenagers. “Why are there so many?”

“Because there will be more children once the event begins.”

“Is there enough?”

“We’ll see,” Willa said. “We’ll add more as the numbers grow.”

“Mommy!” Hanna broke away from the two other girls she was sitting with and bolted forward. She launched herself at Addy’s waist, nearly taking her down. “You look so pretty!”

Laughing, she hugged her baby girl close. “Thank you.”

Hanna tilted her head back. “Are you going to a party?”

Addy nodded. “Just for a little bit. Is that okay?”

“Yup, Kari and I are going to build a castle.”

“That sounds like fun, but be good, okay? Don’t give the babysitters a hard time.” She lifted her head and scanned the room for Sean and found him sitting by the window with Owen. She waved and got a nod of acknowledgement in return. She bent her head and kissed the top of Hanna’s head. “I’ll see you in a little while, okay?”

“Bye, Mommy!”

She hurried back to her friends. Kari waved at her mother, but didn’t come over.

“We do this every year,” Willa explained as they left the room. “They’re used to it.”

“It’s really something,” she said as they carefully descended the stairs. “Mrs. Donnelly said that Toby runs it.”

Willa nodded. “He kind of started it when he was sixteen.”

Addy blinked. “Sixteen?”

The blonde laughed. “You’ll hear the speech later this evening.”

Not sure what to say to that, Addy just followed as they made their way back to the hall.

Stunning didn’t even describe the scene they stepped into. It was something straight out of a fairytale, right down to the glittering, silver plants and the sheer drapes canopying the ceiling and running down the walls in gossamer waves. Fairy lights were hung from the rafters and shone through the fabric like a million stars. Circular tables sat in neat clusters along the edges, leaving the center open, possibly for dancing. A stage was erected against the very front with red curtains and a lone runway leading onto the dance floor. A table with eight wooden boxes sat at the very end. The houselights had been turned down low so the candles in each of the vases on the tables glowed.

“How did…?”

Willa chuckled. “Calla just has that magical touch. She’s amazing at stuff like this.”

“This is beyond amazing! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Willa touched her arm lightly. “Come on. Let’s find the others.”

Addy was still staring with open mouthed wonder at everything as she let herself be led through the room.

“Damon!” Willa waved to her husband before tugging Addy in that direction.

Damon wasn’t alone. He stood off to the side with Jared, Cole, Sloan, and … Toby. Toby with his beautifully fitted tux and slicked back hair and cleanly shaven face. Toby with his dark, hungry eyes. He turned those unfathomable blue orbs in her direction just as they reached the group and whatever wisp of oxygen she’d possessed vanished. The room vanished. Willa’s arm, her presence, the men, the people around them, everything was gone, except the man tracing the length of her from beneath hooded eyes. The butterfly emporium in her stomach launched in a tap dance that raised little goose bumps all along her arms. Her skin prickled with heat that radiated from deep within her core.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Jesus, Addy,” was his gruff response.

The deep ripple of lust in those two words rolled throughout her entire body in hot, liquid waves. She felt her sex clench in greedy response and her nipples hardened, pushing up against the soft material of her dress.

He bent forward and a solid wall of masculine heat washed over her, smelling of soap and spicy cologne, and hot, primal male. The combined made her head rush.

“How am I going to concentrate on giving a speech when you’re dressed like that?”

A girlish sort of satisfaction tingled in her chest, the sort that made a girl blush and want to giggle. But she bottled it back behind the teeth she closed around her bottom lip.

“Stop that!” His low growl hissed against the shell of her ear.

A booming voice from across the room interrupted the wonderful moment. The man that joined them was vaguely familiar. She couldn’t quite place his face, but she knew she’d seen him somewhere. He marched right up and stood next to Toby.

“Made it!” he declared, tugging on the cuffs of his gray suit. “It’s a madhouse out there. Forget about finding a parking spot.”

“Did you find the one with your name on it?” Willa demanded.

The man nodded. “Yeah, but I mean for everyone else.” Green eyes moved away from Willa and found Addy. They widened with interest. “Well, hi there.”

Addy shifted, uncomfortably aware of the eyes watching her. “Hello.”

He extended a hand. “Mark.”

She gave him her hand, if for no other reason than to be polite. “Addy.”

“No shit!” Mark looked over at Toby, then back. “You don’t look like I remember.”

Not sure how to take that, she just offered him a small smile and took her hand back.

He wasn’t bad looking. If anything, he was definitely very good looking with that square jaw and those sharp cheekbones. He reminded her of someone who would have fit in perfectly in a remaking of Grease with his head of thick, wavy black hair and cocky grin. He could have easily been the hottest guy in the room, if he hadn’t been standing next to Toby. But then Toby wasn’t simply hot. He was mesmerizing. He drew the eye without trying, and hers refused to stay away.

Calla took the stage, looking radiant in her tight, red dress the color of fresh blood. Her blonde mane was a riot of curls down her back and under the lights, she looked like a movie star. Addy was fairly certain every woman in the room felt a hit against their ego. Including herself.

“Attention!” Calla called into the mic. “Thank you all for coming. Is everyone seated, because we’re about to begin?” She smiled as she waited. “Welcome to our sixth annual Meal Deal fundraising event. It’s been six years since my brother came to our family with the idea of feeding children who, for whatever reason, were unable to pay their meal cards that month. I know I speak for all of us when I say we couldn’t be prouder of him. This event has, not only raised more money than we could have possibly anticipated, but it’s brought us together as a family and that is what Willow Creek is, a family. It is so heartwarming to see all your faces here tonight. Give yourselves a round of applause.”

She waited as claps rang out through the room.

“Now, before we begin, here is our man of the hour … my baby brother and the host of this evening, Toby McClain.”

The applause was deafening as Toby took the stage. The stage lights glinted off his hair and shone in his eyes. He beamed at his sister as he bent his head and kissed her on the cheek. He said something that made her throw her head back and laugh before swatting him lightly on the arm. She motioned him to the mic and left him alone on stage.

Toby smiled, and every woman there, married or not, sighed.

“Ah the curse of the younger child,” he began. “No matter how old or how tall I get, I am forever the baby brother.” That earned a few chuckles. “As Calla said, thank you all for coming. This event is a very dear one to me and it really means a great deal to see so many band together for a common goal.

Growing up, I was fortunate to have everything a kid could want or need. I had the support of a tightly knit community. The respect and friendship of my peers, and I had the love, attention and devotion of a family that pulled together no matter what the odds. They taught me that I was blessed to have the life I did, but not everyone could say the same. I didn’t understand that, until I met Daniel. Daniel isn’t his real name, but he showed me a side of life I never knew existed.

Daniel’s mother worked four jobs to support him and his three sisters. They never had money and he never had a lunch. He’d brush it off as no big deal. He’d say that he wasn’t hungry or he’d forgotten his lunch or his lunch card at home, but I knew that wasn’t the case. Daniel never ate, because he would give what little food he had to his sisters. He would go all day hungry. But he wasn’t the only one. There were so many kids, kids I saw every day, denied food in the cafeteria, because they had no money on their cards.

Now, many would say that it’s the parent’s responsibility to feed their own children, but I believe it’s up to us as a town, as a community. I believe it does take a village to raise a child and no child should ever go hungry. That is our duty as a family. Your donations tonight will go towards the meal card program for the entire year so please dig deep and give generously. Thank you.”

Addy found herself applauding as hard as everyone else. Her palms stung, but she didn’t stop until Calla took the stand once more.

“Now that you all know why you’re here, let’s start our show!”

Addy hadn’t heard of any show, but she watched as houselights went even dimmer and a second strobe light illuminated the stage, turning Calla’s skin a milky white.

“Rules before we begin! You can bid on more than one bachelor or bachelorette, but you only get one to take home, metaphorically speaking, of course.” She grinned at the chuckling crowd. “Each of you has a set of voting pads on your table. Place your donation amount and your choice of companion on the ballot and drop it into the box here.” She pointed at the wooden box next to the stage. “No rushing, pushing or fighting. There is plenty to go around for everyone. The highest bid will get their companion for one romantic dinner for two. For those not bidding, but would still like to make a donation, please drop your ballot into the metal box at the front here. Every little bit helps, so have fun and open your hearts … and your wallets.” Chuckling along with the room, she pulled the mic off the stand and lowered the stand itself off the stage. “Now, for our first bachelor.”

Addy watched, fascinated as men and women were brought up on stage. Calla announced each one with flourish and each one elicited roars of enthusiasm. It was entertaining watching men and women hurry to the front and drop their bids into the box. A few went for the metal one, but there were a few who went back six or seven times.

She was just getting into the swing of things when Willa appeared at her side, blue eyes frantic.

“I need your help!” she called over the thump of bass.

Addy straightened. “What’s wrong?”

Willa took her arm and guided her a few feet away from the crowd.

“One of our bachelorettes has stepped down thanks to the flu and we’re a person short for the auction.”

Addy frowned. “I don’t understand. What can I do?”

Willa grimaced. “Well, you’re kind of the only bachelorette we know, so we were kind of hoping—”

“Oh no, no, no, no!” Addy put her hands up and took a step back. “I am not getting up there.”

“Please!” Willa implored. “It’s important. There needs to be an even number of men and women. Plus, it’s for a good cause. Please, Addy? I wouldn’t ask if there was another way. Losing Sarah is going to cost us extra donations, which will hurt the cause. I would do it myself if I could.”

Addy kept shaking her head. “I am not comfortable going up there. I’m sorry.”

Willa sighed. “It’s all right. We’ll just pull one of the men.”

Guilt wormed through her. She thought of the children who might not get their meal cards paid and relented.

“Fine,” she blurted.

Willa beamed. “Thank you! Come on.”

She was dragged behind the red curtains draped along the back of the stage and made to stand behind a long line of other bachelorettes waiting to go on stage. On the other side, stood the men. As each name was called, the line shifted higher on the stairs until she was standing on the platform, waiting to be summoned through the curtains.

“Addy?”

Not sure why, but she jumped at the sound of her name. She tore her eyes away from the heavy drapes and blinked at the sight of Toby on the other stairs. He too was the last contestant.

“Toby?” His name came out weak and wobbly.

He crossed to her. “What are you doing here?”

She swallowed hard. “Getting sold off?” She licked her lips nervously. “There was a flu and Willa … and I couldn’t … the children…”

“Hey.” The hand not holding his cane rested lightly on her arm. “Breathe. It’s all right.”

She shook her head. “It’s not. I feel like throwing up and my legs are shaky and … God, I’m going to fall.”

“No, you won’t,” he promised gently.

“I can’t walk in heels,” she croaked. “What if I fall off the stage?”

His arm snaked around her middle and she found herself cradled against his chest. His warm breath tickled the hollow at her temple. His palm stroked her rigid spine.

“I’ll be right here,” he promised. “I won’t let you fall.”

In the distance, she heard Calla calling her name and she flinched. Toby’s arm tightened.

“You don’t have to go,” he told her softly.

Inhaling deeply, Addy shook her head and drew back. “I promised.” She smoothed a hand down her dress and squared her shoulders. “Wish me luck.”

She didn’t wait for him to actually do it. With careful strides, she stepped through the curtains and started down the length of the stage. Her legs wobbled, but she remained firmly upright the whole way to the end. Calla met her gaze and offered her a small smile.

“Addy, is a Gemini who likes horseback riding, cuddling by the fire and creating magic in the kitchen.”

A flood of embarrassment washed through her as the cheers rose. A few whistled loudly. Addy stared at Calla, horrified.

The other woman grinned. “Thank you, Addy.”

She couldn’t get off the stage fast enough. No sooner had she ducked back into her dark corner when Toby was called up. He strolled down the walkway with a grin on his face and an almost swagger to his steps that was hindered only slightly by his limp and cane. He stopped next to his sister and shot a panty-melting glance over the room, and Addy was sure she heard more than one ovary explode. She wondered how many times he’d done that, stood there and let himself get sold off to a pack of horny women. Even she was tempted to put her bid in, but she doubted her measly hundred bucks would win him, not when there was a horde of women practically mounting on top of each other trying to get to the box and drop their ballots in.

“One at a time, ladies.” Calla laughed. “The bidding will be open all night.”

All night? Did that mean she had to stay and watch him get snatched up by another woman? Damn it. She had to see who won her, too. If anyone even bid. The other bachelorettes were gorgeous and prepared. They hadn’t looked like they were two seconds away from passing out on stage. No doubt she’d made a giant fool of herself.

The very thought made her cringe inwardly.

“You looked really good up there.” Mark appeared at her elbow.

Addy flushed. “Thank you. You looked very nice as well.”

Mark inclined his head. “Yeah, it’s kind of hard to say no to Willa. She’s got those eyes, you know? Saying no kind of feels like kicking a puppy.”

Addy burst out laughing, because it was true.

She sobered slightly. “But at least it’s for a good cause, right?”

“Yeah, true, but still hate standing up there.”

“Do they do this kind of thing often?”

Mark shook his head. “No, every year’s something different. Last year was a casino event. The older folk loved that. Year before that was…” he trailed off his eyes narrowing in concentration. “I think they did some turtle race or something. I can’t remember. Calla comes up with these weird ideas that always seem to turn out really well.”

“Yeah, she’s really in her element.” She glanced at the man next to her. “How long have you and Toby been friends?”

Mark blew out a breath. “Preschool? Hard to remember. Been ages.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s nice.”

Conversation dwindling to an awkward silence, Addy turned her focus back to the stage and the man who refused to be ignored, and found him already watching her. Those tantalizing orbs of crystalline blue burned across the distance. They shone beneath the lights with a crystal clarity that resembled priceless gems. A lock of unruly hair had slipped carelessly across his brow and dangled with an almost taunting recklessness that made her stomach muscles flutter.

God, he was beautiful and it wasn’t just a shallow outer beauty that masked a monster. It was genuine and pure, and it ran through all of him.

“Thank you, Toby.” Calla said into the mic.

He descended the steps and cut a path to where she and Mark stood. His powerfully built body moved with an almost animalistic grace. His gaze never wavered from hers, even when he was stopped in his approach to socialize. Each one was cut short and he was moving again, drawing closer.

“Every man here can’t seem to be able to take their eyes off you.” His hand circled her waist and he dragged her to him. “I want to kill all of them.”

Flustered, Addy giggled, a sound she couldn’t ever remember making. “You looked pretty good yourself up there. Women were trampling over each other trying to get their bids in.”

Toby hummed, his darkened eyes fastened on her mouth in a way that was inexplicably tugging at her nipples, making them ache. “But there is only one woman I plan on taking home tonight.”

Addy batted her eyes up at him. “Well, hopefully she bid then.”

His hold on her tightened. His mouth opened. Mark cut in.

“I’m just going to go get a drink,” he announced. “And maybe a bucket of ice water for the two of you.”

He left before either of them could say anything.

Addy chuckled. “I like your friend. He seems very nice.”

“Mark?” Toby nodded. “He is. One of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

She licked her lips. “So the friend you were talking about, Daniel, is he—?”

“Why, Toby McClain.” A beautiful brunette appeared over Toby’s shoulder. “I do believe you owe me a dance.”

Toby took his sweet time turning to face her and even then, he waited until the very last possible moment to let his gaze break away from Addy’s.

“Sandra,” he said quietly. “How are you?”

A smile that could bring a grown man to his knees twisted glossy, naked lips. Lights shone in her emerald eyes and glittered off the silver threads woven cleverly into the plunging neckline of her form fitting gown. The diamonds at her ears and throat sparked like bits of fire. They complimented her slender neck and the alabaster tone of her skin. She was stunning in a way that belonged on the runways of Paris and she had her sights set on Toby.

“Busy,” she purred. “Been helping Daddy with his shop, which you haven’t visited in ages.” Her lithe body swayed closer and she reached to gently adjust Toby’s tie. Her index finger traced the red strip from collarbone to mid chest with a single red tipped finger. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me since the other night.”

Other night? What other night? How long ago? Toby had been with Addy for a little over four weeks. Other night implied only a few days ago.

Toby must have sensed Addy’s turmoil. His hold on her tightened when she attempted to draw away. He tucked her more securely into his side, his arm a possessive band around her middle. All the while, he continued to politely listen as Sandra went on about how much she’d missed him. The woman didn’t even notice Addy.

“Sandra,” Toby cut in at last. “Have you met Addy Nixon? She’s my date this evening.”

Sandra blinked rapidly and fixed green eyes on Addy. “Date? I thought the bachelors and bachelorettes had to be single to qualify.”

“Well, I was when I put my name in two months ago,” Toby clarified. “Addy and I are very recent and there was no time to make changes to the program.”

In no way did that pacify the woman. She blinked from one to the other as though waiting for someone to crack up and tell her it was a joke. When no one did, her pretty mouth thinned. Her tapered chin lifted. She regarded them the way the queen would regard dog poop.

“I see. Well.” She clasped her hands delicately in front of her. “I see some people I simply must talk to. Excuse me.”

She left without so much as another glance at either of them. Her gown rippled like waves in sunlight with her hurried strides.

“It was three months ago.”

Addy tilted her face up to the man watching her. “I didn’t—”

“I didn’t even know you existed,” he went on evenly. “It was one night and I have no intention of ever revisiting.”

It was insane to be jealous of Toby’s past conquests. He was bound to have had plenty and yet somehow assuming he had and actually getting metaphorically smacked in the face by one was two completely different things. She hated that he’d slept with someone that gorgeous. That he’d no doubt whispered all those hot and sexy things to them while he thrust up inside them. It literally had her seething with envy.

“She’s beautiful,” she whispered, looking out in the direction Sandra had disappeared.

Toby hummed. “Maybe, but she’s not you and I knew I wanted you from the moment you assaulted me.”

Laughter burst out of her, chasing away the gnawing fury gripping her nerves.

Toby grinned down at her. “I’m all yours, baby.”

She accepted that. It wasn’t as though she were a virgin exactly. Plus he was right, he was hers now.

The realization momentarily stunned her. She hadn’t been sure what to make of them or if she even wanted a relationship, but she did. Past insecurities aside, he made her feel safe. He made her feel wanted and cherished and desired. He made her laugh, which was something she hadn’t done in so long. But above all else, he made her want to stop hiding. It was dangerous and a part of her begged her to stop before it got out of control. But she was reaching for him instead. Her arms were slipping around his neck and she was reaching for his mouth with hers.

“Guys!” Calla burst in between them, blue eyes wide with panic and annoyance. “What are you doing?”

“Kissing?” Toby supplied helpfully.

“You’re both part of the auction!” Calla hissed. “You’re supposed to be single. No one will want to bid on you if you’re sucking each other’s faces.” She growled low in her throat. “Go mingle. Stay away from each other until the evening is over.”

She forcibly grabbed Addy by the elbow and maneuvered her away from Toby. Addy glanced back once to find Toby watching her go, his look predatory and promising.

“Stay on this side of the room,” Calla told her sternly, sticking her on the complete opposite side of the room. “Mingle. Talk to people. Make them put in a bid.” She squeezed Addy’s arm lightly and offered her a small smile. “You get to take him home, but for the next few hours, both your asses belong to me and I plan on cashing in big, okay?”

Laughing, Addy nodded. Her arm was released and Calla hurried away.

She wasn’t left alone long though.

“Adelaide!” Mrs. Donnelly wrapped small, cold hands around Addy’s wrist and spun her around, nearly taking the floor out from under her when her ankle twisted. “There you are. Susan and I were just looking for you.”

Mrs. Clout nodded from her friend’s side. “You never told us you were in the show.”

Addy shook her head. “It was a very last minute thing.”

“Well, you look positively radiant!” Mrs. Donnelly exclaimed, pushing Addy back to arm’s length to get a better look. “That dress is stunning.”

Addy smiled. “Thank you. It’s from Calla’s shop.”

Mrs. Donnelly gasped dramatically. “Oh, to be young and thin enough to shop at such a place. Alas, I have lost my girlish figure forever.”

Not sure what to say, Addy opted to say nothing at all.

Mark took that moment to appear next to her, slightly breathless. “Man, you can move in those heels,” he panted.

She hadn’t realized he’d been chasing her. “Sorry. I was being forced.”

Mark waved her apology aside. “Yeah, Calla looked fierce. I thought I’d attempt to rescue you.” He straightened and turned green eyes to the two watching them. “Mrs. Donnelly. Mrs. Clout. Don’t you both look beautiful this evening.”

Mrs. Clout giggled and flicked a wrist at him. “Oh, stop!” But she flushed happily.

Both women were wearing black, sequin gowns with yards of silk and chiffon. Matching fascinators sat perched atop their elegantly knotted dos. Fierce red lipstick colored their lips and deep, dramatic blue eyeshadow was swept over their eyes.

“What have you been up to, Mr. Pierce?” Mrs. Donnelly asked. “Not getting into too much trouble, I hope?”

Mark shook his head. “No ma’am. Been on my best behavior.” Yet the grin he offered them was anything but.

Mrs. Donnelly looked unconvinced, but there was amusement shining in her eyes. “Are you here with our Adelaide?”

Again, Mark gave a shake of his head. “I’m simply keeping her company.”

“Then you should definitely ask her to dance,” Mrs. Clout insisted with a definite nod. “It would be the polite thing to do.”

“You know what, you’re absolutely right. Thank you, Mrs. Clout.” He turned to Addy. “Would you like to dance?”

She didn’t. Truthfully, the shoes were beginning to hurt her feet and she really wanted to sit down or find Toby. But the two were watching, waiting as expectantly as Mark was and she relented.

“I would love to dance.”

Mrs. Donnelly and Mrs. Clout both beamed.

“You go on now,” Mrs. Donnelly said with a pat to Addy’s arm. “Have fun and enjoy yourself. We’ll make sure to put in a good word for you with the others.”

“Good word…?” But the two women were already pushing their way through the crowd, leaving her alone with Mark. “What did they mean put in a good word for me?”

Mark took her hand and led her onto the dance floor with all the other swaying bodies. She was pulled into the circle of his arms. An appropriate distance hung between them.

“Well, it’s an auction,” Mark said at last. “Our job from now until the end of the evening is to talk everyone into donating more and bidding higher for us.”

Addy wrinkled her nose. “I feel like a prized cow.”

“I’m afraid to say you are for the evening.”

“Hey!” Addy laughed.

“How do you think I feel? Objectified, that’s how. Standing up there, having women throw money at me … it’s mortifying.”

Addy laughed harder. “Oh, I’m sure it was just awful for you.”

Mark clicked his tongue. “It really was. Not sure how I’m going to recover from this.”

Shaking her head, Addy looked over the crowd. She recognized a few faces, not the one she was looking for, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

“So how come you’re keeping me company when there are so many beautiful women in the room just dying for your attention?” She turned her focus back to the man moving with her in time to the sultry strum of violin and flutes.

“Because I’m curious about you.” There was no amusement on his face now, no teasing, just mild interest. “My best friend seems to have fallen hard for you and I want to make sure you’re not going to break his heart.”

Addy blinked even as she stiffened. “What?”

He spun her out and caught her back to him in the same fluid motion. His hand settled on her waist once more.

“I don’t have very many friends,” he said evenly. “But I watch out for the ones I do have. Toby’s a good guy. He’s the kind of guy who takes money out of his own pocket to pay for another kid’s meal card. The kind that would wake up at the crack of dawn to shovel a path at the old retirement home so the transport bus could get the seniors to their appointments. He does everything for everyone else and never asks for anything in return. And he likes you.” His features softened. “I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

His concern for his friend was touching. Addy couldn’t even fault him for intruding on her and Toby’s personal business. She only wished she’d had a friend like that growing up. Maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did if she had.

“I really like him, too,” she whispered. “Probably more than is good for me.”

Mark chuckled. “Yeah, he’s got that effect on people. You can’t help but love him.”

Love him. Addy hadn’t considered the possibility of falling in love with the guy, but she could see it. She could definitely fall for him and fall hard. He had that pull. He was already so far beneath her skin she could feel him there, moving through her veins and making her want reckless and impossible things.

“Hey, you okay?”

Blinking, Addy nodded. She offered him a smile.

“These shoes are killing me,” she said honestly.

Mark laughed, but he didn’t make her keep dancing. He led her to the edges of the dance floor and released her with a little smile.

“I think it’s time to mingle.” He tugged on the lapel of his blazer. “Show these ladies what a real man’s like.” His green eyes met hers. “Will you be okay?”

Not sure what to say, Addy could only nod. She watched as he turned on his heels and walked off, leaving her desperate for an empty chair to sit on.

Finding none, Addy sighed miserably. She took hold of her skirt and made her way gingerly around the outer edges of the dance floor to the doors; there had to be somewhere to sit and take those damn shoes off.

“Addy!”

His voice was a welcoming sip of warm coffee on a cold morning. It filled her with an unexpected rush of excitement. She turned quickly and found him darkening the doorway behind her. Eyes the color of cerulean honed in on her with a savage need that made her hate herself. She couldn’t even bring herself to understand how he could do so much with only just the murmur of her name.

He moved a step closer, putting his weight on his cane as he did so. “Are you leaving?”

“No…”

She grimaced and shifted out of sheer discomfort. Her toes were throbbing. Her calves were on fire and she was sure one of the blisters had popped and blood was filling the death traps. She was so done with the whole heels business.

“What?” He reached out to steady her.

“I really need to sit down,” she confessed.

With a hand on her elbow, he led her into one of the abandoned rooms and shut the door behind them. It was an office with a desk and walls lined with books. He guided her to the leather love seat and set her down. He took the spot next to her. Addy wasted no time kicking the shoes off. She moaned as her toes finally unfurled.

“God, how do women wear those things?” she groaned, messaging the blood back into her purple feet.

Toby chuckled. “Come here.”

Before she could ask, he had dragged her feet into his lap. The posture had her splayed lengthwise across the seat with her back against the armrest and her knees bent. The slit on her dress parted dangerous, exposing one entire leg to the hip. The hard cords of his thighs cradled the arches. She could feel the heat of his skin burning through the dark fabric of his trousers. She tried to draw back, but he held on. Then he began to knead and she all but dissolved on the spot. His fingers sent spasms of unadulterated bliss crackling up the length of her legs. Each coax danced along her nerve endings and showered her in a state of mindless ecstasy.

“Oh God!” Her moan broke off into a low, guttural groan. Her head dropped back against the headrest. Her eyes closed as another wave of pleasure washed over her. “Don’t stop … Toby … Please…”

He gouged his thumbs into her inner step and her entire body jerked. She tried to catch her whimper between her teeth, but it rolled out in a deep purr.

“Jesus, Addy, that’s not fair.”

Eyelids opened a slit and she peered across at him and found him staring back, his eyes opaque. His jaw sat tense in longing.

“Want me to rub your feet?” she teased.

His nostrils flared. “Not my feet. No.”

The air hitched in her lungs as his implication struck home. The fire he’d built just with his fingers ignited into a full blown inferno in the pit of her stomach. The flames leaped beneath her skin, heating her blood and intensifying the fog that had settled over her brain. All inhibitions, doubts, and fears washed away like a receding wave melting back into the ocean. Her mind no longer had any control over the wants and needs of her body, and there were so many and they all circled around the man devouring her with his eyes.

Her soul was on fire and all it wanted was a sample of what she’d never had before. The place between her thighs panged with an urgency she was quickly becoming all too familiar with. How simple it would be to part her legs and show him her naked flesh, show him just how desperately she wanted him.

“Toby—”

The doors opened and the moment was shattered into tiny, fragmented pieces. Addy tossed her legs out of Toby’s lap and hurriedly shot to her feet. Her fingers fumbled over her skirt, straightening and smoothing as his mother of all people walked into the room.

There wasn’t a hole big enough to conceal the mortification that roared over her.

“They’re counting the ballots,” she said to her son in a clipped, even tone. “You should maybe go out there, especially seeing as how this is your event.”

Addy grabbed her shoes and left the room at a near run. She never even glanced at the brunette as she ducked past her.

Chapter 11 ~ Toby

Toby watched Addy’s retreating back until she was out of sight before fixing his gaze on his mother.

“What was that?”

Beth didn’t pretend to misunderstanding. Her arms folded.

“Me trying to protect you.”

Toby blinked. “From Addy?”

“You’ve been through so much the last year. You don’t need further complications.”

Grabbing his cane, Toby shoved to his feet. “What are you talking about?”

Arms dropped to her sides. She reached for the door and closed it.

“She’s using you. You’ve known her a day and she has you paying to fix her house in an amount that stems into the thousands.”

“I’m not paying to fix her house!” He shot back. “And any work I did do, I offered.”

“Women like her make you think it was your idea after they’d planted the idea in your head.”

“Women like her?” He put his hand up when she opened her mouth. “You don’t know her. If you did, you’d know she is isn’t like that.”

“I know women like her, Toby. Women who rely on kindhearted men to pay their way. She was pregnant at fifteen, did you know that? And a second child, but no father.”

“Stop. Just stop. I can’t believe you’re judging her without even saying two words to her.” He shook his head. “I can’t stay here.”

“Toby…”

“Don’t.” He stared into his mother’s eyes. “I love you so I’m going to leave this room right now before either of us says something we can’t take back. Whatever Addy has done in the past is her business. But I care about her, Mom. I really care about her.”

“I know you do, baby. That’s why I worry. I understand we all have mistakes in our past we don’t want to talk about, but hers…”

“Sean and Hanna aren’t mistakes,” he cut her off sharply. “They are amazing kids. Sean is the smartest ten year old I’ve ever met and Hanna, well, just spend five minutes with her and she’ll completely steal your heart. I don’t care who their father is. I don’t care how they were conceived. If Addy’ll have me, I want them to be part of the package. I don’t regret that.”

His mom’s face softened. She reached for him and settled a palm against his cheek.

“I love that about you, Toby. It makes me so proud to have raised such an amazing man, but this situation … You’re not behaving logically. You don’t know two things about the woman.”

Toby let her words simmer and tried to understand them without the anger he could feel brewing through him.

“You and Dad raised me to see the good in others, to see past what everyone else saw, so I’m asking you to do the same. Sit down with Addy. Get to know her without judgment. I need you to do this, Mom. I’m serious about her and I need you to get on board with me.”

She sighed. Her blue eyes shifted away from him and he could almost hear her thinking. Seconds ticked into minutes before she spoke again.

“You’re right.” Her shoulders lifted with her deep inhale. “I shouldn’t have judged her before I even gave her a chance. I was only trying to protect you.”

Toby nodded. “I know.”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “I’ll give her a chance, without judgment,” she added when he started to speak. “And I will do my best in the future not to be such a colossal bitch.”

Toby chuckled. “You’re not a bitch. I know why you were worried, but I’m not asking her to marry me. I just want to get to know her without my mom scaring her off.”

“Fair enough,” she mumbled.

“Oh, and so we’re clear, I’m not paying for the renovations. Addy wouldn’t let me even if I tried. She won’t even let me change a light bulb without demanding she pay me for it. She’s a good person, Mom. If you don’t believe that, then at least believe you’ve raised a smart enough kid to know better.”

She glowered up at him without heat. “Will you stop? I already feel bad. No need to rub it in.”

Toby chuckled. “Good. Now come on before I miss a chance to be won.”

Chapter 12 ~ Addy

“There you are!” Mark caught her halfway up the stairs, shoes in hand. “Going somewhere?” She started to tell him she was leaving, but he was talking again. “They’re about to call the winners, so if you leave, the fundraiser doesn’t get that money.”

Addy cursed. She cursed herself and Willa for making her get up on that stage and the stupid bachelorette for catching the flu. But she climbed back down. She braced a hand on the railing and eased her feet back into the jaws of hell. She teetered. Mark steadied her.

“All right?”

No!

“Yes,” she lied.

He led her back into the main room. People were still dancing, but she could see where Calla stood by the ballot boxes, head bent as three people counted out the bids and separated them into piles. Toby was nowhere to be seen and neither was his mother. She wondered if they were still in the office. She wondered if Beth was telling Toby what a bad choice he was making. Addy wasn’t sure why that bothered her, but it did. It bothered her even more that Beth hadn’t even given her a chance before labeling her as worthless. Maybe it was a mom thing, she thought miserably. Beth certainly wasn’t the first one to think Addy wasn’t worthy of her son. Even her own parents … She jerked that thought out of her head. It had taken her five years and thousands of hours of therapy and group meetings to get over the first twenty years of her life. Going back was never an option and she didn’t want it to be.

“I think we’re supposed to get closer to the stage,” Mark said, squinting into the murky darkness.

Addy followed his line of sight to where the other bachelors and bachelorettes were filing behind the curtains once more.

She nodded. “I think you’re right.”

With him at her side, she made her way forward only to be drawn short by Mrs. Donnelly and Mrs. Clout blocking her path.

“Mrs. Donnelly, I really need to—”

“Yes, dear,” the woman agreed with a nod. “But I was hoping you could do something for me? I really need to run to the washroom, but I don’t want to miss the draw. Could you hold my ticket until I return?”

Addy glanced down at the slip of paper the woman was holding out to her. “What … why can’t—?”

“Susan has to help with my dress,” Mrs. Donnelly explained. “It’s a bit of a process. We won’t be long.”

Mark waved at her to hurry up and Addy took the slip.

“Sure, but I might be on stage.”

Mrs. Donnelly smiled. “That’s fine. Like I said, we won’t be long.”

“What was that about?” Mark asked when the two slinked back through the crowd.

Addy shook her head. “I couldn’t tell you.”

At the stage, they parted to opposite sides and waited to be called up. The second time around wasn’t so bad, she noted. Her legs were almost steady as she climbed the metal steps onto the platform. She ran her hands over the fabric of her dress and was adjusting the swash of fabric over her shoulder when a movement across the way made her glance up.

Toby.

He reached the last step and joined her on the landing. Like her, he was the last one and that left them alone in the shadows of the curtains. His blue eyes met hers and an odd sort of sadness passed through her.

“I’m—”

Her apology was swallowed by his sudden stride forward. Then by the slant of his mouth over hers. She hadn’t been expecting it and by the time her head and body caught up, he was pulling away.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening,” he breathed.

“Oh,” she whispered for lack of anything better.

Her breath caught with the whisper of his fingertips along the warm curve of her cheek. Shivers worked along her spine, making her painfully aware of how close he stood.

“We need to talk, Addy,” he murmured. “Maybe not tonight, but soon. Promise me.”

She would have promised him anything when her senses were drowning in his scent.

“Promise.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “They’re calling you.”

Addy blinked. “What … oh!”

Gathering up what was left of her composure, she hurried to the curtain’s edge. Sucking in a breath, she stepped out. Cheers and applause followed her to the end where Calla stood with the mic.

The woman’s winning smile turned teasing as she turned her body slightly in Addy’s direction and lowered the mic.

“Lipstick smudge,” she whispered over the noise.

Horrified, Addy rubbed around her mouth while Calla blocked her from view. At the blonde’s nod, she lowered her hand and smiled gratefully. Calla continued to grin as she turned back to the room.

“Addy was our highest bid of the evening,” Calla announced. “A whopping five figures and our highest bid to date.”

Addy’s sharp inhale tangled with all the others that passed through the room.

“Ticket holder 95836 please step forward to claim your date!”

Addy wasn’t the only one looking around when the numbers were called. All heads turned in search of the crazy person who would pay five figures for a single night.

For a moment, nothing happened. The low murmur of confusion continued to ripple through the silence. Addy’s nerves rattled in that age old fear of being stood up when the murmurs rose into gasps and excited chatters. Calla turned first and Addy followed her gaze to the man strolling down the runway towards them.

“You?” she blurted.

Toby grinned. “You didn’t honestly think I’d let another guy take you home, did you?”

That familiar warmth that was forever rolling up and down her body every time he did or said something sweet hit all her sweet spots. It took all her efforts not to catapult herself into his arms.

Calla had no problem with getting words out though as she rounded on her brother. “Are you even allowed to do that?” she hissed.

Toby shrugged. “It’s my event. I’m taking liberties.”

Calla’s frown deepened. “Well, next time you decide to change the rules, how about giving me a heads up so I don’t look like an idiot?”

“Please, everyone’s loving this.”

Sure enough, the crowd was in a frenzy between delighted, shock and—in a few cases—outrage. But no one called it foul as Calla proclaimed Toby her winner.

Things got a little confusing after that when Addy had to leave the stage alone so Toby could get won. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of some other woman taking him home, but she graciously descended the steps and waited with the others for his numbers to get called.

“Our second largest bid of the evening,” Calla announced. “An impressive four digits … ticket holder 58352 come claim your handsome companion.”

The sound of movement filled the room as numbers were reviewed. Addy looked from face to face, waiting for the moment someone hit the jackpot. But all she saw was confusion.

“58352,” Calla repeated, slower.

Heads shook. Shoulders shrugged. Confusion rose. Addy was about to think the person might have left, when she remembered Mrs. Donnelly’s ticket. The thing was creased beyond repair and damp from her sweat, but it was still legible.

“Oh my God!” she blurted. “It’s me! I mean, not me, but…”

“Hey! It’s her!” Someone behind her shoved Addy forward.

Calla’s blue eyes found her and widened. “Addy?”

Sheepishly, Addy held up her slip. “I have those numbers, but…” She broke off as she scanned the room for some sign of Mrs. Donnelly or Mrs. Clout. “See, the thing is that—”

“Addy!” Calla called her attention forward. “Is it your bid?”

“Yes … no! I mean…” She could see the patience wearing thin on Calla’s face and gulped. “Yes?”

A muscle jumped in Calla’s cheek. Her gaze went from Addy to Toby, her annoyance evident as she straightened and smiled at the crowd.

“We have our winner! Addy, come on up and claim your … date.”

Even Addy could hear the exhaustion weaving through date. She felt momentarily guilty as she climbed the steps and joined Toby on stage. Amusement shone in his eyes, but she focused on the blonde.

“I have to tell you something,” she said. “It’s not—”

“Let’s get off this stage and we’ll talk,” Calla grumbled. “You two are making me go gray.” Turning away, Calla addressed the crowd. “That’s our evening.” She went on to thank everyone for coming and for donating.

Addy wasn’t listening.

Toby’s shoulder brushed hers as he leaned into her space. “We probably should have worked this out better.”

“It wasn’t me,” she hissed back. “Now, can we please get off this stage? I feel like one of your admirers might throw a shoe at me, or a hatchet.”

She didn’t wait for anyone’s permission before climbing quickly down the steps.

“Addy, wait!” Toby followed, setting the rubber grip of his cane on each step to the bottom. “What do you mean it wasn’t you?”

“I was holding on to it for someone,” she said once he’d joined her.

An eyebrow lifted. “Are we talking about drugs or the ballot?”

She shot him a glower that wasn’t nearly as potent when she could feel laughter bubbling in her chest. “The ballot. Mrs. Donnelly asked me to hold on to it while she went to the bathroom.”

Toby’s eyes widened. “Oh dear God … please don’t let her take me.”

The dame broke and she burst out laughing. “Sorry, Romeo, but she’s the real winner.”

“You are a cruel woman.” He lifted his head and searched the sea of heads. “I don’t see her.”

“Me neither,” she admitted. “Maybe she’s still in the washroom. I’ll check.”

His fingers wrapped around her wrist and he drew her to a stop. “Leave it. I’ll call her in the morning. Let’s get the kids and go home.”

Something tightened in her chest at how natural and seamless the words had left him. What’s more, how he’d included the kids.

“Okay.”

He kept a palm on the small of her spine the whole way to the door and upstairs. His limp made their progress slower than it normally would have been, but she found she preferred the pace, especially when her shoes were killing her and walking fast made her want to cry. No one stopped her as they reached the top and picked their way to the kid area. The door was open and a small crowd of parents already stood darkening the threshold.

“Why don’t you go grab your things,” he suggested. “I’ll get the kids.”

“Really?”

Toby nodded. “If you’re okay with that?”

She peered into his face, her heart melting a little in her chest. “Yeah, that would be great.”

Giving him a small smile, she left him and hurried to the room at the end of the hall, so excited to get out of that dress and those shoes. The room was empty when she slipped inside. She moved quickly to the table she’d set her clothes on and gathered them up.

“Addy?”

Addy gave an undignified squeak and dropped the bundle in her arms. She whirled around and nearly butt planted when her heels caught. She grabbed the table to steady herself.

Beth stepped out from behind the dress screen, palms raised. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Heart palpitating wildly, Addy shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

Beth ducked back behind the screen before stepping out completely, dressed in her jeans and sweater. “I love parties, but those heels…”

“Yes!” Addy gasped.

Beth chuckled. “I don’t know how Calla can stand on those things all day.”

“Five minutes into the event, I wanted to set them on fire,” Addy confessed. “Not that I’m ungrateful…” She grimaced. “I really love the dress and the shoes…”

Beth put her hand up. “It’s okay. I feel the same.”

Not sure what to do, Addy scooped up her things. “Are you done using the screen?”

At Beth’s nod, she ducked behind the shield and hurriedly stripped. She redressed in her comfy clothes and stepped out with the dress and shoes in hand. She walked over to the coffee table and rifled through the clothes tags Calla had cut and tossed aside. She found the one that belonged to her dress and shoes and did a quick math in her head … and swore.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Beth said, glancing up from where she was unearthing a hairbrush from her purse. “Just leave the dress and—”

Addy shook her head. “I wore them and it wouldn’t be right if someone else bought them used.” Especially for that price, she thought. She dug out her wallet and fished out several bills. She set the tags on top and walked over to where the other woman stood. “Can you see that Calla gets this, please?”

Beth hesitated, but she took the money.

Addy threw on her coat and purse and started for the door. She paused and glanced back with her hand on the doorknob.

“It was nice to meet you.”

She slipped out before the woman could say anything.

“Mommy!”

Hanna, Sean and Toby were making their way towards her when she shut the door behind her.

“Hey guys!” She scooped Hanna up and settled the girl on her hip. With her free arm, she pulled Sean into her side and kissed the top of his head. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes!” Hanna said without hesitation. “We played forever.”

Sean shrugged. “It was all right.”

Addy was about to ask what they’d done when the change room door opened and Beth emerged. She looked from Addy, to her son and settled on the children.

“Hello,” she said with a touch of surprise.

“Mom, this is Sean and Hanna,” Toby introduced.

Hanna waved enthusiastically. Sean merely inclined his head in silent greeting.

Beth focused on Hanna. “I know you.”

Hanna nodded. “I’m Kari’s friend.”

Beth’s mouth twitched. “Yes, I remember. You were at Kari’s birthday party a few months back.”

“We had cake,” Hanna confirmed.

Beth chuckled and turned her gaze to Sean. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“I’m in Owen’s class, ma’am.”

Beth gave a visible start. “Ma’am? I think I just felt myself age ten years.”

Uncertainty had Sean’s eyes darting to his mother a split second before returning to Beth. “Mrs. McClain?”

The pained look never left Beth’s face, but it was overshadowed by the laughter in her eyes. “I’ll take it over ma’am.” She lifted her focus to Toby. “Where are you guys headed?”

“I was thinking ice cream. Then home.”

Toby had said the magic word. Hanna’s entire face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Ice cream!”

“It’s ten o’clock!” Addy protested. “It’s well after your bedtime.”

Hanna’s shoulders dropped with her smile. Her lip puckered.

“But … ice cream…”

It was almost devastating to see the pitiful heartbreak in her big eyes. Addy glowered at Toby. This was his fault.

“One scoop,” he vouched.

Between the two of them, Addy was completely out numbered. She turned her attention to the other person in the group.

“What about you, Sean?”

The boy shrugged. “I like ice cream.”

“The ice creams have it!” Toby declared, to which Hanna joined in with a squeal.

“Actually…” Addy set Hanna down, her arm getting sore. “We might have to reschedule for tomorrow.”

“Why?” Hanna demanded.

“Because I should go down and help clean up. There was a million things we had to do before we started, I’m sure that tripled since this morning and I wouldn’t feel right leaving things as is.”

“Aw!” Hanna sulked. “There goes all my dreams.”

“Why don’t I take the kids for ice cream and you just come home when you’re done? You have your car here, right?”

Addy nodded. “Yes, but you don’t have to do that.”

Toby frowned. “Well, what else are you going to do with them? Make them wait three, or four hours until you’re finished? Jared and Damon already took the other kids home so there’s no one there. Even the babysitters are gone for the night.”

He had a point. She probably wouldn’t be finished until well after midnight and she couldn’t ask the kids to sit around and do nothing, especially when no one else would be there.

“Okay, thank you.” She passed her dress and heels to Toby and her purse to Sean. She dug out her car keys and shoved them into her coat pocket. “Be good for Mr. McClain, okay, guys?”

“Are we getting ice cream?” Hanna asked.

“Yes, we are getting ice cream,” Toby assured her.

Hanna beamed. “Then I will be so good!”

Chuckling, Toby peered up at Addy. “We’ll see you at home.” At her nod, he turned to his mother. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, he led the kids to the stairs and down. Hanna’s excited chatter about all her favorite flavors wafted up until it faded altogether. Addy faced the silent woman next to her with a small, hesitant smile.

“Well, goodnight.”

“Addy?”

She stilled mid turn and glanced back. “Yes?”

Beth peered in the direction of the stairway before focusing on her once more. “I owe you an apology.”

Addy stiffened. “What? No—”

Beth put a hand up, swiftly cutting her off. “I acted exactly how I hate people for acting. I was rude and I hope you’ll forgive me.”

She started to shake her head. “There is nothing to forgive. Really. I understand.”

Beth’s shoulders rose with her inhale. “No, I don’t think you do and even if you do, it doesn’t make it right.” She cleared her throat and fixed Addy with a level stare. “Come to dinner tomorrow.”

Addy’s mouth opened and closed several times before words emerged. “To the family dinner?”

Beth nodded. “The event kind of cut into our usual weekend, but we normally have one Sunday dinner before the week starts. Everyone will be there, including Rachel, and I hope you … and the kids, of course.”

“Oh, um…”

“I’d like to get to know you,” the woman stated. “If that’s all right with you?”

Not sure what to say, Addy nodded. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

With a smile, Addy waved and hurried down to help with the cleanup. She found Willa snapping the final round of pictures for the evening. She caught sight of Addy and hurried over.

“Oh shoot! You’re dressed.” The blonde clicked her tongue. “I was hoping to get a nicer photo of you and Toby. I have one with you two on the stage, but—”

“What is it for?” she asked.

“The paper,” Willa answered simply. “You know I write the occasional article for the Willow Creek Gazette, right?” At Addy’s nod, she continued. “Well, I was covering the event tonight. It turned out really well. I’ve got photos of everyone.”

Addy placed a hand on the other woman’s arm. “Could I ask you for a favor? Could you please not post any photos of me?”

Delicate eyebrows lowered into a frown. “I don’t understand. The article is about the bidders and the participants.”

“I just really don’t want my photo in the paper,” she explained. “It would really mean a lot to me.”

Willa’s frown remained, but she gave a slight shrug. “All right, but that might be a bit hard to do, because I’m not the only one on this piece and Terry’s already gone to—”

A crash rang out as an entire tray of champagne flutes hit the floor. The two servers who had collided with each other began shouting at each other.

“I better go sort that.” Willa sighed. “Calla’s out back making sure the stage is properly dismantled and put away.”

She walked away before Addy could press her about the photos.

It was unlikely anyone outside of Willow Creek would see them, but the fear was there all the same. The last thing she needed was for it to somehow make its way into the wrong hands and bring her entire world crashing down around her. Yet she had no idea how to stop it. She hadn’t meant to stay the evening. She hadn’t even considered press, not in a town barely big enough for a warrant a traffic light. But really, what were the odds the paper would ever leave the town limits?

She kept reminding herself of that while she helped tidy up. Farrah was still in the kitchen, organizing leftovers into baggies. The woman looked drawn and exhausted, but she smiled when she saw Addy.

“Still here?”

Addy rolled up her sleeves. “I’m here to help.”

She hadn’t been wrong. All the things they’d done earlier to set up had tripled in amount taking down. All the fabric strung across the ceiling and walls needed to be neatly folded, as did the table clothes and unused napkins. The dishes had to be brought into the kitchen. The vases emptied and rinsed out. It was a whole process and more exhausting than cooking for a week straight.

By the time three AM rolled around, Addy was ready to chew the head off the next person who even looked at her. Most of the servers and attenders were sent home, leaving the kitchen attendants to finish up the last of the cleanup. Farrah had gone home a little after one, as had Willa. But Calla remained, stalking around in her seven inch heels, barking orders and checking things off her list. There wasn’t a single sign of exhaustion in sight. Addy kind of hated her a little bit.

“Why are you still here?” Calla caught sight of her and frowned. “Go home.”

Addy shook her head. “No, I’m okay. I want to help.”

Calla looked over her clipboard, flipped a few pages and then shook her head. “There is nothing left for you to do.” She pinned Addy with a stern scowl. “Go home.”

Unwilling to refuse a second time, Addy relented. She gathered her coat and headed out the door.

The drive home was a mind numbing twenty minutes where she blasted the radio and kept the windows rolled down. Her cheeks were a bright pink and cold to the touch by the time she pulled into the driveway, but at least she hadn’t fallen asleep and crashed. Pocketing her keys, she headed inside.

Silence greeted her. She hadn’t expected anyone to be awake, but it was odd to come home to that much quiet. She locked the door behind her and followed the stream of yellow light in the otherwise darkness into the sitting room.

Toby sat on the sofa with Hanna curled up in his lap. Both were passed out with their heads back and their mouths hanging open. A book lay open across Toby’s chest. In the armchair, legs over one armrest, head propped against the other, lay Sean with his hands folded neatly on his stomach. Both children were in their PJs. Bowls of chocolate sauce swirling with melted ice cream, peanuts and bananas sat cluttered on the coffee table along with empty cups of chocolate milk. There were several more books stacked on the end table next to Toby’s elbow and she wondered how many they’d made the poor guy read before they passed out.

Amused and thoroughly guilt ridden, Addy dumped her purse and coat by the door and moved to pick Hanna up. The movement jerked Toby awake almost like she’d shocked him. His arms slammed around the girl protectively even as blue eyes flew open.

“It’s okay,” Addy whispered. “It’s just me.”

Muscles uncoiling, Toby released his hold and let her scoop the girl up. He rose as Addy straightened and shuffled over to where Sean lay.

“Hey.” He shook the boy lightly. “Come on, pal. Time to get to bed.”

Sean woke with a start, the way someone would if they were dreaming of falling. His limbs stiffened before dropping. He blinked up at Toby.

“Can you walk?” Toby asked.

Nodding, Sean rolled off the armchair and staggered his way into the hall. Toby grabbed his cane and followed the procession upstairs.

Addy put Hanna to bed and returned to find Toby snapping the lights out in Sean’s room. They shut the doors and stood in the semidarkness of the hallway.

“Thank you for watching them,” she whispered. “I hope they didn’t give you a hard time.”

“Ice cream, chocolate milk, and reading. It was basically all the stuff I do when I’m alone.”

Addy laughed. “Well, I appreciate—”

He kissed her, moving with that innate speed of his to claim her mouth. The attack was hard and demanding and she melted into him. Her arms wound their way around his neck. Her fingers closed in his hair, gripping him to her as she returned the rush. Their bodies crashed together and staggered back into the wall separating the two rooms. His cane hit the ground and his hands were on her, lifting and holding and bruising. Her legs wound around his hips and she anchored herself to him as her entire being went up in flames.

“God, I want you, Addy,” he growled against her swollen mouth. “So bad it hurts.”

Breathless and dizzy, she could only moan and cling to him as he sliced a path with his mouth down the column of her throat. At the hollow of her collarbone, he paused. His hot breath burned the skin. She waited for him to continue, but he drew back.

“I want to take you to bed,” he told her, only slightly out of breath. “I want to keep you there all night, naked, wet, and completely at my mercy.” The junction of her thighs gave a pang at his promise. “But we really need to talk first.”

They did. She knew they did. They couldn’t go beyond the little they’d done without full disclosure on her part. He needed to know what he was up against. He needed to know before she gave him everything and he walked away. It was how to properly start that conversation that had her hesitating. It was the fear of watching his back disappearing out the front door, never to return. But she knew that if she wanted him for more than just a single night, she needed to tell him the truth. Nevertheless, she couldn’t stave off the burst of disappointment she felt at having to stop … again. The off and on was beginning to infuriate her. It must have shown on her face, because Toby chuckled and kissed her lightly.

“I know.” He set her down gently. “I promise to make it up to you.”

Addy busied her trembling hands by smoothing out her clothes. She watched as he bent down and picked up his cane. Then they just stood there, staring at each other.

“Your mom invited me to dinner tomorrow,” she said, breaking the silence.

Surprise danced across his face. “She did?”

Addy nodded. “And the kids. She said she wanted to get to know me better.”

His head bobbed slowly. “Great. What did you say?”

“Yes.” She shrugged. “I didn’t know what else to say. Is that okay?”

Toby grinned. “Of course.” He smoothed his fingers along her cheek. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Painfully aroused and grudgingly baffled, Addy left him standing there and slipped into her room.

Chapter 13 ~ Toby

The drive to his parent’s house was done in his truck and it was mostly done in silence, with the exception of Hanna’s humming in the backseat. Neither she nor Sean had asked where they were going or why, two unavoidable questions his niece and nephews would have demanded … relentlessly for hours. They seemed content to just go and get there when they got there. It only made him love them all the more. He liked that they weren’t like other kids, because they weren’t. Everything about them was as unique as their mother and that made all the difference.

In the seat next to him, Addy was watching the scenery with tension tightening her jaw and turning the caps of her knuckles white around the pie platter in her lap. She hadn’t said much, but he knew she was nervous about the dinner, not that he could blame her.

“Hey.” He reached over and settled his hand over hers. “It’s going to be fine.”

She offered him a half smile. “I know.”

She was lying, but he let it go. He gave her fingers a squeeze before withdrawing to take hold of the wheel. He turned into his parent’s driveway and parked behind Damon’s Jeep. He killed the engine and pocketed his keys.

It took very little fuss getting the kids out of the car and to the front door. They stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting for something to happen.

Addy set one hand on Sean’s shoulder from behind and lowered her voice. “Remember your manners, okay? And no running or yelling.”

Toby wanted to snort and assure her that there was plenty of running and yelling had without them, but the door flew open and his mom smiled at them.

“I heard the truck pull up,” she explained. “Come in.”

Toby motioned for Addy and the kids to go in first.

“Thank you for having us,” Addy said as she ushered Sean and Hanna over the threshold. “I hope it’s all right, I brought a pie. I wasn’t sure if—”

“Yes, thank you,” Hanna stated primly but hurriedly. “Can I play with Kari now?”

Beth’s mouth twisted into a grin. “They’re upstairs.” She looked to Sean. “You can both go straight up.”

Both children toed off their shoes and handed over their coats before hurrying up the stairs.

“They’re adorable,” his mom said, shaking out their jackets. She hung them up before reaching for the pie Addy was holding out. “And yes, we absolutely love pie. Thank you.”

Addy undid her coat. “It smells delicious in here.”

His mom took the coat from her with a free hand and added it to the pile draped along the wall. “Cole’s in the kitchen. We’re making chicken and sausage gumbo.”

“Oh! That sounds really good. Can I help?”

“Of course.”

She led Addy deeper into the house without even a word to Toby. Alone, Toby hung his own coat up and made his way into the sitting room. Jared, Calla, Damon, and Willa were on the sofas, looking over a small mountain of photos scattered across the coffee table.

“Hey!” Calla greeted him. “You look exhausted.”

“Long night,” he muttered. “How’d we make out?”

Calla shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to go over the end tally. I do know that we more than likely surpassed our quota from last year, thanks to you and Addy.” She eyed him. “What was that all about anyway?”

“Actually…” He moved to claim his favorite armchair. “That wasn’t Addy’s bid. It was Mrs. Donnelly’s. She’d asked Addy to hold on to it for her.”

Calla groaned. “I better call Mrs. Donnelly.”

She rose, phone already in hand, and left the room.

“I like this one,” Willa said, picking up a photo of a bridge dangling over an angry river. “I think I’ll save the rest.”

“I like this one,” Damon pointed to a picture of flat, orange desert and a single cacti in the distance.

“What do you think, Jared?” Willa asked, desperation in her tone.

Jared snorted. “Right. Ask the guy with absolutely no artistic abilities.”

Leaving them to the photos, Toby hoisted himself up and made his way to the kitchen. Uncle Sloan and Cole were at the wooden table, dicing up vegetables, while Beth stirred a pot. Addy stood off to one side, watching quietly.

“Hey.”

She glanced over at him and offered him a small smile. “Hi.”

He went to her and rested a palm along her lower spine. “Everything okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, just watching. I’ve never made gumbo,” she explained.

“All right, that should do it.” His father dusted his hands and straightened. He glanced up at Addy. “Now, the trick, in my opinion, is how you batter the chicken.” He motioned her over. “Most just dump the pieces into a bowl of flour and consider it a job well done, but!” He tipped the bowl on its side so Addy could see inside. “It’s all about what you have mixed inside.”

Toby leaned against the counter as his dad showed Addy how to properly season chicken. Uncle Sloan occasionally inserted his own view point on the matter, which was argued by Beth. It was somewhere between frying the pieces and roasting when Lily arrived with Rachel in tow.

“Everyone knows you bake the chicken first,” Lily stated, moving around the table to kiss her husband. “Frying’s too oily.”

“I think you’re all scaring her.” Calla marched in. “It’s only chicken for Godsakes.”

“It’s not only just chicken,” Cole protested. “It’s the main ingredient. It needs to be done right.”

“How did you do it before?” Addy asked, and the room immediately went quiet.

Glances were exchanged.

“We’ve never made it before,” Cole confessed.

“Every so often, Dad and Uncle Sloan like to take over the kitchen and make a mess,” Calla chimed in helpfully. “Lucky for you, you get to witness it.”

“This is not a mess, it’s progress,” Cole muttered.

Calla met Addy’s gaze and rolled her eyes.

“I saw that!” Cole brandished a spoon at her. “Don’t make me send you to your room.”

“Can I vote for Addy to make dessert?” Willa, Damon, and Jared joined the crowded kitchen.

“I second that,” Jared declared.

“She’s already brought pie,” Beth said.

“How many?” Jared asked.

Addy’s expression grew uncertain. “One?”

“That’s not enough!” Jared protested. “Have you seen the size of me?”

Willa smacked his arm. “That’s not nice!”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to make anymore desserts,” Beth piped in. “She’s been at it for weeks making everything for yesterday’s fundraiser.”

“No, I’m fine,” Addy said. “I would love to make more dessert.”

The atmosphere changed after that. Any remaining tension melted into its normal warmth. Chatter and laughter bubbled over. It was all the things Toby loved about the weekends, with an added bonus—Addy. His worries seemed ridiculous as he watched his family pull her into their folds.

At the table, the conversation resumed, jumping from the fundraiser to the work load that coming week to random things like his aunt’s new shoes and Willa’s photos getting accepted in some journal. Occasionally, Addy contributed or answered a question thrown her way, but she seemed content to sit next to him and listen.

“They love you,” he whispered into her ear.

Her head turned, bringing their faces inches apart. “Yeah?”

Toby nodded. “Yeah.”

Addy smiled and the simple gesture stole what little of his heart he’d been holding on to. “I like that.”

He leaned in, needing to taste her.

“Don’t even get me started on Halloween!” Calla’s outrage had them both looking up. “I swear every year gets more and more boring. Colten doesn’t even want to go out anymore.”

“Well, he is a bit old for trick or treating,” Lily said gently.

“Rosie still wants to go,” Rachel said. “She loves dressing up.”

“Yes, but Rosie’s a girl. Boys don’t really care for that,” Lily protested.

“I was actually thinking of reopening the funhouse over at the inn,” Addy said, pulling the conversation into her corner. “Macy used to go all out for the holidays, but I wasn’t sure I could pull it off on my own. This year, I was thinking of maybe bringing it back.”

“That is a fantastic idea!” Calla decided at once, her blue eyes shining. “What were you thinking?”

Addy set her spoon down gently back in her bowl. “I’m not exactly sure, but maybe a haunted maze. I know Macy did that one year and it was a huge hit.”

“I remember that,” Lily said from the end of the table. “The kids loved it.”

Addy nodded. “Mrs. Donnelly actually gave me the idea. Not the maze exactly, but that the inn used to get a lot of attention when Macy was doing her annual holiday events. I remember the maze, because Sean really liked it. I was also thinking a carriage ride at the end of the night and maybe a pumpkin carving station for the little kids who don’t want to go through the maze.” She flushed and gave a little shrug. “It’s still a thought in process.”

“I love it,” Calla stated. “It’s exactly what this town needs. Something fun and new. Mr. Hinkley has a whole mountain of hay barrels we could possibly borrow for the night. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“We?” Toby cut in.

Calla blinked. “You. Obviously, I mean you.”

Addy chuckled. “No, we is fine. I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

Calla beamed. “Well, I am all in. I will call Mr. Hinkley—”

“Ketch,” Uncle Sloan muttered, cutting Calla off.

“Sorry?”

He raised his head and met her gaze. “His name is Ketch, not Hinkley.”

Jared and Damon burst out laughing. Even Toby found himself chuckling.

“How do you get Hinkley from Ketch?” Damon hooted.

Calla’s cheeks darkened. “It’s not that different. Anyway!” She elbowed her husband. “I’ll call him and see if he can deliver three hundred barrels for the night.”

“Three hundred?” Addy gasped. “Why so many?”

Calla stared. “Well, you’ll need to create a large enough maze for it to be fun and you can lay the rest inside the carriage.”

“Oh! You can have some of the older kids stationed around inside,” Willa suggested. “They can make sure the kids don’t get lost or cause any problems.”

“They can also hand out the candy,” Beth added.

“I wouldn’t trust teenagers with any chocolate,” Calla muttered.

“We could make little goodie bags that kids can get at the end of the maze when they get out!” Addy decided.

“Brilliant!” Calla sucked in a breath and released it with a satisfied huff. “This will be awesome.”

The evening ended when seven rolled around and bedtime became mandatory. The only ones who didn’t fuss about leaving were Sean, Colten, and Owen. The three boys stood off to the side as Kari and Hanna tried to barter another five minutes.

“Sean has school in the morning,” Addy tried to tell her.

“But we don’t!” Hanna whined.

“Actually, that reminds me.” Sloan turned to Addy. “The second to last weekend of the month is our last campout of the year. Just the guys. We leave Friday and return Sunday evening. We’d like Sean to come, if you’re okay with that. He doesn’t need to bring anything, except his clothes.”

Addy’s mouth parted in surprise. Her gaze jumped from Sloan to Toby before moving to where Sean stood, looking equally stunned.

“What do you think?” she asked him. “Would you like to go camping?”

Sean glanced at Owen, who nodded vigorously. “Yeah…” He looked back to his mom. “That could be fun.”

Addy faced Sloan once more. “If you’re sure…”

Sloan nodded. “Yeah, the boys love it and it’s perfectly safe. There’ll be five adults and three kids so we’ll have them outnumbered.”

“We’ve been doing it since I was a kid,” Toby assured her. “We have yet to lose or maim anyone.”

“Calla did come close that one time though,” Damon remembered.

“You mean when you hurled that hatchet at my head?” Calla snapped.

“I wasn’t aiming for your head.” Damon rolled his tongue over his teeth, badly concealing his grin. “I was aiming for your face.”

“Which is on my head!”

“All right you two,” Sloan intervened. “We’re trying to assure Addy that we’re going to bring her son back in one piece.”

Calla huffed, but mashed her lips together.

Addy laughed. “It sounds great. Thank you.”

Sloan inclined his head. “We’ll talk more about it next weekend.”

Twice in the matter of a few minutes, Addy’s jaw unhinged. “Next weekend?”

Sloan raised an eyebrow. “You are coming back, aren’t you?”

Her mouth opened and closed and only squeaking sounds emerged. Her wide, panicked gaze shot to Toby, silently begging for help. He just shrugged and motioned her to answer.

“We would love to, but you don’t have to—”

“Good,” Sloan cut her off. “We liked having you.”

“Plus you promised to teach me how to make that caramel apple parfait,” Beth reminded her.

“Oh…” Addy’s features softened. “Yeah, of course. I’d really like that.”

“You know, we could have been playing right now.” Hanna’s grumble got a few chuckles and reminded Addy they were leaving.

They said goodbye and made their way to the truck. Toby made sure Hanna’s belt was properly secured before getting behind the wheel and taking them home.

“What did you think?” he asked later when the kids were in bed and the house was quiet. “Did you have fun?”

Standing with the island between them, Addy kept her head down as she kneaded balls of dough from a bowl full of premade lumps. She hadn’t said much during their drive and even when they got home, she had been unusually quiet.

“Ad?”

She ceased her kneading and glanced up. The tears in her eyes had him leaping off his stool and skirting the counter as fast as his cane would allow him.

“What?” he demanded. “Did someone say something?”

She caught her lip between her teeth and shook her head. “They were all so nice.”

Not having been expecting that response, Toby could do nothing more than gather her up into his chest and cradle her. His fingers worked through her soft hair and smoothed along the curve of her spine. Her goopy hands hung at her sides, but she leaned into him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered into his shoulder.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” He kissed the hollow at her temple. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

She pulled back and swiped quickly under her eyes with the back of her hands. “It’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Her lashes lowered. “I’ve never had a family before.”

There were a few times Toby had wanted to ask about her past, but he’d always refrained; the topic brought such sadness to her eyes that part of him wasn’t sure he wanted to know. But he knew eventually, he would need to ask and she would hopefully tell him.

“Where is your family?” he hedged carefully.

Addy turned away. “I don’t know.” Her fingers sunk into the clump of dough. “I haven’t seen them in ten years.”

He let it go. There was time to ask more later.

“What are you doing?”

She rolled and thumped the dough a few times before answering, “I’m prepping stuff for the café tomorrow.” She peered up at him. “Willa said they had enough stuff left over from the event, but I thought I would make some pies.”

“More pie.” He scratched at the bristles on his jaw. “I can see I’m going to have to invest in a gym membership.”

Addy laughed. “You could always not indulge.”

“Oh, I never not indulge. Indulging is what I do best.”

Those warm brown eyes rose up and met his. Her lush, pink lips were curved still in an almost secretive grin that tugged at all the muscles in his abdomen. Everything about that smile made him want to devour her, to sink his teeth into her until she was moaning and writhing. The sound she made when she was aroused kept him up at night. It kept him painfully hard and throbbing. Every part of him wanted to take her right there, right against the island, but something kept stopping him. Hell if he knew what.

“Your sister was really sweet to offer to help me with the Halloween stuff,” she said when his brain continued to malfunction.

Toby snorted. “Calla has a work obsession. She likes projects and keeping busy. Trust me, you’re doing her the favor.”

Addy shrugged. “Still. I have no idea where to start so I really appreciate any help she can give.”

His hand moved without his consent and settled lightly on the small of her spine. “Addy?”

She tipped her head back and met his gaze. “Yeah?”

“Not right now, but when you’re ready, I’d really like to know about what happened.”

Her fingers still in their kneading. Her mouth tightened. Something closed behind her eyes like a door getting caught in a cold draft.

“What happened when?”

“Before you came to Willow Creek. About your family and the kids’ father. I want to know everything.”

Her head turned away. “Why?”

“Why do I want to know?” He almost laughed at the question, but knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. So, he bit it back. “Because it’s part of you and I told you, I’m invested.”

Her chin jerked up. “So you just want to make sure you made a good investment in me, in case I’m some kind of damaged goods?”

Toby jerked back. “Whoa! That’s not what I meant!”

Her face snapped away once more and he could see the glass shattering force of her jaw working.

“Addy.” He didn’t touch her again, but he wanted to. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about my past, because if we’re going to make this work, we need to be honest. Will whatever happened change my mind about you? Hell no! I’m crazy about you and those kids. I’m in it for the long haul no matter what, but we can’t keep things from each other.”

“But this doesn’t matter.” Her voice was so low he almost didn’t hear her. “I can’t…”

“Hey.” He took her arm lightly and turned her to face him. “Let me in.”

Wet eyes met his from a face masked in dismay and pain. Uncertainty coiled around her mouth and along her jaw. The skin on her elbow seemed to be vibrating.

“It took a long time for me to put my past aside.”

“But you haven’t,” he whispered gently. “You wouldn’t hesitate about the catering business or telling me what happened if you had.”

Guilt lowered her lashes, concealing her eyes from him.

“It’s not that simple.”

His fingers grazed her cheek lightly. “I know, baby. But I’m here. I’ll listen and I’ll fix whatever you’re scared of.” He tucked his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face to his. “I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you or the kids. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I’m not ready, Toby.”

“Okay, but I’m here.”

Her slight frame lifted up on her toes and she brushed a loving kiss to his mouth. Her fingers splayed across the hard muscles of his chest, leaving smudges of wet dough on fabric.

“Tell me your flaws,” she whispered, still pressed into him. “I need to know you’re not perfect.”

Toby arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know. That’s going to be hard to do.” He grinned when she shot him a dry scowl.

“I guess ego could be added to the list,” she teased.

Hooking his cane along the edge of the island, he clasped his hands at the curve of her lower back. He pulled her flush into him.

“I’ve killed people.”

That wasn’t the thing he’d wanted to share first. Something like that needed to be worked into a conversation. The other person needed to be eased into it, and while Addy didn’t pull away, her eyes had gone wide against her ashen complexion.

“I was ordered to,” he attempted to justify. “But not always. We were in enemy territory and there are no rules there. I’m not proud of it. Their faces are all I see when I close my eyes. I know they were fathers and sons and brothers to someone and because of me…”

“Toby…” Her fingers tightened into his top. “You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“I don’t,” he whispered. “That’s the problem. I don’t regret what I did. It was either them or me, or one of my men, and I going home. I was going to see my family again. My men were going to do the same. So, I did what I had to do. It was how I got shot. We were deployed on a rescue mission and it was dark. One of the men thought we were the enemy insurgent. He shot blindly and got me.”

“You were a police officer?” she asked softly, with just a hint of an edge.

“Combat search and rescue officer. We’re the ones that go in to get our troops out of hostile territories.”

She’d gone very still. “But you’re not a soldier?”

He had to think about that for a moment. “No, I’m … I was an officer. We weren’t sent into battle to fight. We were sent to find and rescue and only engage when necessary. Some might consider us soldiers because of what we do and the way we put our lives at risk, but I’m not one of the guys at the front of the line. Those are the real heroes.”

His top clung to her fingers when she pried them free. The heels of his feet hit the floor as she drew away.

“What? Addy!” he said when she started to shake her head.

Her gaze lowered to the mess she’d left behind on his top. “My ex was military,” she murmured. “Infantry. He was injured during his first tour. He took enemy fire in the chest. The shrapnel nicked his heart and lungs.” Her fingers closed around a dishrag. She swiped at her handprints on his chest. “He lived.”

It wasn’t said, but he could hear the disappointment in her voice.

“What did he do to you, Addy?”

Thick lashes lifted and he was caught in the unwavering stare of her eyes. “Not tonight.”

Chapter 14 ~ Addy

October proved to be the busiest month of Addy’s life. Putting aside the fundraiser event, she spent the majority of her time baking heaps of confections for delivery to Under The Willow. When she wasn’t elbow deep in baked goods, she had a four year old with vast ninja skills to contend with; Hanna was eating the goods faster than Addy could produce.

“You should put her in daycare with Kari,” Willa had suggested one afternoon while she’d stopped by to pick up the next day’s stock. “It’ll be great for her and she’ll have other kids to play with. Plus, she’ll be out of your hair.”

Addy couldn’t argue the wisdom of that decision. The idea had never seemed logical when it was just her and cleaning. But the demand of her growing business propelled her to enroll the girl, and it was the best decision she’d ever made, except now she had to keep three fully grown men out of her kitchen.

“I swear, if I see one more hand reaching for that pan, I will cut it off!” she threatened with a laugh, having caught Damon for the fourth time trying to sneak strawberry tarts off a steaming hot tray.

“Just one!” the man pleaded. “I promise. Then I’ll go away.”

Addy shook her head. “You said that about the turnovers.”

Damon’s blue eyes widened. “And I only took one!”

He’d also taken one cookie, one donut twist, and one full pie.

“You know, I can’t figure out how you McClain men keep your figures,” she mumbled affectionately.

“I’m a Dumont,” Jared interrupted. “And I was born with this girlish figure.”

Laughing, Addy went back to shoveling oatmeal and raisin cookies off trays and onto cooling racks. “I need to start baking just for you boys.”

Both Jared and Damon perked—Damon with a full cookie wedged in his cheek.

“Really? You would do that?”

She was shaking her head with silent amusement when Toby stepped into the kitchen. He looked at the two men crowding her island and raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t realize we were having a party.”

He made his way to stand on Addy’s side … and stole a cookie.

“Hey!” She swatted with her spatula and missed. “You three … I am going to tell your wives what pain in the asses you are.”

Damon and Jared had the decency to look mildly panicked. Toby just shrugged and stole another cookie. He stuffed it into his mouth before she could snatch it back.

“Knock yourself out,” he mumbled around the mouthful. “You’d only be addressing the complaint to yourself.” He turned away, completely missing the stunned look Addy shot him. “Ooo! Tarts!”

Coming out of her shock, Addy lunged for him before he could steal one. “Put that back!”

Blocked by his broad back, she could only flail and swat at air while he stuffed the entire thing into his mouth.

“Hey! Why does he get one?” Damon demanded, genuinely offended.

“Out!” she barked, jabbing a finger in the direction of the backdoor. “All three of you little thieves, out!”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Jared actually whined.

Toby grabbed four cookies and Damon grabbed another turnover before the whole lot shuffled out the door.

Addy groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. At least Hanna had been one tiny person and easily scolded into not touching. Three men twice her size … much harder to corral.

Toby went to get Hanna from daycare later that afternoon. The other men left the same time to get their own children, leaving Addy alone to finish packing up what little she was able to save into containers and put away for Willa or Calla to pick up the next morning. She was cleaning up her morning mess when the front door swung open and Sean rushed home.

“Mom!” he called out. “I’m home!”

“Kitchen!”

The pounding of his hurried footsteps filled the house before he darkened the doorway, hair in disarray, cheeks flushed an excited pink. But it was the honest to God grin straining from ear to ear that made Addy stop and stare.

“Hey, what has you so happy?” she asked once she’d gotten over her initial shock at seeing her own child smiling.

The books in his bag thumped as they hit the floor by the opening. His jacket quickly followed and he rushed to the stool.

“Colten asked me to sit at the back of the bus with him today!” the boy practically panted. “He just walked up to me and said, sit with us. Just like that. Sit with us.” Straight, white teeth flashed as his smile widened to the point she feared his face would split. “I sat at the back of the bus.”

Addy had never taken the school bus. Her school had been down the block, within walking distance, so the bus situation was a new thing to her. Nevertheless, she beamed.

“That is wonderful!”

Sean nodded rapidly. “I think it’s because we’ve been spending so much time with them, you know? Going over on weekends and doing all that stuff … maybe he thinks we’re friends?”

It was such an odd statement, Addy hesitated. “Aren’t you friends?”

Thin shoulders swooped up to hang at his ears. His fingers splayed, palms up on the table. “I don’t know! I mean, the last few weeks is the most we’ve ever talked.” He scratched at his temple absently. “Lately, he and Owen have been asking me to sit with them at lunch and at recess. I didn’t think it meant anything, but…” Enormous brown eyes jumped to her face. “Do you think that makes us friends?”

Her heart broke at the question. Self-loathing brewed in thick, bitter paste at the back of her throat. How could he not know what having friends was like? Had she really sheltered him that badly?

“Who did you play with before?” she asked, fighting to keep her voice from choking.

Sean shrugged. “No one. I just sat and waited for the bell to ring.”

What little was left of her soul shattered and it was only because he was watching her, waiting for her to tell him what he should have known that kept her from sinking to the floor.

“Yeah,” she whispered at last. “I think that makes them your friends.”

His grin returned with a force that knocked out whatever of her was left. “I like that. Going to start my homework.”

He hopped off the stool and ran to where he’d tossed aside his things. It was all scooped up and he was gone.

Addy broke. She tried to smother the sob with her hand. It burned into her palm, mixing with the salty tears crashing endlessly down her cheeks. She clutched at the counter and doubled over as the pain ripped into her stomach.

The shriek in her ears muted the arrival of Toby and Hanna until she felt his hands on her arms. She was turned and brought into his chest. The cold clinging to his jacket practically hissed upon contact with the waves of heat radiating off her.

“Hanna baby, why don’t you take your stuff off? I’ll be over there in a minute to help you put them away,” she heard him say softly.

“What about Mommy?”

Her daughter’s voice only made her cry harder.

“I got Mommy. Go on.” He waited until Hanna’s footsteps had faded before turning his focus on her. “Talk to me, Addy.”

“I’m a bad parent,” she sobbed into his chest.

“What are you talking about? You’re an amazing parent.”

Her entire body shuddered around the breath she tried to suck in. “No, I’ve kept them locked up in this house their entire lives, away from everyone, because I was afraid of losing them. My son doesn’t even know what it’s like to have friends. He grew up with all those kids in his class and he doesn’t even … and Hanna, she sits at home all day talking to her dolls.”

“Kari has an imaginary friend named Bubbles who is a hippo with a pumpkin head and woodpecker nose, and only eats purple things,” Toby said fluidly. “When I was eight, I spoke nothing but Klingon for six months. Kids are all different, but they all have wild imaginations. That’s not your fault.”

She shook her head. “It’s more than that. I could never understand why he wasn’t like other kids, why he … why he was the way he was and I just thought it was him. It was Sean. He’s special and wonderful, but that wasn’t it. He doesn’t know how to be a kid, because I never let him. I made no effort to make playdates for him. I never let him go to anyone’s house. I … I ruined his entire childhood.”

“Baby, he’s only ten. He’s got plenty of time still to be a kid.”

“What if that doesn’t happen?”

Gentle fingers slipped beneath her chin and her face was lifted to his. “We’ll make sure it does, okay? Now, I want you to get this whole bad parent business out of your head. Do you understand me? You’ve got two of the most incredible kids I’ve ever met in my life and no one can take credit for that, but you. You raised them good, Ads. Damn good. You need to be proud of that.”

Tears continued to spill, but she kept his gaze. “He was so happy, Toby. You didn’t see his face. I have never seen him smile like that and all because Colten asked him to sit with them on the bus. It killed me that something so big was missing from his life and I never saw it.”

He wiped gently at her cheeks and offered her a grin. “It’s like I said, he’s only ten. We’ll make sure he smiles like that again. Promise.”

Addy sniffled and mopped her face up with her sleeve. She peered up at the man still holding her through squinted, puffy eyes.

“Did you really speak Klingon?”

Toby grinned. “Nope, it was just random garble that sounded really cool in my head. Mom was ready to get me institutionalized.”

Addy chuckled. “I’m sorry you had to come home to find me like this.” She dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “Do you think Hanna’s okay?”

He rubbed at her arm gently, a comforting gesture. “She’s fine, but I’m going to go help her put her things away. Will you be okay?”

Assuring him she would be, she watched him leave the kitchen and made a silent promise to herself that she was going to change things for her kids. No matter what she had to do to make it happen.

“Tiny has been dropped off.” The man of her obsessions walked in through the backdoor the next morning. “And sweets have been delivered without casualties.”

Addy chuckled. “She didn’t get into the bags this time?”

“Nope.” He tossed his truck keys into the air and caught up in the same hand, the hand not gripping his cane. “I kept my eye on her. She’s sneaky!”

She watched him make his way around the island to her side.

“Thank you.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “Welcome.”

Aside from the occasional intense make out session while the kids were in bed, he had yet to taper the fire he kept fanning. He always came so close only to break away and leave her hot and wet, and frustrated. It was partially her own fault for not having the nerve to ask him why he hadn’t gone through with what they both clearly wanted. She knew he was interested. She knew he wanted it as badly as she did and yet…

“Are the guys here?” she asked instead.

He shook his head very slowly. “Nope. It’s just us.”

Heat immediately sizzled through her with an intensity that made her breath come up short and her heart race. All thoughts of sugar cookies vanished as the very air around them seemed to solidify to an almost tangible force.

“Oh,” she whispered.

He caught his lip between his teeth. “What do you think we should do?”

Instinctively, her gaze dropped to his mouth. Her own tingled with anticipation.

“I think I want you to—”

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting her one moment of boldness. Relief and disappointment crashed through her, making her curse the person while simultaneously thanking God she was saved from humiliating herself. For all she knew, he would have turned her down. The very thought made her cringe inwardly.

“Come in!” she called out.

The door clicked open and a familiar face haloed by a riot of tight curls poked in. Addy’s heart jumped.

“Nia!”

Beautiful with skin the color of dark roast and eyes the intense green of tealeaves, Nia Washington stood at a daunting seven feet of lean, sinewy grace of a woman who had seen it all and survived. And she had. Nia was a walking inspiration wrapped in a blanket of warmth, love and kindness. Seeing her elicited a squeal of delight from Addy that was followed by the rush of feet as she darted around the island and engulfed the other woman.

“Oh my God!” she gasped, squeezing tight. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

Nia laughed, a deep, smoker’s rasp. “That was my thoughts exactly when I decided to head on over this way.” She pulled back and set her hands on Addy’s shoulders. “Now, let me look at you.” Green eyes squinted as they worked over the length of Addy’s slight frame. “You’re still not eating enough, but you still look fabulous! How have you been?”

“Good! Great!” Addy chuckled.

Nia’s penciled eyebrows rose. “Good and great? Well, that invites for tea and gossip.” Her gaze lifted past Addy to where Toby stood, watching the exchange with interest and mild amusement. “And who is this?”

“Oh!” Flushing, Addy led Nia forward. “Nia, this is Toby McClain. He’s my…” Mind a horrible blank, Addy’s blush deepened.

“Handyman, food tester, and occasional boy toy,” Toby supplied without missing a beat.

Addy gasped, mortified.

Nia laughed. “Well, it’s about time Addy got one of those.”

Certain her face couldn’t get any hotter, Addy motioned to Nia. “This is Nia Washington.”

“Friend,” Nia answered for her, possibly saving her from having to explain her real purpose, but Addy had already decided she would start easing Toby into her past. No better place to start than Nia.

“Nia’s my support partner,” she murmured quietly. “At the…” The rest lodged in her throat, forming a pasty ball of distress. She swallowed it down and tried again. “At the women’s support group for…”

“You know, why don’t I make that tea?” Nia quickly broke in when Addy couldn’t finish. “Everything is where it used to be, right?”

Addy only nodded, staring hard at the mess of half-finished sugar cookies. She was all too painfully aware of Toby’s eyes on her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to see the look in them.

“Oh, shoot, you know what? I forgot my phone in the car and I need to make a very important call. I’ll be ten minutes.”

With a warm smile, Nia hurried back out the way she’d come, leaving Addy alone to explain in privacy.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he murmured so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

She willed her gaze upwards until she was caught in his. “I know, but I want to. At least, some of it. Slowly. I just don’t know where to start.”

“Wherever you’re comfortable with.” His ever present patience in her was the biggest comfort he could possibly give her.

“Nia is part of the group I started seeing regularly once a week for five years now,” she choked out. “The … it’s … I…”

“Addy.” He came around the counter and stood before her. “Whatever it is, I’m not going to judge.”

Tears filmed over her vision, obscuring him and making the situation ten times worse than it was.

“It’s a support group for women escaping from domestic violence and … and assault.”

His sharp inhale made her flinch. No one outside the group, except Macy knew. Not even the children. She had lived with her secret for five years and now someone outside her security group knew, someone who could turn away with disgust or worse … pity.

“Your husband?” was his first question.

Addy nodded. “For five years before I came here.”

“Jesus, Addy. Is he who you’re running from?”

The muscles in her throat tightened, but she forced another nod.

“There’s more to it…”

He shook his head. “Mom said you got pregnant at fifteen. Was that why?”

Dread and tension coiled in the pit of her stomach, making it impossible to speak. “It’s … there’s more…”

“Is it?”

Relenting, Addy nodded. “But I have to tell you the rest—”

He set his cane against the island and, before she could finish, his hands were framing her face and he kissed her with a tangle of tenderness and anger. He must have stolen a cookie while she wasn’t looking, because he tasted like cinnamon and sugar. Then he pulled back. His hands remained firmly on either side of her face, but his gaze was intense and vicious.

“I’m sorry.”

His fingers closed in her hair and he pulled her closer. “Don’t you ever be sorry, do you hear me?”

“I mean about not telling you sooner.”

“Even that.” He kissed her again, softer.

He was still taking slow, deep sips of her when the door opened and Nia returned, phone in one hand and her purse draped over the other. She faltered on the threshold.

“Oh!”

Addy quickly pulled away. “Hi! You’re back.”

Grinning, Nia held up her phone. “Yup, and I made my call, so now I am ready for that tea and conversation.”

Addy nodded. “Me too.”

Nia stepped deeper into the kitchen and shut the door behind her. “Oh, there’s a group of devastatingly gorgeous men prowling around on your front porch. I wasn’t sure if I should get us cold beers or call the fire department.”

Addy laughed. “That’s Toby’s family.”

“Well.” Nia grinned. “I can certainly see the family resemblance. Any of them happen to be single?”

It was Toby’s turn to chuckle, but Addy knew him enough to know it was forced. “I’m the last of the brood, unless you’re into thirteen year olds.”

Nia hissed through her straight, white teeth. “Might have to pass.”

Smothering another grin, Toby turned his attention to Addy. “I better go. You okay?”

Embarrassed, Addy nodded.

“‘kay.” He skimmed a final kiss to her mouth before taking up his cane and making his way to the door. “It was nice to meet you, Nia.”

“You too!” Nia watched until the door had shut behind him before turning to Addy once more. “He is delicious!”

“Yeah, he is.” Addy stared the preparations for tea. “He’s wonderful.”

“And completely gone over you.” Nia took a stool on the other side of the island. “It’s nice to see you’ve moved on, but I take it from that awkward exchange that you haven’t told him.”

Kettle filled and set on the stove, Addy turned. “Does that make me a bad person?”

“No!” Nia said quickly. “Not at all. It’s good that you’re going at your own pace. Just make sure that you do eventually tell him, especially if you’re serious about your relationship with him. It’s important, for both of you.”

Addy nodded. “I know. I was going to start off small and…” She blew out an exasperated breath. “But there doesn’t seem to be any small parts.”

Nia nodded understandingly. “We always think that once we finish the program and step back into the world that everything will just fall into place, but the battle continues. Just remember that it’s okay to talk about it, because…”

Addy gave a quiet chuckle. “Because it wasn’t my fault.”

“Exactly, and you have nothing to be sorry about or feel ashamed over.”

Needing to keep busy, she dusted excess flour off the counter into the palm of her cupped hand off and walked to the trash. She dusted her hands and walked back.

“He’s a good man,” she murmured. “Toby. He’s … he makes me feel safe and his family has been so good to me and the kids.”

Nia smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Apprehension had her gnawing on her lip as she struggled with her fears.

“What is it?”

She met the other woman’s gaze. “What if he changes his mind once I tell him everything? What if it’s too much?”

“Then you will move on and you will find someone else,” Nia expressed firmly. “It takes a strong man to accept our past and a stronger woman to tell him.”

“The kids love him,” she blurted. “Sean…” She rubbed a hand over her face. “He’s just starting to open up and act like a kid, and Hanna … maybe I shouldn’t have said—”

“Stop right there.” Nia put a hand up. “Now, you listen to me. No relationship can work if you don’t put all your cards on the table for your partner. It’s moments like this that define your strength as a couple. Either he will stand with you and be your pillar or you will continue being the strong, determined, and independent woman I know you are all on your own. Whatever the case, his actions are not on you. It’s a reflection of the type of man he is and that’s on him.”

She peered into her friend’s beautiful face. “I think I love him.”

“Good for you! That makes him a lucky man.”

The kettle whistled and Addy moved to prepare the drinks.

“Do you want to take it here or in the parlor?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Actually, I’d like to take this out on the patio and watch those gentlemen work.”

That was what they did. They hauled their gathering out into the chilly morning and set camp on the back deck. Addy knew it would be the last day before the men tore it down and rebuilt it to match the sides and the front. For the time being, they sat around the rickety, plastic table with its matching white chairs and watched as progress happened.

Cole was the only one missing from the group. The others were hammering and measuring and aligning boards in even rows across the beams. Most of the wrap around was nearly finished and all that was missing from the porch was the railings, but so far, she was really loving the outcome.

“So, what happened to his leg?” Nia gestured to Toby with her chin.

“Toby was a CSAR officer.”

Nia frowned. “A CSAR—?”

“Combat search and rescue,” Addy explained.

Nia’s green eyes went wide. “Oh, so he was in the military.”

“Yeah, he was shot by one of his own men by accident.”

But Nia continued to study her, searching for the reaction Addy’d had when Toby had first told her.

“Are you okay with that?”

Brown liquid rippled in the cup Addy cradled between both palms to keep them steady. Her reflection distorted, but even then, the contemplation was evident in the furrowing of her brow.

“He’s not Jonathon,” she whispered. “It scared me at first, too, but there’s no evil in Toby. Trust me, I’ve looked.”

Nia’s long, painter fingers settled lightly on Addy’s arm. “I believe you, but I want to make sure you’re okay.”

Pushing back a piece of hair getting tossed around by the breeze, Addy nodded. “Yeah, I really am.” She chuckled. “For the first time in my life, I can honestly say I am really happy.”

Nia’s smile was gentle and relieved. She gave Addy’s arm a light squeeze and drew back.

“Good.”

She brought her teacup to her lips and took a sip. Her green eyes squinted over the steam and rim at the men working a few yards away. Addy followed her line of vision and watched as Toby set his hammer down and twisted his hands into the hem of his t-shirt. The fabric was lifted and used to mop at his brow. But it was the glorious stretch of skin exposed to the elements that caught Addy’s attention. It was the rock hard abs and narrow waist tucked into a pair of low slung jeans. He had the torso of someone who pounded metal on a daily bases. The kind of build that made women’s nether regions weep and their brains go senseless. All of it rippled with his movement, an enticing motion of power and strength. The deep craters cut into his stomach bunched and Addy moaned.

“Wow…” Nia sighed from beside her.

“Yeah,” Addy breathed, her temperature suddenly unbearable. “Wow…”

“Did you know…?”

She shook her head. “Had no idea. We haven’t…”

“Gah.”

“Yeah.”

Toby lowered his arms and his blue eyes cut across the distance and clung to hers as though summoned. The irises darkened even as his lush mouth pulled into a devastating, lopsided smirk that was all too painfully knowing. He winked and Addy could have sworn her ovaries exploded right then, right there.

“Shit…” Nia moaned. “I think I just orgasmed.”

Addy would have laughed, but she was pretty sure she did too, not that she would know the difference.

“We should probably stop staring,” she heard herself mumble.

Nia nodded. “Definitely. You first.”

Straight white teeth flashed into a silent chuckle as Toby lowered his head to concentrate on hammering the nail into the board Jared was holding steady. The bulging muscles of his biceps bunched and rippled, stretching the sleeves of his t-shirt. Veins strained beneath the taut skin of his forearms. A patch of damp blond tumbled over his brow and trembled as he worked. But it was his arms Addy couldn’t stop staring at. She’d felt them wrapped around her several times and still she was utterly fascinated by the swirl of ink staining his skin. There was no proper way to see all his tattoos when he kept them covered, but oh, she longed to.

“God, does he have a brother?” Nia asked, still sounding dazed.

Addy chuckled and pointed to Damon. “Right there.”

Nia clicked her tongue. “Figures.”

“The other one is his brother in law and that’s his uncle,” she went on, pointing out Sloan and Jared. “His dad’s usually here, too, but not today.”

“I just feel like I should have brought dollar bills or something.”

Addy burst out laughing, loud and long until her sides ached. She lightly shoved the woman next to her and got a weak chuckle in return.

“What?” Nia laughed. “I’m serious. This is a Magic Mike moment waiting to happen.”

Addy laughed harder. Tears burned her eyes, but she couldn’t stop. Nia joined her and the two were nearly under the table.

“Okay, okay, stop!” Nia nudged her. “Seriously, your man is looking over here and he’s going to think I spiked your drink.”

Sucking in wheezing breathes, Addy dared a peek. Sure enough, Toby was watching them with unwavering amusement. His beautiful eyes were on her, warm and filled with so much everything it made her chest ache all over again. Hesitantly, Addy lifted a hand and gave a small wave that was returned with a nod of acknowledgment.

“Yeah, I really think he’s the one,” Nia observed. “You have him completely wrapped around your finger.”

Elated by the sound of Toby being the one, Addy smiled and focused instead on her friend. “Are you staying?”

Nia shook her head. “I only came to see you.”

“Please stay,” Addy begged. “We haven’t talked in…”

“Six months,” Nia supplied. “I checked.”

Addy winced. “I’m sorry. That’s my fault.”

“No, no, it’s not anyone’s fault, but I do hate that we lost touch like that.”  At Addy’s nod of agreement, she went on. “Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Sucking in a breath, Addy told her everything since their last visit. She included her run in with Toby and went on to describe starting a catering business with Willa and Calla and finally ended with Sean’s camping trip and the Halloween she had planned. In all, it took less than fifteen minutes to go through and Nia listened patiently without interrupting until Addy had run out of topics and breath.

“You’ve been busy,” Nia observed. “That’s good. I’m happy to hear about your catering business. I think it’s about time.” Addy started to thank her, but she kept talking. “But what now?”

Addy frowned. “What do you mean?”

Nia lifted one thin shoulder. “I think it’s wonderful that your life has finally straightened itself out, but you still have so many unresolved issues, Addy, and I think it’s time you thought about confronting them.”

Fear clasped serrated fingers around her heart even as she shook her head. “No, I’m not ready for that.”

“When then?” Nia pressed. “When Toby asks you to marry him? This is the only thing keeping you from having a full life.”

“I do have a life,” Addy protested. “I finally have an incredible life.”

“No, baby girl, you don’t. You’re still hiding. You still live in fear. Opening a business is great, but what is the point when you can’t share it with anyone? What is the point of doing all this if you’re always looking over your shoulder? It’s time to put this to bed.”

“No.” Addy shook her head vehemently. “I can’t. I can’t ever … I’m happy and if he ever finds me…”

“You will be his victim forever if you don’t take the proper steps to close this circle. He doesn’t deserve anymore of your life.”

“I can’t!” It was a struggle to keep her voice low. “He doesn’t know about Hanna. If he ever finds out, he will take her and Sean. He has the power and the money … it’s not worth it.”

Nia’s hands closed around her wrist, tight. “Yes, it is. He won’t come anywhere near those children, not when you have me and Gina and all the women from our group behind you. We will stand by you—”

“No!” She wrenched her hand away. “This is my decision.”

There was a storm brewing behind Nia’s eyes, a stubborn refusal to submit, but she relented with a nod.

“That is your decision, but you will never truly be free so long as you’re still afraid of him.”

“Hey, everything okay between you and Nia? You seemed upset earlier.”

Shoving the last of the dinner plates into the dishwasher, Addy slammed the door shut and set it to start while she contemplated her response.

Things had gotten pretty tense between her and Nia earlier and she’d felt horrible the moment Nia had said goodbye and left. Her past had no business cropping up to ruin her friendships. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.

“Yeah, everything is…” She broke off, realizing with some degree of horror that she’d been about to lie. “No,” she corrected. “We got into an argument.”

Shaking out the rag he’d been using to wipe down the counters over the sink, Toby looked up. “What about?”

There were several things about Nia’s insistence that Addy didn’t agree with, one of them being confronting Jonathon. That was something Addy didn’t think she could ever do. It was a gamble she refused to make, even if it meant living in fear her entire life. It just wasn’t worth it. But the woman was right about one thing, sharing everything with Toby. So far he’d been so supportive and accepting of everything, but it was still early in the game. If he walked away now, the damage would hurt, but it wasn’t unmanageable. Not for her. Not for the kids. It was as good a time as any to really figure out where they stood.

“I’d like to have that talk if you … if you have time.”

His lashes lowered as he draped the cloth over the faucet to dry. “I’ve always got time for you,” was his answer.

He picked up his cane from its propped position against the counter and made his way over to her. His slightly damp fingers closed around hers and he guided her out of the room and into the parlor.

“Is here okay?”

Breathing hard, Addy nodded.

He propelled her to the sofa and lowered them both down on the cushions.

This was it, she thought miserably. It was now or never.

“My name isn’t Adelaide Nixon,” she whispered after five full heartbeats. “That’s the name Macy gave me when I arrived. I’m not her niece either, but she took me in when I had nowhere else to go.” She paused to examine the white ridges of her clenched fists lying uselessly in her lap. “I need you to let me finish before asking questions, okay? I don’t want to lose my nerve.”

Toby mutely nodded.

Heart cracking like war drums, Addy steeled her courage and started from the very beginning.

“My name is Adelaide Blackwell and I’m from Langford, just eight hours from here.” She licked her dry lips and pressed on. “I’m the only child of Teresa and Andrew Blackwell. Yes, that Andrew Blackwell,” she whispered with dry amusement when Toby blinked, his only outward sign of response. “My father was, or still is, the CEO of Blackwell Industries, as his father was before him and his father before him. Had I been a boy, I’m sure it would have been mine one day. But being a female, I’m too weak to run such a powerful and male driven business. I suppose if I’d stayed, the position would have one day gone to Sean … or Jonathon.” She bit her lip, hard enough to taste blood. She hadn’t said his name out loud to anyone outside her group. Hearing it spoken made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. “Jonathon is the son of my father’s best friend and the son my father always wanted, handsome, charming, driven, dedicated, and he comes from a very prominent family. His father, at the time, was running for Member of Parliament, so Jonathon was a big deal in our social circle. All the girls wanted him. Myself included.” She broke off with a tight chuckle. “Stupid.”

Toby didn’t speak, but his warm palm draped over the frigid balls of ice that had become of her clenched fists.

“I actually thought myself lucky that I got to see him all the time. It was a fact I used to brag about to my friends when they would swoon over him. I knew they all secretly hated me for it and I loved it.

The night he asked me over to watch a movie, I could not wait to tell my friends. They were all so jealous. I got all dressed up. I wanted to look sexy and sophisticated. Jonathon was nineteen and had already traveled the world. I wanted him to really notice me.

I arrived at his house and he answered the door. I was so sure he could hear my heart racing in my chest. I followed him to the den and he started the movie.” She faltered. His grip on her hand tightened. “Grease,” she mumbled. “That was the movie he’d put on, because it was my favorite. I thought it was incredible that he knew that. I felt so special. When he started to kiss me, I didn’t push him away, but then he wouldn’t stop…” Her breath caught. “He kept tugging at my clothes and pushing me down on the sofa. I fought at him, but he told me it was what I wanted. It was the reason I was there and I knew it so I needed to stop being a cock tease.”

“Addy…”

Her fingers fisted around his, needing him not to talk. Her resolve was already in tatters and the need to throw up or cry were both very real possibilities.

“It felt like it lasted forever. I didn’t think he would ever stop and it hurt so much. Then he got off and I just lay there. I couldn’t move. He pulled me up, fixed my clothes … and then he kissed me like nothing’d happened. He said I was wonderful and that he had always known I would be. That of all the girls who wanted him, he’d chosen me and that made me special and I should know I was very lucky. Then he sent me home.

I didn’t know what to do. Part of me felt like it was my fault, that maybe if I hadn’t worn a skirt or gotten dressed up, then maybe he wouldn’t have done what he did. That I had somehow encouraged him to violate me. Another part of me was humiliated. I should have fought harder. I should have screamed. I should have done something, anything other than just lie there and let it happen.

My friends all kept asking how things went and if he’d kissed me and if we were going to see each other again, and I couldn’t tell them. I didn’t know how. I knew what happened to girls who cried rape. The boy never got blamed and I still had two years of school. Somehow, getting called a whore and a slut was worse than what had actually happened.

So, I pretended it didn’t happen. I shut myself away, broke all contact with everyone I knew and prayed it would end soon. But that was unlikely to happen when he and his parents were regulars at our house for dinners every night. For months afterwards, I was forced to sit across the table from him as he chattered on about his big plans to step into his father’s shoes. For weeks, I’d sit there and try not to throw up every time he’d look at me and grin like we shared some wonderful secret.” Anger curdled through her as the memories rushed up in waves to consume her sanity. “I wanted to kill him, to drive my steak knife into his throat. But I never did. I just kept sitting there, pretending like everything was fine.

When I found out I was pregnant, I thought my entire world had finally come to an end. All I could think was, now everyone will know. They will know and they will blame me. But I also knew I had to tell my parents. There was no way they wouldn’t eventually find out. Plus, a part of me really hoped they could fix everything, make it go back to the way things were.

My father called me a liar. He accused me of getting myself in trouble and was now blaming it on Jonathon, not Jonathon who fed the hungry and was head choirboy at our church. Why on earth would Jonathon, who could get any girl he wanted, rape me? I was lying.

My mother couldn’t fathom how she was going to explain this to her society group. It was sure to get her removed from the high table at the country club.

Neither one seemed to care that I was losing my mind. Even when I started screaming that I was their daughter and they should be taking my side. My dad said I was being dramatic and that he would get to the bottom of this. That night, he invited Stanton and Jonathon over for supper … and apologized. He prayed that my bad behavior and my lying wouldn’t interfere with their friendship, or Jonathon’s perfectly set goals.”

“Son of a bitch!” Toby hissed under his breath.

Addy ignored him, too wrapped up in her own boiling fury. “I told them that once the baby was born, we’d see exactly whose it was. I thought I had them. There was no way they could call me a liar when DNA would prove I was telling the truth. Then Jonathon spoke up and admitted to the whole thing, minus the rape. He claimed I initiated the whole thing and he had given into temptation and sinned. He was terribly sorry. My father, rather than get angry, immediately launched into a plan of attack. We would get rid of it. No one need ever know.

All that time, I never blamed the baby. I never hated him. And even then, I knew I would keep him no matter what, because it wasn’t Jonathon’s baby. It was mine, no matter how he was conceived.

I said no. They argued I was being spiteful and malicious and deliberately setting out to hurt Jonathon. Stanton even offered me money to make the problem disappear. But I wouldn’t. Not for anything. So, my father gave me an ultimatum, either I get rid of it or I get out of his house.

I chose to leave. I even started packing my bags. I didn’t know where I would go or how I would get there, but I wasn’t going to stay.

Stanton came into my room while I was putting things into a suitcase. He told me that he admired my spunk and tenacity. It showed good moral standing. ‘But it won’t be enough to convince the courts you’re fit to be a mother,’ he said. ‘You’re fifteen, still in high school, no job, no income and about to be homeless. That baby will be brought to its real family before the cord is cut.’ Its real family. The ones who wanted to make him disappear. But he had my attention, because everything he was saying was true. They had the power to take my baby and there was nothing I could do about it. ‘No one is going to believe you were assaulted, Adelaide. There isn’t any proof. Not a hospital record. No DNA. Nothing. It’s your word against ours and all it will prove is that you made a mistake and now you’re crying rape to cover for it. That is exactly what my lawyers will tell everyone. Now, be a smart girl and do the right thing’.” She paused to draw in a breath, mostly to calm herself. “I told him I wasn’t giving the baby up and he agreed with me. He told me we could find a different alternative, like marry Jonathon and keep the baby, give it a name and a family. Otherwise, he’d make sure I never saw the baby again. I accepted.”

She hung her head as guilt and shame overwhelmed her.

“We were married at city hall the very next day. No friends. No flowers. Just me in my jeans and sneakers. I cried the whole time. I hated myself for being so powerless, so weak. But I was mostly scared. I was marrying the monster I couldn’t even stand to look at. I was putting my baby in a situation I didn’t know how to get out of. They had all the advantage and I was completely alone.

Sean was born three weeks after I turned sixteen. He was this tiny, perfect thing, all pink and wiggly. I had never loved anyone the way I fell in love with him. I would have done anything to keep him safe, even stay in that house with those people and they knew it. The moment we got home from the hospital, they took Sean from me. I wasn’t allowed out of the house without someone with me. I definitely wasn’t allowed to take Sean anywhere, and when I did see him it was for an hour in the presence of someone the family picked out.

Jonathon hadn’t paid me much attention since the night it all happened. He hadn’t touched me again. But after Sean was born, he began coming to my room at night. He loved reminding me that he was the reason I even got to see my son and I should be grateful. Besides, we were married. It was his right to take what was his.”

Bile rose up in her throat, hot and bitter. It mingled with the tears she could feel burning behind her eyes.

“The morning he announced he was joining the army was the best day of my life. He would be gone for months at a time. I wouldn’t be free, but it was close enough. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I prayed each time he left that he wouldn’t come back, that he would get taken out and I would finally be rid of him.” She lowered her chin. “You must think I’m horrible.”

“No.” His thumb skimmed lightly over her knuckles. “I don’t.”

She opted to believe him. She had no other choice.

“The army changed him and not for the better. Each time he came home, he was a little colder, a little crueler.  It got to the point where even his own mother was afraid of him. He would lose his temper at the drop of a hat and go into these inconsolable fits of rage. He became violent. Not just to me, but everyone around him. Three tours in and his platoon was hit and he was sent home. Discharged from the line of duty. The mood swings and temper tantrums escalated after that. The doctors called it PTSD and maybe it was. I don’t know. But I knew I needed to get Sean out of there. Staying was no longer an option.

I began saving every penny I could find around the house. I started doing the laundry, because no one in that house ever checked their pockets. It took over a year, but I saved enough to start over.

The night I finally left, Jonathon had come into my room. He’d been drinking and I knew it wouldn’t end well. Over the last few months before that, he’d begun to hit me, mostly slaps or he’d choke me until I was sure I’d pass out. But something was different that night. I thought for a second that maybe he’d somehow found out I was planning to leave, but then he was on me, punching and kicking and screaming about me cheating on him while he’d been gone. The only other man in the house was his father and he was barely ever home. Not that it mattered. He knocked me out. When I woke up, I was naked and I hurt everywhere. More than usual. I still don’t know what he did to me, but it didn’t matter. I could hear Sean screaming from his room across the house. It wasn’t the kind of screams of a child waking up. It was screams of terror and pain. I ran to his room, but he wasn’t in his bed. He wasn’t in the room, but I could still hear him.”

Unable to sit still anymore, Addy leaped to her feet and paced away from the sofa. Her limbs trembled.

“He’d locked Sean up in his toy chest. I had to break the lock. I don’t even know how long he’d been in there, crying and scared while I…”

“Addy.” Toby came up behind her and turned her into his chest. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have been there to protect him. I kept him in that house. I stayed. It’s my fault.”

“No!” His arms tightened around her. “It’s not. None of this was your fault.”

A sob broke out of her and she clung to him. He stroked her hair and ran his hands along her back. He murmured quietly into her temple, words she couldn’t understand.

“I left that very night,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I took Sean and we ran. We grabbed a cab and I told him to just drive. He brought us here. Macy took us in. She gave me a new name and a new life and signed me up for every therapy class, group, program, and seminar she could get her hands on. It took five years, but she put me back together.” Dampening her lips, Addy tilted her head back to peer up into Toby’s face. “That’s my story. All of it.”

He touched the side of her cheek lovingly. “I want to kill your parents. I want to do a few very choice things to Jonathon and his father. But I still want you. That hasn’t changed one bit.”

“I just want to forget,” she whispered. “I want to live here with you and my babies and never have to go back there again.”

He nodded. “You never have to go back. I promise you that.”

Chapter 15 ~ Toby

Toby was still vibrating with barely suppressed fury when he saw Addy to bed. It had taken every ounce of his training plus some to keep calm and collected in her presence when all he really wanted to do was grab his keys and drive out to find the asshole who put her through that hell. But she was already upset and had already gone through enough. She didn’t need to worry about him on top of everything else. Instead, he walked her to the stairway, kissed her goodnight and sent her up. Then he pulled his keys from his pockets and started for the front door.

He made it as far as his truck when his phone vibrated in his back pocket. He dug it out. His mom’s number flashed up at him.

“Mom?”

“Hey baby, you okay?”

His frown deepened. “Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah, I was just sitting here and had this feeling I should call.”

He yanked open his truck and climbed in. “No, everything is fine. Just getting ready to turn in.”

“Oh okay, well, goodnight then. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He hung up and tossed the phone into the drink holder. The truck door was shut quietly and he pulled out of the driveway.

There were two scenarios playing out in his head as he headed towards town. The first was to drive to Langford, find the son of a bitch and beat ten different kinds of pain into his ass and do so without it blowing back on Addy. The second was finding Addy a way out of her situation that kept the kids protected. Either one, he wasn’t going to let her live another minute longer with that piece of shit looming over her. He would find a way to get her out once and for all.

The sheriff’s department glowed against the navy blue backdrop of twilight. The place used to be a single family rancher before the actual department burned down back when Toby was in his teens. The place was gutted out and converted into Willow Creek’s first line of defense.

He stalked right in and was immediately assaulted by the stench of bad coffee, burnt pasta, sweat, gym socks, and stale cologne. The latter made his eyes burn. He squinted against the pain at the only other person there.

Parker Wallaby had his scuffed boots perched on his cluttered desk, crossed at the ankles as he dozed in his flimsy chair. Overhead, the fan churned the sour air. In the background, jazz poured from the radio in between fits of static. Toby would have been amused if he hadn’t been in a hurry.

“Parker!”

The deputy sheriff lurched forward. His boots struck the hardwood with a crack. Files avalanched off the desk and papers scattered. Parker shot to his feet.

“What?”

Struggling with his patience, Toby limped forward. “Shouldn’t you be protecting the town?”

Barely twenty-five and the deputy of a town that hadn’t had a crime in years left a lot of room for naps and Toby couldn’t really blame the guy, yet he did; the town needed its acting sheriff alert on the job.

“Nothing’s happening,” Parker mumbled.

Toby let it go. That wasn’t why he was there anyway.

“I need to use your computer.”

Picking at the bits of sleep crusting around the corners of his eyes, Parker said around a wide yawn, “What do you need my computer for?”

“To look something up,” Toby answered.

Parker shook his head. “Can’t do it. It’s against policy.”

“It’s also against policy to sleep on the damn job. I only need it for a minute.”

Parker frowned. “This ain’t no library. You can’t just come on in here and use the computers. These are state of the art—”

“You sit and play Galaga all day,” Toby cut in. “And there’s like three names on there.”

The tips of Parker’s ears went red. “That ain’t the point. I got my orders.”

“It’s for a friend in the service.”

Toby never used the service card. It was low and pathetic, but Parker wasn’t leaving him much choice.

“What do you need?” Parker asked, his tone wary.

“Just to look up a name.”

Parker hesitated. Gradually, he nodded and stepped aside.

Toby moved forward and claimed the chair Parker had abandoned. He scooted under the desk.

“Got any coffee?” he asked the hovering man.

“Yeah, but not sure you want any of the stuff they serve here.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Shrugging thin shoulders, Parker stalked in the direction of the kitchen. Toby waited until he was out of sight before pulling up the police database.

He searched Addy’s name. She came up immediately.

Adelaide Blackwell—Missing. There was a brief description and an old, grainy photo, but it was her. It stated she’d vanished from home with her five year old son Sean. Her husband Jonathon Montgomery and her family were concerned and anxious for her safe return home. There was also a mention of her being mentally unstable without her medication and a danger to herself and possibly Sean.

Nice, Toby thought disgusted. They had the grounds laid out to get full custody of Sean and get Addy tossed into a padded room. He wasn’t any lawyer or law enforcement agent, but he knew what it took to sway the judge and jury.

He looked up Jonathon Montgomery next.

Addy hadn’t been joking. The guy was some kind of saint. War hero. Discharged with honors. Strong advocate for children from poverty. Only son of previous Member of Parliament Stanton Montgomery and socialite Rayna Montgomery.

Pulling up a fresh browser, he put Jonathon’s name in and scrolled through the pictures. Handsome in that rich movie star sort of way. He could easily see how a fifteen year old could fall for that face. It was Disney Prince material, right down to the rugged jaw and deep, intense green eyes framed by a wavy sweep of ebony locks. Even in photos, he emanated an aura of sophistication, class, and wealth, but Toby had seen men like him before. Arrogant, self-important, and slick. The sort of men who could sell sand in the desert and make you think it was your idea. Beneath all that charisma and charm, he could see the cruelty in those feral eyes. He could hide it all he wanted, but men like him stank of their victim’s pain. It was enough to make Toby want to put his fist through the monitor.

Toby jotted down Jonathon’s last known address and stuffed it into his pocket just as Parker returned, two mugs in hand. He shut down his search and turned to accept the offering.

“Find what you needed?”

Toby nodded. “Yeah, thanks. So, I have a question.”

Parker took the chair across the desk and sat. “Yeah?”

He wanted to ask about domestic violence and the laws around it. He wanted to know what kind of trouble Addy was in and how to fix it, but Parker, even if he did know, wasn’t the person to ask. There was no client confidentiality clause for cops and Toby wasn’t going to put Addy’s business across town.

“Never mind.” Setting his untouched mug down, Toby rose. “I should head back. Thanks for letting me use your machine.”

He left before Parker could ask anything. He climbed into his truck and went home.

Addy was already up and baking when Toby walked into the kitchen the next morning. Strips of long, brown hair were pulled away from her temples and pinned together at the back of her head by silver clips. Her soft, lavender sweater hung low over her jeans. Heat from the open oven brought flags of color to her cheeks. He waited until she had removed the cake and was setting on the island before making his presence known.

“Morning.”

Her head jerked up, her eyes widening at the sight of him. “Hi.”

The hesitance on her face made his chest tighten. He could only imagine what she thought he was going to say after her confession the night before. So he said nothing as he moved forward. His cane was set against the counter, freeing his hands to reach up and frame her warm, flushed cheeks. He pulled her to him and took her sweet mouth with his in a deep, hungry kiss. He poured everything into that single merger, every ounce of his wants and desires for her. He let the sweep of his tongue dance languidly along hers, coaxing her to join him. His fingers combed back to cup the base of her skull and hold her to him while he worked to erase every last doubt from her mind.

“Toby…”

Her weak gasp ripped through him, a tidal wave of passion that left his senses screaming for more. Against the front of his jeans, his cock cut along the teeth of his zipper. His groan pulsed between them and deepened into a growl when her lithe frame melted in his arms. She settled with perfect ease along the length of him. Her firm breasts crushed into his chest. Her pelvis rolled against his, rubbing over his erection and making his eyes cross.

“Shit!” He broke the kiss and made the mistake of peering into her face.

Wet, swollen lips sat parted and beckoning against a face flushed with the same ravenous need clawing through him. Her chest strained against the thin material of her top, making him ache with the urge to palm them, to free then of their confines and take them in his mouth.

“Christ, baby, I want you.”

Her irises pulsed and the color in her cheeks deepened. Her unsteady gasps pounded in his ears.

“I want you too.”

She couldn’t possibly imagine how much those four little words meant to him. She would never understand how close she was to getting ravaged right there on the kitchen floor. It was purely that little voice at the back of his head reminding him there were children upstairs who could walk down at any moment that kept him mostly in check.

“Tell me what you want,” he breathed. “I need to know what I can and can’t do with you.”

He felt the tightening of her fingers around the bunched wades of fabric along his shoulders. “I’ll tell you,” she whispered quietly. “If I don’t … if I can’t…”

His fingers caught her chin before it could lower. He sealed the deal between their lips in a lingering kiss that sent tingles all the way down to his toes.

“I’ll stop,” he promised. “You just say when.”

Her response was the glide of her arms winding around his neck and the arching of her toes as she lifted her mouth back to his. In that position, her entire weight was on him and he was cradling every supple inch of her against the hard length of him. Her mouth moved eagerly beneath his, fanning the rapidly rising fire burning in the pit of his stomach. He could feel control slipping as the urgency built with a violent force.

“Stop!” He jerked back with a gasp. “You need to stop or…” He let his warning trail off.

“What?” she coaxed.

His heart cracked viciously against the confines of his chest. He had no doubt she could feel it.

“Or I’ll take you right here on the floor.”

The moment the words were out, he immediately regretted them. He cursed himself for being an idiot. How could he say something like that after the things she’d told him?

“Don’t,” she whispered, pulling out of his arms. “Don’t do that. Don’t censor yourself. I don’t want you to be afraid to…”

“What?”

She seemed to hesitate and brace herself all in the same second. “To tell me how badly you want me. You’re not him and I’m not fragile. I’ve come to terms with what happened and I’ve moved on with my life. Was it right? No, but if you start treating me like I’m still a victim…” She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. “I like knowing I affect you. I like you telling me. If I can’t handle something you say or do, I will tell you.”

Thoroughly admonished, Toby nodded. “Okay.”

Her lashes lifted and he found himself falling into her velvety eyes. “Okay.” She offered him a weak little smile. “I’m making cake.”

He shot the pan still steaming on the counter a brief glance. “I see that.” Reaching out, he smoothed back a lock of hair off her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I promise to just follow your lead next time.”

The pink under his fingers darkened. “Sounds like a plan.”

Giving his hand a light squeeze, she turned to her confection. Toby took his cane and moved himself out of her path. He worked around the island and claimed his favorite stool.

“So is that for the café?”

Addy jerked one shoulder. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“I vote no.”

Addy laughed. “Only because you want to eat it.”

Unabashed by the claim, Toby grinned. “I don’t deny it.”

Still chuckling, she went to work easing the spongy circle out of its pan and onto the cooling rack. Toby watched her confident movements and wondered just how many more ways she could possibly make him fall hopelessly in love with her without trying.

“Addy?”

Dusting her hands, she glanced up. “Yeah?”

The chair under him creaked as he shifted his weight forward. His forearms folded on top of the island. He fixed his gaze solemnly on her face.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

She hooked her fingers on the edge of the counter and cocked her head. “Okay?”

He’d gone over what he would say during the drive home and most of the night, yet sitting there with her watching him expectantly, he wasn’t sure how to bring it up without upsetting her, but it was inevitable and necessary.

“I looked up your case last night.”

As he’d expected, she jerked in response. “What? When … why?”

He pulled in a deep breath. “When you went to bed. I drove out to the sheriff’s department.”

The patch of skin between her eyebrows folded. “Why? You didn’t believe me?”

“No!” he practically shouted. “I believe you, but I needed to see how bad it was and how to fix it.”

Her frown deepened into one of anger. “There is nothing to fix!”

“That is where you’re wrong.” He teepeed his fingers on the marble. “There’s a missing person’s report out on you and Sean. It portrays you as crazy and a danger to him. Now, I get that you’ve managed to get by all these years without trouble, but if it ever gets out—and I pray to God it doesn’t—but if it does, it will get really bad for you, Addy. You need to deal with this. Now.”

Her breathing had increased and real fear shone in her eyes. He hated that he was the one who put it there, but she needed to know the truth.

“I … I can’t … I don’t know how…”

Reaching across the divide, he captured her cold fingers in his. He gripped them firmly.

“We need a lawyer. A good one.”

Tears glittered on her lashes.

“We?”

He squeezed her fingers gently. “I told you, I’m in it for the long haul.”

She skirted around the counter to his side. Her hold on his hand never loosened, not even when she reached him. Toby turned in his seat and parted his knees to draw her in when she got close enough. Her arms slid around his shoulders and her face burrowed into the side of his neck.

“How’d I get so lucky?” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin.

“You hit me with a door.”

Her back trembled with her quiet chuckles. Her arms tightened once before she tugged back to peer into his face.

“Do you know a lawyer?”

Toby gave her a lopsided grin. “I do, actually.”

He called his dad to ask if he was coming. Of the group, Cole’s computer repair business was the only one that functioned year round. The others, Damon, Jared and Sloan got their big hit during the summer before it slowed in the winter months.

Second, he called Damon to ask if he wouldn’t mind dropping Hanna off at daycare. Toby wanted to stay with Addy when his dad got there to talk to her.

The entire group arrived together. He wasn’t sure if they’d all met up in one place and drove up, but Damon’s Jeep pulled up first, followed by Sloan’s truck. Jared and Damon got out of the Jeep. Jared went straight for the tarp draped over the equipment they’d left out the day before. Damon stalked into the kitchen.

“Hey, I hear someone needs a ride.”

At the table, Hanna glanced up, spoon poised near her milk stained mouth. “Who?”

“You, if that’s okay?” Toby said.

Hanna’s eyes narrowed. “Why can’t you take me?”

Cole took that moment to walk into the room. He stopped next to Damon.

“Where’s Addy?”

Toby jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the hallway. “She’s just grabbing something. She’ll be back in a minute.” He turned his attention back to the girl. “Because I need to help your mom with something today, but you know Damon, right?”

Hanna nodded. “I think I need to ask Mommy.”

“Ask me what?” Addy stepped into the room, holding a small bundle of hand towels she must have grabbed from the laundry room.

“Mr. McClain says that … Mr. McClain…” The girl trailed off as she successfully managed to confuse herself.

“This is why I insist they call me Toby,” he told Addy, who was smothering her grin. “There are too many Mr. McClain’s and even more Mrs. McClain’s.”

Hanna, undeterred, pointed at Toby. “Mr. Toby McClain says that Mr. Damon McClain wants to take me to daycare.”

Toby arched an eyebrow at Addy. “Because that was so much easier.”

Biting her lip, Addy turned to her daughter. “You know Kari’s dad, right? I’ll pick you up afterwards.”

“Can I go with him?” Hanna asked as though she wasn’t exactly sure her mom had thought this idea through properly.

Addy laughed. “Yes, it’s okay.”

Hanna gave a confirming nod and glanced at Damon. “Mommy says yes.”

Smothering his chuckling behind the roll of his tongue over his teeth, Damon moved to where Hanna’s pink, Barbie backpack was slung over the back of one of the chairs and hoisted it up.

“All right, Jack. Let’s hit the road.”

Hanna stopped. Her tiny face bunched in clear outrage.

“I’m Hanna!”

Everyone laugh at that.

Damon settled a hand on her shoulder and turned her to the door.

“You most certainly are.”

With a grin to the rest of the room, Damon walked Hanna out. He shut the door behind them, leaving Toby, Addy and Cole alone.

“Hi,” Addy said to older man with a smile. “Thank you for coming. Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, please.” Cole moved to the table.

Toby reached it first and grabbed Hanna’s soggy bowl of cereal. He carried it out to the sink and Cole pulled out a chair and sat. He met Addy’s worried gaze and offered her a comforting smile.

“It’ll be okay,” he promised.

Saying nothing, she took the drinks and the coffee pot to the table. It was joined by a plate of mocha bars and oatmeal cookies. His dad, as expected, went for the bars.

“I had six of these the other day,” he confessed around a mouthful. “I was at the café,” he explained. “And they kept calling to me. I swear I put on ten pounds that day.”

Toby snorted as he moved to the head of the table and pulled the chair out for Addy. “How do you think I feel since I moved here?”

“What are you talking about?” Addy cried as she sunk into the offered seat. “Have you seen your abs? They look like a cheese grater.”

Toby wrinkled his nose. “A cheese grater? I don’t see the connection.”

Addy chuckled. “I’ll show you later.” She turned her attention to Cole. “Sorry.”

His dad lifted a brow. “Because I no longer have cheese grater abs or that your baking is to blame?” He laughed when Addy blushed. “I have an incurable sweet tooth, much to Beth’s eternal dismay. But that isn’t why I’m here, is it?”

Addy shook her head. She took a deep breath and retold her story. She didn’t go into the same details, but she told him everything that was important. Toby admired how calm and collected she was. She spoke clearly and didn’t veer off topic. When she finished, she folded her hands in her lap and waited for his father to put it all together.

“That’s a hell of a problem,” he mused at last. He scratched at his chin. “Ethically, I’m not allowed to give legal advice. I haven’t been a lawyer in…” He blew out a breath. “Well, since before you were born,” he said glancing at Toby. “No one would consider me one now, but I do know someone who is and a good one too.”

“Okay, but what are your thoughts?” Toby cut in. “What do you think her odds are of fighting this guy?”

The corners of Cole’s mouth turned downwards. “I won’t lie, it doesn’t look good. It’s been five years. In all that time you could have gotten what he did on paper with the proper authorities. You should have gone to the police the night he attacked you. You were a child and he was an adult. That alone would have gotten him arrested. I understand you were scared and I sure don’t blame you. I do, however, blame your parents and that … asshole. This is on them and if I could, I’d like a few minutes alone with him in a room.”

“You’d have to stand in line,” Toby muttered.

“So, that’s it?” Addy whispered. “I have no case?”

“Oh, I didn’t say that. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll fight this, no matter what it takes.”

“We?”

Cole shrugged. “Yeah.” He rose and reached for his phone. “You’re family now. It’s what we do. Now, I’m going to call Jim and see if he can make the drive up to talk to you.”

He walked away from the table and into the hallway.

Toby reached for the small, pale hand Addy had balled on the table and gave it a soft squeeze. “Addy…”

“He says I don’t have a case,” she whispered with urgency. “I screwed up.”

“Hey!” He tugged on her hands until she glanced at him with her wide, terrified eyes. “That isn’t what he said. He said it would be hard and we can do hard.”

“How?”

“Because it’s not impossible. It just means we’ll need to work extra hard to end this.”

“It’s my fault,” she gasped. “Macy told me to get seen, to file a report. So did my group and every therapist I went to see, but I didn’t because I was scared he or his father would find me and take the kids. I never thought…”

“Stop. Let’s not start panicking until you’ve spoken to Jim.”

“Do you know this Jim person?”

Toby nodded. “He went to school with my dad. He’s a big time criminal lawyer in Vancouver. Occasionally, he drives up for the weekend. Good guy.”

“I’m just so—”

Cole retuned, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “Okay, Jim will be here this weekend. I’m going to talk to Sloan and the others and see if they can take the boys up without us and we’ll drive up once we’ve talked to Jim.”

“The camping trip!” Addy put a hand over her eyes. “I completely forgot about that.”

“No worries,” Cole assured her. “Toby and I will just catch up with the rest later.”

Addy lowered her hand and peered at him. “Thank you for everything.”

Cole inclined his head. “You’re welcome.” He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “I do have a question. The inn and the catering business, which name are you using?”

Addy peered down. “Macy’s. She wanted to put everything into my name, but I wasn’t sure if they could track me like that. So Macy left everything in her name. I do have a business credit card that is under the inn name. The catering business, it’s my signature, but Calla had already typed my name in the contract and I didn’t correct her.”

Cole nodded slowly. “Okay, we’ll need to change that. Make sure everything’s legal and proper.  The less they can use against you, the better. I’ll get Calla to bring a new copy with her when you come over this weekend.”

Addy nodded quietly, but Toby could tell it was all becoming too much for her. He started to tell his dad maybe it was time for a break when she spoke.

“I guess this means I don’t have to hide anymore if people ask who is doing the baking.”

“Yeah,” Cole agreed with a comforting little smile. “You don’t have to hide at all.”

“Ever again,” Toby added.

“I have a second contract for the inn. Macy made me keep it in case I changed my mind. It puts everything under my name.”

“Great!” Cole’s smile widened. “I think we’ll get through this just fine.”

Toby rose and took his father’s hand in a firm shake. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’ll be happy once that asshole goes behind bars. But in the meantime, let’s get outside before your uncle comes in here and drags us out.”

“Oh!” Addy lunged to her feet. “I’m so sorry I took up so much of your time.”

“Addy, I’d give you all the time you needed and Sloan would understand. We’re in this together now and you’ve got the whole family behind you so don’t you worry about anything, you understand?”

The emotion on Addy’s face was heart rendering. She bit on her lip but a tear still escaped. She made a sound between a sniffle and a laugh.

“I’ve never had anyone … Thank you.”

Cole just nodded. He glanced once at Toby before leaving.

“Are you guy’s angels in your spare time or something?” Addy teased, wiping her eyes.

“We can’t tell you that. It’s in the angel contract.”

Addy chuckled. “I don’t know how to thank you and your family for everything. I don’t feel like I deserve any of this.”

“I’m pretty sure my dad is doing it ‘cause he’s crazy about that girl of yours.”

“And you? What’s your reason?”

He circled the table to her side. “I’m crazy about the mother.”

Chapter 16 ~ Addy

“Thank you for driving back. I know you must be so busy.”

Nia waved the apology away with a dismissive flick of her slender hand. “I could be having dinner with the president and I would still drop everything and come see you. Everything okay?”

Shutting the door behind the woman, Addy motioned her to the table.

“Yes, at least, I hope.” She followed Nia and they both sat. “I’m filing for divorce.”

Nia’s eyes widened. “What? That is wonderful!”

Addy nodded. “I wanted to tell you in person. Cole, Toby’s dad, has a friend who is a lawyer. He’s coming down this weekend to talk to me.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Toby. I told him everything.”

“Really?” Surprise sent Nia’s eyebrows up. “Well, good for you.”

Addy nodded. “He took it better than I expected, honestly.”

“He’s a good man.”

“Yeah, he is and he gets it from his family. They’re all amazing.” She hesitated before adding, “They called me family.”

“Of course they did. They’re lucky to have you.”

“No, I’m the lucky one. I never imagined I would ever find someone who really cares about me, never mind an entire group.”

“Addy.” Nia settled cool fingers over Addy’s. “I am so happy for you, but I want to make sure you understand that, even if they are helping you and being kind doesn’t mean you owe them or that—”

Addy chuckled. “I know. It doesn’t feel like that. They are good people.”

Nia searched her face for signs of hesitation and, when she found none, her smile returned.

“Well, this is fantastic news. I am so happy for you. This is a good step.”

“Do you think so?”

Nia nodded. “Absolutely, and you know I am here for whatever you need as are the other members of the group. You just let us know what we can do.”

Addy squeezed her fingers. “Thank you. I think I might need to take you up on that.”

That weekend arrived and Addy found herself standing in the foyer, watching as Sean tumbled down the stairs, duffle bag gripped in one hand and his pillow tucked under his other arm. Owen was hot on his heels, talking loudly of all the things they were going to do when they got to the campsite. Both boys were flushed and beaming in a way Addy was sure she would never get tired of seeing.

Hair in bunched spikes, Sean hit the bottom landing and staggered to where Addy stood, practically tripping on his bag as he dragged it behind him.

“Mom! Owen says we’re going to have an actual fire and go canoeing!”

It was hard to smile when her chest hurt, but she wrenched her lips into one. “That sounds like so much fun.”

“Do you think we could take some of your treats along? I know Mr. Sloan said he’d bring everything, but—”

Reaching down for the old backpack leaning against her leg, Addy held it out. “Already ahead of you.”

Sean beamed. He dumped his duffle and snatched up the pack. He slung it on and grinned at Owen.

“Ready?”

Addy held up a hand before the two could go tearing off. “I packed an extra flashlight in there and some batteries. There’s also a compass and a map, just in case.”

Owen chuckled. “He won’t need those, Ms. Nixon. Grandpa has everything.”

Addy wrinkled her nose and gave a little shrug. “Humor me.”

“It’s okay,” Sean said excitedly to his friend. “You can never have too many flashlights. Thanks, Mom.”

Addy nodded. “You boys have fun, okay? Stay together and be safe.”

“We will!” Owen assured her, giving a little bounce on the balls of his heels.

Sean nodded, but he looked to his friend. “Hey, can you take this? I forgot something.”

Giving a shrug, Owen took the duffle and the pillow, and bounded from the house, into the nippy autumn afternoon. Sean waited until the boy was out of sight before turning his attention back to Addy.

“I’ll be okay,” he promised.

There he was. Her smart, too mature ten year old assuring her when she should have been comforting him.

She pulled him into her arms and inhaled his scent of soap and chocolate. His silky cap of soft brown skimmed beneath her stroking palm. She planted a kiss to his crown.

“I love you. Promise me you won’t ever forget that.”

“Promise,” he whispered into her shoulder. “I love you, too, Mom.”

Squeezing back the tears, she kissed him one last time before pulling back. “Don’t eat too much sugar.”

He offered her a lopsided smile. “I won’t. Don’t forget to turn off the computer and debit machine before you go to bed.”

Addy rolled her eyes playfully. “Yes Mom.”

It was his turn to wrinkle his nose and swat at her. “I better go.”

“Okay, baby.” She touched his head one last time. “Have fun.”

With a nod, he jostled the backpack higher and hurried onto the porch. Addy followed him and watched him bound down the steps and tear off in the direction of Sloan’s truck. The entire back was piled high under a blue tarp that crackled every time the wind blew. There was more stuff on Toby’s flatbed and crammed into Damon’s Jeep. She’d never gone camping so she couldn’t say if that was normal or not.

Sean reached Sloan and handed him the pack. Sloan opened the backdoor and motioned him in next to Colten. Sean hesitated for a full heartbeat before ducking inside. The pack was stuffed at his feet and the door was closed. Then Sloan was making his way to where Addy stood.

“Thank you again for taking him,” she told the big man. “He’s never been camping or away from home, really.”

Sloan nodded. “He’s a good kid. Plus he keeps the others in line so that always helps.”

Addy chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Sean.”

“So, listen.” He shifted a step closer and her focus turned away from the truck to the blond standing at the bottom of her new porch. “We’ll be back late Sunday. It’s about a five hour drive out so it’s not that far, but if you need anything, I have a sat phone.” He dug into his back pocket and unearthed a folded piece of paper. “I keep it on all weekend and have a cord to charge it in the car. The others like checking in and talking to the kids so I make sure it’s always close by. You’re welcome to call anytime you like.”

Addy took the paper and stared at it a moment. “Thank you.”

Sloan scratched his chin. “Also, Lily asked me to ask you if you wanted to head on over there tonight with Hanna. It’ll just be the women and I know they stay the weekend together and do whatever it is my girls do, but they’d like for you to join them.”

“Really?” Even to her own ears, the question came out weak and pathetic.

“Yeah, I know Cole said Jim was coming up to talk to you, but afterwards, if you like.”

Addy nodded, her throat tight. “Yeah, I would like that.”

He offered her the ghost of a smile. “Great. Call Lily and let her know. She’ll be thrilled.”

With a wave, he turned on his heels and ambled over to where Damon and Jared stood. The three exchanged words before parting ways. Addy waved. Sean waved back through the window. Then the truck and Jeep were rumbling down the dirt road and out of sight, taking her baby with them. Heaviness settled in her chest, making her stomach hurt. She hugged her arms closer to her and struggled not to feel absolutely alone.

She was still standing there when Toby’s truck turned onto the driveway and pulled into its usual spot. A sleek sports car in shiny black followed and took the spot next to it. Addy watched as three sets of doors flew open and three men emerged.

Cole slammed the truck door shut and hurried to greet the tall, elegant black man rounding the back of the sports car. The two shook hands and then embraced enthusiastically. The thumps of their palms on the other’s backs echoed clear across the driveway. Their greetings tangled in a series of words she couldn’t understand, but had a feeling were full of all the things two people normally said when they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

“Hey.” Toby started up the porch steps and joined her. “How long have you been out here?”

Addy turned away to peer up at him. “I don’t know. Since Sean left?”

He touched her arm lightly. “You’re freezing! Come on.”

He led her inside and shut the door behind them.

“He’s never been away from home,” she whispered. “I know I’m being ridiculous…”

Toby shook his head. “Willa cried for two days when Owen went the first time. Calla was impossible. She called Uncle Sloan’s sat phone eighteen times in one day. Trust me, you’re not the only one.”

Feeling slightly better, she offered him a small smile. “Thanks.”

He started to shake his head when the door opened and Cole entered with the man right behind him.

He wore a beautiful black, wool coat over a sharp, three piece suit in rich navy. His hair was a steely gray that matched the straight mustache decorating his upper lip. He smiled and the lines deepened around his warm, black eyes.

“You must be Addy,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice. One lean hand was extended. “Jim Grant.”

Addy slipped her palm into his and gave it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Grant. Thank you for driving out.”

“Of course!” he said like it never crossed his mind not to. “Cole and I go way back.” He released her hand and touched the gold buttons on his coat. “So, I hear you’re in need of some legal advice.”

Addy nodded. “Yes, and I will pay you for your time.”

Jim put his palm up. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let me hear what needs hearing and we’ll go from there.”

Nervous enough to chew steel, she led everyone to the parlor.

“Can I take your coat?”

Cole took it from Jim before Addy could and draped it over his forearm. “Why don’t we take care of this and make some coffee? Black with two sugars, Jim?”

Jim nodded. “That’ll be it.”

Cole patted Toby on the arm in passing and motioned him to follow.

Toby hesitated. His blue eyes locked with Addy, silently asking.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

With a dip of his head, he followed his dad out of the room.

“Great family right there,” Jim said as he lowered himself down on the sofa.

Addy took the armchair across from him. “Are you married?”

“Was.” He smoothed a palm along the burgundy line of his tie. “Worked too many hours and missed too much of what was important.”

“I’m sorry.”

He waved the same hand. “My own fault. But that’s not why we’re here. Tell me what I can do for you, Addy.”

Maybe it was because he was trying to help or maybe because she’d already told the story twice before in the past few days, but it all came rushing out of her with too much ease. She left none of the important details out and made sure not to rush or ramble. Jim said nothing as he sat back and listened. One leg was draped over the other and occasionally, his foot would twitch, but he was still otherwise. When she finished, his shoulders rose with his deep inhale. His nostrils flared. He shifted on the cushion.

“That’s a big bag of cats you’ve got, Addy,” he remarked at last.

“Can you help me?” she asked when that was all he said.

He ran his fingers over the hairs along his upper lip and eyed her thoughtfully. “What is it you want exactly?”

“To not lose my kids,” she blurted without an ounce of hesitation. “I don’t care about the rest. I don’t want his money or to press charges. I just want a divorce and custody of my kids.”

“I have to be honest,” he said slowly. “I haven’t practiced family or divorce law in years. I may be rusty, but I would need to do more research. Cole mentioned a missing person’s report and some allegations made against you?”

Addy shook her head. “I never saw the report—”

“I did.” Toby moved into the room. “It painted her as unstable and a danger to herself and Sean.”

“My son,” Addy said when Jim looked perplexed.

“I see.” He bent his head to the side and observed her. “And are you? Unstable and a danger to yourself or your son?”

“Of course she isn’t!” Toby snapped.

Reaching over, she took the hand balled at his side. “It’s okay. He needs to ask.”

Toby looked no less thrilled, but he kept his mouth shut.

Relieved he wasn’t going to push, Addy turned back to the other man. “I’m not. I would never put Sean in danger.”

Cole arrived with four mugs on a tray holding sugar and cream. There was also a plate of her cookies on the side, which she had a feeling was Toby’s doing. It was all set on the coffee table.

Jim took his and sipped it thoughtfully. Cole took the spot next to his friend as Toby settled on the arm of Addy’s chair, his hand still clasped in hers.

“I see your coffee making abilities have not improved.” Jim cast Cole a teasing frown. “Still strong enough to wake the dead.”

Cole chuckled. “A bad habit I picked up from you while we were cramming for finals.”

Jim shook his head. “Those were the days.” He set his mug down and focused on Addy once more. “Addy, I really want to help you, but I honestly can’t think of a single way to do that that won’t blow back on you. As it stands, you’ve deprived your husband five years of one child’s life, four years of another, which he doesn’t even know about. He could easily turn around and use that against you in court and the judge would see fit to agree, especially when there isn’t a shred of evidence that he was ever abusive to you or that he’d done any of the things you say he did. A fifteen year old and a nineteen year old is only illegal if someone reports it, but as wrong as it is, you married him. Willingly or not, the courts won’t care. The point of the matter is that you two slept together, you got pregnant, and he did the right thing. Then you took his kid and ran.”

“But that isn’t what happened,” Addy protested, her heart thumping too fast in her chest.

“I know that and you know that, but prove it. That is what the courts will want you to do, prove that he was abusive. Prove that he raped you. Prove that he’s the monster you’re claiming he is. That is why it’s so important that women come forward in situations like this. There is a process, a procedure, hospitals and the police go through to make sure the victim gets the justice they deserve. True it doesn’t always happen that way, but not doing anything only helps bastards like him go on to do it again to someone else.”

“So, what are you saying, Jimmy?” Cole asked. “Is there nothing we can do? What are our options?”

“Turn yourself in and hopefully he—”

“No!” Toby’s fingers tightened around Addy’s. “She’s not the criminal here. She’s got nothing to be sorry about and she sure as hell doesn’t need to ask that fucker to go easy on her. Think of something else or I’ll handle this situation myself.”

“Toby!” Cole’s warning tone cut through the room. “That’s enough. We will think of another way.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help,” Jim murmured, looking genuinely remorseful.

“So … that’s it?” Addy whispered.

“Well, I can definitely file for divorce, but the minute the paperwork goes through … it’s all pretty much out in the open. He could come at you with kidnapping charges if he really wants and endangerment if he can prove you really are a danger.”

Unable to stand sitting there any longer and be told all the ways she could lose her kids and go to jail, Addy shot to her feet. Her nerves wavered, making her feel nauseous and empty. Her knees wobbled, but she locked them into place.

“Excuse me. I need to check the oven,” was all she could manage as she detached from Toby and hurried out of the room.

She made it into the kitchen and out the backdoor before Toby caught up to her.

“Addy, wait.”

Ignoring him, she dropped down on the steps and pulled her knees up to her chest. The wind seemed colder as it blew against the house. It clawed at all her exposed flesh with vicious hunger, none of which she could feel past the raging chill radiating from deep inside her own body.

Those eighteen hundred and twenty five days she’d spent at the mercy of a spoiled, violent man were days, months, and years she couldn’t possibly get back. Nia always said their past made them the strong women they were today, but Addy didn’t feel strong. She felt hopeless and lost, and terrified. It was the sort of fear that had paralyzed her those five years when she hadn’t been allowed out of the house, not even the front porch without supervision. It was sixty months of being denied her own baby for longer than a few hours. By the third year, she had given up all hopes of ever escaping. She had even begun to accept that that was her life and fighting was useless. Even if she had told anyone what he was doing, how she was treated, no one would believe her. Why would they when her own parents hadn’t? Jonathon was a hero and she was some girl who got pregnant at fifteen. His dad was a Member of Parliament and her dad was his biggest supporter. She’d had no one and nothing and no idea how to get out.

But she had. It had taken her a year to save enough, to pilfer away clothes for her and Sean, to memorize the alarm code and the best way to reach the highway without getting seen from the house. It had taken her years to convince them they’d broken her, to make them lower their guard. And for what? All of that and she would lose everything all over again.

The step creaked next to her and Toby lowered himself down gingerly. He kept his injured leg extended while the other one sat bent. He lay his cane down on the porch and turned to face her.

“We’ll figure this out,” he promised her.

Addy shook her head. “I should never have done this. I should never have put my kids through this.” She scrubbed roughly at the traitorous stream of tears that refused to quit with the back of her hand. “We were fine here, away from everyone. I had Sean and Hanna … why did I think I deserved more than that?”

“Addy…”

She jerked away when he tried to touch her. “I blame you as much as I blame myself.”

“Why?” He didn’t sound angry, but there were slivers of hurt in the question.

“Because you waltzed into my life, even though I told you to stay away and you made me believe I could be happy. You had no right to give me hope, Toby. You should have left me alone.”

“So you could sit out here in the middle of nowhere alone for the rest of your life?”

“But I would still have my kids!” Her voice rose with her anger and frustration. “I wouldn’t have stupidly put myself out there only to have it all come apart.”

“You couldn’t have sat in ignorance forever. Eventually—”

“You don’t know that. I managed for five years without a problem.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay, fine. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you that I wish I’d never met you? Well, I won’t. Meeting you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

It broke her heart, but he was her best thing, too. He’d given her more than just his affections. He’d given her son his smile and her daughter someone who understood her, and he’d given Addy the first ever taste of safety. If she were honest with herself, he’d given them more by walking into their lives then she could possibly thank him for.

But the hurt and self-hatred was too strong, most of which wasn’t even aimed at him. Truthfully, she wasn’t angry with him at all. She didn’t blame him. How could he have possibly known just what he was walking into?

“My entire world was turned upside down the minute you walked into my life.” She swiped the cuff of her sleeve beneath her eyes, gathering makeup and tears. “You should have kept walking.”

“Maybe,” he murmured quietly. “But that was unlikely to happen.”

Sniffling, she turned her head to peer at the man seated next to her. He was looking off in the direction of the barn, blue eyes narrowed in deliberation. His jaw was set in a firm line.

“Why?”

He met her gaze with a flick of his irises in her direction. “Because I love you. I’ve probably been in love with you since that first day, and lord knows I love those kids. There ain’t a damn thing in this world that’s going to change that.”

The low, earnest murmur pummeled her chest in a succession. Each one drove straight in between her ribs to clasp around her thundering heart. Her breath became an expanding balloon, growing bigger with every second until she was certain she’d explode with the pressure. No one, except her own children had ever said those words to her. Not even her parents. She honestly never believed anyone ever would.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back.

His features softened. “Enough to keep me?”

She felt herself smile. “Yes.”

He exhaled. “Good, now, what do you say we go back in there and find a way to fix this?”

Addy nodded. “I’d like that.”

With her hand in his, she let him lead her back inside. Jim hastily rose to his feet when they walked in. His dark eyes met Addy’s.

“I apologize for—”

Addy shook her head. “You were only telling me the truth.”

She regained her seat.

“There is something.” Jim splayed his hands. “No one knows. You could always just go back to the way things where.”

The thought was tempting. It had even crossed her mind. It would be so easy to simply slip back into hiding, to maybe even pack up and go somewhere else. But even if she stayed, no one in town ever questioned her presence there. Macy had made sure they accepted her as one of their own. She’d made it possible for Addy to have a life. She really didn’t want to give that up. Plus, it was time. As much as she kept fighting it, Toby was right, eventually nothing ever stayed hidden and she was so tired of running.

“No, I’d really like to get that divorce, please.”

Jim stayed long enough to go over the process with Addy. He told her the risks and the possible outcomes, both good and bad. Then he finished his coffee, told Addy he’d get the paperwork to her by Monday and walked with Cole out the door.

Toby stayed behind, perched on the armrest while Addy gathered the dishes off the coffee table and set them in the tray. She could feel his eyes on her, scrutinizing her every movement with rapid intensity.

“Addy?” he murmured at last, and only when she started to lift the tray up to leave.

She stopped and turned to him. “Yeah?”

He rubbed his palms on his jeans. She wasn’t sure if it was just a reflex or if his leg was bothering him.

“You’re not doing this because of me, are you?”

Addy straightened. “What?”

“I mean, the idea of you belonging to another man makes me crazy, but…” He broke off to rake five frustrated fingers back through his hair. “This has to be what you want. I can’t have you hate me—”

“Is this because of the things I said?”

“Partially, but that’s why you need to be sure this is something you’ve thought about and you’re doing because it’s for you. No matter what, I’m not going anywhere, but it’ll kill me if you hate me later because you think it’s my fault.”

Guilt lodged a volleyball sized fist deep in the cavity of her chest. Self-loathing pooled in her stomach, making the muscles wrench.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never should have said those things. I didn’t mean them the way they came out. But even then, I shouldn’t have…” She licked her lips. “This is something Nia and Macy have been telling me to do for years, and I knew that they were right but all I could think was why? I was safe. He can’t find me. I’ll keep my head down and I can just live my life in ignorance. But I can’t. God, I don’t even know how I managed this long. How did he not find me by now? How did the school not call the police? I don’t even understand half of this. All I can think is I got so damn lucky, but eventually, that luck was bound to end, right? It may not get any easier from here, but at least I’ll no longer be his prisoner.”

The intensity in his watchful gaze did not lessen. If anything, it seemed to pulse with a new sort of watchfulness, a wariness that made her heart flip.

“No,” he whispered at last. “It won’t be easier, but it sure as hell won’t get harder.”

Addy frowned. “What do you mean?”

Blunt fingers reached for hers. They curled around her hand and pulled her to him, to the V between his parted knees.

“I mean, I won’t let it.” Fingers unfurled and both hands lifted to settle on the curves of her hips. “Those kids aren’t going anywhere and neither are you. Now kiss me. I’m not going to see you for three nights and two days.”

Her confusion dissolved into amusement. Her palms curled into his shoulders. The heat of his skin rose through the thin material of his top. It swept around her in a tangle of temptation and a pang of need so powerful it was impossible to ignore. The scent of him washed away what little sense she had remaining and she swayed deeper into his arms. Her neck bent and she seized his mouth with hers.

Toby groaned. The sound vibrated between them in a rumble of pure lust. His fingers cut bruises into her hips through the material of her jeans. She felt the rage of his need burn her, draw her closer, a moth to an open flame. Any moment, she expected to catch fire and turn to ashes, but all that happened was her slowly roasting alive while he devoured her senses.

One hand slid down and gripped her thigh. It was lifted and parted and she was made to straddle his good leg. The apex of her throbbing sex settled on the hard cords and her vision blurred.

“Like that?” he taunted when she whined. “You have no idea how badly I want to take you to bed right now. How badly I want to get between your legs and stretch you open with my cock.”

Addy gasped. Her core gave a hungry clench.

“Toby…”

Her tormentor smirked. “How’s that for not holding back?”

Breathing hard, Addy nodded. “I like it.”

His features darkened. “Yeah?” His palms squeezed her ass, just hard enough to make her entire body shudder. “Good, because I plan on following through when I get home.”

Addy moaned. “Can’t wait.”

He kissed her again hard. He sucked on her bottom lip and nipped with his teeth. She cried out and sagged in his arms. Her nipples were hard and her panties wet. Her hip rolled against his thigh and he snarled.

“God, baby!” He urged her to go faster. “Like that. Show me how you want it.” His hand went to the button on her jeans. “Christ, I need to be inside you, Addy girl.”

She was about to agree when he rose. He took her hand in one of his and his cane in the other and he dragged her from the room. In seconds, she found herself in the kitchen, shoved against the wall just inside the doorway. His cane was tossed to the ground. Then his hands were on her clothes, tugging and freeing her. Her jeans were torn open, exposing the cotton material of her panties. His mouth slanted over hers, vicious and cutting. Her hands were filled by broad shoulders as he pressed into her.

His hands were warm, his fingers just the right amount of coarse to make her skin tingle as they scraped along the smooth plane of her abdomen and disappeared past the elastic of her panties.

“Come for me, Addy,” he commanded gruffly against her lips. “I need to hear you before I leave.”

There was no time wasted. He pried apart her lips and went straight for the wet opening of her sex. The lazy prod combined with having never been touched there willingly had her back arching and her core muscles clinching with two sensations, surprise and desire.

“I can’t,” she gasped breathlessly. “I’ve never … I don’t think I can.”

His head lifted, his lips abandoning their nibbling of her throat. His gaze devoured her.

“Oh, you can come,” he purred. “Your pussy is already so wet. Your clit is so swollen. Your body is vibrating with the need to come apart for me. Feel that?”

He stroked the hard nub at her center and she sobbed. Her head dropped back against the wall as her fingers tightened at his shoulders.

“Toby!”

“That’s how close you are.” He nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth. “Your cunt wants my cock. It wants me inside you.”

One finger pushed past the tight ring. Then two, and Addy came for the first time in her life with a wail. Her hips went wild, rising and slamming down on the exquisite intruders taking over her body. The unfamiliar rush of raw ecstasy pounded into her until she was sure her heart was about to stop in her chest. Her knees dissolved and he caught her, pinning her between him, the wall and the fingers speared inside her. They moved languidly along her sensitive walls, milking every last shudder. Even then, he kept them there, thrusting and gliding, and rebuilding the fire. His heel rolled back and forth over her clit in slow rocks that had her hips writhing. Her muscles rippled. Hot liquid heat rushed from her body to trickle down his fingers. She had never been so wet.

“One more?” he drawled sensually. “Or should we wait until I get home?”

“More!” she panted into his shoulder. “Please … one more.”

He turned her around without dislodging and kicked apart her feet. Her hands splayed against the wall as he pushed the rock hard length of his cock against the crack of her ass. His heart thundered against her shoulder blade. His body seemed to hum with his arousal. Yet his hand remained steady.

“Take me.”

The words blurted out of her without a single ounce of consideration or thought from her. They burst free and hung in the thick, sexual hue surrounding them like a blanket, and she didn’t regret them. She didn’t wish to pull them back. She needed this. She needed him, needed to feel him when every inch of her was still numb from her meeting with Jim. But beyond that, she needed to feel what a real man felt like. Needed to know what it felt like to have sex without pain, sex with someone she wanted inside her.

Toby froze. “What?”

Addy had to moisten her lips before she could brave herself into saying it again. “I want you inside me.”

His breathing quickened against her ear. His heart rate escalated.

“My dad…”

“Hurry,” she whispered, feeling unusually bold and needy.

As though to prove the level of her seriousness, she tugged at her pants, shoving the stiff material over her hips and down to her thighs.

Behind her, Toby cursed wildly, but he didn’t hesitate.

She heard his pants being undone. Heard the hiss of the zipper and the rustle of fabric as it was forced downward. She waited, body braced for the terror to overtake her, for the panic to swallow her whole. But all she felt when he grabbed her hips was greedy anticipation. The head of his thick cock slipped between her legs, smearing her juices and working all the way to the crown of her sex before receding. It nudged against her opening once. Then broke in with a single, powerful thrust.

Addy choked on a gasp. Her body seized as the pressure ripped through her. She cried out and bowed into him, her channel gripping him with a force that brought tears to her eyes.

“Fuck!”

His snarl burned into the side of her face. His arm banded around her middle, the one not planted on the wall next to her face. His hips drove up into her, increasing each time until sparks were exploding across her vision. Her sweater was torn off. It was pitched aside hastily. Then his hands were twisting in her bra straps. They were yanked down her arms and her breasts sprang free to his deft fingers. The thrill of his bare skin on one of the most sensitive parts of her body had her crying out in unadulterated rapture. The slivers of delight that rocketed through her with every roll of his thumb, every pinch had her meeting his hips with a desperate grind of her own.

“Now that I’ve been inside you,” he hissed into her ear while he pounded into her. “I am going to fuck you every chance I get.”

Addy had no coherent thought in her head to answer him. Her mind had become a wasteland of shimmering sparks and a deep, endless cliff that his every thrust kept propelling her closer to.

“Toby…”

Her whine must have meant something to him, because one hand dropped away from her breast and dipped between her thighs. Those clever fingers parted her dewy lips and flicked at the throbbing bundle tucked in between.

“Come for me, Addy!”

He flicked faster, thrust deeper. Addy came a second time with a near scream as her muscles seized around him with a severity that nearly knocked her out. The pure pressure strangled her lungs, suffocating her as she crushed him inside her. The world faded to the shriek between her ears and returned to his roar and the hot gush of his release deep in her body. His cock twitched and pulsed in time to the unsteady cracks of his heart. He slumped half on her, pressing her further into the wall as they both struggled to catch their breaths.

“I have found my new home,” he panted at last. “I am never leaving.”

Addy laughed, blissfully lax and so comfy. “I have never felt anything like that before.”

His lips brushed the side of her face. “You okay?”

She nodded. “So much better than okay.”

He kissed her lightly and drew back. His deflated erection slipped free from her and the loss made her shiver. Hastily, she tugged her bra into place over her breasts and was reaching for her pants when his arms returned. They circled around her waist and locked over her abdomen. His chest settled against her back.

“My dad is bound to walk in at any minute, otherwise, I’d take you to bed right now,” he murmured into the back of her head. “I’m not done with you, Addy. Not by a long shot. I plan on making this a regular thing.”

Delighted by his words, Addy tilted her head back when the front door opened, announcing Cole’s return.

Addy quickly returned her clothes to their normal state just as Cole walked into the room.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I really thought Jimmy could help.”

Painfully aware of her disheveled state, and more excruciatingly, the smell of sex and sweat impregnating the air, Addy could only shake her head in response and pray to God he didn’t notice.

“Is he gone?” Toby asked, looking frustratingly put together standing next to her.

Cole nodded. “He said he’d touch base on Monday.”

“And there’s still nothing he can do?”

“Other than proceed with the divorce? He says there isn’t.”

Toby frowned. “That can’t be all.”

“I’m afraid it is. We can’t really do anything until we go through with everything and see what happens.”

“I don’t like being blind.”

Cole nodded. “Me neither, but we’ll take it one day at a time.” He glanced at Addy. “It will all work out.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“I didn’t do anything, but you’re welcome.” He turned his attention to Toby. “We need to start heading out if we want to get to the campsite before nightfall.”

“Okay, just going to say goodbye.”

“See you on Monday, Addy,” Cole said before heading out of the kitchen once more.

Mortified, Addy’s hands flew to her hot cheeks. “Do you think he knew?”

Toby’s response was an unhelpful chuckle. “What are you and Hanna going to do while we men are gone?”

Addy nodded. “We were invited to spend the weekend with the McClain family.”

“Oh yeah?” He didn’t seem surprised. “That sounds like fun.”

Addy nodded. “Your aunt invited us.”

“Well, I’m glad. I hated the idea of you two out here alone.”

“We’ve been here alone for three years, mister.”

Toby hissed through his teeth. “Yes, but now you’re not.”

“I do like that,” she confessed.

“Good.” He kissed her, long and deep, taking with him all her senses and the feeling in her legs. “I’ll see you Sunday evening. Be good and have too much fun.”

“Don’t you mean don’t have too much fun?”

“Heck no, go crazy and then tell me all about it.”

Laughing, she hugged him. “Be safe and please watch over Sean.”

He squeezed her close. “I will.”

She walked him to the door and stood watching from the porch as he climbed into the truck and pulled out of the driveway. He and Cole waved once before they disappeared down the road in a cloud of dust.

She grabbed Hanna from daycare that evening fully aware of the tenderness between her legs when she sat down. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but the subtle throbbing reminded her of that afternoon and the feel of Toby breaking her in ways she had no problem being broken. The feel of him stretching her was a constant memory that made her squirm in her seat. It had her growing damp and swollen, which was distracting as hell when she was driving.

Jennifer Moore greeted her at the doors when she arrived at the daycare. Other moms and dads stood around the spacious, single floor dwelling, watching the kids while they played the last few minutes before the end of day. Addy only recognized one face in the group.

Willa waved at her and Addy made her way over.

“Men gone?” Willa asked in the way of greeting.

Willa nodded. “Yeah, Toby and Cole left a few hours earlier.”

“How are you holding up?”

Addy shrugged. “Good, actually.”

Willa peeked at her, scrutinizing. “You sure?”

Assuring her she was, she focused on the sea of tiny heads until she located the one that belonged to her. Hanna stood with Kari and two other little girls in a makeshift playhouse. She was washing toy plates in the pretend sink while Kari vacuumed around her feet. The other two seemed to be cooking, or randomly tossing things into a plastic bowl. But whatever they were doing, Hanna looked happy. She looked content.

“Are you coming over this weekend?” Willa asked, also watching the girls.

Addy nodded. “We were going to go straight there from here.” She glanced at the blonde. “Is that okay?”

Willa chuckled. “Of course! We’re going there as well.”

Despite the reassurance, Addy couldn’t help the anxiety that had her biting her lip. “Maybe I should feed Hanna before we go…”

“Don’t you dare!” Willa gasped, actually wide eyed with panic. “Mom and Aunt Beth will have a fit! Trust me. They like feeding people.”

Chuckling with uncertainty, Addy relented. “Okay.”

The bell rang and the kids all scrambled to their feet in a flurry of noise and movement. They stampeded to their cubbies and began dragging on their things. Hanna and Kari ran over together.

“I sneezed and farted!” Hanna declared with a delight that only a child could show with such a declaration.

“Well…” Addy drew her closer to tug her hood on. “Good for you.”

“It smelled like Doritos,” Kari supplied helpfully.

“That is lovely,” Willa agreed, smothering her own laughter. “You girls ready for our sleepover?”

Cheering loud enough to make Addy wince, the girls jumped up and down in enthusiasm.

Laughing, Willa turned to Addy. “We’ll see you there?”

Agreeing, the group walked out to the parking lot together and got into their own vehicles.

“Mommy? If we’re going to Kari’s for a sleepover, how is Sean going to find us when he gets home?” Hanna asked as they followed Willa’s taillights out of town. “Can we go get him? I don’t want him to be alone. He’ll be sad.”

Touched, Addy reached into the back without taking her eyes off the road and gently squeezed the girl’s kneecap. “Sean’s with Toby and they’re camping. He won’t be home until Sunday.”

Hanna blinked. “Toby’s gone too?”

The exasperation in the question made her laugh and pull her arm back.

“We’ll see them soon.”

They arrived just as Calla pulled into the driveway behind them and yet somehow managed to get to the porch before them.

“Hey!” the blonde greeted as they joined her. “You made it!”

She pushed open the door and breezed inside without knocking. She kicked out of her heels and disappeared into the living room.

“I swear that woman is on speed,” Willa hissed just for Addy’s ears.

“Addy!” Lily caught sight of them as they stomped into the foyer. The woman was sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other. Beth and Rachel sat with her, also holding goblets of wine. Calla was nowhere to be seen. “You made it. Wonderful.” She motioned them closer. “We are ordering pizza and gossiping. Take your shoes off and come join.”

Addy helped Hanna out of her coat and shoes, removed her own and made her way forward.

Kari and Hanna claimed the armchairs, practically sitting on top of each other, but seemingly comfortable. Rosie sat on the floor, surrounded by a mountain of Blue Ray DVDs and a miserable expression.

“That is every video you own, Grandma!” she complained, glancing over her shoulder to where Beth was taking a sip of her drink.

“Addy, would you like a drink?” Willa asked, already making her way to the kitchen.

“We have red and white wine,” Lily chimed in.

“Just red,” Calla corrected, stalking out of the kitchen, a glass of white wine in hand.

Addy shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t drink.”

“How about a Coke then?” Willa offered. “I think we might have orange juice as well.”

Addy shrugged. “Coke would be great.”

“Can I have Coke?” Hanna chirped.

Willa glanced at Addy, asking silently with raised eyebrows.

“No, but you can have orange juice if there is any.”

“Come help me.” Willa beckoned.

Addy followed her into the kitchen, feeling a whole lot more uncomfortable than she normally did. But then normally, Toby was with her and she didn’t feel completely like an intruder.

Willa set her glass down on the counter before reaching for the fridge door. She threw it open and peered inside.

“Orange juice and Coke,” she announced, pulling out both. “Can you get the glasses? They’re in that cupboard there.”

Addy knew where everything in the kitchen was by heart. She’d spent every weekend since being invited baking something for desert, which she thoroughly enjoyed doing.

“How are you?” Willa asked, never glancing up while she poured.

“I’m all right.”

“It’s always a bit strange when the boys go for the first time. I was a wreck.”

Addy chuckled. “Sean was comforting me before he left.”

Willa nodded. “Owen threatened to never leave his room if I didn’t stop calling.”

They each grabbed a glass and made their way back into the living room.

“My Best Friend’s Wedding,” Rosie announced, holding the video up for the rest of the room to see.

“I’m not entirely sure that’s appropriate for a pair of four year olds,” Calla stated.

“Then we might as well pick a cartoon,” Beth decided. “We can always put something a bit more adult on once the kids have gone to bed.”

“Can we watch Tangled?” Kari asked. “Have you seen it?” she asked Hanna.

Hanna nodded. “But I like it.”

“Hey, didn’t you grab that new Tinkerbelle movie, Willa?” Lily cut in.

“Yes!” The blonde hurried forward. She stepped over the videos and grabbed one off the top of the TV stand. “Here it is. I’d been meaning to put it on.”

She handed it to Rosie who popped it open and shoved the disc into the player. Everyone scrambled to find a seat. Addy wedged herself in next to Willa.

“Should we wait for the pizza?” Beth wondered as the credits played across the screen.

“I think we’re okay,” Rachel assured her. “It’s for the kids anyway.”

“Is this what you guys do when the guys go camping?” Addy asked Willa. “Watch movies all weekend?”

Willa snorted. “No! Only on the first day. We’ll plan something out after the movie.”

No one else spoke as the show started. Halfway through, pizza arrived. Steaming triangles of dough, cheese, sauce, and about a million toppings were passed around on plates. Addy offered to pay for half, but her money was shooed away by Beth. They watched two more movies after that one before it was time for bed. Kari and Hanna bunked together in one of the rooms upstairs. Rosie stayed up. But no one was in the mood for another movie.

“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Willa asked. “Are we doing anything?”

“I was thinking we head into Vancouver,” Lily decided. “We could do some shopping, get our hair and nails done.”

“Oh! We could go to that spa we went to last year,” Willa added. “I loved their wrap.”

“A spa would be nice,” Rachel agreed.

“What about the girls?” Addy asked. “They’re a bit young for a spa, aren’t they?”

“They have this adorable children’s area where the girls get their nails and hair done. It’s like a mini salon for kids,” Beth answered.

“Kari thought it was a blast,” Willa assured her. “It’s perfectly safe. All the attendants are certified.”

“It’s like a daycare,” Calla explained. “They get pampered and we get pampered.”

“Or you could bring her in with you,” Lily suggested. “They allow that too.”

Addy smiled. “A spa sounds really nice. I’ve never been to one.”

“You will love it!” Calla groaned. “I was relaxed for a month after one visit.”

“Thank you for letting me tag along,” Addy said instead. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course!” Lily said. “You and Hanna are always welcome.”

“And Sean,” Beth reminded her.

“Well, of course and Sean, but I mean to … this.” She gestured at the group. She smiled at Addy. “I love my men, but there is nothing like a girl’s weekend. You’ll see.” She gave Addy a wink.

“Oh, did Cole and Toby make it on the road okay?” Beth interjected.

Addy nodded. “They did.”

Calla checked her watch. “They’re probably just finishing set up.”

“Now don’t neither of you make a move towards that phone,” Lily warned. “Not until nearly bedtime. You girls know the rules.”

“What?” Calla put up the hand not holding her drink. “I wasn’t—”

“Sure!” Beth laughed. “I expect that from Addy. It’s her first night, but you two…”

“I’m just sitting here,” Willa protested.

“I’m actually okay,” Addy lied. “Toby’s there and Sean is very responsible.”

“Liar!” Calla burst out laughing. “You’re dying to see how things are going. Just admit it.”

Addy started to protest, but there was no helping it. She started laughing along with the others

“Hey, at least she hasn’t snuck off to the bathroom with the phone,” Beth broke over the noise.

“No!” Willa wiped her eyes. “Don’t you dare!”

Beth ignored her. “This one…” She stabbed a finger towards Willa, who flushed bright red. “Says she needs the bathroom. Goes off and doesn’t come back for twenty minutes.”

“We all thought she had the runs,” Calla chimed in. “But it was the longest shit in history.”

Groaning, Willa buried her face in a throw pillow.

“Lily goes to check on her,” Beth continued mercilessly. “She’s sitting on the can … talking on the phone.”

“I only wanted to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything,” Willa argued, peeking over the lacy edges.

“Right, because Sloan doesn’t pack half the house plus the kitchen sink.” Lily tossed back. She faced Addy. “That man packs to go camping the way women pack to go to Europe for a month.”

“I’m pretty sure he did pack the kitchen sink that one time,” Calla mused.

Addy’s sides ached from laughing, but it seemed impossible to stop.

“I know Sloan was very prepared that one year Rosie went with them.”

Wiping her eyes, Addy glanced to where Rosie was sitting, watching the exchange with suppressed amusement only a teenager could pull off. “You didn’t like going?”

Rosie shrugged. “It was okay, but girl’s weekend is better.”

Addy grinned. “You guys are making me really excited for this weekend.”

“You should be!” Calla crowed. “It’s going to be awesome. Speaking of awesome!” She set her fourth wine glass down on the table next to her elbow. “I spoke to Mrs. Donnelly about that whole ticket mix up.” Blue eyes pivoted to Addy. “She doesn’t want it back.”

Addy frowned. “What do you mean? Does the fundraiser not get that money?”

“Oh, no, no, I mean, her check cleared, but she wants you to keep the winnings.”

The winnings … Toby. Addy felt herself flush. It must have shown, because the others burst out laughing.

“I wanted to kill you two!” Calla exclaimed once they’d calmed down. “I had women furious that you two concocted the whole thing.”

“We didn’t!” Addy promised vehemently. “I had absolutely no idea Mrs. Donnelly was going to do that … or Toby.”

“It was very sweet though,” Willa piped in. “Him wanting to make sure he was the one who got that date with you.”

“Well, between the two of you, you now got two dates,” Lily said, chuckling. “Any plans on how to spend it?”

The warmth in her cheeks deepened until her eyes were watering. “I honestly forgot all about it until just now. I really don’t care where or what we do. I just really like spending time with him.”

Willa aww’d. “Well, Damon and I will take the kids if you need us to.”

Addy thanked her.

“So, how did you two meet?” Beth cut in.

“Oh, well…” Addy shifted. “I hit him with a door.”

That saying about things being funnier after the fact stood true in that case as Addy retold the story, barely able to get it out by the time she reached the end. At the time, she’d been horrified and mortified by what she’d done, but the more she spoke, the funnier the situation became.

“A dog and a penis?” Calla gasped, wiping her eyes. “What the hell was he talking about?”

Addy shook her head. “I have no idea. I was terrified that I’d scrambled his brains or something.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you had nothing to do with that.” Calla assured her. She reached for her wine glass and blinked when she found it empty. “Well, you know what this means.”

Addy didn’t, but the others began shifting and getting to their feet.

“Bedtime,” Lily declared. “We have a long day tomorrow.”

Everyone rose and began the process of tidying up the mess they’d made. While that was going on, Willa and Calla took turns on the phone, talking to their sons and husbands. The phone was passed to Beth, then to Lily, until it was finally passed to Addy. Hierarchy of the phone, Addy thought with amusement.

“Hey Mom!” Sean said the moment she got on.

“Hey! How’s camping?” Addy moved out of the room into the foyer.

“Awesome!” he declared, sounding way too enthused. “We only just set up mostly today. It’s an actual tent and everything. Not the popup kind. There’s poles and you feed it through all this fabric and it all clips together. We each also have a cot and there’s a mesh dome where we’re going to keep our food and coolers with tons of stuff!”

Addy listened quietly as Sean ran through all the things he’d seen and done since arriving. Then he jumped into all the things they were going to do in the morning.

“Sloan says we’re going to get up at five and hike this trail to a waterfall!”

“Wow!” Addy laughed. “That sounds so amazing. I’m so happy you’re having a good time.”

“I am! It’s freaking awesome! Toby helped me build a fire using sticks! We actually just sat there and rubbed until there was smoke and then a real fire. Tomorrow, he’s going to show me how to fish.”

Warmth swirled around her heart. “Sounds like you guys are having a blast.”

“I like him.” His voice was quieter, more uncertain. “He’s nice and he knows stuff and he’s kind of funny.”

“Kind of huh?” she whispered, feeling her own throat tightening.

“He’s all right.”

Addy hesitated. “So, you wouldn’t mind seeing more of him?”

Silence filled the space.

“Are you dating him?”

She thought of earlier, of Toby up behind her, pumping his hips against hers, and quickly shook that thought free.

“I’d like to,” she decided. “I like him, too.”

“Good.” The definitive remark made her smile. “I want that. I want…”

“What?” she pressed when he went silent.

“I kind of really like this family. I want to stay with them. Not move in or anything, but—”

“No, I understand,” she murmured. “I really like them too.”

“I have to go. Everyone’s getting ready for the ghost stories, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow, right?”

“Absolutely! I love you, baby.”

“Love you, too, Mom. Hold on. Toby’s coming over.”

Her heart leaped even before his deep, rich voice hit her eardrums.

“Hey.”

Nervous in a way she hadn’t been since she was a teenager, Addy bit her lip. “Hi.”

She heard the faint crunch of leaves and the snap of twigs and pictured him moving away from the group.

“Been thinking about you.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Like getting you completely naked and screwing you mercilessly into the mattress all night.”

The blunt remark sent a zing of anticipation and arousal singing through her. “I’ve been thinking about that, too,” she confessed, oddly breathless. “All day.”

His low, rumbling growl skated down her spine. “Tell me.”

Hot with embarrassment and arousal, Addy shot frantic glances up and down the hallway she was hiding away in. She could hear the women chatting in the next room. Their combined voices and laughter rose over the pounding of her heart.

“We shouldn’t. Your mother’s in the next room.”

“Can she hear you?”

Addy peeked at the open doorway. “No, but what if she looks at me and—”

“And somehow figures out how badly I want you under me naked and wet?”

“Toby…” She’d meant to sound appalled. Instead, his name burst out of her in a choked gasp that hummed with the force of her need.

“You know what I really want?” he went on, ignoring her weak plea. “I want to hear you make those sounds you make when you’re coming, those low, throaty gasps that I swear make me so hard it hurts. I want to hear them in every room in the house, and—”

“Oh my God!” She slumped against the wall, her entire body humming with electric currents. Her core pulsed, an unsteady throbbing that made her want to weep. “Toby, stop…”

His low, throaty chuckle only deepened the ache. “That is not what you’ll be saying.”

Stifling a moan, Addy squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled. “Tell me about your day. Sean said you guys started a fire?”

“We sure did,” he agreed at once. “The boy’s a natural pyro.”

Addy laughed. “I’m so proud. What else?”

“Well…” She could almost hear him scratching his jaw. It was no doubt already stubbly. “By the time Dad and I arrived, the tents were set up and the supplies organized. Uncle Sloan assigned everyone beds and I think Damon took them for a quick walk around the site, but it’s only the first day and you lose a lot of the time during the drive and unloading and setting up. We’ll have more to report tomorrow.”

Addy smiled. “I can’t wait. Sean sounded like he was having so much fun.”

“Yeah, he is.” He paused for a full heartbeat. “You know, I like this.”

“What’s that?”

He made a soft grunt like he was sitting down or leaning against something. “Having someone to call. Someone other than my mother,” he added, making her laugh. “I used to watch the others and wonder what it was like to have someone who missed you and was waiting for you to come back.”

Something in the comment made her think there was more to that statement than what was on the surface.

“Didn’t you ever have a girlfriend?”

There was a long lull where she almost thought he wouldn’t answer, or that they’d been cut off.

“I’ve dated. None of them were ever serious. Dating a guy in the military is only exciting for the first little while. Then the stress and distance get in the way of things and you get a Dear John letter and that’s usually the end of that.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, and immediately felt stupid.

“I like that,” he said softly. “I like knowing you’ll be there when we get home.”

Her chest became tight. “Just come back safely.”

“I will. Hey, Addy?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

It was like getting boot kicked in the sternum. “I love you, too.”

“Addy?”

Startled, her head shot up at the voice in the doorway of the sitting room.

“Yes?”

Beth moved a step closer. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if you could get someone to ask Cole what he did with the laptop charger?”

Addy nodded. “Oh, sure. I have Toby on the line now.”

Beth blinked. “Toby?”

“Yes, did you want to talk to him?”

Beth continued to gawk at her, mouth slightly parted, but she shook her head. “No, just … just get him to ask … please.”

Addy pressed the phone back to her ear. “Toby? Your mom would like to know if you could ask your dad where the laptop charger is?”

“Yeah, one sec.”

She heard him moving around, but she turned her attention to the woman still staring at her. “He’s going now.”

Beth said nothing.

Addy listened in uncomfortable silence as Toby made his way to wherever his dad was. She heard the low murmur of voices and wished he would hurry.

“Addy?”

“Yes?”

“Dad said it’s in the drawer in the office.”

Addy looked at Beth. “He says it’s in the drawer in the office.”

Beth frowned. “Which drawer?”

“Which drawer?” Addy repeated to Toby.

“Can I talk to him, please?” Beth demanded, palm already extended.

Seeing no way to refuse, Addy nodded. “Toby, your mom wants to talk to you.”

She passed the phone over and watched as Beth took charge. Cole must have taken the phone from Toby, because Beth’s ask your father turned to why did you move it? It was nearly ten minutes later before she got the device back.

“Hey,” she said into the receiver the moment it touched her palm.

“Hey,” Toby said back. “That was fun and interesting.”

Addy chuckled. “Do you want me to let you go? You’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”

“No, tell me about what you did and what you have planned for tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure I’m allowed to tell you.” Even to her own ear, her tone was light and flirty, something she’d never done. “It’s a girl’s weekend. I’m pretty sure it’s all very top secret.”

“Well damn!” He huffed. “That just isn’t fair. At least tell me what you’re wearing.”

Her laugh deepened. “Why do you need to know that?”

“Because I’m in the middle of nowhere and it gets fucking cold at night. I need fuel for the fire.”

That only made her laugh harder. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven’t changed for bed yet, so I’m wearing the same thing you saw me in earlier.”

“That’ll do. I’ll just imagine taking them off you the way I did earlier.” He paused. Then groaned. “All right, baby. I gotta let you go. They’re waving me over to the fire.”

Disappointment tugged on her bottom lip, puckering it. “That’s okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Oh, you better and you better wear something dead sexy.”

She chuckled. “I’ll be sure to make something up.”

“Good girl. Now, go have fun. Dream of me.”

“I will,” she blurted before she could stop herself. “I mean, I will have fun and…”

Toby chuckled. “Goodnight, Addy.”

“Goodnight.”

Face hot, Addy hung up. She gripped the phone tight as she made her way back into the sitting room with the others. Her head felt so light.

“Hey, everything okay?” Lily asked.

Addy, unable to stop grinning, and nodded. “Yes, they both sound very happy.”

“Good.” Lily smiled. “Now, let’s turn in.”

Chapter 17 ~ Toby

Water droplets glittered in the cool afternoon sunlight as running feet thundered through the clear stream. Raised voices clapped through the high points of the pine trees straining for miles in all directions. Laughter followed as the three boys tore down the rocky stretch of wilderness, poles and tackle boxes rattling at their sides.

A few yards behind, Toby kept at a steady pace alongside Damon and Jared. Lose pebbles rolled beneath his feet, wrenching his cane and slowing him down. The effort had sweat collecting along his brow and darkening his gray T-shirt. His breath came out short and ragged, but he pushed on.

“Hey, why don’t we take a minute?” Damon suggested, already stopping. “Getting kind of winded—”

“Stop,” Toby panted. “I’m fine. Come on.”

He knew the two could go much faster, but they kept time with him. Uncle Sloan and Cole were up ahead with the kids, occasionally yelling for one of them to slow down or knock it off. The latter was mostly Colten and Owen. It was Sean who was getting told to slow down.

“That boy can move,” Jared noted, gray eyes squinting against the sun. “Like a spider monkey on speed.”

Damon laughed. “Remember that time we raced each other up that hill overlooking the creek?”

“And Willa slipped?” Jared finished with a raised eyebrow. “And you blamed me?”

“Well, it was your fault. You made it into a race.”

Jared stopped to glare at his friend. “It was a race!” he shot back. “I said, let’s race to the lake!”

“Exactly!” Damon agreed. “If you hadn’t Willa wouldn’t have fallen.”

Jared gawked a full heartbeat before shaking his head. “You’ve got problems.”

“She’s not a runner,” Damon defended.

“Dude, she was sixteen, not six. She was a big girl.”

“Guys.” Toby looked from one to the other. “Is now really the time?”

Damon and Jared exchanged glances.

“He started it,” Damon muttered at last.

“Did not!”

The two started forward. Toby waited until they were a few feet before following with a shake of his head.

The familiar path alongside the creek guided them up and over hills, each one growing steeper the further they went. Toby knew it would get worse before it got better. He knew there was one final hill right at the end that was the mother of all hills, but he headed right for it with the others.

Halfway there, Sean turned and ran back. The crunch of gravel alerted Toby of his arrival before the boy even reached him.

His hair was a floppy mess and his cheeks were flushed around the enormous grin straining the entire length of his face. He was panting when he reached Toby.

“Hey!” Toby said, regulating his breathing. “What happened?”

Sean shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Why aren’t you with the other guys?”

Sean shrugged. “Colten and Owen are arguing. I thought I’d hang out with you. If that’s okay?”

Toby scoffed. “Yeah, it’s okay. You having fun?”

“Yes!” Sean blurted without hesitation. “One year, Mom put sleeping bags outside and we watched the stars come out, then it started raining and we went inside, but this is so much better!”

Toby chuckled. “We do that sometimes. We’ll set up our tents and hunker down in the backyard. It’s not the same, but it’s fun.”

Sean glanced out to where the others were walking several feet ahead. “Owen said you guys do this in the winter too.”

Toby wrinkled his nose. “Not exactly like this. A few years back, we all pooled our money together and bought a cabin up in Whistler. We spend Christmases there. I’ll show you when we go up this year.”

Sean blinked. “We?”

The question sounded so much like something Addy would say that Toby wasn’t sure if he should laugh or pull the kid into his arms.

“Yeah.” He eyed the boy. “If you want. I mean, I’d like you there. You and your mom and sister.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “I don’t know. I’d have to ask my mom.”

“Fair enough.” He exchanged his cane to his other hand, his right one covered in sweat and blisters. “Even if she says no, we’ll do something fun.”

“I don’t think she’ll say no,” Sean mused. “Mom really likes you.”

That brought a giant, stupid grin to his face. “Yeah? Well, I really like her too.”

Sean said nothing for a bit. They walked with only their feet and the breeze through the trees filling the silence.

“How’d you hurt your leg?”

The unexpected question had Toby glancing over with surprise.

“Got shot,” he said. “Here.”

He touched the spot on his thigh. The boy couldn’t see the puckered skin, but Toby could feel it beneath the worn material of his cargo pants.

“Were you a cop?”

Toby shook his head. “Search and rescue.”

“You were in the military?”

A sense of Déjà vu came over him, making him falter; it was the same line of questioning Addy had given him.

“Yes.”

Sean said nothing, but Toby could feel the wall being built between them.

“I know your dad was in the army,” he said quietly. “I know he hurt you and your mom, but not everyone who serves is like that. I sure as hell ain’t. I’d never hurt you or your mom or your sister and I’d sure as shit wouldn’t let anyone else either.”

Brown eyes squinted up at him, brimming with suspicion and deliberation. “Mom told you?”

Toby nodded. “Yeah, she did.”

Sean looked away. “I don’t remember much about him.”

The hand at Toby’s side twitched with the desire to touch the boy, but he held it firmly in place.

“That’s okay,” he said.

“But I’m older,” Sean cut in with a firmness that made Toby glance his way. “I’m bigger and stronger.” Sean tipped his chin up and stared hard at Toby. “I’m big enough to protect them now and I will.”

Toby came to a stop. Sean did the same and the two clashed gazes for what felt like ages before Toby spoke.

“I know you will. I’d expect nothing less.”

Sean gave a satisfied nod. “Okay.”

They made the rest of the way in silence. Sean stayed with him even when the other boys squealed and ran down the other side of the steep incline. Toby inwardly groaned as they reached the top, but he made his way down carefully and joined the group at the rocky bottom.

Clear water lapped at the bank in a calming loop. All around, mountains and trees hugged the edges. Across the lake, water frothed and foamed as it tumbled heedlessly over the cliff in a glittering waterfall. The roar of it filled the entire chasm.

They set up camp in the sun and got to work getting their fishing things set up.

“Have you ever gone fishing?” Toby asked Sean, who was watching the others get their bait on their hooks without effort.

Sean shook his head.

“Well, let me show you then.” He found his way to a boulder and perched on it. He motioned Sean over and took the kid’s pole and tackle box. “The trick is to get it on there good, otherwise it’ll float off.”

He did it a couple of times to show Sean. Then he passed it over and watched as the boy tied the worm on himself. Then he led Sean over to the lake edge and showed him how to cast. That, the boy got almost immediately.

“You’re pretty good,” Toby said, impressed.

Sean grinned. “It’s kind of easy.”

“Hey! Sean!” Owen waved the kid over.

“Go on,” Toby said when Sean glanced up at him. “I’m not going nowhere.”

With another grin, Sean took off to join his friends.

“He likes you.” Cole walked over to stand next to Toby.

Toby chuckled. “Feeling’s mutual.”

“You sure?”

The question had him glancing at his dad. “Yeah, why?”

Cole hoisted his hands into his pockets and shook his head. “Just want to make sure you know what you’re doing is all.”

Toby stiffened. “Jesus, you sound like Mom. What’s going on with you two? Why can’t you just be happy I found someone I really care about?”

Cole snapped his gaze to Toby. “Hey, slow down now. That wasn’t what I meant. I like Addy. I really like her kids. Good kids. I respect that, especially since she raised them on her own. But that’s why I want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, Tob. You can’t walk into their lives, make them fall in love with you if you ain’t damn sure this is what you want.”

“I’m sure,” he said without hesitation. “And whether or not things work between me and Addy, that won’t ever change. Those kids will always come first.”

Cole set a hand on Toby’s shoulder and gave a squeeze. “Good to hear, ‘cause I will beat your ass if you hurt them.”

“Hey, Dad?” he called before the other man could walk away. “How’d you feel when you adopted Damon? I mean, how did you know you wanted him?”

If the question was unusual, his dad never let on. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and rubbed at his jaw.

“Well, we just knew. There was a connection there. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was a long, hard road, but when it’s worth it, you fight. That’s just the way it is.”

Toby chewed that over a moment before nodding. “They’re worth fighting for. I don’t feel dread or fear over the possibility of being Dad to someone else’s kids. I don’t even see it that way. They’re Addy’s kids. They’re little pieces of her and they are damn good kids. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

Cole grinned. “That right there is how we knew we wanted your brother. When it just feels right.”

“Now, I just gotta keep their mom outta prison.”

The smile faded. “Yeah, that’s…” Cole’s words trailed off to nothing.

“I’m scared I won’t be able to,” Toby confessed. “What if—”

“Do you remember the afternoon you told me you wanted to join the Cadets?” At Toby’s nod, Cole continued. “We were watching the new Terminator movie and it was just the two of us and we were sitting there, the movie playing and you just blurted it out. I remember sitting there wondering if I’d heard you right.”

“You didn’t move for ages,” Toby remembered with a chuckle. “So I repeated myself.”

Cole nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “I was so surprised, but I was also terrified. All I could think was my baby wanted to go off and fight in wars that very few ever come back from. I kept getting these horrible images in my head of men coming to the door and telling me I’d lost you. But you were hell bent and nothing was going to stop you.” He paused and Toby could see the knot tightening in his father’s jaw. “Your first mission, I didn’t sleep for a week. I kept wondering what if something’d happened to you. I jumped every time the phone or doorbell rang. I was so pissed at you for wanting to do something I did not approve of, but I took it one day at a time. It didn’t get easier, but I managed to keep what little sanity I had left.”

“So you’re telling me to take it one day at a time?”

Cole shrugged. “Yeah, basically. Nothing you can do sitting there worrying yourself sick.”

“I still think I’d like to drive out and find the bastard and rid the world of him once and for all.”

“I felt the same way about Damon’s dad. But, people like that, they always get what’s coming to them.”

No one caught anything. It was too late in the season, plus the kids spent the majority of the time goofing off and shoving each other into the water to do any real fishing. Everyone trudged back to camp, slightly damp and a whole lot tired. Toby was ready to sleep for twenty years, but the moment they reached their tents, Sloan instructed everyone to start tidying up. They were leaving the next day and he wanted to do it with as little fussing as possible.

The boys, lord knew where they got their energy from, but they were the only ones who continued to run on full speed. The rest slugged their way packing up and loading the vehicles.

Everything was stowed away, except the tents and what little they would need in the morning. The campfire was lit and the sat phone came out.

Sloan called Lily first. The phone was passed along to Cole, then Damon and Owen, followed by Jared and Colten. Toby and Sean exchanged glances, both asking the other if they wanted to go first. Toby relented.

“You go on,” he told the boy. “I’ll wait.”

Sean took the phone from Colten and scurried away from the rest.

“I’m ready to pass out,” Damon said around a wide yawn. “I always thought these camping trips were supposed to be relaxing.”

“Only when you don’t have kids,” Sloan mumbled from his slumped position in his chair. His head was tipped back and his eyes were closed. “Children are exhausting.”

“Grandpa?” Owen said, drawing Sloan’s attention. “Did you ever bring Mom camping?”

Everyone laughed, including Sloan.

“Your mom isn’t a nature type of person,” Sloan explained to the boy.

“Neither is your Aunt Calla,” Jared piped in.

“The McClain ladies aren’t campers,” Cole added.

“My mom isn’t either.” Sean returned, phone clutched to his chest. “I’m done if you want?”

Toby heaved himself out of his chair and took the phone. He mashed it to his ear.

“Hey baby.”

“Hi!” Her sweet voice was music to his ears. “I hear you guys had a long day.”

“You have no idea. We’re all ready to turn in here, well, except the boys, but I’m pretty sure they’re not human.”

Addy chuckled. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Tell me about your day.”

He heard her sigh. “We’re in Vancouver right now, at some hotel. We spent the entire day getting pampered at this amazing spa and then did some shopping. It was late so we grabbed two rooms and we’ll leave in the morning.”

“Sounds like you had fun,” he mused.

“Oh, I did! It was magical. I feel and smell incredible.”

Toby hummed quietly. “I can’t wait to see that for myself.”

“I really want to go back,” she confessed in a rush. “Not tomorrow or anything, but maybe once a month or something.”

“I think you definitely should if you enjoyed it that much.”

“I don’t know if it was just the treatment so much as being there with everyone. It was just so much fun sitting there and talking about random, useless things. Even Hanna enjoyed herself.”

“I bet that if you tell the others to make it into a monthly thing, they would,” he encouraged.

“Maybe.” She paused. “I signed a new contract with Willa and Calla. It’s all in my name. Calla said she was so happy I’ve decided not to keep my identity a secret. She said people have been hounding her ever since the fundraiser and she was running out of excuses.”

“I’m proud of you, Addy.”

“Thank you. It’s so nice to be part of something.” She chuckled. “I’ve been talking about myself and my day for nearly ten minutes. Tell me how you are.”

“I am ready to come home,” he admitted without pause. “I miss my bed. I miss actual food. I miss the shower! But above all else, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Toby. I miss both of you. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Chapter 18 ~ Addy

They left Vancouver after a lunch and drove the six hours back to Willow Creek. It was well into late evening by the time they pulled into Beth’s driveway. Hanna and Kari were fast asleep in the backseat, practically slumped over each other. They were nudged awake and led inside. They staggered their way blindly to the sofas and flopped down on either end. They were both out before their heads hit the pillows.

“Winter is coming!” Lily grumbled, shutting the front door and rubbing her arms for warmth.

“Snow!” Willa cheered happily and earned glowers from the others.

“The men should be home shortly.” Calla turned away from her sister. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m too tired to make supper.”

“Definitely,” Willa agreed.

“We could order something,” Lily mused with a sigh.

“Not pizza,” Beth said.

“I can cook,” Addy volunteered. “I don’t mind. It actually relaxes me.”

The group exchanged glances.

“Are you sure?” Lily asked.

Addy nodded.

“Then I’ll help you,” Beth offered. “I hate when people cook and I just sit and watch.”

“I don’t,” Calla said simply and made her way into the sitting room.

“I would love the help,” Addy said to the dark haired woman.

Addy slipped out of her coat and tossed it over the back of a chair in the kitchen and crossed to the fridge. She yanked the door open and peered inside.

There was way too much to choose from. Beth was clearly one of those people who thoroughly enjoyed cooking and spent a great deal of time making large dishes. There was plenty there to throw together at a quick notice.

“We could clean out your fridge,” she told the other woman. “Heat everything up and get everyone to finish it off.”

Beth shrugged. “We can do that.”

“Unless you’re saving everything for something?”

Beth shook her head. “Nope.”

They pulled out the containers and lined everything on the counter next to the microwave. One by one, each one went in and was dumped into a bowl that was placed on the table. There was a lot of waiting involved with only one microwave and a whole lotta dishes. Addy didn’t mind. The process was a methodical one. Almost mindless. Except it was hard to get into the groove when the tension was so high.

“I’m sorry if I seemed to take over your kitchen,” she said to the other woman.

Beth shook her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s nice to have someone else that cooks. Lily does, but neither Calla nor Willa can. I taught Toby and Damon.”

Addy chuckled. “He made me eggs one morning. They were delicious.”

Beth nodded, but the tension was back. Addy couldn’t understand it. Every time Toby was mentioned, she could all but hear the wall being built just a little higher. It didn’t seem to matter how much progress she thought she was making. The woman refused to give her an inch.

“You don’t like me with Toby, do you?” she whispered at last.

Beth watched the countdown on the microwave with a tautness on her face. “It’s not my business. Toby’s a grown man and can do whatever he wants.”

“I won’t hurt him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It’s not.”

“Then what? Why do you hate the idea of me with Toby?” The answer came to her before she finished talking. “You don’t think I’m good enough.”

Beth turned away and grabbed the next dish that needed to go in. She ripped off the lid and tossed it away from her. It hit the counter with a clatter.

“What I think is that Toby isn’t ready for the type of relationship you’re looking for.”

The container was brutally tossed into the microwave and the door was slammed shut with enough force to make Addy wince.

“I don’t understand,” Addy said.

With nothing to do and no way to avoid her, Beth faced her. Blue eyes snapped with a fire Addy didn’t understand.

“I feel that he needs time to heal, time to focus on that healing instead of setting his therapy back by running around helping you put your house together. There are so many people you could have hired, but you chose to hire the guy with a good heart and an injury that hurts him every day.”

“I didn’t ask him—”

Beth put her hand up. “It doesn’t matter how he got roped into helping you. The point is that he’s hurt. He almost died. He could have died!” she shouted, like somehow, Toby getting shot was Addy’s fault. “Any higher and he wouldn’t be with us right now, but instead of giving his leg room to rest and heal, he’s trying to impress you.”

“I don’t need to be impressed!” Addy cut in sharply. “I love him. I would never hurt him.”

Beth shook her head slowly, features impassive. “That’s wonderful, but he’s not ready to be a dad, okay? I can appreciate your circumstances. I understand that we all make mistakes as children and you’ve clearly taken responsibilities for yours. I applaud that. I think you’re an amazing mother and you’re very sweet, but Toby shouldn’t be asked to raise another man’s child.”

“I see,” Addy whispered, feeling her heart breaking in her chest. “I’m really sorry you feel that way, because I really love your son, Mrs. McClain. He’s the only other person to ever care about me. But I know things will never work between us if you don’t want me here. I won’t put Toby in a position to choose between you and me and I won’t be responsible for friction in this family, not when everyone has been so good to me. So thank you for having me in your home. Have a wonderful evening. I’ll see us out.”

She grabbed her coat and hurried out before she could be stopped. She swung on her coat and circled the sofa.

“Addy?”

Willa, Lily and Calla all looked up when she gathered Hanna up into her arms.

“What’s going on?” Calla asked, glancing from her to the kitchen.

“I’m not feeling well,” Addy lied. “I think I’m going to head home. Can you call me when they—”

The front door opened. Raised voices and stomping feet filled the house. Addy winced.

“We’re home!” Cole shouted.

“Mommy, are we leaving?” Hanna mumbled, stirring awake.

Setting her down, Addy nodded. “Yeah, just gotta get your brother.”

Addy made her way to the door, careful not to run into anyone coming in. Sean was on the porch with Toby when Addy pushed through. Both looked up.

“Hey!” Toby beamed, but it was short lived when he noticed Hanna half slumped against Addy’s hip. “What’s going on?”

“I’m … we’re going to head home,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m not feeling well and the kids have school in the morning so I should get them to bed.”

“Addy.” Toby moved into her path. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Toby, please.”

Setting her free hand on Sean’s shoulder, she propelled both kids to her van.

“Mom, I don’t want to leave,” Sean protested. “What about my things?”

She opened the backdoor and urged Hanna in first. “We’ll get them later, okay? Please, Sean?”

He peered at her with those too adult eyes and nodded without another word of question. He climbed into the seat next to his sister and reached to help her strap in. Then he did his own and waited for the door to shut.

“Addy!” Toby cornered her at the hood of the van. “Tell me what happened.”

Addy shook her head. “Nothing. I really just don’t feel well.” She offered him her best smile and knew it must have looked as horrible as it felt. “I’ll see you at the home, okay?”

“Stop!” He caught her wrist and restrained her when she tried to make a run for it. “Did someone say something to you?”

“Toby, please.” She pulled her hand free. “I just really want to leave.”

He made no further effort to stop her and she climbed in behind the wheel.

Chapter 19 ~ Toby

True to his promise, Jim sent the divorce papers. They arrived a week later with the morning mail. The sight of the lawyer’s name stamped against the yellow envelope nearly sent her heart out of her chest with excitement and dread. It both freed her and drowned her with old and new worries, but neither was going to stop her from following through.

Toby was in the kitchen, pouring coffee into a mug when Addy barged in and began scavenging for a pen.

“What are you doing?”

“The divorce papers came in.”

They hit the island between them and she held them flat with a trembling palm as though terrified they might grow wings and try to escape.

“Should you read it first?” Toby advised.

Addy shook her head. “I don’t care what it says. I’m going to sign it and then send them right back today.”

“Baby.” His hand settled over hers, the one holding the pen with unsteady determination. “Read it. Then we’ll go together to mail them.”

Everything in her wanted to ignore the suggestion and just get it over with, but he was right. She did need to read it and make sure it was what she wanted. She set the pen down and picked the papers up.

“Come on.” Taking his coffee and her tea by the handles in one hand, he motioned her out of the room. “Bring those with you.”

Pen and papers in hand, Addy followed him into the parlor. He set the drinks down on the coffee table and patted the cushion next to him.

“You sure you want to be here for this?” she partially teased, taking the spot.

“Baby, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

She gave a nervous giggle. “I’m so excited and terrified.”

He set his warm palm on her thigh. “Come here.”

His arm snaked around her middle and he dragged her back against his chest. He reclined and she nestled into him, head pillowed on his shoulder as she started the first line.

“You know what I was thinking?” His lips whispered against the side of her head, interrupting her. “Christmas, we should rent a cabin for two weeks and go skiing.”

Distracted, Addy tipped her head back. “A cabin?”

Toby nodded. “I was talking to Sean about the cabin we normally drive up to for Christmas and he seemed really into it.”

Bemusement crinkled her brow. “Well, aren’t you going to spend Christmas with your family?”

Those electrifying blue eyes never wavered from hers. “I intend to.”

Papers forgotten, Addy stared. Her heart danced in her chest, making her entire body tingle.

“Us?”

He smoothed away a lock of hair off her cheek. His fingers closed in her chin and tipped her face back.

“Yeah, you and the kids.”

“I’d like that.”

“All right then.” He kissed her. “Let’s get you unhitched. Then I want to take you to bed to celebrate.”

That was exactly what he did the moment the pen lifted off the dotted line. He took her hand and dragged her into his room where he spent the entire morning celebrating with multiple orgasms and zero baking.

The first frost hit that weekend. The world glimmered with a fine crystallization that shone like diamonds along the fields and clung in little spikes around the leaves still hanging on to their branches.

Addy smiled as she imprinted every moment of that day to the rolodex of her mind as she’d been doing every day for weeks. Everything was perfect. Every moment was perfect. Her life was perfect. She couldn’t possibly imagine how it could possibly get any better. Her children were happy. Sean was a whole different kid. Hanna hadn’t brought up Nancy or Margi once since starting daycare and Toby … God, Toby was incredible. He kept her smiling and when she wasn’t smiling, he was terrorizing every inch of her willing body. The man was a beast in the bedroom and an angel outside it. And she was so in love with him it hurt.

Grinning, she yanked open the glass doors of Under The Willow and stepped into the warm scent of espresso and chocolate. The café was filled with people crowding the round tables and cutting a line from the doorway to the front counter. Willa was the only one behind the register, but she seemed fine with that. She moved quickly from register to espresso machine to customer without missing a stride. All the while, she laughed and talked and made each person leave with a smile.

“Well, look who’s joined the party!” From one of the tables in corner, Calla slipped off her reading glasses and grinned at her. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“I need to run to the market for supper and thought I’d stop in and see you guys.”

“Well, we’re good.” Calla gestured to where Willa was passing a plastic cup over to the woman waiting. “Willa, make Addy some tea.”

Addy shook her head before Willa could follow through. “I’m not staying. I just wanted to say hi and talk to you about the maze.”

“Then you definitely need tea.” Calla pushed out one of the chairs. “I’ve been making some notes and I think I got some ideas I’d like to run by you.”

Intrigued, Addy walked over and sat. She kept her coat on and her purse squished in her lap, a retardant to keep from staying longer than she could.

“I made some calls and Mr. Ketch has agreed to loan us four hundred cubes of hay, which I think should be plenty to make a proper maze. I also talked to Dale down at the market and he’s agreed to give us as many pumpkins as he’s got left the day before and we just pay him half of what we make and return whatever we don’t use. So, I’m thinking we could charge five bucks for pumpkin carving, five bucks for the maze and twenty dollars a family of four for the hay ride.”

“Wow,” Addy whispered. “You’ve really thought this out.”

“Calla’s really good with planning.” Willa appeared with a cup of tea and a platter of cookies. She set them down in front of Addy. “She’ll make this incredible. You’ll see.”

Addy nodded. “I don’t doubt it.”

With a smile, Willa went back to the line.

“Oh!” Calla dug through her papers and emerged with a bright, orange flyer that she handed to Addy. “What do you think? I was going to bring it over tomorrow for you to have a look and approve before I have more printed.”

The black font was bold over the grinning face of a pumpkin. Witches, zombies, mummies and bats dominated the space in front of a wide maze. It announced the single night of actives for children of all ages.

Addy was very impressed. “You’ve been busy.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. Everything is so amazing.” She handed the flyer back. “What do you charge for all this?”

Calla stilled. Confusion masked her pretty face.

“Charge? I don’t charge anything.”

It was Addy’s turn to look bemused. “But you get paid somehow, right?”

Calla shrugged. “The joy of helping plan a fun event?”

“But the money we’ll be making…”

“Goes to the inn.”

Heat slithered up Addy’s neck. “But you’re the one doing all the work. You have to at least let me split whatever we make.”

Calla thought about it, then nodded. “Okay, but I don’t want the money. I do, however, have a request.”

Addy nodded. “Anything.”

“I’d like for you and the kids to come over for dinner tomorrow.”

Addy froze. “Oh…”

Calla put her hand up. “I know things ended weird last weekend between you and Beth, but I’ve known her my entire life and I can promise she’s not really like that.”

“I know,” she told the woman. “But I still don’t feel comfortable going to someone’s house when they’re clearly not comfortable with me.”

“Look, she’ll get used to you. Just don’t let her run you off.”

“I’m not,” Addy promised. “I’m not going anywhere, but I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Calla leaned back. “Family dinners aren’t the same when the whole family isn’t there.”

“If it’s Toby, I never asked him not to go,” Addy cut quickly. “I would never ask him to stop seeing you guys.”

“Addy.” Calla squeezed her hand. “We know. Yes, we want Toby to be there, but we want you and the kids too.”

“I appreciate everything you’re doing helping me with this maze, but no. I’m sorry.”

She rose quickly and left. She went to the market, her mind in a muggy daze as she wandered the aisles. A throbbing had started in her temples and was branching out behind her eyes. All she wanted to do was grab something for supper and go home, but all she could do was walk up and down the aisles while trying to decide what supper should be. Normally, she had an idea, but her brain refused to work.

Other shoppers moved around her, not saying anything, but smiling at her in passing. It was the thing she loved most about the town, the close family feel of it.

She rounded into the can section and came to an abrupt halt. There, several feet away, was Beth McClain, surveying a can of diced tomatoes. She hadn’t noticed Addy and Addy couldn’t help wondering if it was possible to escape without detection. She even started backing out when Beth’s head came up. Her blue eyes widened.

“Addy, hi.”

Struggling with her facial features, Addy reflexively smiled. “Hello, Mrs. McClain. How are you?”

The diced tomatoes were set down. “Good, thank you. How are you?”

As polite conversation went, it was the worst. It was physically painful.

“Good, thank you.”

Silence rippled between them and Addy fought not to just turn and leave.

“I should—”

“I was hoping we could—”

Both chuckled as their words jumbled together across the distance.

Beth moved closer. “I was actually hoping to come by the inn and talk to you sometime this week.”

“Oh?”

“Do you have some time today? We could grab some lunch and really get everything out into the open.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say no and walk away, but this was Toby’s mother and, no matter how much Addy wanted to dislike the woman, that meant something.

“I’d like lunch.”

Abandoning their empty carts, they left the market and made their way to the diner. No one paid them a lick of attention as they claimed a booth near the back.

“This is the longest Toby’s ever gone without talking to me,” Beth said once they were seated and a full five minutes had passed in silence. “Not even when he’d been overseas. He wrote every week. He called. He skyped. He never lost contact with us. It was the only peace of mind I had during those months he was gone.”

Guilt pierced through her, slivered with dread. This was where the woman would tell her it was Addy’s fault.

“I’m really sorry, Mrs. McClain. I never once told him not to talk to anyone.”

Beth shook her head. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” She sighed. “I hurt him by hurting you and I don’t blame him. He made some valid points that night and I’m ashamed to admit that he was right. I acted poorly.” She folded her hands on the table between them and stared at the knuckles. “I don’t know how much you know about our family.”

“Not much. I don’t listen to gossip.”

Beth chuckled. “Then you’re in the wrong town.” Her smile slipped when Addy said nothing. “Cole and I were dating when Calla was born. Neither one of us knew Lily was pregnant. I was furious, but mostly, I was hurt. Cole hadn’t cheated on me. What happened between him and Lily was a onetime mistake that gave us a beautiful, vibrant little girl to raise and love. It never once bothered me that he had a daughter with another woman. I mean, in the beginning when I first found out it did, but once Calla was born and I looked into her little face, I was done. I probably loved her more than I loved Cole at times, and Lily’s my best friend. Together, we raised four incredible children. It never mattered that Calla and Willa weren’t mine, just like it never mattered that Damon wasn’t. In my heart, they were. They still are.” She bit her lip and furrowed her brows. Her eyes lifted and fixed on Addy’s face. “You make my son happy. He loves you and your kids. I don’t know what your story is. I don’t know where you came from or why you’re here, but I’m willing to listen if you’ll let me.”

Addy immediately wanted to say no. Her past wasn’t something she wanted to tell a woman who wanted Addy out of her son’s life. It was ammunition. But ammunition to what? Toby already knew. The divorce papers were sent. By now, Jonathon would have received a call from his lawyer and the police would be knocking on Addy’s door with a warrant for her arrest. What more could she possibly be afraid of happening? There was nothing else left.

“I was raped at fifteen.”

She didn’t go into full details. She told the woman everything, deciding that if being honest and open didn’t get her on the woman’s good side, Beth didn’t have one and Addy was better off. She laid it all out on the table and waited.

Beth said nothing. She sat in mute horror. The expression would have been comical if Addy hadn’t been dying for a response.

“Oh…” Hands lifted and pressed into her face. “Oh God…”

“Hey Mrs. McClain, can I take your order?” The waitress appeared at the table, pen and pad in hand.

Beth shook her head. “Give us a few more minutes, please, Ginny.”

The girl gave a shrug and left.

Beth’s focus returned to Addy. “I didn’t know.”

“I know,” she whispered. “Toby was the only one I told. Then Cole, but only because Toby thought he could help.”

“Christ, I…”

“Please don’t.” Addy shifted in her seat. “I don’t want your pity or your sympathies. I don’t want your apologies either. I only told you because I’m serious about your son, Mrs. McClain. I really love him and I want to be with him, and if knowing my past will help you get some closure or peace of mind, then I’m fine telling you. I also want you to know that I don’t need Toby to take care of me or raise my children. I’ve done it on my own for ten years. Now, I don’t want an olive branch from you today. I don’t want your hand in friendship or an invitation to weekend dinners. Anything you say now will be tainted because of what I told you. But one day, hopefully real close in the future, I want us to at least be civil. I’d like to see you at the store and not get the urge to run. I’d like to do that because Toby means the world to both of us and I know we can both agree that his happiness is all either of us want.” Addy slipped out of the booth and stood. “I’m making something for dinner tonight. I’m not sure what, but I would really like for you and Cole to come. If you’re not busy. Dinner’s at six.”

With that, she turned and left the diner.

She decided on a lamb and vegetable stew. The weather was just cold enough to make the scent of meat and sauce perfect for what she hoped would be a comfortable and uniting supper. Lord knew what she’d been thinking inviting Beth and Cole, but she just knew she had to. Toby needed to talk to his family again. Maybe a part of her felt guilty that he wasn’t because of her. Another part just wanted them to like her enough not to put a wedge between her and Toby. She knew he said he was fine now, but eventually, he would want to see his family. She didn’t want him to blame her for not trying harder. Plus, if it actually worked and Beth somehow comes to accept Addy, all the better.

She baked fresh bread and set the table with Macy’s best dishes. She even did a quick scrub of the house, just in case. Everything was as prepared and orderly as it was ever going to get, and yet, it felt like there was a million things left to do.

“Something smells really good!” Toby stepped into the kitchen and inhaled. “Mm, what is that?”

“Lamb and vegetable stew,” she murmured. “I thought with the changing weather…”

Toby nodded. “Yeah, it’s a good idea, but what’s with the…” He gestured to the table. “We got company coming?”

“Um…” She set the knife she’d been using to slice the bread down and dusted her hands. “Toby, I, uh, I ran into your mom today at the market.”

Toby’s entire body stiffened.

“It’s okay!” Addy quickly plunged on. “We went for lunch and started talking and I invited her and your dad for supper.”

He said nothing for what felt like hours. He just stood there and stared at her until she shifted.

“Why?” he asked at last.

“Why did I invite them?” At his nod, she shrugged. “Because they’re your family and I know you miss them. I just don’t want you to be sad anymore and I know they want to see you again.”

“But the way she treated you—”

“Toby…” She went to him and set her palms on his chest. “I love you and I love that you would do this for me, but I can’t let you. They’re your family. Take it from someone who doesn’t have any, that’s a big deal. Now, they love you and I know you love them. Plus, your mom and I talked. I think we’re in a good place now.”

“Addy girl.” His hands reached up to cradle her cheeks. “You should never have had to go through that, but if you want this, then I’ll do it.”

She kissed him. “I do. I really, really do.”

“Okay then. Dinner with my folks it is.”

The McClain’s arrived promptly at five thirty. It was just Beth and Cole and still Addy wished she’d invited the whole crew. Then, maybe it wouldn’t have been so awkward leading them through the house towards the parlor.

“I’m really glad you came,” she said, making small talk. “Would you like anything to drink?”

The two sat on the loveseat.

“Nothing for me,” Beth said.

“I’m good,” Cole piped in.

Addy took the armchair across from them. “Toby’s just helping Hanna with the…”

The two in question arrived with a platter of deviled crab dip and a bowl of rosemary pecans. Hanna set hers down with a flourish and stepped aside to let Toby set his tray down.

“I made the rosemary pecans,” she declared. “Toby helped.”

Toby claimed the second armchair. “I just held the bowl.”

Cole leaned forward and grabbed a pecan from the bowl and popped it into his mouth. “Mm!” he hummed. “These are delicious. You got your mother’s touch in the kitchen.”

Hanna beamed.

“Where’s your son?” Beth asked Addy.

Addy hesitated. Her gaze went to Toby before returning to the two across from her.

“Sean’s not feeling very well tonight.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. Sean had been moody and quiet since the night of the campout. He hadn’t said as much, but she knew he missed his friends and the way things had been going. Part of her also knew he blamed her for not attending weekend dinners at the McClain’s anymore. But there was nothing she could do and no way to explain that they weren’t wanted without hurting his feelings.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Beth murmured. “I hope it’s not serious?”

Addy shook her head. “No, he’ll be okay.”

“So, Addy, I bet you’re happy to hear we’re almost done with that porch of yours,” Cole intervened when the silence became too much. “Another week or so and we’ll be completely out of your hair.”

“You’re leaving?” Hanna’s expression became one of utter heartbreak. “But what about our logbook?”

Beth glanced at her husband. “Logbook?”

“Hanna and I have been measuring things and writing them down.” Cole explained. To Hanna, he said, “We can still do it. I’ll even come over every day if I have to.”

Hanna looked no less crushed. She turned uncertain eyes towards Toby.

“Are you leaving, too?”

Toby set his cane aside and reached for her. He scooped her up and set her on his knee.

“Nope, you’re stuck with me, Tiny.”

Hanna’s response was to lean back against Toby’s chest and say nothing. Every so often, her legs would kick, but she seemed content to sit cuddled in his arms as she did every night before bed while he read to her.

“Your place is beautiful,” Beth stated at last. “I love the changes you’ve made.”

Addy looked over the place, trying to remember what it had looked like before her renovations. She hadn’t changed very much, except the hundreds of cat pictures and lacy doilies, two of Macy’s favorite things. She’d also changed the coloring on the walls, but otherwise, it was mostly the same.

“Thank you.”

Beth nodded slowly. “How are your preparations coming for the Halloween maze?”

“Good! Calla has it all figured out.” She chuckled. “I saw her earlier today, before I went to the market, she had a few interesting ideas.”

“She showed me the flyer she had done up,” Beth piped in. “It looks like it will be a lot of fun. Have you thought about adding a concession stand? Calla never mentioned one.”

“A concession?”

Beth shifted higher in her seat. “Well, you could do it here in the inn, have a place for kids and parents to come in and get some hot chocolate and something to snack on. It’s only an idea.”

Addy shook her head. “No, that’s a wonderful idea. I know Macy used to put a table up outside for that, but inside would be better. It would get the kids out of the cold for a little while and gives the parents a chance to sit. I’ll talk it over with Calla.” She offered the woman a smile. “Thank you.”

“Mommy, can I invite my class to Halloween?” Hanna asked. “I was only going to ask Kari, because she’s my bestest friend, but Ms. Moore says that we should always include everyone.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Addy said. “I’ll ask Ms. Moore if she can put a flyer up.”

“Do you know what you’re going to dress up as?” Cole asked Hanna.

Hanna beamed. “I’m going to be a surprise.”

Cole squinted at her. “It’s not a tape measure, is it?”

“No!” Hanna squealed, laughing and somehow still managing to look appalled.

“Good, because I’m going to be a tape measure,” Cole stated evenly, making Hanna giggle.

“You’re not a kid!”

“Oh, that is debatable,” Beth said, setting a gentle hand on her husband’s thigh.

From the kitchen, the oven timer chimed, signaling the completion of their stew.

Addy rose. “Excuse me.”

Beth got to her feet as well. “Let me help.”

Not sure what to say, Addy just smiled and motioned the woman to follow her out of the room and down the hall. Neither spoke, not even when Addy hurried to the stove and the simmering crockpot perched on top.

“It smells amazing,” Beth remarked. “What can I do?”

Turning the machine off, Addy turned. “I could use some help slicing the bread.”

She set the cutting board, knife and bread on the island counter and dug out a ceramic bowl for herself.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier.” Beth broke the silence. “And you were right. Anything I say will only come out fake and cliché after what you shared with me. But I want you to know that I will make the effort not to behave the way I did. Not because of what you told me, but because Toby is too old for me to be coddling. Truthfully.” She stopped her slicing to turn to Addy. “It never had anything to do with you. Not really. I haven’t been myself since I got the call that he was injured in the line of duty. It was probably the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me. I felt powerless and no matter how many times everyone told me he was okay, I just kept thinking oh my God … my baby was shot. It was never on you. It was just me being overprotective and irrational.”

Addy listened until the woman stopped talking. She set the bowl and spoon down and faced her squarely.

“I understand. I would be the same if it were Sean. I can’t even imagine how terrified you must have been.”

Blue eyes shone despite the tight smile on Beth’s mouth. “It’s the call no mom wants. It changes everything in the span of seconds, and rather than accept that he was okay, I decided to lash out on you and that wasn’t fair. So, I want to apologize and ask that you not think too harshly of me.”

Addy shook her head. “Never. We had more good times than bad and I’d like to focus on those.”

Relief softened Beth’s features. She started to turn away, but stopped.

“I would really like for you and the children to continue coming to family dinners. I’m not asking you to forgive my behavior and overlook it, but because you are family, Addy. For better or worse, my son is crazy about you and you make him happy. As a mother, what more could I ask for?”

She took her time putting her thoughts into words that wouldn’t offend or pacify the woman offering her an olive branch. While kind, Addy didn’t believe that Beth would have come to the same conclusion about her had Addy not told her the truth. Something about her offer of peace just didn’t feel entirely self-proclaimed.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “It means a lot to me that you’re willing to accept me and my kids in Toby’s life. I know the kids really enjoy dinners with you and the others and I don’t ever want to take Toby away from his family. But I think we should wait a while before I join the dinners again. I’m a trigger for you and the last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable in your own home. But maybe we can start off small. Lunches, maybe? Small gatherings. Social events. We can work our way to dinners again.” She offered the other woman her best smile. “We have plenty of time to feel at ease together.”

Beth’s gaze lowered. Addy could see the disappointment and hurt tightening the corners of her mouth. But she nodded halfheartedly.

“I can respect that.”

It was the best either of them could possibly do under the circumstances. Addy had loathed Jonathon’s mother. The woman had been weak and a coward, and had spoiled her son rather than have to deal with his behavior. She had never had any respect for Rayna, but she didn’t want that to be Beth. She didn’t want animosity and bitterness to taint what she had with Toby. So, she would try. She would at least attempt at a cordial relationship, one that would hopefully one day grow into a tentative friendship, if not, a sense of respect. They both loved the same man in two very different ways and for him, they would both try.

There was a calm in the air during dinner. The tension that had taken roots between her and Beth had all but dissipated and had nearly dissolved completely by the end of the night.

“I’m standing there, telling him exactly why it was important he finish his supper and he looks at me with all the seriousness in the world, and says, but, Dad…”

“If beans were made to be eaten, they wouldn’t make you fart,” Toby finished.

Addy and Beth laughed.

Hanna looked around the room, tiny brows furrowed. “Beans make you fart?”

“They’re the magical fruit,” Toby told her solemnly.

“Magical?” Hanna’s eyes went enormous in horror. “Like Jack’s beans?” Her head snapped towards Addy. “Am I going to get a beanstalk coming out of my tummy?”

Addy shot Toby a glower. “They’re not really magical.”

“Besides, it’s not magical fruit. It’s the musical fruit,” Cole corrected. “The more you eat, the more you toot.”

“Cole!” Beth lightly smacked his arm. “Don’t teach her that!” She looked to Hanna. “Don’t listen to them. Beans are good for you.”

“I want to toot!” Hanna bounced in her seat. “Can we have beans?”

“Look what you’ve done,” Addy said to Toby with a shake of her head. “You have not smelled this girl after a bowl of chili.”

The ease in which the conversation continued stretched well into the evening, well after Hanna had been put to bed and only the adults sat in the sitting room with mugs of coffee. Dessert was a smear of crumbs and cream from the strawberry and chocolate meringue she’d made. Dirty dishes and cutlery sat in a neat pile on the tray next to the empty plate. No one spoke as they enjoyed the calm. Cole and Beth sat opposite Addy and Toby. Cole had his arm slung over the back of the sofa, around his wife’s shoulders while she sipped on her coffee and studied the landscape portraits on the walls. Toby’s arm was tucked around Addy’s waist. The hand was splayed along her hip, tucking her protectively against his side. Addy didn’t pull away. She leaned into his chest and relished in the moment.

“Are those Willa’s?” Beth asked at last, gesturing with a nod of her chin towards a set of three frames making up the same black and white photo in three sections. It was a panoramic view of the inn from the field, and it was one of Willa’s.

“She took it the year before, just before the frost hit.”

Beth nodded as though that made perfect sense. “She does beautiful work,” she remarked.

“I have a few of her pieces around the place,” Addy said. “I have some of Lily’s too. They both have such incredible talent.”

“Well, we all know what your talents are,” Toby chimed in. His fingers flexed at her hips and Addy felt the burst of heat all the way up into her face. Toby grinned knowingly. “Your baking.”

“Right,” she blurted a little too high pitched.

“Toby’s right,” Beth cut in. “You are amazing in the kitchen. You’ll have to teach me a few things.”

“The brownies,” Cole hissed.

Addy laughed. “I’d love to.”

“Maybe this weekend,” Cole suggested, glancing from his wife to Addy hopefully.

“I can’t make it, but I can send a batch with Toby and the kids, if that’s okay?”

“What?” Toby and Cole said unison.

“It’s okay,” Beth cut in before the two could demand why. “Addy and I have talked things over. We’re okay.”

“Yes, I promise, we’re good. I just have a million things to do for next week and you’d really be doing me a favor taking the kids so I can get them done.”

“Well, of course we’ll take the kids,” Cole assured her evenly.

Beth nodded. “Absolutely. Anytime.”

Cole and Beth didn’t stay much longer after that. They left their empty mugs on the coffee table and rose. Toby and Addy walked them to the door and waved them out to their car.

“Okay, now, tell me the real reason you’re not going.” Toby cornered her the moment the door was shut.

“When I was in therapy, we learned a lot about triggers and learning to recognize and control them.” She headed back into the sitting room with Toby right behind her. “I’m a trigger for your mom, Toby. It’s unhealthy for me to keep pushing myself on her until she’s ready.”

“You said you guys were good,” he accused.

“We are!” She faced him. “We really did talk and everything is fine. We’re going to take it slow, learn to accept each other and grow from there.” She went to him when he continued to look perplexed. “I want you to keep going to dinners with them and I would really like for Sean and Hanna to go with you. Not because I need time alone, but because it really means a lot to them to see their friends and I don’t want them to stop because of me. But I will understand if you don’t—”

“You know that’s not it,” he interrupted sharply. “Of course I’ll take them, but I want you there too.”

She set her palm on the arm gripping his cane. “I will be there, just not right now. This isn’t about you and me, Toby. It’s about your mom and not intruding on her place of sanctuary. I will know when she’s ready to have me there and when she does, I will accept. Right now, she needs for me and her to take things one day at a time.”

Toby’s eyes narrowed. “Ever thought about becoming a shrink?”

Addy laughed and pulled away. “Goodness no! Could you imagine?”

She gathered up the dishes and headed into the kitchen. Toby followed and stayed in the doorway as she rinsed and stowed everything into the dishwasher. He joined her when she started on the supper dishes.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” he murmured quietly while passing her a plate.

Surprised, she glanced at him, fingers curled around the ceramic. “Why do you say that?”

He shrugged. “You just are.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Toby.”

“I promise, I asked Willa and she assured me it was fine.”

Anxious, Addy wrung her fingers around a dishrag and eyed the two standing a few feet away, fully dressed and each barring a backpack filled with their overnight things. Sean peered back at her, brown eyes pleading with her not to change her mind. Hanna looked curious, not entirely certain what was going on, but trying hard to understand. Neither one had said a word since Toby had told Addy the weekend plans.

“Do you guys promise to be on your best behavior?” she demanded, glancing from one to the other. “If I hear that you guys are misbehaving, I will be down there so fast and I will bring you straight home.”

Hanna bobbed her head rapidly, making her escaped strands wave in the air around her face. Sean was more subdued, but the excitement was unmistakable.

Addy turned back to Toby. “Please watch them. Don’t let them be a burden or loud or rude or—”

He kissed her. It was swift and silencing.

“Ew!” they heard Hanna squeak.

Toby never looked away from Addy. “They will be angels. I will make sure of it. Now stop fussing.”

But it would be the very first time ever that she wouldn’t have her babies home. Aside from Sean going camping, they had never been away from her. It was daunting and terrifying, and completely nerve wrecking.

“Where are you guys going?” she asked, even though he’d already told her.

“We’re going to catch a ferry to Victoria Island,” he repeated with the patience of a saint. “Spend Saturday whale watching and then do some exploring. You can too if you come.”

Addy shook her head. “No, you guys go and have fun and bring me back a t-shirt.” The last part was her feeble attempt at humor that failed when her wobbly grin slipped. “Watch them, please? They’re my whole world and—”

“I got this,” he promised quietly. “I won’t let anything happen to them. I promise.”

Believing him, she focused on the other two in the room. “Listen to Toby, understand? Don’t go anywhere or talk to anyone or touch anything…”

“Mom, we’re okay,” Sean murmured gently. “I’ll watch Hanna.”

Eyes burning, she turned away quickly and marched to where she’d put her credit card. She returned and pressed both into Toby’s palm.

“I’m paying for the kids, okay? That includes the room. I mean it!” she snapped sharply when he started to protest. “Just make sure you guys have fun.”

There was annoyance on his face, but he stowed the card into his back pocket. “Anything else, Sargent?”

“Yeah.” Reaching up, she cupped his face and brought him down for a long, thorough kiss. “I’m going to miss you.”

His free arm snaked around her middle and he bowed her into him to deepened the kiss. The thorough assault had her head spinning and her breaths coming out in pants by the time he drew back.

“Call me.” His voice was low and gruff. “A million times if you have to.”

Promising she would, she led the group to the front door and watched with a growing hollowness as they climbed into Toby’s truck and drove off.

The moment she shut the door, a chill passed through her. An eerie sense of emptiness and fear. Every corner of the house seemed to echo with a silence she was sure had never existed at Macy’s. The absence of another living soul for miles made her skin crawl.

Unwillingly, she made her way deeper into the house, following the last path her children had made from the kitchen. Once she was in the doorway, she just stood there, at a loss of what to do next.

Saturday, she spent the entire day cleaning. She scrubbed every inch of the inn down from top to bottom. It was amazing how much she managed to get done without having to pause to cook meals or worry about why it was so quiet—a terrifying thing when one had children.

It was around noon when the phone rang. Certain it was Toby, she practically decapitated herself rushing to snatch it up. She was breathless by the time she shoved the device to her ear.

“Hello?” Silence responded, a long, quiet silence that made her frown. “Toby? You there? Are the kids all right?”

Wondering if maybe they’d been disconnected, she hung up and dialed his phone. It rang four times before he picked up.

“Hey!”

“Hey, did you call just now?”

There was screaming and laughing in the background, and the roar of the ocean.

“No, we’re about to set out to see the whales. I was going to call you afterwards. Why? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, no, everything is fine. I guess maybe it was just the wrong number. Are you guys having fun?”

“Loads! I’ll tell you everything when I call you back, okay?”

Agreeing, she hung up. Then stood there staring at the phone a moment. Chalking it up as nothing, she returned to the silver she’d been polishing.

It was three in the morning when the hand closing over her mouth woke her out of a dead sleep.

Chapter 20 ~ Toby

The phone at the inn went to voicemail after the seventh ring. Addy’s cellphone did the same after four. Toby stared at his own device with an overwhelming surge of concern that soured any excitement he’d been feeling only moments ago at the prospect of hearing Addy’s voice.

“What’s wrong?” Damon peered into his face as Toby stuffed his phone away.

“Addy’s not picking up.”

Ripping off twisty bread with his teeth, Damon chewed and considered this a moment. “Maybe she’s sleeping or out.”

Both were a possibility, yet the nagging feeling continued to persist.

“I don’t know.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I just got a bad feeling.”

“What’s going on?” Cole moved away from the crowd clustered in line for breakfast and joined the small group.

“Addy’s not answering the phone.”

Cole checked his watch. “It’s eight. Maybe she’s sleeping in?”

“That’s what I said,” Damon said. “First weekend without kids, I’m sure she’s got a lot of sleeps to catch up on.”

Toby shook his head. “She doesn’t sleep in. She’s up before I am. Something’s wrong.”

“What could be wrong?” Cole asked. “She’s completely isolated.”

Toby straightened. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

He peered over to where Sean and Hanna were standing with the other kids, laughing at something Owen was saying. He started to call them over.

“Leave them,” Damon cut in. “I’ll bring them home later. You go on and call us when you get there.”

Patting his brother on the arm in gratitude, Toby hurried out of the restaurant. He dug out his keys from his pocket as he maneuvered his way down the sidewalk in the direction of the cars. The door on his truck shrieked, reminding him he’d been meaning to WD-40 it for ages. The worn leather rustled as he slipped behind the wheel. His cane was tossed into the passenger’s side seat.

It had started to rain. A light drizzle coated the windshield as he pulled into traffic and started home.

He stopped for nothing, not even gas. Every so often he tried the inn again or Addy’s phone and continued to get her soft voice telling him to leave a message. He tossed his phone in frustration. The thing hit the dashboard and tumbled uselessly to the floor of the passenger’s side.

Five hours and a ferry ride later, he broke through the Willow Creek boarder and shattered every speed record racing to the inn. Gravel flew beneath his tires as he swung into the driveway and killed the engine next to Addy’s minivan. He grabbed his phone and cane before making his way to the door.

“Addy!” Silence. “Addy, you home?” He shut the door and moved deeper into the foyer. “Your van’s in—”

“Run, Toby!”

The frantic warning was met with a crack followed by a sharp cry of pain. A chair creaked. Boots scuffled on linoleum.

Rather than heed the warning, Toby moved in the direction of her voice. His cane thumped loudly with his hurried strides. Its presence had never pissed him off more than it did in that moment.

He spotted Addy immediately. In the pale light of day, she practically glowed in her white nightgown. Her dark hair lay in tangled waves around slender shoulders and framed her ashen features. Her eyes were wide, the only other color on her face besides the smear of blood around her nose and mouth, and trickling from the gash on her cheek. She sat stooped in a chair in the center of the room with her hands balled in her lap and tears running down her face.

“Addy!”

She met his gaze. Then dropped them to scan the area around his legs. They jerked back up to him once more, panicked and questioning.

The children, he realized. He started to assure her that he hadn’t brought them when his brain took that moment to take in the full picture beyond Addy, like the gun kissing her temple and the steady hand wielding it.

Jonathon Montgomery met Toby’s gaze with quiet amusement. An eyebrow rose over heavily hooded eyes in question, like he was mildly curious to Toby’s presence there.

“Get away from her,” Toby warned, keeping as calm and rational as possible. “You don’t want to do this.”

Jonathon continued to stare, amused now. “Does that ever work?” But he lowered the gun away from Addy’s temple and Toby exhaled. “You’re Toby. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Toby nodded slowly. “All right. Let her go and we’ll talk.”

Jonathon chuckled, exposing the most perfect set of teeth Toby had ever seen. “I’m not an idiot and this isn’t a movie. You can’t negotiate with me.”

“Okay, then tell me what you want,” Toby countered.

“My kid,” Jonathon said without missing a beat.

Kid. Not kids, Toby realized with some confusion and interest. Either Jonathon didn’t know about Hanna or he didn’t care. Whichever it was, Toby decided he wouldn’t bring the girl up.

He shook his head. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

Jonathon snorted. “That wasn’t a request. That was my demand. I want my son.”

“Can’t do it.”

The gun lifted and the barrel gouged into Addy’s temple.

“Let’s try this again.” Jonathon shifted, widening his stance. “I. Want. My. Son. Give him to me and I might reconsider splattering my traitorous whore of a wife’s brains all over the kitchen wall.”

It was a struggle not to react, to not rush across the room and tackle the man way from Addy. But Toby stood his ground.

“You kill her there is nothing stopping me from killing you,” he told the man evenly. “Lower the gun.”

Jonathon sighed. “I can see this will get us nowhere.” His gun arm dropped down to his side. “So I will make you an offer. Bring me my son and I won’t kill you both.”

“No.” Toby didn’t even pause to consider the request.

Rather than anger, Jonathon laughed. “I like you. You’re a man of honesty. It’s the one thing no one mentioned when I asked about you. Hardworking, loyal, funny, smart, kind, but not honest. I think it’s something a lot of people take for granted.”

That surprised him. “You asked about me?”

Jonathon nodded slowly. “Yes, of course, I had to. I had to know who was fucking my wife. She’s a bit of an easy whore, but no one’s perfect. I’ve been looking into you and your family, and this charming little town of yours for several weeks now.”

“How?” Toby blurted. “We only just sent the divorce papers.”

Jonathon grinned. “I have a detective friend who has been monitoring Addy’s missing person’s report. When it got pulled up and he called me, I had to stop and wonder why a hole in the wall town in the middle of nowhere would be looking at my wife’s file … unless someone there had seen her. I had an investigator look into the matter and, low and behold, there was an Addy and Sean who moved to Willow Creek five years ago.” He paused to narrow his eyes. “Personally, I’m not a believer of coincidences.”

Inwardly, Toby cursed himself for being such an enormous idiot. He should have realized.

“What makes you think you’ll get away with this?” he asked instead, needing to stall until he thought of a better plan. “The police will know it was you.”

“If I kill you both,” Jonathon corrected. “But I’m hoping you’ll come to your senses and just walk away. I will take my wife and my son and you will never have to worry about any of this again.”

“Never going to happen—”

“Okay.” Addy’s quiet whisper startled them both. “We’ll go with you.”

Toby started. “What?”

Wet, puffy eyes met his. “He will kill you!” she croaked. “This is the only way we’ll all win.”

“Smart girl.” Jonathon stroked a hand through her tangled hair. “You always were smart. Sometimes too smart.” The fingers clamped down and yanked, jerking her head back with a violence that made her neck crack. Addy cried out. “Don’t be smart, Addy. You know how I feel about you thinking. We both know I’m stronger, and smarter, and I will not hesitate to prove it by any means necessary.”

“I … I’m not,” she choked out. “I just want all of this to be over.”

His hand untangled from her hair. “Good. Get Sean here now. Then we are going to get into the car and drive home where I will be keeping a very close eye on you.”

Nodding, Addy rose unsteadily to her feet. “I just … I need to call Toby’s family and tell them—”

“Or!” He grabbed her arm and yanked her back into her seat. “We can all just stay here and wait for him to get home.”

That had been her plan, Toby realized. She was going to call and tell whoever answered not to bring the kids, just like she had when she’d called out a warning for him to run. She was going to sacrifice herself and him to protect the children. It didn’t bother him. He would have done it himself, but it did infuriate him that Jonathon wasn’t as stupid as he looked.

“He’s not coming home,” Toby lied. “He’s spending the week with my brother.”

“Damon?” Jonathon asked without missing a beat. “And his beautiful wife Willa and their children Owen and Kari? Or did you mean Jared and your sister Calla and their son Colten?” He smirked when Toby tensed. “Like I said, I know everything about you.”

Toby forced a laugh. “Even if you tried to hurt Willa or Calla, or those kids, it won’t be me you’d have to deal with. Damon and Jared will rip you into tiny pieces. That’s if you can get through the rest of us first. You don’t seem to realize just what kind of family you’re dealing with.”

“Why would I hurt them?” Jonathon countered, actually sounding appalled. “I don’t want them. I just want my family back. I want my son. A father has a right to raise his son, don’t you think?”

Not if that father is you, Toby wanted to say. Instead, he said, “Why not just go through the courts like everyone else? Why come here and go through all this?”

“Because I have absolutely no intention of giving Addy a divorce. She either stays with me or, well, there is no or. I was raised to believe a man and wife should work their problems out in private and for the wife to love and obey her husband. I have spent a great deal of time, money and effort training Addy to be perfect. I refuse to let her go. She just needs to be reminded who’s in charge. Isn’t that right, love?”

Addy flinched at the stroke of his knuckles along her cheek. Her bottom lip wavered, but she bit it down and turned her face away.

Jonathon’s eyes narrowed, but he lowered his hand. “Seems I will have my hands full.”

There were so many things Toby wanted to do in that moment. Bashing the other man’s head in with a stool was one. The other was getting Addy as far away from him as possible. So far, he’d been unable to do either. Instead, he stood there like an idiot, cursing his leg, the distance and everything else standing in his way.

Feeling uniquely helpless, Toby focused on Addy, trying to decide what he could do to get to her without getting either of them shot. But he calculated fifteen feet between them, which normally wouldn’t have been too far, except it was hindered by his lack of swiftness. That exact moment would have been the perfect opportunity to make his move. Jonathon was staring at Addy. His attention wasn’t even on Toby. He could have easily been taken down if Toby’d had full use of his legs.

Brown eyes glassy with raw terror met his. It contradicted with the set line of her jaw and the tense determination thinning her lips. Lips that opened and mouthed, “Go!”

Toby shook his head. “So not happening.”

“He’s going to kill you,” she choked out. “He’s not going to—”

Blunt fingers cut into her jaw, twisting and wrenching her head back.

“That is enough of that,” Jonathon hissed. “It’s rude to talk about a person as though they’re not there.”

“Let Toby go,” she breathed. “I will go wherever you want, just—”

The fingers tightened until she cried out.

“Worried about your lover, sweetheart? Isn’t that sweet?” He straightened. Deliberation furrowed his brows, pulling his green eyes into contemplative slits. He turned his head a notch and surveyed Toby a long moment. “I think I have a better idea.” In a fluid sweep, the gun was yanked up and pointed square at Toby’s chest. Beneath his jacket, his heart gave a vicious kick that Toby concealed behind a mask of calm indifference. “Why don’t I put you both out of your miseries? This way, Addy will have nothing to focus on, except being the proper wife I expect.”

It was a struggle not to shift, to give nothing away as he stared down the barrel of a Desert Eagle. It was only the fear of leaving Addy and the kids at the mercy of that asshole that kept Toby doing anything truly heroic, like flipping Jonathon off.

“How exactly is this going to play out?” he asked. “You kill me and take Sean and Addy. Then what? Do you really think they won’t track you down?”

“I told you, this isn’t a movie. I’m not going to monologue for you and spill my heart out. I’m really not interested in whether or not you understand. I want my son and my wife, and I always get what I want. It’s as easy as that.”

The hammer cracked back. The sound painfully too loud in the deafening silence. It seemed to tear a hole through time itself as everything shrieked to a grinding halt. It hadn’t been like that the first time he’d been shot. It had happened so fast he had barely had time to react when the pain had splintered through him. Standing there, waiting for it was a whole different experience. But he didn’t run. He couldn’t even blink.

The bang tore through the room, muffling the scream and the hurl of Addy’s body straight at her ex. Her thin arms coiled around his and she shoved his aim wide.

Toby felt the whistle of the bullet rip through the air past his right ear. It shattered wood as it impaled the wall behind him. The world roared back into focus. The scuffle of bodies. The shriek of the chair leg being sent across the linoleum as Addy clung to Jonathon. For a long moment, Toby couldn’t move. His muscles had seized. He could scarcely catch his breath.

Christ, that had been fucking close. Too close.

Addy’s cry of pain brought him crashing back. Toby blinked out of his crippling numbness and watched as she was thrown to the ground a second time.

“You stupid fucking bitch!”

The gun was swung straight for her.

Toby lunged forward. All pain in his leg went forgotten as he launched himself at the bastard. The impact fired the gun, but Toby took Jonathon down. The gun went spinning out across the floor as they crumpled in a heap of arms and legs. Fists swung and connected in a series of jarring thumps and sickening crunches. Boots scuffled as Toby kept his place on top. His knuckles burned into the side of Jonathon’s rugged features, breaking skin and smearing blood. A punch caught him in the ribs, splintering pain up his entire side. Another exploded against his jaw, snapping his teeth together and showering his vision with stars. The blow momentarily dazed him, just long enough for Jonathon to try and roll Toby off him.

Bearing down, Toby drove his fist into the other man’s mouth. Blood splattered, staining teeth and chin. Toby followed the assault with two raised knuckles into Jonathon’s windpipe. The satisfying crunch was muffled by Jonathon choking on air and blood. His body seized and curled onto his side.

Toby relented. He dropped off the other man as he coughed and wheezed, spraying the floor with strings of red saliva. Toby was panting himself. His sides throbbed and he was sure a tooth or two had been knocked loose. But he pushed himself away from the other man and turned to find Addy.

He spotted her immediately, lying several feet away in a crimson puddle. Her dark hair fanned out around her head, contrasting harshly with the white tiles. Her face was turned away, but her unmoving state was enough to pound several million different moments of insanity into him.

“Addy?” He scrambled to her side, his heart a wild mess between his ears. “Addy!”

There was blood everywhere, coating everything. It soaked into her gown, turning the pale fabric to a garish red. Her hair was matted. Her skin smeared. It was impossible to tell where she’d been shot.

“Addy! Open your eyes!”

Unsteady hands fumbled as they moved over her, tearing at clothes and trying to find the hole. Terror buzzed in tendrils of fire that coursed through his veins. Every nerve ending in his body threatened to shut down. It threatened to ignore every second of his training reminding him he needed to stay calm. There were steps that needed to be followed and he needed to remember them if he was going to save her.

He found the bullet hole, a clean through and through in her right shoulder. While that saved him from having to dig bullet and fragments out, it was double the holes he needed to control. It was twice the blood loss. If he didn’t stop it fast, she could bleed out right there on the floor.

Moving quickly, he tilted her chin up. He bent at the waist and pressed his ear to her mouth. He willed his heart to slow its loud thumping just long enough to listen for signs of breathing. He held his own breaths.

It was there, faint, but enough to reassure him.

He tore out of his jacket and ripped off his shirt. He wadded it up and held it to the injury. He pressed down just hard enough not to cut off circulation.

“Come on, baby,” he panted, his voice choked even to his ears. “Don’t you dare leave me!”

Releasing one hand off the makeshift padding, he dug into his pocket for his phone. His eyes never left Addy’s ashen complexion, the pallor of her lips and how dark her lashes appeared against her cheeks. Blood smeared the screen as he fumbled to call someone. Anyone. Numbers refused to work under the wetness. Frustration welled up inside him.

“Come on, you fucking thing!” he snarled, barely restraining himself from smashing it into the floor.

Behind him, he heard Jonathon recovering. He heard the man moving and shifting. But Toby had no shit to give when Addy was about to bleed to death before his eyes. He didn’t even have the focus to flinch when he heard the click of a hammer being drawn back just behind his head.

“Drop the phone,” Jonathon croaked, his voice raspy.

“You better kill me,” Toby muttered. “Because when I get my hands on you, there won’t be any piece of you for the police to find. That’s a promise.”

He felt the whisper of the barrel brush the back of his hair. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

“Oh, I don’t think I can miss at this range.” Jonathon laughed.

Toby counted his heartbeats. At six, he jerked to the left, rotated his torso and, in that same fluid motion, grabbed the gun and twisted it flawlessly out of Jonathon’s grasp. He fired without pausing.

Jonathon struck the ground just behind Toby with both knees. At that angle, the bullet had torn through fabric and flesh to rip into his abdomen. Blood gushed almost immediately, creating a red blossom that quickly grew into a fountain. It rained down his front and stained the ground before he crumpled onto his side. His hands flew to his injuries, but Toby knew he wouldn’t make it.

“First rule of artillery, never hold your gun that close,” he muttered as he watched the man gasp for breath. “I hope it fucking hurts.” Leaving him to choke on his own blood, Toby turned back to Addy. “You better hang on. I’m not going to lose you. Do you hear me?”

Chapter 21 ~ Abby

Addy woke to the irritating beep of machines and the nauseating stench of antiseptic and medication. But it was the burn in her right shoulder that propelled her the rest of the way. The insistent throbbing was worse than any pain she’d ever felt, and she’d been fairly certain she’d felt them all. Her eyes flew open and she squinted at the baby blue walls and the harsh florescent lighting. A framed painting of a sailboat on clear waters greeted her eyes first. It was pinned to the wall right at the foot of the lumpy bed she lay on. On either side of her were machines and a table holding a fairly large stack of books, juice boxes, granola bar wrappers and a Styrofoam takeout container. But it was the three figures across the room that made her breath catch.

Toby sat in one chair with Hanna cradled against his chest. Sean sat curled in the one next to him, his head pillowed on Toby’s shoulder. All three were sleeping, their faces bathed in the pale fingers of dawn filtering through the window. Addy had never been so happy to see anyone.

“You’re awake.” Beth stepped into the room, a cup of coffee in hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she whispered. “A bit fuzzy.”

Beth nodded like that made sense. “That’s probably the morphine. How’s the arm?”

Instinctively, Addy glanced at her left arm where a red tube was fed into the crock of her arm. The pipe itself wasn’t red. It was the liquid pouring down from the blood bag hanging on the rod. Another bag hung next to it. The end was taped to the back of her hand. This one full of clear fluid. On her right arm, the one she couldn’t move, she found it wrapped in heavy, white plaster. A blue sling held it securely to her chest. The sight of it had her eyes going wide.

“What…?”

“You were shot,” Beth said calmly. “The bullet went straight through, but it nicked your humerus … shoulder bone,” she explained at Addy’s puzzled expression. “You have a minor fracture. Nothing serious. But you will be sporting that pretty cast for a few weeks.”

“What happened?”

A brow arched. “You don’t remember?”

It took several seconds to wade through the heavy fog drenching her thoughts, but the memory resurfaced like a warship.

“Jonathon!” She struggled to sit up. The heart monitor behind her increased in tempo. “Where…?”

“He’s gone,” Beth promised evenly and quietly. “You’re safe now.”

That wasn’t possible, unless…

“Is he dead?”

The glance Beth gave the ground was answer in itself, yet it didn’t fill Addy with the joy she always thought she’d feel at the thought of Jonathon dying. She felt no remorse either. She felt nothing and that scared her.

“It’s okay,” Beth promised. “Give yourself time.”

“Mommy?” Hanna blinked open brown eyes and spotted Addy sitting up in bed. They widened. “Mommy!”

Toby and Sean jerked awake when she scrambled out of Toby’s lap and tore across the room. She made a running leap at the bed and still couldn’t make it up. She clung to the edge and flailed, her little legs kicking at air. Beth scooped her up and set her on the mattress. The girl stumbled up and threw herself straight into Addy’s chest.

The assault ripped through her in ribbons of unimaginable pain. It nearly tore a scream from her as every bone in her arm wrenched. Instead, all she could do was bite her lip and use her good arm to pull her daughter closer. Even as her eyes watered.

“You’re awake!” the girl exclaimed into Addy’s collarbone. “Toby said you’d wake up. He promised.”

Sean hurried to the bed and Addy hooked her good arm around him. She pulled him into the hug.

“Are you guys okay?” she asked.

Sean nodded, his eyes too bright. “It was him, wasn’t it?”

Hanna’s head popped up. “Who?”

Addy looked into her son’s gut wrenching expression and gave him a small smile. “It doesn’t matter.”

He looked like he wanted to protest, but he glanced at Hanna and snapped his mouth shut.

“Who?” Hanna demanded again.

“I think it’s time for you two to go to bed,” Beth cut in. “We waited until your mom woke up and now that she has, you two need to rest. Come on. We’ll come back later this afternoon.”

Addy stiffened. “Where are you going?”

“I was going to take them back to my place and let them sleep a few hours, but if you like, I can take them to Willa’s?”

“We don’t want to go,” Hanna whined. “We want to stay with you.”

After nearly losing them forever, Addy didn’t want them to go either, but Beth was right. They did need rest. Plus Addy was beginning to feel herself drifting again.

“Mrs. McClain’s right,” she told the children quietly. “You should get some sleep. I can see you again later this afternoon.”

“But, Mommy—”

“Come on, Hanna,” Sean murmured. “We’ll come back.”

Hanna hesitated, but she slid off the cot and took the hand Sean held out to her.

Addy looked at the woman waiting at the foot of the bed. “Thank you.”

Beth nodded once before leading the children out of the room, leaving Addy alone with the only other person there.

“Toby.” She peered at the man pushing to his feet.

Toby crossed to her and stopped when the bed got in the way. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?”

He gave a tight chuckle. “You’re the one in the hospital.”

Gingerly, she touched the cast weighing her right side down. “What happened?”

“Don’t know the full story yet. The sheriff came by while you were sleeping and took my statement. He said he’d be back later when you woke up.”

Addy shook her head. “No, I mean, what happened?”

He looked away. “Doesn’t matter. He got what was coming to him.”

Guilt pulled at her insides. It tightened the knots twisting her gut.

“I’m sorry.

Toby peered at her. “For what?”

“Everything?” She squeezed her eyes shut tight. “For you having to do that.”

“I would do it again.” The vibrating rage in those five words had her eyes opening to him. “The only thing I regret is that he didn’t suffer enough.”

She looked him over, searching for injuries and only finding the tears on his knuckles and the blossom darkening his jaw. Otherwise, he seemed unharmed.

“Were you hurt?”

Intensity darkened his features. “I would have been if you hadn’t saved my life.” He shook his head slowly. “What were you thinking, Addy?”

Addy started. “What?”

“Why would you jump at him like that?” Frustration and anger tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You could have died. He could have shot you somewhere that…” He broke off and turned away. The hand not gripping his cane lifted and scrubbed at his face.

“He was going to shoot you!” she protested. “I wasn’t going to let him—”

“I almost lost you!” He rounded on her, his eyes blazing. “It was so close that I … I can’t even think about it without wanting to lose my fucking mind. You have no idea how terrified I was to see you lying there, covered in blood, barely breathing. You can’t possibly imagine what…” His nostrils flared with his barely restrained emotions. His turmoil reflected across the dark surface of his eyes. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Addy. And I don’t ever want to know.”

Compressed in a warm ripple of affection, she reached for him with her good hand. Her fingers were captured and tangled through his. Their palms met.

“You won’t ever have to find out.”

His shoulders deflated with her quiet promise. His fingers tightened. He pulled closer and bent at the waist.

“Love you, Addy,” he murmured before his mouth met hers.

The hand holding hers released to cup her skull. He held her to him while his mouth moved in powerful, possessive strokes over hers. His fingers tightened in her hair once before releasing. He pulled back.

“You’re not allowed to play hero ever again, understand?”

Chuckling, Addy nodded. “I will try.”

Sheriff Bo Benson arrived promptly after the lunch trays were picked up. His deputy followed him into Addy’s room while she was struggling to get a few more minutes of rest. It was a little after one and no one had come to see her since Toby had gone to grab her a fresh set of clothes. The place had been quiet, the perfect sort of silence for a nap. But the moment her eyes had shut, Sheriff Benson walked in and knocked on her doorframe.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Nixon. Sorry to bother you.”

Pushing up on the pillows, Addy shook her head. “It’s all right.”

They moved to the foot of her bed and peered down at her. Only Deputy Wallaby pulled out a notepad and pen.

“We won’t take much of your time,” the sheriff said. “Just want to know what happened.”

What had happened?

The whole thing felt like a nightmare she had no desire to revisit. There were so many moments throughout the seemingly endless night that she’d sat in that chair and wondered if he would ever stop toying with her and just kill her already. She knew it was unlikely. More than anything, he’d wanted her alive, wanted her back to use as he wished. She had no doubt that was the reason he wanted Sean as badly as he had. He knew her children were the only things in the world that would keep her contained, keep her subdued, and at his absolute mercy. Otherwise, he had never had any interest in Sean. The boy had been a tool to use against Addy, a reminder that he and his family held all the cards and she had no choice but to fall in line.

“I don’t know what happened,” she whispered honestly. “I was sleeping and he … I don’t even know how he got in. I lock everything before I go to bed.”

Deputy Parker rapped his pen on his open notepad. “He broke through the laundry room window.”

Creases formed between her brows. “I didn’t hear anything. How is that possible?”

The sheriff rolled broad shoulders. “Could have done it when you weren’t home. We found his car parked a few miles down the road. A rental.”

Had he been parked down the road from her, watching her and the children’s every move? How had she not seen him? How could she have truly believed herself so safe that she no longer paid attention to her surroundings?

“If he was watching the house, then how come he didn’t know about Hanna? He never once asked for her.”

“We don’t have all the answers at this time,” Sheriff Benson said.

“Do you know why he was here?” she asked instead.

Parker immediately shook his head.

The sheriff shifted, elevating his weight off his right leg onto his left. “Not at this time, but we will. For now, why don’t you walk us through what happened.”

She pulled in a breath and told them everything. Everything from the moment Jonathon Montgomery first started showing interest in her right to the moment she snuck out the back door with Sean in tow. She left absolutely nothing out, knowing this was the time to put it all out there and let the law do its work.

“He made me sit in the kitchen like he used to when he was trying to punish me for something I’d done wrong and wait for Toby and the kids to come home.”

“He didn’t say anything?”

Oh, he’d said plenty.

“We’re going to work on our marriage, Addy,” he’d told her in that calm tone that barely concealed the ocean of rage she knew was frothing just beneath it. “You will learn to obey me once more. You will repent and beg my forgiveness for the last five years, and you will work relentlessly until I am satisfied that you have learned your lesson. Only then can we start over.”

“I won’t go with you,” she’d whispered. “I won’t let Sean grow up to be like you.”

The crack of his palm across her face had turned the skin numb. Her mouth had filled with blood and stars obscured the sight of him.

“And what is wrong with me, Addy? I may not be your bumpkin lover, but I am rich, successful and powerful, and I have the power to ruin your life. The decision is yours. Come back with me, be my wife again or face the rest of your life from a room lined with mattresses. That is if I only stop there. I will make sure you never see Sean again or the light of day.”

“Is he really dead?” She pulled out of her dark memories and focused on the pair watching her.

Parker nodded before the sheriff could answer. “Coroner has him on ice as we speak.”

“Wallaby!” The sheriff shot him a disapproving glower. “Just take the notes, son.”

Tips of his ears bright pink, Parker bowed his head over his notepad once more and fell quiet.

Sheriff Benson turned his attention on Addy once more. “Mr. Montgomery is dead. The coroner confirmed it. His next of kin has been notified.”

Great, Addy thought miserably. That meant Stanton and Rayna would be coming up to identify and claim the body. That meant the fight Addy was in was about to get ten times worse.

“Sheriff?” She bit her lip to control the tremor in her voice before speaking again. “What’s going to happen to me and my children?”

Benson scratched at the salt and pepper scruff along his jaw. The sound overshadowed Parker’s pen scribbling across paper.

“I won’t know until I talk to the family and do some more investigation, but so far, it looks like self-defense.”

That gave her no reassurance at all. If anything, him not knowing only made her all the more anxious.

“Ms. Nixon, can you tell me roughly what time it was when Mr. Montgomery pulled you out of bed?”

“It was after three,” she murmured.

“And what time did Mr. McClain get there?”

“It was after one.”

Sheriff Benson’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s a little over ten hours of just you and Mr. Montgomery alone and he said nothing?”

Talking about the abuse she’d suffered, the humiliation and pain she’d been forced to endure at the hands of her husband always shamed her to talk about. Like somehow it had been her fault she hadn’t been strong enough to disobey. No amount of therapy had helped erase that need to never tell anyone just how weak she’d been.

But she found herself sucking in air and facing the necessity.

“It was something he used to do when we were together,” she murmured to her fingers. “He’d make me sit and listen as he told me how useless I was and how the only saving grace I had was him. He’d tell me how he needed to protect Sean from me, which was why I wasn’t allowed near my own son unsupervised. Then he’d remind me that I had no one and nowhere to go. That I needed to be grateful.” She lifted her eyes to the two watching her quietly. “He would do that for nights at a time. He would keep me awake until I was begging him to let me sleep. Until I would do anything he wanted for a few hours.” Tears of humiliation burned her eyes, blurring her companions. “And he made sure I felt every moment of it. He made sure he reminded me the whole time that he was stronger than me. He’d wake me up at five in the morning every morning and he would make me sit in that chair and wait until everyone else was up. Then I had to make breakfast. He wasn’t just physically abusive, Sheriff. Those marks have mostly faded. It’s the rest that I will have to carry with me for the rest of my life.” She wiped at her eyes. “So to answer your question, yes, he said plenty, but nothing I hadn’t already heard before.”

Sheriff Benson shifted in discomfort, his jaw muscles tense. “I understand, but I still need for you to tell me everything he said the best you can remember it.”

He and Parker were still asking her questions when Toby arrived, duffle bag in hand. He glanced at the two men in the room with her and inclined his head.

“Sheriff. Deputy.”

“Mr. McClain.” Sheriff Benson pivoted on his heels to face the newcomer. “We were going to hunt you down after we finished with Ms. Nixon here. We had a couple more question for you, if you got a moment.”

Toby nodded. He dumped the bag into one of the chairs in the corner and faced the pair. “Sure thing.”

Parker flipped to the page with the questions and showed the sheriff, who peered over them quickly before focusing on Toby once more.

“What did Mr. Montgomery say to you when you first arrived on the scene?”

“Only that he’d been waiting for me.”

“So, he knew who you were,” the sheriff said.

Toby nodded. “He said he’d been researching me and my family for weeks, since I did a search on Addy’s missing person’s report.”

The sheriff slanted Parker a withering glower that had the younger man’s shoulders lifting up to his ears.

“Which you had an officer do for you, is that correct?” There was a ting of warning in the question.

Toby nodded without missing a beat. “Parker pulled it up for me.”

That seemed to satisfy the sheriff. Even Parker sagged a little in relief.

“You told us in our earlier conversation that you incapacitated him originally, is that correct?” At Toby’s nod, he continued. “But he went for the gun and that’s when you shot him?”

Again, Toby nodded. “That’s correct.”

“Why didn’t you pick up the gun after you incapacitated him?”

“Because Addy was bleeding across the kitchen floor and she was my only concern.”

The sheriff waited until Parker had jotted that down before giving a slow bob of his head. “All right. I’ll have more questions for you both later. I will also be keeping in touch once I have more information to give. The man I spoke to, a…”

“Stanton Montgomery, sir,” Parker supplied.

“Right, Stanton Montgomery, he assured me he’d be down later this evening to ID the body. After that…” He let his words trail off, but the meaning was clear; he’d determine where everyone stood once Stanton had had his say, which left Addy physically nauseous.

“Sheriff, anything that man says about me, it’s not going to be true,” she murmured.

Cool, gray eyes fixed on her face for a long moment before he spoke. “Ms. Nixon, I am a very good judge of character. It’s something I pride myself on. I will look over everything very carefully before I make my decision.”

It was all she could really ask for.

She watched the two leave the room and turned to Toby. He walked over to the side of her bed and perched at her hip.

“Hey.”

It was a task, but she offered him a weak smile. “Hi.”

He touched her face lightly with bent fingers. “How you feeling?”

“I kind of want to go home,” she admitted. “I want to sit on the sofa with you and the kids and pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Willa and Calla are at the house with Lily right now,” he said. “They’re tidying up a bit for your return. Dad, Jared, Uncle Sloan and Damon are finishing up the back porch so it should be done by the time we get there.”

He didn’t say it, but she knew he meant cleaning up the bloody mess in the kitchen and patching up the bullet holes, no doubt. She couldn’t have been more thankful. The last thing she’d be able to do, one arm or not, was walk into that place and clean away what had happened.

“That’s really kind of them,” she whispered. “And your mom for taking the kids. You have such an amazing family, Toby.”

His hand curled around both of the ones she had clenched in her lap. “They’re not doing this for me, Addy. You and the kids are one of us. Maybe not by name … yet, but you’re a McClain.”

“Are you sure you want that? To be saddled with me and all my baggage forever?”

“Nothing I want more.”

The inn smelled of pine floor cleaner, wet paint and sawdust beneath a mouthwatering array of seasoned meat, tangy barbeque sauce and baked potatoes. Music and chatter brimmed and spilled into the hallway. It bounced off the walls and somehow filled the place with a light that seemingly glowed from within the house itself.

Addy followed the sound into the kitchen and found it packed with every member of the McClain family. The backdoor had been propped open to the late afternoon chill and people kept filing in and out with platters of food and drinks. Trays of corn, salads and roasted meat lined the table and more kept getting added. The only thing missing was the blood. Every inch of the floor had been scrubbed to a shine. Had she not been in a cast and heavily medicated against the pain, she never would have believed she’d been shot, or that her ex-husband had been killed right there.

“Addy!” Willa spotted her first. She abandoned her place at the stove where she’d been sautéing mushrooms and rushed forward to engulf Addy in a gingerly hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Good…” She peered over the other woman’s shoulder at the other faces turning in her direction. “What’s going on?”

It was Willa’s turn to look perplexed. “A welcome home party.” She paused to roll her eyes. “Kind of.” She chuckled. “We just wanted to be here when you got home. Come.”

“Willa!” Lily lunged on the pan Willa had abandoned without taking off the flames. “You can’t just walk away from … oh, never mind!”

Willa grimaced sheepishly. “Sorry!”

“It’s your own fault, Aunt Lily.” Damon stalked into the kitchen with a steaming pan of ribs. “You should know better than to trust Will in the kitchen.”

“Oh shush you!” Willa made a passing swat at her husband’s backside.

“Hey, don’t start something you can’t finish,” he teased and gave her a wink that filled her cheeks with bright pink.

“You’re horrible.” She mumbled around a badly concealed grin. She turned back to Addy. “Do you want a drink?”

Addy shook her head. “I would actually like a shower. I smell like blood and hospital. But … where are the children?”

“Outback.” Cole stomped into the crowd. “Sloan took them riding. Hope that’s okay?”

“Rosie went with them,” Lily assured her quickly.

Addy nodded. “No, that’s fine. I’m just going to run up.”

No one stopped her when she backed out of the room. She made it into the hallway before Toby caught up to her.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”

“You’ll get used to that. My family likes banding together during the hard times and putting on a BBQ party.”

Maybe it was the medication dulling her senses, but it took her a long time to grasp exactly what she was feeling. Beneath the drug induced fog and underline pain and exhaustion, she felt sad and there was absolutely no reason for it.

“Hey, what is it?”

Addy shook her head. “I don’t know, honestly. I’m just so…” She sucked in a shaky breath and tried to think of the word.

“Overwhelmed?” he supplied.

She nodded. “I think so. I just … I’ve never had this. No one had ever cared enough to throw me a welcome home party. When I went into labor with Sean, I went to the hospital with the driver. He stayed outside my room the whole time then he drove me home. No one was waiting for me when I got back. I never saw anyone. I guess I’m just not used to not being alone.”

“Trust me.” He framed her face between his palms. “Alone doesn’t exist in this family. They’ll be there whether you want them to be or not.”

She liked that. Deep down, it actually even excited her. But in that moment, all she could think about was getting clean and napping.

“I need a shower,” she told him.

“Need help?”

She did, especially since she wasn’t allowed to get the cast wet.

He walked her to his room and his bathroom. He helped strip her and turn the water on. But he didn’t let her get in. Instead, he held her naked against him, his hands on her hips. The material of his clothes brushing against bare skin sent shivers along her spine. It hardened her nipples and filled her belly with a familiar inferno of heat that made all thoughts of exhaustion retreat to the back burner of her mind.

“Shower first,” he murmured, possibly reading the flicker of desire in her eyes. “Then we’re going to have our own celebration.”

Thrilled by the idea, Addy let herself be helped into the tub. She knelt and let him rinse away the nightmares. All the while, she shut her eyes and let herself get lulled by the soothing massaging of his fingertips. Behind her eyelids, images of Jonathon’s face kept flickering into view. She saw the triumph in his eyes when he’d hauled her out of bed, the arrogance as he forced her into the kitchen and finally, the nothingness that kept creeping into place. But in all that, despite the terror she’d felt when Toby had arrived, the fear that had nearly crippled her at the thought of him bringing the children, she felt oddly numb to it all. Her therapist would no doubt have a fancy term for it, delayed post-traumatic stress disorder or something similar, but she honest to God felt nothing and she knew she should. She’d been in pieces after leaving her life behind. Every knock, every jingle of the phone, every creak at night had her scuttling into the corner like a beaten dog. She’d been a wreck. Now it was just acceptance. Maybe it was because Jonathon was dead and could no longer hurt her or maybe it was just too soon after the incident, but she knew that wasn’t normal.

Washed, Toby helped her out and toweled her dry.

“I think I need to call Nia,” she whispered as he was running the towel along her legs. “I think I need to start seeing my group again.”

Toby straightened and met her gaze. “If that’s what you want.”

A lump formed in her throat, seemingly out of nowhere and without reason. “I think something’s wrong.”

The towel was pulled around her tight before she was folded into his chest. “Tell me.”

She clung to the front of his shirt and breathed in his familiar, comforting smell. “I don’t feel anything. I’m not sad. I’m not happy. I just want to sleep.”

“That’s probably the medication,” he assured her gently. “That stuff messes with your whole system. Plus, you need to give yourself time to process. A lot happened in a very short amount of time.”

It was exactly the type of thing Nia would have told her. The grieving process was as long as the recovery process. It all took time and patience.

“Why don’t you rest for a little while?” he suggested. “I’ll send everyone home and watch the kids until you’re ready to join us.”

“I can’t ask you to do that—”

“You’re not. I’m offering. Now, come on. Bed for you.”

She made no protest as he guided her to the bed and tucked her in. Damp strands were brushed back from her face.

“I’ll be here when you get up,” he promised quietly.

“Mommy?” Enormous brown eyes peered down at her from a face surrounded by a straggly mess of hair. “Are you awake?”

Addy pried open one eye and squinted up at her daughter. “What is it?”

“It’s morning,” the girl announced. “On a Monday, which means I have to go to daycare. Toby says he’s going to take me and I shouldn’t wake you up, unless you’re awake. Are you awake?”

A chuckle tickled her chest as she freed her hand from the blanket and stroked the girl’s warm cheeks. “I love you.”

The girl grinned. “Calla says I’m lovable.”

“She’s right.” Addy pushed herself up and kissed the end of Hanna’s nose. “Come on. Let’s get you to school.”

It wasn’t until she was tossing the sheets back and felt the cold tickle of air against bare skin that she remembered she’d fallen asleep in nothing but a towel, a towel that had bunched around her waist. She yanked the sheets back up to her chin.

“You go on. I’m going to get dressed.”

Unfazed, Hanna scrambled off the bed and hurried from the room. No sooner had she disappeared from sight when Toby appeared.

“I told her not to wake you.”

Chuckling, she eased out of bed and straightened the towel the best she could with one functioning arm. “It’s fine. I should be up anyway. Can you help me with my clothes?”

It was a task trying to get through breakfast with only one hand, her left hand at that. Being right handed, the whole relearning process was infuriating. The only blessing was Toby and the fact that Sean could get himself ready. Between the two of them, Hanna was dressed, fed and ready to get packed into the car.

“Sean, you still have fifteen minutes before your bus arrives,” Addy called when the boy started out of the room with his coat on and backpack slung over his shoulder.

“I’m just going to wait outside.”

Sean hadn’t looked at her overly much all morning. He’d said even less and the longer he went without both, the more concerned Addy became.

“Why don’t I walk you out?”

She went to him despite his protest and settled a hand on his shoulder. It sagged beneath her touch, but he didn’t push her away. Together, they ventured down the hall towards the front door. She pulled him into the sitting room.

“Talk to me, kiddo.”

Staring fixedly at his shoes, Sean shook his head. “Nothing to talk about.”

“You know that’s not true. A lot has happened here lately and I need to know how you feel.”

“I’m fine.”

“Sean…”

His head came up, his brown eyes dark. “I’m fine!” he snapped. “I don’t want to talk.”

His raised anger momentarily surprised her. Sean had always been so level headed and calm. Seeing him upset was new.

“Okay, then can I talk?”

His response was the sharp aversion of his eyes and the deep furrow of his brows.

“He did find us,” she began slowly, picking her words carefully. “He was here, but he won’t come back. Not ever. He’s gone forever. I promise. You and your sister are safe.”

“Because he’s dead.” His flat tone made her shiver.

“Yes,” she whispered. “He’s dead.”

His chin came up and he met her gaze evenly. “I shouldn’t have left.”

Addy started. “What?”

His face lowered once more. “I should have been here instead of out there watching stupid whales.”

“No!” She grabbed his shoulder with her good hand and gave him a gentle shake. “No, God, Sean, that is not … there was absolutely nothing you could have done. I would not have let him anywhere near you, even if you had been here. Plus, I’m the parent here. It’s my job to protect you and Hanna. Your job is to be a kid and do all the things kids do, like watch whales and spend time with your friends. You’ve been my anchor for too long and that’s my fault. I should never have allowed you to grow up as fast as you did. I’m not going to let that happen anymore. It’s over, do you hear me? No more being scared. No more hiding and no more growing up.”

He squinted at her. “That’s physically impossible.”

She gave his arm a teasing squeeze. “You know what I mean. You’re going to be a kid even if I have to hire someone to teach you.”

“What about Hanna?”

“I think she’s got being a kid down to a science.” Addy laughed and straightened. “It’s you we need to focus on.”

“No, I mean what are you going to tell her about your arm?”

Addy shrugged. “She hasn’t asked.”

“That’s because I told her you fell.”

Addy sighed, chest tightening. “I got too lucky with you, kid.” She ruffled his hair. “Then that’s what we’ll tell her. She doesn’t need to know anything else. At least not right now.”

Sean nodded solemnly. “Okay.” He glanced over her shoulder at the front door. “I need to go.”

She kissed him and pulled him to her. Her grip tightened when his arms lifted and wound around her middle, squeezing her back.

“Love you, Mom,” he whispered into the wool of her sweater.

Tears were squished into the top of his head as she buried her face into his hair. “Love you, too, baby.”

He pulled back and kept his face averted as he fixed his coat and bag. But she heard the faint sniffle and the tremor in his voice when he murmured, “See you after school.”

No sooner had the door shut when Hanna came thumping down the hall, backpack bouncing at her back.

“I’m ready!”

“Hold on, Tiny.” Toby appeared behind her, her coat hooked on one finger. “Forget something?”

“Can I put it on over my backpack? Then I’ll look like a turtle.”

“Under.” Addy went to her and helped tug her bag off. “You can be a turtle in the spring.”

“You okay?” Toby asked once they had Hanna properly dressed and waiting by the door.

Addy nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to see how I can bake with only one hand. Then—”

“No, I mean are you okay?” he stressed slowly.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” she admitted. “But I feel better than I did yesterday. I feel alert and calmer. I’m going to give it a few more days, but I’m still going to call Nia and let her know what happened.”

He nodded. “Okay.” Bowing his head, he kissed her. “I’ll be back as soon as I drop Tiny off. Call me if you need anything.”

Promising she would, she watched the two leave. Alone, she made her way into the kitchen and stopped on the threshold. She stared at the spot Jonathon had made her sit all night and wait for the kids to come home. Her palms immediately became damp and a gnawing sensation started in her belly. All the air seemed to solidify around her, growing too thick and pasty. Her heart began to clap loudly with every gulp of oxygen she couldn’t suck in. She stumbled back, desperate to put space between herself and the memory, but it followed her. It struck into her chest even as her back hit the hallway wall. Her legs dissolved and she slid to the floor.

She could have died. Toby could have died. She honestly couldn’t imagine which of those two things were worse. Most likely the latter. Her mind refused to even acknowledge the possibly of not having him anymore. But it was the thought of Jonathon getting his hands on Hanna and Sean that kept her on the ground. It was the what ifs that kept hammering at her. Every moment that passed only further tightened the serrated fingers of terror gripping her chest until the pain was blinding.

Gentle fingers settled on her arm, scalding hot against the chill of her skin. Blue eyes came into focus behind the film of tears before Beth’s soft face did. The woman knelt down next to her, and without a word, pulled Addy into her arms.

Addy broke. She crumpled with a sob. Her back heaved beneath the woman’s stroking palms. Tears poured and melted into Beth’s coat. It went unnoticed as she continued to clasp Addy to her. Neither spoke until the last tremor had dissipated into the air and the last tear had fallen. Even then, Beth kept holding on until Addy drew back.

“Okay?”

Addy nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m sorry.”

Beth ignored that. “Come on. Let’s get something warm in you.”

She allowed herself to be hoisted up and propelled into the sitting room. A throw was tucked around her. Then she was left alone to compose herself.

A few minutes later, Beth returned with a tea tray. She set it down on the coffee table.

“Thank you,” Addy whispered as a steaming cup was pressed into her chilled palm.

Beth got her own tea and took the cushion next to Addy. “Tea isn’t my specialty,” she confessed with a weak little grin. “Coffee, however…”

Addy chuckled. “This is fine. Thank you.” She held the cup closer, wishing she could crawl inside and sleep. But she pushed the thought aside. “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you,” she amended quickly.

Beth chuckled. “I came to see how you were feeling. I figured the kids would be off to school and you could use some help.”

“Instead you found me huddled in the corner of the hallway,” she finished, partially joking.

“I would have been more surprised if I hadn’t found you huddled in a corner. You’ve been through a lot and you’ve held it together pretty well considering, but even the strong need moments of weakness.”

Addy exhaled heavily. “I don’t even know what happened. I was just walking into the kitchen and it hit me. Toby almost got shot, because of me. He could have been killed.” Her eyes filled all over again. “The idiot didn’t run when I told him to!”

Beth rolled her eyes. “I don’t think any of the McClain men would have. They’re frustratingly stubborn that way.”

“I put him in danger,” she choked out.

“Hey.” A gentle hand rested on the wrist of her good hand. “Now, you listen to me. I’ve known my son longer than anyone and I can tell you right now that nothing short of death would have gotten him to leave. He’s just like his father, a stubborn, hopeless … infuriating man with an enormous heart.”

“You must hate me.”

Beth laughed. “Believe it or not, I don’t. I never did. I don’t even mildly dislike you. I think you’re incredibly brave and strong, and kind. I also think Toby’s lucky to have you.” She grinned when Addy shot her a look. “I mean it, and I’m not saying that out of guilt. The truth is that I haven’t seen him this happy since before the accident. Oh, he always acted like it never bothered him, but I could tell the stress of not being able to go back and not being able to walk was really getting to him. While I still don’t approve of his strenuous activities, I can see the change in him since he’s met you. Plus, your daughter is pretty impossible not to adore. You almost didn’t get her back.”

Addy chuckled. “She has that effect on people.”

“Are you feeling better?”

She took a sip of her tea and nodded. “Yes, hopefully that was the last of it. I was actually about to call a friend of mine from the program, but I didn’t get that far.”

Beth set her teacup down and folded her hands together in her lap. She eyed Addy solemnly.

“You know, if you ever need to talk or just hang out for a while, you have four people right here in town more than willing to put something together and make it happen. Calla doesn’t even need an excuse to have a girl’s night and Willa’s all about chatting and sharing. Then of course Lily, she’d happily spend hours in the kitchen with you.”

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Addy grinned. “You said four.”

Beth lowered her eyes to her hands. “I was going to add myself in the mix, but I wasn’t sure if it would mean anything.”

“It does,” Addy murmured. “A lot.”

Chapter 22 ~ Toby

Halos of light glimmered off fairy wings and princess wands. It shone over flushed faces as witches, zombies and Power Rangers ran in a flurry of chaos through the night. The Monster Mash played from the speakers positioned around the field, almost muffled beneath the screams and laughter filling the air in a cacophony of delight. Lights splintered the darkness. Each construction light was strategically positioned to illuminate and simultaneously darken the maze. Children ran in and out of its openings, flushed and laughing.

The entire backfield was broken into sections separating the older, rowdier kids from the younger ones. The older ones got the maze and all the horrors Calla had handpicked to scare the holy hell out of them. The younger set got the pumpkin carving and a mound of hay to climb on. The sections were fenced off by a rope and guarded by an adult to keep order.

Toby was elected to sit and guard the maze entrance. Excited groups would bound over to him, tickets in hand and he would happily send them in in clusters of five. Then he’d sit back and listen as they screamed their way to the other side where Rosie stood with a bowl of goodies. Then the next group was sent in.

“Toby!” Hanna bounded out of the crowd, her glittery gown shimmering and came to a stop on the other side of the fold up table Calla had draped in black cloth and sticky cobwebs. “Can I go in?”

“Sorry, love, big kids only.”

Her pinkened lips puckered. “But I’m big. I’m bigger than Kari!”

Toby smothered a chuckle. “You’re taller than Kari, doesn’t make you bigger. But you can help me rip tickets, if you want?”

Hanna hurried around the table and climbed into Toby’s lap. She took the tickets from the next set of kids and ripped them while he sat and watched the crowd.

“Hey you two.”

His mom and dad cut along the long line waiting to get in and stopped off to one side.

“Hello! Ticket please.” Hanna held out her hand.

Cole chuckled. “I’m too old to get scared.”

Hanna frowned at that, not understanding the remark. Her gaze went to Toby, waiting for an explanation.

Toby chuckled and squeezed her closer. “You’re not old, Dad.”

Cole put a hand to his stomach. “I just saw a boy put eight hot dogs away in under ten minutes and it hit me that that used to be me. Now, I eat two and my colon—”

“Cole!” Beth swatted him. “That’s disgusting!”

Cole smirked. “Yet I don’t see you denying it.”

Beth stifled a grin behind a frown and turned back to Hanna. “I was on my way to get candy apples, but I’m not sure which one to get. I wish I knew someone who could help me.”

Hanna’s face lit up. “I know all about candy apples!” She threw herself out of Toby’s lap and scrambled around the table. “I can help you!”

She grabbed Beth’s hand and practically dragged her in the opposite direction, chattering on loudly about all the different candy apples and the proper way to eat them.

“She’s adorable,” Cole said once they were alone.

Toby nodded as he went back to the job of accepting and tearing tickets now that his buddy was stolen away.

“Yeah, she really is.” He grinned at his dad. “And she knows it.”

Sean took that moment to appear next to Cole, panting and wheezing. He doubled over, hands falling to his knees as he struggled to breathe. Colten was at his side, equally out of breath, but grinning.

“Hey boys,” Toby said, eyeing them. “Having fun?”

The two roared with laughter. Sean actually had to wipe his eyes as Colten slumped against him for support.

“We just tossed Owen into the pond,” Colten howled. “He’s so pissed!”

Toby bit back his own chuckles. “Your moms are going to kill you, you know that, right?”

“Hey!” The loud bellow had several heads turning. Owen charged forward, shouldering through the crowd like a bull through a china shop. His clothes were sopping wet and there was murder in his eyes.

“Run!” Colten cried, grabbing Sean.

The two were off, pounding in the opposite direction with Owen tearing after them.

“Ah boys.” Cole exhaled.

“I remember being the one to get tossed into the pond,” Toby muttered. “While Damon and Jared took off laughing like idiots. He’ll be fine.”

Cole nodded, but there was seriousness in his eyes now. “Any word on what’s happening with Addy’s situation?”

“Nothing from the sheriff yet. He’s still investigating, I guess. Addy did talk to Jim though and he says this gives her full custody, unless the grandparents decide to file against her. Addy doesn’t think they would, but we’ll be ready if they do.”

Cole exhaled with a shake of his head. “What a mess. Do you want me to talk to Sheriff Benson?”

Toby shook his head. “No, thanks.”

His dad relented. “So, how much longer do you have to be here?”

Toby checked his watch. “Damon’s supposed to get here any minute now. Then I’m going to head over and help Addy with the ticket sales.”

“Didn’t your sister pencil you in for a break?”

Toby laughed. “That is my break.”

Damon took that moment to arrive. He smacked their dad on the arm as Toby pushed himself out of the chair.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” he promised his brother.

Waving him away, Damon flopped down and stared at the line of kids with narrowed eyes. “I don’t think you want to go in there,” he told the group. “I don’t think you guys can handle it.”

After a quick exchange of amusement with his father, Toby left. He followed the path lights to the inn and the woman at the very top of the hill. She stood in front of a fold up table, a cashbox open in front of her and a roll of tickets in her hand. She was dressed as Dorothy and the little blue skirt was all manners of distracting.

He walked up behind her as the couple she’d been serving walked away and circled her waist, careful not to touch her injured arm.

“Keep that costume on later,” he growled into her ear.

Addy chuckled and leaned into him. “Got a thing for Dorothy?”

He shook his head. “I’ve got a very hard thing for you and that tight pussy of yours.”

He tugged her back, making sure she felt the weight of his need for her press into her ass.

“Toby! Children!” He would have taken her scolding seriously if it hadn’t come out in a breathless gasp.

“That’s the only reason I haven’t dragged you inside.” Nevertheless, he released her and took a safe step back. “How’s sales?”

Cheeks pink from the cold and his teasing, she beamed. “Amazing! I’m pretty sure most of these people are here to hear about what happened, but I don’t care. I’ve made more in one night than I’ve made all summer. Calla and I are talking about doing something for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Basically every holiday from now until forever.”

Toby chuckled. “You’re adorable.”

She laughed. “Your sister is a genius!”

“Yeah, she is.”

Her brown eyes lifted to his. “How are you?”

He shrugged. “Nothing new to report.”

A couple with four kids stepped up to her table, money in hand. He waited while she handed them a long row of tickets and told them to have fun before giving into the urges and pulling her back into him.

“Toby?”

He set his chin on the top of her head. “Yeah?”

She took a moment to answer. He was beginning to think she wouldn’t when she blurted it out.

“I want to visit my parents.”

Toby stiffened. “Your parents?”

“Yeah.” She turned in his arms. “I know it’s probably a bad idea and a part of me cringes at the very idea, but I think this is one of those necessary steps I need to take if I’m going to truly put everything behind me, especially now that Jonathon is gone and I want to start fresh with you. Once I’ve tied up everything from my past, I won’t ever have to look back.”

He thought about it. He considered what she was saying while putting aside his own bone deep need to tell her hell no. Those people weren’t her parents. Not in the way that counted. They didn’t deserve to ever see her or the children again. But she wasn’t asking for his permission and he didn’t want her to. If this was something she needed to do, there really was only one thing to do.

“Okay, when do you want to go?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, honestly. I want to do it right away, but I know I’ll need to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for it first.”

“All right, well, you tell me when and we’ll go.”

“We?” Her features softened. “You’ll go with me?”

He was about to tell her under no circumstances in hell would he ever let her go anywhere near there alone when Sheriff Benson climbed up the incline and approached the table. Parker was nowhere in sight, but the sheriff’s presence alone was enough to make Toby stiffen. His arm remained firmly locked around Addy even as she glanced back to see what had caught his attention.

“Sheriff.” She straightened. “Are you here for the party?”

Benson shook his head. “No, I came to talk to you two, if you got a minute.”

Addy exchanged a quick glance with Toby before turning to scan their surrounding area. She spotted Calla making her rounds and waved the blonde over.

“Would you mind manning the table a minute?” she asked when Calla joined them.

Calla looked from the sheriff to Addy and nodded. “Take your time.”

They thanked her before following the stone path to the front porch. Inside, the warm smell of baked goods and hot chocolate greeted them. They didn’t go all the way in where Lily was passing out treats in the kitchen. Addy took them into the parlor and shut the doors behind them.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked.

The sheriff shook his head. “I’m sorry to bother you during your party, but I’m going to be filing my report in the morning and I thought you’d like to know what I’ve concluded.”

He motioned them to sit in the sofa adjacent to the armchair he claimed. Addy hesitated. She’d lost all the coloring in her face. The terror in her eyes made Toby reach out and lightly graze his fingers along her spine. That seemed to propel her forward. She took the cushion gingerly and sat ruler straight. Toby sat next to her and took her cold fingers in his.

“I have ruled it out as self-defense,” he told them right off the bat. “Every piece of evidence that I’ve collected confirms that Jonathon Montgomery came to Willow Creek with the intent to kidnap and possibly kill.”

“Oh!” Addy gasped, deflating a little in her seat. “So, is that it?”

Sheriff Benson shook his head. “Not by a long shot, I’m afraid. I talked to his parents when they came for his body and I’ve never met two people more in denial in my life. By their accounts, he couldn’t do a damn thing wrong. Hell, he could have been Christ reincarnated the way they told it. They did, however, have a few choice things to say about you, Ms. Nixon.”

Addy flinched. “I thought they would.”

Benson nodded slowly. “They sure don’t like you. But that isn’t why I came. I tried to look at Mr. Montgomery’s medical records, but the military is strict about that kind of thing. I did however talk to the family doctor who was treating Mr. Montgomery after he was discharged and I convinced him that he was no longer under the patient/doctor confidentiality clause now that Mr. Montgomery was dead. It took some doing, but I got those records.” He shifted in his seat, planting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. “Jonathon Montgomery was suffering from severe psychosis, depression and PTSD. I believe learning of your whereabouts may have been the thing that pushed him over.”

“I’ve known men with PTSD and depression, especially after being injured in combat and not being able to return,” Toby said. “Why wasn’t he on medication or seeing someone?”

“He was on medication,” Sheriff Benson cut in. “He was up until a few months ago when Mr. Montgomery was accused of raping a nineteen year old girl. He was never arrested, which I have a feeling was his father’s doing, and the girl retracted her allegations the next day.”

“Oh my God!” Addy whispered.

“The doctor I spoke to said getting Mr. Montgomery to continue taking his medication and going to counseling became a challenge after that.”

“What does all this mean for Addy and the kids?” Toby cut in.

Benson shrugged. “That I’m closing the case. That includes the missing person’s report on you, Ms. Nixon. The Montgomery family might not bother you anymore once all this hits the newspapers and people begin asking questions and putting the pieces together. I’m fairly confident they have enough bad publicity on their hands without making it worse on themselves by coming after you, but I would still talk to a lawyer about your rights and what you can do to protect yourself.” He pushed to his feet. “Of course I’m here if you need anything.”

Toby walked the sheriff out and returned to find Addy sitting in the same spot, staring at her knees.

“So, it’s over?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, it is.” He went to her.

Her face lifted to his as he drew closer. “Do you really think Rayna and Stanton will let it go?”

Toby shrugged. “I think they will. Like the sheriff said, they’ve got enough problems and the last thing they’ll want is an abused mother going to the press to divulge all their dirty secrets. The media would crucify them alive and so would I. Literally.”

Addy rose and stepped right into his chest. Her good arm went around his ribs as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Toby snorted quietly into the top of her head. “For what?”

“For being the kind of man I want my son to grow up to be like.” She lifted her face and peered up at him. “For being the kind of man I want my daughter to find one day and for being the man I never want to stop loving.”

It was a task swallowing around the band constricting his airway, but Toby worked through the knot to grin down at her.

“Good, ‘cause I got every intention of marrying you the first chance we get and making McClain’s out of the lot of you.”

Addy laughed. “I’d like that.”

He kissed her.

Chapter 23 ~ Addy

There were many decisions Addy wished she could make over again, decisions that she looked on later and regretted. Yet her decision to drive eight hours away from her home to see parents who hadn’t cared enough about her to protect her was at the very top of her list. Still, she didn’t ask Toby to stop. No matter how much it killed her.

They drove in nerve wrecking silence. Every mile they passed was a new thorn burrowing into her soul. The irritation was maddening, but she kept herself calm and focused on what she would say once she got there. One would think she would have plenty to get off her chest, except she hadn’t seen her parents since her scam wedding. Neither had made any effort to contact her after her things were moved out of their home for the last time. They hadn’t come to see Sean after he’d been born. She doubted they even knew his name. They definitely didn’t know about Hanna. She still wasn’t sure she wanted to tell them. It was why she’d left the children with Willa for the night. She hadn’t wanted to bring them to people who hadn’t cared about them. She certainly didn’t think her parents had any right to see their grandchildren after everything. Maybe that made her spiteful and petty, but she didn’t really care.

In her lap, closed firmly around hers, Toby’s fingers squeezed. It was just enough pressure to remind her she wasn’t alone, that he was there and everything would be fine. She returned the gesture without glancing at the man behind the wheel.

The city of Langford looked exactly as she remembered. The houses along her parent’s street were beautifully maintained, the lawns expertly treated and everyone blissfully ignorant of everything that didn’t involve them. It was the type of neighborhood where everyone knew everyone else and went out of their way to make sure they were better. There was no sense of community or warmth. It wasn’t Willow Creek.

“You okay?”

Addy nodded. “I think so.”

“It’ll be okay,” Toby promised. “I’ll be there the whole time and I promise, you say the word and we’re gone.”

Her only response was the tightening of her fingers.

Her parent’s home was a stunning Greek revival with a full-height porch and smooth, ivory columns. It sat on a bed of emerald green lawns and manicured shrubbery. The driveway was a smooth stretch of wet asphalt void of even a single dead leaf despite the sway and shivering branches canopying the way to the circular driveway. Toby pulled up alongside a series of wide stairs leading to the high, wooden doors.

Toby whistled. “Wow.”

Addy nodded. “Yeah.”

They climbed out and started carefully up the slippery steps. Addy stopped before the doors and stared. The air smelled of recent rainfall, pine and wet soil. There was nothing ominous about any of it and yet she felt like it was some kind of warning not to go in.

Gut clenching uncomfortably, she knocked. Then automatically took a step back like the doors might try to take a bite out of her.

Toby’s gentle hand settled on the lower curve of her spine. The gesture was sweet and reassuring, but it did nothing to calm the coils of dread tightening around her nerves.

One door opened and her father’s worn face peered out at her from the crack. He’d aged badly since she’d seen him last, standing behind her as she was pawned off to save him the shame of having a pregnant fifteen year old daughter. But the thing that hadn’t changed was the dark anger in his eyes. It was as livid and wild as ever.

“Hello Daddy.”

Andrew Blackwell’s eyes narrowed in a way that suggested he just didn’t understand why she was there. There was no sign of happiness, no regret or even surprise. Just annoyance.

“Adelaide.” He straightened the thin width of his shoulders so he was once more the looming and dominating father she knew. “This really isn’t a good time.”

She would have laughed at that if she could have managed it. “I drove eight hours to see you. Please make time.”

A muscle moved alongside his thin mouth. “It’s highly inappropriate to show up on someone’s doorstep before calling.” His gaze went to Toby and dropped to the arm Toby still had around her. “Who is this?”

“Toby McClain, sir.” He released his hold on Addy and extended the hand to her father. “I’m the man who’s going to marry your daughter.”

It was a tossup who was more stunned by the declaration. Her father recovered first.

“You’re the one responsible for Jonathon’s death.”

There was no telling if that was an accusation or a praise. It was said with simple flatness.

“That I am,” Toby stated evenly.

Addy didn’t know whether to kiss him or tell him to stop. She was saved from having to decide when a soft, feminine voice sounded from over her father’s shoulder.

“Andrew?”

Her father turned and glanced back as a smaller, older version of Addy joined the group. Light brown eyes moved past her husband and settled on the pair darkening her doorstep and widened.

“Adelaide?”

Addy struggled with a smile. “Hello Momma.”

Soft, pink lips opened and closed, but no words emerged.

“Your daughter wishes to speak with us,” her father said tartly.

“Really?” Her mom looked to Addy again. “All right.”

Her father looked no less pleased about having to open the door and letting them in, but he stepped aside and said nothing as they passed him into the foyer.

Old money dripped from every inch of the lavish set up. It trickled down the polished wood frames and glinted off the dangling chandelier. It was all tastefully done and placed in exactly the right place for maximum impact. Addy had never liked the place. It was all too stuffy, too dark and empty. She remembered being a little girl and being told not to touch the banister coming down or to stay off the sofas to keep from wearing them out. It had always felt more like a museum than a home. That hadn’t changed.

They were led into the parlor and offered a seat. Her mother went straight for the drink cart. The ice cubs rattled in her glass, revealing the extent of her nerves.

“What is it you wish to talk about, Adelaide?” her father demanded the moment everyone was seated.

It was a good question. On the drive down, she’d even had an answer, but sitting there, on the exact same sofa, in the exact same spot she’d told them what had happened to her, made her want to vomit. It made her skin prickle and her throat go dry. But she remained firmly sitting. No matter how badly she wanted to lunge to her feet and move away.

Her mother saved her from having to answer by focusing on Toby. “Who is your friend, Adelaide?”

“This is Toby McClain,” Addy answered almost automatically. “He’s—”

“I’m going to marry your daughter,” Toby supplied seamlessly.

“Marry?” her mother exclaimed and still managed to make the single word breathy and soft. “Adelaide, you’re not even fully divorced from your husband. It’s really bad form.”

“Jonathon is dead,” she reminded them sharply. “And I never wanted to marry him. You made me.”

“Here we go,” her father muttered, sitting back. “We’re the bad parents because we tried to do the right thing.”

“The right thing? You married me off to my rapist!”

“Adelaide!” her mother hissed as though Addy had cursed. “You’re being dramatic and you’re causing a scene.”

“I was fifteen! I was scared, hurt and alone, and you gave me to him like some consolation prize for what he’d done.”

“Okay, that is enough!” Her father straightened. “I will not have you sit there and accuse us all over again for something you did. You’re a grown woman now, Adelaide. It’s high time you took responsibilities for your own actions.”

There were so many things she wanted to throw in their faces, so many things she wanted to scream about, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the grudging stubbornness in her father’s eyes or the pity in her mother’s, but all the words dissolved on her tongue.

“I came today because I thought…” she trailed off with the shake of her head. “I don’t know what I thought, honestly. I just had this need to see you guys again. Maybe a part of me was hoping you finally saw Jonathon for what he was and realize that maybe you’d made a mistake. Maybe a part of me was hoping for an apology, but that isn’t it. I actually want to thank you. If you hadn’t done what you did, I wouldn’t have Hanna and Sean and my inn. I may never understand why you did the things you did, but I am eternally grateful for the joys your decisions have brought me.”

Her mother glanced at her father. “Who’s Hanna?”

“My daughter. She’s four and one of the brightest lights in my world.”

Her mother looked simply mystified. “Well, then I just don’t understand what all your fussing is about, Adelaide. We did what we could of in a bad situation. I mean, can you imagine what such a scandal would have done to the family? Jonathon did a kind thing taking you in and giving you and that boy a proper name. If anything, you owe us an apology. Do you have any idea how much stress this entire ordeal has cost me with the lady’s luncheon? It’s been a nightmare trying to explain how any daughter of mine could do the things you’ve done to someone as wonderful as Jonathon Montgomery. Why, that family has been nothing but good to you. Rayna won’t even look at me after what you did to her son!”

Addy tightened her resolve, fought back the clawing desire to scream and pitch something at her mother’s pretty face.

“I did what I had to to protect my children, as a parent is supposed to. I will never regret that. Jonathon is dead because he broke into my house and shot me. He was a monster. If anything, him being dead has saved countless other young girls from being his next victim.”

Her mother bristled. “Are you talking about that lying little whore who accused Jonathon of assaulting her? She admitted she made it all up.”

“No, she didn’t,” Addy whispered. “She probably has parents like mine.”

“That is enough!” Her father straightened. “I will not sit here and listen to you insult us in our own home!”

“If telling the truth makes me a bad person, then you know what, fine. This is me, washing my hands once and for all.” She touched Toby’s knee without looking at him. “We’ll show ourselves out.”

Toby rose with her when Addy pushed to her feet. He was so still and silent, but his eyes were twin flames of raw fury burning into her father.

“If Hanna ever came to me and told me some guy touched her, that he hurt her, that bastard wouldn’t be able to find a hole big enough to hide in that I wouldn’t find him. I may not have had a hand in her or Sean’s conception, but you can bet your last dollar that I would kill for those two without a thought. I sure as hell wouldn’t do what you two did.”

“How dare you—”

Toby ignored her father’s sputter of outrage and plowed on. “And you can tell the Montgomery family that if they even think about coming after Addy for those children, I will ruin them and I will take down anyone who stands with them. Including and especially you. I will paint you as the man who sold his daughter to a rapist pedophile and once that goes to the media, what do you think will happen when other girls come forward to tell their stories? What leg will you and Stanton Montgomery have to stand on then? There isn’t enough money in the world to conceal the disgusting reality that you are no better than Jonathon.” He paused to give the two a dark, predatory grin. “It was a pleasure to meet you both. I hope I never see either of you ever again.”

With that, he took Addy’s good hand and guided her to the door. They stepped out together into the muggy afternoon. He paused at the passenger’s side door of his truck and peered down at her.

“You okay?”

Addy searched deep, analyzing every flicker of emotion going through her before answering, “Yeah, I think so.”

Toby nodded. “Good.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you for coming with me and the things you said.”

He snorted as he wrenched her door open for her. “Don’t thank me for that. Thank me for not punching your father in the mouth like I wanted to.”

Laughing, she climbed into the seat and waited for him to close her door. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her lovingly across the mouth.

“It’s over, Addy girl. It’s time to put your demons to bed.”

Chapter 24 ~ Toby

“You came!” Calla bounded off the sofa and hurried across the room to Addy. “We have so much to tell you.”

Behind him, Addy struggled as she fought Hanna with her coat. Sean had already tossed his coat and shoes into the corner and was taking the stairs two at a time.

“Wait for me!” Hanna wailed.

“Will you stop for a second?” Addy laughed. She managed to get Hanna out of her coat using only one hand before the girl was bolting after her brother.

Calla took the garments from Addy and hung them up. Toby did the same to his own coat. Then helped Addy with hers.

“Addy!” Willa waved them over excitedly. “Calla and I were just making plans for another spa day.”

“But we weren’t sure if you were coming tonight,” Calla added.

“Which we are so glad you did!” Willa insisted. “It hasn’t been the same without you.”

The two joined Willa on the sofa and immediately fell into plan making mode. The unadulterated happiness on Addy’s face was better than winning the lottery. The warmth in her eyes and the smile pulling her lips was all the room needed to become a little brighter. Toby studied her, his heart, soul and brain all in agreement that she was the one. No matter what happened, there would never be another woman for him. She was it.

“Tob!”

He turned at the sound of his name. Damon and Jared waved him over to the other side of the room, quite possibly as far away from the rest of the group as humanly possible. They stood next to the bookcases, clustered close.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“Just trying to discuss some man business without Calla hearing,” Damon said simply, and got elbowed by Jared.

“That isn’t it!” he said, his voice abnormally low. “It’s just … it’s Calla.”

“And she’s naturally crazy,” Damon supplied helpfully.

“Dude!”

Damon snorted. “What? I don’t need to be nice. I’m not sleeping with her.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “You’re an ass.”

“Can someone fill me in?” Toby ventured before the two could get into it.

“Jared wants to open a gym,” Damon stated. “A gym … in Willow Creek.”

“It’s a great idea,” Jared protested. “Think about it, it would be the only one in town, which would make it a big deal.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Toby cut in. “My physical therapy is out in Newburry, but if I had a gym or something closer to home, it would save me a lot of time.”

Jared smacked him on the arm. “See?”

Damon shook his head. “This is the laziest town on the planet. Nobody’s going to want to work out at any gym.”

“I don’t know about that,” Toby argued. “We got the football team over at the high school and women are always trying to lose weight. I say it could work, but I don’t get why you don’t want Calla to know.”

“Because Calla’s a bossy taker-overer,” Damon said. “The minute she hears something remotely resembling a project, she’s all over it like shit on a fly.”

Jared punched him on the arm. “I will hit you in the mouth next time,” he warned.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Toby broke in quickly before the two could escalate. “She and Addy have about six years of events lined up. That should keep her occupied.”

The two exchanged glances.

“I still think we should look into it a bit more before bringing it up to the others,” Jared decided. “I personally think it will really take off.”

“Well, I’m in,” Toby said.

“I still think it won’t fly,” Damon protested. “But I’m in.”

“What are you three whispering about over there?” Beth emerged from the kitchen with Uncle Sloan right behind her.

“Nothing,” all three said simultaneously and earned a raised eyebrow.

“Well, get over here and sit down.” She looked over to where Addy was sitting and offered her a small smile. “Where’s the kids?”

“Upstairs,” Addy said. “Did you want me to get them?”

Beth shook her head. “No, let them play.” She peered over the rest of the room. “Is everyone here?”

“Your husband isn’t,” Calla pointed out teasingly.

His mom blinked in surprise. “Oh! Cole? Lily?”

The two emerged from the kitchen.

“Okay, I need a head count of how many people will be going to the cabin this year for Christmas,” she began. “Our numbers have grown so I want to make sure we have the room.”

He and Addy hadn’t talked about Christmas since he’d brought it up while she’d been signing the divorce papers. He wasn’t sure where they stood on that or if she wanted to stick to their plan.

His gaze went to the woman in question and found her watching him. Her eyebrows rose as though to say what do you think?

He motioned her over to him and stood mesmerized by the seductive sway of her body as she approached. The soft, red dress she wore clung across her beautiful breasts and hugged her narrow waist before tumbling over the perfect curves of her hips. It ripped around her long legs, drawing the eyes to her shapely calves and small feet.

She made it all the way to him before he realized he’d been staring.

“God, I love how you walk,” he groaned, making her laugh.

“You said the same thing this morning when I was making cereal,” she teased.

Toby shrugged. “What can I say? I’m damn crazy about you, woman.”

Her cheeks darkened, matching the color of her dress. “I’m not complaining.”

He hooked her middle with one arm and tugged her to him. “Good. So, what do you want to do?”

“I know Sean would want to hang out with his friends and so would Kari. I know I would love to spend it with just us, you, me and the kids, but…” She pressed her palms flat against his chest. “I’m kind of curious to see how the McClain’s celebrate Christmas.”

He kissed her temple. “Together it is then,” he murmured.

“Will there be enough rooms?”

He grinned. “Oh, we’ll make rooms.”

Epilogue ~ Addy

Five years later…

“Rosie, can you move the turkey more center, please?”

“Oh, leave it alone, Lily!” Beth bustled out of the kitchen, bowl of cream corn in hand. “Rosie love, can you take this and put it at the head of the table? I’m going to get the bread.”

“It’s not center, Beth!” Lily protested, eyeing the bird.

“Mom, I don’t think it makes a difference,” Willa assured the woman. “The table looks beautiful as it does every year.”

Lily looked no closer to being pacified, but she stopped her fussing and hurried into the kitchen.

Around the sprawling room, lights flickered in an array of bright colors that matched the strands wrapped around the tree. Garland and tinsel glittered. Someone had turned the radio on and some woman crooned about having a merry little Christmas. It was barely loud enough to be heard over the familiar hum of voices.

Standing across the room, cradled in the warm confines of her husband’s embrace, Addy watched the soothing ballet with the same sense of peace she always felt when surrounded by the people she loved. The noise and lights and the brimming sound of laughter and bickering were all the things that made Christmas her favorite time of the whole year.

Five years had passed since her past and present had collided. Five years of being part of a family and being loved by a man who still made her heart skip just by walking into the room. It was five years of countless blessings and joys, and so much happiness it made her soul hurt. It almost didn’t seem like it should be possible and yet every morning she woke up with a smile on her face.

“Lily, I swear I will hit you with a spoon if you touch that bird again!”

Beth’s warning brought Addy back to the moment. She focused on the two arguing about measurements and twenty year old Rosie, looking from one to the other with frustration and concern.

“You can’t just have the turkey off center,” Lily protested. “It throws off the entire table.”

“Didn’t they have this same argument last year?” Sean mumbled from the sofa.

“I think it was the ham then,” Owen muttered from next to him.

“You would think that with this happening every year, someone would get those two a ruler for Christmas,” Colten said from the armchair.

Owen and Sean nodded mutely.

Gone was her baby boy. It never failed to amaze her when she looked at him and saw a young man in his place. No longer was he small and scrawny. Just that spring, he’d joined the football team in school, something she never imagined, and had actually made the team as offensive guard. She hadn’t noticed until their first game just how much her baby had filled out, how much he’d grown. At fifteen, he was nearly as tall as Toby and still growing.

Sean caught her studying him and raised an eyebrow. Addy just shook her head and mouthed, I love you. Sean grinned around the color darkening his face. His gaze flicked to Colten, who met his eye, but said nothing.

“Mom? Dad?” Hanna appeared at Addy’s side with Kari right next to her. “If food’s late this year, can we eat the pudding?”

“No!” Addy retorted immediately. “You two stay out of the pudding. I mean it!” she called after them when they both sulked and shuffled away.

“They are so going to eat the pudding,” Toby murmured into her ear.

“Yup.”

It didn’t matter how old the girl got, she still managed to sneak treats when no one was looking. It seemed she only got more creative with age and, at nine, she was practically a ninja.

“You know, this is why I sit right here every year,” Cole announced from his favorite recliner. “If you stay out of the way, you don’t get hit with spoons.”

Sloan merely shot his brother a frown from the next seat.

The front door flew open to a flurry of snow and ice. Two figures trudged in, bundled from head to toe. The door was slammed shut and the unraveling began. Jared and Damon emerged from the mountain of clothing.

“Christ, it’s cold,” Damon hissed.

“But we have enough firewood to last the entire weekend,” Jared piped in.

“We better,” Damon muttered, moving deeper into the cabin. “I am not going back out there.”

“You two better not be leaving your things just lying by the door,” Lily warned.

Groaning, the two turned and shuffled back into the short hallway.

Dinner ended without anyone getting hit by a spoon. Once everyone was seated, the tension immediately evaporated to a cheerful hum of the holidays.

Afterwards, the dishes were cleared away and everyone made their way to the sitting area and the tree glittering against the dark windowpane framing it. Outside, the blizzard beat against the wood structure. Inside, the fire crackled in the hearth, illuminating the three rows of stockings pinned along the top. The crowd gathered on the sofas and armchairs. Colten, Owen and Sean were banished to the floor. it was only when everyone was seated that Lily picked her way to the overflow of presents spilling out from beneath the tree.

“All right, you guys know the rules,” Lily announced. “One present each tonight and then bedtime.”

She handed the boys one each first. Then Rosie, Kari and Hanna. Everyone watched as the wrappings were torn off. Everyone, except Addy, who turned her head to Toby.

“I have a present for you,” she whispered.

Toby raised an eyebrow. “Is it dirty?”

She elbowed him playfully in the ribs and laughed. “No!”

“Oh my God!” Sean’s elated cry had her attention wavering and she turned to watch him pull out a navy blue hoodie with McClain stamped over the numbers twenty-seven across the back. “Grandma, I love it!”

Beth grinned. “Now you don’t have to keep wearing your jersey everywhere.”

Dropping the hoodie down on the discarded wrapper and box, Sean rose and waded around bodies, legs and the coffee table to hug the brunette. Beth hugged him back tight.

“Thanks.”

She kissed his cheek. “Welcome, love.”

“Hey, how come she gets all the thanks? I helped pick it out,” Cole protested and got a smack on the arm by his wife.

Sean chuckled. “Thanks Grandpa.”

Rose got a veterinarian encyclopedia that she screamed and clutched to her chest. Damon got a tackle hug for that one. Colten got a leather jacket from his dad. Kari got light up socks from her mom that she immediately tugged on and hopped around the house, making the knitted Christmas trees blink rapidly.

“No!” Owen held up a driver’s manual, eyes enormous. “Seriously?”

Sloan nodded. “I told you, you keep your grades up and I’d help you get your license.”

Beaming wide enough to tear his face in two, Owen whooped. “Thanks Grandpa!”

“But you better keep those grades up,” Damon warned.

Owen nodded vigorously. “I swear.”

The only one left was Hanna, who was gingerly picking at the bit of tape, careful not to tear the golden paper.

“Come on!” Owen badgered. “You’re always the last one.”

“Hey, lay off.” Sean shoved him.

“Boys!” Calla jumped in before a war could ensue. “The night’s almost over. Let’s not have bloodshed, okay?”

Hanna’s gift was the electric piano she’d been eyeing for over a year. The one that had encouraged her to take lessons and get good enough to earn it, and she had. From the moment she’d been placed in front of those ivory keys, she had surprised them all, even the instructor who had never seen anyone pick up the art with such seamless ease.

“A natural!” the woman had called her.

But Addy hadn’t bought it and one glance at Toby assured her that he hadn’t either.

Hanna gasped. Her tiny hands ran over the shiny box the way one would touch a priceless artifact. Her small face crumpled as she leaped to her feet and ran straight into Calla’s arms.

“I love it!” she cried into the other woman’s shoulder. “Thank you, Aunt Calla.”

“Just keep practicing, okay?” Calla kissed the side of her head. “You have a gift, sweetie. I want to come see you play on stage at Carnegie Hall one day, understand?”

Sniffling, Hanna nodded rapidly. “I promise.”

“Time for bed!” Lily croaked, wiping at her eyes.

“Wait!” Addy called before anyone could leave. “I, uh, I know the grownups are supposed to wait until morning, but I … I have a sort of gift for everyone.”

Toby narrowed his eyes. “I thought it was my present.”

“It is!” she assured him hurriedly. “Kind of.”

“Not sure I like the idea of sharing my present,” he complained, and was ignored.

Pushing to her feet, she stepped around Owen and over Kari to reach the tree. Leaning around back, she pulled out the box she’d tucked aside from the others. The silver foil glittered under the colored lights. It barely weighed anything and yet she nearly lost her hold on it twice.

Limbs trembling, she picked her way back to him carefully and held it out. His blue eyes met hers and held even as he reached up to accept it. Addy bit her lip as he tore the wrapper off. Her stomach flip-flopped anxiously. She held her breath as the lid was tugged up, just enough for him to peek inside.

His head jerked up immediately. His eyes going wide as they latched onto her face.

“Seriously?”

Too nauseous to verbally answer, Addy only nodded weakly.

“What?” Willa demanded when Toby’s mouth moved and nothing came out.

Jared lunged for the box. Toby jerked out of his reach and straight into Damon’s, who grabbed hold and yanked it straight out of Toby’s fingers.

“Boys!” Lily snapped. “Damon, you give that back!”

Toby didn’t seem to notice though. He continued to stare at Addy with a mixture of awe and stunned wonder.

“Say something,” she whispered, her anxiety building.

“We’re having a baby?” he blurted. He shot out of his seat and hauled her into his arms before she could respond, lifting her straight off the ground as he did so. Owen scurried out of the way, narrowly missing a foot to the head. “We’re having a baby!”

The room erupted as everyone scrambled to their feet. Addy was set down only long enough to be yanked into Willa’s arms. Then Calla’s. Beth held her the longest. Finally, she was in Toby’s arms once more, held so tight she was sure he was going to crack a rib.

“I don’t know what to say,” he breathed into her shoulder. “I’m so happy.”

Chuckling, Addy pulled back to wipe at her eyes and peer up into his face. “Yeah?”

Toby nodded. “Yeah.”

“A piano and a sister!” Hanna cried. “Best Christmas ever!”

Addy turned to her daughter, laughing. “You okay about not being the baby anymore?”

Hanna huffed. “Are you kidding? Being the baby is hard work. I am so done being cute.”

That brought laughs from everyone, but Addy had locked eyes with Sean. She searched his face, trying to find anger or disappointment. But he grinned at her and gave a nod. And just like that, the last knot in her chest unraveled. She exhaled and grinned back.

“We need to celebrate!” Beth announced. “Someone help me get glasses.”

The volume rose as the group celebrated. Everyone moved, some towards the kitchen, others to gather the mess made by the gift giving. It was a flurry of beautiful commotion. Champagne was brought out—apple cider for Addy and the children.

“To another chapter!” Sloan toasted, raising his glass.

Everyone drank to that.

It was much later, once the children had been put to bed and the adults sat up watching the fire die that Addy reached for the box Damon had left on the armrest of the sofa. No one else had opened it.

Snuggled against Toby’s chest, Addy pried the top off and peered at the strip of paper inside with the four little words she’d written across it. She pulled it out and studied them.

“We’re having a baby,” Toby murmured into the top of her head, reading the print.

Addy nodded. “In seven months.” She tipped her head back and peered up at him. “Are you ready for this?”

His hand moved down to splay across her flat belly.

Baby, I was ready the day I met you.”

THE END

About Airicka Phoenix

Self-proclaimed romance addict, Airicka Phoenix lives in a world where unicorns, fairies and mermaids run amok through her home on a daily basis. When she's not chasing after pixies and rounding up imps, also known as her four children, she can be found conjuring imaginary friends to play with. Airicka is the prolific author of over eighteen novels for those who crave strong, female leads, sexy alpha heroes and out of control desires. She's a multi genre author who writes young adult, new adult and adult contemporary and paranormal romance.

For more about Airicka and the realm she rules with an iron fist--and tons of chocolate--visit her at: www.AirickaPhoenix.com