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swung open. Sandy and Ricky came in. “I’ve got a droopy kid here.”
    â€œLuke’s sleeping on Ricky’s bed,” Peter realized aloud as he crossed the room to hoist his son off Sandy’s lap.
    â€œI gots two beds.” Ricky tried to hold up a pair of fingers but didn’t quite manage the necessary coordination. After they put him on his nap mat on the trundle, Marie led Peter out of the room and left the door open a mere crack.
    She turned to Peter and shook her head. “You talked him out of that shirt.” She referred to the juice-and-cookie-crumb covered Junior Fireman shirt Ricky had been wearing. “I was right—you make the impossible seem reasonable.”
    â€œNo, I don’t. Otherwise, you’d be packing right now.”

Chapter Six
    M arie groaned. “I can’t believe I said that to you.”
    â€œWe’re both raw. I can’t see any sense in wasting our energy putting on a big act with each other. I’m not myself right now, either. I’m blurting out stuff and look—I grabbed Luke and jumped on the plane without even calling ahead.”
    â€œSo you’re not usually this impulsive?”
    â€œThe most impulse thing I’ve done in the recent past is—” He had to pause and think. “Probably to whistle along with something on the radio. From the way I’ve acted in the last twenty-four hours, you’d never guess I’m the most boring man in the world.”
    â€œYou? Boring? Based on your boring track record, I wouldn’t let you read Ricky a bedtime story. He’d be up all night with nightmares!”
    Peter turned the tables on her. “Bet you didn’t sleep much last night.”
    She hitched her shoulder.
    â€œGo ahead and take a nap.”
    â€œCan’t.”
    She lowered her lids, and Peter knew full well she was trying to shield him from the emotional tumult in her eyes. “Even if you can’t sleep, rest a little. Sandy is able to hold down the fort.”
    Peter shepherded Marie to the door of the master bedroom. The room looked off balance. A cherrywood dresser stood to the extreme side on one wall. Sandy’s hospital bed was next to the door, but they’d left enough room for her to maneuver her wheelchair. That left barely enough room for Marie’s double bed to be crammed into the remaining space. Even so, both beds had white eyelet dust ruffles and matching mint-and-white striped comforters.
    She’d moved everything like puzzle pieces until they fit. It reminded Peter of how complex it would be for her to account for all of the factors in her life. He softened his voice into a rare mildness and said, “We’ll work things out in time. If you’re worn to a frazzle, it’ll complicate matters.”
    â€œThey can’t get any more complex than this.”
    He winked. “Then imagine—they can only improve.”
    â€œAre you usually an optimist, Peter Hallock?”
    â€œI’m a realist.” He resisted the impulse to caress her cheek. “If you come out of here before three o’clock, I’m going to do something drastic.”
    â€œThree!”
    â€œThree.”
    â€œI don’t take kindly to threats.”
    â€œI don’t make them lightly,” he shot back. “If I shut the door, can Ricky open it?”
    â€œHe just learned that stunt.”
    â€œLuke can’t—at least, not that I know of—but he’s chunky enough that if he bumps into the door a few times,the latches give. I can see these two are going to teach each other any number of naughty tricks.”
    Marie leaned against the doorsill and gave him a jaundiced look. “I’m supposed to sleep after you said that?”
    â€œI’ll bet you could sleep through a six-point earthquake once you close your eyes.” He nudged her inside, pulled the door shut and stood on the other side for a minute. He caught