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Authors: Elizabeth Hunter
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to take a nap in Ollie’s arms every day if it was an option.
“Looks nice.”
“Thanks.”
He laid her down on top of her bedspread.
Bummer.
Then he stroked a hand over her hair, tucking part of the fuzzy mess behind her ear.
Oh, that was nice.
“Go back to sleep. You got an alarm set for the kids?”
“Phone.”
“Where’s your phone, darlin’?”
Darlin’? Oh yeah. She liked that. She arched back and stretched her legs out. Okay, her bed was way more comfortable than the old chair. Not as comfortable as Ollie. Now Ollie on the bed—
“Allie-girl, where’s your phone?”
“Kitchen.”
“I’ll grab it. You probably have another half hour or so. Try to go back to sleep.”
Why don’t you join me, big guy?
Okay, that would be bad to say aloud. Probably. That would probably be bad.
She rolled over and buried her face in the cool pillow, grateful that the fan in her room was working again. Of course, as soon as she did that, she woke up more.
Darn it.
Well, at least it had been worth waking up to remember the cuddle from Ollie. She heard his footsteps coming down the hall, pausing at the door to her room, then entering softly.
“I woke up,” she said quietly.
“Shoot.” He knelt down and set her phone on the nightstand. “Was hoping you’d sleep more. You looked half-dead under that tree.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
He chuckled.
“You want to come over for dinner with me and the kids? There’s plenty.”
He paused, and Allie wondered if that was too weird. Yeah, they were getting back on track to being friendly again, but did he think that a dinner invitation was a come-on now that she was single? Did Ollie consider her single? What the hell were the rules about all this? She hadn’t been single in fifteen years. Surely he wouldn’t see an invitation with her and her four kids—
“I have to work tonight, but thanks.”
“Anytime.”
She closed her eyes again, wishing he’d just go. She was too awake to not be aware of her reaction to him.
“The bedroom looks good.”
Her eyes flickered open. Ollie was playing with the ragged edge of the sage-green shabby-chic bedspread she’d bought after Joe had left and she threw out all their bedding he’d ever touched.
Practical? Not in the least. But necessary.
“Thanks.”
“Very girly.”
“Well, I am a girl. So there’s a certain logic there.”
“Don’t you have underwear that matches this?”
Her eyes flew open, and she saw the edge of a teasing smile hovering beneath his mustache.
She rolled over and gave him her back. “You’d know, wouldn’t you?”
The low laugh came a second before she felt him tug one of her trailing curls.
“Yeah, I would.” He stood up. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow night.”
“See you.”
She listened to him walk down the hall and out the front door, carefully setting the lock before he left. She made sure his truck kicked up gravel before she let out her groan of frustration. Then she swung out of bed and went to sort toys.
OF all the surprises over the past year—
Husband leaving her.
Sixty thousand dollars of debt she didn’t know about.
Drugs.
Possible homicide.
Nothing surprised her quite as much as the call she got on Thursday afternoon.
“A what?” Her mouth was catching flies. “He did what ?”
“I know.” Mr. Lewis, the assistant principal at Cambio Springs High, sounded as shocked as Allie. “The boys he was beating up… Well, they’re not really a surprise, but Kevin’s never even gotten into a pushing match with another student. I have to think it was provoked, but he’s not saying a thing. He asked to call someone and then hasn’t said a word since.”
“He didn’t call me .” Why hadn’t he called her? “What do I need to do?”
“I’m trying to find out what happened, but you know the kids are reluctant to talk about fights. I’m going to need you to come to the office.”
“Mama?” Loralie was tugging on the edge
“Looks nice.”
“Thanks.”
He laid her down on top of her bedspread.
Bummer.
Then he stroked a hand over her hair, tucking part of the fuzzy mess behind her ear.
Oh, that was nice.
“Go back to sleep. You got an alarm set for the kids?”
“Phone.”
“Where’s your phone, darlin’?”
Darlin’? Oh yeah. She liked that. She arched back and stretched her legs out. Okay, her bed was way more comfortable than the old chair. Not as comfortable as Ollie. Now Ollie on the bed—
“Allie-girl, where’s your phone?”
“Kitchen.”
“I’ll grab it. You probably have another half hour or so. Try to go back to sleep.”
Why don’t you join me, big guy?
Okay, that would be bad to say aloud. Probably. That would probably be bad.
She rolled over and buried her face in the cool pillow, grateful that the fan in her room was working again. Of course, as soon as she did that, she woke up more.
Darn it.
Well, at least it had been worth waking up to remember the cuddle from Ollie. She heard his footsteps coming down the hall, pausing at the door to her room, then entering softly.
“I woke up,” she said quietly.
“Shoot.” He knelt down and set her phone on the nightstand. “Was hoping you’d sleep more. You looked half-dead under that tree.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
He chuckled.
“You want to come over for dinner with me and the kids? There’s plenty.”
He paused, and Allie wondered if that was too weird. Yeah, they were getting back on track to being friendly again, but did he think that a dinner invitation was a come-on now that she was single? Did Ollie consider her single? What the hell were the rules about all this? She hadn’t been single in fifteen years. Surely he wouldn’t see an invitation with her and her four kids—
“I have to work tonight, but thanks.”
“Anytime.”
She closed her eyes again, wishing he’d just go. She was too awake to not be aware of her reaction to him.
“The bedroom looks good.”
Her eyes flickered open. Ollie was playing with the ragged edge of the sage-green shabby-chic bedspread she’d bought after Joe had left and she threw out all their bedding he’d ever touched.
Practical? Not in the least. But necessary.
“Thanks.”
“Very girly.”
“Well, I am a girl. So there’s a certain logic there.”
“Don’t you have underwear that matches this?”
Her eyes flew open, and she saw the edge of a teasing smile hovering beneath his mustache.
She rolled over and gave him her back. “You’d know, wouldn’t you?”
The low laugh came a second before she felt him tug one of her trailing curls.
“Yeah, I would.” He stood up. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow night.”
“See you.”
She listened to him walk down the hall and out the front door, carefully setting the lock before he left. She made sure his truck kicked up gravel before she let out her groan of frustration. Then she swung out of bed and went to sort toys.
OF all the surprises over the past year—
Husband leaving her.
Sixty thousand dollars of debt she didn’t know about.
Drugs.
Possible homicide.
Nothing surprised her quite as much as the call she got on Thursday afternoon.
“A what?” Her mouth was catching flies. “He did what ?”
“I know.” Mr. Lewis, the assistant principal at Cambio Springs High, sounded as shocked as Allie. “The boys he was beating up… Well, they’re not really a surprise, but Kevin’s never even gotten into a pushing match with another student. I have to think it was provoked, but he’s not saying a thing. He asked to call someone and then hasn’t said a word since.”
“He didn’t call me .” Why hadn’t he called her? “What do I need to do?”
“I’m trying to find out what happened, but you know the kids are reluctant to talk about fights. I’m going to need you to come to the office.”
“Mama?” Loralie was tugging on the edge
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