Read Online Yours at Midnight by Robin Bielman - Free Book Online

too long.
    “That sounds great. Thanks.”
    Max ran into the kitchen carrying a black puffy jacket, and thrust it at him. Quinn helped him into it. His little arms looked stiff and uncomfortable once he was zipped. They reminded Quinn of the time his dad had taken him to Mammoth for the first time and he’d been stuffed into a snowsuit.
    Max put his hand into Quinn’s. Quinn’s chest tightened. This little person was Lyric’s. He was part of her. And Quinn would do anything to keep him safe. Happy.
    “What’s going on?” came a shocked voice from behind him.
    Lyric.
    He and Max spun around. “We’re going to the park, Mama.”
    Lines etched Lyric’s forehead. Shock and worry. Still beautiful, though. Her cheeks were flushed, her auburn hair in wavy disarray around her shoulders, her black coat cinched at the waist.
    “You are?” She moved her gaze from him to Max. Her clear adoration squeezed his heart. He wanted her to look at him like that.
    Caroline handed him a thermos. “You two are all set.”
    “Would you like to join us?” he asked Lyric. He gave silent thanks that she’d walked in before they’d left. Not because he didn’t want to be alone with Max—but because he wanted to be with her, too. So damn bad it hurt.
    “I’d love to,” she said.
    “Let’s go then.” He gave her his arm. She took it, and the three of them headed to the park.
    And for the first time in his life, Quinn felt complete and utter peace.

 
    Chapter Six
    “You can go higher than that ,” Quinn called out.
    “I could,” Lyric hollered back, pumping her legs back and forth on the swing. But she was perfectly happy swinging at her current height. This way, she could watch Quinn and Max without the tops of their heads vanishing every three seconds.
    Quinn and Max .
    They were digging in the sand looking for treasure, using blue plastic shovels someone had left behind. Lyric couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Max looked positively enamored with Quinn, giggling every time Quinn did something silly like let his hand jerk so the shovel came back and thwacked him in the forehead.
    Every thwack released another butterfly in her stomach.
    She had to tell him.
    The way Max had taken to Quinn without a second thought made her dizzy. He didn’t usually warm up to people so quickly. Was it possible he sensed Quinn was different? Was it possible the three of them could be a family?
    Max stood and climbed the ladder for the slide. Quinn moved to catch him at the bottom, as if he’d moved that way a hundred times before. Max grinned all the way down into Quinn’s arms; Quinn lifted him into the air and swung him around before putting his feet back in the sand.
    “Again!” Max said, and raced to the ladder.
    Lyric could have swung and watched them play together all day. Nothing compared to seeing Quinn so at ease with their son. So equally enamored.
    She flung herself off the swing. “Hey, can I play too?”
    “Come on, Mama.” Max waved her over.
    When it was her turn to slide, Quinn knelt and waited for her at the bottom, too. Max stood beside him, a hand on Quinn’s shoulder, a proud grin on his face.
    “Go, Mama!”
    She went, her heart thudding in her chest because the man she’d told herself never to fall for had her entire body trembling.
    Quinn trapped her at the bottom, his arms on either side of her, her knees almost touching his chest. Max cheered, then skipped over to the shovels and started digging again.
    “Hi,” Quinn said.
    “Hi.”
    “Anyone ever tell you, you make a funny face when you go down the slide?”
    “I do not.”
    “How do you know?” His breath floated in the air. She wanted to feel it over every inch of her skin.
    “Because.” She shivered—from more than the cold temperature.
    “Is that the standard mom answer to questions you know you’re wrong about?” He cut a quick glance to Max. He’d kept a protective eye on Max all afternoon.
    She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to