“Amazing, right?” Her mother was waiting outside.
“Is he really okay?” she asked, watching the two of them.
“I can hear you,” Nick called out. “I’m fine. Go away. Make sure Aunt Charity doesn’t eat all the muffins.”
“I made two dozen,” her mother argued.
“Have you seen her eat?” Nick quipped.
“There you go.” Her mother shrugged, her gaze a little too penetrating. “What about you?”
“Can we talk in your room?” She led the way, not waiting for an answer. Once the door was closed, she jumped right in. “I’m not mad at you, Mom. I admit I was surprised, maybe even a little hurt that you didn’t tell me about the will… But I get it.” She hugged herself. “You’re my mom. You’ll always try to protect me. And Dad did w
hat he thought was best, I guess.”
“I’m pretty sure he never thought it would happen, Honor.” Her mom reached for her.
Honor wanted to believe her. She wanted to go on thinking the best of her father—especially now that he was gone. “Jack has no idea how lucky he is to have us.”
Her mother nodded. “I think—I hope—it’s going to be okay.”
“It will.” She kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’m going to take a shower before Owen comes over.” And this time she wouldn’t spend thirty minutes trying to smooth her curls into submission.
…
Felicity rocked, smoothing Jack’s curls from his forehead and humming “All the Pretty Horses.” It had taken five days for him to accept his new surroundings. Nick was the key. Every day, the two of them grew closer. When Nick walked in, Jack lit up. And when Jack called him “Ni,” Nick was all smiles.
Now his tantrums revolved around diaper changes, fatigue, and frustration over his damn cast. Felicity didn’t blame him in the least. But they had a couple of weeks before it was gone forever. Hopefully the bone had healed and that would be the end of it.
Jack’s thumb slipped from his mouth as he drifted off to sleep. She stared down at him, tracing the curve of his cheeks with her fingertips. Honor was leaving in a few weeks. Nick only had two years of high school left. Then she’d be a single mom—of a pre-schooler. “We’re going to be okay, Jack. You know that?”
His little mouth sucked in his sleep. She stood and carried him to his crib, taking extra-special care to ease the cast onto the mattress first.
She stood over him, smoothing the blanket up and turning on his nightlight as she left.
The house was quiet.
Charity was having dinner with Maudie to finalize the handoff of the travel agency. Nick had gone with friends to a party at the lake and was spending the night at her parents’. This time, he promised, he really was spending the night at her parents’. And Honor was on a date with Owen.
She was alone. And that meant there was nothing to distract her from missing Graham.
Which meant she needed to find something to do. Immediately.
She poured a glass of wine and carried it and the baby monitor into the living room. Charity had given her a book “guaranteed to distract her,” but so far it had failed to deliver. With a sigh, she skimmed four pages, then slammed the book down. She stared at her phone, took several sips of wine, and gave in.
The phone rang three times.
“Felicity?” Graham. Graham’s voice.
She could breathe. “Hi.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes. I wanted to hear your voice. “Everything is fine.”
“I’m glad. I was going to call but didn’t know when would be a good time. How is Jack settling in?” he asked.
“It’s been amazing, thanks to Nick.” She filled him in on the transformation of both boys. And it felt better, talking to him. “How’s Diana?”