For Their Child's Sake

Daisy barked outside as car doors slammed. Marley stormed in the back door and ran through the house and up the stairs. The resounding slam of her bedroom door echoed into the kitchen.

Kate glanced to Tara. “What happened?”

Sam stepped in the door and Tara came to her feet. “Sam?”

“She had a memory.”

Chapter Nine

“You never should have brought that damn dog here.”

Tara paced across the living room. Sam merely stood at the base of the steps, his arm over the banister, and remained quiet.

Couldn’t he say something? Anything? She wasn’t sure if she was gearing up for a fight to get out her frustrations or if she wanted him to agree with her. Mercy, she was a mess. She didn’t even recognize herself lately.

Sam’s silence grated on her very last nerve. How could he be so calm when Marley was upstairs crying over the memory of losing her dog? Well, she’d already had that memory, but now she recalled how her beloved pet had passed and had relived the moment all over again.

Precisely what Tara had feared would happen all along...and not just with Marley’s pet. All of this was going to get worse before it got better. When Marley regained all of her thoughts, she would learn they had been lying to her.

“I brought the dog to help our daughter heal,” Sam said in that calm voice of his. He’d always been so in control...until that point when he wasn’t. “I know it was a rash decision, but at the time I would’ve done anything to see her smile.”

Tara stopped pacing and stared across the room at him. His eyes settled onto hers, holding her in place. He’d always managed to do that. He could stop her with one look, one crooked grin that would send her heart beating even faster.

“I’ve yet to see what would make you smile again.”

His words hit her hard, but she did not have the time or the mental stamina to analyze what he meant for the impact they had on her heart or the future.

“This is not about me,” Tara exclaimed, trying to stay focused on the real problem. “What did you say to her when she remembered how Daisy died?”

Kate had left once she discovered there was a serious problem. Tara had promised to call her later and fill her in. Now Tara was still waiting for Sam to explain what had actually happened while they were at his mother’s house.

“We were on our way home when a dog ran out in front of the car.” Sam stepped away from the staircase and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I slammed on my brakes and the dog continued to run across the street to the other side. Marley started crying and said she remembered Daisy getting hit by a car. I tried to explain that the doctor said because of the bump on her head some memories were missing and would likely come back in pieces. I really did not know what to say, so I tried to console her.”

Tara knew he’d probably done all he could. Still, she wanted to place the blame somewhere for her daughter’s upset. But how could she target Sam when this entire chaotic mess was due to an accident?

Taking her hair behind her ears, Tara blew out a sigh. “I’m going to go upstairs and talk to her.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Tara held up her hand and shook her head. “Let me handle this.”

The muscles in Sam’s jaw ticked, but he ultimately nodded his head in agreement. She wasn’t trying to push him away—well, maybe she was. All of their emotions were running on high alert right now, and she wanted to console her daughter alone. Who knew what he’d promise Marley in an attempt to get her to smile again? Likely she really would end up with that iguana.

Tara started for the steps, but Sam’s hand reached out, his fingers curling around her arm. The rough pad of his thumb gently stroked over her bare, sensitive skin, causing way too many emotions and way too many tingles for her comfort.

“I know you keep wanting to do this alone, but I’m not going anywhere until she is better.” He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “And until you see that I’ve changed.”

Tara did not look at him. She knew if she turned her head their lips would brush and she simply could not afford that—not when she was still feeling their kiss from that first night.