Hate You Not

He hops down off the bar stool and runs toward the bedroom. Burke gives me a brows-raised look and sets off after him.

I focus on Margot. “Your Mom and Daddy are in heaven. I think Oliver is just being a little bratty.”

She nods, then sighs. “Yeah.” She wipes her finger under her eyes, and I see they’re filled with tears.

She looks up at me, her little lower lip quivering, and I wrap her in a big hug. “I want to see them up in heaven,” she sobs.

I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure words can even really help with something like this. I pick her up and haul her over to the couch, and she cries in my lap for what feels like a long time. When she’s finished, sniffling and wiping her eyes but not sobbing anymore, she seems almost happy. She smiles and blinks around the room, her eyes fixing on a paper cutting that’s framed and mounted on the wall that leads to the hallway.

“What is that?”

I drag a breath in through my nose, debating whether to tell her the truth.

“It’s called a paper cutting.”

“What’s a paper cutting?”

“It’s where somebody makes art by cutting patterns into a piece of paper.”

“Who’s in it?” she asks, and gets up, walking over to it.

I follow. “This one is a mother and a baby.”

“Did you make it?”

“No,” I tell her.

“Mommy did.”

I smile slowly as chills run up my arms. “Yes. Your mommy made this when she was in college, and she gave it to my mom.”

“Where is your mommy?” She frowns, like she truly doesn’t know—even though it’s something I’ve mentioned a time or two.

“She’s in heaven, too. Our moms and your dad are all in heaven together.”

“Do you miss her?” she asks softly.

“Every day.”

She smiles like we have a secret. “Me too,” she says in her sweet, soft voice. I’m struck with devastating sadness for what my sister lost, and lit up with the weirdest giddy shock at what I gained.

We walk down the hall and to the kids’ room, where we find Oliver reading a book and Burke lying on the bed, facing the wall. His knees are bent, his broad shoulders tucked in just a little. I frown down at him, and Oliver grins.

“We were talking, and he just stopped.”

I watch his chest for a second before letting out a breath.

“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper, beckoning the kids.

I take them to jump in Bowser’s Castle. They pull me inside, and we all jump, but I’m distracted by his presence in the house. What is he doing in there? Is he really that tired?

And then it hits me: he fell off of Hottie.

Shit!

I bet he has some kind of concussion. He’s probably dead in there right now.

“Hey guys, I’m going to the potty. Be right back.”

I bounce out of the Bowser Castle and sprint toward the screened-in porch like Mario running to save Peach. I’m intent on getting to him—on shaking his shoulders, making sure his devil ass will wake up. I throw the screened porch door open, zip across the rug, and slam right into him as he steps out through the living room door.

I feel the impact of his solid chest under my cheek and palms, and then I’m ass-planted on the porch floor, looking up at him, and I can see he isn’t dead at all.

His rich brown hair is ruffled, sticking up in one spot, and his long-lashed eyes are sleepy. Also blue. He has blue eyes. I never noticed until right now, at this exact second. His lips curve, and hot dang, he’s gorgeous.

He’s grinning down at me like he’s happy to see me.

He holds a hand out. “Need some help up?”

I huff, but take his hand and let him pull me to my feet. I roll my eyes, and he gives me a sexy little frown, his dark brows pulled together.

“Everything okay with you?” he asks.

“Yes. I just have to…do something.” I walk around him. As I step into the den, he says, “Kids okay?”

“In the Bowser castle,” I call. Then I make a beeline for the bathroom. Potty time for damn sure. I whip my phone out of my pocket and text Leah. Holy fucknuts, this is not good.

She replies immediately. What’s not?

The Evil Burkser is here and he brought a bounce house. Set it up on my lawn, killing all the grass. He’s wearing jeans that are a *little* tight. He has the kind of ass that you could bounce a penny off of, and blue eyes. Also he took Hottie for a run around the show course, and Hottie threw a shoe and B fell. So now I hate him but I also am scared he might have a concussion & he’s stopped being a dick & now he’s being nicer? Help me. Come over…can you? I need backup.