Hold on to Hope

My heart banged against my ribs.

Beatin’ for him.

“You are so good, Frankie Leigh. Have me in awe. Every second. Every day.”

My head shook. “The only thing we can do in this life is try to be the best person we can be. From lovin’ to workin’ to helpin’.”

“And that is what makes you so good. That you recognize it. I hope one day I can stand beside you and you see the same thing in me.”

I trembled my fingertips across his full lips. “I already do.”

Could feel that Evan was hard. From the twitch of the packed muscle on his abdomen to his erection that was straining through the sheets.

I groaned. “I’ve got to go or I’m really going to be here all day. I’ve got to run home to change really quick.”

“Grab a few changes . . . need you here with me. And honestly, I really don’t want you out there by yourself.”

Was I blushin’? It didn’t have a thing to do with being shy, it was pure giddiness. Pure gratefulness. “You really want that? Me to be here with you?”

“You think I was lying last night?”

My eyes searched the depths of his. The sincerity and devotion. Could stay there forever.

He gripped my bottom, making me squeak. I tried to subdue it, tried to silence the giggle that was breaking free so I didn’t disturb Everett who was fast asleep in his crib.

“We’re goin’ to have to figure out something with Milo. I can’t be leaving him with Carly and Josiah all the time.”

He nodded, something passing through his expression. “We’ll figure it out.” He lifted his chin with a grin. “Go on. Hurry up and go to work so you can come back to me.”

“Bossy pants,” I told him, slipping out from his bed and pulling on my skirt. Was just going to wear the T-shirt I’d borrowed from him back to my place.

He quirked a brow, watching me dress with a hungry gaze. “You want me to show you bossy? Don’t tempt me, woman.”

I edged back over for him, brushed a kiss to his lips, inched back so he could read me. “I’ll tempt you all I want. You better get used to it, Froggy Boy.”

He clutched me by the inside of the thigh. “Get the hell out of here before I have you tied to my bed.”

I laughed.

He shook his head.

And it didn’t matter how much was going on in our worlds. How scary things could be. I didn’t think I’d ever been as happy as right then.

Both of my boys lying in their beds waitin’ on me to come back to them.

I crept out the door and downstairs as quietly as I could, figuring everyone would be trying to sleep in on Sunday morning.

I hit the bottom landing, making a beeline for the door only to freeze when I heard the words hit me from behind. “You going to tell him, Frankie Leigh?”

I flinched.

Body and soul.

Warily, I turned around to face Uncle Kale who was leaning against the back of the couch.

There was no judgment on his face.

Just the expectation that I would do what was right.

I gulped for clarity.

For my own resolution.

I stared at my uncle who’d always stood by my side, even before Evan had come into our lives. Emotion fisted. “I will . . . I just . . . I’m not sure it’s the right time with everything happening with Everett.”

Sadly, he shook his head. “It’s never going to be the right time, Sweet Pea. You know that. And it’s only going to get harder to find the words the longer you keep them hidden. He has a right to know. Especially with what is happening with Everett.”

Grief fired from that place where I’d tried to keep it locked down. Where I’d lived the best way that I could with it until Evan had come back into my life. “I know that. It’s so hard, Uncle. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“You can’t protect him from that, Frankie Leigh. Just like he couldn’t protect you from his disability.”

Uncle Kale was right, but that sure didn’t make it any easier.

“I will do it soon. I promise.”

His nod was full of understanding, and he straightened to standing. “It wasn’t your fault, just like it wasn’t his.”

I swallowed down the old wounds, forced a smile that was as brittle as the thought of telling Evan made me feel, and I slipped out the door without saying anything else.

Thankfully my car was still sitting out front from when I’d gotten there yesterday afternoon, and I got in and made the quick drive to my duplex.

Unease coiled my stomach when I saw that Jack had returned, his car parked the way that it always was. But I wasn’t goin’ to live my life in fear, and if Seth believed that he was innocent of the letters, then I had to believe it, too.