Page 100 of Gifts

I smirk at her. “Thanks for assuming that, but that’s not exactly how it went down. She’ll come around in time.”

“I like you with her.” She tilts her head back to look up at me, giving me a small smile—a look I haven’t seen on her beautiful face in a long time.

“I’m glad, sweetheart. I do, too.”

Today has been good. She, Levi, and I spent the day together and they’re both up to speed on what’s going on with the now murder investigation into the crash that happened months ago. I think it’s going to take Emma a while to get over the fact she doesn’t need to feel guilt over what happened. She’ll come to terms with that in time. She and I worked for hours on homework trying to get her caught up and she promised she’d go hard the rest of the semester to salvage what she can of her grades.

“Ryder,” she calls for her dog and makes kissy noises for him to come.

“You sure gave a badass name to a poodle.” I grin as he comes scrambling through the dark where she’s crouched waiting for him.

She brings him up to her face where he’s licking her a million miles an hour and she doesn’t do a thing to stop it. “You’re the one who got him for me and he’s only part poodle.”

We head back into the house so I can spend the rest of the night with my kids.

*****

Keelie

My eyes fly open when I feel the bed move. When I roll, I see a naked Asa climbing in. Well, naked besides the big bandage taped to his torso.

“What are you doing?” I whisper, my voice raspy. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, I’ve been tossing and turning ever since I came to bed.

“Go back to sleep,” he says.

I push up to a sitting position and repeat my question now that I’m more alert with a naked Asa under the covers. “What are you doing?”

He settles, facing away from me. “Made sure my kids were okay going back to school tomorrow and now I’m going to sleep. You should, too.”

“You can’t sleep here—especially naked,” I snap.

He doesn’t look at me, but sounds tired when he replies, “I’m not sleeping anywhere else naked.”

“Put some clothes on and go to the sofa. I told you I needed time and space.”

“You’re the one talking. I’m trying to go to sleep.”

“Asa.” I raise my voice. If he’s in my bed naked, I’ll never sleep.

He still doesn’t look at me and I can tell he’s settled in. “There’s at least twelve inches between us—you’ve got your space. I’m giving you all the time you need, but you’re the one still chattering. Told you I wasn’t leaving you and I’m not. Go to sleep, Keelie.”

Sitting here in the dark, I huff, looking at his big bare body lying next to me. Could he make this any more miserable?

“Why are you making this so difficult?” I ask.

“I’ll say it one more time. You’re still talking. The way I see it—you’re the difficult one.”

“Holy shit,” I mutter and flop down, only to hear him groan. Oh, damn. His stitches—I feel bad and ask before I realize what I’m saying, “Are you okay? Did you take your pain pill?”

I hear him sigh. “Yeah.”

As angry as I am at him for taking over my house, loving on my kids, and doing what’s best for his—I have to fight my desire to roll to him. To tell him goodnight and make sure he’s putting ointment on his stitches so they don’t dry out and make the scar worse. He’s going to end up with a doozy as it is.

But I don’t do any of that.

I stick to my guns and settle facing the other way. There has to be two feet between us in my big bed.

Regardless, he’s here, and because of it, I find myself able to relax a little. Shutting my eyes, the last thing I think about is how he’s within reach.

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