Page 54 of My One and Only

She felt his gaze on her until she turned into the bathroom and closed the door.

Chapter 16

As Cam got ready for bed, his temper simmered. Jo had no right to tell him how to raise Fiona. He should just ignore her words. Her criticism. She wasn’t a parent. And when you didn’t have kids, it was easy to tell other parents how to raise their child. Easy to think you knew all the answers when you didn’t actually live with a kid.

He knew Fiona better than anyone. He knew what she needed. What would make her happy. And it wasn’t going to other kids’ houses after school. Or having kids over here after school.

Are you sure about that?Have you ever asked Fiona what she wanted?Ever asked her if she wanted to play with other kids?

No. He hadn’t. He and Fiona had never talked about stuff like friends and playing with other kids. He’d always told himself she was too young. That she belonged at home.

But if he was honest, he’d seen the way she’d looked when she saw kids on a playground, running around, yelling, playing. He’d seen the longing in her face.

He’d seen how she looked at the other kids when they went to the river to feed the ducks -- like she wanted to go up to them. She’d wanted to feed the ducks with them. Wanted to be part of the group.

His baby was growing up, and maybe shedidneed to interact with other children.

Maybe Jo had a valid point. Maybe he wasn’t paying enough attention to what his daughter needed.

He wondered what she did at recess at school. Were there kids she played with every day? Did she have friendships with other kids in her class? Cam swallowed hard. Maybe he needed to make an appointment to talk to Fiona’s teacher. Find out whatshesaw every day with Fiona.

Anger at Jo coiled tightly inside him. She had no right to tell him how to raise Fiona. But part of him whispered that maybe she was right.

He didn’t like wondering about that. Didn’t like thinking that he wasn’t doing his best for Fiona. He’d die for his child.

But maybe he needed to start letting her live a full life.

He grabbed one of the pillows off his bed and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and slid to the floor, but it didn’t make Cam feel any better.

Cam tossed and turned for what seemed like a long time. Finally, he fell into a fitful sleep, waking often to listen for any sounds from Fiona’s room, eventually falling back into a restless sleep.

* * *

Jo jolted awake in the darkened room. She didn’t drift out of sleep, she was immediately wide awake. She sat up in bed, the rustling of the sheets the only sound she heard. The house was silent. Still.

But something had woken her.

She slid out of bed and instinctively reached for her gun. It wasn’t on the nightstand, because there was a child in the house. So she slid open the top drawer of the dresser, safely out of Fiona’s reach. Curled her fingers around the Glock and set it on top of the dresser. Then, as quietly as possible, she reached for the jeans and sweater she’d taken off before falling into bed. Shucked out of her pajamas, then got dressed.

Wearing her jeans and sweater, she tucked the gun into the back of her jeans, then moved on bare feet down the hall. She glanced into Fiona’s room, saw the girl sprawled on the bed, sound asleep.

She moved over to Cam’s room. He was still asleep, as well.

As she walked toward the living room, she heard a noise from the kitchen. Edging around the corner, the Glock in her hand, she peered into the room. No one there. But now that she was closer, she heard more noise from the kitchen door. Someone was out there.

She moved silently back down the hall to her bedroom, closed the door and dialed 911. Gave Cam’s address and told the dispatcher that someone was at the back door, trying to break in.

As she ended the call, she cut off the dispatcher’s instruction to stay on the line. She wasn’t going to huddle in her room, talking to the dispatcher. She put the phone on silent, slid it into a pocket, then hurried into Fiona’s room.

Sliding her hands beneath the girl’s neck and knees, she scooped Fiona into her arms, cradled her against her chest and inhaled the sweet scent of little girl and baby shampoo as she carried her into Cam’s room. She set Fiona down on the bed next to him, then went around the bed and touched Cam’s shoulder.

He came awake immediately. When he tried to speak, she put her palm against his mouth. Bent close to his ear and breathed, “Someone’s at the back door. Trying to break in. Stay in here with Fiona. Don’t open the drapes to look out. I don’t want someone seeing you and shooting you in the head. Will you do that?”

When he nodded, she removed her hand. “I’m going to close your door. Do not come out of this room under any circumstances. Do you understand?”

When he nodded, she touched his arm. “I’ve got this, Cam. I’ve already called the police. They’re on their way. All you have to do is take care of Fiona. With any luck, she won’t even wake up.”

He nodded at Jo, holding her gaze.

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