Page 1 of Falling for Love

Chapter One

Evie

“Help. He’s after me. He’s after me.” The little shriek rang through the air and sliced through me immediately.

My heart stopped, and I dropped the tinfoil box I’d just used as I darted off the slippery patio to find my son. My heart hammered in my chest like so many years ago.

I rounded the bend and saw Hayden giggling on the snow, rolling around with our rescue pup, Lance.

All I wanted to do was drop into the snow and cry happy tears.

Hayden kicked his legs into the air as Lance licked my boy’s cheeks like he was a popsicle, and all the terror drained from me instantly.

“Mom, make him stop.” His giggles were infectious.

I laughed and shook my head as I dove into the fray of wrestling boys. One just happened to be furrier than the other.

I smiled as Hayden rolled onto me and smooshed snow on my red knit hat.

“You’re the best son ever,” I laughed, feeling his tiny body hop off me and chase after Lance.

I glanced up at the cloud-filled sky and let out a sigh. Someday, I’d hear his calls and wouldn’t immediately panic.

Someday.

I shoved myself off the snowbank and walked back to the grill. It was an exceptionally balmy Wisconsin day in January. We’d managed to hit twenty degrees, and grilling bratwursts seemed like the perfect thing to do to celebrate.

As I walked back to the patio, I found Hayden piling more snow onto an everlasting snowman he’d built earlier in the month. Smoke spiraled through the air as I picked up the tinfoil box, propped it on the grill’s table, and rearranged the tinfoil packet filled with sliced onions.

A chill ran through me, and I let out a sigh.

It was moments like these when having another hand would be nice.

“Mommy, check this out.”

My head whipped over to my seven-year-old, and I stared in shock.

“Hayden, what did you do exactly?”

“I wanted a nose like Henry’s.”

“Henry?”

“The snowman.”

“Get that carrot out of your nostril.”

He reached his tiny fingers up to the piece of orange sticking out and somehow pushed it further up.

“Wait. Nope. Stop,” I said calmly, trying to figure out if I should laugh or cry. “I got this.”

“I can’t breathe out my nose,” he complained, and my heart tugged.

“No. Probably not. We might have to go to the urgent care if I can’t get this out.”

“I’m sorry.”

I kissed his head and tried not to laugh. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

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