Page 158 of Push

Gwen waved goodbye.

“Alright,” I said to Noah. “We better hit the accelerator. Time to see yo’ mama!”

I managed to Tetris all the bags off the floor, and I shuffled back in the cashier’s line to pay for Gwen’s present—a year’s worth of clinic books, all professionally printed and bound.

The lady who’d helped me use the printer with forty thousand buttons had suggested that a better present would be a pretty piece of jewelry. I’d grunted a laugh. Shedidn’tknow my wife. Gwen would go all starry-eyed the second she saw those books. Poring over accounts looking for clues may not have been anyone else’s idea of fun, but Gwen loved solving mysteries.

I’d stopped by the jeweler just in case, though.

And the florist.

And the bakery.

And the store with pajamas that cost a bomb, but hey, the fluffy set was soft and looked cozy.

Had I gone overboard?

Completely. Absolutely. Yes.

I’d always held back spoiling Gwen too much and battled myself to stop being too intense. I knew I wasa lot.But screw trying to be someone I wasn’t anymore. That stoic shit was for my parents, and, just quietly, they’d been miserable for years before Dad died. I didn’t want a marriage like theirs.

I’d nearly lost Gwen once. She’d agreed to goall in. It was time to love her how I’d always wanted to—completely, absolutely, yes.

I headed down the elevator to the parking garage. Other than the occasional flick of headlights from other shoppers scouting a space, it was deserted.

The sound of my shoes on the concrete floor bounced in echoes. The scuffle of sneakers followed.

I tossed a look over my shoulder, but there was nothing but blank gray walls in every direction. I stopped, cocking my head, listening.

Nothing. Silence.

Huh.

I must have imagined it.

Once I’d dumped the shopping bags in the trunk, I unstrapped Noah for a quick diaper change and stuffed around grabbing the baby bag, picnic blanket, and the zebra he’d claimed at Zach’s place. Maree had knitted it for Alfie, but he’d never taken to it. Noah was obsessed with that thing. His legs kicked, and his excited coos almost drowned out the sound of the shoes.

Almost.

I stood up, my hand braced on the roof of the car, eyebrows furrowed as I peered between the parking spaces.

No one.

But the sound echoed.It was like a mouse scurrying from car to car…but…in sneakers. Uneasiness twitched at my nerves. The parking lot was giving me the heebie-jeebies.

Time to go.

Once Noah was safely strapped against my chest, slobbering on his zebra’s ear, and the blanket was tucked under my arm, I shot a quick text to Gwen on my way back to the elevator.

Toby

Can’t wait to see you.

Love you.

Grinning, I hit send on a few love hearts, too.

My smile faded when a message from an unknown number popped up in my notifications.

---