Page 58 of Push

Gwen’s eyebrows were on the roof. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Honestly, doll, I’m about ready to collapse, but I’ve felt like that since about lunchtime. A couple more hours won’t kill me. You’re secretly a superhero, you know that? I don’t know how you do this every day.”

“And even though you’re tired, you’d still stay?”

“Yeah, of course! Or I can take Noah to the apartment if you’d like the whole night off. I’m all set up.” I started ticking the critical items off on my fingers. “I’ve got a bassinet, outfits for all occasions, diapers, and plenty of saucepans.Boom!Sorted.”

“And you’ve got nothing on?” I hated hearing the doubt in her voice. “Nothing planned?”

I lifted a shoulder. “I do.” There was a flash of hurt in her eyes until I quickly added, “One of the dads from Stroller Squad asked me to hang out, but he’d understand if I canceled.”

Her cute, questioning eyebrow popped up. “You meanthedad? Zach?”

“That’s him. I’d much rather look after NoBo. I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep in the rocking chair when I put him to bed, though. You might be stuck with me here all night. Is that okay?”

Gwen hesitated. “That’s…” She was so uncertain. “I guess that’s okay.”

“It’s settled then. Go put on your dancing shoes, doll. I’m booked in for a night with the maestro.”

Gwen hopped off the stool with a new bounce in her step. Her smile should’ve made me happy, but instead, my heart plummeted to the floor.

She had no one else—no family, just me—and I hadn’t protected her like I’d vowed. A night out with Marnie shouldn’t be a one-off. She shouldn’t feel so unsupported that she freaked out about needing to work all night. Those reactions were on my shoulders. I’d forgotten her and waited too long to step up.

Thatwas why Gwen had lost her edge. It was never just about losing her job. It was about losing herself.

Shit.

My breaths came out in jagged rasps. The roar in my ears drowned out Noah’s banging.

I couldn’t ignore the truth anymore. I’d royally screwed up my marriage. The writing had been on the wall well before Kayleigh’s party. I’d just been too blind to see it.

19

He Protected His Wife

Toby

“Fuck off!” Judy barked.“I’m busy!”

I cracked open the door anyway. Instead of conning my way inside with a pleading smile and puppy dog eyes, I stuck a white paper bag through the gap.

A groan floated into the corridor. “I’m definitely too busy to see you, Donnie.”

I jiggled the bag. Even if Judy couldn’t read the golden swirls that spelled outLe Patisserie, the smell of the freshly bakedpain au chocolatwould have her welcoming me with open arms. That woman had a certified chocolate addiction. She couldn’t resist. It was only a matter of time.

One…Two…Thr—

There was a long sigh. “Come in.”

I took two steps inside the office and flashed Judy a pleading smile. It couldn’t hurt. “And because I like you so much.” I held out the world’s most obscenely large coffee.

The takeaway cup disappeared from my hand, but Judy squinted at me over her glasses, full of suspicion. “You must want something big if you stood in the line forLe Patisseriethis morning.”

Forty minutes for a coffee and a pastry—worth it. “Maybe.”

The weathered lines of her face deepened when she frowned. “You better not be planning to skip out on your patients again.”

“Sorry, you’re stuck with me today, but… I want to talk to you about Gwen going back to work next week.”

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