Page 123 of Shadows of You

Yet still, Roan stayed.

He hadn’t mentioned going back up to his cabin at all. And he was no longer sleeping on the couch. Cady hadn’t batted an eyelash at the change. She just liked having her best pal in close proximity.

“Whatcha starin’ at, Mama?” Cady asked around bites of her eggs.

My cheeks heated. “I like watching Roan make omelets.”

She bobbed her head in a nod. “Me, too. He does the flip thing, and they’re the yummiest.”

Roan sent a smirk in my direction as he plated our food.

“It’s not nice to be cocky,” I called.

“What’s cocky?” Cady asked.

“It means you’ve got a big head,” I explained.

Her nose scrunched. “Mr. Grizz’s head looks normal to me.”

Roan chuckled as he set my plate in front of me and kissed my temple. “See? I’m perfect.”

I grunted.

Cady giggled. “You sound like Mr. Grizz!”

Roan just laughed harder.

I’d never get tired of the sound. It was deep, raw, and real, and it wrapped around me like the warmest embrace.

Those laughs were coming easier these days, too. More often. But I didn’t take a single one for granted.

I took a bite of my omelet and moaned. The veggies and cheese exploded on my tongue in the perfect combination.

Roan leaned in. “Keep making those noises, and I’m gonna have to take you out to the barn before school.”

My face heated as my gaze flew to his. We’d had to get creative when it came to finding time together, but I didn’t care one bit.

“I like the barn,” I whispered back, my voice going husky.

“I wanna go to the barn!” Cady chimed in. “The barn is way more fun than school.”

I stifled a laugh and turned my attention to Cady, studying her for a moment. “Is Heather being okay?”

Cady worried her lip between her teeth, and I braced to hear what awful thing the little girl had done lately. “I feel bad for her,” Cady said with a sigh.

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Why?”

“Her friends don’t play with her anymore. She’s sad.”

I winced. That had been my doing when I called out Katelyn and made her friends aware that the town was paying attention. “What do you think you should do?”

Cady thought about it for a moment. “I’m gonna see if she wants to play with me and Charlie at recess. If she’s mean, I won’t ask again, but maybe she learned her lesson. Like when you give me a conserquwence.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. I didn’t have to punish Cady often. I could count on one hand the times I’d had to do it this year. But she always took the fact that I was disappointed in her behavior the hardest.

“I think that would be really kind of you, Katydid.”

She grinned at me and slid out of her chair to take her plate to the sink. “Kind hearts are the best hearts.”

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