me with a grin and knowing eyes.
I rolled mine at her.
I watched her silent chuckle.
Forever the pot stirrer, and I couldn’t help but love her for it.
I went back and cleaned off Everett’s hands and face, kid leaning his head back to try to get away. “It’s okay, buddy. We just need to clean you up. Then we’re going to go home.”
Home.
Emotion fisted and crashed.
That’s what this place was. And I wasn’t going to give up until he was a permanent part of it.
“We’re out of here.”
Mom popped up and kissed Everett on the cheek then squeezed my hand. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
I nodded. “Me, too, Mom. Truly.”
Her smile was soft and a little sad, and I waved a hand over my head toward Carly who was helping a customer before I ducked out the door and headed to my car. I slowed when I saw the white paint on the side window.
FREAK.
Instantly, my attention whipped around, doing a complete three-sixty of our surroundings. Searching as my throat closed off. Rage and fear becoming one, a violence unlike anything I’d felt before jumping into my bloodstream as I looked for the asshole who’d stopped me outside the café.
People strolled the sidewalks, scrolled through their phones, came in and out of stores, headed toward their destinations without any care of mine.
Dude was gone.
Thin air.
Unsettled, I cast another look, finally giving up and buckling Everett into his seat. I set my hand on his chest like some kind of instinct, needing to hear it beat.
Maybe it was a little obsessive.
I didn’t care.
I wasn’t taking any chances.
I used my shirt to wipe off the paint before I climbed into the driver’s seat and drove the ten minutes back to my parents’ house.
By the time I was pulling into the drive, the fury had lessened by a degree.
That was until I saw some guy I’d never seen before sitting on the porch steps.
Dark styled hair and nice jeans and a printed t-shirt.
Didn’t matter that he looked totally innocuous. Younger than me. Arms rested on his knees.
That ferocity still lingering from the asshole at the café instantly came galloping back.
Muscles flexing and bowing in a sharp swell of protectiveness.
I glanced at Everett in the rear-view mirror. He was jabbering incessantly, fisted hand bobbing in the air, completely oblivious that anything could be amiss.
On guard, I came to a stop, not sure if I should throw it in reverse and get the hell out of there or gun it and just do away with the possible threat.
I forced myself to cool it. To take a deep breath. Overreacting wasn’t going to solve anything.
The guy on the porch steps slowly stood. He appeared uneasy, though nonaggressive. I turned off the car and stepped out, keeping my attention pinned on him the whole time.
The guy slanted his head. “Are you Evan?”
I gave a tight nod. “Yeah.”
He exhaled a tense breath. “I’m Chris, Ashley’s brother.”
Didn’t know if it was relief or apprehension that hit me hardest.
I studied him, realizing why something about him felt vaguely familiar. “Is she okay?”
“I was hoping you could answer that.”
Warily, I edged back to the passenger door, unbuckled Everett, and picked him up.
When I shut the door, Chris’s gaze moved over my son.
I held him a little tighter, fighting the urge to fucking run and hide him away, not having the first clue what this guy’s intentions were.
Air huffed out of Chris’s nose, and he minutely shook his head. “She left him with you?”
Part of me wanted to be pissed that he’d known about Everett before I had.
“Yeah,” I found myself answering again.
“That’s good.”
I angled my head in question. “Why’s that?”
He shrugged a little, roughed a hand through his hair as he stared out into the distance before he looked back at me. “She’s got issues, man. She’s a good girl, but she goes off the deep end every year or so. Severe depression. Was worried about her having a kid when she told me she got knocked up.”
I flinched at the way he threw it out there.
Couldn’t tell if this guy was just concerned for his sister or being a dick.
But there was also a huge part of me that was feeling relieved. Gaining some perspective. That also meant the other half of me was certain I wasn’t going to like it when Ashley came out on the other side and wanted Everett back.
I glanced down at the child who grinned up at me.
My heart fisted.
There was no going back.
“She seemed .