I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

Sitting in the front seat of my car like she’d been meant for that spot.

My chest clenched in an almost painful way. Reverberating with a deep-rooted sort of pleasure. The kind that promised it might last forever and, still, you were terrified of letting it slip through your fingers.

That didn’t mean my muscles weren’t knotted in anticipation.

I was heading in a direction I’d never gone. Taking a girl to hang out with my friends, who I considered family.

I’d asked Hope and Evan to go to Rex’s with me for a barbeque.

Not since Melody had I invited someone into our intimate circle, and even then, she’d only hung out with them once or twice because I was attending medical school in Birmingham.

That was where I’d met her.

Where I’d lost her.

I clamped down on the morbid thoughts that threatened to rise from that dark place inside me and, instead, focused on Evan, who was bouncing with excitement in the backseat, his smile bright as he strained to see out the windows.

Funny how all those questions and what-ifs were rambling around me, and I still felt completely at peace.

It was like that frantic lust and greed and want that had flamed inside me since I’d met Hope had become aware that feeling was actually an everlasting need.

An undying devotion.

And it wasn’t ever going to go away.

I felt the weight of her questioning stare burning into the side of my face. I took a right-hand turn, and I let myself peek over at her for a second as I accelerated down the road.

Fuck.

She was gorgeous.

So goddamned gorgeous.

All that red hair aflame, a halo of fire where it was lit up in the streaks of light that blazed through the passenger window.

Body tight and skin soft. Pale with that smattering of freckles.

Like she was sprinkled in some kind of fairy dust and she held her own special brand of magic.

Enchanting.

Entrancing.

That was what she was.

“What?” I asked, word scraping from my throat.

She bit down on that plump bottom lip and fiddled with the skirt of another one of those sundresses I was pretty sure she’d figured out were the ruin of me.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted in that sweet, shy way.

“Why are you nervous?”

She laughed a disbelieving yet hopeful sound. “You’re taking me and my son to meet your friends . . . the people who mean the most to you. You’ve got to know that’s kind of intimidating.”

I arched a brow. “As intimidating as your best friend?”

Her laughter rippled through the cabin of my car.

Swore the sound made me glow.

She tried to hold back a grin. “She’s not that bad.”

“Oh, believe me, Shortcake. A girl starts threatening the most important parts? That ranks her up there with arsonists and serial killers.”

She laughed outright, her gaze so soft. “So dramatic.”

I sent her a reassuring smile. “Seriously, though. They’re amazing. You’re going to love them just as much as they’re going to love you and Evan.”

Tenderness moved through her expression, that feeling rising high between us.

Alive.

I think both of us knew we were embarking on something new. It was no secret I wouldn’t be inviting anyone to meet my family unless I intended for them to become a part of it, and it was palpable in the air, the fact that everything was getting ready to change.

Truth was, my world had changed that night at the bar. I’d thought it was simply because I was changing careers. Taking the partnership at the children’s clinic. Maybe all along, that coming change had been Hope.

I made a left into Rex’s gravel drive, my tires crunching on the rocks as we came to a stop.

The houses in his neighborhood were spread out and elevated from the ground by several steps that led up to the porches of the modest homes.

Yards hedged in towering trees, which gave them a private feel.

Secluded and quiet.

Like they were in the middle of the woods and might not have a neighbor for miles, when in reality, they were in the middle of the town.

I killed the engine. “This is it.”

Hope sucked in a breath, and Evan freed himself from his seatbelt. Grinning, he scrambled to poke his head between the two front seats. That innocent gaze darted between us, excitement rolling from him in waves.

My chest tightened. Affection and that fluttering feeling. The one I was terrified to give a name.

I turned so I could face him. “You ready, little man?”

An energetic nod, and then he was yanking open the back door and flying out. Chuckling, I was quick to follow, wrapping his hand up in mine, running my thumb over the back of it.

Giving him the encouragement he didn’t seem to need but I wanted to offer anyway.

He and I wound around the front of the car just as Hope was ducking into the backseat to grab the container of cupcakes she’d insisted on bringing, her sweet ass swaying in the air, sending all kinds of thoughts and ideas skating through my head and licking across my skin.

She whipped around. A blush rushed to her cheeks when she caught what had to be the salacious expression on my face.

Busted.

“You are nothin’ but trouble, Cowboy,” she said with a jittery giggle, smoothing her rumpled self out.

Affected.

I let a smirk climb to the edge of my mouth. “Don’t act like you aren’t begging for it. Wearing those dresses that you know are gonna drive me straight out of my mind.”

Hope was shaking her head with sweet disbelief while Evan’s attention jumped between us, confused.

Chuckling, figured I’d better stop that train that was quickly speeding out of control and do it fast.

“Come on, let’s go meet everyone.”

Keeping Evan’s hand in mine, I tucked my other arm around Hope’s waist and pulled her to my side. I pressed my lips to her temple and murmured, “Thank you so much for coming with me. It means more to me than you could know.”

Those green eyes found mine. Tender and real. “Just you bringing us here says so many things,” she whispered. “I’m honored to be a part of your world. To get to know the people you love most.”

Fuck.

This woman had undone me. Unchinked all the armor I hadn’t even realized had been there until it toppled to the ground.

An offering at her feet.

Instead of going up the porch steps to the front door, we headed around the side of the house where carefree voices echoed from the backyard, riding on the humidity that was hot and thick and sticky this time of year.

Evan trotted along at my side, continually looking up at me, almost like he was asking for approval, those adorable bug eyes huge behind his thick glasses, wearing that blameless smile that completely destroyed my heart.

Putty in his trusting hands.

We rounded the corner, listening to the easy laughter of my friends, and strode into the grassy, sprawling yard at the back of Rex and Rynna’s house that was fenced in by soaring trees.

A big wooden porch ran the back of the house, and a few round tables and chairs sat in the middle of it, covered by colorful umbrellas that stretched out to protect from the searing heat of the Alabama sun.

A built-in grill and outdoor kitchen had been built at the opposite end of it. Smoke already puffed from the closed lid, twisty plumes of white rising into the air, carrying with it the divine scent of grilling steaks.

Hope leaned a little closer to me.

“You’re with me, baby. You don’t have a thing to worry about.”

She peered up at me. “I know. It’s ridiculous, but I just always worry when I get Evan in new situations. How he’s gonna react and how people are gonna react to him.”

I slowed to a stop, tucking Evan to my side before I dropped his hand and turned to take his mother by the face. My hold emphatic. “I would never bring him somewhere he wouldn’t be welcome. Would never put him in danger. Not ever.”

She blinked up at me, her hands winding around my wrists. “And that’s why we’re right here, with you.”

I wanted nothing more than to drop everything right there and kiss her wild, this woman who’d do anything to stand up for her son.

Protect him.

All I wanted was to hold her and keep her and tell her that bastard was never going to hurt either of them.

That I’d make sure of it.

That I’d never let her down.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore what was going on in her life. Something I hadn’t seen firsthand but saw the same as if I was standing in the middle of it.

Her ex a lowlife fucker I wanted to beat down with my bare fists. Destroy and ruin the way he intended to ruin them.

I shoved the urge back, my voice gruff when I murmured, “I can’t wait for them to meet you.”

A tender smile fluttered across those full lips, and I hugged her closer before I gathered Evan’s little hand back in mine.

Fighting the shudder that ripped through me because I loved the way it felt against mine so damned much.

I led them up the side steps to the porch. Everyone was already lounging beneath the umbrellas, enjoying the Sunday afternoon.

Rynna noticed us first. The second she did, she pushed from her chair and hopped to her feet, all welcoming the way she always was. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

That chatter quieted to nothing, and about five different pairs of eyes snapped our direction.

Sure, it was unnerving, but it was totally expected.

I knew showing up this way was going to shock the hell out of them. Each of them was doing their best to play it cool when really it was clear their minds were working at a hundred miles an hour.

Because I’d been completely straight up with Hope.

This was a first for me.

Rynna crossed to the edge of the porch where we’d stopped at the top of the stairs. Her sincere gaze moved over us before landing on Evan. When they locked eyes, Evan’s hand moved in an exuberant wave.

Her expression grew tender, and she knelt down and signed HI.

“Oh,” Hope breathed at my side, awe oozing out at Rynna’s display of welcome.

It was at the same second that one simple gesture made joy light on Evan’s face.

A goddamned sunburst.

Because the kid was so damned sweet.

“I’m Rynna. You must be Evan,” she said, her lips moving a little slower than usual.

When I’d called to tell her I was bringing guests, she’d launched into a thrilled-sort of third-degree, badgering me for as much information as she could possibly dig out.

I’d told her about Evan’s disability, giving her what I could without revealing too much, telling her he could read lips and not to treat him any different from Frankie Leigh.

Which was ridiculous I’d even felt the need to say it.

Evan gave her one of those enthusiastic nods, his little hand still wound up in mine, swaying at my side.

“Well, it is so great to meet you, Evan. I hope you have a blast at my house today.”

With an affectionate touch of his chin, Rynna pushed to her feet and extended both her hands toward Hope. “I’m Rynna Gunner. Welcome to our home. Thank you so much for coming.”

Hope pushed the plastic container out in front of her like a peace offering. “Thank you for having us. I brought cupcakes.”

Rynna accepted them with a generous smile. “Oh, my goodness, this is exactly what we needed. The only treats my family gets around here are my pies, and I’m pretty sure they have to be getting sick of them by now.”

“That’s impossible,” Hope said.

The girl was so genuine there was no question of her sincerity.

She tucked a strand of that red, red hair behind her ear almost nervously and offered a smile. “I’ve eaten at Pepper’s Pies plenty of times to know it never gets old.”

Rynna grinned from ear to ear. “You’ve been?”

“Of course. Those pies are legendary.”

“Well, I can’t exactly take credit. They are my grandmother’s recipes.”

Frankie Leigh suddenly came barreling out the back door with her dog Milo hot on her heels, the screen door smacking shut behind them. “Uncle Kale! Uncle Kale! You came to see me!”

She threw her arms in the air, feet clattering on the planks as she scrambled around the tables, flying for me. She came to a grinding stop when she saw the little boy’s hand wrapped in mine.

Her eyes went wide in excited interest.

“Is this mys new friend Evan?” she asked me, looking up at me hopefully.

I knelt beside them. “Sure is, Sweet Pea. This is Evan, and he’s really special to me, so I hope you spend the whole day playing with him because he doesn’t know anyone else here.”

Of course, she would. The kid was a force field of joy.

But I never expected that my Frankie Leigh, my goddaughter and the girl who had always held every inch of my heart, would sign HI just like her mom had done, probably more awkwardly than I’d done when Evan had been trying to teach me the alphabet.

But that didn’t matter.

Nothing did except that my family had made sure to make this little boy feel welcomed.

Emotion fisted my heart, not expecting to feel this way when I saw the two of them together.

Overcome and a little overwhelmed.

Evan signed with a huge grin, and I looked over my shoulder to Hope. She chewed at her lip, the woman so fucking stunning standing there with the sun shining all around her that I was having a hard time seeing straight. “Wonder Woman,” she said, her voice a wisp.

A smile flew to my face, and I looked back at Evan. “Yeah, buddy. This is Wonder Woman.”

I turned to Frankie. “And this is my little Hulk.”

Mine.

My chest tightened.

All of this was so goddamned new but so goddamned right.

Frankie Leigh giggled like crazy. “I likes the Hulk . . . but he’s not as strong as my daddy and my uncles! Thor and Cap’in ’merica.”

I felt Rynna staring at me, and I glanced up to meet her eyes.

I’m happy for you.

He’s wonderful.

I’m so glad you brought them.

“Wanna play? I gots my puppy and he’s so fast and he likes to jump and lick and he’s so funny,” Frankie Leigh rambled out, pushing the wild, wild locks of her hair from her face with both hands.

Evan didn’t even hesitate. He dropped my hand and was rushing down the stairs, clambering behind Frankie and Milo out onto the lawn.

Frankie squealed, dancing all around like the carefree thing she was, and Evan’s smile was as big as I’d ever seen it as he tried to follow her lead.

I took Hope’s hand.

She squeezed mine back.

Her emotions leaching into my veins.

Gratefulness and joy and that feeling that terrified me kept nudging me more and more.

“Guys, I want you all to meet someone.”

All those pairs of eyes that’d been watching us scrambled to their feet.

I introduced Hope to everyone, pointing to them as I said their names.

“Lillith. Brody. That’s Nikki, and that little thing sleeping on her chest is my godbaby, Ryland.”

Hope gave a tiny wave, still clinging to me with the other hand. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

Rex, who was grinning as he manned the grill, welcoming her to his home, sending me a bunch of looks on the sly that told me we would definitely be talking about this later.

No shit.

I knew showing up like this was signing myself up to stand in front of the firing squad.

Especially considering the last time I’d been here I’d been claiming my old ways. Certain I didn’t need anything more when, really, I’d been lacking everything.

I was ready to face it.

Of course, Hope had already met Ollie. He sauntered up and pulled her into a big, burly, overbearing hug.

Like they were the oldest of friends.

My girl looked like some kind of rag doll when he flung her around, brows climbing to the sky when he peered at me from over her shoulder, silently telling me I had some explaining to do.

So maybe I’d been dodging all his texts and calls for the last two weeks. Didn’t show at the bar on either Friday night the way I always did, deciding to trade in a night of carousing and revelry for hanging out with Hope and Evan.

Crazy how quickly things could change.

Finally, he set her on her feet. “So, I see you decided to put up with this asshole, after all.”

Hope glanced at me. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

Two hours later, we’d eaten, our stomachs were full, and everyone was sitting around talking and relaxing the lazy day away.

Easy.

I had to admit, my gaze was probably a little too eager where I sat on the porch nursing a beer, watching Hope where she was hanging out with the girls over at the far end of the lawn in the shade of a lush, sprawling tree.

Laughing.

Chatting like she’d known them for years.

Ryland was on a blanket, kicking his little arms and legs, and Rynna was propped up on an arm, sitting protectively at his side.

Nikki, Lillith, and Hope had gathered around the little makeshift play area, lounging on chairs and sharing a bottle of wine.

Frankie Leigh and Evan were still racing around the yard, playing hide and seek, Milo basically giving them away each time, all too quick to sniff them out.

Broderick had to bail to take a conference call with his office in New York.

Rex tipped the neck of his beer bottle out toward the yard. “This is all so very domestic of you,” he said, broaching the subject I’d felt coming all afternoon.

He cut me a glance from the side, taking a long pull of his beer as he studied me.

“You about ready to talk about what’s going on? Because this is so far out of left field, I’m wondering who you are and what you’ve done with my friend.”

His brow lifted. “You know, the one who’s insisted since he finished medical school that he didn’t need anyone in his life other than his patients and us. A warm body without a face to keep him company on the nights he wants to get his dick wet right before he goes on his merry way.”

He gave a sharp shake of his head. “Then my wife shocks the shit out of me last night by telling me you’re coming over with some chick and her kid. That’s enough of a one-eighty to make any man’s head spin.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

I drummed my fingertips on my knee. “It’s complicated.”

Apparently, I had been hanging out with Hope too much.

Rex’s expression turned incredulous. “Think you’d better figure out exactly what that means, because there isn’t room for fucking around when there’s a kid involved.”

His words were hard, and there was no mistaking it was fueled by a threat.

He got it on a level many couldn’t.

“You really think I’d fuck around with her if I didn’t get that?” My tone was a little harsher than I’d intended.

But fuck.

His warning hit me in all the wrong places. In those places where my own terror was held. The worry that I might fail this kid.

“No. I didn’t think you would,” Rex said with a shake of his head. “Which is why I’m wondering what the hell is going on in that head of yours.”

Ollie rocked forward in his chair, leaned his elbows on his knees as he looked over me. “Last time I talked to you, you were still hung up on the past. Thinking you didn’t deserve the chance. That you couldn’t take it.”

His brows drew together. “That neither could she.”

My attention landed on Evan, who was in the middle of the yard. His arms were thrown up over his head and he was spinning in a circle as he let the sun rain down on his precious face.

My heart throbbed. Pulsing and pressing and pushing.

“They happened.”

A snort puffed from Rex’s nose. “Women. When we meet the one, they make us forget ourselves, don’t they?” he mused as he sipped his beer.

Ollie scoffed. “Uh . . . no. I can assuredly say I don’t know what that’s like, man. But this fucker sure seems to have caught the same plague that your sorry ass did.” He hooked his thumb my direction.

I smirked at him. “Hey, man, go ahead. Rub it in. Know you’re just jealous.”

“Fuck no,” he said with a laugh, not even realizing his attention immediately drifted to Nikki, who was cracking up in her chair, rocking forward as she clutched her stomach.

Her eyes flashed up to meet his like she felt the weight of his stare.

Just as fast, he jerked his attention back, the way he’d done for too many goddamned years.

Asshole didn’t know what was right under his nose.

Or more likely, he just did a damned good job of ignoring it.

Ollie scrubbed a tattooed hand over his face like he was breaking himself from the trance.

I didn’t think he knew how he’d gotten there in the first place.

“But seriously . . . are you ready to let it go? Give her up? Because you’ve been clinging to her memory for years. And that girl . . .”

He pointed at Hope, who’d taken Ryland in her arms.

She stared down at the tiny thing as if she were looking on beauty while at the same second it broke her heart.

Ollie’s features shifted, not even a remnant of a tease. “She doesn’t deserve to live in the shadow of Melody’s ghost, man. She doesn’t. And neither do you.”

Unease slithered beneath my skin. Melody’s face a sequence of flashes in my mind.

Stark, blinding lights. Compression after compression. That fucking flat line.

Smiles and laughter and grief.

Never thought I could love anyone again.

Had never entertained it.

“I’m terrified of it,” I admitted. “That I’m always going to be haunted by her ghost. That I might fail again. But I don’t think I can stop this, either.”

Silence fell over us for a beat, my eyes watching Evan as he played. He caught me staring, waved over his head.

This kid.

This kid.

I gulped around the thick emotion that swelled in my throat. “He has a bad heart.”

Rex’s attention whipped my direction. “Fuck, man.”

Yeah.

Fuck me.