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Saxon raised his eyebrows. “Please, try to keep your enthusiasm contained. It’s a little embarrassing the way you gush all over me.”
“I thought you were Mr. Peterson.”
“And you were disappointed it was me instead. Please, my ego can hardly take the stroking you’re giving it.”
It wasn’t his ego she wanted to stroke. Oh, shit. She had to stop.
She ran her hand over her face. She didn’t have the energy for this. Or the patience.
“You didn’t check to see who was at the door before opening it?” he asked disapprovingly. “You need to always think of your safety first, Aspen.”
“Why are you here? What do you want? Or did you come just to scold me?”
“I have to want something to come visit you?”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps I came to check that your car is working properly.”
“It’s fine. Thank you.” Her stomach tightened at the reminder of what she owed him. How on earth was she going to find the money for that? This was a complete nightmare. Panic started to fill her and she took a deep breath. This wasn’t her. She didn’t panic. She was always calm.
“Is this about the money I owe you? I don’t have it right now, but I swear I’ll get it to you—”
“Whoa, no. Calm down. I’m not here for money, sprite.”
Where the hell had that come f
rom? Saxon studied her pale face with no small amount of alarm.
“Come, sit down before you fall down. Are you not sleeping? Or eating?” If possible she appeared even thinner. He didn’t like it. She appeared far too fragile for his liking.
He stepped inside and wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked like she needed the support, and he could use the touch to reassure himself she was all right. Although she liked to act tough, right now she was waiflike and pale, with dark circles under her eyes. Due to her illness? She didn’t seem like she had a cold or the flu, but perhaps it was something less obvious. He studied her, wishing he knew her better. He led her over to the worn couch, coming to a stop as he realized they weren’t alone in the room.
A small face stared up at him, eyes wide, looking very uncertain. Lips trembled as the small boy’s mouth opened.
“Oh, Jamie, it’s okay.”
Aspen tore away from him and moved to the little boy, picking him up and settling him on her hip. The child put his thumb into his mouth, sucking furiously as he gave Saxon a suspicious look while tangling his other hand possessively in his momma’s shirt.
Saxon didn’t blame the little boy for his warning look. Or his possessiveness.
“It’s okay. This is a friend of momma’s. This is Saxon.”
“Joel,” he said, surprising himself.
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes.” His voice was clipped, impatient with himself for caring what she called him. Everyone called him by his last name. It was who he was now. But once he’d been Joel. To those closest to him.
And for some reason he wanted her to be close to him.
But he regretted his sharp tone when the baby’s bottom lip trembled. Aspen narrowed her gaze at him, and he sighed.
“Sorry,” he told her and the little boy. “Jamie, huh?” He was completely unused to children. He hadn’t had much to do with them since he was a child. And he had no idea what to say or do. So he just went with his gut.
“Hello, Jamie, how are you?” He kept his voice low and calm but didn’t make any move towards the little one. The boy just stared back at him, his eyes so like his mother’s it was a little eerie.
Something caught his gaze and he turned his head, eyes widening as a little boy commando crawled his way around the back of the couch.
