Page 194 of Halo

Nick’s eyes flick from her to me, checking my face for some clue about what happened while he was gone.

“I can get you coffee.”

“I’m fine, Nick. Thank you.”

She bends and kisses my cheek.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

After she leaves, Nick lowers himself into the chair beside me and watches her disappear down the hallway before looking back at me.

He opens his mouth.

“Don’t.”

His mouth closes.

I hold out my hand instead.

He takes it without another word, lacing his fingers through mine before bringing my knuckles to his lips.

And right now, that’s all I need.

Chapter 48

Nick

The turn off the highway comes back to me before the sign does.

I slow the truck and take the familiar road toward the ranch, passing stretches of pasture broken up by old oak trees and fence lines I’ve known since I was a kid. The place has changed over the years, but not enough to make it unfamiliar. There’s still that same long gravel drive leading toward the house, the barn sitting farther back behind it, and cattle scattered across the pasture like they don’t have a damn thing in the world to worry about.

I glance in the rearview mirror.

Leah is asleep with her head against the window, one hand resting loosely around the plastic emesis basin she’s carried since we left Dallas. The scarf around her head has slipped slightly above one ear, and even asleep, she looks exhausted.

Beside her, Grady is out cold in his booster seat with his glasses crooked and a blue Slurpee stain around his mouth.

My whole world is sitting in the backseat of my truck.

The thought settles somewhere deep in my chest.

By the time we pull up to the house, there are trucks and cars parked everywhere. My brothers are here, my sister, their kids, their grandkids, enough Crawfords to populate half of Parker County. Grady wakes the second I turn off the engine, while Leah takes another moment before opening her eyes.

“You okay?” I ask.

She nods, although I know better than to believe her.

Inside, the house smells like smoked meat and whatever my sister has been baking all morning. Everybody wants introductions, but I get them through the crowd and into the living room first.

Mama is sitting near the windows in her wheelchair.

Grady catches my hand before we reach her.

“Dad,” he whispers. “Is that the wheelchair you told me about?”

“Yeah, partner.”