Page 152 of Kylie

“No,” I acknowledged. “I didn’t.”

“Do you think we could have your birthday, too?”

I fought the tears that threatened. They were happy tears, but still. I didn’t want my daughter to see me cry.

“I’d love that, Avery.”

Her eyes locked with mine. “Me, too, Mommy.”

I swallowed past the lump that formed in my throat, sniffling back the tears. That was the first time she’d called me Mommy since I came home.

It was hard to believe she was only five. She seemed so much older than that sometimes. It pained me that they’d suffered because of my absence. And when I thought about who was responsible, a red haze clouded my vision. The damage Martin Calloway had done to me was bad enough. But the bastard had hurt my family in the process, and as far as I was concerned, that was unforgivable.

He would pay. Of that I was certain.

Travis

I stood beside Kaleb and Sawyer, watching the movement on the wooden floor. I grinned every time Kade passed because he waved like it was the first time he saw me. The kid was so damn animated. Not to mention, a laugh-riot when he wanted to be.

“I thought for sure you’d wear your rhinestones and spandex,” Kaleb said to Sawyer, chuckling as he spoke.

Sawyer’s gaze swung over, landing on Kaleb. He looked sincere and very serious when he said, “Do not make fun of my pink spandex. They make me go faster.”

“Now they’re pink, huh?” I prompted, rolling my eyes.

“With a tutu,” Sawyer said, again very serious. “And a pretty pink bra. With a star on it.”

“Oh, lord.” Kaleb barked a laugh. “I do not need that image in my head.”

“Neither do I,” I told them, trying my damnedest not to imagine Sawyer dressed like a … I wasn’t sure what wore pink spandex and a tutu, but whatever it was, I didn’t need to imagine Sawyer looking like one.

“Hey, man. Seriously though. How’s Kylie?” Kaleb asked, speaking up to be heard over the music.

My gaze instantly shifted to her across the crowded room. She was sitting on a bench beside Avery, both of them smiling.

“She’s good.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded, turning my attention to my brother. “Yup. She’s still goin’ to Piper every week.”

I was so damn proud of her, how she made overcoming her trauma look like it was easy when God knew it was anything but. However, Kylie was the strongest woman I knew. She made so many things look easy, which was something I’d learned after… Back when we’d been left to raise five rugrats on our own because the love of our lives had been stolen from us.

Shaking off the thought, I nodded at Kade as he passed with his hand flapping.

“And physically?” Sawyer asked. “She looks good. Healthier, I mean.”

I knew what he meant. “Her doctor’s pleased with her progress.”

“Were you and Gage able to get that other thing taken care of?” Kaleb asked, dividing his attention between the skaters cruising by and me.

The question had me glancing down at my watch. “They should be finishin’ up soon.”

“It’s a good idea,” Sawyer noted. “I mean, you didn’t use that guest room for anything, did you?”

My thoughts were inundated with memories of encounters shared in that guest room. After Kylie… I had moved into that room, unable to go into our bedroom for the longest time. I’d missed her so damn much, and every single thing triggered me at the time.

But she wasn’t dead. My wife was alive and well and home with us. And that was what had given me the idea to convert that guest room into an office for Kylie. We never had guests stay over, and if we ever needed an extra place for someone to sleep, there was always the couch, or one of the kids could give up their space for a night or two.