Page 152 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

A boy.

She was having Calisto’s son.

But who could she tell?

“God, Midnight, where are you?” Emma asked herself,dropping her bag to the floor.

She searched the bottom level of the house, but thepup wasn’t in his kennel where she had left him. Sometimes, Affonso would letthe puppy out to roam if he whined too much. But then her husband would bitchif the dog accidentally made a mess on the floor because no one let Midnightoutside when he cried at the door.

Finally, Emma found her pup.

And Calisto.

Biting her lip, she leaned in the library entryway asCalisto played a simple tune on the piano with his one hand. He was sitting inhis wheelchair, a device he proclaimed to hate on a daily basis. Unfortunately,he was required to use it during the daytime to prevent further injury to hisfemur. The doctors had apparently promised to let him begin using crutches in aweek or two if X-rays came back looking well.

Little Midnight rested on the top of the baby grand.Curled into a tiny, furry ball, the pup slept as Calisto played a song thatEmma didn’t recognize. When he came to the end of the piece, Midnight’s ears flickedas if he were praising the song in his sleep.

Emma couldn’t help but laugh.

Calisto quickly spun his wheelchair around to faceher.

She sobered at the cold look on his face.

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said quietly.

Calisto cocked a brow. “It’s not that—I don’t like tobe spied on is all.”

“Sorry.”

He seemed to take note of the confusion and hurt onEmma’s features, and his own lips curved into a frown.

“Did I play for you before?” he asked.

Emma thought about that.

She thought about her head in his lap, and his fingersin her hair. She thought about her back on the piano, and her hands hitting thekeys as he loved her in the best way. She remembered his private pain when heplayed, but how he loved it all the same.

Those weren’t the things she could say.

Calisto wasn’t that man right now.

“You did,” she settled on saying.

Calisto nodded. “Your dog was whining in his kennelwhen you were out. Affonso wasn’t happy about that, so I went and got him out.”

“Thanks, Cal.”

“Don’t mention it.” Calisto turned his chair around,and grabbed Midnight off the piano. Emma walked over and took him from hisembrace. She hugged the dog to her chest, because he was just a little piece ofher time with Calisto, and she always held him close. “Affonso said I gave youthe dog.”

“It’s okay that you don’t remember,” she said quietly.

But it wasn’t.

Calisto scowled down at his hands. “I feel like Ishould, though.”

Emma had to hold back the tears. “Maybe you willagain.”

“Hopefully. I don’t like this—it’s almost like I’msuspended in time, and the world is still spinning. It’s seen all kinds ofthings that I haven’t.” He caught sight of Emma’s frown, and laughed. “Sorry,I’m rambling.”