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“Promise?” John asked as his little finger stroked her scar.

Amy picked up his finger and kissed it. “Cross my heart. She’s not coming back.”

“Good,” he yawned.

“Now you get some sleep, okay?”

She watched as his eyes closed, and stayed with him until his breath evened out. Then she kissed his cheek and walked to the bedroom door and turned out the light. She left it open a little bit so that they could see the hall light, and she would be able to hear them if they woke in the middle of the night.

She took a minute to stare at the little hellions. God, she loved them. Her cousin Carla was one lucky woman.

Amy went back out to the tiny living room and grabbed the novel out of her backpack, then settled down to read, but it didn’t work. Being in this apartment she couldn’t help but think back to one of the last conversations she’d had with Ryker. She loved that he had called her when she was babysitting here. It helped to whitewash the memories of her mom’s attack.

“I love the stuffed seal you sent me,” Ryker said as soon as he answered the phone.

“Even though it was pink?” Amy giggled.

“Especially since it was pink. The big sparkly eyes were a nice touch. When my nieces see this they’re going to be green with envy.”

“Well, I’m still debating whether I liked the French maid apron,” Amy smiled. “You do realize I’m not a chef and I’m not that great at cleaning, right?”

“How would I know, you haven’t let me come and visit.” She could hear the frustration in his voice and she hated that.

“I only have the one day off, you know that. It’s just not worth the time, Ryker,” she sighed.

There was a long pause, the longest pause they’d ever had on one of their calls. She was afraid he’d hung up.

“Okay, now to happy things. Have I dished on Gideon and Jada?”

“Are all SEALs as gossipy as you are?”

“Well, we can’t talk about our work, so hell yes, we love butting in on one another’s personal lives and spreading the news. Anyway, Gideon is so head over heels in love with Jada, the news on the street is that he spent over five grand on a purse and three pairs of shoes for her.”

Amy gasped. “That can’t be true. Tell me you’re lying.”

“I can’t. Jonas confirmed it with a woman he’s dating. Apparently, these shoes are made by a guy named Jimmy Choo but I don’t understand the purse—it is tiny. How can a tiny purse cost so much? Hell, I don’t think she can even fit her wallet in there.”

Amy giggled. “Do you know who made it?”

“Jonas rattled off a bunch of possible names, but I lost track I only remembered Jimmy Choo because it sounded like a sneeze.”

Amy started laughing. “A sneeze? Did you say a sneeze?”

“Well, yeah.”

“That’s priceless. So do you have any dirt on Kostya and my friend Lark?”

“Uhmm.”

“That means you do, you have to spill. I want to be able to torture Lark. Come on, be a pal.”

“Is that all I am? A pal?”

Amy bit her lip.

Dammit!

“You’re more than a pal. You’re my very good friend, but I told you, long-distance relationships don’t work, and I’m a bad bet. I told you that from the very beginning.”