Page 87 of The Golden Hour

Crawling his way back to her.

He’ll do it.

If it takes the rest of his life, he’ll do it.

Because there is no universe where Honey doesn’t own his heart.

But that means respecting her wishes. So when she drops her hands, he drops his.

Honey frowns, like she just realized something.

“They did that on purpose, didn’t they?”

“I think so.” His jaw clenches. “To make a scene in front of us. To show that they’re doing something.”

Honey hums, but doesn’t say anything else.

The flash drive burns in his pocket.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MASON

His name is Dr. Adonis.

Because of fucking course it is.

They’re at Daisy’s first pediatric appointment, at a local office that Honey and Melissa had found while at the hospital.

It’s been two days since they left the hospital.

When they arrived at Honey’s house, his parents and Phil were standing on the front porch. There was a giant stork with Daisy’s name on it to announce her birth to the neighborhood that made Honey smile and gently coo to Daisy that they were home.

That gentle delivery felt like a knife to his chest, because he wanted to be at their house, in Daisy’s nursery. Their home. But he knows he has no right to feel this way, not when he is the reason they are here instead of there.

Phil pulled his daughter into a tight hug as he got out of the passenger side to get the car seat. Melissa was still steaming mad, and she and his mother spoke in harsh whispers as she told her what happened outside the hospital.

When Honey pulled back from her father, she turned to hug his father who pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and murmured how proud he was of her. Mason had to turn away and focus on unhooking Daisy’s carseat because his throat and eyes were burning too much.

The consolation that Honey was at least surrounded by these four people who adore her doesn’t hit because she should have been wrapped up in his love, his care, his protection.

She almost paid the ultimate price for his absence.

Honey’s bedroom was completely transformed, the knocked down wall extending the room to make plenty of space for the crib and changing table.

Mason eyed the queen-sized mattress with pathetic hope as he gently took Daisy out of the carseat and placed her into Honey’s arms to feed her.

And that’s pretty much the routine they had fallen into over the last couple of days.

Coparents.

A team.

Working like one unit to care for their daughter.

It’s agony and it’s bliss.

Mason has been relegated to the guest room down the hall to sleep. He’s not sleeping though, his hand keeps reaching out next to him for his wife, to pull her into his arms, to bury his face in her soft hair.