Page 72 of Phoenix


Font Size:  

He kept singing, even louder this time.

“Justin,” I said his name in a singsong voice.

He kept singing.

“Justin. What’s your puppy’s name?”

The sudden silence was jarring. Justin looked at me then down to the puppy, his nose wrinkling. “Chewy.”

“That’s a great name.” I heard footsteps and turned slightly.

“Hey, buddy,” Phoenix said to his son. “Do you mind if Miss Wren tucks you and the puppy in bed?”

“Chewy,” both Justin and I said at the same time, which put Justin into another fit of giggles. Phoenix still had his phone in his hand, his expression one I couldn’t read.

“I would love to,” I said, sounding a little happier than the way I felt.

Justin finally cocked his head. “O-tay, Daddy. This one time.”

“One time,” Phoenix repeated then mouthed ‘thank you’ to me before heading back out of the room.

“Come on. Let’s introduce Chewy to your room.”

“Yay! Come on, puppy,” Justin said as he skipped out of the room, the puppy trailing behind him.

I took a deep breath, lingering in the doorway for a few seconds to try to hear something. Anything. But Phoenix had moved onto the front porch, closing the door behind him. As I headed toward Justin’s bedroom, I realized there wasn’t a single picture of Justin or anyone else for that matter. He didn’t have photos of his buddies or a football scholarship. I hadn’t seen a single truly personal item. It was as if Phoenix didn’t think he deserved to live.

Justin was already in his PJs, the little space crafts adorning them too adorable. The puppy had been walked, but I had a feeling it was going to be a long night. As the puppy struggled to get on the bed, Chewy’s little barks almost as adorable as Justin’s giggles, I let the little boy handle the situation, making the decision whether he wanted to have the puppy sleep with him or not. Which he did.

We’d gone a little crazy purchasing three dog’s beds, at least twenty toys, and a fifty-pound bag of puppy food. Justin had enjoyed every second of it.

And I’d felt like Phoenix and I were a couple.

That wasn’t fair of me, especially since he hadn’t said a word about my exclamation from before. Now I was tucking his kid into bed when I had no clue what I should do. Read him a story? Leave a light on? Play music? What? The timeclock I’d heard most women talk about hadn’t been installed in me. That was for certain.

At least he seemed to know what to do, pulling down his covers. The puppy was certain he was supposed to take the second pillow, moving in four circles before settling down. I finally moved closer, feeling like a fish out of water. “Do you leave a light on, Justin?”

“Uh-huh.” He pointed to the one on his dresser.

“Ah.” I turned it on, smiling at the transparent shade covered with various superheroes. I wondered if he knew just how much of a hero his daddy was. When I came back, he had an expectant look on his face. “What now?”

“You weed me a story.”

“Well, how about if I tell you one I know by heart? Would that do?”

He thought about what I was asking then finally nodded enthusiastically.

As I sat down on the edge, he curled onto his side, the puppy crawling closer so he could put his little head on Justin’s shoulder. For a few minutes, all was right with the world.

But what about tomorrow?

Why did I feel as if there was evil lurking in the darkness?

* * *

Phoenix

“I appreciate you calling me, Bryce. I really do.” Hawk’s wife had done some digging, her tenacious attitude coming across as vivacious on the phone. What she’d learned was disturbing as hell, although not a smoking gun.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like