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He would hate me for my weaknesses.
“I ate a blueberry,” she said.
What?
“A blueberry?”
She nodded and kneeled in front of my boy. He bent and looked at the skin on her neck as she angled her head back. Her eyes met mine as I stood over her. There was no anger. There was no judgment. There was no pain.
“It looks bad,” Caleb said slowly.
She straightened her head then shook it. “I have a mild allergy. They just turn my skin red.” Shrugged.
“Okay. Well, no more blueberries, okay? I don’t like that,” he declared.
Me either, son.
She nodded. “No more blueberries,” she promised. “Is that the new book?”
He pulled it out from under his arm to show her. “Yeah, I had to dig for it in my closet. Dad bought me the whole series last year for Christmas.”
“That was nice of him,” she said. There was a smile in her voice, and it felt like a punch in the gut.
“Caleb, Jigs is making bacon mac n’ cheese for dinner. We came to see if you wanted some?” Lawson asked, lying to my son to protect his precious innocence.
My son’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Valerie, do you want to come?”
She put her hand on his shoulder. “Your dad was going to cook me dinner, so I’m going to pass this time.”
He shrugged. “That’s probably best. Between Mags and I, there won’t be any leftovers. Beau eats all the dessert.”
“Shut up, kid,” Beau said, shaking his head beside me.
“Let’s go,” Lance said.
The men and my son left. Then, it was just Val and me. She stood up and turned to face me.
“Are you alright?” she asked, softly.
Chapter Twenty- Three
Valerie
Hissmokewasaroundme, but not touching me.
He wasn’t touching me. He could barely hold my eyes for more than a second. At that moment, he was looking towards the barn, his jaw tight as a muscle jumped in his cheek. His broad shoulders were tense, just like the rest of his body.
“Denver,” I called.
“Don’t,” he said, his throat working. I stepped closer to him, closing the distance between us. There was only an inch between our bodies now, much like this morning, like earlier on the couch.
“Talk to me,” I begged. I kept my hands at my sides even though I wanted to touch him. I didn’t know if that was what he wanted. He was in a bad place. I had to stand there and watch my dark cowboy get taken away from me.
There was nothing that I could do.
I knew he was a retired Marine, but I obviously knew nothing of the horrors he faced overseas.
“Honey,” I whispered.
