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That was all such bullshit. “Please, Micah. I need to . . . I’m your mother, and I love you, and I need to understand you. Iwantto understand so I can help or support or do whatever I need to do.” She blew out a breath as she came to a stop in front of the Tyler house. She looked over at her son, who half the time seemed like this alien she’d never understand.

He didn’t look at her, but he also didn’t beg her off again. He sat there, staring out the window, obviously thinking things through.

“Dad knew,” he finally said on little more than a whisper.

It was a sledgehammer to the chest. So hard and painful she could hardly speak. “What?” she managed to gasp.

“He sent me a basketball. At camp. I didn’t want to be there anymore.” He stared hard out the window. “I didn’t want you to freak,” he muttered, pressing his forehead to the glass.

“You have to tell me if he contacts you. It’s important you tell me. You know that.” She wasn’t sure any of those words actually came out of her mouth. Everything felt too tight and painful, so much so she could barely breathe.

Micah flicked a glance her way. “You’re crying,” he said, and his tone was so flat and detached she knew she was making this worse, but how could she not cry when her baby was in danger and he didn’t want to tell her?

“Yeah, but I’m not broken, Micah. I’m upset.” She was terrified, but she didn’t want to tell himthat. “It does upset me that he tried to contact you when he isn’t supposed to, but I have to know so we can deal with it.”

“I got kicked out. It solved the problem. Besides, this is all cool. I want to do this.” He pointed toward the Tyler stables.

“Baby, I need you to promise me. Really promise me, with no caveats, that if something like that ever happens again you will tell me. Right away. I might cry. I might freak, but then I’ll calm down, and I’ll handle it.” She thought about how old he was getting. How he was trying to protect her and how he shouldn’t have to. He was still aboyand shouldn’t have to do this, and yet he was somature.

She took his hand in hers, and though he didn’t hold on, he didn’t pull away. So, she squeezed. “We’re in this together. You have to tell me not just soIcan handle it, but so that we can handle it together. We’re a team, baby.”

“So, if Dad sent you something, you’d tell me?”

Hell. “Would you want me to?” she asked,prayingthe answer would be no.

“Yeah.” Micah looked at her then, and she saw some spark of the boy who’d started to emerge since they’d moved here. All this time she’d been worried about giving him space, and his father had contacted him. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”

Oh, God. If hearts could break, hers was a thousand pieces on the floor. She held Micah’s hand in hers and looked directly into his eyes. “He doesn’t get to hurt us anymore. Neither of us.” She didn’t want to say the next part, but maybe she did need to start treating Micah like a partner.

It felt wrong, but it was what she’d wanted all those years of feeling insignificant and pointless. She’d wanted someone to consider her a partner, not a thing to be hurtorprotected.

“After my appointment, I’m going to call our lawyer and ask what we should do about this. Okay?”

Micah nodded.

“And you’ve told me everything?”

He nodded again.

Cora pulled him into a hug and held on tight. “I love you, baby. I promise, I’ll do everything in my power so he can never reach you again. I promise you that.” Whatever it took. No matter the cost, emotional or financial.

Weirdly, she thought of Shane and his reaction to Ben’s lying. She would lie, steal, cheat, fight to keep her baby safe and unharmed. She would doanything. Shane would never fully understand that. He was too good, and had maybe had things a little too easy in his life.

But this wasn’t about Shane, even as he stepped out of the house, shading his eyes against the rising sun as he stared at their car with a frown.

Cora cleared her throat and pulled away from Micah. “All right, my little cowboy, time for you to get to work.”

“Gross, Mom.”

She grinned at him, gratified when he gave her a little smile. “I love you.”

He rolled his eyes and moved out of the reach of her arms, pushing the door open. “Love you too,” he muttered so quietly she almost didn’t hear it.

But hearing it was a balm to her soul. He loved her. Wanted to protect her. She was raising a good kid, and she’d made mistakes, but she was overcoming them. And that bastard Stephen wouldn’t touch Micah’s life again. Even if she had to ask Lilly and Brandon for help.

She got out of the car, ignoring the little hitch in her chest at the sight of Shane and Micah talking on the porch. Micah looked up at him, clear hero worship all over his expression, and Shane just had the kindest smile with everyone.

Shane Tyler. Still a major problem.