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Evelyn must already be in the kitchen, and Ellis is nowhere to be seen. For a moment, it’s just the two of them—father and son—and I can’t bring myself to interrupt.
I must make a small sound, though, as I step back because Cole’s gaze flicks up, locking with mine. For a second, my breath catches.
His green eyes are calm, very different than the anger I’d seen in them earlier. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even change his expression, but there’s a subtle acknowledgment in his gaze, a silent understanding.
I nod once, a small gesture, before I step back and turn toward the hallway.
Robbie is still talking, oblivious to the exchange, and so very excited to be telling his dad about his trip to the store.
My heart is still racing, but this time, it’s not from panic. It’s somethingelse entirely—something I can’t quite name.
As I make my way up the steps, the faint sound of Robbie’s laughter follows me, light and unburdened. It’s a sound I’ll carry with me for the rest of the day, a reminder of why I’m still here.
Chapter Fifteen
Cole
Annie’s soft voice carries down the hall, pulling me to a stop outside Robbie’s bedroom. The door is cracked open, just enough for me to hear her reading a bedtime story and the faint giggles of my son. I don’t step inside. Instead, I lean against the wall, keeping out of sight. I don’t want to interrupt.
Her voice rises and falls with the story, changing tone as she switches between characters. It’s almost theatrical, the way she brings the book to life. I catch snippets of dialogue—something about a mischievous raccoon and a bear who just wants to nap. Robbie’s laughter bubbles up, clear and unrestrained, and for a moment, I just stand there, taking it all in.
The sound of his laughter is rare. Too rare.
I close my eyes briefly, letting the warmth of it settle into me. Annie’s right—those little moments matter. Earlier, listening to Robbie talk about grocery store aisles and cereal boxes, I’d felt the shift. The stories weren’t remarkable, but to him, they were everything. Just because I’d been there, listening, he’d lit up like the sun.
And now, hearing him laugh with her, it’s hitting me all over again. How much I’ve missed. How much I’ve let slip through my fingers because of work, deadlines, and whatever other excuse I used to tell myself was all for the greater good.
Annie’s voice shifts into a deep, gravelly tone for the bear, and Robbie squeals with delight. “No way! The raccoon really tricked him?” he asks, his words tumbling over each other.
“Shh,” she says, feigning a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t spoil the ending!”
He giggles again, and I can’t help the faint smile tugging at my lips. She’s good with him. Better than I ever imagined she would be.
Certainly better than I’ve been.
My chest tightens, a familiar knot of guilt and regret twisting deep inside me. I try to push it aside, focus on the present instead of everything I’ve done wrong in the past. But it lingers, settling heavy in my bones.
Her voice softens as she continues, and I can picture the scene in my head. Robbie curled up with Rexy tucked under one arm, his wide eyes fixed on her as she brings the story to life. Annie, sitting cross-legged on the edge of his bed, her expressive face glowing as she reads the words.
The image sends a wave of something unexpected crashing over me. Not just gratitude, though that’s there too. Something deeper. Something dangerous.
I shake my head, forcing myself to stay rooted in reality. It’s not like that. It can’t be like that.
But as I stand there, listening to her laugh with my son, I feel the faint stirrings of something I’ve tried to keep buried.
Something I let out once before in my office late at night.
No. Stop.
I straighten, crossing my arms over my chest, as if that will somehow shield me from my own thoughts. This isn’t the time, and Annie isn’t the person. She’s Robbie’s nanny. My employee. I don’t have the right to think about her like this. Not after the way I treated her earlier.
No. Stop.
And yet…
I can’t shake the memory of her standing in my office, fire blazing in her eyes as she faced me down. No one has ever done that before—not like she did. She didn’t cower, didn’t back down. She fought for Robbie, for what she believed was right, even though it meant putting herself in the crosshairs.
I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair. She was stunning.