Page 130 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

He’d left and come back?

Good call, Theo, I stammered to myself. Now we wouldn’t have to deal with her prying.

I should have known we wouldn’t be so lucky since a full gleam danced in Nelly’s knowing eyes. My attention darted between her and Theo, trying to decipher what lie he tried to convince her of.

I should have warned him that Nelly could sniff out BS like a trained dog.

A smirk pulled to his menacingly decadent face. “Since I found out you all were staying for a bit, thought I’d swing by this morning to drop off something you might need for the holidays.”

He gestured with his chin to the wall to the right of me, and I looked that way.

Somehow in my daze, I hadn’t noticed the Christmas tree still twined in rope that rested in the corner next to the door.

“Twee, Mommy! Santafwy foothe sky and come see Finn!” In excitement, Finn swooped his hand over his head, his little face twisted up in unmitigated glee. His single dimple dented his cheek as he bobbed his head in my face.

Emotion flooded, and I hugged my son tight to keep myself grounded in the middle of it. Breathing in his joy and belief.

The holiday would be here soon, and it was what I wanted most for my son. For his little face to come alive with wonder. For him to experience all the amazing things I had as a child. Make memories that he would remember for the rest of his life.

I had to wonder if Theo could feel an extension of it. The gratitude and hope and sticky, ugly alarm that rushed in behind it.

“Wasn’t that nice of Theo to think of us like that? Taking his morning to go chop down a tree and drop it off in the freezing cold?” Nelly drew it out, her brows lifting so high on her face it was a miracle they didn’t hit the ceiling. “I figured to say thank you, I’d invite him in for breakfast.”

“Only if I’m not imposing.” Theo said it like the man could ever be counted innocent. Like he hadn’t slinked out the front door sometime early this morning and then showed back up.

With a freaking Christmas tree.

Nelly waved an indulgent hand in his direction. “Imposing? Never. I think all of us could use a little extra company, couldn’t we, Pipes?”

Her appraising gaze cruised back to me, the grin she was sporting completely wry.

Oh, she knew.

There was no question.

That man’s hands were stamped all over me in glowing ink.

As bright as the neon from The Sanctuary sign.

I was never going to live this down.

Steadying my feet below me, I carried Finn toward them, muttering below my breath, “Very thoughtful.”

Walking into the kitchen should have been an easy feat except for the fact I was getting slammed by Theo’s energy, the impact of it growing with each step that I took.

He was pure devastation where he stood like a dark defender in the middle of the room.

A dangerous refuge I wanted to crawl right back to.

Crap. How did he hold this power over me?

Shivers rippled beneath my flesh as I rounded the end of the counter, and I paused two feet away from him. “Truly, that is so kind of you, Theo. He’s never had a Christmas tree before.”

I knew I was admitting more than I should, but I thought Theo had a sense of it, anyway. A tap into who we were without my giving him any details.

Severity flashed through his features. A tightening that I noticed only because I was watching so close.

“Not a problem.” His words ground with emphasis.