Page 160 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

The little man jumped high as he called, “Peek-a-boo, I see you!” through the crack she made.

There was no missing the weight of her love pouring out at the sight of her son, and she sang, “And I see you, too.”

That chaos shuddered through me. Hands of guilt and grief trying to shove me back by the chest. Stop me from whatever the fuck I thought I was doing.

Piper widened the door so we could step through.

“Feo?!” The kid’s precious face lit up when he saw me.

My spirit clutched. So fierce that it nearly dropped me to my knees.

“Hey, Little Man Finn.” My voice was hoarse.

He beamed, the little dimple lighting on his cheek. He patted a hand on his chest. “You come see me?”

“That’s right,” I told him, words shaking. There was nothing I could do but scoop him up when he lifted his arms.

I held him to my chest. My chest that was getting stretched wide.

Over-fucking-capacity.

“Well, look who’s here,” Nelly tsked from where she was at the stove in the kitchen. “Bet you smelled the soup I’m whipping up and came running. Or maybe you were just runnin’ this way for somethin’ else.”

The old lady was full of sass and suggestion, and there was no stopping the chuckle that rolled up my throat.

“Nelly,” Piper warned as she peeled herself out of that coat, the woman still wearing the same soft cream sweater and velvety baby blue pants that matched her eyes that she’d had on earlier.

Didn’t matter.

The sight of all those curves wrapped in the fabric still punched me in the gut.

My mouth went dry, and I attempted to swallow around the need that thickened with each breath I took.

“Might have a couple things bringing me to your door,” I admitted on a gruff breath.

One of Finn’s arms shot for the sky. “Me!”

And there I went.

Fuckin’ falling.

I gave him a gentle bounce as I hooked him onto my hip. “Definitely you. Thought you might need some help getting that tree in its stand so you can decorate it.”

I glanced to where it was still leaning bound against the wall.

“I decoratetwee!” Finn bobbed his head, excitement pinking his cheeks.

I ruffled a hand through his hair. “And I bet you’re going to do a good job of it, too.”

“I got owl,Feo.” He kicked his little legs in a bid for me to set him down, and the second I did, he scrambled for the red box that had the owl ornament. He dropped to his knees and held it over his head. “Wook!”

Affection rushed. “I thought you might like that one.”

“You get it for me?” he peeped.

“Yeah, buddy.” My voice was soft. “I got it for you.”

Whole time, I could feel the weight of Piper’s gaze. Her reservations woven with the specks of hope that vied for a way out.