Page 37 of The Night

“But Rick might be back any day now,” Cal soothed. “Ross is doing better. And if the weather gets warmer, Jay Turner might be able to—”

“I have ajob,” I said from behind my hands. “Hazel hasschool. We can’t just stay here and hang out indefinitely! There hasgotto be a notary between here andBoston.” I dropped my hands and shot Gideon a pleading look. “I know it’s a pain, but can’t we drive a little farther—”

Gideon’s lips pinched. “I have a shift at the station at one, and there’s no one to cover me.” His voice was soft and apologetic. “But I get two days in a row off next week, if it comes to that—”

I closed my eyes and nodded, breathing in the smell of coffee and vanilla. What were the chances that I was gonna be able to stay at Gideon’s for two more nights without being tempted to be with him again?

But whatever.Okay. This wasfine. This was…doable. I’d be tempted, but I didn’t have toacton it. I could lock my door. I could bunk with Hazel. Something.

I clenched my teeth. And opened my eyes. To find that my daughter hadn’t so much consumed a cinnamon roll as been consumedbyone.

At least one of us was sure to be okay with this change of plans. And honestly, of the two of us, her happiness was the most important, right?

I shook my head wryly, grabbed a napkin from the little dispenser on the side of the table, and motioned Hazel to lean closer so I could wipe her mouth.

“Hey, um, Liam?” Constantine leaned over toward our table. “I was delivering flowers at the Crabapple first-first thing this morning, andDanasaidyousaid you were a photographer?”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Yeah.”

“AndshesaidGideonsaid you were super talented.”

I blinked. “I…”

“So, like, could you take a picture of me and Micah? Something I could make into a bigthingfor the wall? I’d gladly pay you, and that might make up some of the income you’d be losing, having to stick around.”

“Well. I mean, I guess—”

“Oh, wait!” Ash exclaimed. “I need to be in on this action. Cal, you and me, ugly sweaters and Santa hats, and we send out cheesy cards to everyone—”

Cal was already shaking his head. “There is no universe, Ashley Martin, where I am going to be captured for posterity wearing an ugly sweater.”

“But the hats are a go?” Ash wiggled his eyebrows.

“Also no.” He gave me a crooked smile. “But Ash is right. We’d love to get professional photos. We have, ah, wedding stuff to send out soon.”

A chair pushed back with a loud scrape, and a blonde woman stood and peered over Hazel’s head at me.

“A professionalphotographer? Whose pictures have you done?”

“He didn’t bring a resume, Karen.” Cal folded his arms over his chest.

“But his work’s been in magazines,” Con added. “Dana said so.”

The Karen person sniffed. “I’ve beendyingto get pictures of my baby Brantley. I’m thinking something with angel wings? Possibly laying on a cloud of rose petals? But no one around here is competent, and you havenoideahow difficult it is to drive long distances with an infant.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I don’t.” I wasn’t sure whether to inform her that driving with slightly older children was no picnic either.

Gideon looked at me sharply.

“What?”

His expression blanked. “No, nothing. Just… thinking. Okay, who’s got paper and pen for an appointment sign-up sheet?” He looked expectantly at Cal and Ash.

“On it,” Ash said, heading into the backroom.

I shook my head. “But I… I don’t have a space. I don’t have lights. I don’t have a backdrop…”

“I’ve got backdrops if you need them,” a dark-haired man sitting with Henry volunteered. “And Grandpa’s probably got whatever kind of lights you need.”