Road to Absolution by Piper Davenport

thought to get a girl, but she followed me everywhere and
would whine if I was separated from her. I picked her up and she fell asleep
against my chest. The rest is history. I couldn’t take her home that night
because she wasn’t quite ready, but I visited every day and took her home as
soon as I could.” He stroked my cheek. “What else could I name the little girl
who was tiny and clever and fearless? There’d only been one other female who
wrapped herself around my heart, and I missed her.”
    “Ohmigod,” I
breathed and dropped my head onto his chest. He held me for a few precious
seconds before Cassidy stuck her nose between us. I giggled and knelt down to
pet her. “Well, that sure beats me being a bitch, huh, girl?”
    Carter roared
with laughter before leaning down to kiss me. “God, I love you.”
    “Stop being all
sappy and crap.” I blinked back tears.
    “Yes, dear,” he
quipped.
    Maverick jogged
up the steps. “Mom, can I swim?”
     “If
Grandad’s with you?”
    “I’ll find him.”
    “If he is, then,
yes. Go get your suit on.”
    “You gonna swim
too, Uncle Carter?” Maverick asked.
    “Not today,
buddy, but maybe another time. We can head to the pond.”
    “’K.” He rushed
back into the house as Carter released me.
    “Want coffee?” I
asked, and led Carter back into the house. The dog stayed on the porch.
    “No, babe. I
need to head back. Mom’s losing her mind right now.”
    I faced him
again. “In a good way?”
    He shrugged.
    “Maybe you
shouldn’t have come. I know she blames me—”
    “Stop,” he said,
and closed the distance between us, pulling me to him again. “None of this is
about you.”
    “How can you say
that?” I stared up at him. “I’m the one—”
    “Damn it,
Cassidy, it’s done. We’re not talkin’ about it anymore.”
    I let out a
frustrated groan. “We can’t continue this trend, buddy. At some point we need
to deal with a few things.”
    “Not today.”
    I rolled my
eyes, but nodded. “Fine, but soon.”
    His response was
to kiss me. “I need to go. I’ll call you later.”
    “Maybe I’ll
answer.”
    Carter chuckled
and walked out the door.
    “So?” Mom showed
up again, fast enough to indicate she’d probably been listening from the dining
room. She put the the vase of flowers on the kitchen table and faced me. “When
did that start?”
    I sighed. “Less
than a week ago.”
    “Have a seat,
honey. Let’s talk.” She took one herself and smiled. “Your dad’s keeping
everyone outside for a bit.”
    I sat down and
dropped my forehead to my palm. “I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m
still not entirely sure what’s going on.”
    “Start at the
beginning and we’ll sort it out from there.”
    I filled her in
on the meeting at the club and our week so far, leaving out a few of the more
graphic parts.
    “Wow,” she
whispered.
    “Yeah.”
    “It’s really
about time.”
    I raised my
head. “What?”
    Mom chuckled.
“Honey, you’ve loved each other forever. I knew you’d have to find your way
back to each other eventually.”
    “Didn’t know
psychic was in your wheelhouse,” I grumbled.
    “Don’t need to
be a psychic to know you’re meant for each other, but if you want me to be more
fabulous than I am, I’m good with that.”
    I giggled and
then groaned. “I don’t know why he’s here.”
    “Aw, honey, he’s
here for you.” She patted my arm. “And he’s making that fact known in a pretty
major way.”
    “How’s that?”
    “Cass, he hasn’t
been home in seven years. Not once. Do you know what that’s done to his mom?”
    “I can imagine.”
I frowned. “But they’re still talking, right? Jaxon said they were.”
    “I think so.”
    I frowned. “But
you don’t know?”
    “Honey, it’s
complicated.”
    “Uncomplicate it
for me,” I said.
    “Sheila and I
haven’t talked in almost as long as Carter’s been gone.”
    “What?” I
gasped. “Why not? You were amazing friends.”
    “Well,