“Nolan,” Yvonne said tersely. “Do we have headache tablets somewhere? I couldn’t find any at home.”
“I have some in my handbag,” Gina said. “Stay there. I’ll get them.” She disappeared and returned a few minutes later to hand over the tablets. “What did the boy do this time?”
Yvonne swallowed two and washed them down with coffee. “He didn’t do anything.”
“Then—” Gina’s eyes narrowed on Yvonne. “You did something.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fine, but drinking doesn’t solve anything.”
Temper flared in Yvonne. “I know that.” She scowled into her coffee. “I had a momentary memory lapse.”
Gina gave a bark of laughter and it echoed painfully inside Yvonne’s head. “My muffins aren’t getting made while I’m sitting here. Make sure you eat something. You’ll feel better.”
“I sincerely doubt that.” Yvonne barely suppressed her shudder at the idea of food.
The headache tablets and sheer determination got her through the day, and she picked up the boys from the after school sitter and headed home with the intention of an early night.
“When’s Nolan coming?” Michael asked.
“He’s gonna make a kite,” David said.
“He’s probably busy with farm work,” Yvonne said. “Why don’t you build a castle out of your blocks instead?”
Crisis averted, Yvonne started baking a chocolate slice to go in the boys’ lunch boxes. She kept herself busy and slipped into bed just before nine. At an uncivilized hour of the morning, she woke and her mind bolted straight to Nolan. No matter how hard she tried to shove the memories away, the wretched man refused to leave her thoughts. His smile. His touch. The gentle way he interacted with her children.
The sexy times…
A quiver of awareness shot to her pussy, the sharpness of her need bringing a moan.
Damn, the man. For the long months after the death of her marriage, she’d made do with her vibrator. Up until she’d met Nolan and decided to let him into her bed, she’d purchased batteries every week during the grocery shop. Now Nolan wasn’t here and she knew from experience—their break during the reality show—that fresh batteries in her vibrator didn’t do the trick anymore.
Nolan was the magical ingredient.
He made her happy.
He made her boys happy.
Damn.
Shoving aside the insistent yearning, she turned over, rearranging her body. A few seconds later, she twisted again, restless and unable to sleep.
At six, she gave up the fight and climbed out of bed. By the time she woke her sons, their lunches were ready and breakfast was on the table.
“Will we see Nolan tonight?” Michael asked.
“I think he’s very busy at the moment,” she said.
“We’ll visit him,” her younger son said.
Yvonne’s heart did an agitated blip while her throat closed in dread. “Eat your breakfast,” she managed. “It’s a school day.”
“We could go on the weekend.”
“Maybe,” Yvonne said while cursing inwardly. Her sons were like pit bulls when they attached their minds to something.
When Yvonne walked into the café after dropping off the boys, Gina was in her normal spot, reading the paper and enjoying a quiet coffee before the regulars started arriving.
