If she walked slowly enough and left all the meltable cold stuff until last, she knew she could easily kill at least another hour.
I wonder if she’s scented me in her room yet.
She’d washed the sheets before making the bed the night before when she tidied up.She’d already been staying in the room that had been Da’von and Brianna’s, but every chance she’d had to bury her face in Tamsin’s dirty clothes, she’d taken it.
She’d damned near cried when she finally washed Tamsin’s clothes last night, neatly folding them and leaving them on her dresser since she wasn’t certain where she wanted them.
I can do this.I’ve killed people and disarmed roadside bombs while half-bombed myself on cheap, homemade vodka.I can do this.
When she returned to the house, as she carried the first load in, Mateo immediately hurried to help her.
“They’re all in the nursery putting the kids down for naptime,” he whispered.“Well, not Brianna.She had to run home for a little while.”
“Happy days,” Aisling muttered.Maybe that was the key.She could stick her earbuds in and lock herself in her room and frig herself silly until later that night and claim stomach trouble or… something.
Go out running.
Maybe run all the way out of the state.
There was still no sign of Tamsin by the time they unloaded all the groceries, even though the corgi’s delicious scent filled Aisling’s nostrils.Relieved and fully admitting she was a coward, she locked herself in her bedroom and jammed her earbuds into her ears, then turned on the loudest heavy metal music she could tolerate while opening her laptop to read through the latest updates Peyton had sent about the mission preparations.
Tamsin
Bebe was being particularly stubborn about closing her eyes and taking a nap today, no doubt due to her joy over Tamsin’s return.Even with Carl helping Tamsin, every time the little girl’s eyelids drooped, just as Tamsin moved to leave, Bebe revived and begged for another story or song from Tamsin.
Right.
Aisling had returned home a little while before, but then she’d gone into her room, and Tamsin heard her close and lock the door.She didn’t want to disturb Aisling, so she acquiesced to yet another round of stories, trying to bribe Bebe into sleeping.Mateo had gone outside to do yardwork because Tamsin heard the mower running.
Finally, she heard Aisling emerge again, and while Bebe wasn’t asleep, she kissed the girl on the forehead.
“Love, I must use the loo.Stay with Uncle Carl and be a good girl,hmm?”
Bebe nodded and settled in—again—while Carl started reading her yet another story.
As quietly as she could, so as not to awaken the other children, Tamsin let herself out of the nursery, gently closed the door behind her, and headed down the hall to the kitchen.
Aisling was in the process of making a cup of tea, her back to the doorway.Tamsin watched her for a moment as she stood there, apparently oblivious to Tamsin’s presence, the music in her ear buds playing loudly enough that even a normal human could hear it from where Tamsin stood.
Tamsin stepped forward, reached out, and touched Aisling’s shoulder?—
The jolt almost knocked Tamsin off her feet, sending ripples of gooseflesh washing up and down her body.
And sent tingles to parts of her anatomy she’d honestly assumed would never again feel pleasure, much less desire.
Aisling whirled around, scrambling backward up onto the counter, her gaze full of shock and horror.
Frozen, Tamsin stared at her.That’s when it hit her all at once.
Shesawit, the way she’d seen things when she first met Maisie.Just from that brief, electric touch.
She saw the way Aisling tearfully confessed to Dewi that first afternoon Tamsin had met Aisling.
She saw the discussions with Carl, Duncan, and Badger.
The phone call from Trevor now made perfect sense to Tamsin—somehow, he’d learned about Aisling’s feelings for her, and in his sweet way tried to preemptively let her know they were okay with it.
She saw the Primes working with Aisling, their combined powers helping Aisling control herself, and?—
