I sighed.
A cold wasn’t going to stand in the way of our escape. Tonight, after Ivan left. I just had to hang on until tonight.
“Maybe take a nap,” I muttered, emerging from the false safety of the bedroom Brady and I shared.
“Mama, mama! Look.Look!” The little rush of energy bolted through the archway that separated the kitchen and living room beyond. Brady flew at me, all forty pounds of muscle and venom. “A whole set of sea animals for the bath!”
I covered my grimace by crouching to his level. I’d given him a quick shower, not wanting him in the stained tub. The mold was dying thanks to the bleach, but it still was gross.
“Let me see.” My voice was hoarse.
Brady didn’t notice. He took off running with a “Wait right there,” and disappeared into the living room. Ivan shadowed him as my son rushed back to me.
“Ivan got that new book you were telling Cousin Penny about,” Brady showed me excitedly.
I hissed.
“Oh, sorry!” Brady clapped his hand over his mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to say cousin in Chicago.” His eyes rounded wide. Liquid swam around the dark lashes, ready to fall.
Ivan already knew. The slip wasn’t the end of the world. But for safety reasons, I wanted him to keep practicing.
“It doesn’t matter,” I rushed to assure him, fighting back the urge to cough. “It’s a small secret. You can keep it better next time.”
“I can. I really, really can!” he insisted.
“Why don’t you want him to call her cousin?” Ivan wore a lazy grin as he leaned under the arch.
I ignored him. We hadn’t spoken much since the argument about groceries. I didn’t want Brady to see us fight, which could only be accomplished by keeping my mouth shut.
“This book is perfect,” I told my son.
“I know.” He bobbed his head enthusiastically. “When Ivan asked what you like to do, I thought really hard. But that’s easy! You read and you post online about the books.”
I hadn’t checked my phone since coming here. I had a few scheduled posts, but there was a launch party I was supposed to be part of. The author would understand if I reached out and admitted that I’d been kidnapped in a real-life scenario.
Which, of course, wasn’t something I would say.
I ruffled Brady’s hair and told him to go play in the living room. I tried not to think about how badly the carpet needed shampooing. Or better yet, replacing. Going to the tap, I filled a mug with sink water. Hot saltwater gargle was the next best thing I could do for my poor throat.
“You like to read?” The question came from right behind me.
I tried to hide my jump of surprise. Unable to, I cleared my throat. “I do.”
“And are these—” he paused “—the kinds of books you read?”
Looking at where he pointed at the small town, secret billionaire romance, I shrugged. “So what?”
Ivan ran a thumb over the pages, making them flutter. “Why do you get…offended? I don’t know what this is about. There is a house with horses. Is it what your house looks like?”
I gave him a cautious look. “Kind of.”
Ivan met my gaze expectantly. “And the book? Why is there a book on houses?”
He didn’t…? He wasn’t aware…what?
“It’s a love story,” I said before thinking better of it.
Ivan started, puzzling down at the book. “A fairytale then.”
