The microwave beeped. He rescued his coffee and added sugar. Turned to her. “Are you ready for the questions?” The thought of facing a church full of people who’d known him as a boy, who’d attended his memorial service, made his stomach clench. But if he was going to build a life here, it had to start somewhere.
For a second, that thought gripped him, sank in. Build a life here.
And then…yes. Yes.
“Are you ready for the questions?” She tilted her head up to meet his gaze, challenge sparking in her expression.
“It has to happen sometime if I’m going to stick around.”
And just like that, Sierra’s breath caught.
Something—hope? Worry? Panic?—flickered in in her eyes before she shuttered it away. Huh. He didn’t know where to land with his response.
“Redeemer Community, nine-thirty service,” she managed. “Unless you’d rather stay here and guard the place.”
“No, I’d like to go. If that’s okay.”
“It’s okay.” The way she said it suggested it was more than okay, and something warm unfurled in his chest. Maybe he’d misread the look in her eyes.
Huck thundered back down the stairs, his hair damp from actual washing. “Can I help cook?”
“You can set the table,” Sierra said. “And no complaining about the placemats.”
“The placemats are stupid. Who needs flowers on their eating space?”
Rowan grinned and helped him set the table.
The goulash was simple but fed his bones. Huck peppered him with questions about firefighting, military life, and whether he’d ever met any famous people.
“I met a movie star last summer. A guy named Spenser Storm.”
“Oh, I know him. He was in a TV series my mom likes to watch.”
He glanced at her. “Trek of the Osprey.”
“Can’t help that Quillen Cleveland is still my favorite leading man.” She winked.
Oh, she was cute.
“Can we watch a movie?” Huck asked as Sierra cleared the dishes.
“Homework first.”
“I don’t have any homework. It’s Saturday.”
“Reading, then.”
“Mom.” Huck’s voice carried a whine.
“What if we compromise?” Rowan said. “An educational movie.”
“Define educational,” Sierra said, but her tone suggested she was willing to negotiate.
“I was thinking maybe something from when we were kids. Show Huck what movies used to look like before everything was computer-generated.”
“Please, Mom?” Huck bounced in his chair. “I promise I’ll read extra tomorrow.”
Sierra’s mouth made a grim line as she looked between her son and Rowan.
