Finn stared at the boy: dark brown hair sticking up like it refused to be tamed, dark brown eyes he saw every time he looked in the mirror, and a little notch in the chin same as the one Finn inherited from his grandpa.
Something punched him right in the gut.
Lainey stood and crouched in front of the boy. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“I don’t feel so good.”
She reached up, brushing her hand across his forehead. “You’re warm.”
Finn hadn’t moved. Couldn’t.
Dex glanced at him, then back at Lainey, brow lifting, but said nothing.
Finn looked at Lainey again. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Fuck.
Lainey kissed the top of Luke’s head. “Go back upstairs, sweetheart. I’ll be up in a minute.”
He nodded and headed for the stairs.
Then she glanced at him. Just for a second.
And that was all it took.
Finn saw it.
The guilt. The knowing.
She’d kept this from him.
And now he knew, too.
Finn’s chest tightened, the air in the room growing thick. He couldn’t breathe.
He stood abruptly.
Luke paused on the stairs. Lainey looked at Finn, startled.
“I need to go,” he said.
Dex got up too but didn’t say a word.
“Finn?”
Finn shook his head once. “I’ll send the report ASAP.”
She blinked, color draining from her face. “Okay.”
He turned and headed for the door. Dex followed.
Goddamn it. Brown hair, brown eyes, dimple in chin. The guilt on Lainey’s face.
He yanked the door open, stomped to the truck, his pulse racing.
He heard Dex’s footsteps. Heard the door close.
Heard his heart break in two.
