“Mom would have loved him,” she said, nearly a mumble, but Gabe heard her because he looked up and smiled.
Her eyes filled.
He frowned. “It’ll be okay, HT.”
She nodded but closed her eyes.
“Hey,” Jericho said quietly, then pulled her to himself, his big arms around her. She longed to hang on. But... “What if this isn’t the end?”
She looked up, met Jericho’s eyes. His mouth tightened.
“We need to find that hunter,” she said.
He nodded. Sighed. “But not tonight.”
Stepping away, she wiped her cheeks, then turned back to the family klatch. “Can I color with you?”
Daniel looked up. Oh, he looked just like Gabe with that wide grin. He handed her a crayon.
She took it. “I love ... fuchsia. What should I draw?”
“A dog.” He pointed to Orlando, who’d found a place on the floor beside Gabe.
“Right. A pink dog. I’m all over it.”
“I’m not sure Orlando is on board with pink,” Jericho said.
“Hey. Pink was the favored color worn by men in the eighteenth century. It was considered masculine and powerful.”
Jericho raised an eyebrow.
She drew the dog, adding big floppy pink ears and a bow tie. Daniel giggled.
Jericho had crouched to rub Orlando’s belly and the dog rolled over and groaned in happiness.
“He doesn’t seem to mind,” Sunni said.
“What’s your name?” Daniel had started to color the bow tie purple.
Oh. “I’m...” She glanced at Gabe and he lifted a shoulder, nodded.
“I’m your aunt Harley.” The words rolled off her tongue, a strange texture to them. “I’m your dad’s sister.”
Daniel twisted in his lap to look at Gabe. “You have a sister, Daddy?”
“Yeah, buddy.” He drew in a breath, and his gaze on Harley held sort of an apology. “Auntie Harley is my sister.”
He grinned at her. “Auntie Hawley.”
Close enough. She lifted her fist for a bump and her heart just about exploded when the little boy bumped it back.
A knock came at the door and Orlando got up as Deke entered the room. “Came to check on our hero,” he said and walked over to the bed. “How you doin’, Gregg?”
“Good,” Gregg said, sounding the opposite. He still had hold of Winnie’s hand.
“Good enough to give me a statement of what happened?”
Gregg nodded.
