Page 73 of Carson

“I saw Cole heading up to your room at the warehouse tonight,” she says, reminding me of my dilemma.

The revelation makes me sigh. He’d been staying at the cabin since he and Carver got back. I was hoping he’d be there when Carson got home.

I lean forward and place my head in my hands. “How the fuck am I just realizing I can’t control a damn thing,” I mumble into my palms, trying to keep my shit together.

Dirk knocks on the side of my door before entering.

“We’ve got to go,” he tells her.

“Something I can help with?” I ask.

“Naw, we got this.” He nods his head, and she stands.

I don’t even want to know. I’ve got enough shit to deal with.

When I get outside to head home, Lily is waiting by the bike, staring up at the moon.

“What are you doing here? You haven’t been at the store this whole time, have you? You closed hours ago.” I run my hands down her arms, not stopping until her hands are firmly in mine.

“I didn’t want to go home.”

“Baby, you should have come inside. I would have canceled with my client and gone with you.”

“No. I had things to do.”

“Were you working on a piece of furniture?”

“Yeah, yeah I was.” She pulls away from me and heads toward her car.

It’s not like her to lie to me.

Carson is calling. He must have made it to Chicago.

“Hey, Dad, just wanted to let you know we’ll be getting on the last leg of our journey here in a bit. Mom wanted me to call her and let her know but she didn’t answer. I didn’t want her to worry though, so I thought I’d call you.”

I look at her license plate … LUCKYX4.

Her babies are her life, and I know she feels like she is failing them right now.

I follow her home and immediately go upstairs to run her a bath.

She hovers in the doorway. “I should go pick up Khloe.”

“Kelsie is keeping her tonight. You need to rest.”

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know?”

“I ought to whoop your ass for that,” I tell her.

She huffs and lowers herself onto the toilet lid, watching the water fill.

“Go on, get in. I’m going to go downstairs and make supper while you relax.”

“I’m scared, Dan.”

I kneel beside her, taking her face in my hands. “You have me, the kids, and the club. There is no reason to be afraid, but I understand that you are. I’m going to help you work through it.”

“What if …”