y's

he Randolph hous

of the day replayed in her mind-the rushed courthouse wedding, the humiliati

s wasn't her home. It was his. She was just a tempo

zation settl

to a man who barely

, more luxurious than anything she'd ever had, but it felt hollow. She thought

broke through

foots

t as Nathan appeared in his spacesh

is voice w

diately. "Hey, bu

etween feet as he quietly

He appeared so tiny standing there

and patted the bed. "Would you lik

d twice. He got into the bed

o me when I had nigh

ere at all. However, the manner in which he held onto her, the way h

s hair away. "Do yo

an n

tly humming a lullaby that her mothe

his breathing steadying

that, he fell

long time, a strange war

Thomas but maybe...she ha

mas

fice, swirling the w

kept drifting back to Mary, to the way Nathan had

settl

e was here because he needed her to win

t Nathan? The softness in her eyes, the way she had hel

ip of whiskey, ir

as dan

to get attached and

ext M

y's

to the soun

en she saw Nathan sitting beside her, pla

chirped, grinn

ing. "Morning, buddy

stically. "You didn't

ope. You scared

clearly pleas

or interrupted th

d respond, Thoma

n bed beside her, then to Mary

d evenly. "Go get dr

, hopping off the bed an

e, silence sett

are of how intimate the s

lained, brushing her hair back.

ng moment, then exhaled. "N

. "Is that a

doorframe. "It is when p

avy, filled with

tightened. Was

she admitted. "But I don't

ly. Then, without an

attering about everything from his favorite

tly, asking questio

, was silent. He observed

to Mary with wide eyes. "C

anced a

brow. "Do

an's eager face and nodded. "Yeah. I

n che

she stepped into this house

That E

she was going to her room

ected to enjoy

rmth was s

office, she overheard Thomas talki

oo comfortable,"

y f

"She's good with Nathan

d. "I don't need her acting li

stomach

uld hav

a home. She

is custody battle but if he thought she would let him trea

knocked on Thom

his desk, surprised

ding her arms. "I heard

is pen down

w why I'm here. But Nathan isn't part of our deal-he's a kid who need

Thomas' fore

n't und

f him getting attached to me. You're scar

osing the distan

low, dangerous. "You don't. And if you

en I could have been in another house

le

part now, the air

ded, but she refu

ips for half a second-then he e

tion is over,"

ed the lump

in

lked away, her pu

r, she couldn't shake the feeling th

ure if it was fo