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.”Glancing at her, his lips curved a little.“Now don’t laugh.”“I would never laugh at you.”“When I was older, I read that the red-tailed hawk is a creature of both the seen and unseen worlds, able to move freely between both.I like to think that Ben is able to do that now, soaring high above all the pain and misery and able to appreciate the beauty that eluded him when he was here.”Tears stung the corners of her eyes.“Wow.It’s like you’re a writer,” she said, trying to keep it light.But one hot droplet rolled over her lid and slid down her cheek.Even in the darkness, Reed saw it and he captured it with his thumb.He rubbed it into her skin like a salve.Cleo knew it wouldn’t heal her wound.Because he’d done that, wounded her.With talk of monsters and regret, his despair, as a boy, of not being able to help another one, that tattoo of a hawk flying between two worlds.Of not being good at caring.God! If someone asked her right now, she’d say she was in love with him.That despite all her talk about him just affecting her at skin-level, he’d gone ahead and made a place for himself deep in her heart.It was weird how comfortably he rested there.Chapter TwelveWhen Cleo walked into the kitchen the next morning, Reed decided she didn’t look much older than Eli.Her gilt hair was pillow-mussed and her eyes were at a drowsy half-mast.Her long robe hung loose to reveal the knee-length night shirt she’d worn to sleep.Blinking at the sight of him sitting at the table with her sons, it seemed to take her a minute to absorb there were plates in front of each of them and syrup on the table.Obie shoved a bite of pancake into his mouth.“Hi, Mommy.”“Hi, baby,” she said, and rubbed at her eyes with her fists.“You’re eating.”“Reed made breakfast,” Eli said.“I think I see that,” she murmured, looking around her.Sunlight streamed through the French doors and the brightness seemed to dazzle her.“I smell coffee?”Reed hid his grin.“On the counter.Shall I pour you a mug?”She shook her head.“I never sleep this late,” she told the carafe of dark brew.“You were up late.” His fault.His nightmare had brought her into the living room and he’d wound up laying out his demons for her.Now that it was morning, he felt…he supposed he still felt it was the right thing to do.While he didn’t talk about that year at Oceanview much, and only had made vague noises about Ben to people who asked about the tattoo, his reasons for sharing with Cleo held true.Working for Bing and Brody—and since she’d become friendly with Cilla and Alexa as well—would likely mean that once she moved out of his neighborhood they’d run into each other from time-to-time.If she read too much into this interlude of togetherness, that might prove awkward in the future.He sure as hell didn’t want her leaving a good job because she’d gotten too attached to him.Now she knew the score—that he would never attach back—and anything they enjoyed in the short term she wouldn’t build false hopes upon.Eli wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.“Reed said he’s taking us all to the beach today.”Cleo frowned.“What?”He focused on his plate.“The compound can feel a little…close.” Locked within its walls with Cleo and her boys, the forced togetherness might begin to feel—falsely—too intimate.“I thought we would appreciate an outing in the ocean air.” When she didn’t say anything, he glanced up.Her expression didn’t give her thoughts away.“It’s a beautiful day,” he added.And didn’t that sound defensive?“You can go,” Cleo offered.“We’ll be fine here.”Obie dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter.“Reed said we all get to go to the beach!”“Sorry,” Reed said, grimacing.“I should have checked with you first.”“Mom—” Eli started.She held up her hand.“We shouldn’t trouble Reed.”“It’s no trouble,” Obie said.“I’m no trouble.” He shot Reed a winning smile.“I’m good as gold.”Eli rolled his eyes, then folded his arms over his chest, his expression mutinous.Cleo remained silent seven seconds, then she caved.“All right, all right,” she grumbled.“But I expect your best behavior.”The kids did a damn fine job in that respect, as far as Reed was concerned.They helped clear the breakfast dishes from the table, dressed themselves, and didn’t exhibit too much impatience while their mother readied the group for the outing, which included slathering sunscreen on any inch of her boys’ available skin.When she turned to him, more of the white stuff in the cup of her palm, he backed away.“Oh, no.”Something sparked in her eyes.“This trip was your idea.You don’t want to set a bad example for Eli and Obie, do you?”Revenge for painting her into a corner, he realized.So instead of bitching, he obediently leaned down so she could slime his face with the lotion.But instead of just tolerating the process, the feather-light strokes of her fingers on his face became a different type of retaliation as his body reacted to the simple pleasure of her touch.Even with two impatient kids in the periphery of his vision, blood was rushing south.Christ.When she began to work the goop down his arm, he grabbed her hand.“Enough,” he said, his voice gruff.Their gazes met, and she flushed.Backing away, she spread the excess on her own shoulders, bared by the tank top she wore with shorts.He kept his eyes off her legs.Those long, slim legs.Once they reached the beach, he congratulated himself on the great idea.It was still 70-plus degrees by the surf and the gentle breeze was only slightly cooling and smelled salty and clean.Eli and Obie raced along the hard-packed sand, raced back, then went to their knees, using a pair of plastic cups they’d found as digging implements.Cleo frowned.“I should have bought them beach toys.”“They don’t need anything special.” To prove it to her, he trolled the beach for other implements he could offer them.After a few minutes he was able to hand over shells, an abandoned metal fork, and a wide, flat rock that made a fine trowel.Then he found he couldn’t resist joining in.Soon enough he was on his ass beside them, using his hands to scoop a moat for their half-constructed castle.Together, they decorated the turret with broken shells and made a drawbridge from a piece of driftwood.Cleo looked on from a distance, a bemused expression on her face.Reed decided he didn’t want to know what she was thinking.Then Obie looked up.“I have to go to the bathroom.”Glancing around, Reed saw a cinderblock set of restrooms beyond the next lifeguard tower.“It’s over there,” he said, pointing.“I can’t go by myself.”Oh, right.Cleo had wandered to the surf line and was gazing out at the horizon.He opened his mouth to call out to her, when Obie spoke again.“You’d better take me now.”That sounded dire, so Reed jumped to his feet.Eli followed.“I better go too.”As they began trotting down the sand, Reed raised his voice to get Cleo’s attention.“Nature’s calling! We’ll be right back.”Business taken care of, their return trip to the castle was more leisurely.Eli chased some sandpipers while Obie stayed by Reed’s side.“I like the beach,” the kid said, slipping his hand into Reed’s.“Uh, me, too
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