steering wheel of her Vol

gual Montessori school, forcing he

lawing at the inside of her c

playground, the frantic beat of her heart

they

ing upside down from the monkey bars,

a bench, his small fingers exper

hing himself at her legs like a miniature cannonball. "The

p him up, but a wave of exhaustion from the long hours m

there in a

ce the flicker of f

eavy handbag, and then t

hing with a fierce, protective love. Their faces, their expression

s imprinted on the two souls

nt. "Let's go, boys. Right now," sh

small bakery near the lake, letting Miles argue about chocolat

, she almost believed th

r secondary work phone, the one she kept for emergen

pletely burn her bridges, she tapped th

irector's obsequious tone. It was deep, resonan

urn to the hospi

quest. The voice of a man

e sound of his voice still had

sing in on her. She fel

th his cube. His sharp eyes darted from th

She glanced at the rearview mirr

ent she used with arrogant foreign patients. "Monsieur, this is not my working hours. If t

n't wait, Doctor. You have thirty minutes. If you value your position at th

he wheel. "Ownership of shares

who can remove every

he hu

silent for a

ig blue eyes wide in the rearview mirror. "W

reassuring smile. "No, sweetie. No one is g

his mother's white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel,

carved the voice on th

g stared at the disconnected call on t

the woman was baffling

to be suffocating. "Ster, don't be angry. Some women love m

's jaw h

ing wounded and admiring, "I would never be able to see a doctor like

ssion softened. He put an arm around her, his focus shifting

I promise you, by the end of the night, that do

en's over Kara's shoulder. He gave a su

. It was time for un