Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(84)

Harley's face softens before she says, "We met in an online support group."

A heavy weight settles in the pit of my stomach and I cock my head her. "I didn't know you were in a support group."

She takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. "There’s still a lot you don’t know, Tyson.” And there are some things you’ll never know. “It was a long time ago. Celeste and I connected almost instantly, bonded by the fact that we’ve both been through some terrible things."

My stomach rolls with regret. I wasn't there for Harley when she needed me most, and I'm not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for that. "I'm glad you have one another," I say sincerely.

She smiles, but there's no humor in it. "Me too. Quinn and Levi have been unbelievable, but my friendship with Celeste has definitely been another silver lining."

I nod, at a loss for words. Seemingly done with the conversation, Harley reaches a hand out to help me up. Her words spark something deep inside of me, but I can’t give it much thought... right now, I have a birthday present to cash in on.



“IT’S OKAY, MOM, DON’T worry about it…yes, really…no, I’ll find someone…Quinn, maybe…okay…love you too, bye.” Rolling her eyes, Harley tosses her phone on the table.

“What was that about?” I ask, bending down to pull Max’s shoes off. The second I’m done, he jumps up and runs to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water.

“Can I take this in my room?” He’s looking at me, but I’m not sure why. I glance at Harley and she cocks an eyebrow and shrugs. Max is still watching me, waiting for an answer. “Can I?” he asks again.

“Uh…sure, buddy.“ I look at Harley and she nods. “Just be careful, don’t spill it.”

“I won’t!” I watch, frozen in place, as Max bounds off down the hall. He asked me for permission to do something. Me—not Harley. I rub a hand across my chest where I feel my heart flipping over.

Harley pats my arm. “You did great.”

“Yeah?” I confirm.

“Yeah.” Pushing up on her tiptoes, she kisses my cheek before moving to the sink.

“Who were you talking to when I walked in?” Pulling a towel out of the drawer, I grab a plate and start drying it.

“My mom,” she sighs, handing me another plate. “She was supposed to watch Max for me this Saturday since I have to work, but she had something come up and she can’t do it.”

“So what are you going to do?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.” Glancing at me, she frowns. “Maybe I’ll ask Quinn.”

Hello? Am I invisible? “I’ll keep him.” Harley’s eyes snap to mine and she hands me another plate, her eyes roaming my face as though she’s trying to gauge my sincerity.

“Really?” she asks slowly, propping a hip against the counter.

“Yes, really. Why not?” I question, mocking her position.

“I don’t know,” she says, glancing around the room. “Do you think you can handle keeping Max all day?” I know she doesn’t mean that in a bad way, she just knows that I’ve never watched a child for any extended period of time.

“Sure,” I nod. “Max and I have fun together. I can handle it.”

“You don’t have to work?” she asks.

“Nope.”

“Are you on-call?”

“Nope,” I chuckle. “But it’s okay, I understand if you’re not comfortable with me watching Max for a full day.”

“No. No, that’s not it.” Dropping her dishrag into the soapy water, she steps closer to me. “That’s not it at all. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t get called into work. If you want to keep him, he’s yours.”

“Yo, Max! Get in here, bud!” I yell, giving Harley a quick peck on the lips.

“What?” he asks breathlessly, skidding into the kitchen.

“You’re going to stay with me this Saturday while your mom works. What do you think about that?” His eyes go wide as he sidles in next to his mom.

“Really?” he asks. She nods, and Max busts out in a little dance.

“Cool!” he booms. “Can we do something fun?”

“Uh, yeah,” I say, looking at him like he’s crazy for even asking that question. “Now go get ready for bed, it’s getting late.” Once again he bounces off down the hall, and I briefly think that I would give anything for just a fraction of his energy.

Harley waits until Max leaves the room and then picks up her rag and starts absently washing a dirty pan. “So, are you still going to camp out with Max on Friday?” she asks timidly.

“Of course. I pinky swore.” Her eyes shift to mine, an amused grin gracing her face. “And I don’t break pinky swears,” I add, right before I snap her butt with the dishrag.





“HAVE YOU HAD FUN tonight?” Harley asks, zipping up Max’s sleeping bag.

“Yup,” he says, turning his head to face me. His eyes are sleepy, and I can tell that it’s only going to be a matter of minutes before he’s fast asleep.

“Are you gonna sleep here with us, mama?” he asks with a yawn.