Justin growled and rolled his eyes. “I don’t see how racing off with some guy she’s never met constitutes romance. The fact is, I’m concerned for her safety.”“Oww?”“Grandmother, she is taking a risk, and I worry. What if—”Mittie’s brows rose higher. “Is that what it is? Are you worried?”Justin wasn’t sure what he heard in her query. “Of course. What else?”“She’s turning your world upside down.”“You’re right, she is; I mean, I need her, um, the kids need her so badly, I can't do this alone," he agreed, irritation weaving through his chest when he remembered the fact. “The kids need her, and she’s abandoning them.” And me. Yeah. It felt that way too.“That’s correct,” Mittie said gently. “She is needed here. Although I’m not sure you fully comprehend why,” she smirked at her grandson. “You know why Chase and Tyler are happy with their lives right now?”“Because?”“Because they too took the risk, Chase told Amaya about what he felt. Tyler did the same. See, they were happy now.”“W

“Bobby’s asking to meet,” Allena said, sighing and keeping her voice low so that Cassie wouldn’t pick up on the strain in her tone.“Are you having second thoughts?”She shrugged. “Second and third, and fourth,” she admitted. “I just want to be sure I’m doing the right thing. I mean, you know what I mean—”“I know, and I guess there are no guarantees in any relationship,” Tess added. “But you’ll never know unless you take the chance.”“So,” she queried, her voice quiet. “You think I should do it?”“You know what I think,” Tess replied gently.Tell Justin how she felt. Oh God, I can't.“I can’t,” she whispered.Tess got to her feet. “I’m here for you, whatever you decide. And now I think I’ll go and make coffee for you and tea for me,” her sister said, and then called Cassie’s name, asking her if she wanted milk and cookies.Cassie was on her feet in a microsecond, and Allena continued to cradle Charlie after they left the room. Alone, with her thoughts and the sleepy baby in her arms,

“You know, Justin’s being more unbearable than usual at the moment,” Justin’ sister, Leah, said.Allena didn’t disagree.It was after ten the following morning, and she was in the kitchen with Leah and Mittie, chatting about the older woman’s upcoming Asian tour. Leah was several years younger than her brother and a talented artist as well. She was also much more naturally outgoing than he was—easier to warm up to, which was why Allena had befriended her so quickly when they met.Allena shrugged and took the coffee cup. Mittie passed her and replied to Leah. “I guess he’s got things on his mind.”“He’s got you on his mind,” Mittie announced, grinning broadly.Allena almost spluttered her coffee across the table. “What?”“Granny,” Leah said and sighed. “Stop making things worse.”Allena looked at Leah and smiled. “Your grandmother is only—”“Stirring,” Leah said, raising both her brows. “We all know what Justin is like.”“Don’t we just?" Mittie said and chuckled. “I love my grandson, b

“Has Justin found your replacement yet?”Allena smiled at her sister as she stretched out on the yoga mat. Tess has started attending the classes with her and she was delighted for the company. Hanging out with her sister was one of her favourite things to do. And Thursday night yoga class was their opportunity to talk and catch up. Justin usually finished work early onThursdays and spent extra time with the children, which gave her a free evening. “No,” she replied and stretched out her calves. “He has another two interviews scheduled for tomorrow. Both applicants with the right references.” She’d told her sister about the two unsuitable candidates they’d interviewed the day before. She hadn’t told her about the argument or the kiss. Mostly because she couldn’t believe it actually happened. Her lips still tingled at the memory. Her heart ached knowing he’d said it was a mistake. Which of course it was, and obviously it didn’t mean anything. But Tess was a romantic and would read way

The last thing Allena wanted to do was think about Justin getting married. Second, she corrected. The very last thing she wanted to do was spend an hour or so at the pizza parlour and pretend that she wasn’t dying inside.Of course, the kids quickly pulled her out of her funk, and once they were seated and had ordered, she listened as Jayden spoke about the latest book on dragons that he was reading. Jayden usually didn’t say much—he was like his father in that way, but she’d sensed his need for quiet conversation and reassurance for days. And Cassie clung to her, holding her hand, demanding hugs and kisses before bedtime.Determined to make the transition as easy as possible for the children, Allena realised she needed to spend lots of time with both of them over the ensuing weeks, so they both understood why she was leaving in a way that made them feel safe and loved.As she watched the kids munching on breadsticks, Allena’s logic blurred. She’d always known how hard leaving them wo