Page 114 of One Night with Number Nineteen

Thirty-Five

Sawyer

I brush a kiss over Lainey’s forehead then carefully reach over her and turn off her alarm.

She didn’t sleep last night—though we went to bed not all that long after Ollie had been fed, bathed, and read to.

Part of it is probably because our sleep schedule is fucked…

The rest is because she’s scared.

Of what’s developing between us.

Of what her ass of a husband did to her (and no, I’m not talking about getting sick—I’m talking about leaving her to fucking do it all on her own before he got sick).

And, worst of fucking all, what’s happening with the man from the bookstore.

Was it a weird random attack?

Did he somehow find out where she’s living and is digging through her trash, doing freaky-ass shit with her wineglasses?

Is she in danger?

The last is why I didn’t sleep.

Worried about that, knowing I need to get the cameras installed this morning because I have the game tonight. Worried about what could happen when I’m on the road with the team and not here to⁠—

Protect them from some unknown threat we don’t even know exists for sure.

I grit my teeth together and focus.

Cameras first.

Well, Ollie to school and then cameras.

I grab my clothes and slip into the bathroom, doing my thing and getting dressed, then quietly padding out into the hall and waking up Ollie.

He’s adorably rumpled and sleepy, but I manage to get him to pull on some clothes, use the toilet, eat some breakfast, and brush his teeth as I’m packing his lunch, filling up his water bottle, and leaving a note for Lainey in case she wakes up. “I need Ollie,” he says as I’m buckling him into the minivan, glad I picked up both a booster and a car seat a while back.

With all my friends having kids, it was only a matter of time before I was going to make use of them. It’s the same reason I traded my sports car for a minivan. Between babies and kids and all the shit that comes with them, one of us needed enough room to haul everyone around.

I just didn’t think…I might need them for a kid who I hope to call my own.

“Where’s Ollie?” I ask.

His eyebrows furrow. “I don’t know. Mom and I couldn’t find him last night when I went to bed.”

“Did you bring him to school yesterday?”

That furrow deepens then smooths out. “Yes! I wanted to show Aparna. She said I was lying, that there wasn’t a toy with my name. But I showed her Ollie and his tag and then she believed me.”

My mouth curves and I ruffle his hair. “Good. And glad the mystery is solved. Ollie must be at school. We’ll ask your teacher when we get there, okay?”

“’Kay!”

I double check that he’s buckled in securely and safely.

Then climb into the driver’s seat and take him over to school.