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“Co? Or eating?” If possible she appeared even thinner He didn’t like it She appeared far too fragile for his liking

He stepped inside and wrapped an arm around her waist She looked like she needed the support, and he could use the touch to reassure hiht now she aiflike and pale, with dark circles under her eyes Due to her illness? She didn’t see less obvious He studied her, wishing he knew her better He led her over to the worn couch, co to a stop as he realized they weren’t alone in the room

A s very uncertain Lips trembled as the small boy’s mouth opened

“Oh, Jamie, it’s okay”

Aspen tore away fro hi furiously as he gave Saxon a suspicious look while tangling his other hand possessively in his momma’s shirt

Saxon didn’t bla look Or his possessiveness

“It’s okay This is a friend of momma’s This is Saxon”

“Joel,” he said, surprising himself

Her eyes widened “Really?”

“Yes” His voice was clipped, i what she called him Everyone called him by his last name It ho he was now But once he’d been Joel To those closest to him

And for some reason he wanted her to be close to him

But he regretted his sharp tone when the baby’s bottohed

“Sorry,” he told her and the little boy “Jamie, huh?” He was completely unused to children He hadn’t had much to do with them since he was a child And he had no idea what to say or do So he just ith his gut

“Hello, Jamie, how are you?” He kept his voice low and calm but didn’t make any move towards the little one The boy just stared back at him, his eyes so like his mother’s it was a little eerie

So as a little boy commando crawled his way around the back of the couch