* * *

“WE WATCHED MOVIES and read books and she napped a few times. Maddie can’t eat solids, but she’s awake and lonely. Would it be cool with you if we all ate together up in her room?” Vaughan stood very close to Kelly and she felt like a horrible person because this morning she was going to marry someone else but right then, Vaughan looked so good her hormones did a slow roll. Like onto their back, belly and all the good parts exposed.

“That’s a great idea. I’d considered bringing her down here, but keeping her in bed is better. Kensey, can you get the trays out? I made shrimp pasta salad for you.”

Kensey pumped her fist with a shouted “yes!” as she brought out the trays they used when they had snacks in the family room and watched movies together.

Kelly put some warm chicken broth in one of her to-go coffee cups and slid a lid on. “She can have broth, they said. I had some in the freezer. I hope you like shrimp pasta salad. I should have asked. If you don’t, there are still leftovers from yesterday in the fridge.”

“Shrimp pasta salad sounds great.” Vaughan’s agreeable smile was handsome and she realized this had been the longest it had been just the four of them in her house. No Hurleys. No Ross or Stacey. Just Kelly, Vaughan and their daughters.

A long time ago she’d dreamed of normal moments like this one. And she’d given up on them. Or so she’d thought.

Hope was a tiny ember in her belly. Fear lived there, too. Because he’d broken her heart. That had sucked and it had taken a long time to get over. But hope wasn’t backing down and Kelly thought maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to let it stay as long as she kept her expectations low.

Right?

Kelly instructed Kensey and Vaughan as they loaded their dinner up on the trays and headed up to Maddie’s room.

“We should listen to music, Momma,” Maddie murmured sleepily. Kelly pressed a hand to her belly for a moment, attempting to massage away the bittersweet ache.

Maddie had been calling Kelly “Mom” for a year or so by that point. Every once in a while when she got sick or was upset or tired she’d revert to the days where she’d hug Kelly’s neck and let Momma fix everything with kisses and a cup of hot chocolate.

Kelly pulled her phone from a pocket. “What do you want to hear?”

“Star Is Born!” Kensey chimed in.

“Yes. Guess which one I want.”

They’d watched the edited-for-television version of A Star Is Born with Kristofferson and Streisand at least three times that winter and spring so the soundtrack had become a favorite around the house.

“I think I might know.” Kelly connected to the wireless system in the house and found the song. She went to her knees to kiss Maddie’s forehead before settling on the floor again.

As the piano began Vaughan grinned. “‘Everything.’ I love this song.”

Maddie sang along softly. Normally she could belt this one out but as the kid had just been sliced open the day before yesterday, Kelly thought it could be excused.

Kensey joined in and Vaughan came along, harmonizing, and Kelly sat back, watching these incredibly talented creatures, singing together because they were all born for such things. And because they all had that basic joy they took into most situations.

She was still smiling as she turned off the light in Kensey’s room after tucking her into bed. Maddie was fast asleep already. Vaughan stood a few feet away at the top of the stairs.

“She’s waiting for you to come in to kiss her good-night,” Kelly said on her way past.

“Awesome.” He headed down the hall, a smile he wore just for his youngest daughter on his face.

CHAPTER SIX

KELLY OPENED THE DOOR to her bedroom to find him there. He’d changed into sleep pants and a T-shirt.

“Hi.”

She gave him a look. “Hi.” And then she let him in. Like an idiot.

“Can we talk awhile?”

“I was thinking about having a glass of wine. Do I need one for this conversation?”

His grin was slow and sexually charged. “Maybe.”

Being alone and in close quarters with Vaughan was an iffy proposition. But as she was already taking the express train to bad-decision town, she may as well relax on the trip.

“Okay, then, I’ll be right back. You want a glass?”

He nodded.

“I’ll be right back.” She waved at the room in her wake. “Make yourself comfortable.”

In just a few minutes she’d returned to her room with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Avoiding the bed and anything bed-related, she settled on the love seat and poured two glasses of red before settling in.

“How are you feeling?” Vaughan asked at last, after draining half his glass.

“Tired. Like I could sleep three weeks.”

“And the broken engagement?”

She blew out a breath. “How do you feel about it?”

“I’m sorry his feelings got hurt, but I’m not sorry the engagement is broken. Is this...? You changed the locks. It’s for sure, then?”

“He and I had some elemental differences in parenting styles. It wasn’t a sacrifice I was willing to make. He was upset today, but I believe in time he’ll see my point and know I was right. I’ll miss his daughters.” Probably more than she’d miss Ross.

“He didn’t like me much.”

Kelly snorted. “You didn’t like him much.”