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every time the phone rang.

      Charlie, pushing his scrambled eggs around his plate, wanted to know what the matter was with her. “You’re all jumpy,” he remarked when a sound on the sidewalk made her flinch.

      “Nothing’s the matter.” Daisy turned away, busying herself putting the dishes in the dishwasher. “Izzy said she and the boys were coming by.”

      Izzy’s had been the first phone call she’d got this morning.

      “How is he?” her friend had demanded even before Daisy had dragged herself out of bed.

      “Still asleep,” Daisy reported. In fact he was asleep on the other side of her bed. She’d got him back to sleep after Alex had finally left, but he’d awakened and come into her room again at five-thirty. Barely able to pry her eyes open, Daisy had taken the easy way out and let him clamber into bed with her. Fortunately he’d gone straight back to sleep, and when Izzy had rung at eight, he was still dead to the world.

      “Sorry. We’ve been up for hours thinking about him.”

      “He’s going to be fine,” Daisy assured her. At least his arm was. How his life was going to change now that Alex was going to be part of it, she didn’t know. But at least Alex had been kind last night. He’d actually behaved—toward Charlie—very well. Maybe, given that, he would be fine. And kids were resilient.

      It was her own resilience Daisy was worried about.

      How was she going to deal with Alexandros Antonides in her life?

      She didn’t want to think about it. So when Izzy asked if they could come and see Charlie in the afternoon, Daisy said yes without hesitation. The distraction would do them both good.

      By midafternoon with no Rip and no Crash, Charlie was getting restless. Daisy had watched a Disney DVD with him, then read him a couple of dozen picture books. She tried unsuccessfully to talk him into a nap.

      “I’m too big for naps,” he told her. “An’ I’m not tired.”

      No, just cranky. She had a photo shoot to finish editing before tomorrow afternoon. So she brought her laptop down to the living room and worked on it there while Charlie played with his cars and his Legos on the floor.

      “Maybe that Alex will come back,” he said hopefully, looking up from his cars.

      “Mmm.” Daisy didn’t encourage that line of thinking. A man who had been as adamant as Alex had been about not wanting children might have had a brief change of heart when faced with a little boy who looked very much like his beloved deceased brother.

      But having a son was a huge responsibility. And it wasn’t one that you could just pick up and put down as the whim struck you. Alex wasn’t a fool. He had to realize that. It was possible that Alex had gone home in the early hours of the morning, thought about the implications of having a son, and come to the conclusion that he’d made the right decision five years ago. Whatever he decided, Daisy was determined that she wouldn’t let him upset Charlie’s life to suit himself.

      She didn’t have time to think about it more because finally the doorbell rang.

      “They’re here!” Charlie scrambled up from the floor and raced to open the door.

      Daisy unlocked the door, and Charlie tugged it open.

      Rip MacCauley took one look at Charlie’s cast and said, “Oh, wow. Your cast is blue? That’s cool.”

      The first smile of the day flickered across Charlie’s face.

      “You think?”

      “Oh, yeah,” Rip said, coming in and taking off his jacket. “I only ever had a white one.”

      “Mine was purple when I broke my ankle,” Crash announced. “Here. This is for you.” He thrust a package wrapped in newspaper comics into Charlie’s hand.

      “A little something to keep him busy,” Izzy told Daisy as the boys headed instinctively for the cars and the Legos on the floor and she followed Daisy into the kitchen. “Rip and Crash have been really worried. They seem to think they’re indestructible, but when Charlie got hurt, they were, like, ‘Oh, no! What if he dies?’ They felt very responsible. As well they should, Finn says.”

      “Finn being such a pattern card of model behavior.” Daisy grinned.

      Izzy laughed. “That’s what I said.” She perched on a bar stool while Daisy made them coffee. “I was amazed when Finn got home so quickly last night. Why didn’t you let him stay for a bit and help you with Charlie?”

      “No point. We were fine.” And she was very glad he hadn’t been there to witness the meeting of Alex and his son.

      “I’m sorry we interrupted your evening. How was the Plaza? Tell all.” Izzy leaned forward eagerly.

      It took Daisy a moment to even begin to remember the details, so much had happened in the meantime. “It was … fine,” she said vaguely. “The Plaza is elegant, of course. The dinner was wonderful,” she added dutifully, because “fine” wasn’t going to satisfy Izzy.

      “And the dress?”

      “It was fantastic.”

      “Knocked his socks off?” Izzy’s eyes were bright.

      “It wasn’t supposed to knock his socks off,” Daisy reminded her. “He’s got a girlfriend.”

      Izzy looked disappointed. But then she shrugged philosophically. “So you had a good time.”

      Daisy did her best to sound bright and enthusiastic about the evening. She didn’t tell Izzy that Alex had turned up at the hospital. She didn’t mention anything that happened after that. Until she had some idea of what Alex intended, she wasn’t borrowing trouble—or discussing him with anyone.

      She was glad Izzy and the boys came because it took the edge off Charlie’s boredom and irritability. The matchbox cars that Rip and Crash brought him were a big hit. But Daisy was, honestly, glad when they left again because it was hard to give the impression of cheerful equanimity when she felt edgy and stressed and as if her world was splintering into a million pieces. She left Charlie playing with his cars on the floor in the living room and retreated to the kitchen to wash up the cups and plates from the MacCauleys’ visit.

      And then the doorbell rang.

      “It’s Alex!” Charlie yelled, jumping up and running to the door.

      Wiping nervous hands on the sides of her jeans, Daisy followed him to answer it. She dragged the door open a few inches and, as always, felt her heart do a somersault in her chest at the mere sight of him.

      Gone, of course, was the formal wear of last evening. This afternoon Alex was in jeans and a hunter-green down jacket, his dark hair windblown and dusted with snowflakes, his jaw stubbled. His eyes were bloodshot, but they met hers squarely.

      “Daisy.” His voice was soft but firm, and gravelly as if he hadn’t slept.

      “Alex,” she replied, holding herself rigid, trying to relax, but unable to. Still she swallowed and tried to sound cordial and polite.

      “Hi, Alex.” Charlie poked his head around to beam up at the man on the doorstep. “Come ‘n’ see my new cars.”

      “Cars?” Alex grinned and stepped across the threshold.

      Daisy backed up hastily. “Charlie’s much better,” she said as he brushed past. “You didn’t have to come.”

      He gave her a look so intense it could have leveled buildings. “I wanted to come.” Then he turned his attention to Charlie. “You’re better, are you?” he said, his tone far lighter. “Good. I thought maybe we could go to the park.”

      “The park?” Daisy echoed doubtfully.

      But Charlie cheered. Obviously no one had told him he was an invalid.

      “But

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