Tara smiled. “No. She goes alone for years now.”
She forgot how sensitive these words were to him as Owen dropped the suitcase on the desk with a loud thud.
“I’m sorry.”
He turned around, his shoulders square and his jaw clenched.
She took a step back when she met his intense glare. The contempt in his eyes broke her heart.
“No, you’re not. If I hadn’t showed up today, you would still be living in that dump, keeping my daughter away from me at literally all costs.You could have contacted me—but you didn’t. You hung up the phone on me months ago and chose to stay away.”
The toilet flushing broke their standoff. Owen stepped away from her and walked over to the window.
“Hey, sweetie. Everything okay?”
Frankie nodded, but eyed her mother suspiciously. “I’m fine…”
Tara opened the suitcase and picked out Frankie’s pajamas. “Let’s get you into these and then we’ll get some rest.”
She walked back into the bathroom with Frankie hot on her tail.
“Why are you sad, Mommy?”
Tara gave her daughter a watery smile. “I’m just tired. Let’s get you into these clothes and have the best dreams we can think of.”
Frankie smiled, her first wobbly tooth peeking up from behind her bottom lip. “Mine will be about pancakes and horses.”
“Mine will be about this magical place we’re heading for tomorrow.”
Frankie’s bouncy curls escaped from the neckline of her pajamas as Tara pulled it over her little head.
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Winter Peaks is magical in wintertime. There will be so much snow, you’ll never be able to use it all up by making a snowman.”
Frankie’s eyes lit up. “There’s snow?”
Tara pulled up Frankie’s pajama pants and got up from her one knee. “In a few weeks, there will be.”
“We’ll stay there for a few weeks?” Frankie’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
“Yes, sweetie. Maybe even longer. Okay, let’s hop into bed.”
She opened up the bathroom door and almost walked into Owen, who made no qualms about eavesdropping behind the door.
Frankie hopped into the middle of the bed with a squeal. Tara made a move to join her daughter, but Owen’s hand shot out, gripping her arm.
He leaned in and whispered, “A few weeks? Maybe even longer? I’ll never let you take my daughter away from me ever again. I’ll hunt you down wherever you go.”
It wasn’t the first time someone threatened to hunt her down. It was, however, the first time this threat didn’t rattle her. The idea of Owen always being there for Frankie calmed her.
“Good,” she said, reveling in Owen’s shock as he let go of her arm. She joined Frankie in bed, who was actually excited about this arrangement.
“I’m sleeping in the middle!” Frankie exclaimed.
Owen stood frozen next to the bathroom door, watching Frankie and her huddle together under the covers.
“Aren’t you going to bed?” Frankie asked.