Her Silent Revenge novel Chapter 46

When Arlo's around, when he's with his son?

Also, the same day his son just spent the morning with his flipping grandmother.

It's like the universe schemed up a secret family day out, only no one knows it but me.

And that dagger of terrible knowledge in my heart plunges deeper.

My nose stings. Hot tears crowd my eyes that have nothing to do with my frozen cheeks.

As soon as the sled reaches the bottom and they stagger off it, Arlo scrambles to his feet and runs back up the hill to me, leaving Patton to haul the sled up to the top again.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Arlo gasps with the widest grin I've ever seen. "Did you see that? We went faster than a race car. Vroom!"

"Sure did, sweetie. Why don't you catch your breath?"

"He said he needed me to hang on and he'd hold me like a seat belt." He makes a face and reaches up on his tiptoes as I lean down to hear him. Even though Patton is far enough away, he couldn't hear even if he tried. "I didn't have to. He just didn't want you to worry."

My face heats.

Why on God's green Earth is Patton being so nice to me that even my little boy notices?

"Oh, yeah? And what would've happened if you'd fallen off, big guy?" "I wasn't gonna!" he says dismissively.

"Sure." I glance up as Patton arrives. "Thanks for taking him down, Patton. He really enjoyed that."

"It's been a while," he says with a nod. "I used to come here a lot as a kid."

"Snowboarding?" I laugh before I can help myself. "I can't imagine your mom sledding down the hill."

"Nah, she stayed at home. I didn't hit the board until I was older. When I was little, my dad took us." There's a trace of sadness in his voice, but he hands Arlo the rope. "You ready to go again?"

"Yeah!" There's no lack of enthusiasm on Arlo's face. "We should have more sleds. Then you and Mommy could go."

"I'm okay, sweetie," I say, waving them on. "I don't mind watching.

I'm having plenty of fun."

"Boring." Arlo wrinkles his nose.

"Why don't you go on ahead this next round," Patton says. "I'll keep your mom company."

You don't need to do that.

On the other hand, seeing him with Arlo a second time might be worse for my tangled bird's nest of a heart, currently wallowing in what-ifs and missed opportunities.

"Okay!" Arlo sits on the sled and Patton gives him a friendly push.

He screams his lungs out as he flies downhill, his small voice fading as he goes.

"I mean it," I say, folding my arms tighter against the cold. "Thank you again."

Patton Rory, laughing, alive and carefree. Today is a modern miracle.

"I'm starting to think you protest too much."

"Okay, Shakespeare." Smiling, I adjust my stance, moving my feet so they don't get too cold.

He chuckles. "That's the first time anyone ever called me Shakespeare." "Which one of your brothers is better with words?"

He considers it before shaking his head. "I'm it. Wordsmith extraordinaire."

"Okay, boss. Whatever you say." I try not to hide my disbelief. Patton grumbles and shoves his hands in his pockets.

That wins him a laugh.

"Something else Archer beats me at, huh?" he mutters. "What did you say to him, anyway?"

"What?"

"To make you both laugh like deranged hyenas."

I think back to the one time Archer and I met and he laughed—the time Patton walked in with a face like thunder, all Zeus glaring at me with brutal disapproval.

"Honestly, I can't remember. It wasn't that funny." My face grows hotter under the hat. It's so damp I've had enough, and I pull it from my head and shake my hair out. "Probably shouldn't have dropped my hat, it's soaking my hair."