“Yup.”

Dylan hammered over a pothole and squealed as the water hit his crotch. Taylor seemed to get his spear affixed.

“Meanwhile,” she said, “we have another child we hardly ever talk about because the other two are using up all the air, who just goes about the business of being a perfect little boy.”

“Hmmm. That worries you?”

“So you heard me say ‘perfect’?”

“Yeah.”

“I think he feels a lot of pressure not to disappoint.” She paused. Though they were healing well, her wounds hurt and she shifted away from the pain. “His siblings are a load. His daddy is a baseball all-star. His mommy is high-profile.”

Harley squeezed her hand.

“Maybe you should take a job at the bank, hon.”

“Sure.” She squeezed back. “And maybe you should start striking out more, maybe hit about .230.”

“I don’t know how,” he said. “I can’t.”

“And I can’t work at the bank.”

She sighed then.

“Oh, Harley, I just love children. I love our children. I worry about them. Our children, all children, everywhere. That’s not crazy, is it?”

“Of course not.”

“It’s not crazy to worry about bringing children into this world? To not totally want a baby?”

“No, of course not.”

She turned her hand over and knit her fingers into his.

“So, then,” she began, “I have something that I need to tell you.”

“Sure.”

But she was fighting tears and then she waited because she looked away and saw Taylor pedaling his speared bike as hard as he could out their long, long driveway, three hundred yards to the mailbox.

Pedaling, pedaling, farther and farther.

She squeezed her husband’s hand hard, and then harder, her breath stopping as their little boy reached Pederson Road, looked inside the newspaper tube…

Then turned back home.

More from this Series
Bad Axe County Book 1	Dead Man Dancing Book 2

More from the Author
The Nail Knot	Red Sky, Red Dragonfly
The Blood Knot	The Clinch Knot

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Galligan is the author of Bad Axe County and Dead Man Dancing as well as five other novels. He lives and teaches writing in Madison, Wisconsin.

SimonandSchuster.com

@AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks

ALSO BY JOHN GALLIGAN

THE BAD AXE COUNTY SERIES

Bad Axe County

Dead Man Dancing

FLY FISHING MYSTERIES

The Nail Knot

The Blood Knot

The Clinch Knot

The Wind Knot

NOVELS

Red Sky, Red Dragonfly

We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.