“I have a right to be mad at you. What you did was dangerous. You have no idea who this man is. He could have killed you!”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa. I’m no killer, lady.” Geoffrey waved his meaty hands in my face. “Like I said, I’ve never seen either of you in my life. And I think it’s about time both of you got the hell out of here.” He walked over to the apartment door and opened it. We’d worn out our welcome big-time.

I studied him, holding the door open impatiently. Maybe he was being honest. Maybe he was lying. I might even be married to a cheating liar, which I never saw coming. Clearly I wasn’t the best judge of character.

“I’m sorry we bothered you,” I muttered halfheartedly as we exited. He didn’t answer, and shut the door decisively.

In the hallway, I didn’t hold back. “That was stupid, Will. Never ever do something like that again. Come to me if you have a question rather than running off to a stranger’s house searching for answers. You scared us to death—we reported you missing to the police!”

Reality must have hit her then, a sudden realization of the risk she had put herself in. Her eyes glazed over and she cried into my chest, her tears soaking through my shirt.

“I’m so sorry, Mom. I didn’t think . . .”

“Shh. It’s okay.” I ran my hands over her sweet blond head, my fingertips catching in her mass of curls. “Everything’s okay now.”

If only I could believe that myself.

Chapter 24

Robin

THURSDAY NIGHT

It was after ten o’clock before Willow finally fell asleep in my arms. It’d been so long since I held her like this, her not-so-small body cuddled into my side as I stroked her soft hair, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. When had my baby girl grown up? Somehow I had blinked and missed it.

It had been so much easier when she was younger. No skipping school. No comprehension of the drama that surrounded our family. Blissfully naïve and eager to please. A daddy’s girl, mommy’s little helper. But now . . . now she was scheming behind our backs, sneaking out of school, asking questions I had hoped to never have to answer.

Back then it was lollipops and playgrounds. Now it was secrets and disappearing acts. And lies. So many lies.