Right Where We Belong by Tagg Walsh Raney & Raney Deborah & Tagg Melissa & Walsh Courtney

Author:Tagg Walsh, Raney & Raney, Deborah & Tagg, Melissa & Walsh, Courtney [Raney, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Raney, Tagg, Walsh
Published: 2017-04-17T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Delia’s squeal of delight was probably the perfect balm for Megan’s hurting heart. Even if she was still resisting Eric’s plan to cheer her.

“Eric, we need to get back to Maple Valley. I’ve got the morning shift at Coffee Coffee tomorrow. You’ve got Hampton House.”

Delia patted his cheeks. “I know, kid, I didn’t shave today. Probably feels like sandpaper.” He kissed her forehead and pulled up the hood of her spring jacket as he waited for Megan to join them outside the car. “I’m in no hurry to get back to Hampton House. I left a bunch of freezer food out on the counter. It’s possible it’s still there. In which case, I really have zero desire to walk into that house.”

Megan finally rose from the passenger seat. “But the welcome display says they close at two-thirty during the off-season.”

He’d seen the sign for the zoo as they skirted around the edge of St. Louis and Megan’s words from days ago had drifted in. “We didn’t do family vacations. Mom and Dad went on cruises. I went to summer camp. Zoos, amusement parks, camping trips . . . not my parents’ style.”

“Lucky for us we’ve got a solid hour,” he said as he reached for Megan’s hand. It seemed natural to walk like this. As natural as getting Delia in and out of her car seat, carrying a diaper bag.

One little road trip, and without even realizing he was doing it, he’d inserted himself into their little family.

And he liked it.

Maybe that’s why he’d really insisted on this stop. Not just to cheer up Megan or give Delia a few extra minutes out of her car seat. But because he knew as soon as they rolled into Maple Valley, everything would go back to the way it was before. He’d revert from the guy who’d been the support Megan needed this day to being the man who’d gone too far—shoved a resident, interfered in Cal’s life.

He’d spent half the night awake on that uncomfortable hotel bad last night, thinking about Cal. He’d had no idea a few phone calls and emails could have such a negative consequence. How could he have messed up so horribly and completely?

He felt Megan’s gaze on him as they walked past the Welcome desk. He offered the best smile he had, forced cheer into his tone. “You’ll thank me when we’re oohing and ahhing over cute animals, Meg.”

But the kid at the desk was even less enthusiastic than Meg. “You really want to go in? When we’re closing in sixty minutes?”

“Sixty-two minutes, by my watch,” Eric countered. “And yes, we really do.”

“You’ll barely have time to see anything.”

“How do you know we’re not runners? Maybe we’re planning to sprint through the whole place.”

The kid’s eye roll could give Megan a run for her money

“Got a map?”

He slid one to Eric. “Have fun running.”

“Thanks, we will.” As soon as they were out of earshot he leaned toward Megan. “Sad thing is, years ago I probably could’ve raced through this whole place in twenty minutes.

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