Page 119 of Love Expert

Raquel added Minka to the chat.

Minka:

Doctor Raquel! Cut the shit.

Detective Caster. I’m gonna need an update on that consult I sent over a few months back. Did you bag your killer?

Email me. Like a professional.

Minka hasleft the chat.

*

Brienne:

Make your move, Wilbert! It’s now or never.

Devina:

Right now! Our cover’s been blown! MAYDAY!

EPILOGUE

“Maggie! MAGGGIIIIEEEEE!”

I shoot up in bed and feel winter’s icy fingers prickling my skin. My sheet falls to my lap, pooling over Billy’s draped arm, and my hair tickles where my tank top spaghetti straps expose my shoulder blades.

My heart pounds wildly out of control, thrumming and aching as I glance dazedly toward Billy’s bedroom door.Ourbedroom door, I guess. Since I haven’t slept in my room next door once since that day inside the diner.

“Too early,” Billy grumbles, dragging me closer and pressing a noisy kiss to my hip. He burrows into the mattress and squishes his face in the crevice where my thighs touch the bed. “Need another hour.”

“Maggie!” Jeremy bursts through the bedroom door, slamming the heavy wood open until it bounces off the wall and swings back again. Giggling, he slaps it with his open palm and reveals a fresh gap in his teeth. “I lost my tooth, Maggie!” He darts across the room and bounds onto the bed, landing with athwumpand accidentally digging his elbow into my thigh. But then he surges onto my lap, wrapping his arms around my neck and squeezes tight enough to cut my air off.

This is who he is. A rough and tumble little boy completely clueless about how strong he is. But when he smooshes a juicy kiss to my temple, giggling so I feel the bouncing air on my skin, I know I wouldn’t trade him for a single thing in the world.

“Maggggiieee? Are you even listening? Ilost my tooth!”

Billy chuckles against my side, massaging my hip under the cover of our sheets.

“I heard you, handsome.” I look down at his little fingers pinched around the tooth. “That’s really lucky timing, huh?”

“Yuh! Santa came last night, and now the tooth fairy will come tonight!” He gasps, his eyes shooting wide. “Wait! Did Santa come?”

“I don’t know.” I finger the locks of brown hair off his forehead and search his sweet face. “You didn’t sneak down and take a peek?”

“No way!” He vaults off my lap and slaps his tooth down on my bedside table. “Keep it here, so the tooth fairy brings the money to you and not me.” Then he snags my hand and yanks me to the side so hard, I know I’d fall clear out of bed if not for Billy’s seatbelt grip. “Come on, Maggie! Let’s see if Santa came!”

“He did,” Billy rumbles, sated and smug. “Several times.”

I smack his shoulder. “Wilbert!”

“What does that meannnnn?” Jeremy tugs as hard as he can. “He came back more than once?”

“I guess he must’ve forgotten one of your gifts. So he visited again when he found it at the bottom of his toy sack.” I peel Billy’s arm off my lap and drag the blankets away. Twisting on the mattress, I stumble to my feet when Jeremy pulls. Then we’re off. Darting out of the room and onto the garland-wrapped staircase.

Jeremy drags me down the stairs, too fast for safety, which is precisely how he ended up at the ER just four weeks ago with a buckle fracture in his wrist. It’s why, three weeks ago, he had a goose egg square on the center of his forehead. And two weeks ago, he had a sore ankle—not broken, thankfully.

I judged Billy when I first came to town, labeling him a neglectful parent, when really, this kid just doesn’t have anoffswitch.