With vibrant flares of colors from fireworks spilling through the window into the darkened room, Emily’s stared into Gavin’s eyes, her breath catching as she tangled her fingers in his hair. “I hope he’s as forgiving, gentle, and kind as his father is if that woman ever hurts him.”

Gavin settled his lips over Emily’s, whispering as he gently kissed her. “I wonder if he’ll know how much I’m going to love him and his mother until the day I take my last, dying breath.”

Although she wanted to, Gavin didn’t let Emily speak again. Not only did he continue to leave a trail of sweet word prints in her ears, he entered her lifeblood, caressing her soul in ways he never had before. Heart racing with promise, Emily felt him become one with her and their child, his love unyielding with every delicate touch and sweet embrace through the night.

When Emily woke the next morning, the smell of bacon flared her senses as she climbed from the empty bed. Puffy clouds, gray as an old headstone, peppered the sky beyond the window. Clearly rain would haunt the day. With a lazy stretch and a yawn creeping up her throat, she scanned the bedroom. Poking her head from the door, she heard Gavin’s and his father’s voices coming from downstairs. She smiled at the way they joked and laughed. Deciding to get a quick shower before they left, Emily rummaged through her suitcase for a soft pair of capri pants and red tank top. Clothing in hand, she made her way into the bathroom and indulged in a long, hot shower. Once finished, she blew her hair dry, got dressed, and headed downstairs. Finding Chad alone in the kitchen, she glanced around, looking for Gavin.

“Good morning,” Emily said, pulling out a chair. “Where’s Gavin?”

Holding a spatula, Chad faced her. “Good morning to you too,” he replied with a smile. “We ran out of milk. He took a quick ride up to the store.” Chad poured her a tall glass of orange juice and slid it across the black granite counter. “Drink. It’s good for you and my grandson.”

Emily smiled, his proud tone warming her. “Thank you.” She sipped the juice and glanced around again. “Is everyone still asleep?”

“Lillian’s getting ready.” Chad opened an egg over a sizzling frying pan. “Fallon and Trevor are awake. He came down and grabbed two cups of coffee. I haven’t seen Olivia or Jude, yet.” He gulped his orange juice. “Eggs and bacon?”

“Sure,” Emily replied, her stomach growling from the tantalizing smell.

Chad scooped some eggs and a few slices of bacon onto a plate. Placing it in front of Emily, he smiled, the wrinkles around his blue eyes lifting. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you.” Emily picked up her fork and dug in. Over the next twenty minutes, she enjoyed listening to Chad talk about Gavin. She learned not only was her Yankees lover a Mets lover at one point, but he also pitched a no hitter in his senior year of high school. Afterward, he walked off the field, never to play again except for fun. Chad said they believed Gavin’s decision to stop playing came from the pressure hounding scouts gave him about taking his talent all the way to the major league. This surprised Emily, considering Gavin’s deep love for baseball. Nevertheless, she chalked it up to him wanting to become an architect. Either way, her curiosity was piqued, and she’d planned on picking his brain a little on the ride home. After she finished eating, Emily checked her watch. He’d been gone for over thirty minutes.

“Is Gavin milking the cow on a farm somewhere?” She pointed at the clock on the stainless steel stove. “He’s been gone a while.”

Chad squinted, his brow slowly rising. “Hmm. He has been gone for a while.” He looked out the window at the fat drops of rain falling from the sky. “Maybe he’s taking it slow. I know he mentioned he was riding his motorcycle up there.”

“Oh,” Emily said softly. A pang of unease settled over her limbs. Her mind rushed to a conversation she and Gavin had not long ago. He’d gone into great, enthusiastic detail about how he loved opening up the bike to ungodly speeds while on the roads in East Hampton. “I’m going to call his cell and check on him.”

Chad nodded, and Emily headed for the stairs. Taking two at a time, she reached the top in seconds. Rounding the corner, she collided into Olivia.

“Well, that woke me up,” Olivia chirped. Towel drying her hair, she stared at Emily. “Why do you look all freaked out?”

Emily’s eyes flew to an arched floor-to-ceiling window visible from the hallway. She held her breath as she took in the rain falling in thick, heavy sheets. Emily rushed past Olivia, her feeling of unease growing. With a quick hand, she dug her phone from her purse and hit the button for Gavin’s number. By the fourth ring, she knew he wasn’t picking up.

“Em, what the hell’s wrong?” Olivia stood in doorway, her face edged with confusion.

Swallowing, Emily slid her phone closed. “Gavin went to go get milk, and he’s not back yet. He took his damn bike, too.”

Olivia shrugged. “Okay. It’s raining. He’s probably taking his time, chick. Calm down.”

Emily nodded. Olivia was right. For whatever reason, she was overreacting. She knew Gavin would be smart enough to not drive like an animal, however, something was off, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Not quite a pull in her gut telling her something was wrong, but more of an emptiness slowly sneaking into her bones. As she tried to talk herself down from the cliff her mind was dangling over, the doorbell chimed through the air. Emily rushed to the bedroom window, and her heart stopped mid-beat as her eyes landed on a white and blue East Hampton patrol car. She flew past Olivia as she belted down the stairs. She came to a stop on the landing and brought her hand to her stomach as it cramped. Pain shot, ricocheting through her midsection. She curled her fingers around the railing and tried to slow her breathing, tried to slow her racing thoughts. Gavin was probably picked up for speeding. At least that’s what Emily attempted to convince herself of as she watched Chad open the door. Gavin’s full name…then the words. Although faint, they hit Emily’s ears loudly, knocking her off balance.

Lost control…

Grave…

Air lifted…

Critical condition….

Emily tried to breathe as her body instinctively sank onto the steps, her hand gripping the cold metal baluster. A flurry of chaos ensued around her, but she didn’t notice. She couldn’t. She couldn’t think or feel. Her mind slipped into a state of numbness, her ears blanking out Lillian’s crying screams. She barely registered Trevor gently lifting her from the stairs and helping her out into the warm, humid air. A heavy raindrop hit her scalp. Another, her cheek. Before she knew it, she was soaked and seated in Trevor’s car.

Green eyes staring blankly at the road flying past her, Emily’s muscles froze with fear. Rain rioted the roof as her galloping heart shook her whole body. While her mind dragged through thorny yet beautiful memories of the last few months, the cold realization sank Emily deeper into her seat. Gavin was critically wounded. What the officer said rushed through floodgates, dowsing Emily with grief. A torrent of tears spilled as a brutal headache made a permanent nest in the darkest eaves of her skull.

By the time they pulled up to the hospital, the rain had grown louder, its rhythm as steady as an applause at a rock concert. Emily threw open her door and climbed out. Mind a scattered mess, she prayed as she made her way into the emergency room. Still unable to speak, Emily listened to Trevor and Fallon ask where Gavin was. After taking some information, the nurse behind the desk pointed toward the end of a hall. Eyes glistening with tears, Emily held onto Trevor’s arm for balance as they stepped into an elevator.