Read My Song for You: A Pushing Limits Novel for Free Online Page B

Jared’s fault. It was just the nature of his lifestyle.
    The best thing for everyone concerned was to prevent Logan from becoming even more attached to Jared. Asking Jared to join us for the birthday party had been a huge mistake. A mistake I wouldn’t repeat, for Logan’s sake.
    And for the sake of my own heart.
    Logan was busy with his toys when I entered his room. “Bedtime,” I said, and started corralling the animals from his preschooler-friendly farm set that were scattered on the floor.
    “Not tired,” he said and signed, but he didn’t have a chance to say the final word before a yawn cut it short.
    I laughed. “No, you don’t sound tired at all.” I deposited the animals in the plastic barn and helped him into his Spider-Man PJs, which were getting too small for him. “We need to get you some new ones.”
    He shook his head and signed, “No.”
    “Don’t you want PJs that fit better? You’re a big boy now.” I sighed. We’d had this same discussion every night for the past week.
    “No new ones. Liked these ones.”
    “But I bet you’ll find new pajamas that you like even more.”
    He crossed his arms and pouted. End of discussion. I pushed away the voice pointing out that maybe he wouldn’t be so stubborn if he had a father or a positive male role model he looked up to. But it wasn’t as if I could go to the mall and pick him up either of those the way I could buy a new set of pajamas.
    I helped him brush his teeth and read him a story. “Good night. I love you,” I said afterward. I hugged him, and a memory snuck in of my mother doing the same when she put me to bed as a child. I hugged him tighter, but it wasn’t just him I was hugging—it was my mother.
    I kissed Logan’s cheek. “See you tomorrow.” I removed the audio processor from the side of his head, hidden under his hair, and placed it in the drying box on his nightstand.
    After tucking him into bed, I turned off his light. The green nightlight glowed softly against the painted walls. I closed the door partway, leaving a narrow gap between it and the doorframe. Logan preferred it that way.
    As I turned toward the living room, a knock on the door intruded on my thoughts about Jared. Just as well. My thoughts shouldn’t have been on him anyway.
    For a second my stupid brain entertained the idea that maybe it was him. But the knocker wasn’t Jared; it was Sharon.
    “Hi,” I said, doing my best not to sound disappointed.
    “I saw your friend leave and wanted to talk to you.”
    My stomach did a belly flop. Nothing good ever came from the words
I wanted to talk to you.
    Or maybe I was overreacting. Maybe she just believed Jared wasn’t a good role model to have around Logan because he was a musician in a rock band. Visions of groupies, wild parties, and drugs had danced around in her head. Who could blame her?
    I opened the door wider. “Sure. Logan’s in bed now.” He wouldn’t hear anything. I could play a Pushing Limits album at full volume and he wouldn’t know it was on—unlike my neighbors. “Would you like a drink?” Milk. Wine. Something a lot stronger?
    Too bad I didn’t have anything stronger than apple juice. There was no point. I was a social drinker. I didn’t drink at home alone, and since most nights I was alone…
    “I’ll have some water, thanks.”
    In the kitchen, I filled a glass of water for her and grabbed a diet soda from the fridge. Since I expected to be up late tonight working on an assignment for one of my classes, the caffeine would be much appreciated.
    With drinks in hand, we sat at my parents’ old mahogany dinner table, which I had inherited. It still looked festive, with balloons floating above our heads and the matching purple and silver streamers on the table. But I had a feeling the last thing I was about to do was celebrate after what Sharon had to tell me.
    “Thanks again for the presents, Callie,” she said. “They meant a lot to me. You and Logan are like family to me.