Savor (Cottonwood Falls, Book 5) by Aliyah Burke Read Free Book Online

admitted with a small
whimper.
    “Ah, baby.” He pulled her close to his chest,
pressing her fact to the warmth of his shirt instead of the cold of
his coat. “Come on,” he murmured in her ear before leading her
away.
    She didn’t stop the tears and just allowed him to
lead her somewhere. Turned out to be his vehicle. Without of
thinking of the ramifications, she climbed in and tucked herself in
small against the door as the weight of her loneliness hit full
fledged. Right now, she wanted someone to take care of her.
    ****
    “You’re in my house, Ms. Rhymes.”
    Piers stopped as he walked down the hall to the room
he’d put London in. They’d been lucky so far in that his son hadn’t
seen her here. Figures the one time he would is the one time I
didn’t get any. Piers had brought her home from the party,
killed by the tears in her eyes and the pain in her voice. She’d
barely been awake when he pulled into the garage, so he’d put her
in the guestroom to sleep.
    “Hello, Mr. Cuyper. I guess I am. I’m sorry.”
    He held the rag in his hands as he waited for his
son to say something else, ready to interrupt.
    “You look like you’ve been crying.”
    “I have,” she replied.
    “Are you sad?”
    Piers nearly stepped in and stopped this
interrogation of London when she answered his son.
    “I am. I miss my family.”
    “And you cry?”
    “Sometimes.”
    “I miss my mamá sometimes; is it okay that I
cry?”
    “Absolutely, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with
crying.”
    “My grandma says I shouldn’t cry. I need to grow
up.”
    “My daddy tells me it’s healthy to cry. That
everyone does at times, so it’s not a sign of weakness.”
    Silence for a small time. Piers stole a look around
the corner into the room and saw his son had climbed up on the bed
to join London. He sat pressed tight to her side, and she had her
arm around him.
    “Why did my papá bring you here?”
    “He was being nice because I fell apart at the
party.” She brushed his hair back. “I should be going.”
    “You smell nice. I know I’m not supposed to say that
to you because you’re my teacher, but you’re not teaching me right
now, so it’s okay, right?” He burrowed closer. “Sometimes, I think
my papá misses Mamá as well, but grandma says he doesn’t. She says
a lot of bad things about him then tells me not to tell. It makes
my stomach hurt.”
    Piers bit back his rumble of anger.
    “I’m sure he does miss your mother. How could he
not? She gave him you.”
    “I missed her today when I was with Dilbert and his
mom. We can be sad together.”
    She pressed a kiss to his son’s head. “I don’t like
being sad. I don’t want to think they like me sad but want me to be
happy, even if we aren’t together.”
    “So my mamá wants me to be happy?”
    “Absolutely. All mothers want their children to be
happy. I think it’s a rule somewhere,” she whispered
conspiratorially.
    “Where’s your mamá?”
    “She’s with my sister over in England. Remember
where that was?”
    “I think so. That’s where King Arthur was.”
    Piers leaned in the doorway and watched them
together. She was a natural, and his son was soaking up everything
she offered him.
    “That’s right. Do you have a map? I can show you
where they are.”
    “I know Papá has one on the coffee table. Come on.”
Javier scrambled from the bed and spied Piers. The boy never lost
his smile. “Hi, Papá. Ms. Rhymes and I are looking at England,
excuse us.”
    Javier held out his hand for London, who slipped
hers in his smaller one. She gave Piers a slight grin as she edged
by him. He wanted to kiss her and hold her but, instead, turned and
watched as this woman he’d been seeing welcomed his son into her
world even when she wasn’t teaching him. He trailed them to the
living room and observed as London sat on the floor by the table
with his son instead of using the chair. The two of them had their
heads together as they looked over the