Undeniable by C. A. Harms Read Free Book Online Page A

shrugged, mirroring the innocence both of her children used when they knew they’d done something naughty. “—about thirty minutes ago.”
    My mouth fell open in shock, and she laughed. “You’re evil,” I whispered, and she only laughed harder.
    “What are you two talking about in here?” Jude asked as he bent down and lifted Katelynn from the recliner. I watched as he carried her to the wheelchair and lowered her carefully.
    “I was just explaining how happy we are that Callie decided to accept our invitation to a sleepover.” She looked up at her brother innocently, and an uncontrollable laugh exploded from my lips. I covered my mouth with my hand, but it was too late to hide.
    Katelynn looked over at me smiling brightly, and all Jude could do was shake his head. I knew he hadn’t wanted me here at first, but I had a feeling he wasn’t entirely against it now.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Ten
     
     
    Jude
     
    The movie had been playing for less than an hour and Katelynn had already dozed off. She was sleeping more often, yet when she was awake, she was truly giving it her all. I tried not to focus too much on the changes, but I did see them daily.
    I sat on the couch while Callie lay on the floor with a kid at either of her sides. On occasion I could hear one of them whisper or giggle, and it hit me deep in the chest each time. Seeing just how much they both loved her was something I didn’t really understand at first. Yes, I knew they liked her and had enjoyed her being around, but now I could see their feelings were so much more than that.
    Callie’s focus was solely on them as they stared at the television while the Disney movie Tangled played. When the characters began to sing and all three of them followed along in hushed voices, I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They were careful not to wake Katelynn, but they couldn’t hide their joy. The animated way they waved their hands outward with each note was beautiful to watch.
    They watched movie after movie, and when all three of them had finally fallen asleep, I muted the television but left it on. I wanted the light from the screen to continue to highlight them so I could just sit back and watch them. As I looked over at Katelynn and then back to Callie, it finally hit me. Callie had helped cheer Zoey and Matthew up, just like Katelynn had said. Callie didn’t let them dwell on the impending end. Instead, she gave them the smiles and the strength they needed to find the good in a bad situation.
    I don’t know how long I sat in the darkness and watched them, but when I looked up to see the credits rolling over the screen, I knew it was longer than I had thought. I was glad I had already moved Katelynn to her bed and didn’t have to wake any of them. They all looked so peaceful.
    I leaned forward and got a little closer to Matthew before I placed a kiss on his forehead, then offered the same to Zoey. Leaning back with every intention of standing up, I was startled by Callie. Her eyes were open, and she was looking up at me.
    “Are you comfortable on the floor? Or would you rather sleep on the couch?” I asked.
    “I’m good here,” she whispered as she looked to each side, smiling at the kids. “They’re super cozy.”
    “Why are you here, Callie?” I asked before I could stop myself. Her smile fell, and she looked away from me immediately. “I don’t mean that badly. Not at all. Please don’t take it that way.”
    She looked back up at me, and I lowered myself to the floor so we could talk without worrying about waking the kids up.
    “I just mean that none of this is your responsibility. You don’t owe us anything,” I tried to explain. “You’re young, beautiful, and have nothing tying you down. Why would you willingly choose to spend your time here with us?”
    I watched her throat bob as she swallowed hard. Her eyes filled with tears, and fuck me if it didn’t have the same effect on me as when Zoey did it.
    “I’m