was parked in the driveway. I would sleep better knowing she was home safe. I should have followed

her since she was upset, but I had needed space and time to think first.

My headlights illuminated a car pulled off the side of the road, and my heart stopped. It was

Sienna’s. Shit! I slammed on my brakes and jumped out of the truck, but Sienna wasn’t in the car. I

grabbed my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number while I jumped back in my truck and

searched for her on the side of the road.

It went to voice mail.

Shit.

I’d started to dial her number again when a text lit up my screen.

Sienna: I’m in bed. I don’t feel like talking tonight.

So she was home. Who had she called?

Me: I found your car. How did you get home?

Sienna: I walked.

Shit! That was at least three miles in the dark. Anything could have happened to her.

Me: Why didn’t you call me?

She should have called me. She had my number. I’d told her if she ever needed me to call me.

Sienna: I needed space from you. I made it home okay. Thanks for checking.

I dropped the phone to the seat beside me and drove by her house just to be sure she was okay. Then

I called my dad to tell him to keep an eye on her because she didn’t have a car.

After that I called Jimbo down at the wrecker service and paid him extra to get his ass out of bed

and come tow that piece of shit to the junkyard. I told him I’d come get everything out of it in the

morning.

Sienna was getting a new car. A safe car. Because I wasn’t giving her an option. I was buying her

and Micah a decent car. She wasn’t walking home in the dark ever again.

SIENNA

Tabby had brought Micah home the next morning to see me before I had to go to work. She’d said that

Dewayne had said to let me know he’d had my car hauled off to the shop last night. He would be

bringing my things by later and not to worry about it. She’d also said that when I was ready to leave I

should bring Micah back over and take her car. She wouldn’t be needing it.

Micah had been telling me about his time with Mama T and Grandpa Dave ever since she’d left, so

I hadn’t had a chance to decide what I thought about Dewayne handling my car problem. On one hand,

him having it hauled was helpful, but I didn’t have an unlimited budget. I’d planned to shop around

for the cheapest rate.

“Did you know that Mama T and Grandpa Dave have pictures of you when you was little? I saw

them last night, and you used to have lots of freckles. Did you get them erased?”

I laughed and pulled Micah onto my lap and cuddled with him. “They faded as I got older and I

stopped running around outside all the time.”

Micah slipped his little arms around me. “You smell good, Momma. I missed you.”

I kissed the top of his head. “I missed you, too, Ace. So much.”

“Mama T said Uncle Dewayne may be coming over today. Think he’ll throw the football with me?”

I ran my hand over his silky hair. “I’m sure he will. Your Uncle Dewayne loves you.” That was

something I was sure of.

“When you get off work tonight, are we gonna have a movie night?”

“Yes, we are. Is it a Jedi night, or will we be pirates?”

He tilted his head back and smiled up at me. “We can be pirates. I know you like Captain Jack.”

I laughed and tickled him while he giggled and squirmed.

“Momma. Hey, Momma,” he said when he caught his breath. “I heard Mama T tell Grandpa Dave

that she wished my last name was Falco like Daddy’s.”

I froze. Once, I had wanted that too. But now I wasn’t sure. Everyone would know then. Was I

ready for that?

“I like having the same last name as you. I don’t wanna change it,” he said, looking concerned.

I pulled him back into my arms in a hug. “If you want to be a Roy, then you can be,” I told him.

“But even if your last name isn’t Falco, you’re a Falco, kiddo.”

He wrapped his arms around my neck. “I want to be what you are.”

I held him close and breathed him in. He didn’t have that baby smell anymore, and I missed it. But

my little boy was growing up. Every day I saw more of his father in him.

“I love you, Micah,” I told him.

“I love you more, Momma.”

Not getting enough sleep last night was weighing on me. I was exhausted, and I had three blisters

on my feet, which wasn’t helping. It was getting harder to cover up my yawns. Hillary had caught me

yawning twice already. I knew she didn’t like me looking like I had partied hard all night. If she only

knew the truth. I would explain about my car so she would at least know the reason I was obviously

tired. I didn’t want her thinking this was from a night of partying.

“You got a customer, Sienna,” Gretchen called out. I turned around to see Cam Dodge dressed in

his dress shirt and tie. I hadn’t expected to see him again, much less coming in for a haircut.

“Okay, I’m free for the next hour,” I said, and smiled at Cam.

His grin looked somewhat apologetic. I don’t know why. He had nothing to be sorry over. We had

gone out once. No big deal that it had been almost two weeks ago.

“I need a trim,” he said, walking toward me. I motioned for him to take a seat in my chair, and then

I put a cape over him and fastened it around his neck.

“Your current hairdresser unavailable?” I asked.

He gave me that crooked grin that made him cute. “I normally go to the barber shop. You’re easier

on the eyes than Bill.”

Smiling, I reached for a comb and checked out his hair. “You want a wash and style too, or just a

trim?”

“Are you the one who will wash it?” he asked, looking at me in the mirror.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Then yeah, wash me up. I’m filthy.”

This time I laughed. I doubted Cam had ever been filthy. He was always so clean and put together

that he reminded me of a politician.

“Okay. Let’s get you clean first, then,” I told him, and led him back to the sinks.

I normally didn’t think anything of washing men’s hair, but the fact that Cam wanted me to wash it

made me a little self-conscious. I made sure I had the water at a comfortable temperature for him,

then tried really hard to focus on washing his hair and not thinking about the fact that he could

probably see down my shirt when I leaned. Most guys closed their eyes when you washed their hair,

but Cam’s eyes were open.

“You smell really good,” he said, making me even more nervous. I didn’t like being flirted with

when I did hair.

“Thanks,” I replied. I quickly finished washing him and got the towel around his head, then led him

back to his seat.

When he was back in my chair, his eyes met mine in the mirror. “What are you doing tomorrow

night?” he asked.

I was doing nothing. Well, that wasn’t true. I was probably watching one of the Star Wars movies

with my son. “Not sure.”

He nodded and looked let down. “Is my not calling going to be held against me?”

No. Not really. I didn’t blame him for not calling. I wouldn’t have called me either after that

craziness.

“No,” I assured him as I began combing his hair.

“So if I asked you out for tomorrow night . . . ?”

“I would have to speak with my son first. Then I’d need to talk to his grandparents,” I told him.

He nodded. “Fair enough. When you do that, let me know. I’d like another chance. One where we

don’t run into your son’s uncle.”

Cam was a nice guy. He was attractive. But he wasn’t Dewayne. No one would ever be Dewayne.

But I needed the guys I dated to at least make me forget Dewayne. Cam never would. I’d always be

missing Dewayne’s tattoos and piercings and dreadlocks.

“I think that I’m a waste of your time, Cam. I have baggage, and I’m not emotionally ready to