That said a lot but Chace didn’t share what it said.

Faye went on, “We’ll know more when the psychologist speaks to him. But they’ve examined him and it isn’t physically that he can’t talk. Whatever’s holding him back is psychological.”

Chace nodded and asked, “Word from your parents?”

“All good. The house passed inspection. Apparently the spring schedule of foster care classes started last Saturday so they’ve enrolled Mom and Dad. But they’re going to place Malachi there tomorrow. Dad’s at work during the day but Mom works at home and can be around twenty-four, seven which they said is good. So it’s all in place.”

Silas was a geologist who worked for an environmental consulting company based in Chantelle. Sondra was a part-time bookkeeper who did the books for a variety of businesses in town including the Italian Restaurant, Holly’s Flower shop and La-La Land Coffee. She worked at home, available to Malachi. Perfect.

“You’ll wanna be there tomorrow,” Chace guessed and he knew it was accurately because Faye immediately nodded.

“I already called my volunteers. I’ll open up and get them sorted then the two of them are going to handle things. Mrs. Bagley has closed for me before. She has keys. That’s good too.”

“Right,” Chace muttered then he told her, “I’ll pick up some stuff for him, the book and bring it here after work but, darlin’,” he pulled her slightly closer and dipped his face to hers, “your Mom comes, you gotta give him time alone with her. Start teachin’ him to trust her. You don’t have to be gone hours but he’s gotta get used to her without you around. Okay?”

She nodded but she did it scrunching her nose. She had to do it, she knew it but she didn’t have to like it.

“He’s good now, Faye,” Chace said quietly. “Family. Food. Movin’ his fingers and toes. All the books he can want on that thing Silas bought him and to hold in his hands. He’ll be all right.”

“Yeah,” she whispered, leaning into him, her expression clearing.

He dipped his face closer to kiss her nose and when he moved back, he murmured, “I gotta go.”

“Okay.”

“He says he wants somethin’ else, call me and I’ll pick it up when I go out.”

“Okay.”

“See you here later tonight.”

She grinned and whispered, “Okay.”

“Your bed or mine?”

Her face got soft, her body melted into his and she asked back, “Which one do you want?”

His mattress was better. Her sheets were the softest sheets he’d ever felt in his life. Therefore, a tossup.

But her place was closer to La-La Land which meant he had more time with her in her bed and her shower before they headed for coffee.

“Yours,” he answered.

“’Kay,” she breathed and that was so cute, he bent his head and kissed her quick but open-mouthed, sliding his tongue inside to taste her before he broke the kiss and again lifted his lips but this time to kiss her forehead.

Over her head, he saw Malachi watching them from his hospital bed. And, f**k him, Chace would never have guessed, not in a million years, that Malachi would watch Chace holding Faye, talking to her, whispering with her and kissing her and that would buy him what it bought him.

But when his eyes caught the boy’s, it was slight, it was hesitant but it was there.

The kid smiled at him.

Thank f**k.

Chace smiled back.

Then he gave Faye a squeeze and looked down at her. He saw that she was looking over her shoulder into Malachi’s room and she looked back at him, hesitant too but happy, her lips parted, a bit of her cute wonder shining through and then she smiled huge.

Chace smiled back, gave her another squeeze and a, “Later, Faye.”

“Later, honey.”

He glanced at Malachi before he let her go on another smile and walked away.

* * * * *

Chace felt Faye’s hand run lightly down the skin of his side, he blinked sleep away and saw, strangely, the light was on and she was turned to him.

She’d been reading. She read most nights and he loved that. Loved the fact that for years, he saw her, nose in a book and now he had her in bed with him in one of her little nighties, close enough to touch, her nose in a book. The time he spent knowing she was going to be his, the years he spent knowing she never would, he’d not thought of that. Being in bed beside Faye while she read. But having it felt like a gift. It was maybe whacked to think about it like that but he didn’t care.

He liked it.

But she usually turned off the light and settled in. When he felt it, he pulled her into him.

Now the lights were on and she was facing him, her hand on him.

His hands moved so his arms could curve around her and he pulled her to him.

His voice sounded sleepy when he asked what he always asked, “Done?”

“Uh…” she hesitated, “yeah.”

Her hesitancy and the change in normal circumstances made Chace focus on her.

“Everything okay?”

Her body shifted against his, her legs moving restlessly and all sleep left him because she did this and often. But usually she did it when his mouth was on her, his hands on her.

She was turned on.

What the f**k?

“Faye,” he called and she bit her lip.

Then she pressed her body against his, tucking her face into his neck and she whispered, “There was… uh, in my book, you know,” her legs moved against his and she finished so low he barely heard her, “a really good sex scene.”

Chace smiled.

Oh yeah, she was turned on.

And now he was too.

“Hook your leg over my hip, baby,” he ordered and she instantly complied.

He instantly slid a hand over her hip to her belly, down, between her legs then he shoved his thigh up, trapping his hand against her.

Dripping.

It must have been a good sex scene, she was totally primed.

He shifted a finger and her h*ps jerked as a small, low, sexy noise drifted up her throat.

Totally primed.

His dick started getting hard.

Then something occurred to him.

“You read sex scenes a lot?” he asked quietly.

“Um…” she didn’t answer which was her answer.

She did.

He pressed his finger in tighter and her h*ps started moving with it.

His dick got hard and started throbbing.

“What’d you do before me?” he whispered into her hair. She pressed her tits into his chest, her face deeper into his neck and ground her h*ps down on his hand and thigh.