She was laughing again and, to his surprise, kissed him on the forehead and pulled him into her chest.
“Silly boy. I didn’t mean they saw those changes in you.”
The un-breathed sigh of pure relief she knew he wanted to make and hadn’t was all she needed – had she needed it at all – of the power his love for the two girls wielded over him and she knew it was one of the only two areas where she had to tread carefully.
For her own benefit as well as his.
Which didn’t mean she couldn’t torment him on both pieces of no-go territory.
“Of course, they’re bright girls,” she went on. “So they’re hardly likely to miss the fact you are so respectful around me. I expect they also wonder at why you keep that hair you’ve always been so proud of so short nowadays. But none of that’s enough to make t
