Anything You Ask by Lynn Kellan Page A

than a tank top and shorts to bed, but in mid-May, the nights were getting warm.
    She should’ve been used to her husband by now, but they’d barely touched over the past few weeks. Now they were spooning like a real married couple.
    Hale seemed startled by the contact, too. After a long moment, he rested his forearm on Danielle’s waist.
    She didn’t have any reason to protest, because no other place to put his arm remained now that their bed was crowded with a large dog and a squirmy kid.
    A strange, euphoric feeling made her stomach feel light and giddy as she lay backed up against Hale. Were her feelings of friendship and gratitude transforming into an outright crush? Danielle lurched up on her elbow and sputtered, “We’re crammed together like a pack of sardines, Luke. Why don’t you and I go downstairs?”
    “I want to stay here,” he pleaded, inching beneath the covers until just his eyes and forehead showed.
    A vicious clap of thunder made Danielle flinch.
    Hale’s thumb brushed against her forearm. “Are you scared, too?”
    “A little,” she confessed.
    “Don’t worry, Mommy. Hale will protect us.”
    “You can count on that,” he echoed.
    The quiet confidence in his deep voice made Danielle twist to look over her shoulder. Hale had settled back down on his pillow. The rim of his hearing aid glinted behind his ear. His eyes were closed, reminding her of how long he’d spent in the fields that day.
    “You’ve been working so hard, Hale. Please tell me if you don’t have enough room to sleep. Luke and I can go downstairs.”
    His arm tightened around her. “The last thing I’m gonna do is ask you to leave now that you’re close.”
    She glanced at Luke, whose eyes widened as though he was surprised men said those types of things. Her boys hadn’t heard many sweet things coming from their father’s lips, particularly when Mark spoke to her.
    Guilt did that to a person. The emotion made them brittle as splintered old wood.
    Sobered, she put her head on the pillow and hoped Luke might mimic her attempt to fall asleep.
    Her son frowned at the muscled forearm draped over her waist, jealousy flashing in his gaze. Luke opened his mouth but went mute when a bright flash of lightning painted the room white.
    “Is it raining yet?” Hale asked.
    “Yes.” Danielle had to raise her voice above the heavy drops thrumming against the side of the house. “Can you hear it?”
    “White noise gives me trouble.” Hale’s voice vibrated in his chest, tickling her back. “Can’t hear rain, fans, or even music.”
    Luke’s dark eyebrows arched. “You can’t hear music?”
    “No, but that’s okay. At least, I can hear you and your mom. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do that.”
    Luke’s lips formed a silent “oh” and his smooth brow buckled into a frown. After a moment of thought, he reached across the blanket until he touched the big hand hanging lax beside Danielle’s forearm.
    Hale’s fingers opened to welcome Luke’s small palm.
    Danielle swallowed hard, moved by the sensation of those two hands twined in front of her belly button. Hale seemed to have a soothing effect on everyone in the bed, because Cocoa started to snore.
    At the next clap of thunder, Luke smiled at Danielle. “I’m not scared now,” he whispered.
    “Good.” She kissed his forehead, smoothing her fingers through her boy’s soft hair. He smelled like candy. She suspected Hale let the boys eat chocolate before bed. The three of them looked a little too innocent when she found them rummaging in the kitchen before bath time, but she didn’t have the heart to level any accusations.
    Enforcing the “no candy after dinner rule” would have been hypocritical when she had a piece of butterscotch hidden in her mouth.
    They listened to the storm rage until the thunder rolled into the distance. The light patter of rain was a welcome sound, and Luke’s breathing deepened. His small hand slipped out of