I doubted Ryan was used to brushing them off, because he smiled, engaged, and answered questions aimed his way. In my head, I had rehearsed what it would look like if this scenario presented itself. Ideally, he would have shooed everyone away then tugged the kids and me close, claiming us for all to see. The reality of how stupid I’d been came crashing in like a rogue wave, obliterating my well-built defenses. Cole watched the interaction between the girls and Ryan, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them, his little face contemplative. He stopped coloring on the page in front of him and
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