Chapter Twenty-Nine
Darius quickly fell into a routine with Dylan. The boy would sleep in and make his own breakfast. Then he’d walk to the firehouse and put in some time doing community service with the crew. When that was completed, Darius would drive him to Petal to the Metal, where he did whatever Emma required.
Often he would spot Kate at the peony farm, and they’d have a quick conversation along the lines of:
“Can I come up tonight?”
“l’ll leave the deadbolt off. Key’s under the mat.”
In the evenings, Darius would make dinner with Dylan—they both liked to cook. Sometimes Kate would come downstairs to eat with them. Later, after Dylan had fallen asleep on the couch, Darius would slip out the door and tiptoe up the stairs to Kate’s. And they’d spend the next few hours devouring ea
