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1. She Saw a Photo

GWEN

"I don't know where Toby is."

Judy babbled on, but I barely heard a word. My phone was pressed to my ear, clutched in my hand so tight my fingers burned. Not that it made a difference. Every word spoken by the woman who managed my husband's dental clinic was smothered by the roar of trucks blasting past me on the highway.

I wedged closer to the steel barrier as if another two steps would somehow dull the noise. I wasn't even sure Judy could hear me, but I needed to try.

I was running out of options.

Frantic words tumbled out. "Does anyone else at the clinic know how to get in touch with Toby?" I flicked a glance over my shoulder at the chaos swarming behind me. "It's an emergency."

That was an understatement. Three cars written off. Tow trucks. Paramedics. Cops. The night sky was on fire with the flash of red and blue lights. What a shitshow.

And then there was me. The blob of expensive athleisure huddled off to the side. I was a whole mood. There was no hint of the ass-kicking lawyer I used to be. I was rocking the suburban housewife vibe these days. Sparkly flip-flops. Yoga pants riding up my butt. Baby propped on my hip. Noah looked like an overstuffed blueberry snuggled up in his puffy coat, but he was getting restless, wriggly, kicking his chubby baby legs. I had the same itch to run.

We'd been stranded too long.

I wished the old me was there. She wouldn't be freaking out on the side of the road. She'd never act so damn helpless. She'd take care of everything. Whip everyone into shape. Make shit happen. I huffed out a frustrated breath. That girl was long gone. She was off licking her wounds because the shattered pieces of her career—hell, everything that made her tick—were buried under a pile of dirty diapers and endless responsibilities.

Judy started talking again. "He—" A horn blared. "Five—maybe—"

The steady whoosh of headlights turned fuzzy. Hot tears leaked down my cheeks, but I quickly scrubbed them away with the back of my hand. Talking to Judy was a total waste of time. I needed help. Screw that. I needed help an hour ago.

"Tell Toby to call me."

My thumb hit the screen to end the call, and I jammed my phone back into the waistband of my yoga pants. 

Where was Toby?

I had no clue. Every panicked call went straight to voicemail. I sent a hundred messages telling him I was stranded on the highway with Noah after some moron cut me off and... nothing.

Toby should have clocked off work at least an hour ago. Even on the nights he was on call for emergencies, he always came home first. He should be walking in the back door right about now, kicking off his shoes, smiles and kisses ready for me and Noah.

Wasn't he worried we weren't at home? Why wasn't he answering his phone?

Nerves burst to life in my belly.

Was Toby okay?

Fate couldn't be cruel enough for us both to be in an accident on the same night, could it? It could. It really could. God, anything could have happened. Maybe Toby was hurt. What if he—

I slammed the brakes on those thoughts quicker than I stopped my car in the accident. This wasn't the time for full panic mode. Noah needed me. I wasn't getting either of us off this highway if I collapsed into an emotional black hole.

I closed my eyes. Got my shit together. Focussed. The night air was a cold kiss on my cheeks. Noah was warm and safe and heavy hanging off my hip. I took a deep breath and forced the rest of the world to disappear, and for one magical second, I was free. The accident, the traffic, the lights—it all vanished.