Chapter 1

The day Anna Channing moved into our house, her boxes took over the entire living room, stacked like a declaration of ownership. Keegan Sloan had an arm wrapped around her waist as he gently settled a knitted cardigan over her shoulders. "Anna just got out of the hospital. She can't be exposed to the cold. And she has nowhere else to go, so taking her in is the right thing to do. She's been on her own for years, and she's suffered enough." Keegan's reasoning was utterly ridiculous. I felt like I had been slapped in the face. "Keegan, this is our house—" "Naomi, when did you become so childish? Anna has nowhere to go. She's only staying here for a while. She just got divorced. This is a time when she really needs someone to take care of her." He held Anna's hand gently, and the promise he made carried crushing weight. "Anna, don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one can force you to leave." Keegan settled Anna in and let her tear my dress to shreds and slash the painting I had carefully preserved on the wall. She said my cat, Daisy, had scratched her, so she tried to chase her out of the house. I argued with Anna. What I got in return was a hard slap from Keegan. His palm landed right on the scar at the corner of my eye, making it stand out even more—raw and vicious. That scar was from the incident three years ago. Over the years, Keegan had handled plenty of disputes and made enemies everywhere. More than a few people had wanted him dead. I stepped in and took the hit meant to kill him. Besides the scar by my eye, the bones in my right hand were damaged too. Back then, his hands had been shaking, and he cried harder than I did. "Naomi, I'm sorry. I'm the one who ruined your dream," Keegan mumbled. Keegan told me he loved me. He said he wished he were the one who got hurt instead of me. He said my past broke his heart, and he kissed that scar again and again. And now the slap that landed there came from him. Keegan's eyes flew wide, like he hadn't expected that slap to really land on me—hard and solid. He reached for my face, but Anna stopped him by speaking up. "I'm sorry, Keegan. This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, you and Naomi wouldn't be fighting. If she really doesn't want me here, I should just leave." Keegan tightened his fist, guilt in his eyes fading. He stood up and wrapped an arm around Anna. "That's not what Naomi meant, Anna. Don't worry. No one's going to make you leave." He had already forgotten the concern he had just shown me earlier. When Keegan came home again later, he carried a trace of cold with him. He hugged me from behind, and I caught a faint smell of tobacco on him. "Naomi, I've been busy lately. I neglected you. You should understand. I'll go with you to your prenatal checkup tomorrow, okay?" He bent down to kiss me. His hands moved over my belly, and desire filled his eyes. I turned my face away and answered something else entirely, "Keegan Sloan, I'm pregnant." Keegan froze, caught off guard by my refusal. Then his brows tightened, and impatience crossed his face. "Naomi Fallon, what are you starting now? Anna is my client. There's nothing between us." I watched him rush to defend himself, bitterness pooling in me. "Keegan, I didn't even bring up Anna." His expression froze. He fell silent for a few seconds, and then his voice came back sharp and heated. "Naomi, you'd better not come begging me to come back!"