Page 49 of His Surrender

The elevator hums as it carries us toward the penthouse.

I reach into the stroller basket and pull out the little shopping bag, peeking inside for what has to be the tenth time.

The tiny cream dress makes me smile all over again.

Liana is going to look adorable.

My phone vibrates in my purse.

Thinking it’s probably Sydney, I pull it out.

My stomach drops when I see I have three missed calls from Dean. Below them sits the text I typed twenty minutes ago.

Me: Everything’s fine! We just finished shopping. Be home soon.

“Oh no.”

I stare at the screen.

Somehow, in my hurry to put my phone away, I never actually hit the Send button.

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open.

Dean is already standing in the foyer.

He’s not casually waiting for us but pacing back and forth.

The second he sees us, he crosses the room in three long strides.

“There you are.” The words leave him in a rush.

His eyes sweep over me so quickly that I barely register it before they’re on Liana.

He crouches beside the stroller. “Hey, sweetheart.”

His hand finds her tiny foot beneath the blanket, giving it a gentle squeeze before his shoulders visibly relax.

Only then does he stand.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurt, holding up my phone. “I texted you back, but”—I turn the screen toward him— “I never actually sent it.”

He looks at the message.

For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything.

“I got home,” he finally says, rubbing the back of his neck, “and the apartment was empty.”

“I just wanted to pick up one thing before your friends got here.”

“It’s fine. I just—” he starts but doesn’t finish.

His voice is calm now, but there’s something underneath it I can’t quite place. Embarrassment, maybe even frustration.

“I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”

I tilt my head. “You were worried.”

He lets out a humorless laugh. “I was.”