Caden’s pointed gaze shifted to her busy hands. His brow furrowed. She was obviously packing. Wasn’t she planning on leaving again?

Before he could ask, Alicia raised an eyebrow, her voice carrying a cool, dry tone. “Do I need to book a hotel just to take Cade to the dog groomer?”

It took him a moment to realize she wasn’t preparing to leave at all. Only then did it dawn on him that she was packing the pet carrier, not her luggage.

The items she was packing were all for Cade.

With a dry chuckle, he shrugged off his coat and stepped inside the room.

“Can’t you just wash him at home?”

Her eyes flickered with a touch of sarcasm as she deadpanned, “Unless you’ve suddenly become an expert in bathing and trimming dogs, then sure, we can do it at home.”

Caden paused, conceding defeat with a small nod. “Forget I said anything.”

At that moment, Cade, the little rascal, trotted out from the other room and tugged playfully at his pant leg. The tiny sounds of Cade’s playful antics made the awkward silence between them even more noticeable. Despite their earlier argument, Alicia hadn’t left yet, which surprised Caden.

She looked so calm, as if nothing had happened in Averibon.

Alicia finished packing and scooped Cade up in her arms. “Will you be back for dinner?”

Caden glanced at her, a swirl of emotions flickering behind his gaze. “Yeah.”

She nodded. “What do you feel like eating?”

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The simple question made his stomach growl, a grim reminder of how off everything had been lately.

The food in Averibon had been sickeningly sweet, and he hated it. Moreover, with everything that had happened, he hadn’t had much of an appetite.

Clearing his throat, he tossed out a few suggestions.

Though, truth be told, he didn’t have high hopes.

Alicia’s cooking was hit or miss—depending on her mood. Last time, she had tossed him some celery, his least favorite food.

Even so, if she was in one of those moods again, he’d still take it; at this point, even that sounded like a meal fit for a king.

Alicia started for the door with Cade in tow, but Caden suddenly grabbed his car keys. “I’ll drive you.”

“No need.” Her reply was firm. “I can drive myself.”

His hand froze mid-air.

He turned his head, taking in her side profile.

“Alicia,” he started, his voice quieter, “when you told me you were on a business trip, it wasn’t Averibon. Was it really just a coincidence we ran into each other that day?”

Her back stiffened, just enough for him to notice.

As she cradled Cade closer, the weight of what she had done for him—things he would probably never appreciate—suddenly felt unbearably heavy.