Taren was tired, but glad to be home. Luckily, Abby was still asleep when he walked in that morning.

“Good morning.” His mother greeted him at the door with a cup of coffee, fixed just the way he liked it.

“Good morning.” He took a sip of his coffee and swallowed, and then sat down in the family room where a fire was already blazing. “Thank you.”

Evelyn sat down on the couch beside him. “Rough night?”

He nodded. Although he didn’t want to go into detail, there was no harm in telling her a little. “I believe I met someone you know.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh? Who...