A smart woman in possession of the common sense God gave her would not have spent the night in Damon Walter's bed and arms.

Lucia was a smart woman with a lot of common sense. She didn’t go to him, but she hadn't been able to say no when he came to her.

Alex had fallen asleep on the way home from the hospital. He’d bounced out to the car, chattering animatedly about how much his daddy liked the balloon and how good it was going to be to have his mother and Georgie home tomorrow.

"An’ pretty soon my daddy, too," ’d said happily. ‘‘And then we’d all be...