Landon looks at me like all the wind has been blown out of his sails as he sits down beside the desk and leans his back against it. I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of Matt and Landon looks up at me with a pouty expression. I hold my pointer finger over my lip to signal him to be quiet as Matt finishes up his conversation. Whatever they're talking about, it doesn't sound good. After a few tense minutes Matt hangs up the phone and Landon turns to look at him without getting up, afraid to make him mad again.

"Did we have lunch plans?" Matt asks, not even looking at the little boy who's dying for a second of his attention. I raise an eyebrow while tilting my head to the side.

"I have a hair appointment in an hour. We talked about this yesterday." I resist the urge to roll my eyes, knowing that's just one more thing that will set him off.

"And you need me to watch Landon?" I look down at my son as his head turns from side to side to follow the conversation.

"I need you to watch him for a few hour, yes." I brace myself for some sort of outburst, but Matt is silent. His eyes move from me to the blonde boy on the floor.

"I guess some time out of the office would do me some good." I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and smile. Maybe his mood hasn't been ruined by the day after all.

"I'm sure it would." I stand from the chair and press a kiss to Landon's forehead before turning to Matt.

"We will walk you to the car, won't we, bud?" Matt stands and takes Landon's hand before taking mine in his other.

"Yep!" Landon's happy-go-lucky attitude is back now that he sees Matt isn't going to have a meltdown any second.

"Thanks, baby." I kiss Matt's cheek and we head for the lobby where Hanna is sitting at her desk typing away.

"I'm stepping out for a few hours, Hanna. Don't forward my calls, I'm going to spend some time with my kid. Just take messages."

"Sure thing, Mr. Sanders." Once we get outside, I slip my arm around Matt's waist and rest my head against his shoulder as we walk. Landon walks along in front of us, trying not to step on the cracks of the sidewalk.

"Hanna said you had a bit of a rough morning?" I feel Matt sigh and I look up at his face and there's a frown.

"It's over. I'm okay."

"Anything I can do?" I ask with concern in my voice.

"I'm dealing with it, it's fine." I scrunch my eyebrows, not sure what that could mean, but decide not to push the subject.

"Not too far ahead, bud." Matt calls out as Landon skips along at a faster pace than the two of us. The toe-headed five year old stops walking to wait, a cheesy smile on his face as the sun beats down causing him to squint. We finally reach the black Range Rover, Landon hugs my legs tight as I brush my fingers through his hair.

"Be good for dad. No wandering off." I tell my son as he nods his head to agree. "I love you guys." I tell them while blowing kisses as they step away from the road and back onto the side walk.

"Love you, babe." Matt calls out before lifting Landon up onto his shoulders. I get in the car and watch them disappear in the rear view mirror before picking up my cell phone and dialing.

"Hi, is this Valerie?" I ask when the woman answers. "This is Summer Anderson. I was wondering if we could meet for coffee this afternoon."

___

introducing

analeigh tipton as HANNA

analeigh tipton as HANNA

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