Page 77 of Peer & Coco

"I didn't mean to scare you. He was looking forward to a ride in the wagon and I didn't want to disappoint him. I thought we'd stay upstairs and play."

"It's not your fault." Coco leaned forward and hugged Holly. "You keep being you. You're wonderful with Tyr. It's all my fault. I have so much on my mind, and when I couldn't find you both downstairs, my imagination took over. You know Tyr can go with you anywhere in the clubhouse. I overreacted."

Holly's brows lowered. "I would never take Tyr outside the gates without your permission."

"It's okay, Holly. Coco and I are being extra careful lately because Kelli's moved back to Portland and wants to see Tyr," said Peer.

"I didn't know." Holly's shoulders sagged, and she glanced between both of them. "I haven't seen or talked to her since she left before Tyr was born."

Peer, feeling better that Kelli wouldn't use someone who belonged to Slag to see her son, cupped Tyr's head, bending him back, and kissed his forehead. "I need to get back to the bar."

"Me, too." She loved on Tyr, then handed him to Holly. "Thank you, and thank Nita, too, for taking such good care of our boy. I don't know what we'd do without both of you watching over and loving him."

"It's my pleasure." Holly kissed Tyr and urged him to wave bye-bye.

Peer looped his arm over Coco's shoulders, and together they walked out into the alley. Beside him, Coco exhaled deeply and squeezed his waist. The relief that should've came escaped him. If anything, more tension was added to his body.

Having a glimpse of life without Tyr debilitated him. While he and Coco experienced the pain, fear, and total helplessness of not knowing where Tyr was every second of his life, there was a woman across town who felt that suffering every second since giving birth to Tyr and giving him away.

Coco stopped in the hallway of the bar, pivoted until she stood in front of him, and said, "That was the scariest ten minutes of my life."

He kissed her. "He's safe and cared for. Let's concentrate on that and get back to work."

Needing to keep himself busy, he took over control of the bar and kept his mind off what was happening in his personal life. He'd been so sure that the best decision about raising Tyr was to protect him from any further hurt.

After tonight, he wasn't sure of anything, except he loved Tyr. He loved Coco. And, he wanted them to be a family.