Chapter 40

“Calm down, okay?” Preston asked. “You can hold onto the book for now but it isn’t yours.”

Her large eyes filled with tears. “But Cam said—”

“It’s for Mommy,” Preston told her. It was a low blow and he knew it, but it worked. Whenever Abby got overly excited or too hyped up, mentioning Tess always managed to calm her down. “So you can look at it, and hold onto it, and even sleep with it if you want—”

Abby nodded vigorously, and Preston wondered if the book would even still be in one piece by the time Tess returned from the field.

“But when Mommy comes home, you have to let her look at it,” he said. “Do we have a deal?”

Abby nodded again. When Preston stepped back, she started to leaf through the pages, but this time gently, her motions much less manic. He turned to Cam, who still held the envelope. “What else is in there?” Preston asked.

“The solo photos I took,” Cam said, then with a smirk, he added softly, “and another copy of the book.”