Riley had had a lovely time with Olivia, eating breakfast together and playing with all of the little girl’s toys. They had just gone outside to play with the ball Olivia liked to roll around, when Riley spotted Max approaching.

She couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him. It had been an uncharacteristically bold move, showing up at his door last night the way she did, but she had no regrets. They had had an amazing time together, and she felt closer to him than ever.

Even now, it was as if a low current hummed through her body, growing more intense the closer Max got. It was exhilarating, as long as she didn’t think too much about it. That indescribable spark between them was impossible to ignore, but there were real-life considerations she wasn’t ready to tackle yet.

So she just picked up Olivia, kissing the top of her head as the little girl giggled in her arms, and walked toward Max. Olivia reached out her hands as soon as she saw her father, wriggling around as Riley held her to her chest.

“Hey there, kiddo,” Max smiled as he walked up to them, and took Olivia from her. “Have you been a good girl for Riley?” he cooed, kissing Olivia on the cheek.

“She has,” Riley replied. “We’ve had fun.”

“That’s good,” Max said, stepping closer to kiss her, as well.

Something about his smile seemed a little tight, and his shoulders looked tense, but Riley didn’t want to read too much into that. Maybe he was just tired? But the sense that something was off lingered a little while longer, even as they chatted and went inside to eat.

Max still made jokes, pulled silly faces for little Olivia, asked questions about Riley’s life back in Chicago and told her about his skill sets as a mechanic, repairman and woodworker. Seemed like he was a regular jack of all trades.

Yet somewhere beyond all that, there was a troubling distance to him, like he was there but then he was not. Riley couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong, and even wondered if anything was wrong at all.

With her track record with guys, could it be she was seeing ghosts where there were none? It was entirely possible her own fears and doubts were making her imagine things, or that she was subconsciously trying to sabotage a good thing before it got too serious.

So she tried to put it out of her mind, instead enjoying the way Max put his arm around her or kissed her every opportunity he got. Riley knew that after what had happened between them, just the way they looked at each other or reacted to having each other near would be a dead giveaway their relationship had evolved.

Was she ready to be found out? Was he? Those were just some of the questions swirling around in her head.

After lunch was over, with Olivia still sitting in her highchair with mush all over her face, Max pulled her in for a slow, lingering kiss. Riley let herself get lost in it, pushing all those troublesome, nagging thoughts rattling around in her brain to the side.

When they pulled apart, he held her face in his hands for a moment, looking unsure of something.

“I need to make a quick trip into town,” he said.

“Okay,” Riley replied. “Is something wrong?”

The question slipped past her lips, a symptom of the vague unease still lingering in her mind. Max gave her a smile, his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes.

“No, not at all,” he assured her. “I just heard from my real estate agent and he said a new place has come on the market that I need to see before someone else snatches it up. It shouldn’t take long. Are you still okay to look after Olivia? She should be going down for a nap soon anyway.”

“It’s no problem,” she replied. “You go on, I know how you’re itching to get a home of your own.”

“Thank you, Riley. Really,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.

After that, he quickly got Olivia cleaned up, ignoring Riley’s objections that she could do it herself. Olivia got a quick kiss on the cheek as well and then Max was out the door. Riley could see him rush to his truck from the window.

The road leading off the property kicked up dirt in his wake, and Riley stood there, watching his truck disappear, before going over and getting Olivia out of her highchair. The little girl clung to her, starting to fuss as she rubbed her eyes.

Rocking the baby in her arms, Riley walked around the living room, quickly calming Olivia down. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Black Oak and never seeing the little girl again. In such a short time, she had already bonded with Olivia, not to even mention her dad.

But she had to brace herself for the inevitable, didn’t she?

That question was something she would ponder later, as she heard another vehicle approach. Going back to the window, she recognized it as Addison’s, slowly pulling up the winding driveway.

She hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her that morning, and she wasn’t sure if Addison had even noticed Riley hadn’t spent the night in the main house. Even if she hadn’t, Riley really needed someone to talk to and confide in.

With Olivia still in her arms, Riley carefully shouldered the front door open, just in time to see Addison get out of her car. Riley gave her a wave which she returned, and soon enough, Addison was heading her way.

“Hey,” she said, walking up to the door. “Taking over my babysitting duties, are you?” she asked, arching a brow at her.

“Jealous?” Riley countered.

“Just a little,” Addison laughed, as Riley gestured her inside.

“I can see why,” Riley replied, looking down at Olivia. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“And sleepy,” Addison commented.

Together, they got Olivia into her crib and down for her nap. Riley left the door ajar as she and Addison settled in behind the kitchen table.

“You’re home early,” Riley remarked.

“Yeah, I wasn’t feeling well,” Addison replied. “Probably just a bug, or maybe I’m getting a little overworked.”

“Have you thought about hiring some help?” Riley asked.

“I didn’t expect the business to grow so fast,” she sighed. “And I’m very picky about who I want to represent my office. If I had someone I could really trust…” Addison trailed off, wagging her brows at Riley.

For a moment, Riley was too taken off guard to even react. Was Addison saying what she thought she was saying?

“What, me?” Riley asked. “I already have a job.”

“That you hate,” Addison reminded her. “And I bet Black Oak is growing on you. It kind of does that. Of course then there’s the fact you didn’t sleep in your own bed last night.”

From the look Addison gave her, it was clear Riley sneaking out of the main house had not gone unnoticed.

“You can’t be suggesting I stay in Black Oak so I can date Max,” Riley said.

“I’m suggesting you think about what you really want, and not rush back to Chicago,” Addison shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be just one thing that keeps you here.”

Everything was moving so fast, Riley was having a hard time wrapping her head around it all. And now, Addison was offering her a job. It would be great working alongside her best friend, sure. But was she really ready for such a drastic change?

Max was definitely a big reason she would consider staying, and that wasn’t easy to admit. They fit together so seamlessly, it was actually hard to believe. With him, she felt completely herself, and there was an excitement about her future Riley hadn’t felt in a while.

“I do really like him,” she admitted, unable to keep the grin off her face.

“Ha, I already knew that,” Addison replied.

“But I’m going to have to think things over before I make any sort of decision,” Riley warned. “So don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Of course not,” Addison said, batting her lashes at her.

And yet, it was Riley’s own imagination that was already running wild. In the back of her mind, she could already envision a future with Max, despite her not wanting to presume too many things.

The only thing that bothered her was the slightly odd behavior she had observed in him earlier. But that was probably nothing.

Right?