I wanted to flee, slide out of the booth and run as fast as my short legs would carry me. The stunned look on his face said it all. His wide, onyx eyes, his full lips parted in surprise. He didn’t have to elaborate. I knew this wouldn’t be easy, and in fact, I hadn’t planned on telling him at all—I figured we’d get to the end of lunch and one of us would say it wouldn’t work out. Call me delusional, but for some reason, I found myself believing it could.

“You have a kid?” he asked, the shock from his rigid posture mirrored in his question.

“Yes, Aria. She’s two.”

“So you’re not a nanny?”

I looked away from him, contemplating the version of truth I would offer. “Not really, no. I joke with my best friend how I’m a nanny who doesn’t get paid, so when I had to write in my job, that made the most sense.”

He didn’t say anything else, just stared unblinkingly at me.

“Listen, I’m sorry about misleading you. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into at first, and then I somehow started looking forward to your calls. You allowed me to be someone other than who I am. Stevie now sees me as the houseguest who won’t leave, her boyfriend considers me and my daughter a live-in cockblock, and Aria just sees me as her bitch.”

Out of nowhere, completely unexpected, a rush of humor tore through Cash. Almost every ounce of shock vanished before my eyes. “I have never heard you cuss. You go out of your way to say heck instead of hell, and you just said your daughter thinks of you as her bitch.”

I laughed, although I didn’t see the humor the way he had.

“What about child support?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that.”

I let my hand fall flat on the table and tilted my head, teetering on the verge of defeat. “Well, what else should I say, Cash?”

“How about the truth? I’ll find out about it anyway.”

I shook my head. “No, you won’t.”

“Don’t be so sure of that.”

“No one knows who her father is, so good luck finding information that doesn’t exist.”

He jerked back, probably surprised by hearing me finally take a stand. But I couldn’t hold it in. I’d answer any question he had—except that. I’d talk about anyone other than him. “Birth certificate?”

“No father listed.”

“Do you not know who he is?” This wasn’t a question I had never heard before, but it stung just the same.

“Yes, I know who it is. But I don’t want him having anything to do with Aria, so I’ve kept him out of everything. I’d rather struggle alone than take anything from him.”

His gaze narrowed, hard and intense.

“I’ve spent almost two months on my friend’s couch—technically on the floor because the couch isn’t big enough for Aria and me. I told Stevie four weeks ago that I would find another place to live, and I’ve spent those days and weeks talking to you. The clock is running out. And it’s clear this isn’t going to work, so there’s no point in going in circles, wasting even more time.”

The shadow over his eyes cast by his knitted brow made him appear angry. Although, his words didn’t match. They didn’t sound happy; rather, the tone resonated with more confusion than anything when he asked, “You don’t have a job, so how are you planning on moving out of your friend’s house? How do you expect to pay rent?”

“I have savings. My dad had a college fund set aside for me, but I never used it for that. I attended a community college and had a scholarship that covered seventy-five percent of my expenses. I lived at home so I didn’t have room and board. I can pay rent, but until I can find a job that will help put some of that money back into the account, I can’t afford much.”

“So you’re living off your savings? How long will that last you?”

“Depends on how much rent is. Aria’s still in diapers, so that’s an added cost that will drop off once I settle somewhere with an accessible bathroom I can use to train her in.”

“Wait…” He held up a hand to halt my explanation. “What do you mean an accessible bathroom?”

“Stevie’s place only has one, and it’s in her room. So after they go to bed at night, I can’t use it.”

“If you have to pee, where do you go?”

My cheeks flamed with the heat of a thousand fires, and I tried to look away, but no matter where my eyes went, his followed. “The kitchen.”

His mouth fell open, anger on some level highlighting his face. “Why did you move out of your mom’s house?”

“I already told you; I don’t get along with my stepdad.”

“It’s so bad you couldn’t stay there until you figured something else out?”

“Yeah.” No matter what I said, he wouldn’t understand.

He nodded and then turned his head to the side, staring at something off in the distance—or nothing at all. “Were you serious about moving to Geneva Key? You were ready to pack you and your daughter up and relocate across the state? Away from your family?”

No, I wasn’t. I hated change and disruption.

But by now, I didn’t have much of a choice.

“As long as…” I couldn’t even say the words, realizing how desperate I sounded. No mother in their right mind, regardless of age, would move her small child in with a stranger—a male, at that. Though, what had started out as something to entertain myself, had turned into something I least expected. I may have been naïve and slightly irrational due to the inconsistency of my life over the last two months, but I truly believed I could trust Cash.

“As long as you know I’m not a bad guy?” He finished my sentence for me.

“Yeah,” I whispered with a nod.

“Like I’ve said before, Jade…I don’t have a way to prove that to you. I can give you every piece of information about me to do your own research, but other than that, my hands are tied. If I pull my own report for you, you’ll never trust that I didn’t tamper with it. If I give you names of people to call for character references, you’ll continue to have doubts about the people I didn’t give you numbers for. I can’t win here. I want to help you, I really do, but there’s not much else I can do. We’re innocent until proven guilty, but with all the fucking crazy psychos and evil in the world, there’s no such thing as innocent anymore, either.”

He leaned forward and took my hands in his, locking his gaze on mine. In the depths of his raven eyes, I saw a sincerity I never knew existed. He spoke quietly, directly to me, when he said, “I completely understand where you’re coming from. I hope you realize that. Your daughter comes first. Her safety should always be your number-one priority, and I have nothing but respect for you for doing what needs to be done for her. I hate the living situation you’re in right now, but if it’s better than where you were before, then don’t ever doubt that.”

Tears filled my eyes. I had learned the hard way that people only let you see what they wanted you to. It didn’t matter if you knew someone for an hour, a day, a year, or ten years, you never truly knew who they were in their heart until they were ready to show you. So, at the end of the day, everyone is either a stranger, or you choose to trust them all until they prove themselves unworthy of it.

The problem comes when your trust is broken. When the devil inside shows his face. You’re lucky if it’s something superficial, something that won’t cut you off at the knees. But as I’d learned about evil hiding in plain sight, when the angelic mask comes off, you’re already broken into unmeasurable pieces, unable to put yourself back together again.

Even Satan had wings at one point.

Cash reached up and wiped a falling tear from my cheek with his thumb. “It’s going to be all right, Jade. You’ll figure it out. One way or another, you’ll land on your feet.”

I didn’t believe a word he said, but I wasn’t about to argue. “Thank you,” I whispered while using the back of my hand to finish clearing away the evidence of my pitiful agony. I hated crying, the weakness it portrayed, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t hide that from him. “I’m sorry I’ve wasted so much of your time. I know you really want to find a roommate, and I monopolized four weeks that you could’ve used searching for someone else.”

He moistened his lips and sat back, just in time for the waitress to bring our food. I was no longer hungry, and by the way he pushed his plate forward, I assumed he felt the same. “You didn’t waste my time. In truth, I just needed companionship, and you gave that to me. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.”

“Why? What’d you do?”

“You needed a place to stay, and I needed someone to talk to. I got what I was looking for—you did that for me—but your need hasn’t been met yet. And I hate that. It makes me feel selfish.”

“Don’t blame yourself, seriously. You didn’t know I have a kid, so it’s not your fault.”

“I’m not worried about her, if that’s what you’re thinking.” His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he hunched forward with his elbows on the table. “You think I’m saying no to you because of your daughter?”

“Well…yeah. You don’t want kids, so I think it’s a safe assumption that means you don’t care to have them in your house. I can’t afford much in rent, because I can’t get a job and cover daycare. You said yourself you wish you could help me, but your hands are tied.”

A smile formed slowly on his lips, causing his eyes to squint and his shoulders to soften like a brick had been removed. “Jade…” He shook his head and tried again. “I have no problem with you moving in—providing your background comes back clean. You’re the one who said you can’t take the risk with your daughter unless you trust that I’m not a threat. That’s what I meant when I said my hands were tied. I can’t prove that to you.”

My head was spinning. As I thought back on the entire conversation since my confession about Aria, I only grew more confused. “But…you said you don’t want kids.”

“Unless you’re planning on making me the father of your child, I’m not sure how my lack of desire to procreate has anything to do with your daughter. Just because I don’t ever care to have one of my own doesn’t mean I don’t like to be around them.”

“It’s more than you bargained for. You realize this, right? You’re not getting one roommate; you’re essentially getting two. One of which can be very bossy at times—to be clear…I’m not talking about me. And that still doesn’t fix the rent situation.” I wasn’t sure why I chose to argue against my favor, but I couldn’t stop. I guess I wanted him to fully grasp what he was getting himself into, so he couldn’t come back later and point these things out as if they hadn’t been disclosed ahead of time.

“Her father has nothing to do with her? No visitation? I don’t have to worry about him coming to the house while I’m not there and starting shit?”

“No. He’s aware of her, but he’s never claimed her. Never had anything to do with her other than creating her. And I have no intention of telling him where I live, so I don’t foresee him stopping by.”

“Okay, so listen…” He grabbed the paper from me and began to scribble on the last sheet, keeping his hand over his words to prevent me from reading it. “Let me worry about the rent. And as far as—”

“Whoa.” I slapped my hand over the agreement he was writing on and waited until I had his full attention. “No. I can’t let you do that. I’m not looking for pity or charity.”

A smile curled his lips, slowly. It would’ve looked sinister had his eyes not twinkled and widened the tiniest bit. “You have got to be the strongest woman I know—or the most stubborn. I haven’t decided which one yet. Let me do this for you, Jade.”

“Why? Why do you want me to live with you so badly?”

“Would you believe it’s because you’re my only friend?”

“Not for a second.”

“What if I told you I was dying and this was my last wish?”

“Depends…how much longer you got? Six months…I could handle that. Six years…not so sure.” There was a pause before his head shook slightly with an almost silent puff of laughter passing his lips. “For real, Cash. Why?”

“The first answer was the honest one. It’s not that I don’t have friends, just none who are close. I’ve already told you why I was looking for a roommate to begin with, and why I wanted it to be a female. I need a friend to keep me from…”

I waited and waited, but he never finished that sentence. “Keep you from what?”

With a shrug, he said, “Loneliness. Boredom. Take your pick, because if I continue, I’m afraid I’ll just end up making myself look utterly pathetic.”

“What makes you think you haven’t already done that?” I winked to show him I was only joking. “If you are serious about the rent, then you would obviously want something in return. I want to know what that is before I agree.”

“Clearly it’s not sex. That’s already in the agreement. How about little things around the house? Fluff pillows. Change lightbulbs when they burn out. Take out the trash when it’s full and I’m not home.”

“You want me to be your maid?”

“No, that’s not—”

“For heaven’s sake, Cash. Just agree. Being your live-in maid would make me feel like far less of a leech than I do right now.”

“Oh…maid. I’m sorry, I must’ve misunderstood you. I thought you said…never mind. Yes, that’s exactly what I was suggesting. You move in to be the cleaning lady while I’m gone, and your payment will be living with me.”

I snickered, the grin almost permanent on my face. “You make it sound like living with you is this amazing honor.”

“It is. I’m pretty awesome.”

“What about Aria? Have you ever lived with a kid before? I don’t want to get into this and after a couple weeks you change your mind and kick me out because she’s too much.”

“I’m gone most of the week, as it is. The way I see it, she’ll just add to the entertainment at the house while I’m home. I’m pretty sure she’ll make things far less lonely.” Everything about him—his eyes, his voice, the subtle smile gracing his lips—screamed sincerity. Honesty.

“You sure?”

He pointed at me and crooked an eyebrow. “As long as the screening checks out.”

I didn’t have any doubt about that.

We swapped information and left with plans to talk further. I needed to figure out how to research him, but other than a Google search, I wasn’t sure of my options.

* * *

“You’re kidding, right?” Stevie lectured when I told her of my plans to move. She hadn’t taken it well, and from the deep-cherry hue of her cheeks, it was a safe bet to say fury was on the top of her emotion list.

Cash had called me after he got home from lunch. We talked like normal, like I hadn’t had an emotional breakdown at the table. Most of the conversation was filled with questions about Aria. For a man who had no interest in children, he certainly was fascinated with mine. It was as though he had to learn everything about her before we moved in—which still hadn’t been decided by that point.

A week later, to the day, he called to inform me that everything had checked out when he ran my information. That wasn’t a shock, considering I had nothing else to hide. Then we made plans for me to drive out there and see the place the following weekend. I asked Stevie to watch Aria for me because I wasn’t comfortable bringing her. I knew I wasn’t meeting Cash for a date, and there was no chance of anything romantic between us, but I just had personal qualms about introducing her to men. Cash was a man.

A very fine man.

I shook that thought from my head before I allowed it to go any further.

“It’s fine, I promise.” I tried to calm her down, but nothing worked.

“You don’t know this guy!”

“I’ve been talking to him for over a month now, and I’ve met him once.”

She grabbed my hands and pulled them to her chest. “You met him on the internet. What about this seems okay to you? Didn’t your mother ever teach you about stranger danger or the risk of online dating?”

“Stevie, calm down and listen to me. I’m fully aware of what I’m doing. I’ve looked him up, even had a cop run a check on him. He’s clean.”

“And Hannibal Lecter was a psychologist before they found human remains in his f-f-fava beans.” How she managed to say that with a straight face was beyond me.

“First of all, that’s fiction. Secondly, if you think I didn’t look at this from all different angles, then you’re sadly mistaken. Remember who you’re talking to, here. I’m the one with the trust issues, so if I’m telling you it’s all right, then you should probably believe me.”

“Says the girl who wound up in a three-year relationship with a psychotic, married man and had his baby.” The second those words came out, she regretted them. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she were trying to swallow them back down, but it didn’t change anything. She’d crossed a line, and she was well aware of it.

I ripped my hands away and retreated a few steps, needing to be away from her but not having anywhere to go in her tiny apartment. Out of everything, I couldn’t believe she’d chosen that to throw back in my face.

“I’m sorry, Jade. I have no idea why I even said that.”

“Sure you do. You said it because that’s how you feel. To hear what you truly think of what I went through, hurts…really badly.” I thought about grabbing Aria up and leaving, but I didn’t have anywhere to go. And I was pretty sure Cash wasn’t prepared for us to move in today.

“I never hid how I felt about that asshole. That’s never been a secret. I’ve spent six years hating a man I didn’t know, because you refused to tell me anything about him. Sometimes it takes a second to remember the truth—who he is and what he’s done to you. I hated him then, I hate him now…those things will never change. I’m just the horrible bitch who sometimes forgets the whole story.”

She meant what she said, and as much as I wanted to be mad over her throwing it all in my face the way she had, she made a valid argument.

“Just…will you please do this for me?”

“Do what, Jade?” She seemed exhausted, defeated. “Watch Aria for you? You know I will. But I’d feel a helluva lot more comfortable if you’d let me go with you.”

I shook my head, my mind already made up. “Irrational or not, this is my decision, and I don’t want her meeting Cash—or vice versa—until later. If this all works out, I plan on moving in next Monday, when I know he’ll be gone for the week.”

“If you’re so concerned about him, why are you doing this?”

“I’m not concerned about him. I’m worried about Aria.”

Her brows pinched together and her gaze darkened. “Worried about what?”

“I don’t want her to get attached if this doesn’t work out. I don’t want her freaking out or being scared and giving him the wrong impression, making him change his mind. I also don’t want her to misunderstand anything. She’s two, so I don’t expect her to know what’s going on, but look at it for a minute, Stevie. We lived at my mom’s house where she was practically ignored. She had to watch me cry all the time. Then we come here, and this isn’t stable. We’re living out of a suitcase and sleeping on the couch. I have no idea what to expect from Cash’s house, so I want to absorb all this first, and then work her into it. It’ll be an adjustment, and I just don’t know how she’ll handle it.” When I finally stopped talking, I felt out of breath.

“I just can’t figure out what would possess you to move in with a guy you know virtually nothing about, a guy you met online. Can you explain that to me so I can wrap my brain around it? You of all people should understand the dangers of what you’re doing.”

“You won’t understand.”

“Try me.” She wasn’t arguing, more like pleading for an ounce of insight.

I fell onto the edge of the couch cushion and busied myself with folding our bedding. Aria sat on the floor, her sippy cup in hand, and watched cartoons as if nothing else was happening around her.

“I need to get out of this town. I can’t afford to live here, and you don’t have room for us. You didn’t two months ago when you took us in, and you don’t now. Derek is ready to feed us magic Kool-Aid just to get rid of us. But I don’t blame him. This place is far too small for three and a half people, and if I’m being honest, it’s unfair to ask me to bathe in the kitchen sink. I can’t afford to keep buying diapers for a two-year-old who should be potty trained by now, but I can’t do that because I don’t have a toilet at my disposal.” My frustrations began to mount, and I worried if I didn’t stop now, I’d end up saying something I couldn’t take back.

I owed Stevie—and Derek—so much for taking us in when we had nowhere to go. None of my anger had anything to do with them or their immense generosity. But it was time to leave. I’d overstayed my welcome tenfold, and the longer I waited, the worse it became.

“Have you looked at other options? Or did you just jump at the chance to leave?”

“You’re joking, right? Of course I’ve tried to find alternative solutions, but I have none. What do you want me to do? What is it you think I’ve ignored or haven’t thought of? I even went to the college and called random strangers about their room-for-rent posters. You’re all concerned about me moving in with Cash, but how is that any different?”

“At least you’d be in town, closer to me if you need anything.”

I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart and lower my climbing blood pressure. “I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me, and all you continue to do, but I can’t stay in Fort Pierce any longer. I feel trapped here, and the cost of living is too high.”

“And you think Geneva Key is better? Jade…have you seen the houses there? Hell, have you ever been there? I’m fairly certain a bottle of water at the corner store is close to five bucks. It’s a tourist trap, run by retired millionaires with nothing better to do with their time than take money from poor, unsuspecting travelers on vacation from up north.”

“I’m working it out with Cash.”

“So you still have no idea how much he plans to charge you?”

I shook my head, unwilling to fight anymore.

“What if you can’t afford it?”

“Then I’m back to square one, aren’t I?” I tossed Aria’s blanket on the seat next to me and folded my hands in my lap. “Like I said, you won’t understand. All I’m asking is for you to help me with Aria tomorrow so I can drive over there and check it out. Nothing is set in stone. I haven’t moved. I can still back out, just like he can still change his mind.”

Her lips twisted to the side. “I’ll agree to watch her while you’re gone tomorrow, but it does not, in any way, shape, or form mean I’m on board with this cockamamie idea of yours. Let the record show I think this is a horrible decision.”

“Don’t worry, it’s on record.” I stood and crossed the room, where I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. “Thank you. Really, I appreciate everything.”

“Remember this when you’re three hours away and need someone to watch her, and you have no one because you left me behind.”

I laughed to myself and let her go, shaking my head at her stubbornness.

Stevie skipped classes, and we spent the rest of the day hanging out. For the first time in weeks, Derek went to bed alone while Stevie stayed up with me. Cash sent me a text, and I replied with a quick, “I’ll see you tomorrow, hanging out with the BFF tonight.”

The next morning, I woke up early to get a head start on the drive. Six hours in a car in one day—three there and three back. It was the longest I’d ever spent away from Aria, so I knew if I didn’t leave when the sun came up, I’d change my mind. Stevie would’ve loved that, but it wouldn’t have helped at all with the stress over my living situation.

I followed the directions and managed to make it across the state faster than expected. Driving down the boulevard with the sand and surf on one side, high-rise condominiums and quaint shops on the other made me believe I was in a different world. Although, Stevie had been right about the ritzy people. I passed cars that made my Jetta look like a Pinto. Granted, mine was ten years old, the paint on the hood, roof, and trunk had faded, and someone had backed into the rear quarter panel in a parking lot and didn’t leave a note, but it was still drivable and paid for. I couldn’t afford to be embarrassed by it, yet the brand-new luxury cars on the road alongside me made me feel otherwise.

When I pulled up to his house, I just sat there in awe. A small, residential road ran along the front, just wide enough for two cars to pass safely. The Gulf stretched on one side, a row of houses on the other, each appearing to have been built at least fifty years ago. Some seemed to have been updated along the way, while others still stood in what I could only imagine was their original state.

There wasn’t much lawn between the front porches and the road. Just as I questioned where everyone parked their cars, as I didn’t see a single garage, I took notice of the skinny pathways that ran between the houses, disappearing behind each of them. It was odd, but only because I’d never seen anything like it before. This street was nothing like Stevie had described. Nothing screamed money, and everything had such a comfortable aura about it.

I sent Cash a text to make sure he was awake. The morning was still young, but that hadn’t stopped the beachgoers from staking claim on their favorite spots with towels and umbrellas. I watched the waves slowly roll in, like they were lazy, not quite awake for the day. It was so different than what I was used to on the Atlantic side. It seemed much calmer, and I could already tell it was exactly what I needed.

The knock on the passenger-side window made me jump in my seat. I turned my wide eyes from the crashing waves on the shore to the man standing outside my car, and blinked for a second before realizing it was Cash. The last time I saw him, he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt. Now, he had on athletic shorts and a T-shirt, his hair messy and unstyled. It did nothing but prove he was sexy no matter what he wore or how much time he put into his appearance. And once again, I had to shake off those thoughts. Living with a man who could embed himself into my most embarrassing fantasies wasn’t such a good idea.

I rolled down the window and a warm, salty breeze rushed in and stirred the air around my cheeks.

“Morning,” he greeted as he leaned down and propped his forearms on the open window. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. I was hoping to jump in the shower after my workout, before you arrived, but it appears I didn’t plan it very well.”

“That’s okay. I can sit out here while you shower. Or I can take a walk on the beach. There’s no need for you to change your plans.”

“Don’t be silly. Just take the drive around to the back of the house. Park next to my car. I’ll meet you at the back door.” He pointed to the narrow side driveway that ran between his house and the one next door.

Nodding, I put the car in gear and followed his directions. Rather than finding a garage, I pulled around the back to a slab of concrete that looked big enough for two cars. I found a shiny black Range Rover, which I assumed was his, and parked beside it. Once again, my little Jetta didn’t fit in.

Taking in my surroundings, I admired the tiny back yard that took up the rest of the space behind the house. It looked to be sectioned off by the same white picket fence lining his front porch. In fact, it seemed every house on this street had the same.

I climbed out of my car, closed the door behind me, and turned to find Cash standing in the open doorway, leaning against the frame, a smile on his face. “Did you find the place okay?” he called out to me.

“Yeah. It was an easy drive. Thanks.”

I took the three steps that led inside, and he moved aside to make room for me to enter.

Up until this moment, I had no idea what to expect. It reminded me of a cottage, small and comfortable. It was the epitome of a home. The furnishings looked new, as well as the hardwood floors. Everything neat and in its rightful place. I stood in the empty space just inside the door and tried to take it all in. The interior seemed so open and bright. Straight across from me was the living room, which had a large window that faced the street and ocean. A door was to my right, but it wasn’t fully open, so I couldn’t see inside, although I suspected it was Cash’s room.

Cash walked into the kitchen to our left, and I followed. I marveled at the clean space while he grabbed a water from the stainless-steel refrigerator. Granite covered the countertops, and the carved, whitewood cabinets were adorned with decorative, silver handles. The window over the utility-style sink faced the back yard—I would have had to crane my neck to find our cars parked on the other side of the fence. From what I could see, the small patch of hunter-green grass had been kept neatly manicured, and flowers lined the tiny lot in a multitude of color.

I turned to look at Cash, a question on the tip of my tongue, but immediately lost my train of thought as he swallowed the rest of his water and ran his fingers through his short hair.

At the restaurant two weeks ago, we hadn’t stood side by side. He was seated when I approached, and he remained there as I left. How I’d missed his height when I came inside was beyond me; the only explanation I could come up with was my nerves had blinded me, and my awe over his home demanded my full attention, preventing me from taking in the sight of him.

“Didn’t you say you were like five ten or something?”

He straightened his spine and squared his shoulders, standing tall like a Greek statue. “Yeah, but I hit the gym this morning. I think after my last workout, I’m roughly six four.” His eyes sparkled with the same mirth that played at the corners of his mouth. It brought my attention to the five o’clock shadow lining his masculine jaw and hardened cheeks.

“Maybe I need to join your gym. You’ve lost a lot of weight and grown six inches.”

He sidled up next to me and pressed his hand on the top of my head, proving just how much taller he was than me—fourteen inches to be exact. “You could use a few inches. Although if you did that, I wouldn’t be able to slyly check your scalp for dandruff.”

I shoved at him, feigning offense. It didn’t take long before we both lost the cloak of nervous energy and fell into an easy fit of hilarity. He tossed the empty water bottle into the trash—which I learned was in a pull-out drawer next to the sink—and led me to a hallway off the kitchen.

“The bedrooms are back here”—he pointed to two closed doors, one at the head of the hall, the other halfway down on the right—“and the bathroom is here.” He gestured to another closed room, across the hall from the second bedroom. But rather than stop at any of them, or at the very least, let me see inside, he unlocked the door positioned at the very end. A small window set in the middle, thin plastic blinds blocked the light from the outside, and what appeared to be a handmade curtain had been draped along the top.

“And this is the back yard.” He opened the door, which led to two wooden steps ending at the thick, healthy lawn.

I stepped out, not planning on doing anything other than take a look, but the second I noticed the plastic sandbox set in the corner, a child’s beach umbrella stuck in the grass beside it, I gasped and clutched my chest.

“Did you…?” I pointed to it and covered my mouth, trying to swallow my emotions before they bubbled out.

“You said she liked the sandbox at the park. I checked out the local ones within walking distance, but there’s only two, and both seem to be geared more for older children. I even drove to the one at the end of the island, just before the bridge, and it didn’t have a sandbox, either.”

“So you bought her one?” I was seconds away from losing the fight against my tears.

He shrugged as if it were no big deal that he’d purchased something for my child to make her happy, even though he’d never met her. I longed to hug him—no one had ever done anything like that before—but I refrained and stepped back inside.

When he opened the door to the bathroom, the first thing I noticed was the size. It wasn’t big, but the way the builder had designed the small space left plenty of room to move around. Not to mention, it appeared a woman had decorated it.

“Who picked out the décor?” I teased—there was no way it had been him.

“I had someone come over last week while I was gone to get it all set up for you. I knew you didn’t have anything other than clothes, so I wanted to make sure everything was ready when you moved in.”

Just before leaving the room, I noticed a child’s training potty in the corner next to the toilet. “Did you tell her to get that, too?” I gestured to the pink and white seat on the floor.

“You said she needed to learn. Better here than on my couch.” Again, he acted like it wasn’t a big deal, like anyone would’ve done the same. But I knew better. My own mother hadn’t so much as bought one box of diapers since the day Aria was born, let alone a training pot and sandbox.

I wasn’t sure what I expected, or why it came as such a shock, but I was rendered speechless when he showed me the bedroom across the hall. The walls were divided in half with white wainscot on the bottom and pink paint decorating the top. White decals of cherry blossom trees extended from the far corner of the room. Below it, a toddler bed was made up with a pink-and-white blanket, and a safety rail ran half the length of the tiny mattress. A matching dresser sat against the opposite wall with a ballerina nightlight perched on top that looked to be made of porcelain. The shallow panels of the wainscot were painted black, catching my attention since it didn’t go with the rest of the room.

When I leaned down to run my finger along the dark wall, Cash said, “It’s chalkboard paint. She can draw on it and it’ll come right off. The decorator suggested it. I’d never heard of it before. But kids like that kind of stuff, right?”

I stared at him, my mouth gaping, eyes rapidly blinking.

Worry consumed his features as he took a step back, one foot in the hallway like he was prepared to flee. “We can paint over it. It’s no problem. You didn’t say anything about her liking to draw, but I thought it might make learning to write fun. I did a lot of research and thought it was a good idea, but I didn’t mean to step on your toes. You’re her mom. If anything in here is wrong, just tell me, and I’ll have it fixed before you move in. And that goes with the rest of the house. If you see a safety hazard, point it out. I have no clue what I’m looking for.”

I officially lost the battle with my emotions and scurried to him, where I fell against the hard planes of his chest, my fists gripping the sides of his shirt as if to steady myself. His heart thrummed beneath my ear, and after a moment of me silently appreciating him, he finally enveloped me in his embrace.

“Thank you,” I whispered into the damp material of his T-shirt.

“So…it’s okay? I didn’t fuck up?”

I shook my head, giggling, and pulled away, not at all caring about the sweat that had transferred onto me from his clothes. “No, you didn’t mess up at all. It’s perfect. So unbelievably amazing, I have no words.”

Relief filled his eyes as he pulled in a deep breath and slipped out of the room.