“I’m sad that Daddy’s gone again.”

“I know, sweetheart, but it sounds like he’ll be back very soon if they solve this case quickly.”

“He always says that, but it never comes true.” Mackenzie sat with her chin resting in her hands, and a pout on her face. “I liked it better when he didn’t work.”

“Well, I could use some help with my work. Would you like to help me with dinner?”

Mackenzie perked up at that. “Really? I can help?”

“Sure you can. If you can stir this mix for me, I’ll work on getting the bread in the oven.”

“What is this?” Mackenzie asked, her nose wrinkled as she stared at the contents of the bowl.

“It’s a secret recipe that used to be my grandmother’s, and I think you’re going to love it.”

“You have a grandmother?” Mackenzie asked with surprise.

Thea chuckled. “Yes, I had a grandmother, silly, and she was quite a lady.”

“Why?”

“Because she was a very strong and independent woman, and even though she encountered hard times in her life, she pushed through all of it and made a wonderful life for herself.”

“I don’t see my grandmother very much.”

Oops. I wondered if I’d made a mistake by mentioning mine, but decided to see where Mackenzie would take this.

“How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. What would you like to talk about?”

“Are you going to stay here with me, Thea?”

“Of course, Zee. You know I’m your nanny, and I stay here every day.”

“No, I mean are you going to live here forever with Daddy and me?”

“That’s a big question, Zee. I’m not sure I can answer it.”

Zee threw the spoon down on the kitchen island and ran from the room.

I sighed. This was another thing Gabriel and I would need to talk about when he got home. How were we going to deal with Mackenzie’s questions around how long I would be here, and whether I would stay forever?

It was hard to believe that just a few days ago Gabriel had asked if I would stay permanently with them, but then we didn’t have the chance to explore what that meant.

The strange thing was, I could see myself staying here forever with Gabriel and Zee. I’d grown to love that little girl more than I knew was possible, especially in such a short period of time. Add to that the attraction I felt toward Gabriel—how I missed my conversations with him, and yes, even his intense gaze on my body… That was another thing I couldn’t have anticipated when I’d moved to Yarmouth to be a nanny.

I wasn’t sure I believed in fate, but I was sure that it felt right to be here, with Mackenzie, and I knew opening my heart to this sweet little girl had changed me in ways that defied logic, and defied the plans I thought I’d had for the future.

What was that? A whimper?

I turned the stove top off and walked into the hallway, listening for the sound. It was coming from upstairs. Mackenzie! Taking the stairs two-by-two, I followed the sound to Mackenzie’s room. She was crying, no sobbing, and it broke my heart. I knocked on her door, “Zee, can I come in?”

“Go away!”

Damn. This was one of those moments when I had to believe that a biological mother would know exactly what to do—but I had absolutely no idea. I decided to appeal to Zee’s softer side. “Zee, please, I would really like to come in.”

Mackenzie sniffled loudly. “Okay, you can come in,” her dejected and sad little voice reached my ear through the closed door.

I opened Mackenzie’s door and moved to the edge of her bed. “Zee, what’s wrong?”

“All I want is a family.” She sobbed. “All I want is for you to stay here forever and be my new mom and marry my dad and—and I want a puppy, too!” she wailed.

I bit my lip. For a five-year-old, all of these things probably seemed bigger than life, and when you add to that all she’d been through—it made me realize why this whole situation was very complicated.

The house phone rang. “Hey Zee, I’ll bet that’s your dad. Would you like to talk with him?”

“Y—yessss!” She sobbed. “I want my daddy!”

“Okay, Zee. I’ll go get the phone and be right back.” I ran from Mackenzie’s room to catch the phone before it stopped ringing, and caught it just before it went to voicemail, recognizing Gabriel’s cell phone number.

‘Gabriel?” I said breathlessly as I put the receiver to my ear.

“Yes, it’s me. Is everything okay? I tried your cell phone, but you didn’t answer.” His concern came through loud and clear, and I marveled at the relief I felt when I heard his voice.

“Yes, things are okay, but Zee’s having a really hard time tonight. She misses you. She’s in her room crying, and I’m worried that our conversation before dinner may have made things worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s fixated on the fact that she wants me to stay… forever, and it’s a huge issue for her right now. Honestly, I don’t know how to help her resolve it.”

“I’m not sure either of us can, Thea. We can support her and be consistent with our responses, but sometimes it just takes time for a child to process something. When that happens, it’s tough on everyone.”

The silence stretched for more than a few seconds. He didn’t mention me staying permanently—had he changed his mind? I felt disappointed and fought to stop the tears that sprang to my eyes. I didn’t trust herself to reply.

“Are you there, Thea?”

“Yes, I’m here.” I cleared my throat. “I’m on my way back to Mackenzie’s room so you can talk to her. Zee, here’s your dad,” I said as I handed the phone to Zee and turned to leave her room. “Come downstairs when you’re through, Zee, and we’ll eat.”