We leave the doctor’s office in silence. I hope I didn’t piss her off more than she already was.

“Here are my forms,” Lee mumbles at the receptionist.

“How much do we owe you?” I ask, pulling out my wallet.

“The first consultation is free,” the receptionist explains. “Would you like to schedule another appointment?”

“Not at the moment,” Lee says, lost in thought.

She’s either upset because her little game of “let’s make Heath squirm in his seat” didn’t work. Or she didn’t like that the doctor didn’t give her the information that she wanted.

We step into the elevator, and as the doors close, I say, “Go out on a date with me.”

While she simultaneously asks, “Would you mind being my sperm donor?”

“I’d do anything for you, Lee. Giving you a baby would be an honor, but why don’t we start with a date?”

“Why would you want to go out on a date with me?” She gives me a defiant glare.

“Because I find you attractive, I care about you, and I think we’d have a good time,” I say, hoping that I’m saying the right words because one slip and I’ll be out of her life.

She studies me, looking at me from top to bottom and says, “Why now?”

“What do you mean with why now?” I stare at her in confusion.

“We’ve known each other for a long time,” she explains. “Years, why would you want to change the dynamic now?”

“Why not?”

“What’s the goal?”

“I want to change our relationship,” I confess. “You’re my best friend, but I don’t want to be just your friend.”

Lee shakes her head. “You want me to believe that you want more.”

“No, it’s not about believing, but just moving forward,” I say with conviction.

“Why are you doing this?”

Asking her out isn’t enough. I study her, trying to understand her guarded gaze.

“Because I want to go out with you,” I explain, choosing the simple answer. “I want us to be a real couple who fight about the toothpaste, the toilet lid, and who’s feeding the dog early in the morning.”

“Just like that?” She glares at me. “You want us to be a couple. Does this have anything to do with Cassie not wanting me to leave Kentbury?”

“What do you mean?” I frown confused.

“She offered me your room if I wanted to move into a new place.”

“Well, obviously we’ll have to buy a house.” I agree with Cassie’s assessment. “Your dog takes over an entire room.”

“So, let me get this straight. Cassie told you that I’m leaving. She doesn’t like it and you’re trying to fix it for her,” she says, her hands on her hips and her chin tilted. “But I bet that’s just the tip of the problem. You don’t like the idea that the help is leaving. My father must’ve told you some sob story about my place in Kentbury and how you should stop it.”

“You’re wrong,” I protest.

“So, Cassie didn’t ask you to stop me from moving to New York?”

I swallow hard and stare at her. How do I explain to her that even though Cassie doesn’t want Lee to leave, I’m here for myself?

“Did she or did she not?” She taps her shoe against the hardwood floor.

“That’s not why I’m here.”

She huffs. “You’re one of the best dads in the world. It’s cute to see you work with her in the garage, explaining to her how every wrench works. Let’s not forget how heart-melting it is to watch you guys go on Daddy-and-me dates. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for her, including trying to stop me from leaving.”

“Can we forget about Cassie for one moment and talk about us?”

“Heath, I can’t toy with the possibility of dating you. It’ll never work. I’m just Lee, your friend.”

She fixes her scarf and leaves the building. I follow right behind.

“Damn it, Lee. You’re not only that. Can you listen to me, please?” I call a cab before she starts walking back to the hotel or leaves me behind.

During the drive, she remains silent. Once the driver stops, she flies out while I’m paying. I have to run to catch up with her. She’s trying to lose me, but I won’t let her. I have to plea my case and beg her for a chance.

“Can we please talk about our situation?” I insist.

“We don’t have a situation, Heath,” she clarifies.

“Because you’re shutting down all the possibilities,” I blame her.

“Are you going to tell me that you grew feelings for me overnight?” She rolls her eyes.

“Feelings don’t grow overnight, but I can hide them for years,” I tell her.

“Look, I’ve had my heart broken almost every day for the last eighteen years. First, it was Marcia Newton,” she mentions the first girl I kissed.

“What about Marcia?”

“She was your first kiss, not me.” Her low voice breaks.

“Then, it was the string of girls you dated while you were in high school,” she continues, hunching over, almost choking a sob.

My heart slows down as I witness the pain I’ve put her through. If I had known I was hurting her, I swear to God I would have stopped.

“I moved to Boston and what did I find? A revolving door of nameless women. Just when I thought things might work out between us because we were both going to live in Kentbury, I discovered that you had a new hobby—the guests at the lodge. It was hopeless. I should’ve moved on, but eight years ago, you found me alone at the creamery. I was a little depressed. Mark was getting married.”

“You said you didn’t love him,” I growl and until now I’ve never let myself be fucking upset about that bastard.

“I didn’t. I was sad because he proposed to me first. It stung that he moved on. It hurt that I couldn’t love someone who would want a future with me and I was pining for a guy who would never see me. That night, you said I deserved more than Mark. I was smart, beautiful, and I had a good heart.”

She looks at her left hand and then at me. “For a moment I thought you could finally see me. A couple of weeks later Cassie arrived, and I kept being your buddy.”

“Lee, I’m so fucking sorry,” I apologize, but the words aren’t enough.

“You’re here because Cassie believes that you can fix everything. Dad thinks you can persuade me to go back if you say just the right words.”

“They have nothing to do with me being here,” I assure her.

“Bishop keeps telling me to confess my feelings so I can move on with my life,” she continues. “Well, here they are, out in the clear.”

She pulls back her shoulders and looks me in the eyes. “I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen. I waited for you because I thought one day, you’d see me. You’d notice me and you’d love me as much as I love you. But you don’t have to worry about me. After almost eighteen years, I’m done with this unrequited love.”

“Lee.” I swallow hard as I realize how much pain I’ve inflicted on her, when all I’ve tried to do is protect her.

“It’s okay, I’m a big girl,” she says dismissing me. “I made up my mind. If it’s not this job, I’ll find something else. I’m not going back. The only thing I need to have is a baby. Look at you, you’ve done well as a single dad.”

Knightly’s a patient woman. She’s a saint when it comes to waiting for things to happen. But when she runs out of patience, she’s done. Nothing and no one will change her mind. Thank you, fucking Kingston. He pushed the right buttons to get her out of Kentbury. It’s going to take a miracle to convince her that maybe she’s been waiting since she was fourteen, but I’ve loved her for longer.

Sure, it seems like I’m a great dad. Everyone praises my skills but none of them look closely enough to notice that my daughter’s being raised by Lee too. She doesn’t miss having a mom because she’s had Knightly her entire life. We’re a team. We’ve been a team since the first night Cassie came into our lives. And when we’re at a loss, her family is there for us.

I’ve been so fucking scared to mess up what I have with Lee, that I didn’t do the right thing from the beginning. Moving forward, I have to be clear about my feelings, which is so fucking hard. How do I do that?

I remember the first night with Cassie when I had no idea what to do with her. Lee said, just love her. Just show her how much she means to you. As long as she feels loved, everything else is secondary.

It’s the same concept, right?

“I can see why you won’t believe me.” I weave my words wisely. “Anything I say might feel hollow. You’ll think that Cassie, Steve, or your brothers pushed me to follow you and drag you back home.”

“Didn’t they?”

I can tell her King’s plans, and she’ll be on a plane to Kentbury to kick his ass. That won’t solve our lives.

“I’m here for myself. Last Saturday night I had a hard time breathing when you said you were leaving. I felt as if someone was ripping my heart out of my chest. I need you by my side to feel alive. My life revolves around you and Cassie. You two are my world. Give me a week to show you I can be the man who you deserve.”

“What does the man you deserve even mean?”

“You’re Knightly Harris. One of the prettiest girls in Kentbury. You’re smart, went to college, and you’re the daughter of Rosalinda Kentbury—the last Kentbury. Simply, you’re unattainable.”

Kingston and Knightly have a few things in common. Like the darkened eyes, the flaring nostrils and the twitching jaw when they get upset.

“I’ve worked overtime to hide any emotions that you provoke. Every day, I remind myself that you’re my friend—my best friend. Overstepping would only put our relationship at risk. It’s fucking hard, but I can’t lose you. You’re too important to me.”

“I wish I could believe you,” she says.

“One week,” I plea. “Give me this week. If by Friday night I can’t change your mind, I’ll give up and give you what you want. A baby.”

“You’ll give me a baby and you’ll walk away?” She squints and crosses her arms.

“Well, kind of,” I say honestly. “I’d want to be a part of his life. I mean, fuck, Lee he’d be ours. I just can’t walk away from him, and Cassie wants a brother.” And you as her mom.

“I’d be living in New York.”

“Your life is in Kentbury.”

“It was there. If I’m going to unfall in love, I have to be away from you.”

I finally breathe. The good news is that she’s still in love with me. The bad news is that she’s making up shit. What the fuck does unfall mean? That’s not even a word.

“One week,” I repeat, ignoring the ridiculous word she made up. “Just give me until Friday night, please. You take down those walls. We don’t hide from each other.”

“Aren’t you afraid that afterward, things will be weird between us?”

“Weirder than these past three days? That’s impossible,” I state and take her hand. “You’re determined to leave and move on, I have only one request. For the next week, let me show you what we can be.”

I’m not sure if what I’m saying is romantic or even make sense. She might be wanting to hear something more heart-stopping.

She looks at me stunned. “Five days?”

I nod and wait. The silence stretches from seconds to maybe minutes.

The wait feels eternal.

Then, she tilts her head and narrows her gaze.

“If it doesn’t work, you give me a baby?”

I fan the booklets that they gave us at the clinic. “I would go through the entire Kamasutra for you. But I would like to explain that when you’re ready, we won’t need any fancy positions to get pregnant. I don’t drink much. I’m clean, but if you want, I can get tested.”

I caress her face, stepping closer to her. I bend down and kiss her cheek lightly. My gaze draws to her full, parted lips pulling me to her.

“Give me time to win your heart, Lee,” I plead my case.

“Heath.” my name sounds like a weak gasp as I caress my mouth with hers.

Our eyes lock, and our souls fuse.

“This is how we’ll do it. I hand you my heart,” I whisper, our lips are so close I can feel her tremble with longing. “I’ll take care of the rest,” I finish, tasting her lips as I cup the back of her neck.

She threads her hands through my hair.

I kiss her gently, deeply, possessively with a fervent urge. My heart beats fast. I always knew that if I ever kissed her, it’d be like touching heaven. But the reality is beyond my wildest dreams. “Five days, please,” I ask again, resting my forehead on top of hers and trying to recover my breath.

She doesn’t respond but gives me a slight nod. I hate that she’s not trusting me.