“The monkeys are my favorite,” Harper said as she and Mari wandered around the Sacramento Zoo.

“Why are they your favorite?”

“Because they climb the trees. Can I have some bugglegum?”

Mari laughed. “You mean bubblegum?”

“I said bugglegum.”

Smiling, Mari knelt in front of Harper and gave her a hug. “Do you know how adorable you are?”

Harper laughed. “I know.”

That only made Mari laugh harder. “Of course you do. And yes, you can have some bubblegum.” She took a piece out of her purse and handed it to Harper. “Now, how about we go see the giraffes?”

“Giraffes! Yay!”

That afternoon as she and Harper played in the pool, Mari’s thoughts went to Hank. His answer the night before hadn’t been what she’d been hoping for, but she was grateful he’d been honest. She would give him credit for that.

What about her? How far was she willing to go for him? What if London confronted her about Hank? Would she deny it? Come to think of it, she’d already told London that there was nothing between them. But what if London knew for sure, what if she gave Mari one last chance to choose between her job and Hank? Would she dump him, or would she fight for him?

Her gaze went to Harper, who was happily splashing around in the pool. Mari truly loved her, couldn’t imagine spending her days without her. Was she willing to lose her job, lose Harper, for a chance with Hank? What if she took that chance and it didn’t work out? She would lose both Harper and Hank. Was the risk worth it?

When she realized her own answer was ambiguous, her disappointment in Hank vanished. She couldn’t hold his honest answer against him, not when she didn’t know what she would do.

She would apologize for running out on him. Tonight.

* * *

“Are you up for a game of pool?” Hank asked when he knocked on Mari’s door after tucking Harper in. He’d been home for less than an hour, but the idea of spending time with Mari had given him a burst of energy.

The night before, after she’d left the game room, he’d thought a lot about her question. His answer hadn’t changed, but he didn’t want to end things with her. Instead, he wanted to convince her not to give up on him.

“Sure,” she said with more enthusiasm than he’d expected.

He’d kind of presumed she would turn him down and tell him there was no point in spending time together if he wasn’t willing to fight for her. “All right.”

He led the way down the stairs and into the game room—the room he was almost beginning to think of as their room.

“Do you want to play ping-pong tonight?” Mari asked.

He grinned. “Have you been practicing?”

She laughed. “No. Harper and I were busy doing other things today. We didn’t even come in here.”

The reminder of why she was at his house was like a bucket of ice being dumped on him. “Right.”

She must have sensed his change of mood. “What’s wrong?”

Glancing toward the couch, he said, “Let’s sit.”

Without a word, she glided over to the couch and settled onto its cushions. He sat beside her, and when the floral scent that was uniquely Marigold swept over him, his entire body calmed. How did she manage to do that?

“I’m sorry I…” she began.

While at the same time, he said, “I need to explain…”

Then they both laughed.

“Ladies first,” Hank said.

With a brief nod, she said, “I’m sorry I walked out last night. I should have…I don’t know…talked it over with you.”

He completely agreed, although he didn’t know what he would have said in that moment. “It’s okay, Mari. I understand. We can talk now.”

She glanced at her lap before meeting his gaze with a nod. “Okay.”

“Like I said last night, I really care for you. I might even be…” Did he want to say it? “I might be falling for you.”

* * *

Mari’s heart nearly burst with joy.

Did he mean it? He was falling for her?

Then he went on.

“But…”

Why did there always have to be a but?

“But,” he said again, his voice softer. “We can’t broadcast our feelings. Not yet.” He scraped his hands through his hair. “Let me talk to London when she gets back to LA.”

“What would you tell her?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Though thrilled he was willing to go to bat for her—for them!—she was still worried about what London would do. She remembered reading about an incident that had happened years ago, before London was famous. London had been up for the same part as another actress, a woman who was an acquaintance of hers. The rumor was that London had known that the other actress was having personal problems, problems that could end up being an issue on set. London had secretly recorded the other actress talking about those problems and had then anonymously sent the recording to the producer of the movie. The other actress had been passed over and London had been hired. It was the movie that had launched her into stardom.

Did Hank know about that incident? Mari wasn’t sure how many people had heard about it. She’d only found out through her entertainment attorney father. He’d told her about it when she’d announced she was going to nanny for London.

“I don’t want to get fired,” she said now. “I’d miss Harper so much. And what would it do to Harper?”

Hank stroked her cheek, sending tingles cascading through her. “See? That’s something I love about you. Harper is very important to you.” He smiled. “That’s priceless.”

“Maybe this isn’t worth it. Not if it will affect Harper.”

Hank straightened and scrubbed his hands over his face, then he faced her. “You’re right.”

She didn’t want to be right. She wanted to be completely and utterly wrong. Why couldn’t he tell her it was totally worth it, that everything would be fine? Because she was falling in love with him. Totally and without question.

A shard of ice slid into her heart, one that would inevitably break her heart in two.

* * *

Hank didn’t like admitting that there was little hope of Mari keeping her job if she got involved with him. Hated it, truth be told. But he wasn’t going to pretend. Not when it came to Harper.

“I’m not ready,” Mari said, her voice just above a whisper, her eyes pointed to her hands twisting in her lap.

“Not ready for what?”

She lifted her gaze, and the sadness in her eyes gutted him. “To give you up.”

His breath came out in a rush. He wasn’t ready either.

Damn London and her controlling ways.

Without thinking twice, he tugged Mari against him, his arms enveloping her in a powerful embrace, his cheek pressed against her hair.

“I’ve got this,” he said, determined to make that true.

Mari pulled away enough to look at him. “How?”

Before he had a chance to answer, his phone rang. Frowning, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, read the name on the screen, then looked at Mari with a scowl. “It’s Simone.”

* * *

Panic swept over Mari. What if Simone knew she and Hank were snuggling on the couch? Was there some way she could see?

Frantically looking in the direction of the window and toward the empty house, Mari said, “You’d better talk to her.”

Grimacing, Hank nodded, then he swiped to answer.

Mari barely listened to his side of the conversation, her mind racing with what he’d meant when he said I’ve got this. Did he really, or was he placating her?

A few minutes later he put his phone away.

“What did she say?” Mari asked.

A muscle worked in Hank’s jaw. “I’m going out with her tomorrow night.”

Wishing more than anything that he could tell Simone it was over, Mari only nodded.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But until I meet with London, this is how it will have to be.”

As much as she hated it, Mari understood. “I know.”

“You don’t deserve this,” he said.

She wasn’t the only one affected. “Neither do you.”

With his gaze focused on her, he smiled. “Are you really this perfect?”

Grinning, she said, “Yes. And don’t you forget it.”

Laughter burst from his mouth. “That’s what I thought. Which is why I can’t wait another second to do this.” Then he pulled her onto his lap, cupped her face with his hands, and pulled her down so that her mouth crushed his.

Mari slid her hands behind his head, her fingers curling into his hair, holding on to him like he was the only thing keeping her alive, the only thing worth living for. His arms moved to her waist and his grip was so tight that she couldn’t move. But that was fine with her. She didn’t want to move from that spot for the rest of her life.