Tessa watched the night pass out the window. Her stomach hurt, her shoulders were tight, and a thick dread coated her throat.

All her concerns over Zach had been dispelled over the last several hours. He’d kept Sophia safe in the water. He’d helped her achieve in a new environment. And both he and Sophia had fun doing it. He’d also been infinitely patient with her moods and willing to alter his own plans to meet her needs without anger.

That didn’t mean he could raise her, but it might mean he had the capacity to be a decent dad.

And now Tessa had to figure out how to include that dad in Sophia’s life, while keeping her own together.

Zach’s hand covered her knee and squeezed. “You’re quiet.”

Before she could respond, her cell rang. Tessa pulled it from her pocket and saw Gordon’s name on the screen. Tessa glanced at the clock on the dash. It was 7:30 p.m., which made it 1:30 a.m. in DC.

Her stomach dropped. “Damn, this can’t be good.” She connected. “Hi, Gordon, what’s going on?”

“I’m so sorry to bother you.” He sounded tired and exasperated, which meant he’d done everything within his power not to bother her, but it had failed. “Calvin is lowballing Denise. Denise is digging her heels in, and Al’s got one foot out the door.”

Tessa closed her eyes. “Nooooooo,” she groaned. “No, no, no.”

“Bryon’s been all over me since noon,” Gordon said. “I put Gail on it, but no one calls her back, and now Bryon’s demanding to meet with you.”

No. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to leave Zach or Hawaii. She wasn’t ready to go back to work. Wasn’t ready for the stress of it all. “That’s a problem.”

“I made some calls,” Gordon said. “There is a firm about two miles from where you’re staying with full services, and they’re willing to loan you the paralegal in the conference room for two hours. Bryon’s standing by with his staff for a videoconference. Just let me know when you can be at the office there, and I’ll set it up.”

“Shit.” She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. “Abby left this morning. Sophia is asleep…” She glanced at Zach, then looked over her shoulder into the backseat, where Sophia was passed out. “Hang on a second.” She covered the mouthpiece. “I’m really sorry to ask, and it’s a long story, but do you think you could stay with Sophia for a few hours?”

His brows rose in surprise. “Me? Alone?” He glanced back at Sophia, and a spark of uncertainty lit his eyes. “Is she going to stay asleep?”

“If she does, she’ll be awake at four a.m. And if that happens, I’m sending her over to your place and going back to bed. So, no, she shouldn’t stay asleep.”

“I guess that answers the question of where we’re all sleeping.” He glanced at her with a sidelong grin. “If you’ll reconsider letting me stay with you, I’ll watch Sophia.”

His humor lightened her irritation. Tessa really shouldn’t sleep with him again. On the other hand, this was the last little bit of time they had together. Then Tessa would go back to Washington, Zach would move on with his glamorous life, and they’d stay in touch only for Sophia.

Tessa removed her hand from the phone. “Tell Bryon I’ll call him in thirty minutes.”

“Yes,” Zach hissed in a low tone, his face lightening with a grin.

“I agreed to reconsider,” she told Zach, who gave her a narrow-eyed, that’s-not-fair look. To Gordon, Tessa said, “Okay, go ahead and set it up. I’ll reassure Bryon.”

When she got off the phone Zach asked, “What’s going on?”

“Typical bull.” She sighed and rested her head back against the seat. “The veterans lobbyists and the Association of Hospitals are on board with our revised guidelines to provide access to health services for veterans. But the Veterans Administration is giving the lobbyists a lowball figure of how much money they have to pay for services. Everyone else who matters has approved the bill as it stands. These players are the last holdouts for the bill to go through smoothly and quickly. And they’re big players. If these three can’t find common ground on what services the veterans will receive and how much those services cost, the bill won’t go through.”

Zach glanced at her. “Isn’t it, like, 4:00 a.m. in DC?”

“Yep. And the senator’s chief of staff, that’s Bryon, is demanding a meeting with me to hash things out.”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight.” Tessa closed her eyes. She was tired from the sun and the stress, and she wished she could put Sophia to bed, then slide under the sheets with Zach. “People on the Hill work crazy hours.”

“What do you do with Sophia when this happens?”

“When Corrine was alive, I left Sophia at home. Since she passed, I handle these things from my home office, or I have Abby stay with her.”

“And how often does this happen?”

“Two, three times a year. It’s always crunch time just before submitting a bill to Congress.”

When Zach pulled into the condo parking lot and slowed, Tessa was already opening her door. “Can you get her inside? I’m going to run ahead and change.”

“Um…”

“Try not to wake her until after I leave. She’ll get less upset that way.”

“Upset?” was all she heard him say before she hurried toward the stairs.

Sophia would be bitchy no matter who tried to get her out of the car. Might as well let Zach experience all the “angel’s” little quirks.

Tessa jogged the steps and let herself into the condo. In the bedroom, she dragged her one and only suit from the hanger. She really only had to look professional from the waist up for the video conference, but she’d feel silly walking into a lawyer’s office in half a suit.

Zach’s footsteps sounded on the stairs, along with Sophia’s sleepy whine and Zach’s attempts to soothe. Tessa brushed her hair and rolled it into a quick bun, then she grabbed her briefcase and peeked around the doorjamb.

“Shh, shh,” Zach said, bouncing Sophia gently in his arms as he wandered into the living room.

When she caught his eye, Tessa put her index finger to her lips. Sophia’s head was on his shoulder and her eyes were closed. But a steady whine murmured from her throat, along with random words like “want Mommy” and “not tired.”

He lifted one arm out to the side as if to gesture What the hell? and mouthed, What are you doing?

Tessa used two fingers to make the motion of someone walking and pointed toward the door. Zach, pulled his phone from his back pocket, and showed it to her, mouthing, Text me.

Tessa nodded, and while Zach paced the living room keeping Sophia’s back toward the door, Tessa hurried on tiptoe out of the condo and closed the door quietly. There she paused and tilted her head toward the door to listen. When no frantic temper tantrum erupted, Tessa hurried to the car.

She pulled up the directions Gordon had sent her and started her GPS. Pulling out of the driveway, Tessa sighed in relief and rolled the window down a little to let the cool night air in. The roads were dark and quiet, and she relished this rare moment alone. Only now did she realize she hadn’t had a moment away from Sophia or Abby or Zach or the fear of losing everything.

She let her mind turn toward the meeting ahead of her. She had no doubt she would be calming nerves and smoothing feathers, and from the sound of things, she’d also be doing more negotiating.

The thought of negotiating brought her mind back to Zach again and their conversation at dinner. She was in for a lot more negotiating with him, because judging by his affection for Sophia, he wasn’t going to give up easily.

The sign for the law offices of Snyder and Smith appeared around a bend. Tessa slowed and turned into the parking lot, forcing her thoughts back to the work at hand. Once she closed this deal and pushed this bill through Congress, Tessa could relax a little and try to figure out how to arrange time for Sophia to see Zach. But she couldn’t do any of that working five twelve-hour days a week in the office.

She pulled into a parking space and shut off the engine. “First things first,” she told herself as she reached toward the passenger’s seat and grabbed her briefcase. “Gotta get the junior partner position before you can breathe. Gotta be able to breathe to think.”

She popped the door handle and pushed the door open. Then froze. Something she’d caught sight of from the corner of her eye dragged her gaze to the backseat. Sophia’s sparkly white Pegasus lay against the navy-blue seats.

Her stomach dropped and swirled. “Oh no.” Instinctively, she reached for it, then sat staring at it for a second. “Shit.”

If Sophia woke and wanted this, all hell would break lose at home. The combination of finding Tessa gone with no Abby to turn to and her newest, beloved stuffed animal missing would be enough to melt Sophia into an inconsolable puddle of misery.

Tessa glanced at the dashboard clock. Then at her phone.

Let a sleeping dog lie.

She didn’t like what her subconscious was telling her, but one more look at the clock on the dash, and Tessa knew all she could do was hope for the best.

* * *

Sweat collected along Zach’s spine beneath his T-shirt as he paced the condo, patting Sophia’s back while she continued to scream in his ear.

“I w-want Pe-pe-pegsis,” she cried against his shoulder for what had to be the thousandth time in the last ninety-six minutes. Yes, he was counting every single one. “I w-want M-mommy.”

“I know, honey,” he murmured to her as he passed the sofa, wondering if there would be rug wear when Tessa finally got home. “Mommy will be home soon”—God please let her be home soon—“and she’ll have Pegasus with her. Try to relax.”

But she just continued to wail and whimper and sniffle and wipe her face on Zach’s shoulder.

If he were honest, he felt like he was coming apart at the seams. He’d done everything conceivable to calm her over the last two hours after she’d woken just minutes after Tessa had driven away. He’d googled the hell out of “calming a three-year-old,” “how to get your child to stop crying,” and “new dad of a three-year-old,” attempting every rational suggestion. He tried to get her interested in her toys, tried to play games, offered her cookies he’d found in the cupboards, turned on a Disney movie. Hell, he’d tried every freaking cable channel on the damn television to distract her. Nothing had worked longer than sixty seconds.

Zach had considered calling in Renegades reinforcements in the form of Grace and Lexi. He’d considered calling Tessa and telling her to ditch the conference and get her ass back here. Truth be told, he’d considered a few even sketchier ideas, like carrying Sophia the three-mile distance to the store where he’d picked up the original stuffed animal to buy a new one or grabbing an Uber to the closest shave ice hut.

In the end, he hadn’t reached out for any of those crutches. Partly because he was embarrassed, partly because he was stubborn, but mostly because his gut told him it was the right thing to do. Because if he was ever going to be able to take care of her on his own, as one of the websites had so sagely advised, he was going to have to learn how to cope through the rough spots.

But, God, he was exhausted. Everything was hitting him now—the lack of sleep after spending unforgettable nights in bed with Tessa, his rigorous work schedule, the stress of finding out about Sophia and trying to ease into this sudden new role as a father. And, God help him, her crying ripped him to shreds. His whole body hurt with empathy for her distress. He couldn’t imagine everything she’d already endured.

“D-daddy,” she hiccupped, her voice drenched in anguish, her body as limp as a doll in his arms. “I want Mo-mmy.”

Zach squeezed his eyes shut as his heart broke. “I know, honey. I’m sorry.” He pressed his face to her feather-soft hair and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Sorry he hadn’t known about her. Sorry she’d lost her mother. Sorry he was creating even more upset in her life. Sorry he didn’t know how to be a father to her. Sorry he was causing trouble for Tessa.

“She’ll be home soon. I promise.” As her cries faded to whimpers, he said, “I’m so tired, baby. Can Daddy lie down? I think it’s past my bedtime.”

She gave a few choppy breaths. “Will you re-ad me a st-ory?”

“Sure.” Finally. Something she actually wanted him to do. “Do you have books here?”

“Ye-yeah. In my room.”

Zach moved into the bedroom and looked at the clock on the nightstand. Only ten minutes later than when he’d last looked. This had become an endless day, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many times Tessa had felt this way over the last couple of years.

He chose a handful of books from a pile and moved into the living room again. Propping a pillow against the arm of the sofa, he lay back, stretched his legs over the cushions, and dropped the books in his lap.

With stuttering breaths and sniffles, Sophia shifted to her side and tucked her head beneath his chin. “I want Pigeon, please.” Zach was sure he’d heard her wrong until she reached out for a book in the middle of the stack. “Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, please.”

That was when Zach realized that she’d have to stop crying to listen to him read. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and whispered, “Thank you.”

And only a few pages into Pigeon’s book, Sophia settled down. She even giggled at the story. After two books, Sophia transitioned into the adorable creature he’d gotten to know. After three, he was sure—despite all the challenges this little angel created in his life—she was burrowed into his heart for all eternity.

* * *

Tessa cradled Pegasus under her arm and tiptoed as softly as she could in heels up the stairs to the condo’s front door. There she paused, tilted her head toward the door, and listened, but she didn’t hear a thing. Not the television, not voices—at least there was no screaming or crying. But she wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad.

Apprehensive over what she’d find inside, she took her lower lip between her teeth as she slowly depressed the lever on the door handle and pushed it open. If Sophia had been awake most of the time and Zach had finally gotten her to sleep, the last thing Tessa wanted to do was wake her.

Her view into the foyer didn’t give any hint about what had gone on here over the last three hours, and still, Tessa heard nothing. Which felt weird. Their house was never quiet unless Sophia was sleeping. She closed the door, slipped off her heels, and wandered into the living area that opened to the living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Tessa grimaced and pressed a hand to her heart. In the living room, every one of the toys they’d brought for Sophia were strewn on the carpet. In the dining room, an open package of cookies sat on the dining room table, crumbs across the surface. The kitchen counter was littered with plastic cups, a milk carton, a jug of apple juice, a soda can.

She recognized the signs of panic. The kind of panic that came when you had a wildly inconsolable kid on your hands.

Guilt sank heavily in the pit of her stomach, and she moved deeper into the condo, headed toward the bedroom. But she caught the sight of someone from the corner of her eye and looked at the sofa. Her feet stopped dead, her breath hitched, and her hand moved back to her heart.

Zach was asleep. And Sophia was sprawled on top of him, passed out. Even in sleep, Zach had a protective arm around Sophia’s waist. Every book they’d brought on the trip was scattered across the coffee table, the floor beside the sofa, and Zach’s lap.

Tessa lifted her hand to her lips to suppress a laugh and inched closer. Zach’s head lolled to the right, and Sophia’s cheek rested against his chest. With their heads turned the same direction, Tessa got a perfect view of their profiles at the same time, and their resemblance stunned her.

Sophia shifted in sleep, and Zach’s arm tightened around her. Neither of them opened their eyes, but Sophia took a deep breath, and the air stuttered in, then out of her lungs the way it did when she’d been crying—hard. Then she resettled, and they both went still again.

The intimacy of the sight shattered all Tessa’s barriers. This was a good man. He’d been dealt a hard blow and had recovered. If not perfectly, damned well. He’d done exactly what he should have done given the situation—one Tessa could read from all the obvious signs. Sophia had woken and been upset to find both her and Pegasus gone, and Zach had done everything he could think of to placate her. Without calling Tessa in a panic.

Smiling, Tessa sat on the coffee table, drew out her phone, and snapped a picture of the two together.

Zach’s lashes fluttered, and Tessa put a hand on his free arm, whispering, “I’m home.”

His eyes opened, and it took him a second to place himself, then he immediately looked down at Sophia. When he saw she was fine, he relaxed again and lifted his free arm to rub at his eyes. “What time is it?”

Tessa glanced at her phone. “Ten.”

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “They’re still working at four in the freaking morning? That’s insane.”

“I’ve seen people on the Hill work forty-eight hours straight before on nothing but a cat nap and caffeine. They’re passionate people who do what needs to be done.”

He sighed and dropped his hand. “That’s just backward.”

“It shouldn’t sound so foreign,” she said with a smile. “You’re just as passionate and dedicated.” When he just gave her a confused stare, she stood and reached for Sophia. “I’ll put her to bed.”

He unlocked his arm from around her waist and his expression changed. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“You might need to change her first.”

“Why?” But she didn’t need an answer. As soon as she started to lift Sophia, Tessa saw the stain darkening Zach’s shirt. And she started laughing, then tried to squelch it. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, well,” Zach said, pulling his shirt away from his body. “A little pee never hurt anyone.”

Tessa let Sophia rest her head on her shoulder but held the lower part of her body away from her suit.

“Mommy?” Sophia’s sleepy voice touched her ear. “You’re home.”

“I’m home, baby.” She pressed a kiss to her hair. “I always come home. You know that.”

“I cried.”

“I can tell.”

“I lost Pegsis, Mommy,” she said, on the verge of tears again.

“No, you didn’t.” Tessa lifted the stuffed animal and pressed it to Sophia’s chest. “She just wanted to come to work with me tonight.”

“Pegsis.” Sophia pressed her face against the horse, then turned her head and rested it against the fur. “I not good for Daddy.”

Zach stood and rubbed her back. “Shh, honey. You were perfect for me. Can I get a kiss good night?”

Sophia lifted her head and smacked a kiss to Zach’s lips, making him smile. “Night, baby.”

“Night-night.” But instead of dropping her head back to Tessa’s shoulder, Sophia frowned and looked down. “Oh no. Mommy, I pee my pants.”

“It’s okay, honey. We’ll get you all cleaned up and tuck you in.”

She whimpered a little.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she told Zach.

He nodded and ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at his wet T-shirt.

In the bathroom, Tessa set Sophia on her feet and stripped off her underwear. She let Sophia sit on the area rug while Tessa wet a washcloth with soap and warm water.

“How was your time with Daddy?” she asked as she lifted Sophia to her feet again and wiped her down. “Why were you crying?”

“Be-because Daddy couldn’t find Pegsis, and you were gone, and Abby’s not here…” Her voice rose a little more with every word.

“Okay, okay,” Tessa soothed. “I’m here now, Pegasus is here now, and you’re going to see Abby when we get home. Tell me what you and Daddy did while I was gone.”

“I cried a lot.”

Tessa winced. “Uh-huh.”

“And he tried to play games with me, and he tried to watch movies with me…” Her lashes fluttered as she fought sleep. “But I just cried…”

“Until you fell asleep?”

Sophia frowned and thought about it. “No. He read to me. Every book.” She met Tessa’s eyes with a flicker of excitement and held up three fingers. “Two times. No, no.” She opened both her hands and held them up to Tessa. “Five times.”

“Five times?” she asked with amazement. “Wow, that’s pretty awesome.”

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh and a sad little look on her face. “Then I pee-peed on him.”

Tessa bit her lip but still laughed a little. “He’ll get over it.” She finished drying Sophia off and walked her into the bedroom, where she tugged on a pullup and slipped a nightgown over Sophia’s head before carrying her to bed. “Bet you’re ready for some good sleep. You’ve had a really big day.” She tucked Sophia in and sat beside her, brushing curls off her forehead. “I’m glad you had a good time with your daddy.”

Her lashes flickered a little more before they finally closed, and she murmured, “Can I have some water?”

“Just a sip.” She leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to Sophia’s forehead, pulling in her baby’s sweet scent. “I’ll get it for you.”