It had been six long days since he’d seen her last. Sure, Beckett had caught glimpses of Gianna hustling the kids out the door in the morning and one night had the unfortunate timing to witness her shucking off her yoga clothes in her curtain-less bedroom.

That had been a long, sleepless night for him. To be honest, he’d been missing a lot of sleep lately thanks to Gianna. He was starting to wonder if avoiding her since he showed up unannounced with a kitchen appliance was making him think of her even more often.

He’d wanted to get some space, some perspective. Every time he was near her, his judgment clouded. He was distracted to the point that Ellery had suggested that perhaps he needed another vacation. The woman didn’t just occupy his backyard, she occupied his mind. If he wasn’t thinking about how much he wanted her, he was analyzing why he wanted her more than any other woman to date. And he’d been pretty damn excited about Moon Beam Parker at sixteen.

It felt unhealthy. He was used to dating and enjoying women who didn’t run in an obsessive loop in his head all day, every day. But Gianna? She was on his mind on his morning run, in the shower, during conference calls. He’d even had a few colorful dreams about her that left him disappointed when he woke to find himself alone in bed.

He briefly considered confiding his confusion in his brothers, but immediately rejected the idea. They’d only tell him to embrace the attraction … and then tease him mercilessly.

There were two choices. One, stay the course and leave Gianna as just a tenant and neighbor. Or two, explore the attraction that kept growing while risking it all. If it didn’t work out there were the kids, the town, and a year’s lease to think about.

All weighed heavily on his mind.

Beckett was still pondering his options over the sink as he washed his lunch dishes when he caught a glimpse of Gianna walking from the driveway to her front porch. Even with her head down, he could tell she was crying.

He was out the back door before she even made it to her porch.

“What’s wrong, Red?” he asked, climbing the steps behind her.

She hid her face as she dug through her bag looking for her keys. There was a definite nip in the October air that would transform to a real chill by the carnival that night.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just can’t find my key.”

Beckett reached up to the porch rafter and slid the spare into his fingers. “Here.”

Gianna finally looked up at him and frowned. “Where did you find that?”

“I had a spare made when you left your keys in my office. There’s a spare for your studio, too.”

“Do you think I’m some bumbling idiot who can’t survive on her own?” She sniffed indignantly.

“No, Red. I think you spend all your time taking care of others and you don’t leave any room in that brain of yours for yourself. You feed the kids lunch and forget to have any yourself. You stay late after class to listen to a student who needs to talk and forget where you put your keys. You prioritize your day by what’s important to you and that’s other people, not things like keys and lunch and probably your cellphone.”

Gianna glanced down in her bag and frowned. “Shit.”

“It’s probably with your keys.”

“Did you lock your studio?”

She winced. “I can’t remember.”

“Baby, this is Blue Moon. We could leave the bank vault open and send everyone out for lunch and no one would think to walk in and help themselves.”

She was tearing up again.

“Okay. Let’s get you inside.” Beckett took the key from her and let them in.

He put her bag on the floor by the door and pulled out a chair from her dining room table. “Come here, Red.”

He sat and pulled her into his lap.

Sitting stiffly against him, she sniffled. “That was a really nice thing to say, rather than calling me flighty and scatterbrained or stupid,” she sniffled.

“Gianna, anyone who would call you stupid is a fucking idiot.” He stroked a hand down her back.

She laughed.

“Now, talk. What’s wrong?”

As the tears came back she sank into him. Beckett grabbed the tissue box off the table and handed it to her.

She buried her face in a tissue and took a shaky breath.

“It’s mostly good. Mostly happy tears,” she sniffled.

“Tell me.”

She rested her head against his chest and hiccupped. “Evan’s teacher emailed me at lunch. She said there’s a new girl in his class who’s been having a hard time at home and today Evan brought her flowers and a homemade card to cheer her up. And then he and his friends invited her to sit with them at lunch.”

She ended her explanation on something close to a wail.

Beckett continued to stroke her back. “That’s very thoughtful and considerate.”

Gianna nodded against his jacket. “You’d better check your mums. I think I have a feeling I know where he got the flowers.”

Beckett chuckled.

“To know that the boy I’m raising has that much compassion and empathy is just incredible. He’s going to grow up to be such a good man. Despite everything.”

“It’s not despite everything, it’s because of how you’re raising him,” Beckett said softly.

“Just when I think I’m doing everything wrong and turning them into monsters, they go and do stuff like this. And just when they go all awesome on me, I fail them spectacularly.”

“How did you fail?” He let his hand slide up to the back of her neck where he gently rubbed.

“Paul called. Said he’s losing his job. Again. He asked if I could put Evan on my health insurance.” Gianna hiccupped again.

“But because he’s not your biological son …” Beckett filled in.

“Exactly. And even if he was, the premiums are astronomical. I need to think about a part-time job. The studio is too new to start pulling money out of it.”

Beckett frowned. Gianna was the hardest working businesswoman and mom he knew. She didn’t have enough hours in the day to do it all alone.

“What about your ex? Can’t he contribute?”

Gianna wiped her eyes. “He’s not exactly reliable. The support he’s supposed to pay for the kids is either late or light. And now that he doesn’t have a job, I don’t see how I can count on him for help. Not that it even matters since Evan isn’t technically mine. He should have been. I asked Paul about adopting him when we found out his mother died. But I just let it go when Paul said he’d look into it. So stupid.”

“Now that I can help you with.”

She dabbed at her eyes. “Really? How?”

“Do you think Paul would be open to making you Evan’s legal guardian?”

She frowned, considering. “Would he have to give up his parental rights?”

Beckett shook his head. “A legal guardian is kind of an additional ‘parent’ in the eyes of the courts. It can be a tricky process, especially if the biological parents aren’t open to the idea,” he cautioned. “But it would allow you to put Evan on your insurance and make schooling and medical decisions for him.”

Gianna perked up. “That sounds perfect! I can’t see why Paul wouldn’t go for it.”

“Some parents aren’t open to other people being legally responsible for their kids,” Beckett warned. “Even though they still have rights, it can get sticky. And if he fights it, the courts often side with the biological parent. If he is on your side, it would make the whole process a lot easier.”

“What do I have to do to start the guardianship process?”

“Talk to your ex first and talk to Evan, too. Make sure he understands that his dad isn’t just signing him over to you. Then come see me and I’ll get started with the paperwork.”

She reached up and held his face in her hands. “Beckett, I don’t know what to say. This would mean so much to me.”

Her tear-stained face was doing something to his chest. Something painful. He shoved her head back down against his shoulder so he didn’t have to look into those watery green eyes.

“Are you and the kids going to the Halloween carnival tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.

She nodded against him. “Will you be there?” Her fingers were toying with the lapel of his jacket.

He dropped his chin to the top of her head. “I’ll be there. As mayor it’s my duty to judge the parade floats.”

“Are you dressing up?”

He heard the smile in her voice.

“I am not.”

“Party pooper. Aurora will be devastated.”

“I take it that means you’ll be in costume?”

“One cannot escort a doctor and a ninja to a carnival in regular everyday clothes,” she told him.

They were quiet for a minute before Gianna spoke again. “Beckett?”

“Hmm?”

“Why am I sitting in your lap telling you why I was crying?”

“Because you like me.”

She nodded. “I do like you.”

He sighed heavily. “And I like you.”

“Things are going to get complicated, aren’t they?” Gianna asked.

“Very.”

* * *

Beckett had left her with a kiss on the forehead and a head swirling with thoughts. He’d given her hope. For Evan and herself.

After he headed back to his house, she’d taken out her laptop and opened up the yoga studio financials. She was doing well, better than she’d hoped at this point. But, as she’d thought, it was still too soon to start pulling any extra cash out of the business. She’d find something part-time and flexible. It was important to her to be there for the kids as much as possible. So that left a few hours here and there during the week, at least until summer.

She would make it work.

“Aurora! Wait for me, please,” she called. She’d gone old-school witch in a long sleeve black dress over spider web stockings and knee high boots. It wasn’t creative, but it was comfortable and the cloak and pointed hat pulled the outfit together.

Her five-year-old ninja danced at the corner, swinging her orange pumpkin impatiently.

“Hurry, Mama! The parade.”

“They won’t start without us,” Gia promised, shouldering Evan’s backpack for his sleepover at a friend’s that night and pulling Aurora’s pony suitcase for her overnight with Grampa and Phoebe behind her.

A night without her kids. The prospect both excited and terrified her.

“I think Roar gets more excited about Halloween than Christmas,” Evan commented through his surgical mask. The scrubs Gia had hemmed for him were smeared with fake blood and he carried a plastic scalpel that looked more like a butcher knife than a surgical instrument.

Gia laughed. “It’s the candy. If Christmas presents were made entirely out of sugar she’d be more excited about it.”

“The last thing that kid needs is more sugar,” Evan shook his head sadly.

“Oh, like you aren’t going to fill up on energy drinks and five-pound bags of sugar the minute my back is turned,” Gia teased.

“Yeah, but I can handle my sugar. Roar just goes crazy and then passes out. Remember the wedding cake incident?”

“Who knew four pounds of cake could result in so much damage?” Gia shook her head. “At least the bride and groom will have the memory of a three-year-old spewing projectile vomit under their gift table forever.”

“Just try to keep her away from any cake tonight,” Evan warned. “I won’t be around to help Grampa and Phoebe wrangle her.”

“I’m picking you up at ten tomorrow, right?” Gia asked.

“Yeah. I left Lance’s address, phone number, and his mom’s name on a sticky note on the fridge.”

“You’re like the best twelve-year-old surgeon in the world,” Gia sighed.

“They don’t call me Dr. Awesome for nothing.”

They trooped to the yoga studio where Gia stashed the backpack and suitcase inside. She planted the kids on the curb with bottles of water and enjoyed the show around them as the residents of Blue Moon converged on the street and square claiming their spots for the parade.

Her neighbors at McCafferty Farm Supply on the next street over had set up temporary grandstands for the parade judges. Gia could just make out Beckett in jeans and a gray wool coat helping to set up the judge’s table.

“Mind if we join you?” Carter and Summer strolled up arm in arm, glowing with happiness in the falling dusk.

“Sure,” Gia smiled. “We’ve got room for the four of you.”

“Four?” Summer’s hand flew to her belly. “Oh my God. I was just getting used to being part of a two-some! Are we going to need a minivan, Carter?”

“And get rid of the Jeep? Serves me right for keeping expired condoms in my house,” Carter quipped, shooting a belated glance in Evan and Aurora’s direction.

Summer elbowed Carter in the gut. “Too much information, Pierce,” she teased.

Gia laughed and ushered them to the curb where the kids greeted them enthusiastically. She bit her lip when she saw Evan slide just an inch closer to Summer. She guessed the baby and engagement news hadn’t been much of a deterrent to the twelve-year-old.

“So, Gia,” Carter began, slinging an arm around his fiancée. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

“It depends on the day,” Gia winked.

“Speaking of days, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?”

“I have no idea. Presumably eating too much,” Gia said. She hadn’t given the upcoming holidays much thought and realized that for the first time in too many years she would get to spend them with her father.

“We were hoping you’d spend the day with us,” Summer said casually, but her sparkling eyes gave her away.

“Thanksgiving with the vegetarians?” Gia asked.

“Well, Thanksgiving and a wedding.” Summer grinned.

“Are you serious? You’re getting married on Thanksgiving?”

Summer giggled. “We want something small, but I want to still be able to wear a spectacular dress which means the sooner the better,” she said, patting her still-flat belly again.

“We would be thrilled to spend Thanksgiving with you. We’ve all got a lot to be thankful for this year,” Gia said happily.

“Good, because now you can’t say no to the next thing.”

“What’s the next thing?”

“I want you to be a bridesmaid,” Summer stated firmly. “Now, I know what you’re going to say,” she said holding up a hand when Gia started to speak.

“We haven’t known each other long, but I like you more than any ‘friends’ I had in the city and you’re practically family … Because of Franklin,” she added, darting a glance at Carter.

“I don’t know what to say,” Gia told her. She was touched. She liked Summer and admired the life she and Carter were forging together. To be asked to be a part of it was sweet and exactly the kind of relationship she’d been looking to build here.

“Say yes,” Summer urged. “Besides with your hair and coloring, you’ll look amazing in the bridesmaids dress I picked out.”

“Well, when you put it that way, how can I say no?” Gia laughed.

“Perfect!” Summer winked and snuggled into Carter’s side. “It’s you and Joey for bridesmaids and Beckett and Jax are groomsmen. Beckett will be your escort.”