As days went by, Aidan and Nicole established their simple but enjoyable daily routines. He would wait for her after work and they would take long walks along the beach, holding hands and talking about childhood, life, and God. Relaxing boat rides, candlelit dinners, and sweet kisses started melting away Nicole’s fears and insecurities and she felt that Aidan had been sent into her life for a good reason.

Before Nicole’s trip to Miami to visit her dad, Aidan invited her to see his rental house. Their footsteps echoed in the living room. She tilted her face upward as she walked, taking in the vaulted ceiling and the high windows.

“Here’s the back porch,” Aidan said.

He opened the sliding door and placed his hand on the small of Nicole’s back. A pleasurable shiver went through her and she smiled at him as she walked onto the deck.

“Nice,” she commented, looking out at the beach.

Aidan’s rental house was on the street she’d expected it to be, the one with all the mansion beach houses that millionaires and billionaires probably summered in a few weeks out of the year. He’d seemed embarrassed when she pulled her car up to check it out, even though he was the one who asked her to stop by on her way to Miami.

“I’m not holding this against you,” Nicole teased, turning and leaning against the railing. “The house.”

Aidan rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a big house. Silly big.”

“Why did you rent it?”

“My dad did.”

“Ah. Right.” A breeze drifted across the beach, making Nicole’s hair dance around her face. She nudged it out of her eyes and inspected Aidan. “It’s going to be okay.”

He forcefully smiled. “I hope so.”

Pushing off of the railing, Nicole went to Aidan and wrapped her arms around him. He accepted the embrace right away, pulling her in tighter and burying his face in her hair.

“This is selfish,” he said, “but I don’t want to let you go.”

“It’s just Miami. I’ll be back in a few days.”

She knew what he meant, though. Every time they said goodbye, it became harder. She hadn’t expected to be heading to Miami so soon—eleven days after she talked with her dad—but the office had told her the best time to take a few days off was right then.

Aidan pulled back enough to look down at Nicole. With a cupped hand, he pushed the last wild bits of hair away from her forehead. “I was thinking I might take a quick trip back to L.A. There are some business things I need to take care of.”

“For how long?” Nicole asked, not meaning to sound so mournful.

“A few days. I’ll be back here around the same time as you.”

“Oh.” Nicole smiled. “I like the sound of that, then.”

“I thought you would.” He grinned.

Taking one arm away from his waist, she ran her fingers down the front of his chest through his T-shirt. The excitement of such an intimate gesture made her pulse drum in her ears.

“How long is this going to go on for?” she asked. “How long are you going to stay here?”

Nicole bit the inside of her cheek, needing to hear the answer but being afraid of it.

Aidan’s face remained flat and determined. “I don’t want to scare you away, but I’m serious about you, Nicole.”

“Yeah?” she whispered with a smirk.

“Is that okay?”

“It’s more than okay.”

“Good.” Grinning, Aidan pressed his lips to hers. The heat on her mouth competed with the heat of his palms against her back. Lost in his embrace, she was melting, melting away.

Aidan stopped the kiss and took her hand. “It’s almost nine.”

“I know,” Nicole groaned.

“And you said you’d be in Miami before lunch.”

“Yeah.” Nicole pouted. “I wish you were coming.”

“Hopefully, I’ll be meeting both of your parents soon.”

The statement made Nicole’s heart swell.

He walked her to the car she’d rented for the next three days, gave her another kiss, and closed the driver’s door behind her. She was off, headed for Miami, headed for a reunion that made her palms sweat and her hands shake.

There had been too little traffic. That was Nicole’s first thought as she pulled up to the green, two-story house in a gated community. Stopping in the circular drive, she turned off the car and sat for a moment.

A three-door garage. Elaborate water fountain in the middle of a perfectly landscaped garden. Twelve windows on the front of the house alone. It seemed about right.

Nicole closed her eyes and shook her head. She was judging again. There was nothing to be gained from doing that. She’d come to Miami to set things right with her dad, not to criticize him for being material.

Grabbing her backpack, she approached the front of the house. Before she stepped onto the welcome mat, the door opened and a red-haired woman reached out for Nicole.

“You’re here!” Lizzie shrieked, pulling Nicole into a side hug.

Nicole stared at her, feeling dumbfounded. The two had never met before. She only knew this was her dad’s girlfriend because of pictures.

“Hi,” Nicole said.

“Get in here.” Lizzie ushered Nicole in.

Nicole did a quick, surreptitious sweep of the foyer as Lizzie took her backpack. A staircase wound up to the second floor and several doorways went off to the left and right. The house was eerily quiet, with no signs of Nicole’s dad.

At the thought of him, her palms began sweating again. It had been almost a year since they’d seen each other. A phone call was one thing. How would she get through seeing him in person?

“How long are you staying for?” Lizzie asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Gordon had given Nicole several days off, but she didn’t know whether she’d use them or not. It all depended on how things went. It could be that coming to Miami had been the wrong thing to do.

“Nicole.”

Turning, she found her dad standing in the doorway to what looked like the living room. He pressed his hands against the door frame and surveyed her.

His hair had gotten more gray, but it was still thick, and everything about him was the same. Even the way he looked at her—studying her like she was some strange animal he was encountering for the first time.

“Hi, Dad,” she choked out.

“You came.”

“I did.” She held his gaze.

He took a few strides toward her, slowing down as he came closer. His eyes uncertainly swept over her face and the air crackled with anticipation.

Before she could second guess herself, Nicole wrapped her arms around her father and gave him a firm hug. He squeezed her back and she could feel him relax.

“We’re glad you’re here.” He stepped back and in his eyes shone something new. Relief. “How about some lunch?”

“Lunch sounds great.”