FLO RAISED HER CAMERA, focused the lens and captured the beauty of the morning sun streaming through the large bay windows of the cavernous rustic kitchen. It hit the brick-and-stone wall with its arch over a brand-new stainless steel stove; the forest green cabinetry with their glass fronts; the gleaming wood countertops and the brown tile flooring. A matching island sat in the middle of the floor.
It was a gorgeous room, she thought, snapping picture after picture—from the recessed ceiling with its hanging domed light fixtures to the farmhouse sink and shale countertops. It was hard to believe that just two weeks earlier, this space had been completely gutted with wiring hanging from the ceiling and walls. The before and after images were going to be stunning side by side.
She lowered her camera, scrolling through the digital pictures she’d taken in the last half hour. Without any effort, she could easily imagine what the room would look like with a small table and chairs tucked in the breakfast nook, copper pans and pots hanging on iron hooks... She’d adored this house for years, but now she was downright in love with it.
“This might be my favorite room.”
She stiffened, her pulse echoing in her ears. But she didn’t turn around. “Mine, too,” she said, proud that her voice was level, even pleasant.
Some would say unbothered. But God, she was so bothered.
Adam’s footsteps fell against the tile floor, and she still didn’t turn around, though the urge rode her hard. Adam walking, moving, was all sensual grace. A symphony, melody in motion. She held firm, but when he stopped behind her, his body heat damn near scalded her.
Okay, so that was her imagination, but she had an active one. And it provided her with every detail of his stunning face with its bold angles, carnal curves and golden eyes. Of his wide shoulders, broad chest and powerful, thick thighs.
God, even her hurt and confusion couldn’t compete against the desire he never ceased to stir. She was as predictable as the sun rising in the east. If Adam was within five feet of her, her body heated like a furnace.
Dammit.
“Flo,” Adam said, that whiskey-and-midnight voice a caress over her skin. “You didn’t come by the house this morning.”
Was he kidding? He had to be.
The last time she’d been at his home, it’d been the most awkward “morning after” in history as his ex-wife sailed inside like she rented the place with him. Like she belonged there. And maybe she did. More than Flo, that was certain. Adam, Justine—they were her family, not Flo’s. And the delighted squeal of “Mommy!” as Justine leaped down from her chair, raced across the room and threw herself into her mother’s outstretched arms solidified that.
Of course the little girl would be thrilled to see the mother she hadn’t been with in so long. And God, what did it say about Flo that jealousy had wormed its way through her? That she’d been hurt? Maybe she was as immature as he’d once called her.
This was why she didn’t get attached, didn’t get invested.
Emotions were messy and ugly.
And she sucked at them.
“Justine’s mom is here. I didn’t want to intrude on their time together.” Didn’t want to appear like the desperate...whatever she and Adam were, who didn’t know where she stood with him or his daughter.
She kept her attention focused on the digital screen. Scrolling, scrolling. But not really seeing anything. Avoiding looking at him, so he didn’t see the doubts that had been crawling through her since yesterday morning.
It’d been hell.
Hell, knowing he was alone with the woman he had so much history with.
Hell, knowing she could do nothing if the old chemistry that had brought them together—and kept them together for years—sparked again.
Hell, knowing her relationship with Justine might have come to an abrupt end.
Hell, knowing her heartache could have arrived much sooner than she believed.
“Flo,” he murmured. “Will you look at me?”
No. Don’t ask that of me.
God, she didn’t want to, but she finally lifted her head and met his gaze. And prayed that the chaotic storm inside her wasn’t reflected in her expression. He studied her, his scrutiny roaming over her face as if searching for...for what?
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She shook her head. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Adam.”
“Yes, there is,” he countered. “Yesterday did not go—” he paused, his full lips momentarily flattening “—anything like how I planned or imagined. And I feel like I put you in a very—” another pause, another grim firming of his mouth “—uncomfortable position. For that, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she said, flicking her fingers and waving off his apology. “The most important thing is that Justine has time with her mother. She’s really missed her.”
“Yeah.” That piercing gaze didn’t move from her, and the plea for him to look away, to leave her some pride, some privacy, scrambled to her tongue. “She’s happy her mom is here. It’s good that Jennifer came to see her.”
“Definitely.”
God, this was awkward. And painful.
“Flo,” Adam rumbled.
“I need to get some more pictures in here then move on to the parlor. You probably need to get to work, too.” She stepped forward. Away from him. “We’ll ta—”
“She isn’t staying at the house with me, Flo. I took her to your parents’ inn after you left.”
A weight lifted from her chest—one that had been pressing on her lungs since the day before. She inhaled and a tremble shook her. Relief. A cool, almost drunken sensation shuddered through her, damn near weakening her knees. And then instantly she felt bad and petty for it.
Adam wasn’t hers to claim; they’d never discussed being that to each other. On the contrary, he’d told her she wasn’t good partner material. Too young. Too ambitious. Too inexperienced. And yet... Yet, her mind, her body, her...heart weren’t on the same page. It would cost her. She understood that. When he left, not looking back in just a few weeks, it would absolutely cost her.
“Thank you for telling me that,” she murmured.
He nodded, and after a long moment where things unspoken hummed between them in a thick silence, he lifted a hand and brushed her locs back over her shoulder. That simple, small gesture slammed into her sternum like a hammer. Because it seemed as if he just had to touch her. She ducked her head, returning her gaze to her camera, otherwise he might glimpse just how much that caress affected her.
“How is Jussy doing?” Flo asked, missing her little partner in crime.
By now, ordinarily, they would be leaving the rental house, headed over to the renovation where she would take pictures along with Flo. In such a short time, Jussy had become a part of Flo’s daily routine, and not having Jussy there only served as a harsh reminder that she needed to adjust. Whether it was now with Jennifer in town or when Adam and Jussy eventually left for Chicago, Flo would be without her.
“Fine. Good,” he amended, sliding his hands into his front pants pockets. “I dropped her off at the inn to be with Jennifer today. They’re supposed to do some shopping.” He exhaled, dragging his fingers over his head. “Flo, I—”
Someone called for him from deeper in the house and a small growl rumbled out of him.
“Listen, I have to go see what’s going on upstairs, but don’t leave today without finding me, okay?”
“Sure,” she agreed, about 73 percent certain she’d follow through on that promise.
Maybe he suspected, because his eyes narrowed on her, but he finally nodded, turned and left the kitchen.
And she breathed again.
“HEY, BABY SISTER.” Cole grinned at Flo as he climbed the front walk, and Flo shook her head, returning his smile.
Setting her camera on a tripod, she met him as he neared the porch steps, and her brother pulled her into a hug, smacking a kiss on the top of her head. For a moment she closed her eyes, leaning on his familiar strength, savoring the safety and comfort in her older brother’s embrace.
“Hey, hey.” Cole leaned back, cupping her upper arms. “I just came over to check out the progress of the renovation, but it looks like you need me more than that TV crew.” He smiled, but his dark brown eyes flitted over her face as if seeking out answers she hadn’t divulged. “What’s wrong, Flo?”
A thick knot of emotion tightened around her throat, and she swallowed past it.
“Nothing. I’m good.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Sure you are. C’mon.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders, waiting until she grabbed her camera, and led her to the side of the house, away from the clatter and voices emanating from inside the Victorian. Once they stood some distance away, he removed his arm and faced her. “Now, tell me what’s wrong. You’ve known me almost all your life, and you should know by now that I’m not going anywhere until you spill. And since I have to pick up your niece from school in about, oh—” he flipped his wrist up and peered down at his watch “—one hour, you should start talking or you’ll have to face Sydney’s wrath for leaving her daughter on the curb. And nobody wants that.”
As he probably intended, she huffed out a laugh.
“No, we definitely don’t want that,” she agreed. Sydney could be feral about her kids and her husband. The word honey badger came to mind.
Slipping the camera strap around her head, Flo sighed and swept her palms over her hair. Now that she thought about it, who better to talk to about how she was feeling? And not just because he was her brother, a person who loved her and would never judge her. But because he married a woman who carried her ex-husband’s baby. And they’d all found a way to coexist and co-parent in a healthy, supportive manner for Patience.
“I’m going to guess me telling you that I’m...involved with Adam Reed isn’t a surprise to you.” When his expression didn’t change, she shook her head, loosing another chuckle. Finding a new portal to Narnia would be easier than keeping a secret in the Dennison family. “He’s a single dad, and I’ve become close to his daughter, Justine.”
Cole nodded. “Yeah, Moe mentioned you were watching over her as a favor for Adam. And I saw you two together at the picnic. She seems to really like you.”
“I love her, Cole. At first, she was just the cutest and funniest kid. But soon, she captured my heart, and I...” She trailed off, clearing her throat. “Anyway, Adam and his ex-wife divorced two years ago, and for the most part, she hasn’t been present in Jussy’s daily life. But she showed up at his house yesterday morning.”
“And you were there?” Cole asked, both eyebrows arched now.
She grimaced. “Yes.”
“Whew. Awkwaaard,” he sang. When she winced again, Cole snorted. “But you don’t need me to tell you that.”
“I don’t. Now, let’s move along,” she said. “I...care for Adam—”
“Uh-huh.” Cole shook his head. “Care for him? Oh, you’re definitely my sister. The denial is strong in this family.”
Ignoring him because she was not ready to even get near that comment or the connotation behind it, she continued, “I know he’s leaving once this TV show wraps and the house is done. I have no claim on him, no rights to him, but...”
“But you would like to wrap that little girl up in your arms and yell, ‘Mine. Stay away.’”
She blinked at her brother, then she gave him a small smile, rueful. “Damn. Am I that transparent? Or pathetic? Probably both, right?”
“No.” He shrugged a shoulder and returned her smile. “None of that. I’ve just been exactly where you are, and you know that. Which is why I think you’re talking to me instead of say, Leo, who would go scorched earth that her little sister’s feelings are hurt, or Sinead, who would most likely give you her legal opinion—then offer ways around it. And of course, Wolf, who would just hug you.”
Despite the subject matter—and the guilt clawing a hole in her chest—she laughed, and the loud crack of it echoed between them. This. This was why she loved her family, cherished them.
“Facts.” She grinned. “All facts.”
Smiling, he tipped his head back, squinting up at the sky before lowering his chin and looking at her again.
“One thing you should never apologize for is loving that little girl. No child can ever have too much love. Never.” He cocked his head. “When Sydney and I married, I didn’t expect to bond with Patience. I still grieved for Tonia and Matteo, and I didn’t want to love her baby because one, it felt like a betrayal to the wife and son I’d lost. And second, I refused to get attached to another child because the pain of losing my own almost broke me.”
Flo had been younger when Sydney first returned to town and she and Cole got together, but she remembered the grieving, lost man he’d been. And how he’d emotionally shut a part of himself down. She also recalled how the town’s rebel and her baby girl had brought him back.
“But I came to love Patience like my own. She is my own. That’s my little girl. There’s no stepdaughter when it comes to her. She’s just my daughter. But she had a biological father who not only wanted to be in the picture, but desired an active role in her life. Though I was married to Sydney, though I was there every day, and I knew Sydney loved me, I felt threatened.” His gaze unfocused as if he stared back into the years when his marriage and fatherhood had been new. “What if Patience loved Daniel more? What if she didn’t need me? What if Sydney saw him and realized that being with Patience’s biological father would be best for all of them? Didn’t matter that Daniel was married as well, I was scared of losing the joy and happiness that I’d found.”
“I didn’t know any of this,” Flo whispered.
“It was tough to admit it to myself much less Sydney. I felt small, petty. I mean, who begrudges their child a relationship with their father? And yet, I wanted to be Daddy. I wanted to be the one she ran to, shouting my name when I came home from work. I wanted to be her superhero. And I didn’t want to share that special place with anyone.”
God, he nailed exactly how she felt. And it didn’t matter that she’d only known Justine for weeks. The little girl had burrowed inside her heart, and there was no excavating her out.
“What did you do? How did you get over it?”
Cole huffed out a chuckle and raked his fingers through his dark curls.
“I can’t lie, it wasn’t easy at first. But Flo, children have the most amazing capacity to love. It’s awe-inspiring. And we can learn so much from them—it’s also why we have to protect them. They don’t understand the concept of compartmentalizing affection. They just give and give. Patience loved me just as much as Daniel. Just as much as Sydney. For her, it was the more, the merrier.” He softly laughed. “Daniel’s Dad, and I’m Daddy. And I’m betting Justine is the same. Your relationship with her is newer, but in her childlike heart, loving her mother doesn’t subtract from her affection for you. That heart just expands to include all of you. Now, as far as you and Adam...”
Cole studied her for several long moments, and he reached out, clasped her hand in his and squeezed.
“Flo, you can’t let your fear be greater than your hope. Hope propels you forward even when your situation looks to be at its worst. It won’t let you quit or give up on your dreams, your aspirations. Hope will let you love. But fear will hold you prisoner, won’t let you trust. Fear is a cage and love picks the lock. Don’t be afraid to love, little sister. It will set you free to truly live.”
Don’t be afraid to love.
So simple yet such a huge ask. But... An image that she hadn’t allowed herself to picture wavered across her mind. Hope—that hope Cole spoke of—whispered through her like dandelion seeds floating on a summer wind. Scattered, delicate, but undeniable.
“Flo!” The high-pitched and happy yell echoed across the front lawn, reaching her and Cole.
And hearing it, Flo couldn’t contain the smile that curved her mouth or the delight that bloomed behind her breastbone.
“Oh yeah. You’re in love,” Cole murmured, turning as Justine raced up the hill, her little legs and arms pumping as she ran toward them.
Flo knelt, arms open, and caught Justine when she crashed into her, thin arms wrapping around Flo’s neck. Laughing, Flo hugged her, that little-girl scent of hers another embrace.
“Hey, Jussy,” Flo greeted her.
“Hi, Flo! I missed you!” Justine palmed Flo’s face on either side and smooshed her lips together. “You didn’t come see me today.”
Laughing, Flo squished Justine’s face, too. The little girl giggled then gave Flo another hug, setting her head on Flo’s shoulder. Love swelled in her chest, and she tightened her own arms around Justine.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. You know I love hanging out with you. But I wanted to give you and your mom special time together. I missed you.” Flo tickled her belly, and that bright laughter broke through Flo’s saddest, loneliest thoughts like dawn cresting for a new day.
“The famous Flo. Again.”
Flo slightly stiffened at the new voice. True, she’d only heard it once before, but it was emblazoned on her memory. She didn’t see Cole behind her, but she felt him move closer.
Slowly rising, Flo faced Adam’s ex-wife, Jennifer.
She was a beautiful woman. Tall, curvy, with thick, natural curls, Flo could easily envision her and Adam together. Justine had her beautiful dark brown, thickly lashed eyes and her fine bone structure. Though Jennifer wore a polite smile, it didn’t reach her eyes. They were hard, wary.
Jennifer Reed was not here to make nice.
“Hi, Jennifer. It’s nice to see you again,” Flo said, keeping her voice even, pleasant. “This is my brother, Cole Dennison. Cole, this is Justine’s mother, Jennifer.”
A gleam entered Jennifer’s gaze when she turned to Cole, the hard brown softening to a warm chocolate.
Sorry, sis. He’s taken and his wife don’t play about that one.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Cole stretched his hand toward her, briefly shaking it then extricating his fingers from hers.
“Cole, is it?” Jennifer said with a bigger smile. “The pleasure is all mine.”
He shifted, turning to Flo with the corner of his mouth twitching.
“I’m going to head inside and check out the progress. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, thanks for...everything,” she murmured as he pulled her in for a quick hug.
“You got it. Anytime. And I mean that.” Releasing her, he looked down at Justine and grinned. “Hey, Jussy. Do you want to come with me and see your dad?”
He held his hand out and Justine immediately slipped hers into his.
“Yeah,” she crowed. “I want to tell Daddy about my ice cream and my new shoes...”
She continued reciting the list of her new purchases as Cole led her toward the house, leaving Flo alone with Jennifer. When she looked at the other woman again, that overly polite smile had reappeared, as did the flint in her eyes.
“I have to thank your brother,” Jennifer said. “I was hoping to have some time alone to speak with you. Jussy talks about you so much. On the phone and today. Flo, this. Flo, that. I was beginning to think you were a myth.”
“No, flesh and blood.” Flo itched to cross her arms, but she forced them down by her sides, not wanting to appear defensive. But the ice in the other woman’s stare definitely gave her a chill. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together since Adam’s childcare fell through. I offered to watch over her.”
God, why did she now sound like she was making excuses for her relationship with Justine? She didn’t have anything to be apologetic about, especially with Jennifer.
“That was sweet of you.” Jennifer’s gaze dropped to the camera in Flo’s hands. “Jussy mentioned something about pictures. I thought you were a photographer, not a nanny.”
You can’t curse out Justine’s mother. You can’t curse out Justine’s mother.
“One doesn’t prevent me from doing the other.” She deserved a medal for how calm she sounded. And a place in heaven for not snapping.
“Hmm.” Jennifer glanced toward the Victorian then, moments later, shifted her attention back to Flo. “It’s a beautiful house. But Adam was always the best at his work. All that traveling, though. Here, in one place for a couple of months, then it’s somewhere else for another few weeks...”
Okay, she’d never been one for games, and this was getting on her nerves. She’d tried to be polite; she really had. But Jennifer obviously had an agenda showing up not just in Rose Bend but here, at Adam and Flo’s job. Maybe she needed help getting to the point.
Flo had always believed in helping others.
“Jennifer, I don’t know you, but I sense there’s a reason you wanted to talk to me. It would save us both a lot of time and uncomfortable small talk if you just came out and aired what you need to say.”
Surprise flashed in the other woman’s eyes, and her chin jerked the smallest amount. But then, she recovered and tilted her head, considering Flo.
“That’s fair, and you’re right. I don’t really care what you’re doing with Adam or who you are to him. A warning from one woman to another, though? He doesn’t stay so don’t pin your hopes on having anything past the length of time it takes for him to put up the last sheet of drywall.” Her smile vanished. “My concern is my daughter. She already likes you, and from what I saw yesterday, you’ve graduated to overnights. It’s cruel to let her get attached when we both know she’ll be crushed when she and Adam leave. Maybe it would be best for her if you stopped coming around so much. It would definitely be kinder.”
“You mean best for you,” Flo quietly said.
Again, Jennifer’s head jerked, and she snapped, “Excuse me?”
“I said, you mean what would be best for you,” Flo reiterated.
“I don’t believe this.” Jennifer huffed out an incredulous chuckle, crossing her arms. “You don’t know me or my family.”
Flo shook her head. “Like you said, that’s fair. But I don’t need to be friends with you to understand that you’d rather I spend less time with Jussy because it would make you feel more secure.” Which was completely ironic since not moments ago, she’d had the same conversation with Cole. Huh. Turned out she and Jennifer had more in common than she thought. “And I get it. But I’m not going to abandon her so you can feel better.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m that girl’s mother,” Jennifer snarled, jabbing a finger in her own chest.
“Then act like it,” Flo snapped, losing her temper. “I’m not her mother, and I would never want to take your place.”
“You couldn’t ever take my place—”
“And I don’t want to. She loves her mother—loves you so much. But she’s not a toy you can just take down off the shelf, play with, then drop and forget about it. Am I her mother? No,” Flo ground out, taking a step closer to Jennifer, invading her personal space and not giving one damn if it came off as aggressive. Hell, she burned with aggression. “But I know what it is to be motherless. To have the parent you adore, the rock that’s your port in a confusing and chaotic world, disappear. Your daughter has her father, but she needs you. There’s nothing like a mother’s hug. A mother telling you how pretty you are, how smart you are. There’s nothing like your mother’s lap to crawl up on and curl against her chest. There’s nothing like your mother’s scent that you will know even when she’s gone...”
Air heaved in and out of her lungs, and unexpected tears stung her eyes. Memories—both real and imagined—from her mother and Moe bombarded her, washed over her, but not dragging her under. Buoying her up. For too long she’d carried anger and loss when she thought of her biological mother. But she’d never stopped to think about what she gave her.
She brought her to Rose Bend.
Gifted her with a family that welcomed her and eventually raised her.
Gifted her with parents who loved her as much as she did, as she would’ve if she’d lived.
Gifted her with a...father who gave her a community, a family, parents...
Her mother had never left her. She lived on through the beauty she’d brought to Flo’s life.
Flo inhaled a breath, and though it was fanciful and illogical, it felt like the first one she’d drawn in years. More years than she could count.
“Justine needs that. She deserves that. She deserves you,” she finished, voice hoarse with newfound revelations and emotions rioting inside her.
Silence.
Then, “Are you okay?” Jennifer softly asked, the edge gone from her voice.
Flo shook her head and said, “Yes.”
A wry smile quirked Jennifer’s mouth. “You just shook your head no while saying yes. I believe Iyanla would call that leakage.”
Clearing her throat, Flo gave the other woman a small smile in return.
“You watch Iyanla Vazant? Don’t tell me we have something in common.”
“Girl, you have no idea how many times I’ve come close to calling and asking her to Fix My Life.”
Flo snorted, then laughed. And miracle of miracles, Jennifer joined her, and the two of them just stood there on the side lawn of the Queen Anne...cackling together until they both gasped for breath. At some point the hilarity wasn’t about Iyanla’s intervention in their potential fucked-upness, but about release. Maybe even...healing.
When their howls of laughter finally waned to low, quiet chuckles and cautious but genuine smiles, Jennifer reached out, took Flo’s hand in hers.
“Flo, I’m sorry for your loss,” she murmured, squeezing her fingers before releasing her. Then she laughed again, this one holding a note of self-deprecation. “You must think I’m the worst mother ever.”
Flo frowned. “The worst? God, no. There’s Cersei Lannister. And then, y’know, the quokka. I mean, that animal throws its young at predators so it can escape.”
Jennifer blinked. Blinked again. Then her loud bark of hilarity echoed on the air.
“Oh my God.” She shook her head, still snickering. “You know, I came here to this town expecting to dislike you. I really hate that I don’t.”
Flo grinned. “Ditto.”
Jennifer’s gaze shifted to behind Flo, and her own smile grew, dark eyes gleaming.
“Uh-oh. Overprotective male at nine o’clock.”
Flo turned around to see Adam headed toward them from the back of the house. His long legs ate up the distance, and damn, he was a sight. Like some avenging angel swooping down on them. A really powerful, sexy avenging angel. And yes, that sounded just slightly blasphemous.
Jennifer held up her hand, palm out, as Adam neared them. Though his expression remained calm, composed, tension radiated from him in pulsing waves.
“Hold up there, T’Challa,” she drawled, and Flo coughed back a chuckle. Adam’s gaze flicked toward her before returning to his ex-wife. “No need to come bearing down on us. Your girl and I were just having a friendly chat. Right, Flo?”
“Absolutely.”
“It seems you’re not only a great father but a good judge of character, too. She’s a good one.” Jennifer arched an eyebrow. “Don’t fuck up and let her go.” Adam’s big frame slightly stiffened, and Flo decided to ignore the telltale sign. Jennifer wiggled her fingers at Flo and smiled. “See you later, Flo.”
“Definitely.” And on an impulse that she might or might not regret later, she added, “Since you’re already staying at the inn, you should join me, my mom, sisters and friends for a girls’ night. Great drinks, better food and the best gossip.”
Jennifer slowly nodded, her eyes thoughtful.
“You know what? I just might. Thank you.”
Then, with a final wave, she turned and strode toward the house. Quiet fell between Flo and Adam as they watched her climb the steps and disappear inside.
“What the hell just happened?” Adam asked, still staring at the house. “Did she just call me a great father? And did you two just make a date?”
“Yup. I believe that did just happen.”
“Flo,” he said, turning back to look at her. “I repeat, what the hell just happened?”
She shrugged. “Your ex-wife and I just either formed a truce or we’re now besties.”
Another beat of silence, then Adam exhaled a long, audible breath. “I think you might be a miracle worker.”
“Meh.” She waved her hand at him, dismissing his compliment. “I’ve already walked on water this morning. This was nothing.”
“Funny.” He grunted. Then, in the next instant, she was yanked into his arms and pressed against him. Held tight. “Thank you,” he rasped in her ear after several moments. “Thank you, Flo.”
She closed her eyes, inhaled his earth-and-wood scent, committed the tactile sensation of his big frame pressed against hers to memory. Savored the feel of his embrace, his voice vibrating against her chest, his thighs bracketing hers.
Treasured him.
Because while she loved being in the shelter of his body—loved...him—she couldn’t shake the ominous tick of the clock in her head.
His time here in Rose Bend was coming to an end.
And so were they.