“I LIKE FAYE. She can come to my birthday party if she wants,” Maddie said as everyone sat at the table for dinner. “How about you, Grandma? What do you think?”

Luke’s gaze snapped from his daughter to his mother, wondering where this had come from. Her birthday was three months past, but at the time her best friend had been away on vacation, so Maddie asked for a party rain check. His mother had warned him she was ready to call in the marker and the party would be scheduled soon. Luke didn’t want work to make him miss it.

He still hadn’t adjusted to his little girl being a year older, but that thought was overshadowed by something else: had he led his daughter to believe that he was more serious about Faye than he was?

Grace arched an eyebrow, extending her hands so that they could all hold hands while a blessing was said. “She’s a sweet lady. But she lives far away.”

Luke gripped his mother’s hand and bowed his head, not wanting to discuss his and Faye’s relationship with Grace and Maddie over the dinner table.

Thankfully his stepfather, James, said a blessing and dinner was served. He hoped that meant the subject was changing, but he was wrong.

“Is she going to move to Long Beach, Dad?” Maddie asked.

Luke cleared his throat. “No, I don’t think so. Her life is out in the Antelope Valley.” The words hit him as soon as they were out of his mouth. Faye’s life was over an hour away in the high desert; his was here in Long Beach. Even if Abby weren’t occupying his thoughts, would he and Faye ever have a chance?

“Have you two discussed the situation?” Grace asked.

“No, Mom, we’ve not gotten that serious. I like Faye. I enjoy her company. But I’m not certain I want a serious relationship any more than she does.”

“Does that mean that you can date Abby?”

Luke choked on his chicken. After a swallow of water, he looked at Maddie. “Why would you ask that?”

Maddie shrugged. “I like Abby too. And I like her dog, Bandit, so I just wondered. Abby and Bandit can come to my party too.”

Grandpa James jumped in to save Luke from further discussion of his love life by asking Maddie about her field trip to the Long Beach aquarium.

Abby was free now. He knew that she’d ended her relationship with Ethan. Was that why she was on his mind so much lately? As he concentrated on his dinner, he wondered at the thrill it gave him to know that Maddie liked Abby. It meant more to him than when she’d pronounced that she liked Faye. But it also meant that he ought to talk to Faye and be completely honest about how he felt.