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Tobi squeezed my hand. “Look, Mom. Hello Kitty.”
The girl ahead of us held up her soft toy cat.
In a heartbeat, I knew Tobi would be okay.
“Morning,” Valentine said from behind us. “Mia, Tobi, meet Elise and Avery.”
A man rounded the building with an older boy, and Valentine introduced Cameron and Zander, his and Elise’s almost-six-year-old.
I sought out my daughter, but she’d already disappeared inside.
I smiled at Elise, recognising her, though I couldn’t think from where. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this. It’s been…difficult getting settled.”
“Are you kidding? Avery is over the moon at having a new friend to start school with. She’s got the jump on the other kids because she’ll know the new girl first. Let me show you around the house quickly so you know what she’ll be up to this morning.”
Elise was Californian, too, I noted. My heart warmed even more, though I hadn’t been concerned ever for a minute about the people Valentine had picked to care for Tobi.
A fresh warning sound played out in my mind.
My head was filled with Valentine and all the things he’d done. He was everywhere I looked. Helping me, protecting me, hiding in every thought.
A few minutes on, and I had to go. I hugged my daughter, retrieved a couple of toys from the car for her, and promised to return at lunchtime.
Then Valentine drove me away.
This time, I sat up front with him, though I kept my gaze on the landscape. At the aircraft hangar, I checked the time, cursing myself for not paying more attention. I had ten minutes to getto my first appointment but whole armfuls of bags to transport inside.
Valentine paused me at the car. “I’ve got this. Go ahead and get to work. I’ll put your bags in the hangar bunkroom and lock everything in. I’ll be working on your cottage today, so I’ll leave the key with someone here.”
I had my cleaning caddy in my car and my keys in my bag. I had no reason to linger following his kind offer. Yet all I wanted to do was bury myself in the huge man’s body. Steal his warmth. Hug the heck out of him.
Mash my lips to his and kiss his gorgeous mouth.
Deliberately, I took a step backwards. “I’ll find it,” I forced out. “Thank you again.”
Valentine gave me a wolfish grin. “Anytime.”
Turning, I fled before I said something stupid, confusing that overwhelming gratitude for something much, much more.
The best thing about cleaning as a job was how quickly the time went. At each place I arrived, I discussed the tasks that needed doing, organised them in my head, then popped in headphones and got to work.
For the first hour, I listened to music, then remembered what Daisy told me she did. She played audiobooks. She’d even offered me some recommendations, though I hadn’t taken them.
I’d been keeping her at bay, purposefully.
We lived here now, and I’d already opened up to Valentine. Probably more than I should have. I needed friends. Ones I didn’t keep fantasising about.
In my car outside of the second house I’d been booked to clean, I texted my boss.
Mia: Just to let you know all is good today. Tobi is here, so no more running off for me. Also if you’ve got any audiobook recommendations, I’d love to hear them.
Daisy: I heard from Valentine that you’d driven out overnight. Are you both okay?
Daisy: I have so many book recommendations. If you can handle smutty ones, those are the best.
Mia: Thank you, we’re fine. I have my daughter back, so all is good with the world, and I promise I’ll be less flaky from now on. Bring on the smutty books!
Daisy: I just knew you were my kind of people. List incoming. Also, if you have time free this afternoon, I’d love to meet your girlie. Come to my place for coffee?
