Nova snuggled her face against my chest. Her expression was dreamy. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was stoned.
“You have a second bedroom like Clint’s place, don’t you?” Nova asked after I put in our order.
Nodding, I took her hand and walked to the secondary bedroom. Inside the room was a queen-sized bed and a small dresser.
“My parents stay here when they’re in town. Goldie and a few friends have slept over, too,” I said and then studied Nova. “Do you think your girls could handle staying over one day?”
Nova’s gaze flashed up to me. “I don’t know.”
“What part is tripping you up?”
“I don’t know if it’s safe here.”
“Do you mean the building or my condo?”
Nova backed away and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always heard about single moms who trust men too fast,” she said and then exhaled heavily. “But everyone says you’re a good guy.”
“Doyouthink I’m a good guy?”
Nova studied me. Her beautiful eyes hid nothing. She was hooked on me. But she was also a mom who needed to do right by her girls.
“Yes, but I have to be careful.”
“Did your mom take her time before she moved you and your brother in with her new man?”
Nova’s expression answered my question. I noticed how rarely she spoke of her mother.
“Was your stepfamily abusive to you?”
“Emotionally, yes. They made me feel like I was a bad person who could never be anything else,” Nova said and glanced out the bedroom window. “But they were extra mean to Dan. He looks like our dad. He also wasn’t impressed by them. Dan did everything he could to push them away.”
“Then, he left,” I said and flipped on the light in the bathroom. “Your girls would have their own room here. Maybe we could have practice runs before they stay over.”
“How?” Nova asked, frowning darkly, though I sensed she was reacting more to my comment about her brother.
“There’s an indoor pool in the building. They could come over, swim, eat lunch, and take a nap. You said Skylar likes naps.”
“She takes one every day after school. Never for longer than an hour, but she likes to sleep.”
“Well, they could bring stuffed animals and make the room more their style,” I said and looked at my vibrating phone. “They’ll like the condos even more once Beef Jerky lives here.”
Though Nova nodded, she was clearly worried about things changing.
Rather than allow the tension to sit in the air, I announced, “The food’s here. We don’t like delivery people entering the building, so I need to go downstairs to get it.”
Nova watched me leave the condo. I skipped the elevator and took the stairs despite being barefoot. I returned with the aromatic food to find Nova in the same spot.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked as I organized the plates and drinks.
“When it’s just you and me, I feel certain about things,” Nova said and walked toward me in the kitchen. “But when I add the girls and my brother, I start worrying.”
“You want your family to be happy, even if you’ll suffer to make it happen. I’m the same way.”
Though Nova nodded as if she understood, I sensed too many bad memories and worrying questions clouded her thinking.
I set the plates on the kitchen island. Tugging the stools closer, I sat in one and waited for Nova to join me.
“I’m making a play to keep you,” I told Nova, whose eyes widened. “When I talk about the girls taking naps here or sleeping over, it doesn’t have to be next week or even next month. I just want to be in your life. So, don’t get yourself worked up over the right answer. Learn to trust your gut.”
