“Absolutely not.”
“I’m not askin’ for diagrams. I just need to know if he’s actually good in bed or if he just stands there lookin’ expensive.”
A horrified laugh escapes me. “You can’t say stuff like that with a straight face.”
I bite down on my smile and glance toward the desk, suddenly very interested in the donation forms scattered across it.
Jules gasps and drops his head back against the chair again. “Oh, he ruined your life.”
A laugh loudly this time.
“He was…” I shake my head slowly, a smile creeping across my face. “Very thorough.”
Jules slaps a hand over his heart like he’s been personally attacked. “Maggie Hayes.”
“I’m not discussin’ this with you.”
“Oh, you absolutely are. You can’t leave me hangin’ darlin’.”
I chuckle, and Jules watches me for a second before some of the teasing leaves his face. Not completely. He’s still Jules. Dramatic, nosy, and entirely too invested in my business.
“And Ivy?” he asks.
My chest squeezes. “I miss her already.”
His expression turns thoughtful instantly. “Well,” he murmurs. “There it is.”
I look down at the desk. There’s a scratch along the edge from when a scared shepherd mix clawed it during a storm three years ago. I focus on that instead of the ache in my chest.
I shake my head slowly. “That little girl will wrap herself right around your heart before you even see it comin’.”
“Kids do that.”
I continue to stare down at the desk, tracing the scratch with one finger. “I hated leavin’ before she woke up.”
Jules’s expression gentles even more. “You snuck out.”
“I had to.”
“Maybe.” He lifts one shoulder. “But children notice more than people think.”
Guilt twists low in my stomach. I already know he’s right. Ivy notices everything. The quiet parts, especially.
Jules leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Look at me.”
I do.
“I’m not tellin’ you to run.”
I huff out a quiet laugh. “Well, that’d be richer than pound cake comin’ from you.”
“I’m serious, Maggie. I like him more than I expected.”
That surprises me enough that my eyebrows lift.
Jules sighs dramatically. “Yes, yes, write it down. Hell froze over. I saw how he was with Ivy. Men can fake charm. They can’t fake the way they are around children.”
My chest warms at that.
