“I’ll rock her to sleep while you finish eating your dinner.”
I nodded, grateful beyond words for the simple kindness.
“Man, he’s hot, Jiya,” Elle muttered to me after Cole walked down the hallway with Emma in his arms. “How do you manage to find such gorgeous men in your life? Harper, Caleb, and now Cole?”
I giggled before I could stop myself and looked over at him.
He was patting Emma to sleep while somehow managing to play with Lucas and Noah at the same time. There was something effortlessly comforting about the way he moved around children, the way he fit himself into the rhythm of the house without making it feel intrusive.
He is a good-looking man.I had first noticed it when Delia pointed it out to me, but it was impossible not to see it now. He had become even more handsome after his makeover and rehabilitation. There was a healthiness to him now, a steadiness and confidence that had not been there before.
“Whatcha thinking?” Elle asked, snapping me back to the present with a teasing look.
“Nothing,” I lied, instantly embarrassed that she had caught me staring. “Nothing at all.”I smiled, but heat rose to my cheeks.
The weekend passed by with laughter and stories. By the time Elle and her family left, I was already looking forward to the next time they would come visit.
Two weeksafter Elle and Karl had come over in July, Cole came for dinner one night and announced, “I’ve decided to sell the house.”
I stopped eating and looked at him.
“I was thinking of buying an apartment. I don’t need such a big house, so I decided to put it on the market. Plus, I moved all my equipment to the gallery.”
Cole had started doing well for himself, with people hiring him as their photographer for all sorts of events—birthdays, maternity shoots, weddings, and other special occasions. He had purchased a small space and converted it into a gallery on Main Street, which was close to both my house and the restaurant.
I was proud of him. He had worked hard to rebuild his life, and seeing him move forward was inspiring.
“This is a great step forward,” I said, smiling warmly at him.
“Will you help me check out apartments?” he asked, leaning forward slightly. “If you’re not too busy?”
“I would love to.”
Lucas appeared from around the corner after changing into his pyjamas. “Are you leaving us too?” he asked, his voice small and sad.
“No, of course not, buddy.” Cole scooped him into his arms immediately. “I’m just moving to a smaller place because the house is too big for me.”
Lucas’s lips curled downward in worry.
“I’m not going to leave you. I promise!” Cole said, looking straight into his eyes.
A slow smile spread across my son’s face. After hugging Cole good night, Lucas ran upstairs to go to sleep.
“I’ll be right up to read to you,” I called after him.
As I thought about what Lucas had asked, I could not blame him for feeling that way. I could not blame Caleb either. Lucas had become close to Caleb and had quietly started seeing him as a father figure, even though he never said it aloud. When he first came to the village, he had been withdrawn and careful, but over time, he had opened up, made friends, and found hisfooting again before starting school. I never wanted him to feel abandoned or disappointed like that again.
“Who was the ‘too’ Lucas was referring to?” Cole asked.
I picked up our finished plates and headed to the sink, with him following close behind. Not wanting to lie to him, I decided to be selective with the information I shared. “Lucas got close to one of the men I dated, and when things ended, he was sad.”
“Is it the same man who is Emma’s father?” he asked.
My heart tightened instantly. The past rushed back so quickly it stole my breath.
In a barely audible voice, I answered, “Yes.”
“Does he know about the baby?” he asked, turning me toward him.
