He nudged me. “Isn’t this why you hired a full-time nanny in the first place?”
I took a long pull from my beer. “You’d think, huh?”
He chuckled. “What? Don’t you trust her? Or, you don’t want to leave her?”
I shrugged as I stared off at the wall. “Why can’t it be a little bit of both?”
“You like this girl, don’t you?”
“I mean, she’s a good girl. She’s smart. Very pretty. Absolutely wonderful with Asia. She’s a good addition to the house.”
“How does Marissa feel about her?”
I scoffed. “Marissa’s currently preoccupied with battling my request for full custody. So, I don’t think she gives a rat’s ass right now.”
He cocked his body to face me. “Whoa-ho-ho! Finally taking my advice there, huh? I’ve been telling you for years to challenge that custody agreement. That woman has no right to being the custodial parent. Not with that attitude she’s got all the time.”
I groaned. “Trust me, I know. A lot happened during our weekend at sea that we took, but that was the first of many wrenches thrown into my plan.”
“And what’s this big, grand plan of yours?”
I snickered. “Is it weird that I don’t actually know?”
He patted my shoulder. “I think you do know, but you’re simply afraid to say it out loud.”
I slowly looked over at him. “You think?”
“I know. Gavin, you’ve been a completely different person ever since Eva came into the picture. You’ve been more…alive. You’ve had more pep in your step. You’ve smiled more in these past couple of weeks than I’ve seen you smile in months. Years, even.”
I blinked. “It’s only been a couple of weeks?”
He grinned. “Sometimes, life moves quickly. But, if you don’t move with it, you might lose it. Get what I’m saying?”
I threw back the rest of my second beer. “Yeah, I think so.”
He nudged me again. “So, start by admitting it. Say the words out loud. I swear you’ll feel better once you do.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. What if I fuck this up like I fucked it up with Marissa?”
“Hey, look at me.”
I peered over at him before his hand cupped the back of my head, forcing me to pay attention. “Yeah?” I asked.
He glared at me. “Marissa fucked shit up. Not you. You tried to do right by her. She’s the one that dragged you through the mud. Don’t ever get that shit twisted, got it?”
I nodded. “Got it.”
He patted my cheek. “Good. Now, say it out loud. I want to hear you admit it.”
I cracked my neck. “All right, here goes. You ready?”
He smiled. “Hit me with it.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’ve fallen in love with Eva.”
His jaw hit the floor. “Uh, say what now?”
I paused. “What?”
