"Yeah, well…I'm lucky to have her, too. She's a great kid."
I was still smiling. "Yeah, she is. Isn't she?" But then, my smile faded. "So, did you ever find out for sure who her dad is?"
Mason nodded. "I got it tested maybe five years ago."
"And?"
"And she's my dad's daughter alright."
"You know what? I don't think so." Again, I smiled. "I think she'syourdaughter, sure not biologically, but you've been a terrific dad." I hesitated. "And as long as we're talking, can I ask you a question?"
"Anything."
"Well, you've been a 'dad' for so long, does that mean…"Gosh, how to put this?"Like, do you want kids of your own someday, or…?"
At this, he actually smiled. "With the right girl." He turned and gave me a wink. "Hell yeah."
Chapter 63
Mason
At the company headquarters, I was sitting behind my desk going through some paperwork when I heard Chase ask, "What the hell are you doing?"
When I looked up, he was standing in my open doorway looking disgruntled for the second time this week.
"Working," I said. "What areyoudoing?"
He frowned. "You're not working."
The hell I wasn't."What?"
"You're whistling."
I scoffed, "Yeah, right."
"It's no joke." Chase was still frowning. "I heard you in the hall."
A few months ago, I might've told him he was nuts. Me – I'd never been the whistling type. But these days, I couldn’t say for sure that he was wrong.
Today was the first day of spring, and I had big plans with a certain someone – someone who loved kids and cookies, roses and balloons, ice cream and champagne.
And me.
She even loved Willow – not because of the nanny gig, but because over the last few months, we'd become something like a family.
We'd stopped dwelling on the end of Cami's employment term. Instead, we'd been talking about teaching jobs here in Bayside or maybe more courses toward her master's degree.Either way, Cami wasn't going anywhere, not if I could help it.
Lucky for me, she saw things the same way.
These days, we shared the same bedroom, the same ideas about love, and the same hopes for the future.
It was long past time to make it official.
I smiled at my desk.Huh.Maybe Ihadbeen whistling.
Chase was still in the open doorway. With an accusing look, he said, "And stop smiling. It's freaking me out."
I grinned up at him. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
