Blake's eyes widened. "That must be tough."
My face felt hot. "I'm grateful for any time I get. It wasn't like this when Lil was born. I didn't get to see her nearly as much."
Blake tipped her head to the side. "Is this arrangement working for you?"
"It's tough because I have a job, and it's not fair to my brothers or my crew if I'm late or don't show up." Although my family gave me flexibility, I didn't like being viewed as unreliable.
"It doesn't sound like a good situation for you," Blake said, reminding me that she was a child psychology student.
I ran a hand through my hair, not wanting to think too hard about the questions she was raising. "I'm just trying to get through."
"Do you want to talk to Oakley about setting a schedule that would be easier on you and Lilliana?"
I really didn't want to. "I'm not sure how she's going to react, and I want to see my daughter."
"You're afraid she'll block you from visitation?" Blake asked.
I nodded as my chest tightened. I couldn't imagine missing time with Lilliana. I cherished every second I got with her. My attorney, Ashton, warned me about how protracted court cases could be. I didn't want to squander time while we fought in court over a schedule.
"You know you have a right to visitation," Blake said softly.
It wasn't anything I didn't already know. But negotiating anything with Oakley was a minefield. "I have an attorney on standby to file the appropriate paperwork."
"Your schedule with Oakley isn't any of my business." Then she sighed heavily. "The problem is that I need a place to stay, and if your schedule is as unpredictable as you say, then it might be helpful if I was already living here."
"Ivy said something about that." I wasn't sure how I felt about a woman living in the house, but it would be convenient. "Let me show you the guest room, and you can decide."
There were four bedrooms upstairs. Lilliana's was the smallest one next to my room. One was a guest room, and one was a catchall that was supposed to be my office. With the renovations to get the house ready for Lilliana to visit, I hadn't had time to deal with that room, so it was filled with boxes.
"This would be yours." I opened the door to the guest room. When Ivy mentioned that Blake needed a place to stay. I'd hastily thrown this room together. It had a bed, nightstand, desk, and a dresser.
Blake let out a breath as if she'd been stressing about where she'd live. "This is nice."
"You'd have to use the guest bathroom across the hall, but you wouldn't be sharing it with anyone other than Lilliana."
Blake moved farther into the room, opening and closing a few drawers, before she looked inside the closet. I'd installed shelving in the closets when I'd moved in. "This is nice," she said again.
"I bought this place before Lilliana was born, and I had some free time on my hands. I like to build things."
She turned to face me, her brow raised. "You built the closet organizer?"
I shrugged. "I made one for Lil's bedroom, so that I could easily organize all of her onesies and diapers. Babies need a lot of stuff. When she was born, Oakley didn't let me see her that often, so I had time on my hands."
"You're handy with wood," she said matter-of-factly.
"I like working with my hands. I'm supposed to be designing a maze for the senior center. It will be a challenge but will keep me busy when Lilliana isn't with me."
"It must be tough not seeing your daughter all the time." Before I could answer, she shook her head on a laugh. "Sorry, that sounded very therapist of me."
"It's okay. It is hard." Not being with Lilliana was the worst. I felt like something was missing.
"I need a place to stay, and I love your little girl already, so I think this would be a good fit."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "I really appreciate it. As much as I want to spend every minute with Lil, I have to work, or I'm going to lose my place in the business." So far, Dad and my brothers had been understanding. But I needed to have some kind of consistent work schedule, which was impossible with the way that Oakley dropped Lilliana off on a whim.
"Of course," Blake said as she headed downstairs.
By the door, I balanced Lilliana, who was tugging on my beard hard enough to cause a sting of pain. "Ivy said you're still going to school?"
