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Nicole sucked in a breath so she wouldn’t cry "Iwith me?"
"You’re huo I want to"
"Do you?"
Nicole continued to fight tears "I hate it when you’re insightful, but go ahead Say it You should and I probably need to hear it"
"If Jesse isn’t the villain then you have to deal hy your first e failed You have to accept responsibility"
"Why would I care about that? It’s been five years I love Hawk Drew’s long gone and I would never want him back"
"This isn’t about hi you screwed up"
"I accept responsibility for what I do wrong," Nicole said, feeling a little stung "Jesse’s the one who always--"
Except Jesse wasn’t like that anyether
"I’m happy she’s back," Nicole said "I just don’t kno to deal with all the crap that’s coure it out"
"I’d better I don’t want to lose her again"
"DOES MY DADDY LIKE ME?" Gabe asked
Jesse wished she wasn’t driving so that she could pull her son into her arain in his whole life
"He does like you," she said instead "He likes you a lot But he doesn’t have any experience around kids, so he doesn’t knohat to say ThatGrown-ups really hate that, so instead of "
Was this too much information for a four-year-old? Sometimes she just wasn’t sure
"But it’s okay toas you say you’re sorry," Gabe said
She laughed "It is and I’ll remind him of that"
"Good Because I want him to be my daddy"
"I want that, too," she said and climbed out of the car
She helped hia together had been her suggestion She’d been nervous about calling after their encounter in his office, but as getting Gabe and his father connected was aback to Seattle, it seemed silly to avoid hio up in flames That was her problerown-up
They walked up to the large double doors in front of Matt’s house Gabe looked around "Is this a hotel, Mo house"
Gabe looked confused "Is there another family here?"
"No, honey Just your daddy"
"Just him?"
Jesse remembered the redhead who had been there when she’d first shown up "Most of the ti to think about Matt’s other wo else that could cause a proble sure they learned how to co the bell Matt stood there, all tall and sexy in jeans and a T-shirt Casual It was a good look for hih she’d promised herself not to think about that
"Hi," she said, suddenly feeling nervous
"Hi, yourself" He glanced down "Hi, Gabe"
Her son seemed to brace himself "Hello," he said quietly
"Want to come in?" Matt asked
Gabe looked at her, then nodded and walked into the house Jesse followed hi as her rental back in Spokane, she thought as she stared at the wall in front of the down
Gabe stared wide-eyed "It’s raining inside," he breathed "Mo that it was a water feature, albeit an expensive one But maybe it was better to let her son think it was actual rain
"I see," she said "Pretty cool, huh?"
Matt walked over to a side wall and flipped a switch Instantly the water on the wall fell into the pool below, then there was silence
Gabe’s expression turned to awe "You can do that?"
Matt grinned "So can you Coh Jesse started to rabbed Gabe around the waist and lifted him so he could reach The boy turned on the switch and the water began to fall again
Gabe laughed "Mommy, can we have one of these?"
"Not for a while," she said, thinking there was a whole lot of other stuff they needed first Of course, she didn’t have Matt’s ames," Matt told hih here," Matt said, leading theh to serve two hundred and into an open family roo stretched up a couple of stories There all-to-s with a perfect view of Lake Washington The fireplace could double as a guest room if it wasn’t in use and there were four sofas scattered throughout the space
Who lived like this? Okay, obviously Matt did, which was so weird What had happened to the guy who’d co?
He went toward a sofa, but Gabe dropped onto the soft rug by the fireplace Jesse smiled at Matt "We play on the floor"
He looked doubtful, but joined theht "Chutes and Ladders and Candyland Two perennial favorites" She glanced at Gabe and grinned "Let’s start with the easier one first He’s new to this"
Gabe laughed and reached for Chutes and Ladders