“I think so. Let me go get them, and we can see.” She bolted from the room, leaving Grayson sitting on a princess comforter with a doll named Valerie in his arms. His brothers and cousins would have had a field day with this if they’d seen him now.

“You’re a trouper,” Emma said from the doorway where she leaned against the doorframe, watching him.

“We’re going to see if the new stuff we bought this morning fits Valerie.”

“Don’t let me interrupt.”

“Yeah, Mom, we’re really busy,” Simone said when she returned with the bag from the store. “Can I take this stupid sling off? I can’t dress Valerie with one hand.”

“I can help,” Grayson said. “I’ve dressed a few little girls in my time.”

“I thought you didn’t have kids.”

“I don’t. I have baby sisters.”

“You can take it off for a little while,” Emma said in response to Simone’s question, “but don’t overdo it.”

She removed the sling and tossed it across the room. “I won’t.”

“And don’t drive poor Grayson crazy. He just got here.”

“He doesn’t mind. Do you, Grayson?” She looked up at him with big green eyes full of trust and affection.

The most curious feeling struck him in that moment, something he could neither define nor explain. “I don’t mind,” he said gruffly.

Emma went through the motions of unpacking their suitcase while listening to the steady flow of chatter coming from Simone’s bedroom. The last time she’d looked in there, Grayson had been stretched out on the floor while Simone dragged out everything she owned to show him.

He had the patience of a saint and was earning a permanent place in her daughter’s loving heart whether he wanted to be there or not. The thought of Simone being hurt if their relationship didn’t work out made her ache over something that hadn’t even happened yet.

One of her New Year’s resolutions was to try to live more in the moment and to not fear the future. Over the last ten years as a single mom, she’d learned that the future tends to take care of itself no matter how you try to affect the outcome. Her relationship with Grayson would work out or it wouldn’t. Either way, she and Simone would be fine—or so she told herself.

Emma was folding laundry she hadn’t gotten to before their trip when Grayson emerged from Simone’s room after an hour. “You’re so good with her,” Emma said, smiling at him as he sat next to her on the sofa.

“She’s fun to be with.”

“I think so, too.”