She enjoyed the job she had now, working for husband-and-wife dentists who’d been very good to her over the years, accommodating her whenever Simone was sick or if she needed to leave early for conferences or activities at school. The people she worked with were more like family than coworkers after eight years, but the job itself wasn’t particularly challenging or interesting. It hadn’t been in a long time. It was, at the end of the day, just a job. What Linc had offered interested her for many reasons, not the least of which would be a whole new professional challenge.

That plus more money, better benefits, proximity to Lucy and Colton for most of the year and Cameron all the time, no more Saturdays to frantically cover for Simone while she went to work, a more affordable cost of living and… Grayson. He’d be there, and they’d be free to continue what they’d started, without the challenge of distance hanging over them.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” Simone asked.

That was when Emma realized she’d sighed rather loudly. “Nothing, baby. Just tired from my first day back to work.”

“Was it busy?”

“Really busy. So you had fun with Grayson?”

“So much fun. He let me shop for a whole hour at American Girl, and then we went to the café. He’s kind of silly, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He actually bought a dress that he wants me to hang on to for him until he needs it. Silly, right?”

Sweet, she thought. So very sweet. “He found a way around my orders not to spoil you.”

“What do you mean?”

“The dress is for you, sweetheart, but he knew I wouldn’t be happy if he bought you something else when he’d already gotten you presents from the store in Vermont.”

“Ohhh, wow. I didn’t get that at all. I couldn’t figure out what he’d want with a doll dress.” She laughed. “That’s pretty funny.”

“It’s very nice of him, and you need to say thank you.”

“I did. I thanked him for taking me to the store and to lunch and to Talia’s party and for making me pancakes for breakfast.”

“You guys had a big day.”

“It was fun. It was kind of like…”

Emma looked down at her. “Like what?”

“Having a dad.”

Those three little words were a punch to Emma’s gut. Simone never asked about her father or why other kids had one and she didn’t. Emma suspected her daughter knew that was a sore subject for her.

“He asked me about taking you out for New Year’s Eve, but I told him you’d rather stay home. I hope that’s okay.”

“You know me too well.”