“Works for me,” Luke said with a shrug. “And the day after, we’ll start framing for the new bathroom.”

“Right on schedule.” She smiled the smile she wore when checking something off a list.

“All right. Then I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Try not to party too hard,” he joked, glancing around the empty, echoing apartment.

“We’ll do our best.” Lila unfurled a fitted sheet with a snap.

Luke said final goodbyes and left the apartment, and as the door closed, I made my way to the opposite side of the bed and grabbed one corner of the sheet.

“It looks so lonely in here,” she said as she stretched the sheet over the curve. “But I don’t even care. I’m so glad to be out of a hotel.”

“And out of the baby’s room,” I noted.

“And out of a bunk bed.”

I laughed. “Yes, and that.”

Once the fitted sheet was on, she unfolded the flat sheet and shook it out like a billowing sail. I caught the other side.

“How was the office space?” I asked, curious as to how the tour had gone.

“Oh, it’s perfect. And the price is right. Luke really does have all the hook-ups, doesn’t he?”

“I think he’s on a first-name basis with half of Manhattan.”

Lila chuckled, folding and tucking the corners like in a hospital. “It’ll do nicely until I have my office set up here. Are you sure you’re okay with me taking that space? Couldn’t you use it for growing?”

“Why would I do that when I have a whole greenhouse around the corner?”

She flushed, laughing again as she smoothed the sheets and turned for the comforter. “Oh, I don’t know. But it feels selfish somehow.”

“Well, it is your house,” I reminded her. “Technically, you’re my landlady.”

She hummed with appreciation. “There are so many ways I could collect my rent.”

“Oh, I’ll pay you in that currency, rent or not.”

The pillows went thump, followed by Lila, who flopped onto the bed on her back. “Come here and sign for that promise.”

Smirking, I kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the bed, crawling toward her. The second she was within reach, she was in my arms, my lips signing on the line. I leaned back, looking down at her.

The shiny crimson of her hair against the clean white sheets. The flush of her porcelain cheeks. The steely gray of her eyes and pink of her smiling lips.

“I love you,” I said, dragging a thumb across her cheek.

“Good, because I love you too.”

“Are you scared? About all of this? About me?”

One of her brows rose with the corner of her lips. “Why? Should I be?”

“Not as far as I know. But your plans for life aren’t what you thought they’d be. Two months ago, you hated me.”