“She’s still downstairs, but I think she’s just checking up on things. She’s not working tonight. Want me to get her?”

She shook her head against my chest. “Nope, I’m okay. Love you, Aunt Willow.” She gave me an extra-hard squeeze.

“Love you, Rose.”

“Thanks for letting me borrow your unicorn,” Cam told her, pulling the ice pack from his face.

Rose’s nose scrunched. “You’re welcome…and you should probably put it back on.” She nodded in encouragement. “That’s gonna leave a mark,” she finished in a tone so like Charity’s that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’ll do just that.” Cam immediately put the unicorn on his face.

I let her go, and she gave Cam a shy nod before heading back up to her room.

“Charity doesn’t bring men here, so you probably gave Rose the shock of her life,” I told him, leaning back against the counter. “Even when Gabe comes to get her for visitation, Charity makes him wait downstairs. Not that I blame her. He didn’t show back up until Rose was two.”

“Is she going to be pissed that you brought a man up?”

“You’re hardly a man.” I shrugged, then laughed a little at his wounded expression. “I mean, you’re…you. You’re our friend, not just any man. Besides, Charity gave me the nod to bring you up.” I rushed through that last part, hoping to cease my babbling.

“This is why she bought the bar, huh? So they could live above it?” he asked, his eyes sweeping over the hand-drawn pictures taped on the twenty-year-old refrigerator.

“Exactly. She used her inheritance from our grandfather’s will. When Rose was born, Charity and Dad weren’t exactly speaking. Mom and I supported her when she’d let us, but she wanted to do it on her own. We’d babysit, but she installed the alarm, wired cameras to her cell phone and everything, so she could manage downstairs while Rose slept and still spend her days with her.”

“I understand that,” he said, looking at the camera in the corner of the kitchen. “Needing to make it on your own.”

“You’re just as stubborn as she is.” I shook my head.

“Well, you know us black sheep. When you reject the path everyone else takes, you have to carve your own.”

“Is that what you call it?” I braced my hands on the counter and jumped to sit on the edge.

“What did you use your portion of the inheritance for?” he asked, ignoring my question.

“Why did you reject that path?” I challenged, folding my arms across my chest.

He watched me for a moment, and I held my breath, tension winding in my limbs as he decided whether or not to answer. Decided which sides of himself he was willing to share with me.