"Your mom said your favorite breakfast food is pancakes."

"Was. I don't eat them anymore. They're bad for me," I admit.

"You can eat these. They're special," she declares.

"Special?" I ask, still feeling odd and trying to shake it off.

She nods. "It took a few hours to figure it out, but I think we nailed it."

"Why would it take hours? Pancakes are easy to make," I assert.

She informs me, "They're sugar-free protein pancakes."

I stare at her. My chest tightens and my stomach flips.

She quietly adds, "You can eat them and not worry."

More time passes.

Evelyn reprimands, "Jeez, Sebastian. You could say thanks. She's been slaving in here so you can stay on your stupid diet."

I shoot her a dirty look, then turn back to Georgia. I lock eyes with her, humbly saying, "Thanks, Sunshine."

She doesn't move for a moment. She finally offers a tiny smile and nods. She returns to the girls, and I fill a mug of coffee. I watch them finish making breakfast, confused over how off I feel.

For the first time in my life, I think a woman has made me speechless.

And I can't decide if I like or hate it.

Thirteen

GEORGIA

Nerves skyrocket in my gut. I add a stack of pancakes to a plate and set it in front of Sebastian, along with the homemade sugar-free syrup I figured out how to make.

He glances at it, then back at me with a worried look on his face.

"It's safe. Nothing's going to happen, Sebastian. I promise there's no sugar in it," I repeat.

"But they're fluffy," he comments, his face scrunched as he stares at the food.

"Yeah, I know," I say with pride.

"How's that possible? I've tried to make these things before. They never look like this. They're always dense. And they always taste like crap. These look like real pancakes."

I pretend to zip my lips and toss the key. "My secret. Well, Isabella, Emma, and my secret, right, girls?"

They giggle, then Isabella excitedly orders, "Try it, Uncle Sebastian! Try it! They're really good."

"I already ate one too," Emma chirps.

He smiles at his nieces. His dimple pops out, and my heart swoons a bit. Sebastian Cartwright is always eye candy, but watching him interact with his family shows me another side of him. And I like who he is around them.

Well, when he's not getting angry or hurt by what they tell me.