It was Cade’s turn to be surprised. “That’s it?”

“What else is there?” Jack walked to the sink to put his bottle in the bin, then straightened. “You’re a big boy, and she’s a big girl. Neither of you need me to play Daddy.”

“Really don’t,” Cade muttered.

Jack pulled his sunglasses from the neck of his T-shirt and slipped them on. “But if you need to talk, you’ve got my number.”

Surprised and touched, Cade followed his friend to the back door. “Thanks, Jack.”

Jack tapped two fingers to his forehead in a casual salute. “Anytime.”

Cade closed the door behind him, locking it automatically, then headed for the stairs. He needed a shower, and he needed to call his mother about Sunday dinner. Then he needed to figure out exactly how to ask Olivia to move in with him.

* * * *

The house was empty when Olivia got back from the grocery store, but it was obvious Cade had been back. Packing boxes lined one wall of the dining room, numbered and labeled. She recognized Cade’s distinctive scrawl, and assumed the boxes marked with neat printing were Jack’s handiwork.

She ran her fingertips over the words kitchen stuff, Box #7 of 16 with a frown. By the looks of the boxes, and the vast difference in the two men’s handwriting, Cade had packed up the living room and the bedroom, while Jack had spent most of his time in the kitchen. It felt silly to be relieved by that, but for some reason she was grateful that her more personal belongings had been packed by Cade.

She wondered briefly why the boxes were in the dining room instead of the basement, then shrugged. He probably wanted to give her the opportunity to go through them before they got stored, she thought, and continued into the kitchen. She put away the groceries with brisk efficiency, then tucked the reusable bags away and pulled out an ice-cold Coke.

She used the bottle opener Cade kept on the side of the fridge, then tossed the cap in the recycling and crossed the room to the lounge area. She sank into one of the leather chairs flanking the fireplace, appreciating the way the seat cradled her butt. She slipped off her shoes, wiggled her toes with relief, and propped her bare feet on the low table in front of her.

She sipped her Coke, and since no one was around to see it, settled in for a long brood. She had text messages from Sadie and Rebecca this morning, wanting to make sure she was all right. They’d each offered to meet her for coffee or a drink to talk, but she’d declined. She didn’t feel like hashing it out with her friends yet, though talking with Cade that morning hadn’t been as difficult as she’d anticipated. His unwavering support had been comforting.