“Dylan, wait.” I started to get up, then I changed my mind and sat back down. I decided that using my baby as a shield was a great idea. No handshake. No hug. All contact would be blocked by the baby nursing heartily at my breast. Rocky sighed, headed over to me, spun around a few times, and then crashed on my feet with a groan, providing me with a canine shield. I knew I liked this dog.

Dylan and Luke met at the bears in the roundabout. They stopped and stared at each other for a minute. I watched Luke look at Dylan with reverent searching eyes. My heart overflowed as I saw those beautiful eyes, so much like Dylan’s, fill with tears that he quickly blinked away.

“Dylan. I have waited so long to meet you.” Nine words. That voice.

I closed my eyes as memories crashed into my mind like waves to drown in. I heard Luke’s voice in my head; us laughing and playing together as children; him calling me beautiful when we lost our virginity together in the back of his truck parked under the stars at the rear of this property. Tears pricked behind my eyes when I recalled him telling me he would love me forever after he asked me to marry him. Then years later that same voice sobbing when he realized what he had done and screamed at my mother to take me away…

How would I get through this? Coming here had been a mistake. What was I supposed to say? How should I act? He wasn’t mine anymore. There had never been a moment with Luke in my life when he hadn’t been mine. But I didn’t know this Luke.

Did I even want to know him again? It didn’t matter. I didn’t matter right now. Dylan mattered. And Dylan wanted his father. I would do anything I could to give him that.

“Let’s go talk to your mom,” Luke said.

Shoot, they were coming over here. Calla, the baby shield, was still in place, and Rocky was snoring on my feet. I sighed. Now or never.

“Lily. Thank you for coming over.”

“You’re welcome, Luke. I figured it was silly to wait, to drag this out. Dylan was so determined to meet you.” I shrugged and that same liar’s laugh escaped me like earlier with Violet and Dad.

Oh gosh, his eyes. Gorgeous dark chocolate brown—gazing at me like he always used to do—possessively, protectively—like I was the only thing he could see. I got lost in those eyes. I was going under, drowning myself in the memories his presence evoked.