Crosby released me and dished us both up heaping plates of breakfast. We chatted about nothing important as we ate, and before long, I’d consumed every last bite of food. I patted my stomach. “Thank you. That was perfect.”

Crosby leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Anytime.”

“Have you talked to Zoe recently?” With all the craziness, we hadn’t been out to visit her lately, and I didn’t want her to feel as if we’d abandoned her.

Crosby nodded as he set his coffee mug down. “We video chatted yesterday. I told her a CliffsNotes version of what’s been going on. She gets that things are going to be busy for a while. She seems to really be settling in at the Wilsons’. Ingrid said she even had a friend from her soccer team sleep over.”

Warmth spread through my chest. “That’s a great sign. I still want to get over there as soon as we can.”

Crosby gave my thigh a squeeze. “We will. I don’t think this trial will last more than another week or two.”

My stomach twisted at his words. The trial would be over, but did that mean I would be out of a home? I let my eyes fall closed and took a deep breath. I had to stay positive, send out every hope that the judge would see through the Abbots’ concerned family act to their grasping greed.

Crosby’s hands cupped my face. “I’m optimistic. I really am.”

I pressed my lips to his. “You’ve done an amazing job with this case.” He’d searched out teachers and neighbors I never thought he’d find to cast doubt on Janet’s testimony. He’d found medical experts to support Dr. Kipton’s statement of Harriet’s state of mind. He’d given everything he had to try and help me keep my home. “I love you” was on the tip of my tongue again, but I held it back.

“Thank you.”

One of his hands slid down my face to squeeze the back of my neck. “Anything for you.”

Not quite. I hated that the thought even entered my mind, but it didn’t make it any less true. Crosby would give me anything but a promise of a future. A family. And there was a little voice inside me that wondered if I could live with that. I pushed it aside, opting to kiss him instead.

“I’ll take that as payment for legal services any day.”

I laughed and began gathering up our dishes. “Isn’t that against the rules somewhere?”

“I could get disbarred, but it would be worth it.”

I grinned down at the dishes as I crossed to the sink. “You’re incorrigible.”

Crosby followed behind me, pressing a kiss to my neck. “And that’s just how you like me.”