Welcome to the club, my young man.

I squeezed his hand and together we trailed after the boisterous group.

At the end of a long, wide hall, Easton stopped before a large door. He turned a key in the lock and nudged the door open with his foot. He lifted Hailey off his shoulders, and she ran ahead of us into the condo. Heath wriggled his hand free and ran after her.

Easton didn’t venture a glance my way, almost as if he’d forgotten about me. Junie and he entered the condo, leaving me alone in the hallway. Prodding myself into action, I hurried after them and closed the door behind me before turning to survey my surroundings.

I hadn’t expected furnishings. I had a storage unit full of stuff.

But this place…

The windows went from floor to ceiling with expansive views. This side of the building didn’t have a water view, but the views were spectacular regardless.

The kitchen was all black granite and white cabinetry with large stainless-steel appliances. The open floor plan boasted a spacious living room and dining area, much larger than I’d have expected in a condo. The floors were a gleaming hardwood of some kind, and I was certain they were real wood. Laminate wouldn’t grace a place like this.

Junie and the kids headed down the hallway toward the bedrooms and bathrooms. I grabbed Easton’s arm. He turned, regarding me curiously.

“This is too much. We can’t afford this.”

“You don’t have to.” He tried to extract his arm from my grip, but I held on tightly.

“Easton. I can’t allow you to pay for a luxury condo with a view.”

“I didn’t ask you to allow me. I’m doing it. These are my children.” He set his jaw stubbornly, a sure sign there’d be zero arguing with him. His expression softened slightly. “Listen, don’t worry. The team owner owns this building. This condo is ours for the next six months until a relative of his retires and moves back to Seattle. That’ll give us enough time to find something suitable.”

“But the furniture… The kids will destroy it.”

Easton glanced around as if he’d just noticed the place was furnished with gray and white furniture, sure to show sticky fingerprints. He shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when it’s time. If I have to replace a few pieces, I will.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“I do. I’m trying to make up for six lost years. The kids will be close by. I’ll get to see them a lot.”

“And your place is across the hall?”

“Directly across the hall.” He grinned wickedly at me, and I read his mind—close enough for a late-night visit to my room while everyone else was sleeping—or perhaps my own sexually deprived brain imagined I was reading his mind. Most likely I was reading my own mind.

All those years ago, I’d been living at home, and Easton had been living with a billet family for the summer. We didn’t have the luxury of a private space to have sex. We’d been quite adventurous back then. I missed those pre-adulting days of minor responsibility and major fun, not that I’d trade my memories with my kids for anything, but sometimes…