“Your house is really big,” said Angelica, stepping through the front door. She glanced up at her mother, who nodded reassuringly.

“Lots of room for everybody,” Maya said.

Logan gave them a quick tour—the kitchen and great room, TV lounge and boardinghouse-sized dining room with a long table lined with seating for sixteen. He had never eaten at that table, not once. It made him feel ridiculous, one guy in all this space. The second and third stories featured bedrooms and bathrooms of all sizes, including a bunk room for eight.

“Here’s where you’ll sleep. When Charlie and his cousins get here, there’ll be seven kids.”

“Cool,” said André, climbing to a top bunk.

“That’s a houseful,” said Maya.

“I’m up for it,” Logan told her.

She kept checking the screen of her phone. As they walked through the rest of the house, exploring nooks and crannies, dormer windows with views of the snowy woods, she seemed to grow more and more tense. He then gave them a quick tour of the resort.

In the main lodge, he spied Darcy Fitzgerald from afar, but she seemed busy with her friends or work associates, so he steered clear of them. Maya was clearly unraveling, and he needed to focus on getting the kids settled in. He led the way back to the house.

“Doing all right?” he murmured, holding the door for Maya.

“Freaking out,” she said. “My doctor gave me something for anxiety, but the pill I took this morning is wearing off.”

“Who’s hungry?” he asked, turning to the kids.

“Starving,” André said.

“Let’s go make some sandwiches.”

While the kids debated PB&J versus grilled cheese, Maya watched them with her heart in her eyes. Logan hurt for her. He ached all over, imagining how hard this was going to be. “Eye on the prize,” he said to her in a low voice. “Keep that February release date in mind.”

“It’s the only thing keeping me sane,” she said, and checked her phone again. “My ride back to the station should be here by now.”

Adam Bellamy had volunteered to drive her back down to the station.

“He’ll be here soon,” Logan assured her.

“I almost want to get it over with.”

Logan nodded. “The sooner you get going, the sooner you’ll be back.”

“Yes. Oh my God, how could I have been so stupid?” she asked, moving to the foyer, where the kids were out of earshot. “So, so stupid?”

“Hey, take it easy. You’re only human.”

“I thought I loved him. I kept thinking... I wasn’t thinking. Love makes us do such stupid things. Why is that?”

“No clue. I’ve made my share of mistakes.” He noticed her watching her kids, devouring them with her eyes. “I swear on my life, I’ll take good care of them,” he told her.

“I know, Logan. I can’t thank you enough.”