“Oh, Hank!” She clasped her hands together, delighted. “Libby’s father? Becca’s told me so much about you. You must be here to enroll her in pre-K for the summer! I’m so glad.”

“Unless you can teach her how to shoot a gun or skin a fox, I don’t think Libby needs additional learning, but thank you,” Hank said, feeling curiously protective of his daughter. Why did everyone assume Libby needed school? Did they think he wasn’t a good father to her?

She cleared her throat politely. “Well, no, pre-K is about being social more than anything else. It gets small children used to the school environment, and we try to instill a sense of fun in learning. It sets a good foundation for their future, or at least I like to think so.” The teacher smiled brilliantly at him.

From behind him, Caleb made a choked sound.

Miss Mckinney looked over at Caleb, a curious expression on her face. “Do you have a child, too? I’m sorry, I don’t remember Becca saying anything else . . .” She trailed off, gazing at him.

Hank waited for Caleb to respond, but his brother had gone mute. He nudged him, and when that still didn’t make Caleb speak up, he answered for him. “Brother.”

“Oh. Of course.” Miss Mckinney’s smile grew wider. “Becca did say you had a wonderful family network for looking after Libby. That’s so great. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“I came here to talk about Becca, not Libby,” Hank interrupted.

“Becca? Is she okay?” Her brow creased in concern.

“She’s fine. I need to woo her.”

“Woo . . . her?” The teacher’s gaze flicked from Hank to his brother, then back to Hank again. “I’m sorry. I’m confused. I thought you were already dating.”

“We are, but she keeps saying it’s casual. I need to convince her that it’s not.”

“Oh.” She still looked a bit confused. “I’m probably not a great person to ask for advice, but I’ll do what I can. What do you need to know?”

Hank watched her closely. “What do couples do together?”

“Therapy?” she teased.

Caleb gave a braying laugh, the sound overly loud and echoing off the walls.

They both turned to look at him. Hank scowled at his brother and then turned back to the teacher. “I need ideas for something that will make her feel special. Let her know that I’m in this for the long haul.”

Because he was, wasn’t he? The more he thought about it, the more right it felt. Becca was perfect for him. She was soft where he was hard, sweet and understanding where he was impatient, and she loved his daughter. She loved Hank’s kisses, and when she came, she made the most beautiful sounds that he’d ever heard. Yeah, he was in it for the long haul, all right.