“Yep. This phone is for deployment only, so consider it a perk.” I tweaked her nose. “But what is the number one rule of the deployment phone?” I set my features as sternly as possible.

She huffed out a sigh. “No calling boys.”

“That’s right. No boys. None. Everyone you love besides Daddy is a girl, anyway.”

“What about Uncle Sawyer?” She raised her brows.

Well, she had me there. “I might make an exception.”

“Will you put Morgan’s number in, too? Just in case?”

“I can do that.” Leave it to my brilliant little daughter to twist the knife. I didn’t have the heart to tell her no, and I knew Morgan wouldn’t want me to when it came to this. Fin had caught on that Morgan hadn’t been around, but since I’d never outright told her we were together, I didn’t think I needed to announce what might be the opposite now.

“Thank you!” She threw her arms around my neck, and I held her tight, breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. This deployment was going to suck on every fucking level possible.

“I love you, Finley.” God, how was I going to leave her for three months? I hadn’t been apart from her for more than three days since she was born.

“Love you, Daddy.” She smacked a kiss on my cheek.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Maybe it’s Morgan!” she exclaimed, wiggling down from my arms. She shot off like a bolt of lightning before I could tell her there was zero chance in hell Morgan was here. She’d even sent Juno back with Sam the day after she’d thrown me out. “Mommy!”

Shit, I’d forgotten what time it was.

I walked into the entry to see Claire hauling in a massive suitcase.

“You still sure about this?” she asked as Fin took her purse.

“Sure that it’s better for Fin if her routine is as close to normal as possible? Yes. You still promise to move out when I get back?”

She arched an eyebrow. “How about I promise to move out when you get back if you still want me to?”

I tilted my head and blinked.

“Okay, fine.” She rolled her eyes with a smile. “I promise. This is just the first one. I’ll bring the others over tomorrow before you go.”

“Thank you. I’ve got all the feeding schedules up in the kitchen.”

“For Finley or the menagerie?” she joked.

“Yes,” I answered.

We both laughed, and it was awkward but easier than it had been.

Knock. Knock. Sam stood behind the glass storm doors with a beach bag slung over her shoulder.

“New girlfriend?” Claire asked.

“Don’t start,” I warned, keeping my voice level since Finley was here as I opened the door. “Sam?”

Her gaze darted to Claire, then her suitcase, then me. “Bad time?”