Their days were busy, but they still made time for fun. Sexy texts and brainstorming cards had remained their thing. In the evenings, after her musical gigs and gatherings with family or friends, they usually played guitar, read, walked on the beach, or talked. He’d asked a million questions about her stories, and as he’d put more of his letters to music, he answered her questions, too. She hadn’t finished the book for her last book club meeting, but this month she was making better headway. They cooked dinner together, did laundry, and did a dozen other typically mundane things that weren’t mundane at all when they were together. When they fell into bed at night, sometimes they just lay in each other’s arms talking or just being, and other times they spent hours fucking or lovemaking and doing every exquisite thing in between.

What they weren’t doing was talking about the situation with his sister.

Tobias hadn’t mentioned it since the night of the baby shower, and Madigan hadn’t pushed. He knew she was there if he wanted to talk. But she worried about him holding all that sadness and regret in.

She glanced at their joined hands between their seats in the Jeep, and her heart beat a little faster. They were on their way to see baby Leo before her evening gig. She was almost as obsessed with Tank and Leah’s new baby as she was with Tobias. When they’d gone to see Leo the first time, Tobias had been as enamored with him as she was, and holy smokes. She’d thought seeing him with Junie and Rosie, who now called herself Toe’s girl, had made him even more irresistible. But seeing her man with a tiny baby in his arms had done all sorts of crazy things to her. Images of him holding, loving, and protecting their baby had taken root in her heart, and she didn’t even want children any time soon.

Unfortunately, she’d also sensed his mind whirling with guilt, and she knew any hope of that kind of future with Tobias was tentative at best. She would be okay with not having children, but she’d never be okay with the man she loved—and she did love him, with everything she had—never getting out from under the guilt he carried. She’d asked if spending time with Leo and the girls was too much, and she’d never forget his response. It doesn’t matter if it is. I want a life with you. I want this life with you, and there’s nothing I won’t do to make sure it’s the best it can be.

At the time, she’d thought, Except face your sister.