“Aww please?” she begs.

“You and I have a date this evening,” Hazel tells her, kissing the top of her head. “We’re getting our nails done.”

“Can I choose any color I want?”

“Yes,” her mom says.

Winter narrows her eyes. “Even black?”

“Why do you need black nails?” Miles asks her.

“Because it’s going to be Halloween, and black is my favorite color.”

“Technically, black isn’t a color,” Dayton says.

Winter rolls her eyes at him.

“You can get whatever you want,” Hazel tells her as I walk toward the door where Clay is waiting for me then listen to him say goodbye before he takes my hand and leads me to the elevator.

When we get outside a few minutes later he opens the door of his Jeep for me and I climb in, then watch him walk around the hood and get in behind the wheel.

“So, what is the story with Miles and Hazel?” I ask as soon as he starts the engine, and he glances over at me.

“It didn’t take you long to ask.”

“I’m curious, it seems like they get along and they obviously have a great co-parent relationship.”

“They used to work together and were friends.” He starts the engine then pulls out onto the road. “And since they got along so well, they figured they’d be good in a relationship.”

“But they weren’t?”

“No.” He reaches over for my hand. “Miles is as laid back as they come but he also likes control, and Hazel wasn’t down with giving him that.”

“How old was Winter when they broke up?”

“She wasn’t born.” He squeezes my fingers. “They’ve gotten back together a few times over the years, but it’s never lasted long.”

“I saw a ring on her finger.”

“She’s engaged to a lawyer back in Colorado. He’s a good guy, he comes out to visit when he can but not as often as Hazel does. I’m sure you’ll meet him eventually.”

“So why doesn’t Winter live with her mom?” I shake my head. “Not to be sexist, I’m just use to the mom having custody of the kids when the parents have split up.”

“We’re all here,” he says easily and something about that makes my chest warm and it also makes me like Hazel even more because she’s giving her daughter that without a fight. “Things might change when Winter gets a little older but right now she likes living with her dad and having her uncles close. Plus, she’s in a great school here.”

“She’s a lucky girl to have so many people who love her.”

“She saved us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her coming into this world gave all of us something outside of work and Arya to focus on.”

He looks over at me as he comes to a stop at a red light, and there is something there that I have never seen before, and I wish I could read his mind to know exactly what it is that he’s thinking because I’m honestly too afraid to ask.