“Yeah, I’ll help you knock out a wall.” And she’d pray that when that wall came down, whatever other walls he’d built around his heart would fall as well. “You’re on your own with the gutters, though.”

  He laughed and stroked her cheek. “Thank you. For putting up with me.”

  “You pay me to.”

  Removing his fingers from her cheek, his smile tightened. Stepping back and putting distance between them, he reached for the ladder. “I better get going while I have daylight.”

  “Come on in when you get thirsty. I have sweet tea.”

  “My kind?”

  “Your kind.” Her throat clogged and she rushed inside before tears sprang to life.

  One hour turned into sunset, and Jax knocked on her door. She laughed. Same man who broke in now wanted permission. “Come in.”

  He filled the door frame, sweat, the smell of earth and pine clinging to him. “I’ll take tea. Gutters are clear, though.”

  Cassie motioned for him to have a seat at the kitchen table while she worked on pouring his drink. “I made tacos. You hungry?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks for taking care of my gutters.”

  He proceeded to the sink and washed his hands. “Needed done.”

  She handed him a plate and they worked at filling crunchy taco shells with all the fixings. He took a seat on her rickety chair, pausing then rocking back and forth.

  “You gonna fix my chairs now?”

  “Or build you some new ones. You fall and break your neck, I won’t get the room done.”

  Cassie perched on the counter and patted the space next to her.

  “What?”

  “Food tastes better up here.”

  His brow furrowed. “Tables are made to eat at.”

  “Trust me. Come on.”

  He eyed the counter.

  “Come on,” she coaxed. “You know you want to.”

  He shook his head, huffed and brought his plate with him, hopping up beside her. “My mama would whoop my tail if she saw me sitting on a kitchen counter.”

  “I won’t tell. It’ll be our first little secret.” She nudged his arm with hers then crunched into her taco. “Yum.” She swung her feet and leaned her head against the cabinet behind her.

  “You are so strange.” He shook his head but laughed.

  “Admit it. It tastes better up here, doesn’t it?”

  He held her gaze, amusement shining bright. “Maybe. You need a wider counter space if you’re going to use it as a seating area as well. You could even decorate it with throw pillows.”

  “Not a bad idea, Woodall. And they should be heated—for winter.”

  “I’ll make a note of that.” He finished off his taco and slipped off the counter to help himself to another one. “Daisy Ray’s on fall break this week.”

  “And?”

  “And I called Lori while I was out there. She said I can have her on Tuesday and Thursday.”

  He’d listened! He was making an effort. Yes, God! “That’s a good start, right?”

  “I guess. I’m gonna bring her here. But there’s nothing to do.”

  “Show her the progress on the apartment and that you’re working to make room for her. She’ll love it.”

  Jax sipped his tea. “That’ll take ten minutes.”

  Cassie twisted her mouth to the side and eyed him. “What do you like to do other than work on furniture—you should show her your store, by the way. Teach her how to make something. You could whittle! I’ve always wanted to learn how to whittle.”

  Jax coughed and took a swig of tea. “I’m not giving you or my eight-year-old a knife. But…we could make a birdhouse.”

  “Perfect. But someday, Jax. Someday you’ll teach me how to whittle, and then you’ll come into the store and catch me whittling away and you can say, ‘whittle while you work’.”

  He grinned and sent an explosion of butterflies into her stomach. He was so adorable when he was relaxed and enjoying himself. It gave her a little thrill that she was the one affecting him this way.

  “I will never. Ever. Say that to you. Back to the birdhouse. That’s an hour’s work.” His eyes held slight panic. It was adorable, too.

  “What else do you like to do?”

  “Fish.” He shrugged.

  “Go fishing! Oh that’s fun. I mean I think it’s fun. I’ve never been.” She laughed and topped off his glass of tea.

  ***

  Jax grinned as Cassidy’s eyes lit up, but then he frowned. “It’s not fishing season. They ain’t gonna be bitin’.”

  “So?” She looked at him like he was crazy.

  “I know you’ve never been, but the point of fishing—the part that makes it fun—is the catching of the fish, Cass.” Cass. That just tumbled right out. Felt right, too.

  Cassidy’s eyebrow quirked, but she didn’t say anything at his new nickname.

  “She won’t care. In fact, one day…” She looked up and went off into that dreamland of hers. “She’ll look back and remember the day her daddy took her fishing out of season, just to spend the day with her. It’s about having your attention and your time. Doesn’t matter if you don’t catch anything. You went to spend time. No other agenda.”

  Heavy conviction struck his gut. How many times had he spent time with God simply for the pleasure? Never. He’d been pretty demanding of Him when things hadn’t been going right, though.

  “What are we gonna talk about?”

  “Whatever she wants. I have a sneaky feeling she’ll keep the conversation fires burning.”

  He chuckled. “She’s a motor-mouth for sure. Like someone else I know.”

  “Which reminds me…”

  Great. Here came a nine-hundred-mile-a-minute tangent. Yep. But he sat next to her on the counter—of all the places to eat—as she barely breathed and her jogged memory continued to spill. She’d breezed through at least five topics before he’d finished his third taco.

  He loved every minute of it. From sitting on a counter to eat—which he had to admit did make food taste better somehow—to simply taking her in. Big green eyes. Hopeful, childlike excitement at the possibility of a limitless weekend. She saw the good in everything. Maybe even in him. That was new. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for him to take it to the next level. Though, he wanted to.

  “And he slung him right over the bar, flat on his head. I thought he was going to need twelve stitches. So next time Knox Everhart asks you to play ball, take him up on it.”

  “I think I can hold my own.” Jax winked.

  She beamed. “I think you can too, country boy. But you’ll miss all of Audrey and my cheers. We’re very good.”

  “I’ll consider it.”

  “And Daisy Ray can come and cheer with us.” She nodded. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

  It would. “I’ll get by there and talk to him.”

  “Sweet.”

  “I need to go. Let’s start at seven a.m. on that wall.”

  “Be there with bells on.”

  She probably would.

  ***

  Fishing. Daisy Ray had seemed excited about it. The ride from Chicago to Mistletoe had been ripe with little girl chatter. He enjoyed it as much as he did listening to Cassidy.

  Daisy Ray had asked him where Cassidy was and why she hadn’t been with him. The two of them twittering like birds. He’d chuckled at the idea. But it was because she could man the store that he could take off on a Tuesday. He pulled behind the store and led Daisy Ray into the back room.

  She inched inside. Dark, wavy hair bobbing around her shoulders. Wide eyes taking it all in. His eyes. He’d loved that—that she’d gotten his eyes. She was his. Part of him. There had to be some common ground. He’d figure out what to say.

  “Wow, Daddy,” she cooed. “You have a lot of stuff.”

  “I do. Now remember, I’m still working on the apartment and your big surprise, okay. So it’s going to be a little messy upstairs.”

  She turned and grinned. “I don’t mind. I’m a mess-maker, too. We’re alike.”

  His insides turned to mush.

  “I hear voices.” Cassidy strode into the hallway and waved at Daisy Ray. “Hello, gorgeous. You ready for a day with your daddy?”

  “Yep. We’re going fishing.”

  “I heard. What a fabulous idea, huh?” She glanced up at Jax and winked.

  More mush.

  She gave Daisy Ray a once-over and frowned. “Hmmm…did you bring any other clothes? You’re not dressed for fishing, little missy.”

  Jax checked out his daughter’s clothes. Tights and a long shirt with sparkly flat shoes. Not fishing friendly. “She didn’t have any. I have to have her back later tonight.”

  Why hadn’t he thought to ask? She was all excited to go and now—they couldn’t. It was a brisk sixty-two degrees and the sun had slipped in and out of the clouds all day. It would be even chillier, and muddy, around Pine Lake.

  “Well…” Daisy Ray sucked her lip inside her mouth. “We could do something else.”

  They could, but Jax didn’t miss the disappointment in her eyes—his eyes. She’d never want to come back. She’d think he didn’t follow through.

  “Oh, I don’t think so. We can fix that.” Cassidy held her hand out, palm up toward Jax.

  “What?”

  “Lay that Visa on me, baby. We’re going fish-gear shopping.”

  Shopping? Of course. He could kiss this woman. He took out his debit card and warily put it into Cassidy’s hands then gave her his pin number. “Don’t go crazy.”

  “Do I look like someone who would go crazy?” She batted long lashes and sent his heart spinning out of control. He mouthed thank you. She returned it with a wink. “Be back in thirty minutes.”

  “Oh, well you can’t do that much damage then.”

  Daisy Ray peered up at Cassidy and beamed. Leading her down the hall, Cassidy leaned in, but cocked her head to look at him and pretended to whisper, “He has no clue what a woman can do with a credit card in thirty minutes. But we’re gonna show him.”

  She was kidding, right? “Cass!” he hollered. She ignored him. “That’s coming straight out of my bank! It’s not on credit!”

  He growled and headed upstairs to change clothes. True to her word, she was back in thirty minutes, and his little girl had never looked so adorable. Dressed head to toe in pink camouflage with even a matching fishing hat and waders.

  “What do you think, Daddy? Do I look like a fisherwoman?”

  “Indeed you do, baby. You ready?”

  “Yep.”

  He’d already loaded the truck with the tackle box and snacks. They were gonna do it. Head out to the lake and sit quietly. Nerves turned his stomach. This was his baby girl. He shouldn’t be nervous. Didn’t matter. He was.

  Cassidy caught his eye and nodded as if encouraging him. Looking down at Daisy Ray, he said, “Go on out to the truck, baby. I’m right behind you.”

  As soon as she cleared the door, he turned to Cassidy. “Thank you. I like the get-up.”

  “I know. It was fun.”

  “Now give me my debit card.”

  “I lost it.”

  That lush lopsided grin undid him. He closed the distance and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. “Do I need to go on a hunt to find it?”

  The smirk died as she gasped then her eyes turned sultry. “Gonna be a long hunt, Mr. Woodall. I told you. I lost it.”

  With his free hand, he skimmed the right side of her rib cage. “Not there,” he murmured.

  “Stop it!” she squealed and laughed.

  “I am going to stop it. I have a date waiting on me in the truck. So…to be continued.” He tightened his grip for one last second, relishing her sweet scent, the femininity of her slender back, the softness of her waist, the way her curves felt against his chest. And the way her selflessness and tenacity to make him a better man set him ablaze. Made him feel like he could. Be a better man. A better dad.

  Could he do it without Cassidy’s help? Daisy Ray really hit it off with her and she would be a good buffer if Jax choked. He released her, a stab of fear rising. “You wanna come?”

  She harrumphed. “Please. Go fishing? Everyone knows fish don’t bite this time of year.” She skimmed her teeth over her bottom lip and slowly cast out a flirtatious glance then turned and sashayed down the hall.

  It wasn’t a matter anymore of the fact that he could fall in love with this woman. It was now about how he could keep from falling in love with her because every moment she was reeling him in. Hook. Line. And sinker.

  Out on the lake, Daisy Ray had been chatty, sharing about the shopping adventure and how fun Cassidy had been and that she’d offered his daughter a cup of coffee. Coffee. She would.

  “What do you think?” he asked as she took in her surroundings. A quiet green lake. Trees changing into amazing colors. The sun was out at the moment, though the wind could be tough—almost blew her little fishing hat off twice. She hadn’t complained or stopped grinning.

  He’d baited their hooks with worms and laughed as she crinkled her nose but attempted to try it herself. She was the bravest little girl in the world.

  “I like it.”

  “Again, we probably won’t catch anything. It’s not the right season.”

  She gave him a sassy look, reminded him of Cassidy. “You’ve already said that. Four times. I’ve never been in a boat.”

  “Yes, you have. You were little. About two maybe. We went out on the lake with a few friends. You just don’t remember.”

  Daisy Ray held her pole and watched the water. “It’s fun.”

  “We can do this in spring. And swim in summer. If—if you want.” If she hadn’t tired of him by then.

  Her eyes lit up. “I would. I can sleep in my new room you’re making me.”

  “Yes. You absolutely can.” His heart swelled until it might burst. “Cassidy is going to help me decorate it for you. Or you can come with us. Shopping.”

  “Is Cassidy going to be your new wife, Daddy? Like Daddy Logan is Mama’s husband now.”

  His stomach clenched. “Daddy Logan?” He was not her father. He would never be her father. And no one asked him if it was okay. His grip tightened on his fishing pole.

  “Daddy?” Daisy Ray’s tiny voice reached his ears, uncertainty and a tiny blip of fear in her eyes. “Was that bad? Should I not call Daddy Logan, Daddy Logan?”

  He swallowed the flaming mountain gathering in his throat. “Do you like Logan, Daisy Ray? Is he good to you? Do nice things for you?” Jax had seen that Lori always had more than enough money on his part to care for his daughter. He was not shirking his financial duties. Any time she even mentioned something Daisy Ray wanted, Jax had always offered to purchase it or give her whatever she needed. It was him, after all, who was paying for this new private music school. He wanted to. Needed to.

  “Yes, sir. He says I can call him whatever I feel comfortable calling him. I don’t have to. So if you don’t want me to…”

  “He pays good attention to you?”

  “Yes, sir. We get ice cream on Wednesdays when he picks me up from school. Mama picks me up the other days.”

  Ice cream. It wasn’t Daisy Ray’s fault he and her mother couldn’t make it work. That they’d both failed. Miserably. He cleared his throat, because the pain was sharper than a saw blade to raw skin. Like opening up an artery.

  He had the power to do good. Not to was sin. And lately, that was mattering a lot more to him. “Baby,” he swallowed, “it’s okay if you want to call Logan Daddy Logan. It won’t make me mad. Okay?”

  She dropped her pole and it thudded against the side of the boat as she launched off her seat and wrapped her little arms around his neck, burying her face into it. “I love you, Daddy. I love you best.”

  He gripped her little waist and tried to blink the stinging tears away. He was a grown man after all. “Baby, I love you best, too.” How could a small child know how much he needed to hear that? That even though this other man had more of her life than Jax would like, she loved him. Loved him more.

  The wind dried his tears and Daisy Ray planted a kiss on his cheek. “This is gonna be my best day.”

  “Mine too, darlin’. Mine too.”

  “Hey!”

  Jax looked along the running trail. Knox Everhart, dressed in running pants and a hooded sweatshirt, slowed and waved. “What are you guys up to?” He jogged toward the edge of the bank where they were floating.

  “Fishing.”

  Knox’s eyebrows raised. “You know they’re not biting, right?”

  “Yep,” Daisy Ray answered.

  Knox nodded, eyes full of skepticism. “Well, okay then. Thought any more about fall ball?”

  “Cassidy says if I don’t play I might end up with twelve stitches.” He chuckled.

  “I wish she’d quit telling that story.” He glanced at Daisy Ray again, and Jax introduced his daughter, pride rising in his chest. His daughter. Who loved him best.

  For now.

  “Catfish might be biting over at my pond. Maybe. Feel free to use it. I’ve cleared a path. Or Cassie has. She’s out there ’bout every day.”

  “Fishing?” She said she’d never been. Talking to the fish made more sense.

  “Eden and her walk around out there, but sometimes she comes by and goes out there to think. Pray.” He shrugged. “Enjoy the…fishing.” He waved and jogged up the trail.

  “Daddy? Do you pray?”

  “Do you?”

  “No.”

  A crushing sensation filtered through his ribs and lungs. His baby didn’t pray. He’d learned to pray as a preschooler. At one time he and Lori took Daisy Ray to church. Even had her dedicated. But they’d quit praying. Quit church. Quit God. Quit each other.

  He had to change that. Looking in his daughter’s eyes, he knew. Things had to change. Not just for her sake. For his.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Cassie had spent most of Wednesday helping Jax with expanding the apartment. She’d never seen more dry wall dust in all her life. Yet, it’d been a blast. He’d even talked more, going through the day of fishing, birdhouse making, gorging on pizza at Little Italiano. He’d taken Daisy Ray back later that night but kept her fishing gear.