I certainly hadn’t expected a beautiful, vibrant woman with a warm smile that went all the way up to her eyes. Someone who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or chase after her dreams. Someone who torpedoed her own career to protect a child who had no one else in her corner. Lily was quite a surprise. One that I found way too attractive. Her thick dark hair, big hazel eyes, and even her horn-rimmed glasses appealed to me. They shouldn’t, but something about them did. I hadn’t missed her curves, shown off by the slim-fitting skirt either.

  Not that I had any business noting that. She was my employee, and nothing more.

  “Where’s Sofia?” she asked as she came up the walk.

  “Taking a nap. She’ll be up soon.”

  I had had a tough time getting her to settle for her afternoon snooze. Sofia was excited to meet the new live-in nanny and had questioned me, as much as a twenty-seven-month-old’s vocabulary allowed, about Lily. I smiled as I thought of my daughter. She wasn’t biologically mine, but she’d been my responsibility for over half of her life, and by this point, she was my whole world. While I deeply regretted the terrible circumstances that had led me to adopt her, I was still so grateful to have her in my life.

  I’d been on a mission in Colombia, working directly with a woman who was helping our team capture a dangerous smuggler. The woman, Julia, was a single mom, and through our interactions, it had been clear how much her daughter meant to her. I wasn’t able to save Julia, but she lived long enough after being shot to beg me to look after her daughter. I swore to her that I would.

  It wasn’t easy, getting the adoption to go through when I had no actual link to the child in question, but I didn’t become a Navy SEAL by backing down in the face of trouble. Finally, the paperwork cleared, and one-year-old Sofia was put in my care. I retired from the Navy so I could give her a stable home, moving back to my hometown while I tried to sort my situation out.

  Thank God for family. My older brother, Zach, had left the Navy just a few months earlier and had discovered that he and his ex-fiancée had a child together that—thanks to a communication snafu—he hadn’t known about. By the time I came home with Sofia in October, little Austin was sixteen months old…and my brother and his once-again fiancée, Carolyn, were endless sources of help, encouragement, and advice when it came to what year-old babies needed. Zach also helped me get a job at the same security company where he worked, while our cousin Chance insisted that I use the family house until Sofia and I could find a place of our own. We’d only stayed there a few months before I’d gotten this house on Silvan Street, but it had still been a lifesaver to have somewhere to go right away—somewhere that Carolyn and Chance’s wife, Mandy, had insisted on setting up for us with everything Sofia would need.

  Learning to be a dad had been a process, but it was so very worth it. There was nothing quite like coming home at the end of the day to be greeted with a happy squeal and a stream of “Dada, Dada.”

  I focused on Lily, who had walked into the house ahead of me, her dark green shoulder bag over her arm. She wore leggings, a white lace top, and a denim jacket. Less formal than her interview attire, but just as good at showcasing her figure. Not that her curves were any of my concern.

  “Let me show you around,” I offered, to distract myself from my inappropriate focus on Lily. I gave her a quick tour of the home’s first floor. In addition to the living room, which she’d already seen, this meant the kitchen, dining room, and utility room. She said nothing as she looked around, but I thought I saw her suppress a smile. What was that about?

  “Dada, Dada, Dada.” Sofia’s soft babble came from above our heads by the time I’d finished showing Lily around the kitchen.

  “I guess she’s awake,” Lily said. “Can I come up with you?”

  “Of course. She’s looking forward to meeting you. And you need to see the second floor, too.” I led the way to the stairs and gestured for Lily to go up ahead of me. At the top, she headed straight for Sofia’s open door, pausing outside it so I could enter first.

  “After you. She won’t be scared,” I said.

  Sofia was plenty brave. She’d already survived losing her mother in a brutal way, living in an orphanage for the weeks it took me to adopt her, and coming to a new country with me as the only person she knew. I’d worried about my daughter’s mental health, but she seemed well adjusted and happy to be with me.

  Caring for her was the least I could do for her mother, but I hadn’t expected to love Sofia so much. That had come as a surprise. I liked being a father, and despite my own father’s negative example, I thought I was doing all right. But “all right” wasn’t good enough—not in my book, not when it came to taking care of my family. Sofia deserved the very best, which meant two loving parents. So for Sofia’s sake, I needed a wife. That was the goal—and it was the reason I’d decided to hire a full-time nanny. The nanny I’d had up to now had school-age children of her own and could only work days. But with a live-in, full-time nanny, I’d be able to date more and hopefully find the right woman to complete my family life.

  Lily stepped into the room. “Hello, Sofia.” Lily’s voice when she greeted her was like listening to sunshine. Sofia instantly smiled. “I’m Lily.”

  “Up.” Sofia held her arms out to be lifted from the crib, and Lily picked her up and rested her on one hip as if she did it every day. I could see the instant connection between them.

  “Your room is so pretty.” Lily turned in a circle to take in the large, light-filled space. “Thank goodness,” I heard her mutter under her breath.

  I laughed, making Lily spin in my direction.

  “I’m sorry. I⁠—”

  “It’s okay. I know my house isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I like things… orderly.” White might seem a strange choice to others, especially with a toddler in the house, but I never had to worry about anything matching, and it was surprisingly easy to clean, as long as you knew how to deal with stains.

  “I can see that,” she commented, “but children require something more.”

  “That’s what I’ve been told. My sister-in-law and cousin-in-law insisted on decorating Sofia’s room for me.” Both back at the other house and then again here, once we’d moved. And they’d done a great job. The room had wallpaper with lavender and yellow flowers. The bedding and curtains matched, in what Sofia called “praple.” Honey-colored oak furniture gave the room a warm tone. And this was the only place in the house where I was okay with clutter. The room had an organizational system, but I didn’t insist toys always make it back to their shelf or basket.

  “It’s beautiful,” Lily said.

  “They were afraid I’d raise Sofia in a space that looked like a hospital waiting room.” When the family found out that I was adopting Sofia and moving back to Springwell, they’d gotten straight to work. Everything was ready before Sofia and I even set foot in the house—including diapers and clothes and baby food…and some easy-to-reheat meals for me, too. My family always had my back.

  “I hope you thanked them. Do your brother and cousin live nearby?” Lily asked.

  “If you’ve ever gotten your car fixed, you probably know my cousin and his wife. Loomis Automotive?”

  “Oh!” Lily exclaimed. “Chance is your cousin? He’s such a nice guy—really helped me out when my car broke down last year. Wow, I never would have guessed the two of you were related.”

  “We’re not blood related,” I explained. “His dad was my foster dad’s half-brother.” It was a little more complicated than that, but this didn’t seem like the time to get into it.

  “I met their baby, too. Such a cutie! And Chance makes quite a picture, working on cars with a little baby strapped to his chest.”

  “Yeah, Chance basically never puts Ray down unless he has to. He loves being a dad.”

  “Go play with Ray?” Sofia asked, a hopeful note in her soft voice. “And Austin?”

  “Austin is my brother Zach’s son,” I explained to Lily. “He’s about the same age as Sofia. All the kids love being together, even though Ray’s a good bit younger than the other two.” I turned my attention to Sofia. “We’re not going to be seeing Ray or Austin today, sweetheart,” I said, reaching for her. Sofia went to me readily, putting a smacking kiss on my cheek and wrapping her chubby arms around my neck. “Today we have to make Lily feel welcome and show her around.” I stepped back into the hall, still carrying Sofia. “My room is at the end of the hall, and there’s a spare bedroom next to Sofia’s.”

  The house was larger than I needed, but I’d wanted a family home, one with space for more children.

  “I’ll be downstairs, though?” Lily peeked in the open door of the empty bedroom but didn’t comment. It was all white as well.

  “Right. Follow me.” I went down the main staircase and cut through the kitchen to the back door. The basement had been one of the home’s selling points for me. The house was built into a hill and situated in a way that gave the basement outside access. It would make a great family room or game room in the future. For now, I’d converted it into an apartment for the nanny. There was a full bathroom, plus a living room and a separate bedroom.

  “You can get to the apartment through the house, or if you prefer, you can access it from the outside. There are locks on both doors.” I wanted her close by but also to feel that she had an independent space. She glanced around, a slight smirk on her face. Light came in through the large window, highlighting the whiteness of the space. “You can decorate it however you want,” I added. “Use the white as a blank canvas.” I could tell white on white wasn’t her thing.

  She smiled at me then. “I think it’ll be very nice, and I like the idea of living in.”

  “Good, because that’s important to me. I work as a logistics and security specialist at a private company, and the hours aren’t always predictable. I do my best to get home early enough to spend time with Sofia every evening, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. When I had a day-only nanny, I had to scramble a couple of times to find childcare at the last minute when I was needed late at work. We always figured something out, but it’ll be great to have someone here.”

  While Lily wandered into the bedroom and bathroom to take a closer look, I put Sofia on her feet and let her wander around the space. It was furnished, but the furniture was pretty sparse, so I wasn’t worried about her bumping into anything and hurting herself. She immediately went to the long window next to the apartment’s door and put her hand on it.

  “Sorry about that,” I said when Lily returned to the room. By then Sofia had her face pressed to the glass. I didn’t fuss over stuff like that in the main house, but this was Lily’s private space. I didn’t want to make a mess in it.

  “Kids do that.” To my relief, Lily didn’t appear to be bothered by it. “No big deal. She seems like a happy child.”

  “I think she is,” I said, unable to keep from smiling as I looked down at my daughter, who was humming something to herself while she poked at her reflection in the window. “So you’ll take the job?” Technically, she’d already accepted, but now that she’d met Sofia and seen where she’d live, I wanted to be sure.

  “Absolutely. And like I promised yesterday, I’ll give you time to find someone else when I’m ready to move on.”

  I wanted to ask how long Lily thought she might stay, but I suspected she didn’t know. She had said something about “finding out who she was,” but I didn’t think that was the sort of thing that ran on a set schedule. But then, what did I know? Figuring out my next steps had always been easy for me. I’d always known exactly who I was and what I wanted, ever since I was a teen and Admiral Anderson took me and my brothers into his home. After applying some tough love, the former Navy leader had put us all on paths to success. The biggest hurdle I’d had to face so far was adopting Sofia and adjusting to civilian life, but even then, the path forward had always been clear to me. I knew what needed to happen, and then I made sure it did. Hopefully finding a wife and solidifying my little family unit would go just as smoothly.

  “I think she wants to go outside,” Lily said, pointing to where Sofia was watching a bird hop across the stretch of grass. “It’s a nice day, even if it is in January. The joys of living in Georgia, right? But anyway, maybe we should take her out to play.”

  “I’ll get her trike and grab a sweatshirt for her,” I agreed. “She likes to ride on the front sidewalk.” Sofia had become a speed demon since getting the tricycle for Christmas. Her little legs pumped hard, but she struggled to keep the trike going in a straight line.

  “We’ll meet you there.” Lily went to Sofia and took her hand before going out the door. They took the sidewalk that curved around the house and gave the little apartment a private entrance.

  I was pleased with how readily Sofia went with Lily. She was a trusting child, but the connection between her and Lily seemed instant. That was good. I only hoped Sofia would form a similar relationship with my future wife. Whoever she was. I was going to have to set up some dates, I decided, as I went back through the house and into the attached garage.

  By the time I rejoined them in front of the house, Sofia and Lily were lying on their backs in the grass watching the clouds roll past.

  Lily pointed upward. “I think that one’s a frog,” she said, making Sofia giggle.

  “Bunny,” Sofia declared.

  “You might be right. How about the one over there?” Lily directed Sofia’s attention to elsewhere in the sky.

  “Horsey,” Sofia squealed.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Any worry I had about my new nanny disappeared as I watched. Lily understood children, and she was kind. I kept myself from adding “pretty” to the list of attributes that described her. She definitely was pretty—but that shouldn’t matter to me. Instead, I focused on how natural Sofia and Lily looked together, with their long dark hair intermingled on the grass.

  I tore my eyes away from them when I noticed a car cruising slowly down the street, as if the driver was looking for an address. He was wearing a baseball cap, but the windows were tinted dark, preventing me from observing any more details. Still, I noted the make and model of the car, just out of habit. I analyzed every situation, a habit left over from my years as a SEAL and one that served me well in my current work. The car turned at the next street and disappeared from sight, but my senses tingled, sending me a warning. I’d learned long ago to trust my internal alarms, but I couldn’t imagine why they’d be pinging after something so ordinary. There wasn’t any reason for me to worry about some random guy who’d gotten lost…was there?

  3

  LILY

  Iadded a layer of newspaper between some framed prints I’d collected over the past few years. My current landlord was obsessive about not putting holes in the walls, so I hadn’t displayed much of my artwork. Since Colin, for all his apparent fastidiousness, had given me permission to decorate my apartment at his house however I liked, I planned to take advantage of that offer and finally put everything on display.

  I moved to the next box, which contained my attempts at sculpture. I had little formal training, but I’d been playing around with clay for a while and had a few respectable-looking pieces. If I had some spare time, I’d continue to work on that while being Sofia’s nanny. Maybe even encourage the girl to do some molding. Kids usually loved that stuff. I wasn’t sure if Colin would be okay with me breaking out crafts projects in the middle of his very, very white house—but we could always work in my apartment if necessary.

  Then again, we’d honestly be doing Colin a favor if we livened his living space up a little. He clearly needed color in his life, even if he didn’t seem to realize it. Maybe I’d be able to change his mind. I’d like to see him in a place that had character and personality—a space that showed him to be more than just a blank slate. Because he was so much more than that. You only had to see him with his daughter or hear him talk about his family to realize how warm and loving he could be.

  And of course, you only have to look at him to see how gorgeous he can be…

  I shook the thought aside and focused back on my packing. I was grateful that I could make the basement my own for the time I was there. How long that would be, I couldn’t say, but working for Colin was a good opportunity to save some money and figure out what my next move should be.

  A knock sounded on my door, and I glanced at my watch. Precisely ten. That was the time Colin had said he’d arrive. I wasn’t surprised by his punctuality, but I also didn’t take chances. Before opening the door, I checked through the peephole, a bit of tension releasing from my shoulders when I saw that it really was him there, rather than my creepy neighbor. Thank goodness, I’d be away from here soon and would never again have to worry about creepy John Stout.

  Colin stood in the hall, his focus directed away from the door. As I swung the door open, I saw what Colin was watching, and then tension came back, twice as strong—sitting in a knot in my stomach. John was just entering the hall, accompanied by another man I didn’t recognize. Damn. I’d hoped to avoid him altogether.

  “Come in,” I said as I stepped back, hoping John didn’t see me. Colin didn’t hesitate, and a second later I had the door closed again. He’d noticed my quick action. I felt the urge to explain, to justify my reaction, but I was a little embarrassed to straight out say. “I’m scared of my creepy neighbor,” so I said nothing, other than, “Thanks for helping me move.”

  “Happy to,” he said, scanning the boxes scattered on the floor.

  I could guess what he was thinking. None of them were labeled, and half were still open, even though I’d known when he was coming. If he’d been the one moving, he’d have probably had every box ready, labeled, and stacked by the door by now. “I’m done with the ones in the kitchen. As it turns out, I don’t own much.” He raised an eyebrow. “Much in the way of housewares,” I clarified. My kitchen was in three boxes, my bathroom in one. Two suitcases were full of clothes. I did have an entire box of shoes, but a woman needed variety. The majority of the boxes were my art supplies and decorative pieces that would make the white canvas of my new apartment homey. The furniture had been mine, but the landlord was interested in renting the place out furnished, so he’d agreed to buy it from me. It was only the personal items that needed to be moved.