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Jade

Do you all love me?

Piper

Are you about to show us an ugly man from a dating app?

Jade

No . . . it’s to do with Gabriel.

Wren

NO.

Mollie

Is this because you picked him up from the bar???

Jade

I’m not getting with him or anything! I’m just helping with his kids. Not sleeping with him! I wanted you all to know before you saw it through someone else.

My phone continued to buzz, but I put it away with a sigh. They weren’t going to like this, but there was nothing that would stop me.

Raising a hand, I knocked on Gabriel’s door.

There was no way he was awake, but there was also no way he’d left the girls alone. Atticus’s car was still parked outside.

The same man opened the door.

“Jade, hi.”

“I’m here to take over,” I said. “You have to open the vet clinic in an hour.”

“I do, but I was going to close it today.”

“No need. I’ve got it.”

“Don’t you need to open your own shop?”

“My shop is way slower than your clinic. I’ll just call this a much-needed day off.”

Atticus narrowed his eyes. “Do I even wanna know why you’re doing this?”

“Probably not, but I do know more now. And why you didn’t tell us you were a grandfather.”

“He told you?”

“While drunk, but yes.” I crossed my arms. “You could’ve warned me.”

“I didn’t want to get involved. Plus, the girls don’t need to be any more confused. It’s been . . . a process.”

“Did he not consider keeping who he is a secret?”

“I don’t know.”

“Atticus . . .”