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I lean over in my seat, making eye contact with her. “It was my fault,” I admit. “I … umm … accidentally …” How do I even say this without alerting her to what we were just doing? “I was on his lap … and⁠—”

Her eyes widen. “You were making out?”

Nolan presses his lips together, and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. I, on the other hand, want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “Yes,” I admit, wincing.

I can’t exactly lie. What other reason would I have for being straddled across her son’s lap in the middle of her driveway?

Mrs Sinclair lets out a sigh, but there’s a hint of amusement tugging at the corner of her mouth as she turns her attention back to her son. “I raised you better than this, Nolan.”

“Mum—”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled you two have finally seen you’re perfect for each other. But Daisy deserves better than being groped in the driveway like a couple of teenagers hiding from their parents.”

“I didn’t grope her.”

“You kind of did,” I admit.

His head snaps in my direction, and the look of pure betrayal on his face has me fighting a smile. “I understand this is all new and sometimes hormones take over. You’re a red-blooded male and if you’re anything like your father⁠—”

“I swear to god,” Nolan growls, placing his hands over his ears. “If you finish that sentence, Mum, I’m leaving.”

Mrs Sinclair completely ignores him. “Your father was exactly the same at your age. He had a one-track mind. Though, to be fair, he had better manners. He’d at least wait until we were inside the house before he started getting handsy.”

“Mum!”

“What? It’s true. You could learn a thing or two from him.” A breathy sigh passes her lips as she glances off to the side. The dreamy look that follows tells me she’s silently reminiscing. “Oh boy, those were the days. He had so much energy. I swear that man could wear me out before we even came downstairs for breakfast.”

My shoulders shake with silent laughter as Nolan drops his head back against the seat with a tortured groan, and digs the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. “Great. Thanks Mum, now I’m going to need therapy.”

Chapter 15

Nolan

I’m shoving my things into the suitcase I brought with me when Daisy enters the main room. “Going somewhere?”

Last night, when we arrived home, after picking up Jonah from my parents’, she disappeared into Poppy’s bedroom, where she’s been sleeping with her son, and never re-emerged.

As much as I wanted to continue what we started in the car, it was probably for the best. I’m okay with taking this one day at a time because whatever happens between us, I want her to be certain. She deserves that after everything she’s been through.

I know what I want ... her. I want them both. And if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the best things in life are always worth waiting for. I’m a patient man, and I’m willing to let Daisy set the pace.

“I’m heading to my place,” I reply as I glance up to find Daisy swaying gently with Jonah tucked against her chest.

“You’re leaving? Right now?”

“I’ve got to pick up my work truck, darlin’. My Mow-It-Forward jobs have been piling up while we’ve been hiding out here. I’ve got people counting on me.”

“Oh.”

I don’t miss the disappointment in her voice or the way her shoulders slightly droop. “Come with me.”

Hope flickers across her face, bright and immediate, before her reality steals it away. “I’d love to, but Jonah ...”

“I’ll call Mum,” I say, shoving my hand into the back pocket of my jeans to retrieve my phone.

“No, don’t. She had him all day and night yesterday.”

“I bet she’d jump at the chance to have him again. I think you’re underestimating how much she loves the little guy.”