“Poor baby. Sounds like you need a little R & R.”

“Mom, I’ve only had one practice.” I laughed. “I’m not quite in need of a break yet.”

“You work hard, Brody. You could always use a break. When do Lucy and Piper start school?”

“Uh… a couple weeks. Why?”

“Your dad and I were thinking we’d really like to get to know Kacie and the girls better. The hospital wasn’t exactly the ideal location for our first introduction, and other than a few phones calls here and there, we haven’t really talked to her since. Would you four want to come spend next weekend here?”

Kacie and I hadn’t even approached the topic of her bringing the kids to my house yet, let alone my parents’.

“Oh God, you’re not going to interrogate her, are you, Ma?”

“Absolutely not!” she snapped. “But I’d like to get to know the woman who has stolen my son’s heart… and all of his time.”

Ah, so that was it.

“Ahhh, so that’s what this is about. Mom, if you want me to come home for a weekend, just ask.”

“Of course I miss seeing you, but I do want to get to know Kacie and the girls. I promise, no ulterior motives here.”

“Okay. Let me talk to her and have her look at her work schedule, and I’ll get back to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sounds good! One more question—will you be in town two weeks from Friday? I have to come into the city for my scans and since it’ll be a long day, I was hoping I could stay there. Maybe a mother-son sleepover?”

My stomach dropped. I knew these scans were normal and just a precaution, but I got anxious every time she had to have them. Though I would never admit it to her, I had never completely let go of the fear that her cancer would come back. I’d feel better in a couple weeks when she got the all clear from her doctor.

“Of course, Mom,” I said flatly.

She sensed my tension. “Honey, relax. These are just routine scans.”

“I know, I know. This will be fun. I’ll grab a bunch of movies and cook you dinner.” I tried to sound upbeat.

“That sounds perfect, actually.”

“Great. I’ll pick up Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead… Wait, do you like Freddy or Jason?”

“Anything with Meg Ryan in it.”

“Mom,” I whined. “She’s in chick movies. I don’t want to watch chick movies, especially not with my mother.”

“You want Toll House bars?” she threatened with a laugh.

Mmmm. Toll House bars.

She knew my weakness.

“Evil, Mom. That’s evil.” I sighed. “You’ve Got Mail or Sleepless in… wherever?”

Completely exhausted from work, I came home and made dinner for everyone, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. My mom never batted an eye when I asked her if she would watch the girls for me while I worked, so cooking dinner was the least I could do. Things would be easier in a couple weeks when school started for them.

I tucked the girls in and collapsed on my bed, hugging my cell phone while I waited for Brody’s call. I’d gotten so used to having him at the inn, it was hard not being able to run up to his guest room and snuggle up with him for a bit.

My text alert went off and I jumped, not realizing I’d dozed off.

B: YOU STILL AWAKE?

I didn’t waste time texting back, I needed to hear his voice.

“Hey.” A big sigh sounded in my ear as he answered the phone.

“Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good.” My heart sunk.

Does he know something about Zach? No, there was no way. Right?

“Sorry, just a long day.” He yawned. “I’m glad you’re still awake.”

His yawn was contagious. “Barely.”

“How was work?”

Awful. Terrible. Horrendous.

“Good. There was a five-car pileup. That was exciting.”

His husky laugh tickled my ear. “Sometimes I think I should be worried about the weird things that excite you.”

I giggled. “What about you? How was practice?”

“It was okay. I probably won’t be able to walk tomorrow. My quads hurt so bad.”

“Mmmm, sounds like you need a good rubdown.”

“You have no idea. I would sell my soul to the devil himself to have you here with me right now.”

“Me too, Brody. This is harder than I thought it would be. How are we going to make it seven, eight months?”

“We’ll just have to make more of an effort to carve out time for each other. Maybe tomorrow, as soon as practice ends, I’ll grab D and head straight up there?”

I paused for a second, excited at the thought but not sure we had space. “I’ll have to check with Mom; I don’t know if there are any rooms available.” The girls knew that Brody and I were together now, but I still didn’t think it was appropriate for them to know we were sleeping in the same bed, so Brody still stayed in a guest room when he was here.

A suspicious laugh filled the line. “You check with her and get back to me.”

“I feel bad, though, making you drive all that way for just one night.”

“Kacie, I’d drive twenty hours for just one kiss from you.” Hearing him say that made my belly warm. How was I so lucky to snag the greatest guy in the world? “I’d expect a little tongue with that kiss, but you get my point.”

I laughed loudly. “There’s the Brody I know and love.”

“I want to see you, though. It’s only been a couple days and I already miss my girls—all three of you.”

“We miss you too. I’ll check with my mom in the morning and get back to you, okay?”

“You do that.” I could tell he was smiling.

“Okay, I’m off to bed.”

“All right, babe. Dream about me. I love you.”

“I love you, Brody.”

“Good morning!” I bounced into the kitchen.

“Hi?” Mom said, turning to face me from the stove. “What’s with you today? You’re unusually perky.”

“Nothing. Just excited to see Brody tonight.” The girls had already finished eating and were coloring at the island as I walked over and kissed them on the tops of their heads.

Mom rolled her eyes and chuckled. “It’s only been a couple days since you two have seen each other.”

“I know.” I went over to the stove and scooped up some scrambled eggs on my plate before I sat with Lucy and Piper at the island. “I’m pathetic.”

“A little, but it’s sweet.” She winked at me.

“Wait! Before I get too excited, is there a guest room available tonight?”

Mom turned back from the stove with a blank look on her face and stared at me. After a second she pulled her brows in and tilted her head to the side suspiciously. “Did he not tell you?”

I was confused. “Tell me what?”

A slow grin grew on her face and she slowly shook her head. “Oh, that boy. You better hold on to him, Kacie.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When he told me about you being uncomfortable, um…” She glanced at the girls and back at me. I could tell she was trying to speak in code because of them. “…being roommates at night, I told him that he was welcome to a guest room anytime he wanted one. I said I’d save one for him.” She walked over to the island and put her hand on her hip while I continued shoveling eggs into my mouth. “He insisted I not be out any money because of all this, so he prepaid for one guest room for an entire year. Three hundred and sixty-five nights.”