She inched back. "What is it?"
He turned his face to the side, gave her his cheek. "What if... what if being with me means you lose custody of the kids?"
Oh.
She pressed her hands into his shoulders, shook him a little. "You got through to Casey this morning. Not me. You were the first one Lindsey spoke to with real words. You're great with the kids."
He closed his eyes in one slow blink. "But my past..." He swallowed audibly. "You want to be their family more than anything."
She did. But she wanted Noah, too.
"As things get more serious, we can talk with the kids' social worker. It might not be an issue at all."
"And if it is...?"
"Then we'll cross that hurdle when we need to. We'll find some character witnesses. Cord and Callum can write glowing reports about you."
He snorted a tiny laugh. Some of the light had returned to his eyes.
She nibbled beneath his jaw, and he tensed in the most delicious way. His hands tightened at her waist.
"Better now?" she murmured.
He lowered his head to rest his forehead on her shoulder. "It's hard not to be scared. To want so much..."
He exhaled a shaky breath.
"I've got you," she whispered. "We can be scared together. And when you need me to be sure for us, I will. And if there comes a day that I have some doubt, you can take a turn to be the steady one."
She felt him relax. "Yes. That. I want that."
She squeezed him. "I love you. I'm not gonna stop."
He straightened and pulled her closer. "I love you, Jilly. Thanks for not giving up on me."
"Never."
