I’m about to say something else when the bell above the door rings again.
And she walks in.
Ella Morgan.
A shock goes through me so fast I forget how to breathe. She’s wearing jeans and a cream sweater, her long dark brown hair in loose waves down her back. Her charcoal grey eyes scan the shop, and when they land on me, the memories hit hard.
The same one I’ve been trying not to think about for a month.
Her.
Under me in that office.
The sound she made when I said her name.
The way she clung to my shoulders, trusting me with her whole damn body.
All I wanted was one night of fun to unwind, but all it took was one look, a touch lingered too long, and I was a goner before I could tap out. The Morgans will have my head if they ever learn what I did to their youngest, especially after they’ve been so good to me over the years. They helped me stay afloat after my daddied, and I owe a lot of my success to them. If only I hadn’t repaid that kindness by fucking their youngest in the mayor’s office.
I look away for half a second, but she’s already moving toward us.
“Cole?”
My pulse jumps. “Shi—Ella.”
I quickly catch myself. That name seems too intimate, even if it is her legal name.
She smiles back, small but warm. “Hi.”
Aria looks between us, curious. “Hi, Miss Ella!”
Ella brightens instantly. “Hey, sweetheart. You look taller.”
Aria gasps. “Daddy! She noticed!”
Ella and I both laugh, and God, I forgot what her laugh does to me. It loosens something in my chest and tightens something lower.
She glances at me. “Big day?”
I nod slowly. I already told her about my separation. “Yeah. The judge finalized everything an hour ago.”
Her expression softens. “And…?”
“I got full custody.”
A breath leaves her lips, like she’s been holding it without knowing. “That’s great, Cole. Aria belongs with you.”
I look at my daughter, watching the two of us with wide, content eyes, and I nod. “Yeah. She does.”
Ella shifts her weight, unsure for the first time. “What about Dawson Construction?” she asks gently.
I exhale. “Split fifty-fifty. I can buy her out, but I’ve got six months to scrounge up half a fortune.”
She tilts her head, warm concern in her eyes. “I know you can do it. That company is your life. And you’re stubborn as hell.”
A low laugh slips out of me. “You think so?”
“I know so,” she nods, holding my gaze a beat too long. “You’re a good dad. And a good man. Even if life has been kicking you around.”
