But he also needs to know exactly what he’s offering.
“Do you really grasp what you’ll deal with as far as Phoebe and me moving in with you?”
“If I hadn’t thought about it, I wouldn’t have asked.” Now he pushes to his feet and stands in front of me. “Do you think I’m not serious about this?”
I can’t help myself. I reach out and palm his cheek, brushing my thumb against his neatly trimmed beard.
“I know you’re serious, Aiden. This whole situation is just... absurd. Notyou,everything else.”I sigh.“Whether it’s you or Abby, I’m uprooting Phoebe. And since Abby only has one bathroom and a pullout couch, I’ll have to move her again if this is a long-term issue.”
The repetition of stroking his face is soothing, and I wonder if it’s having the same effect on him.
“Is this where I try to convince you that moving into my place only requiresonemove?” he asks quietly.
“What about Evelyn? And Owen? Have they agreed to this? Kids are disruptive, Aiden.”
He gives a slight nod. “They know... enough of the situation.”
Which means he’s holding back from them, too.
“How long have you carried this alone?” I ask.
I’ve seen the muscle in his jaw tick multiple times tonight, so I’m not surprised when it does again. That’s the only answer I need.
“You seem so sure of yourself about this. Where would I do sessions? I can shift my newborn setup and do in-home sessionsfor clients who are willing to be flexible, but I can’t cover the Christmas sessions. I can’t afford to stop taking clients.”
“The money from my trust would?—”
I shake my head and step back, folding my arms over each other. “No. I’m not giving up what I’ve worked so hard to build to be your pretend wife. This is give-and-take, and my photography business is not negotiable.”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
My defenses flare, then smooth. Maybe we should put this conversation off until we’ve slept and gathered our wits better.
“I’d never ask you to give up your business. If you marry me, you’re helping me save my farm. The least I can do is help save your dream, too.”
“You’re making it hard to remember this is a terrible idea when you say things like that.”
He flashes me a tired grin. “Maybe that’s part of the point.”
“What do I do about rent?”
“We’ll find a loophole in your contracts, or we’ll find a lawyer. You can’t live somewhere that’s uninhabitable, and neither can Phoebe.”
This man’s logic is disarming.
There’s one more subject I have to broach before I’ll let this go for tonight. And I don’t want to.
“How do you know everyone else in the house will be alright with this arrangement?”
Confusion mars his face. “I just said Owen and Evie would be fine with Phoebe?—”
“I don’t mean Phoebe,” I whisper. “I mean, me.”
I’ve already been judged once, and I won’t walk back into that blind.
“Of course you’ll be welcome.” Aiden steps into me and smooths the stray baby hairs from my face. His touch warmsthe ice forming under my skin—my automatic defense to protect myself.
Protect Phoebe.
