“Minnie Mouse,” Josie said, looking at the design on the seat cushion. “That is so cute.”
Beau took a drink of coffee, felt the warmth spread through him. “How’re they doing? Is the baby okay?”
“The baby’s doing fine.” Josie sat down in an overstuffed green chair that matched the sofa. “Such a sweet little thing. But Missy’s tired. She has to get up at all hours of the night to nurse. She doesn’t mind it, though. She loves her little girl.”
“You look tired, too, Josie,” Beau said. “I know it can’t be easy, taking care of Missy and Evie and trying to run the café. I was thinking . . . How would you feel about getting some extra help in here? I could find someone. Or maybe you know someone who’d be good with the baby.”
Josie just shook her head. “We don’t have enough room for someone else, Beau. It’s nice of you to offer, though.”
He sipped his coffee. “I’ve got an even better idea. How about moving into a bigger place? Sooner or later Missy is going to need a house of her own. It might as well be now.”
“We can’t afford that, Beau,” Missy said as she came through the bedroom door.
He looked at the little pink bundle in the slender girl’s arms and something shifted and softened inside him. “I know you can’t, but I can. Do you think you and your mom could carve out enough time to look at a few houses? You could pick out something big enough for you and your mom and someone to help with the baby. We could close the sale as soon as possible. What do you think?”
Missy looked dumbfounded. “You can’t be serious. You want to buy me a house?”
“Why not? I can afford it, and you and my little sister need a place to live.”
Missy sat down in the other chair, the baby cradled gently in her arms. “It’s too much, Beau. I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
Beau glanced at Cassidy for support, but she was clearly staying out of it. He turned to the older woman. “What do you think, Josie? We could find something that isn’t too far from the café.”
Josie’s gaze went to her daughter, relief clear in her face. He’d known she was worried. He hadn’t been sure what about. “If Beau wants to do this for you and his sister, I don’t see why you should refuse.”
Missy’s eyes filled with tears. For the first time, heunderstood what his father had seen in the girl. There was something unpretentious about Missy, something wholesome and good.
“Do you mean it?” she asked.
“Of course I mean it. Josie, you must know a Realtor who’d do a good job for you. Can you line someone up?”
“Diane Ellison is good. I can give her a call.”
“I’ll call her, too,” Beau said. “Explain how this is going to work. All right?”
Missy rose and walked to where he sat on the sofa. Leaning down, she settled the sleeping baby gently in his arms. He looked down at the innocent face and felt as if a tiny hand had reached out and touched his heart. His gaze went to Cassidy. She was watching him with misty eyes.
He looked back down at the baby, sat there for several minutes just staring, studying the miniature fingers and tiny bow-shaped mouth. By now he should have had a child of his own, more than one, if he’d had his way. He glanced back at Cassidy. If things were different . . . if he were a different man . . .
He handed the baby back to Missy and rose from the sofa. “You got the check I sent?” he asked a little gruffly.
“We got it,” Josie said. “Thank you.”
Beau leaned over and kissed Missy’s cheek. “Take care of our girl, okay?”
She just nodded. “Thanks for the presents, Beau, especially the bouncer. I really wanted one, but I didn’t want to spend the money.”
“That’s from Cassidy,” Beau said, glancing her way. Didn’t matter that he had paid for it; she was the one who had picked it out.
They walked outside together, headed back down the stairs to the Lamborghini.
“You’re a good man, Beau Reese,” Cassidy said as she slid into the vehicle.
Beau thought that if he were a better, smarter man, he would latch on to Cassidy Jones and never let go. It wasn’t going to happen. For now, he needed her to help him prove his innocence. He needed her and he wanted her, but he would never risk the closeness he had shared with Sarah.
“We have to go back and figure out what to do next,” Cassidy said, putting the conversation back on track as he pulled onto the highway and headed for Dallas. “We need to go over what we know, and figure things out.”
Figure things out.Beau wished it were that easy.
