“Miss Jamie!” Charlotte squealed, barreling toward her.
Jamie stepped out just in time to catch her in a hug. “Hi, sweetheart.”
Clayton leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching them with a smirk. “I guess you’ve got some bags in there?” He nodded toward the SUV.
“A few,” she said, smiling.
The driver popped the trunk and Clayton stepped forward—only to stop short, eyes widening.
“What in tarnation?” His expression was somewhere between amused and horrified.
She shrugged.
Shaking his head, he grabbed a couple of suitcases while the driver handled the rest. Jamie followed, Charlotte hanging onto her arm.
They’d barely reached the steps when Emily’s excited voice rang out. “Surprise!”
Jamie looked up. A handmade banner stretched across the beams, the wordswelcome home miss jamiepainted in bright, uneven letters.
Her chest tightened. She hated surprises. Always had.
But this one? This one she didn’t mind.
Jamie picked up Poppy and settled beside Clayton on the couch, nodding at him. It was time.
Clayton rested his forearms on his knees. “Miss Jamie and I have some news.” He gestured for the girls to take a seat. Charlotte and Emily squeezed onto the leather chair, their eyes widening with curiosity.
“You already know Miss Jamie is staying here for the summer.” He paused, glancing at Jamie before continuing. “But what you don’t know is that her and I . . .” He took Jamie’s hand. “Well, we like each other.”
Emily blew a raspberry. “No you don’t.”
Jamie and Clayton burst into laughter.
“That might’ve been true before,” Jamie admitted. “But your dad’s grown on me.”
Charlotte frowned. “What does that mean?”
Clayton sighed. They weren’t explaining this well at all.
“It means I love Miss Jamie, and she’s my girlfriend now,” he said simply.
Jamie smiled. “And your dad is my boyfriend—if that’s okay with you two?”
Emily tilted her head. “Are you going to be our new mom?”
Jamie hadn’t expected that. She hesitated, searching for the right words.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said gently. “You already have a mom. But I love you girls like my own, and that’ll never change.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears. Jamie wasn’t sure if they were happy or sad.
“What’s wrong?” Clayton asked softly.
Charlotte shook her head. “I love Miss Jamie and want her to stay forever.”
“But what if she doesn’t?” Emily crossed her arms, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Clayton sighed. “Girls, give Miss Jamie a chance. She just got here.”
