Page 60 of Pucking Daddy

Say it, I mouth.

He exhales.

“So,” he starts, then pauses. “Zara isn’t going to be your nanny anymore.”

Lily blinks.

Then—“What?” she says.

My stomach flips.

“But…” she frowns, looking at me. “Then who’s going to pick me up? And make pancakes? And—” she looks back at Jaxon, alarmed now, “—you can’t make pancakes!”

“I can make pancakes,” he protests weakly.

“You can’t—”

“Hey,” I cut in gently, touching her arm. “Hey. I’m still going to be here.”

She looks at me, confused. “But you just said you’re not my nanny.”

“I’m not,” I say. “But I’m still going to be part of your life. Every day.”

She frowns harder. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Jaxon leans forward slightly. “It will once we tell you the rest.”

“There’s more?” she asks.

“There’s more,” I confirm.

She crosses her arms. “Okay. I’m listening.”

Jaxon glances at me again. I nod.

“We’ve decided,” he says slowly, “that we’re going to get married.”

Silence follows.

Lily stares at him. Then at me. Then back at him.

“…What?” she says.

I let out a small breath. “We’re getting married.”

Her eyes widen.

“Wait… that means…” she trails off, thinking very hard.

Then she gasps.

“Does that mean Zara is my mom now?”

I choke. Actually choke.

Jaxon makes a strangled sound beside me.

“Okay,” I say quickly. “No. No, that’s not what that means.”