Page 65 of Jay Bird

“For security.”

“Yeah. We’ll see about that. I have a feeling you’re going to be part of this family for a very long time.”

Willow’s heart gave an inconvenient little flutter.

Thankfully, Lily chose that moment to run toward them, yelling something incomprehensible about her ball.

By late afternoon, Mia gathered Camden’s things and loaded him into his car seat.

“We’ll talk in the next couple of days about the clinic,” she promised.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually excited.”

“You should be.”

Willow hugged her, and this time no tears fell.

An hour later, Willow stood in Jay Bird’s kitchen while Lily colored at the table.

A simple glass vase now sat in the center of the table, filled with bright summer flowers Mia brought over for Willow.

Willow smiled. Jay Bird had told her to make herself at home, and apparently she was starting with flowers.

CHAPTER TEN

Jay Bird pulled into his driveway a little after six and shut off the engine, but instead of immediately climbing out of the SUV, he sat there for a moment staring at the house.

His house. At least, that was what he had always called it. Lately, the word didn’t seem to fit quite as well.

Nothing about the place looked different from out here. The yard was still painfully bare, according to Willow. The landscaping remained nonexistent beyond the handful of shrubs that were there when he bought the place, and there was still far too much empty space for one man who barely used half the rooms.

Yet somehow, in less than a week, everything inside had changed. Then there was Willow.

Jay Bird rubbed a hand over his jaw. Yeah, that was the biggest change of all.

He glanced toward the passenger seat and immediately felt ridiculous. A white orchid sat there, an actual fucking flower for a woman. He hadn’t bought a woman flowers in years.

The orchid had seemed like a good idea at the time. He had passed the florist on the way home, and remembered Willow giving his house shit about desperately needing something alive in it. Moments later, he had found himself walking into the shop.

Then the woman behind the counter had started explaining what different flowers symbolized. Jay Bird hadn’t asked for the lecture, but apparently he had looked like a man who desperately needed professional assistance.

White orchids were said to represent new beginnings. It felt oddly fitting for Willow, like something in her deserved a fresh start more than she probably realized herself. Before he could overthink it, he’d decided she was the one who should have it, and just like that, he had bought the damn thing.

Now he sat in his driveway, staring at it like it might testify against him later.

“Get your shit together,” he muttered to himself.

He grabbed the orchid and climbed out. Before heading inside, he pulled the envelope Derek had given him from his work bag and tucked it under his arm.

He unlocked the front door and wasn’t surprised when the security panel immediately began its countdown. He punched in the code and called out before stepping farther inside.

“I’m home.”

He had learned quickly that announcing himself was better than accidentally startling Willow.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened, and then a little voice suddenly shrieked from the kitchen.

“Jay!”