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I wondered how I could warn him off from her without having to spell it out. It was a unique problem to me, one I’d be stewing through what to do about for quite some time.

Just then a tiny blond whirlwind ran into the house, spotted me, and screamed, “Tunner!” and launched herself at me.

I picked her up, put her on my hip, and beamed at her.

She beamed back and smacked her lips at me. I lifted her slightly and angled my head to let her give me the slobbery cheek kiss she was asking for. “Hello, Violet,” I said to her.

She was a gorgeous toddler, a perfect mini Iris, and she adored me.

I didn’t like to let it get out, but I was actually good with kids. I liked them. They were fun and funny, and natural troublemakers to a one. What wasn’t to like?

“Have you been staying out of trouble?”

She grinned and it was so mischievous I thought she must have been practicing it. “Never!”

I shook my head and sighed. “It’s too late. You’re already just like your diabolical mother. Nothing to be done but watch you live out your evil genius origin story and stay on your good side.”

She wasn’t even three, but she giggled like she actually understood the joke. She might have. Who knew? There was a good chance she was another Masters genius.

I glanced up and caught Carter and Ro just staring at me. Carter was smirking like he was making a note to tease me about this later, but Ro… Ro was doing something much more interesting.

A hundred emotions crossed her face, a world of possibilities, a thousand things shut down in an instant, but I’d seen something there, something I’d be dissecting later, some wistful yearning that made my pulse start to race.

I carried a happy Violet as we headed outside, and I made the rounds introducing Ro to everyone.

Violet only wanted down when Heath started throwing kids around in the pool and she wanted to join.

I set her down and she scampered off.

“I was not expecting that,” Ro told me quietly.

I met her eyes and smiled. “I’m even more charming than you thought. Impressive, I know.”

She just shook her head as though I’d ruined the moment.

“Didn’t think I’d be good with kids, did you?”

“I didn’t think you’d like kids, to be frank. You didn’t even like puppies until Machiavelli made you fall in love with her.”

“That was your fault as much as hers. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I rarely do.”

It was sometime later when I’d followed Ro and Carter into the pool. I had the strange and unpleasant feeling that they’d forgotten I was even there.

He was telling her some details about teaching high school English in one of the worst public schools in the city, his way of giving back.

She looked very impressed.

Barf. I made sure Carter saw me gagging behind Ro’s back.

He looked very entertained and not at all bothered, the bastard, just continued to talk to Ro like they were old buddies, or worse.

Did he assume she was single?

Did she assume that?

He was talking about coaching football and how it wasn’t just about the sport, but a good way for under privileged kids to get scholarships that change their lives.