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But I had to know he was committed a hundred percent. I had avoided the topic until now since everything was moving so smoothly. I was afraid to make a sudden move, seem too pushy, or break the spell.

Rather than be the wet blanket, I grabbed my spoon once the milkshake was delivered and swiped a little bit of the whipped cream and what was underneath before Jackson could figure out how to divide it up.

“Mama! You stole some.” Liam giggled.

“I don’t know, guys. I might need to take all of this for myself.” I pretended I was going to, laughing at the way Liam protested. “I’ll leave it for you,” I relented, settling for watching them discuss the logistics of dividing things up very carefully without making a huge mess.

“The milkshake was a mistake,” Jackson groaned, almost dragging his feet as he carried a sugar-crashed Liam into the house.

“I was thinking the same thing,” I whispered, chuckling. “He’s going to be a lot of fun to get to bed later, sleeping the way he is now.”

“How was I supposed to resist the kid?”

That was the thing. It was as impossible to resist the child as it was to resist his father, who might have been dealing with indigestion but looked absolutely blissful while opening the front door for me.

“I think it’s going to be an extra-long nap time,” I told Mom once she looked up from the book she was reading on the sofa. She had been too sick and weak back when I was sleeping with Jackson for me to bother her with stories about him, but all it took was our pancake breakfast the morning after the show’s opening for her to see the plain truth as he and Liam sat next to each other at the table. Now, her interested gaze bounced back and forth between us and softened as she clearly saw things the way I did. We were like a little family, the three of us. The way things were always supposed to be. Dangerous, that thought, but one I couldn’t shake.

“We can stay up late and watch a movie,” she suggested after saying hi to Jackson. “No harm done. A deep nap means you had a good time.”

That he had. Liam had loved the High Roller Ferris wheel, but it was the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay that had completely captured his imagination.

“He wants to be a shark,” I whispered before taking him to his room. “Maybe something fish-related would be a good idea tonight.”

“I sort of wish I could hang out with you guys,” Jackson murmured, following me to Liam’s room. My heart skipped a beat, and I went warm all over before reminding myself to chill out. Maybe I was still a little paranoid, but I was having a hard time accepting this would be forever.

“Dinner with the guys is a big deal,” I reminded him as I laid Liam down before going to his dresser to pull out clean clothes that did not bear evidence of his lunch. Glancing away from the drawers, I asked, “Do they know about him?”

Jackson’s smile was a little sheepish. He rocked back and forth on his feet, hands jammed into his pockets. “I was going to tell them tonight. Everyone’s been busy lately.”

“You’re all pretty important guys. It’s nice that you find the time to catch up with each other.” I chuckled before going back to the bed. “Make sure you tell Aiden that Mom intends to take him up on his offer to go clubbing one night. He promised during the after-party.”

“One of these days, somebody’s mom is going to call his bluff, and he’s going to regret flirting so much.”

“She loved it,” I whispered, careful not to be overheard. “It’s been a long time since she felt young and pretty.”

He sat next to me, watching as I took off Liam’s overalls and T-shirt. “How do you do that without waking him up?” he whispered.

“Practice,” I replied, grinning over my shoulder. “Besides, he’s out cold. You’d be surprised what I can get away with when he’s this deeply asleep.”

With a sigh, he murmured, “What I wouldn’t give to sleep that well nowadays.”

“Spend enough time running around with this guy, and you’ll sleep better than you have in ages.”

“I want to,” he insisted. His hand touched my shoulder, and I closed my eyes briefly, absorbing the sweetness. “You know that, right? I meant it back there at the restaurant. I want more of this.”

Liam mumbled softly as I eased a clean T-shirt over his head. “I know. I do too,” I whispered. “But⁠—”

“I know. You have to be careful with him. And so do I.” At least he was taking it well. “But as far as I’m concerned, I can see this being part of my life. In case you were wondering, you don’t need to wonder.”

Reaching out, he stroked Liam’s hand and almost made my heart burst out of my chest. “He’s a great kid. Does he maybe want a pony or something?” he asked. “I could get him one.”

The thought made me shudder. “I think he’s a little young for that, and last time I checked, we don’t have room for a pony in the backyard.” I was going to have my hands full with him, not that I minded.

Once he was tucked in, we left the room, and I closed the door softly before we went back to the living room. Mom had made herself scarce. No doubt she was trying to give us a little time alone together because she was a typical mother.

“I guess I better get going,” Jackson decided. “I wanted to check things over at the theater before heading out for dinner. I have an idea. How about we see the show tomorrow night? I still have a couple of unused comp tickets. We’ll do something special afterward. How does that sound?”

How did it sound? Perfect. “I would love to.” Could it really be this easy? Setting a date together, going out, and making plans for the future? Being happy?