Page 28 of Bravely Yours

“Yeah, of course.” He shrugged. “But I pretty much forced Cece to let me move in with her, so she already knows I’m over-the-top.”

He wasn’t lying there. Maybe I couldn’t be with my girls all the time, but this way, I could make sure no one who shouldn’t be near her apartment was loitering.

“Maybe I’m over-the-top too, then.” I’d rather be overly cautious than risk their safety.

“Not typically.” Owen cocked an eyebrow. “But I’m taking it that Sarah is important to you.”

Yeah. The most important person in my life. Owen was one of my closest friends, but if he was about to list off the reasons why she shouldn’t be, I might punch him.

“She is.” I stood to my full height and crossed my arms over my chest.

Rather than give me shit, he smirked. “Good.”

Asshole. I shook my head and turned away from him.

He understood exactly where I was coming from. He would do whatever it took to protect the woman he loved.

And so would I.

Chapter Nineteen

SARAH

I staredout the passenger side window with a smile plastered on my face. The last few nights had been perfect. Our normal routine wasn’t anything exciting. Just dinner and football or a show. But after Nora went down for the night, we’d get lost in each other.

Jay brushed a thumb back and forth along the top of mine, the subtle movement making my stomach flutter. A sigh left my lips.

Even though I hadn’t gotten another text this week, heinsisted on staying the night. Which was fine with me, and Nora was excited each morning when she woke up, standing in her crib, reaching toward us.

It felt like a miracle. She’d gradually been going down easier over the last few weeks and had begun sleeping through the night in her crib. And the nights Jay put her down always went the smoothest.

“Are you nervous?” Jay’s question cut through my thoughts.

“Not really.” I shrugged. “My parents are excited to meet you.”

I guess I was a little anxious about what my mom would think. She was a good judge of character. Time after time, she’d warned me about red flags in my shitty relationships that I’d completely missed. Nerves fluttered through me. Was this just another time I was being blind?

I didn’t think so.

Nora hadn’t stopped babbling since we pulled out of the lot. But Jay had also not stopped having a conversation, however one-sided it was, with her. Who did that?

Stomach fluttering, I studied the man sitting in the driver’s seat talking nonsense with my one-year-old in the back seat. There was no denying it. I was falling for this selfless, protective man. The way he fussed over my daughter and the way, with just a look, he made me feel like I was the only thing he could see, was slowly healing my battered heart.

He turned my way and smiled.

I had no doubt he would walk over burning coals to get to someone he loved.

I swallowed hard. Maybe I wasn’t being blind. Or maybe Jay deserved better than a thirtysomething single mom with way too much baggage.

But almost two hours later, my mom hadn’t said a word or given me any clue that she didn’t approve. In fact, both myparents seemed smitten with Jay. And really, who wouldn’t be? That boyish smirk of his worked not only on Nora and me, but on anyone it was aimed at.

As I was pouring lemonade into my glass, my mom stepped into the kitchen. Tensing, I peered through the opening above the sink that led into my parents’ living room. Jay and my dad roared as the commentator on TV confirmed a fumble. I should’ve known the two would bond over football.

I spun toward my mom, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Please tell me you think he’s great.”

---