Page 24 of The Enemy Face Off

"See, even your brother agrees."

That brings a small smile to her face. I sit, playing with Jonah and his blocks, while striking up a conversation with Josie about the other books she's reading.

After ten or so minutes, a young woman enters the room.

"This is Grace, our nanny," Mike explains.

"Hi, it's great to meet you." She looks me up and down, smiling widely. "I'm a huge fan of the LA Swifts. And you."

"Thank you," I reply politely and try not to bristle. This is definitely not the time for flirting.

"Would you mind taking Josie and Jonah outside, please?" Robyn asks Grace.

"Of course." She takes Jonah into her arms, aims another sultry smile at me, then leaves with the kids.

"You guys have a nanny?" I ask, settling into an armchair as Robyn and Mike sit on the sofa opposite me.

"We do," Mike answers. "She's part-time, but let's face it, we're not spring chickens anymore and kids have a lot of energy."

"Yeah. I bet."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Robyn says. "I haven't offered you anything to drink. Would you like some water? Coffee? Something stronger."

"No. That's fine. Thank you. I have a house inspection tomorrow, so I can't stay long."

They exchange a discreet look. I mentioned in our emails that I'm planning to settle in Comfort Bay, and I get the sense they're not too keen on the idea. It's a three-hour drive from LA, and I get it. It's not across the country, but it's also not just a few suburbs away like they're used to.

"It's really not that far," I explain. "And I want you to see Josie and Jonah as much as you like."

Robyn leans forward, her expression hopeful. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Of course. You are, and will always be, their grandparents. I don't want to come between that. I have no family myself, which is why I know how important it is. Please don't think that by moving to Comfort Bay, I'm trying to take them away from you."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you moving there?" Mike asks. "It's not your hometown, is it?"

"No. It's not. But a few of my teammates live there. And it's a beautiful place. A quintessential small American town with tree-lined streets, charming front porches, a local diner on the corner, and a town gazebo. It's close to the water, and only a short drive to the mountains. Everyone knows each other by name, and it's a real close-knit community. I want Josie and Jonah to have a safe and happy childhood, and I think it'll be a great place for them to grow up. And both of you are always welcome to visit. Any time. I mean it."

"Thank you, Milo." I can hear the gratitude in Robyn's voice. "That really means a lot to us. We've been so worried that—well, never mind. It's just good that you're being so nice and decent about this. It's been a hard few months for us."

I can't even begin to imagine. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Mike says, his eyes watering at the mention of the loss of his daughter.

Not knowing whether to say more about Isla or move on, I opt to move on. "So, everything seems to be going well with the paperwork."

Mike wipes the corner of his eye and nods. "Yes. It is. Even though it's taken a while."

"It sure has."

I'malmostofficially a father of two.

Josie's paperwork is finalized and custody will be transferred to me in the next two weeks. That part was relatively simple since I am her biological father.

The process with Jonah is a whole other story and the reason for the lengthy holdup. After an exhaustive search, his biological father couldn't be tracked down.

I faced two options—take Josie and leave Jonah with his grandparents or take them both.

The decision was a no-brainer.

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