Page 106

Cash grins. “Those are some rad names, kiddo.”
“I wanted to name one of them Unicorn, but Daddy said no,” Lola pouts. She goes back to drawing briefly before scrunching up her nose. “Uncle Cash?”
“Yeah, ladybug?”
“What does rad mean?” she asks as Marlow returns from out back, where she and Dylan have been assisting Cash’s parents with the BBQ.
“It means something is cool.” Cash points at her picture. “Like your drawing.”
“Oh.” Lola’s eyes light up with recognition. “I think you’re rad, Uncle Cash.”
“Back at ya, ladybug.”
Marlow steps next to me, carrying a plate of grilled cheeseburgers covered in tinfoil. “That’s going to be her new favorite word for the next month,” she says. “Lola adores Cash.”
“I can see that.” Lola is now sitting in Cash’s lap while he traces her hand on paper.
“How are you?” Marlow asks, transferring the plate to the oven to keep the cheeseburgers warm. “I hope you don’t mind, but Dylan told me about you and Cash. Don’t worry, he swore me to secrecy,” she whispers. “I want you to know I gave him a piece of my mind for suggesting you stay married because of the acquisition. He and Harrison should never have put you in that position.”
It means a lot that she’s looking out for me, even though she’s only met me once before today. Her genuine kindness and thoughtful nature put me at ease, and I could see us becoming good friends.
“I appreciate it, but there’s no reason you should be upset with Dylan. He and Harrison made it clear they’d support us no matter what we decided.” I grab a carton of strawberries from the fridge and empty them into the colander Johanna left on the counter. “My dad is the one who threatened to fire me if we got the marriage annulled.”
“I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.” Marlow frowns. “I can relate to having difficult parents. I’m an only child, and having no contact with them has been hard, but in my case, it’s for the best. The Staffords welcoming me with open arms has been such a blessing.”
“Yeah, they’ve always been like this.” I grab a knife and a cutting board from the drawer. “My brother, Theo, and I spent a lot of time here growing up, and it always felt like a second home.”
It still does.
“I know what you mean. Johanna and Mike made me feel like family right from the start,” Marlow says as I slice strawberries. She leans against the counter and says in a hushed tone, “It’s none of my business, but I just want to say it’s okay to be confused about your relationship with Cash.”
Looking over, I find Cash and Lola still chattering away as they color, paying no attention to me and Marlow. “Were you? Confused, I mean?”
She lets out a humorless laugh. “Was I ever. I never stayed in one place for long until I moved to Aspen Grove, so it was a big adjustment. And I didn’t know how my life would fit with Dylan and Lola’s. It was just the two of them since Lola was a baby, and it took a while to find my place, but it was well worth it.” A warm smile tugs at her mouth. “I’m in the process of adopting her and I can’t wait for us to legally be a family.”
“Did you know you wanted kids before Lola?”
Marlow shakes her head. “Before Dylan, it hadn’t crossed my mind, but now that we’re together, I love the idea of expanding our family. Although, that will have to wait a while until we get the puppies trained.” She chuckles. “I hope I’m not overstepping by saying this, but watching Cash with Lola makes me think that he’d make a great dad someday. Don’t you think?”
It’s like she read my earlier thoughts.
I glance over at the pair again to see that they’ve moved on to finger painting. He holds his hand out while Lola applies a coat of pink paint to his palm, her eyebrows drawn together with intense focus.
Cash’s easygoing nature makes him patient, and he seldom gets frustrated—ideal traits to have as a dad. Sensing my gaze, he looks up and winks, causing my cheeks to flush. His easy charm is infectious, and I smile back before returning my attention to Marlow.
“Yeah, Cash would make a wonderful father,” I agree.
“Change can be scary, but it’s much more manageable when you have the right person by your side to help guide you through unfamiliar territory,” she says.
Marlow’s right.
I think back to the last couple of months. Cash made moving in with him less daunting by getting me a coffee maker for my daily caffeine fix, having dinner on the table every night, and making sure I had access to the stairwell so I didn’t have to ride the elevator. And those were only the things he did when I first arrived.
“Thanks for the advice, Marlow. I appreciate it,” I say as I wipe my hands.
She smiles. “That’s what family is for.”
If she can take a leap of faith, especially with someone who has a child, why am I hesitating to take the next step with Cash?