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I should’ve seen this coming. Mama Julie’s intuition is unmatched, and between the town gossip and how Jensen and I have been acting around each other, she’s no doubt pieced it together.

She’s a hopeless romantic, inspired by her own love story with Pops, full of grand gestures and weekly flower deliveries.

“It’s just for the summer,” I say quickly, the words tumbling out as a knot tightens in my stomach.

She sets the tray on the stovetop, then faces me with one brow arched. “Honey, that man is head over heels for you, and judging by the look on your face, the feeling is mutual.”

I move closer to the island, leaning forward to prop my elbows on the counter, and sigh. “I think I’m falling for him.”

It’s the first time I’ve admitted it out loud.

I’ve been wrapped up in our blissful bubble, basking in the glow of the nights Jensen and I spend together in his bed and the quiet moments with him and Caleb, hoping I could ignore the truth.

This was always meant to be temporary, and I was never supposed to get attached to either of them.

The truth is, I’m on the verge of a double heartbreak.

Somehow, in the span of a couple of months, an adorable five-year-old boy has woven his way into my heart. Caleb finds magic in the simple things and makes everything more enjoyable. What started as a favor to nanny him will end with me dreading the day I have to say goodbye.

What I hadn’t anticipated was his dad slowly unraveling my defenses, too. Jensen showed up in Bluebell guarded and complicated, but his complete devotion to his son is what sparked my growing feelings for him.

It’s unsettling to imagine a future where the cottage, once my peaceful refuge, becomes a lonely, quiet place without Caleb’s laughter or evenings spent with Jensen on the front porch.

“Why does it have to end if you both want more?” Julie asks. “Have you told Jensen how you feel?”

I glance at the floor, shrugging. “What is there to say? I can’t ask him to give up the life he’s built in New York. His business is there, and Caleb will have opportunities this town can’t compete with.”

Mama Julie takes off her oven mitts and comes to stand beside me, lifting my chin so I have no choice but to meet her eyes.

“Have you stopped to consider that what those boys need most is you ? Schools, therapists, and jobs are a dime a dozen, but the kind of love and stability you offer? That’s once in a lifetime. ”

“I’m scared,” I admit. “What if this isn’t enough for Jensen?” I motion around us.

When he arrived, he was set on staying just for the summer, and I’m afraid that no matter how strong his feelings are for me—and how at ease Caleb is here—it still might not be enough to convince Jensen they should stay.

That’s why I’ve avoided the conversation.

Because pretending is safer than hearing him say that he and Caleb will still be leaving soon.

“You won’t know unless you ask. You’ve never been afraid to speak your mind or back down from what you want. Don’t start now, my girl. I’m so darn proud of you, and no matter what happens, you’ll always have me and Pops in your corner.” Her sincerity is evident by the smile on her face.

“Thank you. I needed to hear that,” I say.

She draws me in for a bear hug. “That’s what I’m here for, honey.”

It’s difficult to admit that Mama Julie is right.

As much as I’d rather keep avoiding this particular conversation with Jensen, I’m going to have to talk to him about it and soon.

Regardless of what he decides, I won’t know until I ask.

The hardest part will be facing the fallout if Jensen and Caleb do move back to New York.

The truth is they’ve become my everything.

And while I’ll support what’s best for Caleb, that doesn’t mean it won’t shatter me to let them go.

“How can I help with dinner? I’m sure those boys are about to eat us out of house and home,” I say, wanting a lighthearted distraction.

Mama Julie doesn’t press further. She busies herself with the rolls, piling them into a bowl before handing them to me.

“Can you put these on the table outside? It’s such a nice night.

We’re going to eat out on the deck,” she says, handing me the bowl.

“I’ll join you once I put the cobbler in the oven. ”

“Absolutely.”

I head out back, placing the rolls on the table set with plates and utensils.

“Howdy there, sunshine,” Pops calls from the grill where he’s flipping a rack of his famous huckleberry ribs .

I join him, squeezing his shoulder. “Hey, Pops. Where are the boys?”

He nods out to the yard where they’ve set up a game of cornhole. Jensen’s lining up a toss with Caleb mimicking his stance behind him, while Heath heckles from beside the board, calling out exaggerated scores and grinning when Jensen misses.

“That little buckaroo is lookin’ sharp in that cowboy hat of his,” Pops says with a grin. “You’ve done right by him, stepping up like you did. You’ve got a good heart, and I’m mighty proud of you.” He wraps his arm around me and presses a kiss to my hair.

Samuel Halstead doesn’t show affection much outside of Mama Julie, so when he does, it’s a precious moment that I never take for granted.

“Thanks, Pops,” I say, resting my head against his shoulder. “It’s because of you and Mama Julie that I know what love looks like, and I hope that I can pass that on to Caleb and other kids who might not have that kind of support.”

Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for the Halsteads and everything they’ve done for me.

But it’s taken me a long time to finally see what they’ve known all along—that it was never about blood.

I was never a burden. Never a charity case.

They’ve always considered me their daughter and loved me as their own.

And maybe, for the first time, I’m starting to believe I deserve it.

It’s Jensen who finally helped me quiet the doubts and finally see the truth that this is where I belong.

As we gather around the table, the people I care about most beside me with the Montana mountains glimmering beneath the fading sun, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. And it’s almost poetic that it took someone like Jensen, carrying his own parental scars, to help me face mine.