Page 11 of Six of Hearts
"I will. Thank you."
Julian's smile was warm. "I think this is going to work out well."
I looked at the three of them—Noah with his quiet strength, Julian with his easy confidence, Ethan with his genuine warmth.Behind them, I could hear the children's laughter, the other fathers' voices.
This was unusual.
Six single fathers, all friends, all trusting each other enough to share childcare. All trusting *me* enough to let me into their lives, their homes, their children's hearts.
I didn't understand it yet. But standing there, listening to the sound of family, I wanted to.
"It certainly does," I agreed.
And I meant it.
Five
Julian
I'd been staring at Aria's employee file for the better part of an hour, telling myself I was just being thorough. Making sure everything was in order before she came in. That the direct deposit forms were ready. That I had all the benefit information printed and organised.
The truth was simpler and more complicated: I was looking forward to seeing her again.
Yesterday, meeting her with the kids, had gone better than I'd expected. She'd been warm, engaged, genuinely interested in each child. The way Hazel had gravitated toward her, the way all the kids had responded—it confirmed what Noah had said. She was special.
She was also beautiful in a way that made it difficult to concentrate on paperwork.
I closed the folder and leaned back in my chair. We'd all agreed to take this slowly. To let Aria settle in with the kids first, to build trust, to see if this arrangement could work before complicating it with anything else. It was the smart approach. The professional approach.
I just hadn't expected it to be quite this difficult.
A gentle knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in.”
The door opened and Aria walked in, and I felt that same pull I'd felt yesterday—the one I was supposed to be ignoring.
She had her hair up in a ponytail, with her bangs framing her face, and the morning light from my office window caught in hereyes. She was wearing fitted jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt with a scoop neck, casual but put-together.
"Good morning," she greeted, hovering near the door.
"Good morning," I replied, standing. "How are you today?"
"I'm wonderful, thank you." She stayed by the door, looking slightly uncertain.
I motioned to the chair across from my desk.
"Come on in, take a seat. This shouldn't take long.”
She walked in and settled into the armchair, setting her purse on the floor beside her.
"Do you have two forms of ID?"
"Yes." She reached into her purse and handed me her driver's licence and social security card without hesitation.
"Thank you." I took them and began entering the information into our system, grateful for something concrete to focus on.
I was setting her up as an employee of my company—Rivers and Co. I'd found a dying baking company years ago, invested in it, and brought it back to life. I'd been investing in companies ever since I understood how money worked, building my fortune so I could give Hazel the life she deserved.
