Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
DEAN
Ihaven’t had five minutes to myself all day. I’ve bounced from one meeting to the next, putting out fires as quickly as they ignited, barely giving myself enough time to finish one conversation before Brady is ushering me into another.
In a way, it’s been good for me. Work has kept my mind from drifting to what today is.
Frieda’s last day—and Aubrey’s move-in day.
The thought leaves an uncomfortable knot in my stomach.
I don’t like change. I never have. Routines exist for a reason, and after one of the most chaotic weeks of my life, I finally started settling into one with Frieda.
She knows Liana’s schedule better than I do. She knows which cry means she’s hungry, which one means she’s overtired, and somehow, she always seems to know exactly what to do before I even realize something’s wrong.
Now that routine is ending.
I know Aubrey is capable. She made a good impression during the interview, and I trust my dad’s judgment.
Still … trusting someone with my daughter feels entirely different from trusting them with anything else.
And somewhere between fifteen and twenty-two, Aubrey became a woman, and my brain is still trying to reconcile her with the teenager who used to trail behind Noah.
A sharp knock sounds against my office door before it swings open.
Sawyer strolls in without waiting for an invitation, a coffee in one hand, with the confidence of someone who’s been barging into my office for over a decade. He drops onto the edge of my desk, one leg dangling over the side.
“You ready to tell me what has you so distracted these days?” he asks bluntly.
I glance at the clock in the corner of my computer screen—4:32.
In twenty-eight minutes, I need to leave the office, get home, say goodbye to Frieda, and help Aubrey move into the penthouse.
The last thing I have time for is Sawyer playing detective.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a slow breath. “Not this again.”
“Yes, this.” He takes a sip of his coffee, unfazed by my annoyance.
“You’ve been quiet all week. You’ve been hiding in your office between meetings.
You leave at five every day, which might actually be a first in company history.
” A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“Then you turned down drinks with the guys last night.”
I lean back in my chair. “So, you held an intervention?”
“We talked.”
I snort. “Glad to know I’m the source of your entertainment now.”
His expression softens just enough for me to know he’s genuinely concerned.
“You’ve been my best friend for sixteen years, Dean. When you start acting like someone flipped a switch, I’m going to notice.”
I look past him toward the skyline outside my windows. The truth sits on the tip of my tongue.
Tell him.
For the last two weeks, I’ve managed to keep the biggest change of my life private, convincing myself I just need time to get my footing before answering the inevitable questions.
Maybe … maybe I’ve had enough time.
“I haven’t been avoiding you,” I say quietly.
Sawyer folds his arms across his chest. “Then what have you been doing?”
I meet his eyes. “My life changed a couple of weeks ago.”
His joking expression disappears. “What happened?”
I open my mouth but am cut off when Brady knocks on the door.
I look at Sawyer. “I’ve got to go.”
I know she’s already here the second the elevator doors open and the sound of two women laughing carries down the hallway.
Both voices are unfamiliar to my home.
For the last week, it’s been nothing but Liana’s cries, Frieda’s calm reassurance, and the occasional hum of the white noise machine.
Laughter feels … different.
I set my briefcase beside the entry table and slip out of my Italian leather shoes before following the sound into the family room.
Frieda and Aubrey are bent over the Pack ’n Play, both smiling down at Liana.
“You’re just the prettiest little peach, aren’t you?” Aubrey coos.
Liana rewards her with a gummy smile that I’ve spent the better part of two weeks trying to earn.
Something warm settles in my chest.
Aubrey glances up at the sound of my footsteps. “Hi.”
She’s nothing like the polished woman who walked into my office for an interview last week.
Her dark hair is pulled into a loose ponytail, and she’s traded the black slacks and blouse for fitted jeans and a simple white T-shirt that hugs her frame. She looks comfortable.
My gaze lingers for a second longer than it should, but I force it away.
Jeez. She’s my daughter’s nanny, Noah’s younger sister, and now the woman I’ve trusted to help care for my daughter.
Not someone I should be noticing.
“You’re home,” Frieda says, pulling my attention away.
I clear my throat. “I am.”
I walk over to the Pack ’n Play, my eyes finding Liana immediately. “How was she today?”
“She was an angel,” Frieda says with a smile. “And Aubrey’s already won her over.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Aubrey says, laughing softly. “I just happened to show up after her nap.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Frieda replies. “Babies know when someone is comfortable around them.”
I look down at Liana, then back at Aubrey. For the first time since bringing my daughter home … I feel like maybe I made the right decision.
After Frieda spends an hour going over everything with Aubrey while I hold a now-whining Liana, she gives Aubrey a hug.
“You’ll do great. And you have my number if you have any questions.”
Then Frieda comes over and presses a kiss to Liana’s forehead. “You be good for your daddy, sweetie.” She looks up at me. “Thank you for trusting me with her these past two weeks.”
“You were my savior. Thank you.”
She waves a hand, as if it was nothing. “I’m just glad I could help.”
Grabbing her purse, she gives us one last smile before stepping into the elevator.
The doors slide shut. Silence settles over the penthouse.
For a moment, neither Aubrey nor I say anything.
I shift Liana higher against my shoulder, absently patting her back as I realize this is the first time I’ve lived with someone since college.
And none of those roommates were women.
My gaze lands on the suitcases stacked beside the kitchen island.
“You should’ve waited for me,” I say, nodding toward her things. “I could’ve helped you bring those in.”
A small laugh escapes her. “It’s no problem. I’m used to lugging around more than I should.”
“I still would’ve helped.”
She shrugs one shoulder. “I figured you had enough on your plate.”
My eyes drift to Liana. “That’s an understatement.”
The corner of Aubrey’s mouth curves into a smile, but it’s sympathetic rather than amused.
“I’ll just move these to my room and can unpack later.”
I nod toward the hallway. “I’ll show you your room.”
She reaches for the handle of her largest suitcase. “I’ve got it, you can just point me in the right direction.”
Before she can lift it, I bend down and grab it instead. “Aubrey.”
She looks up at me.
“I might be sleep-deprived, but I’m still capable of carrying a suitcase.”
A blush creeps into her cheeks as she lets go. “Right.”
I pick up the second bag with my free hand before remembering I’m already holding Liana.
I stare at the luggage. Then at my daughter. Then back at the luggage.
Aubrey bites down on her lip, clearly trying not to laugh. “Need a hand?”
I let out a breath that sounds suspiciously like a chuckle. “Yeah … I think I do.”
Without saying a word, she slips the smaller bag over her shoulder while I take the larger one.
For some reason, that tiny act of teamwork eases the tension that settled between us the moment Frieda left.
“Lead the way,” she says softly.
And for the first time since she walked into my home, it feels a little less like I’m living with a stranger.