Zach parked and stood from the car, opened the back door for Sophia and unbuckled her. She squirmed out of her seat. Straightening, Zach met Tessa’s gaze over the roof of the car.
“What?” he asked.
“Look at you all savvy with a car seat already.”
He wasn’t sure which gave him more joy, the fact that she noticed or her praise. Either way, that one small thing gave him an irrational thrill. He huffed on his nails, then buffed them on his shirt, making Tessa laugh.
As if things weren’t already fantastic, Sophia pressed her little body against his leg and wound her hand in his. “Daddy,” she said looking up at the house, “is this the house with the pool?”
He bent, collected her in his arms, and met Tessa at the front of the car, where he curled his free hand around hers. “It sure is,” he told Sophia. “And there’s a beach too.”
“Wow,” she said in a breathless little sigh.
Her awe made Zach want to become someone who impressed Sophia every day. Someone who made Tessa proud. This was his family.
And just like that, Zach had purpose in his life. The kind of purpose he’d been looking for for years.
Damn, it felt amazing.
Walking toward the double front doors of frosted glass, Zach told Sophia, “Now, my friends are really silly, but they’re also really, really nice.”
Even before they reached the door, laughter from inside the house reached Zach’s ears. On the porch, he brought Sophia near the doorbell and let her ring it. The tone was deep and slow, and Sophia giggled.
When he caught Tessa’s eyes on him, he paused. “What?”
She shook her head. “I just love seeing you with her. I never imagined…” Footsteps sounded in the hall, and Tessa shook her head, leaving her statement unfinished.
“Coming, coming, coming,” a female voice called from inside.
Lexi answered the door wearing white. No one could wear white quite like Lexi. White, sleeveless crop top and low-slung, white, flowing capris showed off her flat, tanned stomach. Her blonde hair was up in a crown of pale curls, and the blue of her eyes popped with excitement.
“Oh my God.” She squealed the last word, grinning at Sophia. “Look at you. Such a pretty girl.”
Sophia giggled and cuddled closer to Zach, setting his heart on fire.
Zach whispered in her ear, “Can you say hi?”
“Hi,” Sophia murmured, suddenly shy.
Lexi put her hand over her heart. Her gaze skipped to Tessa. “Absolutely adorable.” She held her hand out to Tessa. “I’m Lexi, you’re Tessa, and we’re going inside and meet the rest of the family.”
Tessa met Lexi’s hand with an unsure glance at Zach. But Lexi swept her inside while others sauntered toward the foyer.
Jax came up first, offering his hand to shake Tessa’s. “Jax. Welcome.”
“Tessa. Thank you. Your home is gorgeous.”
Jax pulled in a breath to respond but another female voice sounded from the living room, growing closer.
“She’s here? Oh, I can’t wait. Let me see her, let me see her, let me—” Rubi turned into the foyer. Her green eyes latched on to Sophia, and she drew a sharp breath. With her hand over her heart, Rubi advanced with her gaze darting between Zach’s face and Sophia’s. “Oh wow.” She looked at Tessa, reached out, and stroked a hand over her shoulder with a reverent “She’s beautiful.”
Smiling, Tessa said, “Thank you. I was just telling Zach in the car that there’s a little mischief-maker behind her angelic appearance.”
“Well, that’s my kind of girl,” Rubi said with a little more of her characteristic attitude. “I’m Rubi, and I have a mischief streak a mile wide.” She looked at Lexi. “Don’t I, Lex?”
Wide-eyed, Lexi nodded at Sophia. “Oh, she does.”
Sophia had a finger between her teeth, and she giggled, tucking her head under Zach’s chin.