And had he threatened to take Emily? Was that what he’d implied?
Cassie sank onto the back of the couch and wrapped her arms around her waist. Maybe she should have listened to those voice mails.
“Go back to bed, Cass. Don’t think about him—just go rest for now.”
Cassie looked up at Ian, still holding Emily. The image just seemed so...right. The three of themfeltright. They’d all been random puzzle pieces and when they’d come together they’d instantly clicked into place without question.
Shoving her wayward hair behind her ears, Cassie shook her head. “I can’t rest, Ian. He just made a veiled threat to take Emily. He can’t do that, right? I mean, what judge would let him have my baby after he walked out on us?”
Tears pricked her eyes. She couldn’t fathom sharing custody of her baby. Emily belonged here.
“She doesn’t even know him,” Cassie murmured, thinking aloud. “There’s no way he could take her. Emily would be terrified.”
Ian rested a hand on her shoulder and held on to Emily with his other strong arm. “You’re jumping the gun here. He didn’t say he was going to ask for custody. I honestly think those were just hollow words. He wants to scare you because he’s angry I was here. I guarantee had you been alone, his attitude would’ve been completely different. One look at me, especially holding his daughter, and he was instantly on the defensive.”
Emily started to reach for Cassie, but Ian shifted his arm away. “Go on back to rest. I’ll feed her breakfast and then I’ll check on you to see if you feel like eating. You’re exhausted and working too hard.”
Cassie raised a brow. “Working too hard? Are you the pot or the kettle?”
Laughing, Ian shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Cassie pushed away from the couch and sighed. “Thanks, Ian. Really. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you here last night.”
After a light kiss across her forehead, Ian looked into her eyes. “There’s nowhere else I would’ve rather been.”
As Cassie got back into bed, she knew Ian wasn’t just saying pretty words to try to win her over. The man was full of surprises, and she found herself falling harder with each passing revelation.
And now here she was, 100 percent in love with a man who lived on the other side of the country, who would be leaving in a couple of weeks to go back to his life. And, of all the rotten timing, her ex had decided to show up now.
Cassie curled into her pillow and fisted her hands beside her face as the tears threatened to fall. Somehow this would all work out. She had faith, she had hope and, for the first time in her life, she had love. All of that had to count for something...didn’t it?
Once Cassie had gotten a little food in her, she seemed even more tired, so Ian insisted on taking Emily for a few hours and then checking back. There was no way he could leave her alone with a baby, but he still had work to do.
Single parents worked while caring for their babies all the time, right? Shouldn’t be too hard to send some emails and make a few phone calls.
After fighting with the straps on the stroller and narrowly missing pinching Emily’s soft skin in the buckle, he finally had her secured and ready to go. Diaper bag over his shoulder, Ian set out across the estate, pushing Emily toward his trailer.
Bright purple flats covered her feet as she kicked her little legs the entire way. Ian knew he was smiling like an idiot, but how could he not? Emily was an absolute doll and she was such a sweet kid. He was actually looking forward to spending time with her.
Max Ford and his wife, Raine, were just stepping out of their trailer as he passed by. Max held their little girl, Abby, who was almost two now.
“Look at this,” Max said with a wide grin. “You seeing how the family life fits you?”
Ian didn’t mind the question. Actually, he kind of warmed at the idea of it. “Cassie isn’t feeling too great, so I told her I’d take Emily for the day.”
Max’s daughter pointed down to Emily. “Baby.”
Laughing, Raine took the little girl and squatted down to the stroller to see Emily. “Her name is Emily,” Raine explained.
“You’re pretty serious about Cassie,” Max said in a softer tone. “Happened pretty quick.”
Ian shook his head and raked a hand over his hair, which was probably still sporting a messy look after sleeping on the sofa all night. “Yeah, it did. But I can’t help it, man. I didn’t see this coming.”
“You plan on staying after the film is done?” Max asked.
Ian watched the interaction between the two little girls and Raine and his heart swelled. “I honestly don’t know,” Ian said, looking back to Max. “How hard was it for you with the transition?”
Max’s gaze drifted to his family, and a genuine smile, not what he used for the cameras or his on-screen love interests, but the one that Ian had seen directed only at Raine, transformed his face. “When you want something so bad you’d die without it, there’s no transition. It’s the easiest and best decision I’ve ever made.”