Maia gazed at me, eyes round with surprise. And just like that she burst into tears.

I got up and pulled her out of the chair, and I held her tight as she sobbed against me. It took everything within me not to cry along with her.

That’s when I realized that this kid had gotten deep under my skin in a very short time. My life had changed too. Because I knew that no matter what happened with Logan, I wouldn’t let my connection with Maia break. If she needed family, I wanted to be that for her, just like Chloe and Aidan had stepped up to be mine.

CHAPTER 9

“Maia, I’m your dad.” Logan stood in my sitting room, holding up a single piece of paper, staring down at Maia with a careful expression as he imparted his life-altering news.

It was the morning after Maia had cried in my arms, and I’d just made her a cup of tea after our breakfast together. Logan had let himself into my flat and without further ado announced the results of the paternity test.

Maia’s cup trembled in her hand, and I reached over to gently take it away from her. “What does this mean now?” she said. The color had risen in her cheeks, her whole face bright with expectation.

Logan didn’t keep her waiting. “It means that between this and the birth certificate, I have legal rights as your father. I’m going to enforce those rights. I’m going to your mum’s today to tell her you’re moving in with me. If she wants to discuss it, we will. If she wants to fight it, she can, but she will have a fight on her hands.”

“Really?” Maia whispered, almost as if she didn’t quite believe it.

“Maia, she kept you from me for fifteen years.” His eyes were hard with determination. “And as far as I can see, she’s not done right by you. It’s my turn to look after you. I can’t promise you I’ll be very good at it, but I can promise I’ll try my very best to make the next fifteen, thirty, fifty years better than the last fifteen.”

As I tried to blink back my tears at his speech, Maia launched herself out of her chair and straight at Logan. He stood stunned for a moment as she wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed her face against his chest. Seconds later he slid his arms around her and held her tight.

I had to look away so I wouldn’t turn into a blubbering mess.

“Grace.”

I glanced up at them again to find Maia had stepped away from her dad, looking almost embarrassed by her outburst of affection. Logan noticed and put his arm around her shoulders and drew her in to his side. She smiled shyly up at him, but he’d turned to me so he didn’t notice the adoration he was receiving. “Are you okay to let Maia stay with you while I turn the second room into Maia’s room?”

“Of course,” I answered easily.

“Okay.” He blew out air between his lips and looked down at Maia. “I’ll need the details of your last school, sweetheart, so I can arrange a transfer to a school here.”

She nodded eagerly.

“You’ll need more clothes. If Grace can’t take you, I’ll get Shannon to. She’s dying to meet you.” He reached out with his other hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. There was this dazed, tender light in his eyes, and I think it was just finally hitting him that Maia was his. She was his daughter. His voice was gruff with emotion when he spoke again. “I’d better go see your mum.”

“I’ll come with you,” I blurted out. I didn’t want him to go back out there alone. I didn’t want him to have to face it on his own after everything he’d already gone through.

“What about Maia?”

“I’m fifteen,” she piped up. “I can look after myself for a few hours. Believe me.”

Logan frowned. “How would you feel about spending a few hours with Shannon?”

I wasn’t sure that was a good idea, considering Maia had never met her aunt. However, she spoke up before I could say anything. “Okay. I want to meet her.” I scrutinized her to make sure she was telling the truth, and as far as I could see, she was. In fact, she was positively giddy. Jittery. Like a kid on Christmas morning.

I guess, in a way, this was a bit like that for her. Instead of presents, she was getting a family.

“Here? Or at Shannon and Cole’s?” Logan said.

“Um…” She bit her lip. “Here, please.”

Excited she might have been, but she was also still nervous. Logan seemed to understand she’d be more comfortable meeting his sister somewhere that felt familiar and safe to her. “Okay. Let me give her a call.”

He did it right away, and we heard him telling her it was to be just her. In other words, Cole wasn’t invited this time. She must have agreed, because he got off the phone and nodded at Maia. “She doesn’t have a class today, so she’ll be right over.”

Not too long later my doorbell rang and Logan disappeared to let Shannon in. He led her into the sitting room, her violet eyes shining, her cheeks flushed, and her bright red hair falling around her shoulders in a mass of gorgeous waves and ringlets. She scanned the room, and as soon as she spotted Maia, she strode over to her.

Without a word, Shannon tugged Maia into her arms and held on tight. I looked at Logan to see how he was reacting to the heartwarming scene. Just like this morning, his expression was carefully blank.

I was starting to worry about that.

Shannon eventually let go of Maia long enough to step back and then cup her face between her hands. Maia looked at Shannon as if she were some beautiful, magical fairy. Shannon was looking at Maia in much the same way. “Just look at you. You’re so grown-up and so beautiful. Isn’t she beautiful?” Shannon grinned at us.