“Let’s wait until the suit is dropped before we blow another hole in her ship.”

I nod absently. “Do you have other things you need to take care of today?”

“Only you.”

I thread my fingers through hers and squeeze. “Good, because I don’t think I’ll be able to accomplish anything else until we get that call.”

“Why don’t we leave all this stuff in my office and grab a drink while we wait?”

I help Kailyn carry the files back to her office, which is when Trish calls me with good news: Linda has officially dropped the lawsuit. I turn to Kailyn as soon as I end the call. “Well, that was fast.”

“It’s done?” she asks, eyes soft and hopeful.

I nod and pull her against me. Kailyn wraps her arms around my waist and settles her cheek against my chest. I drop my head, lips finding her crown as I breathe her in. It’s only then that I notice the state of her office. It’s practically empty, only a few boxes on her desk. I step back and motion to the space. “What’s going on?”

“I’m moving offices.”

“To a bigger one?” I hadn’t accepted the offer Beverly put on the table a couple of weeks ago, yet, but I planned to, and soon. Two days ago she called and requested to meet at my earliest convenience, but the past twenty-four hours have been a roller-coaster ride, and I’m just finally catching my breath.

“Not bigger, just to the other side of the floor.”

“But I—”

A knock at the door cuts me off. “Kailyn, I—oh! Daxton, hello!” Beverly smiles at me, then turns her attention to Kailyn and gestures to the nearly empty room. “Looks like you’re almost there.”

“Almost. I was just telling Dax that I’m moving to the other side of the floor.”

“It’s an exciting change for you.” Beverly gives Kailyn a knowing smile and shifts her attention back to me. “Daxton, since you’re here, do you have a moment to speak?”

“Uh, sure.” I want to know more about this change.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” Kailyn says.

“Okay.” I follow Beverly down the hall. I’d ask her what the change is, but I also feel like whatever the news is, it should come from Kailyn.

“How is everything with Emme?” Beverly asks as she motions me into her office.

It’s stark white with a black desk and chair, very little in the way of accents or color. “Great, now that the custody lawsuit has finally been dropped.”

“I just received a call from Trish. You must be relieved.”

“I am. It means I can move forward, now that Emme’s going to be safe and cared for, which is what I wanted.”

“She’s lucky to have you.”

“She’s a good kid. I’m lucky to have her.”

She swivels in her chair. “I’m sure you want to celebrate the good news with Emme, so I’ll cut right to the chase. I have a revised job offer for you to consider.”

“Oh?” The original offer was already pretty sweet. It included a 15 percent pay increase, reduced hours, the option to work from home on some days, and a slew of other benefits.

She rests her elbows on the desk and steeples her hands. “I’d like to offer you partner.”

It takes a few seconds for the words to sink in. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

“With Kailyn moving into family law and not accepting the partner position, it’s left an open position, and I felt you would be an excellent candidate. All of the terms from the original agreement still stand, there’s a buy-in, of course, but we can negotiate that if you choose to accept.”

“What about Kailyn?” I can’t take that from her. I won’t take that from her.

“I’m guessing from the look on your face she didn’t have a chance to tell you. She turned the partnership down.”

“Why would she do that?” She’s worked so hard to get where she is.

“You can talk to her about that, but she’s decided she wants to pursue other avenues in law, and I fully support her in that decision. Anyway, I don’t expect you to make the decision immediately, but if you’d like to mull it over for a day or two before you get back to me, that would be understandable.” Beverly is all business with a smile.

“This is an incredibly generous offer.”

“Well, to be fair, I’ve been trying to get you on my team for the past five years. I’d like to make it impossible to say no.”

I tap the arm of my chair. “What about your nonfraternization policy?”

Her grin widens. “It doesn’t apply to already established relationships.”

“And what if I don’t accept the partnership? Does the offer still stand?”

“Of course.”

“And it would mean there’s still a partnership available.”

Beverly nods. “It would.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a minute with Kailyn.”

“Of course, take all the time you need.”

I stand and shake Beverly’s hand, still half in shock as I walk down the hall to Kailyn’s office. I close the door behind me with a quiet click. “You can’t give up the partnership.”

She turns, her expression soft. “I want it to be mine because I earned it, not because I brought someone else on board.”

“You have earned it.” I cross the room to stand in front of her. “Why walk away from it?”

“Because you’re more important than a partnership, Dax. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, too. Besides, I’m great at trusts, but it doesn’t give me the sense of fulfillment I need. When I help a family work through an adoption, or negotiate terms for custody and parental rights, that fills my heart and my soul, and gives me pride and validation. It’s where my passion is.”

“But can’t you switch departments and still be partner?”

She runs her hands over my chest and grips my lapels. “I want this security for you and Emme. I want you to be happy and I want to make sure you believe, without a doubt, that the partnership wasn’t ever a factor when it came to you and me.”

“This is an incredibly selfless thing to do, Kailyn.” I cover her hands with mine.

She shakes her head and smiles. “It’s probably the exact opposite of selfless. I love you, Dax. I want you to have this because it’s what’s best for you and Emme, which also happens to be what’s best for me.”

“I love everything about you.” I dip my head and kiss her softly. “Especially your perfect heart. Which is why I’m not accepting the partnership. I’ll come to Whitman, but that position is yours. Besides, I have a teenager to raise and a girlfriend I want time with, so partner can wait.”

epilogue

NUMBER 1 FANGIRL

Kailyn

Six Months Later

I’m in the middle of a Holly and Emme sandwich in the back of an Uber. “Where exactly are we going?”

Holly wears a passive smile. “It’s a surprise. If we tell you, then it’s not a surprise anymore, is it?”

I look to Emme, who’s grinning so wide I can practically see her molars. “Come on, Em, give me a little hint. I’ll take you shopping.”

“I’ve already bribed Emme,” Holly says, “with tickets to the Taylor Swift concert, so whatever you think you have up your sleeve, it’s not going to top that.”

“She got three tickets, so you can come, too, though.”

Holly purses her lips and leans forward. “That was supposed to be a surprise, too.”

Emme bounces in her seat. “Oops. Sorry. I’m excited.”

Last month I moved in with Dax and Emme. I anticipated a transition period, but it’s been surprisingly smooth. I suppose that might be due, in part, to the fact that I was already spending every weekend and usually one night a week at Dax’s anyway.

I haven’t given up my house yet, opting to rent it for the time being. It has a lot of memories attached to it, and letting it go completely isn’t something I’m ready for.

Emme’s come a long way in the past six months. After Linda dropped the custody lawsuit, her anxiety calmed, so much of it a result of Linda’s interference.

Once the school found out about the planted bottle of vodka, she lost her job, and since has moved into an apartment. Last we heard she’d taken a job at a temp agency, and Dax, being the good man he is, hooked her up with a credit counselor when he found out she’d sought help for her addiction.