She turns to me, her lower lip pinched between her teeth. “I don’t want you to have to buy me anything else. It doesn’t seem right. You’re giving me more than I’m giving you.”
Her father’s words flash in my mind. Courtney picked up the idea that you have to work for love. That you have to do something to earn it.
I step around her and grab a long black dress with a deep slit in the front and hold it in front of her. Even imagining her in something like that sends blood rushing to places that it should not rush while in public. I drape the dress over my arm and keep looking.
“You’ve been so good with Tati. You take care of her more than I ever expected, and she clearly loves you. That has been an amazing gift,” I say slowly, choosing my words carefully. “I’ve been busy. Knowing you’re th
