JENNIE

What are you two doing today?

I waited for Lisa to reply as I googled fun things to do in the city. I needed to let her know how I felt, and since communication wasn't exactly my strong suit, I decided to show her instead of telling her. I was ready for all of it—the relationship, the commitment, even trying on motherhood. And what better way to show that than to plan a fun day date with her and Lily?

We're just hanging out today. What's up?

Meet me out front in thirty. I have an idea.

I grinned as I got ready, pulling on a light summer dress that was both flattering and family appropriate.

After much deliberation, I'd decided to take them to the zoo. There was a special exhibit with baby foxes that I'd been hearing about, and I thought it would be cute for Lily to see them. I knew how much she had loved seeing dinosaur skeletons, and I hoped she'd be just as excited to see animals that were still alive.

I waited out front, nervously tapping my foot, hoping I wasn't being too spontaneous by hijacking their whole day. I mentally slapped myself. Where was my confidence? The day was going to be great.

All my doubts flew from my head as Lisa emerged from the house in a black T-shirt and jeans. She looked as sexy as always, and I had to resist giving her a kiss hello. Lily ran out from behind her, wearing a pink skirt with a gray T-shirt that said Pow! in big white letters.

"Cool outfit," I said, grinning. It was perfect for her.

"Thanks." She smiled, slipping on a pair of black sunglasses.

I held back a laugh, glancing at Lisa. Her expressive brown eyes lit up with a smile that sent my heart spiraling.

"Hey," I said, shielding my eyes from the sun. "Thanks for going along with my spontaneity."

"We can always use some excitement." She grinned back at me.

Her eyes traced up and down my body, taking in my dress. My breath caught as her gaze paused for a moment at my breasts, which were pressing against the thin material. I felt my nipples harden and hoped she wouldn't notice. My gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before I realized Lily was looking between us.

"Okay," I said quickly, tearing my gaze from Lisa. "So, are you guys ready to go on an adventure?" I started for my car when Lisa shook her head and guided us to her instead.

"Car seat," she said.

Ah. Right. I guess I had a lot to learn.

I climbed in, and she opened the door to the backseat as Lily got inside.

"Where are we going?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's a surprise. But I promise it'll be fun."

Lisa strapped Lily into the backseat before settling into the front.

As we got closer to the zoo, I glanced back and saw Lily leaning against the window, trying to figure out where we were. When we turned the corner, she gasped.

"Are we seeing the foxes?"

"How did you know about that exhibit?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Lisa.

"Everyone knows about it," she exclaimed.

I laughed, so relieved she was excited about it that I didn't even care that the surprise was ruined.

When we entered the zoo, Lily practically sprinted off for the fox exhibit. We looked through the glass at the little foxes, their big ears sticking up.

"Do you like them?" I asked Lily, who was pressing her face against the glass and waving at them.

"They're so cool," she said, not taking her eyes off them.

"Do you want to play with one?"

She turned to me with her mouth open, apparently speechless.

"I bought a special ticket so you can hold one," I told her, pulling the ticket out of my bag. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at Lisa.

She put her hands up. "Don't look at me. This was all Jennie."

She grinned at me as Lily gaped.

"Come on. Let's go." I motioned toward the ticket desk.

The zoo workers led us into a special room. Lily was so excited, she was bouncing up and down in anticipation, and in that moment I felt pretty damn proud of myself. When they finally brought the baby fox in, Lily let out a little shriek. I grinned at Lisa as she held out a tentative hand to pet its soft fur.

Lisa's hand pressed against my lower back. "This is pretty amazing. Thanks for putting this together."

"My pleasure. I'm having fun."

"Not as much fun as her," she said, nodding toward Lily, who was squealing with excitement as the little animal licked her hand.

"Nobody has ever had that much fun." I laughed, pulling out my phone to get a picture.

When she was finished, Lily came bounding over to us and wrapped her arms around my waist, telling me that was the best day she'd ever had.

Shocked, I hugged her back. I'd known she was excited, but I hadn't expected this. Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes, and I quickly blinked them away. Get a grip, Jennie. Apparently, I'd turned into a huge softie.

As we walked through the zoo, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Spending time with Lisa and Lily was even more fun than I'd expected. It felt so natural to be with them like this, and I couldn't help but imagine us doing this kind of thing every weekend.

We came to the big-cats exhibit, where the lion had just had a cub. A huge crowd had gathered in front of the exhibit, and when we finally made our way to the front, we could see the mother lion with her baby.

"That's the dad" I said, pointing to the male lion that was sunning himself nearby.

I watched Lily as she leaned against the railing, and all this talk of babies and moms and dads made a question spring to mind. Do the people around us think I'm Lily's mom?

My stomach did a little flip at the thought, and I realized I'd been secretly hoping that's what they thought. Normally I wasn't such a bundle of emotions, but the idea of the three of us being a family made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The idea of belonging—of being part of my own personal tribe—sounded better than I ever thought it would.

I watched Lisa as she crouched down and recited lion facts for Lily. Her dark hair had grown a little longer since I'd first met her.

Warmth spread through me as I watched her. I wanted her now even more than I had that first night when she was just some hot, nameless guy at a bar. Now, she was so much more than that.

She stood up and glanced over at me. When our eyes met, a warm shiver raced through me. What was it about this woman that tore down all my defenses?

Hoping to get my mind off all the sudden emotion I was feeling, I suggested we ride the little train that drove throughout the zoo. Lily got a kick out of holding up her arms like she was on a roller coaster, and by the end of the train ride, my face hurt from laughing so much.

By the time we'd finished at the zoo, it was almost closing time.

"I'm starving," Lily declared as we walked toward the car.

"If you guys are up for it, I know of some good dinner spots around here. My treat," I said as Lisa buckled Lily into the backseat.

"You've already done enough, Jennie," Lisa said as she settled into the front seat.

"I want to." I smiled. "Besides, I need to continue your culinary education."

She gave me a crooked grin. "Well, if it's going to be educational, I can't really say no, can I?"

I directed her to take us to one of my favorite vegan restaurants. It was hard to please kids, especially with health food, but I had a feeling Lily would appreciate it. Especially because I knew they had an extensive gluten-free menu.

Once we were seated at our table, I raised my water glass. "Cheers to a great day."

"It was awesome," Lily said as we clinked glasses. She picked up her menu, holding it upside down.

I turned the menu around and read her some of the options, sensing Lisa's gaze on me as I helped Lily settle on a gluten-free mac and cheese. When the food arrived, Lisa and Lily dove into their meals excitedly.

"This is actually good," Lisa said, surprise in her voice as she took another bite of her sandwich.

Lily seemed equally impressed.

We finished off our meal by splitting a vegan cupcake. A pang of sadness hit me as we left the restaurant; I wasn't ready for the night to end, but I didn't think I could continue to hold them hostage any longer.

When we pulled up to the house, Lily jumped out of the car and started to run inside.

"Lily, what do you have to say to Jennie?" Lisa asked before she'd gone inside.

She stopped in her tracks, turning back to me, then ran over and gave me another hug. "Thank you," she said, her head resting on my stomach.

"Anytime." I patted her on the head, my heart swelling.

After she'd gone inside, Lisa walked me over to my door.

"Thanks for today. We had a great time." She smiled at me, making my insides warm again. "I have a feeling Lily is going to be talking about today for a while."

I leaned against the door frame. Her lips looked so good that it took all my restraint not to kiss her.

"I had a great time too." I smiled, purposely lingering.

I wondered if I should tell her how I'd been feeling, just blurt it out and get it out in the open, but I couldn't come up with the words. It was such a perfect moment; all I had to do was say it.

God, I was so terrible at this. No wonder I'd never had a relationship. I needed to figure out the right way to tell her how I felt before I totally lost my mind.

"Well, good night," I finally said, unable to handle the silence any longer.

"Good night."

Her gaze on mine seemed so heavy, almost magnetic, like I couldn't look away. I felt like she was waiting for me to say something, but my heart was pounding so hard, I didn't think I could get any words out. I quickly stepped inside and smiled at her one more time before shutting the door behind me.

As I walked upstairs to my apartment, I sighed. That wasn't my smoothest moment. She'd probably been waiting for me to make the first move, and instead I'd messed it up by being totally awkward.

As I walked by the window, I noticed the light on in Lisa's room. I felt another twinge of sadness that I wasn't going home with her and Lily. The day had been so fun and comfortable; it had almost been like we were a real family.

I hoped she'd understood what I was trying to tell her by planning the day, but I knew I needed to work up the courage to tell her how I felt before I lost her.