When Lilli arrived at work, the morning after she almost died at lunch, a Dunkin cup sat on her desk. She put her hand over her heart. The man was trying to kill her. She had to thank him, but would her mouth cooperate?

He looked up when she appeared at his door. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

He smiled with his sexy glasses on. "I wanted to. You did great yesterday."

"A great job not dying."

Zach let out a small laugh. "You had me worried."

"That I was going to embarrass you."

"No! It was scary for a second. I wasn't sure you were breathing."

Lilli frowned. "Can we not talk about it? I don't wanna think about it."

She had felt better after their laughing spectacle on the street, but when she went home and told Ainsley, the mortification returned.

"Okay, but Lill, you're too hard on yourself. Just relax. I'm not a tyrant. I'm not Kendall."

"I know." She studied her toes. One had a scuff she didn't remember getting.

Zach studied her for a moment. "We're a team. Even Nancy thought so."

"Nancy thought a lot of things."

She really needed to inspect her shoe. It looked like dirt. When she dared to look up, her cheeks were burning. She had kept thinking of what Nancy implied all night. Zach's face was unreadable.

She pointed behind her. "I'm gonna get to work. Hopefully, I won't spill my coffee."

Zach sighed. "Lilli, relax. I don't want you to change."

She had just sat down when Shania appeared. "Lilli, did you mean it when you said you would look at my submission?"

She had been looking at submissions all week. What was one more query and synopsis?

"Are you willing to accept my feedback? Chelsea hasn't forgiven me."

"I know it's not perfect."

She smiled. "Okay. Put it on this pile."

A high-pitched voice filled the reception area. Both the women rushed out of Lilli's office. Leo had two children following him. It was a late arrival for Leo, but too early for Chelsea. Lilli walked towards the small group.

"Good morning. Who are your new clients?"

"What's a client?" The young boy looked like his father.

"She's making fun of us, Cody." The girl had her hand on her hip. Lilli used to sport an attitude like that until she met reality and grew up.

"This is Lilli. She's always helping me. These are my children, Riley and Cody. Teacher workshop day caught me unprepared. We're still settling in. Our nanny had to return to California early because her mother's sick." Leo sighed heavily.

"Welcome to Dwyer Mitchell." She smiled at the children like she would important clients.

"Um Lilli, does Zach have any meetings today?" She shook her head. He bit his lip. "I have two. Could they maybe hide in your office?"

Babysitting wasn't in her job description, but she had done tons of it growing up. She genuinely liked kids, and it was for Leo.

"Okay, but..."

"It will never happen again. I have a nanny starting on Monday. I'm off on Friday to move."

Lilli had forgotten they were staying in a hotel. Each kid had a backpack which looked loaded with things to entertain them.

Lilli paused. "Are you sure you don't need my help with your clients?"

"I think Chelsea can handle it. The first one is nine-thirty and then eleven. I promised them a special lunch if they behave. That means letting Lilli work."

"Okay, go see your dad's office, then come see me."

Lilli was holding Zach to his 'I'm not a tyrant' statement. As she walked towards her office, Leo said, "Lilli's friends with Matthew Clark."

Lilli smiled and debated telling Zach. He was on the phone when she reached her office, so she closed his door. Her guest would disturb him even on their best behavior. She was reading a summary when the small people appeared.

Riley looked around while Cody stared at her. "Right. You can have that corner. Did you bring quiet things to do?" They nodded. "The only rule is to be extra quiet when I'm on the phone."

She watched as the five-year-old boy sat down and dumped out his backpack. Riley stood by her desk, frowning. She knew the ten-year-old wasn't happy about moving from California.

Her hand was glued to her hip as she studied Lilli. "Do you really know Matthew Clark?"

"Yes."

"Prove it." Lilli and Ainsley could take lessons from her.

"He dedicated his grown-up book to me." Lilli reached behind her and took the book off the credenza. "See."

"So." She struck her pose.

Lilli picked up her phone and scrolled through. "Here. He's here and I'm here. These are our friends." The girl was hard to impress. "I'd call him, but he's in England. Your Dad met him when he was visiting me." The girl was a harder sell than Kendall. "What are you going to do? Read one of Matthew's books?"

"I'll play on my iPad."

She shrugged. "What are you going to play?"

"Castleland."

Lilli smiled. "I know the guy who created it."

"I don't believe you."

"Good, don't." She smiled.

Lilli went back to reading with half an eye on the corner. She liked Riley even with her attitude, because she used to be spunky like her. Where did my spunk go?

Lilli didn't have to give the summary her full attention to know she wanted to read the sample pages, so she put it in the pile to read later. She'd been reading at night while Ainsley fed her TikTok obsession. Her roommate had been acting weird again, like she might be texting a guy. Lilli shrugged and picked up another synopsis.

A scuffle in the corner distracted her. There was a personal space issue when Riley stretched out her legs. She had the cutest outfit Lilli wished she could wear. It was a multi-tier black mini over black legging and a pale pink sweater with black dots. Lilli wanted to wear polka-dots.

They needed a reminder since they weren't figuring it out on their own. "Where did you want to go for lunch?"

Riley was smart enough to know it was a hint, but Cody didn't. He was adorable - Leo with full cheeks. She wanted to either kiss them or pinch them.

Cody stood in front of her desk and reiterated what must have been a family discussion about burgers, chicken nuggets, and pizza.

"I'd vote for pizza. I love pizza."

The boy smiled. "You can come with us."

Zach stepped out of his office amid the pizza discussion and looked around. He raised his eyebrows. It was a look that made Lilli's temperature rise. "New boyfriend?" His tone was deadpan.

"That's funny," Lilli said. "These are Leo's kids." She put her hand next to her mouth. "Nanny problem."

Riley's voice drowned out Lilli's. "I don't want a new nanny. I want to live in California with Teresa." She paused and looked at Zach. "Who are you?"

Zach laughed. "I'm Zach. I work here."

The hand was on the hip as she sized him up. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Lilli wanted to curl up and die. Zach looked equally embarrassed. Lilli's chin dropped when Zach said, "Nope, but I know where the snacks are."

Little Miss Attitude smiled. "Me too! I'm gonna get snacks!"

The kids probably ran around the office, as Leo set out the snacks the weekend before he started.

Cody pouted. "I want a snack, too." She smiled and was determined to kiss those cheeks before the day was over.

Zach said, "Hold up, Lilli, let's all go get snacks."

Only Lilli appreciated the magnitude of the moment. Zach, liking kids, had never entered her dreams before. Together, they walked through the small reception area, with Riley leading the way. The kids looked at the snacks their father had provided with enormous eyes.

Lilli said, "You can each pick one thing."

Zach said, "Two things."

Lilli tried to glare at him, but laughter overruled her serious face. He was the softie.

Back in her office, Cody walked over to her and she pulled him onto her lap. He went willingly and snuggled in. She offered him colored sharpies and paper.

"Do you like to draw?"

"I never get to use these."

"Today's special. Keep on the paper."

Zach and Riley took a detour to Leo's office and returned with the father. Cody looked up. "Daddy, we have snacks."

"Whoa, I thought you wanted lunch! I just wanted to check in before my next meeting."

Lilli said, "We're good. Right, Zach?"

Leo looked at Zach, who nodded.

Leo asked, "Hey bud, do you need the bathroom?"

He shook his head. "Lilli can take me. She wants pizza."

"I think you should go with your dad. I don't do bathroom trips," Lilli said.

Riley said, "Zach's coming to lunch with me."

Cody said, "I want Lilli."

The siblings argued as Lilli looked from a frowning Leo to a smirking Zach.

Zach said, "I think Chelsea should cover my phones since you stepped up this morning."

"She covered our three hour lunch yesterday."

Zach didn't listen to Lilli's excuses. "That was business and you've been working night and weekends."

Lilli wanted to protest. Even though she'd have a date with a six-year-old, she didn't know if she could handle another lunch with Zach.

Leo said, "It's settled, and it's on me as a thank you."

Lilli had a thank you in mind, but it involves cheeks.

"Okay, GF, you're with me."

Riley smiled and picked up her iPad and a package of mini Oreos and disappeared into Zach's office.

She reviewed another submission while Cody sat on her lap and drew things which required sound effects like engines and shooting.

Lilli's phone rang while Cody was still on her lap. "Shhh." She warned before she answered.

Nancy's voice boomed on the other end. "You're right about the ending."

Lilli didn't know what to say. It was rude to agree. "I'll be curious to see what you come up with."

"I've been thinking about names..."

She rattled off a list as Cody's lips quietly vibrated his zoom sound effects.

Lilli said, "Cody." The boy tilted his head back and looked at her with cute brown puppy dog eyes. "How about Cody? I met a boy named Cody today."

"I like it. Let me toss it around in my head. I need to get back to work. I just called to say thank you."

Lilli smiled. "Happy to help."

Cody asked, "Can I talk now?"

"Uh huh."

"You said my name."

"Yes, she might use your name in her book."

"Can you read it?"

"Sorry, it's a grown-up book."

"My Dad doesn't like grown-up books. He reads to me every night."

"I bet he does." Instead of thinking of Leo, she imagined Zach sitting on a bed, reading.

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