A reason to believe

"I'LL TAKE THEM!" These are my spontaneous words to the social worker when my five-year-old student, Liam, and his little brother urgently need foster care. I will do everything to keep them together. But my apartment is flooded, and there's only one place I can think of… his. Knox Daniels, my brother's best friend, immediately offers to host us. He'll be back in town in a month, along with the rest of the firefighters, for the reunion of our elite team of dads. It doesn't matter that I've been secretly in love with Knox since we were kids; that my feelings for him might destroy a lifelong friendship. Nor does that reckless kiss on prom night, which we pretend never happened, matter… Because I'll be out of his house long before he returns. Only, Knox is standing at the door—a month early. As handsome as ever, and me covered in baby stains. He glances at the boys and tells me we can do it; pretend, for a little while, that we're a couple so the agency won't separate the brothers. And just like that, everything suddenly makes sense…