Chapter 22

Back home with his kids, West fields Oliver’s question about girl clothes in the dryer and admits they’re Skylar’s. Hoping to include her, West and the kids invite Skylar to go fishing. On the porch, playful banter and Cherry’s teasing hint at attraction, and Skylar agrees to join their canoe trip.

On the water, Skylar startles at a flopping fish, refuses to kill it, and the kids tease her good-naturedly. The shared activity softens Oliver, who is usually shy, and delights Emmy, who warms quickly to Skylar.

At dinner, both kids crowd beside Skylar, turning the meal into a friendly interrogation about her squeal and the fish. Skylar’s gentle encouragement to Emmy—“Never change”—builds a quiet bond between them, deepening the sense of family ease.

When the kids notice Skylar’s clothes, West straightforwardly admits she stayed at the house while they were away. Talk of Rosie’s bunkhouse mouse follows, and Skylar says she’ll return to the bunkhouse so as not to intrude. Oliver objects, saying they like having her there and that there’s a room for her.

Seeing both children’s attachment to Skylar and feeling the rightness of it, West meets Skylar’s eyes and makes a clear decision. He asks her to stay, signaling a step toward blending their lives.