Two

J immy. Both the name and the man's adorable blush reminded Nova of youth and innocence—things he felt so far removed from.

"He's a Pisces," his mother whispered before her next adoring fan stepped up to claim the spot the cute guy had vacated. "The perfect mate for a Capricorn."

"Don't start," Nova whispered back, although her matchmaking attempts never failed to amuse him.

He hadn't attended her lecture to find a boyfriend or future husband; he'd come because she was nervous about returning to the spotlight after a long hiatus. She'd worried about being stiff and clumsy, but lecturing came as naturally to his mother as breathing. Nova might view astrology as a frivolous pseudoscience, but his mother believed every word she spoke. Joy and happiness radiated from her like a beacon because she was in her element. His mother had always been a lighthouse for Nova, guiding him through life's many storms. He wanted to be the same for her.

"You were brilliant tonight, Mom," Nova said. "I'm so proud of you."

She smiled up at her only son and patted his cheek. "Nice distraction ploy, but it didn't work. You can't tear your eyes off Jimmy now, and you were completely enthralled by him during my lecture. I doubt you even heard a word I said."

Nova met his mother's smug gaze and laughed because he was busted. His attention had been riveted on Jimmy—then and now. But he couldn't seem to help himself. Nova had been fascinated by the younger man ever since he'd bounded into the classroom with the energy of a puppy. Jimmy had propped his elbows on the desk and seemed fascinated by his mother's lecture, hanging on her every word. On occasion, he'd stick his pen into his mouth and chew on the cap. Nova had been so caught up in watching Jimmy that he hadn't been aware of his mother's introduction until every attendee turned to look at him. As she'd accused, Nova hadn't heard a single thing his mother had said about him. She might've told the class something genuinely embarrassing, but Nova had been too busy trying to determine the exact color of Jimmy's eyes—something warm and earthy. But not dirt. A spice, maybe? He'd rolled through the ones he knew and landed on nutmeg as he smiled and held up a hand to wave at everyone.

When Nova met Jimmy's gaze, it felt like something had passed between them. Jimmy's mouth fell open slightly, and Nova imagined a soft sigh escaping. Probably just wishful thinking. It had been a really long dry spell for him. Nova had zero time for dating and no desire to hook up with random strangers. The warm appreciation in Jimmy's gaze had released butterflies in Nova's stomach. That sensation was the most foreign of all the emotions the guy had stirred within him. Time was an endless stretch as they continued staring at one another. Then Jimmy had suddenly broken eye contact, refocusing on his mother and seeming to forget all about Nova. He'd leaned harder into the lecture, jotting down notes as a smile tugged at his lips. What had he written? Nova's curiosity had been piqued to say the least, so he headed toward his mother when Jimmy neared the front of the line.

Up close, Nova noticed the dusting of cinnamon freckles over Jimmy's nose and cheeks. And his eyes? Nutmeg hadn't been a fair descriptor because it was a flat color, but Jimmy's irises glowed with vitality. Honey was too light, and where the hell had all the food analogies come from? Amber . That was it. Whatever he'd experienced earlier struck Nova again, but Jimmy seemed distracted by whatever he'd seen on his phone.

When his mom engaged the next person in line, Nova looked in Jimmy's direction again just as he turned and headed toward the back of the room. He moved with purpose like he was in a hurry or nervous about something. Why? A sudden suspicion distracted Nova from ogling Jimmy's ass.

"Did you say Jimmy is a journalist?" he asked when the man walked out the door.

His mom finished greeting another adoring fan before replying. "Yes, for the Savannah Morning News ."

"They sent him to cover your class?"

"No," she replied with a chuckle. Nova waited for her to sign another book and thank the attendee before continuing. "He's been a fan of my work since he was a kid. The paper didn't send him here to uncover my secrets. His stories will be about older art forms that are in jeopardy of being lost if they're not taught to younger generations."

Adorable and brilliant . Cute guys were a dime a dozen, but ones who thought outside the box were a rare gem. Like Jimmy's amber eyes . Nova felt his mother's scrutiny and was careful not to give her the wrong idea. "He seems awfully young for such a mature way of thinking."

"Old soul. Pisces," she reminded him.

It was his cue to bolt. Nova pecked a kiss on his mother's cheek. "I need to get going. Scott said we have something important to discuss when I pick up Millie."

Their divorce had been amicable, and Scott had remained Nova's best friend. Co-parenting Camilla June, their precocious six-year-old, tested their bond and showcased their wildly different personalities sometimes.

"Good luck," his mom called out as Nova walked away.

She'd never thought Scott was a good match for him, but she'd tried her best to support their union. Maybe if Nova had listened to her advice on communicating and living with a Leo, Scott would still be his husband.

Nah. Their failed marriage had nothing to do with having incompatible sun signs. They simply functioned better as friends, which was why it hadn't hurt when Scott started dating soon after their divorce two years ago. Well, not much anyway. Nova had been envious of Scott's bravery and willingness to take risks more than pining for a relationship that hadn't been good for either one of them.

When Nova walked by the desk Jimmy had used, he noticed a folded piece of paper on the floor. He stopped and picked it up. Were these the notes Jimmy had taken during class? Or something else he'd need back? He unfolded the page and read: Jimmy's Summer Adventure. Nova scanned the list, and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw Jimmy's top goal. No fucking way. His skin heated as he continued reading the things Jimmy wanted to try over the next few months. There was no way in hell he could hand the to-do list over to his mother. Nova couldn't leave it there for anyone else to read either, so he folded it twice and shoved it into his pocket on his way out the door.

When he was a kid, Nova's grandmother had once remarked that he spent his birthday money before it could burn a hole in his pocket. His parents had to do a lot of explaining for him to understand what an adage was and what his granny had really meant. Jimmy's grown-up wish list actually felt like it would set his jeans on fire, but maybe it was due to the flush still heating Nova's skin. Jesus, the images flashing through his brain were wildly inappropriate but so damn enticing.

Forcing his mind away from the alluring Jimmy, Nova pulled his cell phone from his other pocket. He'd silenced it during his mother's lecture and noticed he'd missed a text from Scott.

My meeting is running late. I won't be there when you pick up Millie. Can we talk in the morning?

Scott's we-need-to-talk message had kept Nova on edge all day. He'd been able to set his nerves aside to focus on making final arrangements for the installation of the new telescope at work. As the planetarium director at his university, Nova had overseen writing the grants and raising the funds to upgrade their equipment. He'd dreamed of being an astronaut as a child but had settled for studying the moon instead of flying to it. Having NASA choose his department to receive the grant was a dream come true. Nova had been pinching himself daily since he'd gotten the news from the university president.

So far, everything was going according to plan as far as the telescope was concerned. Nova had a feeling he wouldn't be saying the same about his personal life after he and Scott had their talk. He didn't need to read the stars, tea leaves, or tarot cards to notice the progression in his ex-husband's relationship with Kai Randall. Nova liked the guy, and more importantly, Millie loved him. He just hated change, and the thought of losing Scott's friendship hurt him so much more than ending their marriage had.

Nova imagined Kai wouldn't approve of Scott going to a random movie with Nova or meeting him for dinner once they were married. He wasn't still in love with Scott, but he loved him, which meant he only wanted good things for his ex-husband. Kai was the key to Scott's happiness, so he'd find a way to compensate like he always had. Still, it took a few moments for Nova's fingers to stop fidgeting long enough to type out a brief response. His fingers hit several wrong letters, and he'd had to start over several times before he'd managed to type, Sure.

I'm really sorry , Scott texted back. I'll make it up to you. Donuts or bagels?

Shit. Scott's refusal to have the discussion over the phone meant serious business. Another tremor quaked through Nova's limbs. He tightened his grip on the phone to keep from dropping it. Was Scott sick? Had Nova read the urgency completely wrong? He slammed on the mental brakes, closed his eyes, and pictured a lighthouse, following its guiding light out of the maelstrom of emotion. Nova took a few calming breaths and reopened his eyes. A few people were watching him with curious expressions on their faces. Jesus. Why hadn't he waited until after he got in his car to read the message?

Nova hastened to his car, unlocked the door, and slid inside. After he got the air-conditioning blasting, he replied to Scott's last message. Donuts . Knowing he couldn't handle wondering all night long, Nova sent a follow-up text. You are okay, right?

Scott's response was quick. I'm fine. What I want to discuss is exciting news. No doom and gloom thoughts, okay? I gotta go. See you in the morning.

Nova continued staring at his phone for a few seconds. If Scott said he wanted to talk about good things, Nova would believe him and stop imagining every worst-case scenario. He'd managed to hang on to his positive attitude until Kai answered the door of the home he shared with Scott. The younger guy was gorgeous, but it was his kind and caring nature that made him even more attractive. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why Scott was enamored with the guy. The frown marring Kai's forehead was so out of place that Nova's earlier pessimism came flooding back with a vengeance.

"Something's wrong," Nova said. His face felt tight, and the corner of his mouth twitched a few times in warning. He shoved his hands in his pockets so Kai wouldn't see them jerking. Nova's finger brushed over Jimmy's note, and it strangely had a calming effect on him.

Kai shook his head as he stepped back to let him in. He placed his hand on Nova's shoulder and squeezed it. "Everything is fine. I knew you'd worry all day long after Scott sent that cryptic message. He should've known his meeting would run late. You and June Bug are welcome to hang out with me until Scott gets home if you'd rather not wait until tomorrow to talk to him."

Nova appreciated the thought, and even though he liked Kai, he still felt awkward in the man's presence if Scott wasn't around.

"Daddy!" Camilla June Parker-Skye bolted across the room and lunged for Nova like they'd been separated for months instead of a week.

Nova scooped his little girl up and hugged her. The scent of Millie's lavender shampoo melted the tension building in his body. "How's my June Bug?"

Millie launched into a second-by-second replay of everything she'd seen, heard, or done since Scott picked her up from Nova's home the previous week. She talked so fast her words tripped and stumbled over one another.

"Slow down," Nova said, rubbing her back. He met Kai's gaze and noticed his jovial smile had returned as he'd watched them interact. "I appreciate your offer, but tomorrow is soon enough. I'd imagine you could use some quiet time to decompress after we go."

"She's the most delightful child to ever exist," Kai said. Nova knew he meant it, and Millie loved him too. "Bye, June Bug. Can I get a kiss?"

Millie giggled and canted forward to hug and kiss Kai. "Love you, Kai."

"Love you, Millie June." Then Kai smiled at Nova. "I promise everything will be okay."

Maybe he should've felt unnerved that Kai understood him so well. But there was no incrimination or judgment in the man's expression, only acceptance. So Nova was grateful instead of uneasy.

Millie continued chatting during the short drive two streets over to Nova's home. After the divorce, he'd refinanced the place to buy out Scott's half, and his ex-husband had purchased a similar property close by to make their lives easier. Millie had an entire wardrobe at both their homes, eliminating the need for lugging a suitcase back and forth. On occasion, a pair of shoes or an outfit got split up between the houses, but it was easily sorted.

"Are you hungry?" Nova asked when he pulled his car into the garage.

"Nope. We ate pizza," she said.

He was tempted to place an order for himself but reheated lasagna leftovers from Sunday dinner at his parents' house instead. His mother was a million wonderful things, but a fantastic cook she was not. His father, Dave, was the culinary king in their family. Unfortunately, Nova's skillset landed somewhere in the middle of his parents. He'd mastered the basics, which was good enough for him and Millie June. That didn't stop him from accepting his father's generous gift of leftovers each week.

Millie climbed onto the chair beside him as Nova ate his dinner. He'd poured a glass of milk for both of them and grabbed an extra fork just in case she wanted to sample some of Grandpa's lasagna. His precocious daughter continued chattering nonstop about her week with Papa and Kai. Nova loved every second of it because the house was far too quiet when she was away.

"I don't know, Daddy," Millie said after a brief pause to catch her breath. "The movie was fun, but talking unicorns seem kind of silly. What do you think?"

She was only six but had mastered the observation and conversation skills of a much older child. If he were one to believe in reincarnation, he'd think his Camilla June had retained thoughts and characteristics from her former lives. Their daughter had come into Nova and Scott's life when she was only three days old. Since it had been a closed adoption, they didn't know what kind of traits Millie might've inherited from her biological family. Nova's mother had said Millie's maturity was due to her fathers talking to her like an adult, which triggered her critical-thinking processes earlier than most kids.

Sometimes Nova worried his analytical—and often cynical—brain impacted Millie negatively. Shouldn't a six-year-old believe in the magic of unicorns, talking or otherwise? What was so wrong about kids believing in magic and fairy tales? Life would prove the fallacy of them soon enough without his help. He'd rather his daughter hang on to her whimsical innocence for as long as possible. "I don't think the point of the movie was to make you believe unicorns can talk," he said. "The message is that all of us are unique and beautiful in our own way. We all carry magic in our hearts."

What he wouldn't give to feel some kind of enchantment again.

Millie narrowed her cornflower-blue eyes. "Have you seen a unicorn?"

"I have not," Nova admitted, "but there are many things I haven't seen with my own two eyes. Sometimes the embodiment and symbolism of something are just as important as a tangible thing."

"What's embodyman mean, Daddy?"

"Embodiment," he said gently before repeating the word slower so she could pronounce it with him. "It's something that expresses a feeling or mood. The unicorn embodies light and goodness and magic."

"What's tangerinable?" Millie asked.

"Tangible," Nova said. Then repeated the same process as before, letting her sound it out with him. He couldn't wait to read the first book report his daughter wrote for a school project. "It means something real and physical that you can physically touch, not just see. Like a horse in comparison to a unicorn."

"Ohh," she said softly. "Daddy, I want a horse." There was the six-year-old mind that Millie sometimes let take the reins.

"We'd need a much bigger yard," Nova said. "Our pool takes up too much space. We don't have a barn either."

Millie tilted her head as she considered a solution. Nova nearly laughed out loud at the expression on her face, but he didn't want to interrupt a genius mind at work. "Why can't the horse just drink the pool water and live in the shed? We can store the lawnmower in the garage."

"Chlorine water isn't safe for the horse to drink, and he wouldn't fit in the shed."

"Hmm, okay," she said, sounding defeated. Millie June's eyes widened a second later. "Papa doesn't have a pool, and his yard is bigger."

Nova bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Well, I guess you could ask Papa," he said, latching on to an escape from the conversation.

Millie dropped her gaze to the few bites of lasagna remaining on his plate. "That smells yummy."

"It's delicious." Nova handed her the second fork. "Have a bite."

She ended up eating the rest of it plus a few bites of the second piece Nova reheated.

After dinner, Millie June got out her favorite games for them to play. Nova owned a television, but they rarely used it. He watched the occasional documentary or Star Trek marathon. Nova had grown up playing board games with his parents and reading books, so he chose to spend as much of their free time doing the same.

They'd played several rounds of Old Maid with Millie thinking she was creative by popping the Old Maid card slightly higher than the others. Oldest trick in the book and one Nova wasn't falling for. He returned from a bathroom break and noticed the Old Maid card was tucked between his other cards.

"So odd," he said. "My hand looks different. Pretty sure these aren't the same cards I had before going to the bathroom." Nova looked at her over his fanned cards. "Do you know anything about it?"

Millie looked him straight in the eye and said, "Must've been a unicorn."

He wanted to applaud her creativity, but she maintained eye contact during the lie. Nova worried they might be raising a future serial killer. "Millie?"

She tossed her cards onto the table. "Fine. I did it. Winning is fun."

"You wouldn't truly win if you cheated, though. Maybe it's just not your night for Old Maid."

She crossed her tiny arms over her chest and pouted for a second before meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry."

Nova dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Want to play something else?"

"Memory?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure," Nova agreed. This time he dialed back his competitiveness and let his angel trounce him during several rounds of the game.

"Not your night, I guess," Millie said with a shrug.

"Guess not," Nova agreed. "Ready for your bath?"

"Can I have lots of bubbles?"

"Sure."

Millie had a routine she went through every night. She sorted through her dolls and other bath-friendly toys to choose her splash-time friends. His little angel was empathetic and worried her toys would feel left out if they didn't get equal time in the suds, so Nova had converted a whiteboard into a bath chart. Scott probably wanted to kick his ass over it because he'd had to do the same thing at his house.

"Which ones did I take with me last time, Daddy?"

"Ballerina Barbie and Buzz Lightyear," Nova said after consulting the chart. "It's Beauty and the Beast's turn."

"Yay!" Millie exclaimed as she looked through her toys until she found the characters from the movie. "Can I bring Mrs. Potts and Chip too?"

"Of course."

She ended up taking the entire cast, but Nova didn't mind. Millie preferred to use his big garden tub in the master suite than the shower-bath combo in her own bathroom. He shampooed and rinsed her long blonde locks while the water filled the tub. Strawberry bubble bath perfumed the air as Millie splashed around with her toys and made up songs about her life. Nova's favorite new tune was "Papa Needs a Horse." His least favorite was "Daddy Needs a Date." Nova had no idea what snippet of conversation she'd overheard or even where, but dating was the last thing on his mind.

He must've made a sour face because Millie giggled and ducked under the water. When she splashed back up, she said, "I want to be a mermaid."

"That's not a wish I can grant you, love," Nova said, entirely charmed by this whimsical side of her.

"You can give me mermaid hair, though."

"That I can do," he agreed.

He acquired her desired look by braiding her hair when it was wet and letting her sleep in the braids overnight. The following day, he'd loosen the braids and run an anti-frizz serum over her wavy hair. She'd be enthralled with it for hours.

After Millie was dried off and in pajamas, Nova spritzed detangler on her hair and gently combed the long strands. Then he parted her hair and braided two plaits. Sometimes he braided more if they wanted a tighter wave, but he wanted them looser this time.

"Can we look at the sky?" she asked once he was finished.

His heart swelled with pride because his little girl loved to stargaze. "Of course. I'm on supernova watch anyway."

"What's that?" she asked as Nova led her to the backyard where he could set up his telescope.

"They're stars in the last stages of their evolution. There hasn't been a supernova in the Milky Way in over four hundred years." He looked through the telescope and located the star that the astronomy world was watching closely. His home equipment didn't have a fraction of the capabilities of the ones at his planetarium. Still, it was strong enough for him to teach Millie essential lessons about the solar system and help her identify constellations.

"Wow," Millie whispered. She didn't grasp the magnitude of a supernova event but responded to the awe in his voice. "I want to see it."

"Let me show you how to find it." Nova adjusted the lens to fit her height and walked her through locating the star.

"Oh, I see it, Daddy. What will happen to the star?"

"Well, there will be a stellar explosion, which causes the star to burn really bright as it dies. Afterward, it will leave behind a black hole in space."

Millie burst into sudden tears and threw herself into his arms. "I don't want it to die," she wailed between sobs. "You gotta save it."

"Oh, honey. Nothing lives forever, not even stars." Nova pulled back and caressed her face. "The star lived for millions of years, if not billions. It's had such a happy life."

"Are you going to die too? Your name is Nova."

"I'm named after a new star, not a dying one," he said, avoiding her question. She was much too young to be worrying about immortality.

"Oh," she said, wiping her eyes. "I like that better."

He kissed her pert nose, then they returned to looking at the stars for a bit longer before Nova wheeled the telescope back into the shed. "Time for a bedtime story, June Bug."

Millie's room was a mixture of princess and science nerd, and Nova loved how she rocked them both. Her bedding was pure princess, but she had glow-in-the-dark planets and stars stuck to her ceiling, and she had a projector to light up her room like the night sky.

Nova read There's No Place Like Space from the Cat in the Hat Learning Library. When Millie still hadn't sacked out, he started reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon . It didn't take long for her heavy lids to close and stay that way.

He kissed her forehead. "Love you to the moon and back, Millie June," Nova whispered before shutting off the reading lamp and exiting her room.

Nova grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and retreated to his room for the night. After stripping off his clothes, he took a long shower. After Millie's endless chatter, the room was startlingly quiet. It encouraged his brain to fill the silence, which was never a good thing. Nova shut off the faucet and toweled off before pulling on a pair of boxer shorts and getting into bed. He picked up the sci-fi novel he'd started reading the previous evening, hoping to distract his mind with entertainment. The book wasn't enough to override his internal supercomputer that wanted to analyze the day's events, looking for things he should've done better. Everything came to a screeching halt when Jimmy's image floated across his mind. Nova bolted into a sitting position and slammed his book closed.

The list.

Nova had tucked it away in his jeans and forgotten about it. He threw back the covers and pulled his pants out of the hamper, retrieving the piece of paper from his pocket. How the hell could he have forgotten about Jimmy's Summer Adventure? Nova carried the notebook page back to his bed and carefully unfolded it before reading the enigmatic man's words.

Jimmy's Summer Adventure

Lose virginity!

Go to a bar.

Swim in the ocean.

Get back on a bike.

Have a sleepover.

Camp under the stars.

Jimmy's goals stretched on, but Nova kept returning his gaze to the top six. He couldn't help but compare and contrast the individual items. If not for the first two, Nova would've thought a kid wrote the list. Maybe you could argue Jimmy was still a kid, but not legally. He was certainly older than twenty-one, right? Why hadn't he gone to a bar before now? And swimming in the ocean? They were minutes away from the Atlantic. Why the hell hadn't he swum in it before now? Camping? Sleepovers? How was this the same person who'd come up with the Summer Studio story concept? It boggled the mind. Nova wouldn't let his mind linger on item one for very long. It would only take him places he had no business going.

Nova kept reading the list, and each time through, a new emotion stirred within him. He was curious about the life Jimmy had lived up to this point. How had anyone so adorable remained so innocent and pure? Instead of being turned off by it, Nova felt charmed. Many people would sneer and make fun of Jimmy's list, but Nova thought he was brave. It took courage to name the things you wanted, especially if they were experiences the world expected you to already have.

Would he execute his plan? Hell, Jimmy could knock off three items on his list at once. He could head to a bar, connect with someone, lose his virginity, and have his first sleepover. The mere thought of Jimmy picking up a stranger in a bar did funny things to his insides and left him feeling disturbed and protective. Nova didn't want to think about why. He hardly knew the guy. And he felt horrible guilt for possessing the list in the first damn place. There was no conceivable way of returning it to him without embarrassing them both. Nova could mail it anonymously to the newspaper, but what if someone opened it before giving it to him. Jimmy would be humiliated.

Nova had experienced enough bullying and embarrassment to last ten lifetimes. He wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not someone as seemingly sweet as Jimmy. A resolution didn't come immediately to him, so Nova tucked the list away in his bedside drawer and resumed reading. No matter how hard he tried to block them, images of Jimmy and his damn list kept filtering through his mind.

If only he were a few years younger and a whole lot less cynical. He'd give the cutie a summer to remember.