The following morning, Gray woke to find his sheets empty. He was used to being abandoned in the middle of the night, but this time, a wave of panic struck him. She had said she was staying! How dare she toy with him like that after he'd actually believed her?

Barely managing to pull on a pair of pants, he rushed to the living room, instantly relaxing at the sight of Mandy. She was wearing one of his shirts, her wet hair dripping onto the tile floor as she rummaged through his kitchen cupboards.

Mandy looked up and smiled as he approached. "Morning! You really need to get some groceries. I was going to make you breakfast, but there's literally only a banana and some yogurt in your fridge. That's pretty sad, Mikey."

Gray hugged her tightly, his heart still pounding. "We can go grocery shopping later. You still need to help me pick out a houseplant."

"And a fish," she reminded him. "I don't really have anything to change into, though."

That wasn't a problem. He could have someone buy her a dress from a nearby boutique; he just needed her size. He told her so, her eyes widening in disbelief before she thanked him as he called one of his contacts.

This wasn't the first time Gray had called for women's clothing, but hopefully it would be the last. He truly wanted to believe Mandy wasn't going anywhere.

Once she was dressed in a simple teal long-sleeved dress and he'd put on a shirt, they headed out. Their itinerary: a nursery (for a plant), a pet store, then a grocery store. He followed her instructions without complaint.

At the nursery, Mandy chose a couple of spider plants—in pots that matched his apartment—claiming they were nearly impossible to kill. She also oohed and aahed over various flowers. But when Gray offered to buy them for her, she declared them beyond her skill level, predicting a horrible death. He snorted. Out loud. Possibly for the first time ever. This woman was surprisingly funny. He'd laughed more in the past twenty-four hours than in years.

At the pet store, as they passed some large aquariums (over a hundred gallons), Mandy casually mentioned always wanting a big fish tank but never being able to afford one. Gray told her she could pick any she liked, eliciting another glorious smile.

"I want to see what kind of fish they have first," she said. "Come look with me!"

Gray was examining some neon tetras, thinking how tiny they were, when Mandy tugged his arm. A wide grin spread across her face, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

"Look at these ridiculous goldfish! I want seven."

They were ridiculous, with giant puffy pouches under their eyes. The plaque identified them as "Bubble Eyes." He couldn't imagine them in his house, but admitted he'd probably chuckle every time he passed them.

He went to find an employee to discuss compatible tank mates when he bumped into the last people he expected to see: Violet Hale and her boyfriend.

"What brings you here?" he asked, in his usual voice, before realizing he wasn't talking to Mandy anymore.

Violet blinked, surprised by the voice change. He winced internally. Too late.

"I recently moved into my own place, and my mom wouldn't let me take the cats, so I'm here to adopt a new one," she explained, pointing to a nearby area filled with cats from the local animal shelter—a manipulative placement, he thought.

Gray was still searching for a response when Mandy arrived.

"Did you find someone to ask about those bubble-eye goldfish?" she asked. Noticing the others, she turned to Gray, her eyes questioning. "You know these people, Mikey?"

Noah barely suppressed a snort at the "Mikey," but was too stunned to care. "Yes, this is Violet Hale and her boyfriend, Noah Singleton. Violet is my…"

He panicked, forgetting Violet probably didn't know their true relationship. Aaron would kill him (figuratively, but it felt close enough) if he revealed their connection without permission.

"Niece. I'm his niece," Violet said, surprising him. So she did know. Interesting. This girl was sharp.

"Ooh, so you're Aaron's daughter! Nice to meet you, I'm Mandy Applegate. Your future aunt," Mandy said with a bright smile, extending her hand.

Future aunt? One day together, and she was planning on marrying him? Not that he was complaining, but he was still in shock. What alternate reality was this?

Violet's eyes widened. "Future…aunt?"

Gray knew what she was thinking. A few weeks ago, he'd been soaked by an ex on a disastrous date. Nobody in their right mind started a serious relationship—let alone contemplated marriage—in a few weeks.

He wanted to explain, but there was no explaining this. Mandy ignored his panic, wrapping an arm around his, her face touching his upper arm.

"Yep! We're here picking out a fish tank because, frankly, his place is unfit for female habitation. There's lots of work to do, but that's what I'm here for; livening it up! Right, sweetie?"

"Sure, whatever you say," Gray found himself agreeing. That part wasn't a lie. He'd deal with the "future aunt" thing later.

Violet looked as bewildered as he felt. Excusing herself seemed the least awkward option.

"Well, I can see you two are busy. I'll let you get back to picking out a fish tank. I'll tell my dad you said hi," she said awkwardly.

Noah put a reassuring arm around her as they moved toward the cats. Mandy steered Gray toward an employee, ending the extremely awkward encounter.

(The promotional text at the end has been removed as it is irrelevant to the editing task.)