Spring Romance: NINE Happily Ever Afters

by Tessa Bailey

  My cheeks were still hot from that searing look from Lucas. I shrugged again. “So what? Here’s the thing, we kissed and maybe more.”

  Dani’s eyes widened. “I think I missed half the story.”

  Meanwhile, Grace and Evie leaned forward together, waiting for me to fill in the blanks. As much as I wanted advice, I wasn’t going to tell them everything. Somehow, it felt too private, too intimate. I felt protective of Lucas and had no idea what to do with that.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lucas

  That evening I sat on the couch, watching Rylie carefully assemble a puzzle. Her dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail held in place with a bright pink elastic. She was a combination of feminine and tomboy and had been ever since she had a preference. Pink was her absolute favorite color, and she loved overalls and trucks. Today, she was wearing a modified pair of overalls cut into shorts with a tank top underneath. They hung loosely over her thin frame. It didn’t seem to matter how much she ate, she stayed skinny. I’d even asked her doctor about it at her checkup last month, but she had assured me Rylie was just fine.

  “Daddy, this one?” she asked, holding up a piece.

  I leaned forward, eyeing the puzzle. The piece she held was white with a dash of red. Jade sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table and snorted slightly. “Good luck with that one. I tried to find its spot too.”

  Scanning the puzzle, I narrowed down an area and pointed, watching as Rylie studied it carefully for another moment before gleefully fitting the piece into a section.

  I flicked my eyes up to the clock. “About time for dinner. You ready?” I asked.

  Rylie looked up, her ponytail bouncing when she nodded. “Yes! What are we having?”

  I slid my gaze to Jade who replied, “Your favorite potato casserole, sweet pea. Come on.” She stood, holding her hand out for Rylie as I pushed up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen.

  “Wash your hands first,” I called as Rylie broke free and started to run to the small round table beside the kitchen. She immediately changed course, veering down the hallway in the back.

  “You staying?” I asked as Jade reached my side and leaned against the end of the island.

  “Not tonight. I promised I’d cover a shift at Lost Deer Bar.”

  “Please don’t tell me you need the money because I’ll insist on paying you more if you do.” The oven timer buzzed right then, and I turned away.

  “I don’t need the money. I’m just doing a favor.” Rylie returned from the bathroom, wiping her hands on her overalls. “Gotta go,” Jade said as she knelt and held her arms out.

  Rylie skidded to a stop, swinging her arms around Jade’s neck and planting a noisy kiss on her cheek. “Good night, JJ.”

  Jade straightened before casting a quick wink and a wave my way as she hooked her purse over her arm.

  Some nights, it was damn tempting to sit on the couch and watch television when Rylie and I had dinner, but I didn’t want that to be the only way we spent time together. We were about halfway through dinner when my emergency cell phone buzzed.

  Rylie knew what that meant. “You have to go, Daddy. Should I go with you?” she asked.

  I kept my “oh fuck” silent as I looked over at her. I wasn’t even thinking when Jade left. Not that I’d have asked her to stay, but I was on duty tonight. I needed to call my mom and see if she could come over. “I’ll figure it out, sweet pea,” I replied, standing from the table and striding into the living room.

  After calling in to confirm I’d be there as soon as I could, I quickly texted my mother only to get her reply that she was still running errands in Asheville and wouldn’t be able to make it back for an hour and a half. When we were backup on call, blessedly, part of the team was always on duty full-time, so we had some leeway to get there. That leeway didn’t extend to an hour and a half, though.

  My next option would be Shay, Dani, or… My thoughts trailed off. My last option was Valentina. Before I even thought about it, I pulled up her number, and my thumbs were texting her. I couldn’t even admit I wanted her to come over. Because that meant a chance for me to see her.

  I reasoned she clearly had experience with babysitting. All she would need to do tonight was the bedtime routine.

  Me: Hey, it’s Lucas. I’m in a bit of a bind and could use a favor. I got a call out for the emergency team, and my usual babysitting sources are unavailable. Rylie loved when you helped out with Shay, so I was wondering if you might have a few hours tonight.

  I hit send so fast I immediately wondered if I’d lost my mind. Though if I was being honest with myself, I’d lost my damn mind over Valentina weeks ago. Having her come to my house to babysit was another level of crazy.

  I ran a hand through my hair, glancing at Rylie who was still steadily eating. She was a slow eater. Most of the time, I didn’t mind, but I’d had to teach myself patience for that. I tended to shovel food in my mouth. That was what happened when your life was a flat-out run just to keep up.

  My phone buzzed in my palm, and I glanced down.

  Valentina: Of course. Should I come to you?

  My heart felt as if it were tumbling in my chest. Out of the blue, or so it seemed, my throat tightened with emotion. Of course Valentina would say yes. She was that kind of person. I doubted it would ever occur to her to say no. I was overjoyed at nothing more than her agreeing to babysit. My out-of-proportion response wasn’t something I could contemplate now.

  Lifting my phone again, I tapped out my reply.

  Me: Yes. If you don’t mind. I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. This way, Rylie can fall asleep here.

  Valentina: OK, what’s your address?

  Once again, my thumbs were ahead of the rest of me. I typed it out in a hot second with her reply coming just as quickly.

  Valentina: Be there in about 15 minutes.

  My mind was jangling with a mix of thoughts and emotions. I was fucking insane. But in the end, I needed someone to watch Rylie or to scrounge someone up to cover for me. My options at this hour were limited for both.

  Dawson was often good in a pinch, but I knew he was probably already well into several beers at Lost Deer Bar. I returned to the table, slipping into the chair beside Rylie. She glanced up. “So what’s happening?” Happening was a new favorite word for her, a rather big word.

  “Do you remember Valentina? The lady who was with Shay last week when I dropped you off?”

  Rylie’s smile split wide. “Valentine. That’s her name, Daddy. You’re saying it wrong.”

  I didn’t have the heart to correct her. Not that it mattered. I sincerely doubted Valentina would care one way or the other if Rylie called her Valentine.

  “Well, she’s on her way over. She’ll stay to help you get ready for bed. You’ll probably be asleep when I get home. Do me a favor and finish up, okay?” I asked, nodding toward the few bites of potato casserole left on her plate.

  Rylie carefully took her remaining bites, her feet drumming on the legs of her chair. I didn’t give myself much credit for it, what with my mom and my sister spending as much time with Rylie as me, but I was beyond relieved she was a social girl. She loved new people and tended to easily adjust as long as she was comfortable.

  Not that I had many parents to talk with, but I’d heard my share of stories about screaming tantrums and refusals to go to bed and so on and so forth when babysitters were needed. Rylie had her moments, but they were rare. Her pediatrician had even commented on her laid-back temperament.

  Despite my tangled feelings about Melissa, it still hurt she wasn’t here to see her little girl. Somehow, I doubted we would be together if she were, but she had a special daughter.

  I shoveled the rest of my dinner in and stood to rinse our plates. Rylie hurried to her bedroom to pull out her favorite stuffed bear along with her two current favorite bedtime stories. When she returned to the living room, her ponytail even more lopsided now, there was a knock on the front door.
>
  “I got it!” Rylie announced as she promptly dropped the bear and the books on the floor.

  I turned, about to tell her to pick everything up, but then reconsidered. Not now.

  Standing on her tiptoes, she turned the doorknob with both hands. I forced myself to wait in the kitchen because I knew the moment I saw Valentina, I would want to kiss her. Just like I did every time I saw her now. I needed to keep some distance between us to curb the temptation.

  The door opened slowly without much momentum since Rylie was only so strong. A blast of humidity came in from outside. Valentina stood in the doorway, her hair more curly than usual, likely due to the lingering heat from the day.

  “Hi, Valentine,” Rylie said, sweeping one of her hands in a wide arc.

  “Hey, Rylie,” Valentina replied with a smile, kneeling to greet her.

  Rylie’s smile went from ear to ear. As Valentina straightened, her eyes caught mine. I hadn’t quite adjusted to it, but I was learning that any time I saw Valentina, it was as if lightning jolted me, the air becoming heavy with a sizzle of electricity following.

  I rounded the counter, still holding the dishtowel in my hands. “Thanks for coming over on such short notice,” I said as I stopped beside Rylie.

  Rylie wasn’t paying the least bit of attention. She had already turned to gather up her stuffed bear and her two books, carting them over to the couch.

  “No problem. Is there anything I should know before you go?” Valentina asked. Her eyes met mine briefly before bouncing away and sliding over to Rylie.

  “Not much. She just had dinner. She’s got her bedtime routine down.” Setting the dishtowel on the counter, I walked over to the couch. Resting my hips onto the edge of it, I glanced at Rylie. “Why don’t you tell Valentina your bedtime routine?”

  “Valentine,” Rylie corrected me.

  I caught the twitch of Valentina’s lips, but she stayed quiet. I was far too aware of what she was wearing. It was entirely unremarkable. She had on a pair of stretchy leggings that fell to just below her knees, and cowboy boots paired with a gray T-shirt. Even though the fabric was loose, her breasts stretched across the front. I swallowed and looked away. I did not need to be lusting after my daughter’s short-notice babysitter.

  Valentina tucked an errant curl behind her ear and sat down in a chair to one side of the couch. “Please tell me what your schedule is so we get it right.”

  Rylie’s small fingers fiddled with the bear’s ear. “I need to brush my teeth and then after that, I wash my hands and change into my jammies. Then I get a bedtime story. Whoever’s here reads me the bedtime story, so that’s you tonight.”

  Valentina grinned. “It sounds like you have it all lined out. What time do you usually brush your teeth?”

  Rylie reached for my hand, turning it so she could look at the watch on my wrist. “Seven thirty.”

  “All right. We have a schedule. I think I can handle that, and I’m guessing your dad needs to go.”

  Rylie leaned over, burrowing her head into my shoulder. As she wrapped her arms around my waist, I held her close. “I do. You be a good girl, okay?”

  Leaning away, she nodded, watching as I stood. Valentina stood with me.

  “Is there anything else I need to know?” she asked as I strode toward the door where my go-bag was always waiting.

  “Nah. That’s pretty much it. Bedtime usually isn’t an issue for her, so it should be fine.” I snagged my keys and slung my bag on my shoulder, glancing down at her. The urge to kiss her was almost overpowering, but we had an audience—a specific, very curious audience of one. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. As soon as I have an ETA, I’ll text.”

  “I’ll stay as long as you need me.” At the last minute, she reached out, catching my hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “Be safe.”

  My heart tumbled again, and I wanted to pull her close. I didn’t go through life thinking much about how alone I was, but it was a bald fact. Oh, I had Rylie, my mother, my father, and my sister, but I didn’t have a partner. Back when I thought Melissa and I meant something, I savored that knowledge.

  Swallowing through the thickness in my throat, I nodded. “Always.”

  I needed to go, and I needed to get the hell out of this moment before I did something stupid.

  * * *

  Hours later, after helping a pair of idiots who decided to try to rock climb in the dark and got stranded high on a ledge, along with Jackson and Wade, I headed back home. I belatedly realized I needed to let Valentina know I was on my way. Pulling off the side of the road, I quickly texted her and then kept driving.

  It was still hot out, but I had the windows open. That was something I loved. After darkness fell, the air was rich with the lingering scents of flowers and greenery as it cooled. The moon was high above the Blue Ridge Mountains, shining in the inky blue night sky with stars scattered amidst the drifting clouds.

  Anticipation was humming in my body. I had taken things too far with Valentina, and I didn’t know how the hell to back out. I wouldn’t lie. I wanted her something fierce. Something about her authenticity struck a chord in me, the vibration echoing through my body. I never thought I would want more with a woman. After losing Melissa when she died, it had been hard to think about letting someone matter that much. Life seemed too fickle.

  I recalled the doctor explaining to me that it was possible Melissa had a weakness in that artery in her brain her entire life. In hindsight, I believed the doctor meant for that to comfort me. Instead, it only hammered home the point that life was fucking random.

  All I wanted to do was shelter Rylie from the world. So there was that, and then the rest of the fucking train wreck when I found out about Melissa’s affair. Talk about having your feet knocked out from under you when it came to romance.

  So, yeah, I hadn’t planned on this. I hadn’t even considered I could be susceptible. But then Valentina was one of a kind. I loved that she sometimes slapped her hand over her mouth whenever a swear word slipped out, but she didn’t really care. It was just habit. By some fucking miracle, she had stayed a virgin until me.

  There I was, driving home on a warm, humid night in the mountains, and a woman I was coming to think of as mine was waiting there for me. Not once did it cross my mind to worry about Rylie tonight. Valentina was just that trustworthy.

  I turned down my drive, dimming the lights and slowing as I passed through the trees. After I stepped out of my truck, I leaned my head back to look at the sky. An owl called in the darkness, another answering. Crickets chirped, and cicadas hummed. I took a deep breath, steeling myself to keep myself in check when I went inside.

  I didn’t have a map for this. Not at all.

  Valentina hadn’t replied to my text. I let myself in quietly, immediately arrested by the sight of her sound asleep on the couch.

  My heart started up, thrashing in my chest. It shouldn’t mean that much to see her asleep in my house, but it did. She was on her side, a throw pillow tucked under her head with one arm resting on her belly and the other curled under the pillow. Her hair obscured half of her face, and her knees were drawn up.

  She’d kicked off her cowboy boots and wore a pair of bright pink socks. I smiled, wondering if Rylie had seen those. She would’ve been thrilled with her love of all things pink. I slipped out of my shoes and set my bag down quietly.

  I walked stealthily down the short hallway, glancing into Rylie’s bedroom. Her nightlight was on, and she was sound asleep. I leaned over her bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, adjusting the sheets over her shoulders. She didn’t even budge. Tiptoeing out of her room, I left her door cracked open.

  Returning to the living room and approaching the couch, I almost thought Valentina was a mirage and would go up in smoke.

  She wasn’t. Her breathing was even and steady, and she didn’t even stir. I didn’t know if she preferred to leave, so I needed to check.

  “Valentina?” I whispered.

  She murmur
ed something in her sleep. I glanced at my watch. It was going on one in the morning. I had no idea what her schedule was today, but I knew I’d be up by five thirty a.m.

  Whether it was rational or not, I somehow persuaded myself it was best if she slept in a bed. I didn’t listen to the voice reminding me she’d be perfectly fine out here on the couch. I bundled her into my arms, telling myself if she woke, then I’d ask if she wanted to leave or sleep on the couch.

  She didn’t. I carried her into my bedroom because that was the only other bed in the house beside Rylie’s.

  Valentina wasn’t heavy, but she was warm, soft, and lush in my arms. She stirred briefly and then burrowed her head into my shoulder with a sigh. With my heart thudding, I nudged my bedroom door open with an elbow and carried her in, closing it behind me. I eased her onto the bed, pulling the covers over her, thinking any minute she was going to wake up. She didn’t.

  I took a record fast shower to wash off the grime of the day. When I returned to the bedroom, I thought for sure she would have woken, but she hadn’t. I tried to tell myself I just wanted her to get a good night’s sleep.

  The truth was, I didn’t want her to leave.

  I could’ve tried to tell myself it had something to do with thinking I could be slick and catch a stolen quickie with her. Not that she was a quickie kind a girl, or that I was a quickie kind a guy, but I couldn’t even make that argument. Don’t get me wrong, if the opportunity presented itself, it would absolutely happen. But what I wanted was to sleep with her beside me.

  When I slipped between the cool sheets, I held my breath, only letting it out when she stirred, rolling against me, her warm curves soft against my side. It still took me a few minutes to fall asleep, if only because I wanted to imprint the feel of this moment in my memory.

  I fell asleep to the rhythm of her breath and the silky feel of her skin with her foot tucked between my calves and her hand splayed on my chest. Just above the thump of my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Four