by Elena Aitken
He shook his head. “I don’t have to do anything, because I relinquish all rights.”
“Oh, my God, if you say that one more time, I’m going to punch you in the face.”
Images shuffled through her mind like a deck of cards. Alone in a hospital bed. Holding a newborn—with no idea what to do—how do you bathe her? How do you feed her?
Where am I going to live? She needed so many things. Crib, diapers, bottles. With each image, the panic spun faster until she thought her blood, tissues, and organs would fly right out of her body.
And then the fucker opened the door.
She charged forward, her palm slapping it shut. “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m not going to raise our baby by myself. I can’t pay for everything on my own.”
“Then get rid of it, because I’m not paying a dime of child support for a kid I told you I don’t want. My choice in this is just as valid as yours.” He jerked the door open and stepped outside.
She followed him, no longer caring who heard. Her boyfriend of five years, the father of her baby, was actually walking out of her life. He was going to abandon her, make her go through pregnancy and parenting alone. She was going to die. “It doesn’t work like that, you jerk. Your stupid piece of paper doesn’t mean anything.”
“It’s signed and dated. I relinquish my rights.”
That’s it. Rage popped like a balloon and propelled her onto his back, but he whipped around so hard, she fell off.
“What the hell’s going on?” Griffin, her oldest brother—all six-four inches of inked badassery—came out of cottage five, hair mussed and shirtless. A curtain hitched, and his dark-haired hookup peered out the window.
But Skylar ignored them. Sweaty, frantic, she shoved Eddie. “You don’t get off scot-free. It doesn’t work like that. And let me tell you something right now. You will pay me child support every month until this child turns eighteen, or I’ll send all four of my brothers, plus my cousin…his entire fucking football team…to collect it.”
Fear flared in Eddie’s eyes, and he cut a look to Griffin.
With a menacing demeanor, her brother stood like a warrior, clearly restraining himself. In that moment, she’d never loved him more.
“I don’t have any money,” Eddie said. “And I’m not going to for a long time.”
Griff started for him, but Skylar held up her hand. “Then you’ll get a job. Just like I’ll have to do.” She only had a year left of college—she didn’t want to drop out.
But she’d figure that out later.
“This isn’t fair.” Eddie stood there for a long moment, his struggle playing across his features. All his righteous indignation turned to uncertainty, but with Griff standing there like a bull ready to charge, Eddie deflated.
He turned and left.
Skylar watched him go until the rage, fear, and disbelief bled out of her.
And then her knees gave out.
Thank God her brother was there to catch her.
Untitled
FIVE YEARS LATER
Chapter 1
Where are you, Griffin?
Skylar James shifted her grumpy little boy to her other hip, as she pulled a blouse off the free-standing rack in her office. “I’ve got another one for you to try.”
Her client’s hand reached out from behind the curtain. “Oh, good. I’d like to lose some more weight before I wear this one.” She exchanged the shirt she’d just tried on for the new one.
Her son shifted restlessly in her arms. He hadn’t been sleeping well, and he’d refused to nap today. He was the sweetest boy in the world, and she hated to see him uncomfortable. Was he coming down with something…maybe an ear infection?
She reached for one of the toys he’d gotten for Christmas. “Do you want to play with this until Uncle Griff comes?” Her oldest brother had gotten him a train set he’d promised to set up that afternoon.
Skylar loved her family—loved how easily they’d accepted her unplanned pregnancy. But, as much love as they gave Rocco, absolutely nothing could take away from the fact that he didn’t have a father.
Right now, at four, he didn’t notice. Soon, though, he would.
And it broke her heart.
Her son shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the back of a chubby little hand.
“As soon as Uncle Griff gets here, he’s going to take you upstairs and set up the tracks. Won’t that be fun?” To save money, they lived out of her office. The downstairs salon had a dressing room and fancy full-length mirror, her desk, clothing racks, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The bedrooms were upstairs.
Again, Rocco shook his head.
Please don’t have a melt-down in front of my client.
This is exactly why I don’t mix work and family.
As he grew more restless, she knew she had to do something. Finding the holiday playlist on her phone, she skipped ahead to DMX’s “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” keeping the volume low.
As soon as it came on, she bounced along to it, relieved to see her son’s shy smile. He buried his face in her neck. “We love this one, right, sweet pea?”
Her client stepped out of the dressing room, beaming. “I love it.” Helen faced the ornate tri-fold mirror. “How do you do it?” The recent divorcée wore slim-fitting jeans for the first time, and she looked fantastic. “You always get it right. You’re magic, Sky. Pure magic.”
“Well, you’re easy to work with.” Skylar grinned. “You do exactly what I say.”
The woman laughed. “I do. And look at the results.” She turned to see her backside in the mirror. “I haven’t looked like this in twenty-five years. Eat your heart out, Craig.”
Her son squirmed, and if she didn’t let him down, he’d pitch a fit. Seamlessly keeping up the conversation, she lowered Rocco to the floor. “Who cares what he thinks? When was the last time he made you happy? Made any kind of effort at all?”
Helen gazed into the mirror with a thoughtful expression. “I’m not sure he ever did.” She drew in a breath. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I just wish…”
The woman’s pain was clear in the pinch around her eyes and mouth. Skylar had suffered her own disappointment, but she’d only been twenty when her boyfriend had left her. Her experience paled next to this woman who’d raised two children and devoted thirty years to a man who’d carelessly left her for a younger woman. “You wish he hadn’t turned out to be a cliché, but he did. He is. And now you’ve got a whole new future filled with possibilities. It can be whatever you want it to be.” She reached for another hanger on the rack. “Okay, one more shirt to try, and then I’ve got the perfect dress for your date.”
Helen’s smile flattened. “Remember when I said I was ready to date?”
“Nuh uh. No cold feet.” She watched Rocco toddle off to the bathroom. Leaving the door wide open, he pulled down his pants. Oh, brother. She didn’t keep a potty chair in the salon’s bathroom. To keep her client from noticing, though, she had to force herself not to look.
Come on, Griff. It wasn’t like her brother to be late. He owned a busy motorcycle repair shop, so he always had a dozen crises to manage. Usually, though, he’d call their mom or one of their brothers to step in. He’d never left her stranded.
“I’m just thinking,” Helen said. “Now that I’m looking so much better, maybe I’ll meet someone at Calamity Joe’s or the Tavern. I don’t have to go out with a stranger I met on an app.”
“Except that you’re only using the app to get experience, so that when you bump into the right guy, you’ll be comfortable and relaxed.”
Oh, God. Rocco aimed high, missing the toilet completely. Thankfully, Helen couldn’t see the yellow puddle forming.
“I hate when you’re right.” Grabbing the blouse, her client swept the curtain shut.
Skylar tapped out a text to her brother. Are you almost here? I’ve got a client and Rocco just peed on the floor! Before she even hit Send, though, the salon door opened.
“
Oh, thank goodness.” She started forward to explain the situation but jerked to a stop when she saw it wasn’t her brother. “Jinx?”
The big, broody guy who did custom paint jobs at her brother’s repair shop was hot. Unruly, dark hair brushed broad, powerful shoulders, and his blue eyes had a way of studying her that said, I wonder what you taste like.
“I love, love, love this one.” Her client came out of the dressing room and did a little twirl. The silky blouse billowed out and then landed gracefully on her hips. She stopped when she saw Jinx’s imposing presence. “Oh, hello.”
Giving the woman a brief nod, he said, “Hey.” He scanned the room, doing a doubletake on the bathroom.
Where her son stood in a pool of urine.
God.
Before she could ask why he’d come by, Jinx headed for the bathroom. Had Griff sent him? Maybe her brother was in his truck…on the phone?
She had no idea, but she had to pay attention to her client. “Yes, I love it. It’s perfect for you.”
Except…what if Jinx called her son out for missing the toilet? What if he ridiculed him? Her body went hot, her skin prickly.
“Does it come in different colors?” Helen asked. “I’d love to see it in red. But, then, red might be too harsh for me. Maybe pink?”
She couldn’t let Jinx humiliate her son. If he made even a single crack about missing the toilet, or if he told Rocco big boys don’t pee on the floor, Skylar would kick his fine ass out—even with a client watching.
But to her surprise, Jinx dropped to a crouch, pulled up Rocco’s pants, and then lifted him into his arms. Turning on the faucet, he helped her little boy wash his hands, all while chatting quietly with him.
She was disappointed in herself for assuming the worst. The single, motorcycle-riding loner had spent plenty of time around her son and had always been kind.
Not all men are going to hurt my boy.
“Unless you think I’m too old for pink?” Helen asked.
“This is just my opinion, but...” She kept on eye on the bathroom. “I think the only thing that matters is how you feel when you’re wearing it. If pink makes you feel like your best self, wear it. Forget the rules or fashion advice. If you feel sexy and powerful in a shorter skirt, then wear it. You love long hair? Grow it out. It’s all about empowering you. As for pink, I think with your coloring, it might wash you out, but the only way to know for sure is to try it.”
Rocco’s giggle filled her with warmth. With one of her hand towels, Jinx mopped up the mess, as he talked to her son and made him laugh.
She didn’t know what he was doing here, but she couldn’t have been more grateful for the way he’d handled the situation and treated her sweet boy.
The swish of fabric drew her back to her client. “If you want to try pink, I can find you something,” Skylar said.
The faucet turned on, and Jinx washed his hands. A moment later, he dried them and reached for Rocco’s hand. “Come on, buddy.” He led him to the corner of her salon, where she kept a red tub filled with toys, a small white bookcase, and a little art table with two child-size chairs. “Show me what you got for Christmas.” Guess Griff wasn’t in the truck.
Rocco, no longer grumpy, squatted as he dumped out a bag of blocks.
Which let her know he didn’t have an ear infection, and he wasn’t getting sick. She knew the real reason he’d been grumpy. Tomorrow, he’d leave for a week to spend time with his father’s family. Eddie might have bailed on Skylar, but his parents loved their grandson and tried to spend as much time with him as they could. They didn’t make too many demands, but they did ask him to attend their twice-annual family reunions. One in the summer, when the family rented a beach house in San Diego, and the other between Christmas and New Year, when they skied in Aspen.
Rocco might only be four, but he knew what was going on. He’d seen the suitcase she’d packed. He knew he was leaving, and he hated being away from her. What could she do, though? It was the only time he saw his father.
It sucked, being a broken family.
“No, I think you’re right. Pale colors do wash me out.” Helen broke into a big grin. “I can hardly believe this is me.”
“Well, you worked hard for it.” As an image-consultant, Skylar had relationships with make-up artists, boutiques, personal trainers, and therapists to get her clients holistic makeovers. Helen had done it all. Damn right she looked good. “Okay, let’s try this dress, and then I think you’ve got a good start with a new wardrobe.”
But, instead of taking the dress, Helen’s gaze remained fixed on her reflection, the joy slowly leaking out of her.
“What’re you thinking right now?” These kinds of mood swings happened a lot with her clients. Reinventing yourself was an emotional experience.
With glassy eyes, she gazed at Skylar. “The thing is, he didn’t just take the future I’d expected. He took my confidence.”
Oh, man, Skylar knew exactly what she meant. She’d felt the same way when her baby daddy had left without a backwards glance, leaving her to raise Rocco on her own. She got up on the platform. Standing behind her client, she set her hands on Helen’s shoulders. “Look at you. Craig didn’t cheat on you because you’re not attractive or interesting or funny or sexy or smart enough. He cheated because, when he looks in the mirror, the eighteen-year-old boy in him sees gray hair and sagging skin, and he panics. He cheated because he’ll do anything to feel young again.”
“That’s exactly right. You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”
“And we both know that the woman he’s dating is only with him for the nice jewelry, expensive trips, and fancy dinners. More importantly, he knows that. He’s willing to trade integrity for the fleeting and superficial happiness of getting to sleep with a hot twenty-something. You didn’t lose weight and buy new clothes to be attractive to him. You did it because you’re gearing up for a whole new future. Right now, it hurts, but once you get a few miles down the road, you’re going to be free of all the anxiety and doubt and worry that came with being his wife. You’re going to be happy. So, try on this dress and see if it makes you feel like your best self, and then wear it tonight, so that even if it’s the worst date you’ve ever been on, you’ll know you’re taking charge of your life and your future, and Craig can’t impact you anymore, ever again.”
Tears spilled down the woman’s cheeks, and she fell into Skylar’s arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She pulled back, swiping the moisture away. “I couldn’t have done this without you. You’ve been so strong and positive every step of the way.” Taking the hanger, she stepped back into the dressing room.
Wow. She needed this business to support herself and her son, but boy was it rewarding. The moment she stepped off the platform, she found Jinx watching her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. He held a wooden block out to her son, who set it on a stack of them.
She wanted to shout at him, What? Why do you always look at me like that? He’d been working at Griff’s place for almost two years now, and he hadn’t hidden his interest in her, even though she’d made it perfectly clear she wasn’t dating.
When Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” came on, Rocco popped up, and his little butt started swishing like a metronome. Laughter bubbled up at the sight. She loved seeing her boy happy. And, then, Jinx stood up and started rocking out, and Rocco dissolved into a fit of giggles.
She couldn’t believe it. She’d never seen this side of the broody artist.
Jinx reached for Rocco’s little hands, and the sight of this huge, inked man and her little boy electrified her heart. This is what he needs.
Dammit, Eddie. How could you hurt him like this?
How could you leave him to grow up without a daddy?
When Jinx grinned at her, sadness whipped instantly into anger.
Because she finally got it. Why Jinx was here.
He didn’t dance. He didn’t smile. He didn’t joke around. He certainly didn
’t play with four-year-olds.
He was using her son to get a date out of her. He’d probably heard Griff say he was on his way over to babysit, and Jinx had grabbed the opportunity to win some points with her.
Well, screw him. Just as she was about to shut off the music and kick him out, her client called to her.
“Can you give me a hand?”
“Of course.” She’d deal with Jinx Costello later. You bet your ass I will.
Nobody hurts Rocco. Not on my watch.
Stepping into the dressing room, she found the back of the dress gaping, so she zipped it up. “Look at you. You look fantastic.”
“I love it. I mean…wow. I don’t know how you manage to choose just the right things for me.” Her eyes lit up with mischief. “I want Craig to see me like this. He loves the cigar bar in Owl Hoot. I want to go there with my date tonight and run into him. Let him see me.” She lowered her arms. “I wish I hadn’t let myself go. I wish…” She found Skylar’s gaze in the mirror and let out a sigh. “I know. He’d still have cheated.”
Skylar gave her a soft smile. Looks like it’s starting to sink in. Good. That means she can move on. “I can guarantee that seeing you’ve lost twenty pounds and cut your hair won’t be nearly as effective as seeing you living your best life. I don’t know if he’ll ever change, but it’ll make him question his choices.”
The woman gripped the hand Skylar rested on her shoulder. “I know you’re right, but I still want him to see my like this.” She grinned. “Okay. I’m going to get all of this. Including the shoes. I love those espadrille wedges.”
“Great.”
“You want to unzip me?”
“Might as well keep the dress on.” She glanced at her watch. “You’re meeting your date in twenty minutes.”
“But I only wore my winter boots.”
Skylar nodded towards the espadrilles. “You’re walking one block of shoveled sidewalk. You’ll be fine.”