My Kind of Perfect: a Roommates-to-Lovers, Single Dad Romance (Finding Love Book 3)

by Nikki Ash

  “Okay,” I agree. “She gets one more chance.”

  Chase

  “One chance.”

  “I understand.” Victoria nods.

  “Only supervised visits.”

  “Okay.”

  “And you will never get custody back.”

  She flinches. “I know.”

  “I’m only agreeing to this because my wife thinks you deserve another chance.”

  She looks over at Georgia. “Thank you.”

  Georgia nods. “Please don’t make me regret it.”

  “I won’t.” She smiles softly, reminding me of a younger version of Victoria. Before the drugs took over her life. Maybe this will work out. Maybe Hazel can have all of us in her life. But the first time Victoria fucks up, she’s gone. And I don’t give a shit how sweet my wife is, I won’t be giving in.

  “We need a schedule. You can’t be coming over here any time you want,” I point out. “To start with, once a week. Then we can add a day or two once we see it’s working out. Are you working?”

  Victoria nods. “I’m working for my dad, answering the phones.” She flushes, her telltale sign she’s embarrassed about something. “They didn’t know I gave Hazel to you,” she admits. “They had cut me out of their life when they found out I was using again.”

  Her parents are hardworking middle class folks. Her dad owns his own business and makes ends meet. They aren’t well off by any means, but they bust their asses making an honest living.

  “How did you pay for rehab?”

  She flushes a deeper crimson. “Raymond and I signed a prenup. I received a settlement in the divorce.”

  I nod. “And where are you living?” Not that she’ll be taking our daughter anywhere…

  “I’m renting an apartment off Cypress.”

  “That’s near the college.” I know the area because it’s in my station’s zone. I’m surprised she can afford to live there on her own. She must’ve gotten a decent settlement in her divorce to Raymond.

  “Yeah, it’s in Cypress Gardens. I’ve applied to go to school too. I’m starting in the summer.”

  “That’s good,” Georgia says. “It sounds like you’re getting your life back on track.”

  “I’m trying. My parents even seem to be coming around. Maybe one day they could see Hazel…”

  “How about we focus on you seeing her first,” I note. “Then we can consider other relatives.”

  As Victoria’s about to respond, Hazel yells, “Mama, up!” Both women glance at the monitor.

  “Georgia is Hazel’s mother,” I say, not giving a shit how rude I sound. “You’re Victoria.” Georgia’s eyes go wide, and Victoria’s lips curve down. “You wanted to be in her life, that’s fine. But you gave up your right to being her mother. You’re a friend of… Georgia’s. Nothing more until we say so.”

  “I understand,” Victoria says. “I just want to be in her life.”

  “Mama!” Hazel yells. “I want up!”

  Georgia laughs and stands. “I’ll go grab her.”

  When she’s gone, I look at Victoria, who glances at me. “You might have Georgia fooled, but not me. Never me.”

  She opens her mouth then closes it like an ugly fish out of water. “Chase…”

  “I hope you prove me wrong, but I’m not holding my breath.”

  Georgia walks out with Hazel in her arms. She looks around and when her eyes land on Victoria, she nuzzles her face into Georgia’s neck shyly.

  “I’d rather not be around when you visit,” I say to Victoria, standing. “So, figure out which day is good with Georgia.” I kiss Georgia’s forehead then Hazel’s. “I need to get to work. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Bye, Dada!” Hazel waves, warming my heart. I grab my keys from the counter and glance at my girls one more time before walking out the door. They’re my entire life. My whole world. And if Victoria fucks with either of them… No, I take that back. When she fucks with either of them, I’m going to make sure she regrets ever stepping foot back into our lives.

  I arrive at the station and find Alec waiting for me outside. “How’d it go?”

  “She got what she wanted.”

  His eyes turn to slits.

  “Victoria, not Georgia… Although, I guess she did too.”

  I walk inside and go straight to my office to check over the paperwork from the weekend. There were a couple house calls and one at the college, an electrical issue. I get started documenting everything, and am doing so when the tone sounds off. I jump to my feet to answer the call, taking down the information so we can head out. It’s a single family home that caught fire while the family was out. Turns out they left the dryer running and it caught fire—something that’s unfortunately common. The fire has us occupied for hours, between putting it out and doing damage control—the home is lost, but thankfully the family is safe and well.

  Hours later, when we finally get back, we all shower and eat quickly, drained and ready for some shuteye. As I’m lying on my bed, Georgia texts me a picture of Hazel and her lying on the couch together, both of them in their pajamas and smiling.

  Georgia: Good night! We love you!

  Me: Love you more.

  I trace the lines of their happy faces and fall asleep thanking God for both of them.

  I walk into the condo and it’s quiet, which makes sense since it’s only six in the morning. A couple of guys from shift A arrived early, so I figured I would surprise the girls with breakfast. I close the door and set the bag of food down, then head back, first stopping at Hazel’s room. It’s dark and she’s softly snoring. She wakes up around eight every morning, which gives me a couple hours of alone time with my wife.

  She’s sleeping when I walk in, so I strip out of my clothes and climb into bed behind her. I nuzzle the back of her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. Fuck, I can’t get enough of her. She’s stopped bleeding, but we haven’t had sex since she miscarried. She told me she’s not sure if she wants to try again so soon, and I’m leaving it up to her, so I bought a box of condoms for when she’s ready.

  “Mmm… Chase?” she moans sleepily.

  “Who else would it be?” I tighten my hold on her hip. “There better not be another man in this bed.” It’s meant as a joke, but because of my past, it falls flat.

  Georgia turns over, framing my face with her delicate hands. “It will only ever be you in this bed,” she says, not missing a beat.

  I kiss her softly, reveling in how soft her lips are, and my hand skims down her waist, landing on her pert ass. “I missed you.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Six”

  Her eyes light up. “We have a couple hours…” She presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Make love to me, Chase.”

  She sure as hell doesn’t have to tell me twice. I waste no time removing our clothes and getting lost in her. We make love, not once, but twice. I could live inside my wife, and if it wasn’t for our daughter waking up at eight o’clock on the dot and demanding breakfast, I probably would.

  Georgia

  “I have freshman orientation this morning. Could we meet up at the park afterward?” Victoria asks. We had agreed on Tuesday mornings at nine o’clock, and the last two weeks, she’s shown up on time. She mentioned, depending on her school schedule, she might need to switch the days or times, so I’m not surprised when she mentions it.

  “Sure, what time?”

  “I should be done by one.”

  “It’ll be hot. Why don’t we meet at A Cup of Fun?” It’s an indoor playground for kids between the ages of six months and six years old. Hazel loves it and when we’re there and it’s time to go home, she’ll even throw a fit that she doesn’t want to leave.

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  We hang up and I text Lexi, asking if she wants to meet us there. She’s been dying to meet Victoria, so this would be the perfect time. Plus, it’ll be on neutral territory, in case my sister gets protective of me and her niece. She o
f course says she’ll be there.

  After Hazel’s nap, we head out. The place has a café, so we’ll get lunch there. After we arrive, get checked in, and put our socks on, Hazel takes off to the in-ground trampoline.

  A few minutes later, Lexi and Abigail show up, and the girls squeal in delight, holding hands and jumping together. They’re so cute together. I hope they have the close relationship Lexi and I have.

  Lexi and I are taking pictures of the girls jumping when Victoria saunters through the doors.

  “That’s her,” I mention quietly to Lexi, who glances around. I can tell when she figures out who she is because her lips quirk into a grimace.

  “Did she not get the memo that this is a kids’ playground?”

  I look at Victoria again, noting her outfit. Unlike the last couple times we’ve met up and she was dressed in jeans and a simple top, today she’s sporting a skintight minidress and heels.

  “She just came from freshman orientation.”

  “Looks like she came from a strip club.”

  I cough to cover my laughter. “Be nice.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Hey!” Victoria says, super excited. “How are you?”

  “Good. How was orientation?”

  “I actually didn’t end up going.” Her face lights up. “I applied for my dream job, at LA Models, and they called me in for an interview.”

  “Wow, how did it go?” Chase doesn’t talk a lot about her, but he did mention she used to model. I’m not sure why she quit, but that’s good she’s finding her passion.

  “I got the job!” she shrieks.

  “Congratulations!”

  “Thank you.” She finds Hazel, who has moved on to the pretend kitchen. “Can I go play with her?”

  “Of course.” When she walks away, Lexi eyes me. “What?”

  “A model? I give her a month before she’s back to snorting blow.”

  “What?” I gasp, whipping my head around. “Lexi!”

  She shrugs. “Everyone knows most of the models in LA do drugs.”

  “Don’t stereotype. It’s rude.”

  “Whatever.”

  We spend the next couple hours at A Cup of Fun. The entire time I watch Victoria closely, Lexi’s comment stuck in my head, but aside from her outfit being different, she’s the same woman she’s been the last couple weeks. She plays with Hazel with kindness and patience. We make small talk and, when the girls are wiped out and ready for their afternoon naps, head out, agreeing to discuss when to meet up next. With her new job, she has to see what her schedule will be like.

  While Hazel naps, I do something I haven’t done in a while—cook for the guys. After she wakes up, we drive over to the station to surprise Chase. The guys are all outside, sans shirts, washing down the trucks. They’re all built and toned, and with the music blaring, they look like they’re in the middle of a music video.

  My eyes home in on Chase, who’s glistening with sweat and water, and my lady parts tingle in anticipation. Since my period showed up a few days ago, we haven’t had sex, but it’s over now, and I’m most definitely going to be jumping him the first minute we’re alone.

  “Dada!” Hazel yells, getting his attention. His face lights up, and he drops the rag he was holding into the bucket and bends at his knees, scooping her up into his arms. It’s the most beautiful sight, and I quickly snap a picture of them before grabbing the food in the containers and walking over.

  “This is a surprise,” he says, leaning over and kissing me.

  “We brought food.” I lift the containers and the guys all cheer.

  “You’re amazing,” he murmurs into my ear, kissing the sensitive spot just underneath. Chills shoot through my body, making me visibly tremble. Chase notices and chuckles.

  “I think we need a date night soon,” he says, waggling his brows.

  “Maybe Lexi and Alec can keep Hazel for a sleepover.”

  His eyes darken with lust. “Hell yes.”

  I giggle, shaking my head. “Watch your language.”

  We eat dinner with the guys, all of them fawning over Hazel the entire time, and then head to the backyard so she can play on the swing set for a little while.

  “How was your day?” Chase asks.

  “Good. Met Lexi and Victoria at A Cup of Fun.” Knowing he hates to talk about Victoria, I don’t get into the specifics.

  He nods. “She doing okay?”

  I’m assuming he’s referring to Victoria. “Yeah.”

  He nods again, then walks over to Hazel to catch her coming down the slide. While he plays with her, I shoot Lexi a text, asking if she can keep Hazel tomorrow night, promising to keep Abigail one night. She texts back she’d love to and to bring Hazel over any time in the afternoon.

  While I watch Chase and Hazel run around the yard, laughing and playing, I think about what it would be like to have another little one running around. Lexi and I were close growing up. We’re close with Max too, but because he’s several years younger, it’s a little different. While Hazel has Abigail and they’re close in age, I would love for her to have her own brother or sister that she’s close in age with. I’m scared of losing another baby, but the one thing Chase has taught me is not to live in fear.

  “What’s going through your head?” Chase asks, startling me. I didn’t realize he and Hazel were standing in front of me.

  “I want to try again.”

  His eyes go wide, then his gaze drops down to my belly. “Really?”

  “Do you?” He said it was up to me, but he lost a baby too.

  “I would love to, as long as you’re good with it.”

  “I am.” I kiss him. “And I think we should start tomorrow night.”

  Victoria: Can I see Hazel?

  I stare at my phone. We agreed once a week, and she just saw her yesterday. I glance at the time. Chase is due home soon.

  Me: I can’t today. Sorry.

  Victoria: Tomorrow?

  Me: We agreed once a week… You saw her yesterday.

  Victoria: I’m sorry. I have to work next Tuesday. I was hoping to see her before then.

  I sigh, hating the position she’s putting me in. Just as I’m about to respond, Chase texts me.

  Chase: Running late. I’ll be home around five with dinner.

  Me: Okay, I’ll drop Hazel off with Lexi and meet you at home.

  Chase: Sounds perfect.

  I switch back to my chat with Victoria. The bubbles show she’s typing and a second later a text comes through.

  Victoria: Please. I really miss her.

  Because I hate confrontation, I give in.

  Me: Okay, you can come over this morning.

  Victoria: Thank you!

  There’s a knock on the door while I’m in the middle of feeding Hazel, so I get up and answer it. When I swing open the door, Victoria saunters in wearing another skimpy minidress and heels. Her hair is done, but it looks messy, like it’s from last night. And her makeup is a bit smudged.

  She’s holding a small wrapped gift in her hand. “Morning!” she chirps a bit too loudly.

  “Morning.” I want to ask her if she slept in that outfit but bite my tongue.

  She walks past me and straight to Hazel. “Good morning, sweet girl,” she coos. “Did you miss Mommy?”

  I’m stunned by her words but quickly recover. “Victoria…”

  “Oops! Sorry.” She bats her eyelashes at me. “It was out of habit.” When her eyes meet mine, I notice they’re glassy. My hackles rise. Something is wrong.

  She sets the box down and lifts Hazel out of her highchair. “I got you a gift.” She kisses her cheek then sets her down on the floor, handing her the box.

  Hazel excitedly tears at the wrapping paper. She doesn’t really know what a gift is, but she loves ripping paper apart. Losing patience, Victoria helps her rip the paper, until the box underneath is exposed.

  She opens the box and inside is a… pacifier?

  “This is from Tiffany’s,” she
notes. “A platinum pacifier for my baby girl.”

  What the hell… “She doesn’t use a pacifier,” I point out, confused.

  Victoria’s gaze swings over to me, and for a second it looks like she was about to glare at me, but she quickly reins it in. “She did when she was with me.”

  I don’t like her tone… at all. “That may be so, but she didn’t have one when we got her, so we never gave her one.”

  She scoffs. “What are you saying? That you’re a better parent than me?”

  I flinch at how crazy she’s acting. “Are you okay?”

  She stands. “Of course I’m okay. And the last time I checked, you aren’t my mother or my babysitter.”

  “No, but I am Hazel’s mother, and I’m going to need you to leave.”

  Her face falls. “You said I could come over.”

  “And now I’m saying you need to leave.”

  I pull my phone out, ready to call the police, but thankfully, she does as I ask and walks to the door.

  “I don’t know what your problem is this morning, if you’re jealous over my gift to Hazel, but I suggest you pull the stick out of your ass. I imagine it’s painful.”

  And with those parting words, she walks out the door, leaving me gaping in shock. Who the hell is that woman?

  Not wanting to upset Chase while he’s at work, I lock the door and go about my day. I’ll speak to him tonight when he gets home. Of course it’ll probably ruin our night, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

  Hazel and I spend the day playing inside. I don’t know what’s going on with Victoria and the way she was acting has me all sorts of nervous. When two o’clock rolls around, Lexi sends me a text that she’s going over to our parents’ and will pick up Hazel on her way.