Fake-Dating The Single Dad (Gems 0f Love Book 3)

by Agnes Canestri

  The judge appeared at unease. She coughed shortly and flicked her glance to the documents in front of her. “Oh, yes, Ms. Leefoy, you’re quite right. That would also be my usual line of thinking. However, when a mother willingly abandons her child and doesn’t seek him out or provide support to him for years then—”

  Heather thumped her palm on the table. “I thought we’d been through this already. I had a difficult period trying to get my breakthrough in Hollywood.”

  Nick stifled a snort. Here they were again, Heather trying to make everyone believe she was a caring mother and who didn’t neglect her maternal responsibilities ever since their son was born.

  She never even wanted Jacob. She didn’t know a thing about him. She just wanted her revenge and the money that Nick would pay her for child support.

  Heather shot Nick an angry look. She must know he could see through her.

  Benny, Heather’s husband number five, massaged his wife’s shoulders. “Heather honey, you’ve done well for yourself. No one would dare to question that.” He raised his bulldog gaze and let it wander around the others. His upper lip bent back as if he were ready to bite whoever would contradict him.

  Well, he sure must be smitten with Heather. Good for him. And for her. They could keep each other happy as far as Nick was concerned. But they needed to abandon the idea of taking Jacob away from him.

  His thighs contracted, and his left foot gave an involuntarily kick. Luckily, it didn’t reach anyone.

  Ginny lowered a hand onto his knee. She brushed her cheek against his neck, whispering, “Don’t lose hope. It’ll work out.”

  Her gesture was comforting and helped him unwind almost instantly. His muscles relaxed, and he exhaled deeply. He was so glad not to face this situation alone but with Ginny at his side.

  Ginny smiled at Judge Martha. “You might know that the way Nick and I met was because I worked in his house as a nanny. I’ve spent and still spend most of my days with Jacob. He’s the most adorable creature I’ve ever known. I come from a family with many kids, so I know how important it is for a child to be surrounded by people that love him.”

  Judge Martha’s face lit up, and her head bobbed back and forth with enthusiasm.

  Andrew lifted a few documents and passed them along on the table. “These are proofs of the various communications between my client and his ex-wife. In none of them, I repeat in none, did Ms. Leefoy inquire about the well-being of her son, nor asked to be able to visit him, and so on. As you'll be able to establish, each one is either a request for money or a notice about a new marriage arrangement Ms. Leefoy was planning, for which she needed some official papers from my client.”

  Heather’s eyes grew wide, and she tapped her lawyer’s hand. “You show something, too.”

  The woman with a mousy brown bob adjusted her glasses and thumbed through the papers in front of her. Then she blinked at Heather. “And what would you recommend I show? There’s nothing among these sheets to contradict what my colleague, Mr. Hansen, has pointed out.”

  The woman threw a small smile at Ginny as if to show that she wasn’t entirely on her client’s side.

  Judge Martha read through the pages she’d received from Andrew in silence, her forehead creased in deep wrinkles.

  Nick took Ginny’s hand, still resting on his knee, and squeezed it. He needed to feel her soft skin and that unique sensation of shelter that her touch had given him in the past.

  She blinked at him, and as their gazes met, something in Nick’s soul clicked.

  It was a tiny, almost invisible shift. Comparable to someone taking off the wrong prescription glasses. It was as if he was seeing Ginny clearly for the very first time.

  Of course she looked just like she had these past few weeks, with the same straight nose, long lashes, deep blue eyes and dark cascade of hair. It wasn’t her exterior that had changed.

  No, it was the lens through which Nick was peering. Till now, it’d been that of the past. Determined by his ex-wife and the heartache she’d put him through. He had let this sorrow envelop his soul and suffocate it so long that he actually believed it was a part of him. That the possibility of losing someone again was worse than the pain of not letting anyone touch his heart.

  What a complete idiot he had been.

  Color spread across Ginny’s cheeks, and she turned away.

  Judge Martha finished the last paper and glanced up. She cleared her throat and nodded. “I must say, the evidence Mr. Hansen presents today, together with meeting Miss Biagi is turning my opinion in the question of young Jacob’s custody. Our social worker has found the young boy to be very content with the arrangement he’s living in, and I imagine his joy is multiplied now that his father is in a happy relationship. If no new and substantial information reaches me before our final meeting, I’m inclined to conclude our case refusing Ms. Leefoy’s request for full custody.”

  Judge Martha stood, and everybody in the room followed her example.

  “I wish you all a good day and I will see you at the final meeting.” With that, the judge left the room.

  Andrew tapped Nick’s shoulder. “We did it, man. We did it.”

  Elation welled up in Nick’s heart. They had won. Well, almost. The final hearing was still to take place, but Judge Martha had already ruled in their favor.

  It was all thanks to Ginny. He hauled her close, and when she turned to him smiling, he bent down and kissed her without hesitation.

  There was no point in trying to hide his emotions anymore. His heart was beating for Ginny, and he felt light on his feet about this new discovery.

  Ginny’s lips were first rigid under his eager mouth, but then they relaxed and responded to him. She cupped his face gently, and he entwined his fingers behind her waist. His chest hammered, and excitement suffused his being. He couldn’t wait to be alone with Ginny and confess his feelings for her.

  How would she respond? Would she accept to try and see whether their fake relationship could turn into something real? Her warm breath and soft strokes suggested that she might listen.

  Of course, it all could be part of the show he’d asked her to put on, but he sincerely hoped it wasn’t.

  A rustling noise of a throat being cleared sounded behind their backs and Ginny withdrew from him immediately.

  Heather stood there, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrow. “I’m glad you two seem overjoyed about me losing my only son.”

  Ginny’s face moved into a concerned frown. “I’m sure you can get visitor arrangements if you and Nick—”

  Heather’s mouth pulled into a grimace. “I don’t want visitor arrangements. Nick and I have nothing—” She paused, and her eyes darted to Benny, who stood beside her like a loyal watchdog. A weird gleam appeared in her eyes. Almost a demonic sparkle. Then it disappeared as soon as it came, and a sad expression smoothed her previous angry sneer. “Benny, honey, would you mind keeping Ginny company while I speak to Nick alone? There’s something I can only tell him privately.”

  Nick’s throat swelled. What could Heather want from him?

  Benny nodded, a jovial grin spreading on his lips. “As you wish, honey-pie.” He turned to Ginny. “Shall we go and look at the statue in the entrance hall while these two finish their business?”

  Ginny’s face paled, and her eyes bounced between Nick and Benny, but then she said, “Sure.” She walked out, following Heather’s husband.

  Andrew and the other lawyer were still chatting about a case unrelated to Nick’s.

  Heather pointed at them with her thumb. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

  She put her hand on his back, pushing him toward the corridor. Her touch was unpleasant and her breath too close to his neck for his liking. It was hard to recall that there was a moment in his life when he’d have done pretty much anything for this woman.

  Heather guided him toward a darker part of the corridor, then positioned herself in front of him. “Sooo…”

  Her voice was more velvety
than before, and she thrust her chest forward so that her blouse offered sight of her generous cleavage.

  Nick’s thoughts were still with Ginny. He wanted to drive her home as soon as possible. He didn’t want to make his speech in the car, and even less in this intimidating building.

  No, what he needed was a nice dinner. He was sure that if he asked Marcia to help out, she’d conjure a feast worthy of a Michelin Star restaurant, especially if she caught wind of what her boss planned.

  A tickling sensation on his neck woke him from his thoughts.

  Heather was standing only an inch from him, running her fingers along his jawline.

  He jerked and took a step back. “Heather, what’s the matter with you? What do you want?”

  Heather batted her lashes and pulled her mouth into a sensual pout. “Isn’t it clear, my dear?”

  Nick shook his head, though he realized immediately what Heather’s game was. “No, it isn’t for me. Does your husband know why you asked to speak to me in private?”

  If his intention was to awaken guilt in her, he failed miserably.

  Heather threw back her head, letting out a lyrical laugh. “Oh, Benny? You know I don’t care for him. He’s my safety blanket till you come to your senses and realize what you’ve missed out on.” Her face grew more serious, and she moved closer to Nick, grabbing his elbow with one hand. “I thought that this threat about Jacob’s custody would open your eyes that you can’t do this alone and you need me. But, instead, you bring this little nanny around…” Her lips twitched as if the last words made her feel like puking.

  Nick’s nostrils flared. “Don’t you dare to talk about Ginny like this.”

  Heather clicked with her tongue. “Ah, that’s her name? I can’t honestly fathom how you could fall for her charms. She’s a gold digger, that’s what she is. Even Benny told me so.”

  “Oh, if Benny told you so, then it must be true. He must be an expert on the subject, given that he married one.”

  The mean words coming out of his own mouth surprised him. He didn’t like offending Heather even after what she’d done to him and Jacob. But the way she spoke about Ginny made his blood boil.

  Heather’s other hand moved up to Nick’s face. “Nickie, don’t you remember how good we used to be together? Do you remember the day Jacob came into this world, and you first held him in your arms? We have a son together, for heaven’s sake.”

  Nick’s jaw steeled.

  It was low, even for Heather, to bring Jacob into this. And that first moment of their family together? The nurse brought baby Jacob in, but Heather had refused to put him on her breasts or even rock him, claiming that she was tired. The whole first week she was in the hospital, it was Nick who cared for their boy, just like he had done ever since.

  Heather took his silence as interest in her arguments, because she pressed her body against his, raising herself onto her tiptoes. Before Nick realized what she was doing, her coral-painted lips landed on his, pressing down with the force of a bulldozer.

  “Oh, Nick,” she moaned, “I’ve missed your lips.”

  Nick froze. He needed a moment to gather his wits. But when he did, he clasped Heather’s arm, shoving her away from him with a firm gesture.

  Heather was still pursing her lips when she opened her eyes. They narrowed into two lines, and the crow’s feet around her eyes showed that her doctor had missed a few spots with her injections. “What’s your problem? We’re Jacob’s parents. Me and you, not that Giggy.“

  “Ginny,” Nick murmured.

  Heather waved with her hand. “Who cares? She’s a nobody.”

  Nick shook his head. “No, not to me, and not to Jacob. She gives Jacob more love than you ever did or could. You don’t care about your son, or about me. You just want to come back, because I became rich and famous. Admit it at least.”

  Heather’s lips moved into a disparaging smirk. “Of course I do. When we were together, you were a boring employee in some techie firm, and now that we’ve gone separate ways, you turn into this hot celebrity and date our son’s nanny?” Heather’s smile disappeared, and her lips curled down. “It’s not right. It’s not. It’s unfair.”

  Nick glanced at his ex-wife. Heather wasn’t evil, she was just an immature and spoiled woman. Pity flooded him, and it was a welcome sensation. It made him feel light and human.

  He didn’t need to be angry with Heather anymore. She’d given him Jacob, and because she left them, he had the chance to meet Ginny. It was all good the way it was.

  He patted Heather’s shoulder. “No, it isn’t, Heather. But life isn’t about having things handed to you without any effort, no matter what you deserve, but striving to achieve it. I’m sure that if you gave Benny a real chance, he’d be a great partner for you. He is wealthy, right?”

  Heather sniffed. “Yes, he is, and he adores me.”

  “You see? This is good. Go, build a connection with him. Once you’re both in a good place, maybe you could come to my place and have lunch with Jacob. What do you say?”

  Heather nodded. “Well, yes. It could be nice. Maybe I should focus on my husband for a change. My acting plans are stalling anyway.”

  Nick let his hand fall and turned toward the stairs. As much as he wanted Heather to feel better, he wished to speak to Ginny even more. “Shall we go and look for Benny and Ginny?”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  Heather and he walked down the stairs to the entrance hall. But by the marble statue, it was only Benny standing.

  Where had Ginny gone? Why didn’t she wait for him?

  A cold sensation gripped Nick’s belly. “Where’s Ginny?” he asked Heather’s husband.

  Benny shrugged. “Don’t know. She excused herself, disappeared, then came back. She said she had a call and needed to leave right away. She took a taxi. She asked me to tell you she would see you at home.”

  Nick’s neck relaxed. Maybe Jacob had called her.

  He said farewell to Heather and Benny and hurried to his cabriolet.

  The drink that Ginny’s sister proposed came to his mind, and he sighed. He’d need to wait with his dinner plans a day more. He couldn’t ruin Ginny’s family gathering with his revelation.

  But what was a day more when his heart was finally free to love?

  Chapter 23

  “Do you want some more?” Giada pushed her signature cupcakes toward Ginny.

  Ginny shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  She’d been feeling nauseous ever since she’d left the judge’s office. Ever since she saw Nick and Heather…

  Ginny’s tongue hardened, and a gagging reflex overcame her. She needed all her effort to push it down. She lifted her glass and took a sip.

  Okay, that was better. The cold water soothed her throat and her upset stomach. But it couldn’t wash away the memory of Nick embracing his ex.

  How could he do that?

  All this time, he’d made Ginny believe that he was done with women. That he rejected the idea of letting anyone near his heart because of Heather.

  And then what happened? Ginny helped him win Jacob’s custody, and he went and stabbed her in the back by smooching Heather in a shady corridor of the courtyard?

  The way he’d looked at Ginny during the hearing flashed through her mind, and her fingers clutched the glass she was holding.

  What a moron she’d been for hoping that his glance carried a deeper meaning. That his passionate kiss after the judge left could conceal even a grain of sincere emotion.

  Nick chuckled at something Bianca said. He looked more content and carefree than Ginny had ever seen. Was it the effect of the special arrangement he’d made with Heather? Were those two getting back together?

  Her sister tapped Ginny’s knee. “Hey, sweetheart, is everything okay? You’re so absorbed in your thoughts.”

  Ginny blinked into her amber eyes and the urge to confess everything to her bubbled up in her throat, but she managed to swallow it back in time. She couldn’t possibly
begin to narrate her heartache to her sister with Nick and Jacob around.

  Jacob. Where was Jacob?

  Ginny turned her head and caught sight of the boy riding on Giordano’s back as though her brother were a horse and the child a cowboy.

  “Faster, faster,” Jacob squeaked excitedly, and Giordano huffed like a capricious foal, faking to throw the kid off but then stopping at the last moment.

  Jacob laughed deep from his belly, tiny dimples appearing on his chubby cheeks.

  Ginny’s heart soared.

  How could she be so selfish? She was only thinking of herself, of her own emotions for Nick and the pain it would mean to abandon him and Jacob.

  But the most important thing was that the boy would possibly get a chance with his real mother. If Nick and Heather got together again, maybe they could mend things. Ginny shouldn’t stand in the way of that.

  Also, her anger at Nick was misplaced. He’d never promised her anything. His proposition had been clear. Ginny would pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for his endorsement to Riversmith.

  Why did the idea of the school feel so pointless to her? It had been her deepest desire to go and teach there.

  But not anymore. Now her heart was filled with all sorts of other yearnings—all impossible and hopeless.

  Ryan pulled Bianca closer while he glanced at Nick. “You know, from one self-made man to the other, I used to think that chasing my fortune was for a noble goal. I thought I was doing it for the people I loved. I only didn’t realize that, in my effort of doing so, I’d closed myself up completely.”

  Bianca caressed Ryan’s cheek. “Well, you just needed me to break this down to you.”

  Ryan gave a kiss on her cheek. “Yes, you and your quirky love of oldies.”

  She giggled, and the way Ryan and Bianca stared at each other pierced Ginny’s soul. She recalled a phone call with her cousin just after she’d started to work for Nick. Bianca had still been struggling to make Ryan see reason about her restaurant. And now, they were a happy couple.

  Her eyes wandered to Nick. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized he was watching her.