by Erika Kelly
“That…I know you’re not doing that. It hadn’t even occurred to me.”
“This whole thing feels surreal. I can’t even believe it’s happening.”
“I know. I…” He shrugged. “I’m…in shock.”
“I’m sure. I probably could have found a better way to tell you.”
“I don’t think there is a better way.”
“I should go. I’ll be waiting for you at the shop. The lab will post the results online, so you can see it from anywhere in the world.”
She’d obviously looked into it. “Okay.” He had so much to say to her. Most importantly, Thank you, for handling this all on your own. But he’d wait for the test results. Wait until it sank in.
Still, she stood there, their gazes locked, a thousand unspoken words passing between them.
It was like a net of memories had dropped over them, connecting them in a shared experience that suddenly brought it all back to life.
“Right. I’m…” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Going.”
His pulse quickened, perspiration beading over his lip. What if she wasn’t at the shop when he dropped off the test? He might not see her again. Tomorrow, he’d get on a plane, leaving nothing but his DNA behind. In a few days, he’d read the results from a hotel room across the world. And he didn’t want to do that.
Jesus, how the hell could he leave without… “Can I meet her?” The idea sent a shockwave between them.
She looked like he’d issued a threat. When she glanced over his shoulder, he knew she was thinking about Willow’s hostility. “I can come alone, if that’s what you want.”
“She’s your future wife. Whatever involvement you might have will include her, so it’s fine if she comes. But I’m telling you right now, Posie’s five. She’s sweet and innocent, and I can’t have you looking at her with any kind of suspicion or mistrust. It has to be nothing more than me running into some friends, okay?”
“I understand.”
“How about this? After dinner, I’ll bring her to the resort’s indoor pool. Say seven o’clock? If you decide you don’t want to meet her, no harm no foul. You can walk away with no consequences.”
“That sounds good.” Actually, it sounded terrifying.
He’d jumped out of airplanes and snowboarded on uncharted terrain. He’d swum with sharks.
And nothing frightened him more than meeting a five-year-old.
In her shimmery one-piece swimsuit, Posie stood on the side of the pool, fists clenched, her bare little feet stomping in a puddle of water. “Catch me, Mommy.”
“You know I will.” Coco figured most of the guests had taken advantage of the outdoor pool, because only a couple of families played around them.
The door opened, and a group of teenagers burst in. Loud and reckless, they dropped their skateboards and made a tour around the big room. The sound was deafening.
Since Coco had carved out a safe little corner in the shallow end for her daughter, she was wary but not concerned about them. “I’m right here.” She stood in hip-deep water, flicking her fingers. “Come on. Jump.”
Posie tugged on the tulle sewn around her waist. Store-bought swimsuits were too plain, so Coco had added frills to get her daughter to wear one. The girl was all fairy clothes, all the time.
Coco’s arms grew tired of reaching up. “Jump, sweet pea.”
Smiling with glee, Posie chanted, “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.”
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll do some laps then.”
“No, Mommy. I’ll do it. Stay right there.”
“All right. I’ll count to three, and on three you’ll jump. Ready?”
Posie clutched the tulle. “One second.” She looked up to the ceiling and whispered to herself. “Okay, Mommy. I’m ready now.”
“One…two…three!” Coco called.
Her daughter stared down into the pool, before lifting both arms in the air and taking that daring leap of faith. Coco caught her, careful not to let her face go under the water. Still, droplets collected on her eyelashes, and she looked stunned, as she adjusted to be being wet and cold.
“You okay?”
Posie nodded, before pushing out of Coco’s arms and paddling around like a puppy dog. Coco heard a shriek and turned just in time to see one of the teenagers grabbing his friend fireman-style and hurling him into the water. Hollering, the others cannonballed into the pool, creating a series of waves that crashed over Posie’s face, causing the little girl to swallow water and flail.
Coco lunged, but before she could get to her, a man jumped in and lifted Posie into his arms. The sight of big, muscular Beckett holding her little girl—the pink nail polish against his tan skin—hit her hard.
With a threatening look at the teenagers, he said, “Watch it.”
For one moment, their smiles froze and fear flashed in their eyes. Then, they swam off to the deep end.
“Mommy.” Posie lunged for her, and Coco pulled her close. Those little arms banded around her shoulders, and her daughter tucked her face into Coco’s neck. “My eyes sting. It hurts.”
“Hand me that.” Beckett flicked his fingers, and Willow tossed him a hotel towel. Keeping it above the water, he brought it over to them. Gently, he patted Posie’s face dry.
Coco caught the moment when father and daughter looked into each other’s eyes. Beckett’s jaw went slack. It was like he’d seen a ghost.
“Who are you?” Posie asked in her sweet, little girl voice.
The normally easy-going, confident man stood there, awkward, uncomfortable. He swallowed, making a visible effort to get a hold of himself. “I’m Beckett. I’m…a friend of your mom’s. Are you okay?”
Posie gave an exaggerated nod, like the little drama queen she was.
“Can you say thank you to Beckett?” Coco said.
Her little girl turned big, mournful eyes to the man who’d saved her. “Thank you.” She stabbed a finger towards the deep end. “Those boys are mean.”
“I don’t think they meant to hurt you,” Beckett said. “They were just having fun.”
“That wasn’t fun.” Posie’s tone held accusation.
“No, I didn’t mean…” Beckett looked helpless and out of his element. “I meant they weren’t paying attention.”
Coco jumped in to save him. Kissing her daughter’s arm, she said, “You want to get out or stay in the water?”
“I’m getting out.”
“All right then.” As she walked to the stairs, Beckett launched forward, his broad back and shoulders gleaming, his strong arms carving into the water. He hoisted himself out, droplets coursing down his muscular body. His board shorts clung to him like plastic wrap, outlining a hard, round ass.
A memory struck of her hands clutching those hard globes, as he thrust furiously. A tremor rocked through her, and she forced herself to look away.
She’d never forgotten how hot that night had been, how passionate he was. Their sex had been so desperate, urgent…so deeply satisfying. She went hot and flustered and had to look away.
The moment Posie’s feet hit the concrete, she dashed off to the two loungers that held their towels and tote bag. “Mommy, I want to play now.” She dug into the blue and white striped bag, pulled out her fairy dolls, and headed for the kiddie pool.
“I’ll be right there.” Coco reached for a towel, dabbing the moisture off her face. Laughter had her turning to find Willow, so slender and tall in her string bikini, clasping her hands around Beckett’s neck. Where she was loose and easy, Beckett stood rigid.
This is really hard for him.
Compassion softened her. She couldn’t imagine finding out she had a child in the world she hadn’t known about. Willow was either trying to lighten him up or she was just completely clueless, but his body language screamed, Back off.
And then the woman glanced her way, and Coco grew instantly self-conscious. Her tummy had a little pooch and her thighs had never been toned—not like that. She reached fo
r her cover-up, but before she could lift it over her head, she grew annoyed with herself.
I had a baby, and my body changed.
Screw it. She cast it aside.
And, really, what did she care what Beckett and his fiancée thought of her body? She strode to the kiddie pool and plopped down, not even bothering to suck in her stomach.
It is what it is.
Though, just to say, I sure wish I’d worn the one-piece.
Her feet covered in tepid water up to her ankles, she watched Beckett rub a towel over his hair, while engaging in a heated conversation with Willow.
Why had he jumped into the water like that? Posie might’ve gotten splashed, but it hadn’t been that big of a deal. He’d been so angry and protective.
And she’d liked it. Liked seeing her daughter in the shelter of his arms. Every child needed a father.
God, she has one.
Posie actually had a dad. Her eyes stung, and she blinked back unwanted tears.
Hers had done such a great job of making all four of his daughters feel like his special little girl. There hadn’t been a single moment in her life when she’d questioned whether he’d be there for her. And it had always killed her that Posie wouldn’t have that. Sure, she had her grandpa, but it wasn’t the same thing. She’d thought Ethan could be that…and then he’d left.
What would happen with Beckett, though? Would he want to be Posie’s dad—or would he get on a plane in the morning and never look back?
He caught her staring, and she thought she saw a plea in his eyes. He looked shaken, like, What do I do? What the hell do I do? She couldn’t imagine what this experience must be like for him, but she appreciated that he was here, trying. He could’ve dropped off the test kit and gone back to his hotel.
She gave him a warm smile and patted the ground next to her.
Dropping the towel, he made his way over, Willow following.
“Well, hey.” The redhead used a voice meant for cute little purse-dogs. “Can we join you guys?”
Posie barely spared her a glance, but she did do a double take on the man who’d defended her against the mean teenagers.
“Sure,” Coco said.
The couple settled down beside her, Beckett between the two women. Willow glanced down at her toes—the nails painted yellow with black dots. “I’m sorry if I came off too aggressive this afternoon. This whole thing has really thrown me.”
Coco appreciated the apology. “It’s pretty big news.”
“Understatement of the year.” The woman had a big, throaty laugh.
“When did you find out you were pregnant?” Beckett spoke quietly, so Posie couldn’t hear.
But he didn’t have to worry. That girl was completely lost in her fantasy world. Holding a doll in each hand, she skimmed them over the surface of the water. “Look, Mommy. They’re flying.”
“They sure are.” Smiling as Posie walked around the pool, making her dolls dip and glide, Coco turned back to the adults. “I don’t know if you remember, but I—”
“You’d graduated college in May, your boyfriend had ghosted you, and you didn’t know whether to start the daycare business on your own or do something different.”
More than a little surprised he’d remembered so much, she automatically checked Willow’s reaction—and saw the sharp flinch of hurt.
Well, Willow might not appreciate how much he remembered about a one-night stand, but Coco very much did. They’d created a child together, so it mattered that they’d had a memorable connection.
Because one day she’d have to explain it to her daughter.
“Exactly. So, I remembered what you’d said, about shaking things up. And I did just that. I took some of my savings and went off to Europe for my big adventure. I didn’t really notice anything at first. It wasn’t until the second month that I got worried.” She would never forget waiting in the bathroom of the studio apartment she’d rented in Paris. She’d wanted to crawl out of her skin, the anxiety was so intense.
And then to see that blue line?
God. Her world had crashed and burned. She’d had no idea what to do.
“So much for your wild adventure,” Willow said.
Why did everything out of this woman’s mouth make Coco bristle? “Oh, no, I had it. I’d only planned on staying in Europe for a month, but I wound up taking a chocolate class. I loved it so much I took another in Belgium and a third in Switzerland.”
Beckett’s eyebrows shot up, impressed.
“So, I not only got to live in Europe for seven months, but I discovered a business I was really excited about.”
“Well, you’ve got a great attitude about everything,” Willow said. “I’ll give you that.”
Coco wanted to snap back, I don’t need anything from you. But she kept her attention on Beckett. Willow’s opinion meant nothing. “I know I already said this, but I really did try to find you. There were a lot of sleepless nights after she was born, and I spent them searching the hell out of Becks.” She lowered her voice even more. “I remember you said you’d just come back from Portugal, so I guess I was fixated on surfing. I also remembered your friend Jimmy. Did I remember that right? The guy who’d never been to Vegas before?”
“Yeah, that’s right. He was a snowboarder like me.”
“Do I know him?” Willow asked.
“Yeah. Jimmy Wolfe.”
“Oh, that’s the guy who wanted to get in on your business so bad but couldn’t afford the buy-in.” Willow said.
Coco really wasn’t liking this woman very much. “Well, I better get her home. She’s got school tomorrow.”
“Is it year-round?” Beckett asked.
“It’s preschool, but with a daycare schedule, which is why I chose it. It’s great for working parents.” Watching her daughter, warmth and affection rushed in. These two would go off on their exotic adventure tomorrow, but she got to be Posie’s mom. She got to give her a bath and read her stories and whisper, Sweet dreams. She got to make her breakfast and listen to her make up wild stories for her dolls in her car seat.
I love my life. She got up, no longer even slightly self-conscious about her body. “I got both your numbers from Diane, so I’ll send you the log-in information as soon as the results are in.” She grabbed the two dolls sitting on the top steps. “Come on, sweetie. Time to get home.”
“I’m not ready, Mommy.”
“You can go swimming with Grandpa tomorrow.”
“No, Mommy. We’re having a tea party, remember? You said.”
“I do remember, and I’ve got all the ingredients to make cookies. But I’m talking about tomorrow night. We can have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and go for a swim afterwards. But right now, we have to go.”
“Not yet.”
She heard a chuckle and glanced back to see Willow giving a Beckett a look that said, Thank God that’s not us. Coco tried to ignore her, but she felt the couple’s attention spreading over her like a rash. “Posie, if you want to do fun things like we did tonight, then I need to know I can count on you to listen when I say it’s time to go home. Do you understand what I’m telling you? If you make it difficult, then I’m going to be much less inclined to come up with these fun ideas.”
In a crouch, Posie stared at her dolls, their hair floating like masses of seaweed under the water. “Okay, Mommy. I’ll go home now. Can I play in the bathtub?”
“Of course.” Relieved that she’d managed to bypass a scene, she stepped out of the water.
Beckett stood, too, looking a little panicked. “So, I guess—” His jaw snapped shut.
This is it. He’d met his daughter, and he didn’t seem to know what to do next.
But it wasn’t something he could figure out in one day. Still, she could see he needed something. “If you’d like, I can set up a private Splashagram page, and I can post pictures of her there. You can watch her grow up.”
Something flashed in his eyes—fear? It passed too quickly for her to discern. “
Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Come on, lovely.” Coco headed back to the lounger and grabbed the beach towel. Posie walked right into her arms, and Coco folded the soft cotton around her. “Did you have fun?”
“Why did that man jump in the pool?” She twisted around to look at Beckett.
“Because he didn’t like the way those kids splashed you like that.”
Her daughter watched him slip his feet into black flip-flops. “I like him, Mommy.”
“Yes, he’s a nice man.”
Beckett joined them, leaning over, hands on his knees, so he was eye level with Posie. “Well, I guess I have to say goodbye.”
There was no mistaking the conflict in his eyes. And she got it. She did. Because Posie didn’t know it, but she was talking to her father. It seemed so wrong not to tell her. She needs a dad.
She deserves one.
“I’m glad I got to meet you.” Beckett held out his fist. “Take care of yourself.”
Posie bumped it. “Do you want to come to my tea party tomorrow?”
Beckett looked stricken. His mouth opened and then quickly snapped closed. He didn’t speak for a moment that went on so long, Coco couldn’t bear the tension.
Just when she was about to say something, she remembered.
That look on his face? Like he’d seen a ghost? He had.
He’d lost his sister. Oh, God. She’d been young when she died.
Six. And Beckett had been twelve.
Posie must remind him of her.
How awful.
The man was dealing with layer upon layer of complicated emotions.
Willow set a hand on Beckett’s shoulder. “Babe, let’s go. We’ve got to get up at four-thirty.”
Beckett rose to his full height. She didn’t think it was intentional, but it sure looked like he was telling her to back off. “Thanks for inviting me, Posie. I can’t go to the tea party tomorrow, but next time I’m in town, I hope you’ll invite me again, because I’d really like to go.” He reached out a hand, as though he might touch her, but froze before letting his arm fall to his side. “I’m glad I got to meet you.” He hesitated a moment longer, and then headed back to the table that held their belongings.