by Erika Kelly
She also had roots. Deep, meaningful ties to a community.
Something he’d never had. Nor particularly wanted.
All he knew was that he couldn’t plan a wedding with Willow, when he had strong feelings for someone else.
Tourists heading back to their hotels after a day in the park traveled southbound on Highway 191. Fortunately, the training center wasn’t far from Owl Hoot, so he turned off quickly, heading for his hotel.
Right at dinner time, Owl Hoot was vibrant with activity. Costumed actors strolled the elevated boardwalks, and tourists waited to get into the saloon for dinner.
But the action in town only accentuated the silence inside his car.
He’d never felt more alone. Two days ago, he’d belonged in Thailand with Willow. And now? He wanted to say he didn’t belong here in Calamity with Coco and Posie…and yet he felt the connection, the pull.
Nothing made sense.
A shuttle bus stopped in front of him, causing Beckett to hit the brake. Jogging around to the back, the driver gave him an apologetic wave, before swinging open the double doors and unloading backpacks. As soon as he set them down, the occupants snatched them up and headed into the resort.
Beckett drove around to the parking lot behind the hotel and pulled into a spot. But he couldn’t cut the engine. Couldn’t get out of the car. He couldn’t go to his room, order room service, set his alarm…and act like he didn’t have a daughter five miles down the road.
Any more than he could go through the motions of a Thai engagement ceremony.
I’m a Dad. I can’t go back to my life and pretend that Posie doesn’t exist.
I’m not a fun uncle, so sending her postcards from the road isn’t cool. That would be a douche move from a guy unwilling to change his life.
She’s a precious little girl and popping in and out of her life at random will fuck her up. Make her doubt herself.
And, frankly, it’ll fuck me up, too.
He either came up with a way to be in her life with some degree of consistency, or he stayed out of it.
Which meant he shouldn’t be around her until he made a decision.
He couldn’t get out of his next trip. The island had closed for monsoon season two weeks ago, but since the weather looked good, they’d granted him an opportunity for this private scuba diving experience.
I don’t want to get out of it.
Okay, so go to Thailand. Take a few days to figure it out. Then, he could come back to Calamity and talk to Coco. Tell her how he’d decided to handle the situation.
Excellent. Made perfect sense.
He thumbed the recent calls screen and scrolled until he found the airline.
But he stopped when he saw Coco’s name.
And texted her instead.
Making his way up the stone walkway to Coco’s home, Beckett found himself drawn to the yellow light in the windows.
Home. The concept kicked up a flurry of strange emotions for him. He’d always felt like an outsider, like a kid pressed up to the window looking in.
Standing on the porch, he hesitated.
You better be sure about this.
There’s no turning back.
He glanced at the quiet street, moonlight dousing the neighborhood in its milky glow. A block away, music from the live band playing in the town square traveled on a cool breeze, and the sky glittered with a spray of twinkling stars.
Images of Posie filled his mind, like photographs scattered on a table. That sly look she’d given him when asking him to put the peanut butter on her banana. The way she’d pressed a hand over her mouth to cover a giggle, her tiny fingernails painted a shimmering pink.
And that hand on his shoulder.
The memory sent warmth streaking through him.
There’s no other decision to make.
He knocked lightly, part of him hoping Coco wouldn’t answer. That was the part that didn’t want his life to change. The part that wanted to stay unencumbered.
That’s scared to death of having kids.
Because that’s what it comes down to.
I’m terrified of being responsible for the life of this little girl.
The porch light flicked on, and the curtain hitched up. Coco’s hand pressed to the glass. She smiled at him, soft, sweet.
And he knew. He fucking knew he’d made the right choice.
The door opened. Warmth spilled out. That pretty smile, the glow of lamplight surrounding her…an unnamed emotion pulsed through him.
He forced himself to speak. “Hey.”
“Everything all right?” She leaned against the frame. “Your text was pretty cryptic.”
Can I stop by? Yeah, maybe it was. “Everything’s fine.”
“Come on in.” She stepped aside, closing the door behind him.
They stood in the entryway, neither speaking. Without make-up, she looked younger, more innocent. Very girl-next-door. Fresh, clean…
Fuck, this woman undid him. He’d felt the same pull to her in Vegas as he did right then. “I’m staying.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“In town.”
“Oh. That’s….” She straightened, wrapping her arms across her chest.
“For the summer.” For the first time since finding out he had a child, he felt like himself again. The confusion had evaporated. He didn’t know how exactly, but he felt certain he didn’t have to choose between two completely different worlds. That he could find a way to be the same man, only with this new dimension added to his life. “I have to be in France on September first for a big event, but I’ll find someone to cover the others for me.”
“I thought this week’s dive was important.”
“It is.” And not just to me, but to my partners. “But Willow’s already there, so maybe she’ll do it for me.”
“Okay. What changed?”
“I need more time with you guys.”
“Do you want to…” She made a circling motion with her hand. “My tea’s getting cold.” She led him to the couch, sat down, and curled her legs under her. “Not to be rude, but I’m not going to offer you anything until I finish this.”
He smiled. “I don’t need anything, so no worries.” It only occurred to him then that he hadn’t eaten since the picnic she’d brought to the hot springs.
“It’s my nightly ritual. After I get her to bed, you don’t know how easy it is to get lost in work. There’s always a million things to do. But I realized early on that I needed to put breaks into my day.” She lifted her mug, closed her eyes, and breathed in a floral fragrance he could smell from a few feet away.
The sweep of her eyelashes against her pale skin was so…feminine. “That’s a good idea.”
She sipped. “I actually have a few breaks built into my day. In the morning, before I wake Posie up, I make coffee and, instead of looking at my phone, I sit quietly. If it’s nice out, I’ll sit on the porch. If it’s cold, I’ll just sit right here on the couch. Sometimes I’ll just listen to music, maybe read if I’m really into a book. In the middle of the day, I always take a lunch break. I like to go out with someone, because if I don’t make a point of it, weeks can go by without me interacting with anyone but my daughter.”
The way she was looking at him…it finally clicked. She was sending a message. “What’re you saying?”
“I’m not like you and your fiancée. I have a job and responsibilities. I took off yesterday to give you the chance to get to know Posie.”
Posie. Not “your daughter.”
“We didn’t really get into it, but in addition to running my business, I’ve got the chocolate festival coming up. It’s my baby—I’ve organized it, so I can’t screw up. I’m saying the foundation of my life is Posie. Then, there’s the business, the festival…I keep a lot of balls in motion, and I can’t afford to drop a single one.”
He shifted to the edge of the couch, a little ashamed of himself. This big decision he’d struggled to make—he’d made it all abou
t him. “Would you rather I not stay?”
She set the mug down. “That’s not what I’m saying. Please don’t think that. You’re welcome to stay in Calamity, and I promise I’ll include you in anything I can with Posie. She’s your daughter, and I want you to get to know her. But I need you to understand that we’re not free spirits. Kids need schedules and routines. Posie needs them or she gets grumpy and throws tantrums. I need them so I can accomplish everything I need to do in the course of the day.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
He grinned. “No. Not really.”
She picked up her mug and settled back in the cushions. “Were you imagining more days of picnics and hanging out?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t imagining anything. I just knew I couldn’t leave. Not yet.”
“I like that. I do. Just know that you’ll have a lot of time on your own. Posie’s at school for three hours a day—and you saw what it was like to get her to skip a day. I don’t know you well enough to let you pick her up and spend time alone with her. I hope you understand that.”
“Of course.” Alone with her? He hadn’t even considered it.
“Then, maybe hanging around to read her bedtime stories isn’t going to be reason enough to stay.”
“It’s enough.” He would take whatever he could get.
“What will you do with your time?”
A new energy started rolling in. “I’m going to be a guest coach at the Bowie training center. They invited me.” This is going to work.
“That’s great.” She drained her mug and got up. “Let me make you some tea.”
“No, tea. Thanks. You don’t need to do anything. I just came by to tell you I’m staying.” He got up. “We can talk tomorrow.”
“You obviously haven’t had dinner, so let me make you something.”
Why would she say that?
She laughed. “Either there’s a monster truck jam going on in your stomach or you’re hungry.”
He grinned. “I haven’t had anything since lunch. I could eat.”
“Well, come on. I’ve got leftovers for days.”
He followed her into the kitchen, watching the sway of her hips in those pink and white striped pajama shorts and the slope of her shoulders in a worn college T-shirt.
A dangerous attraction stirred to life, and he had to remind himself.
Nothing’s going to happen with Coco.
You’re here for Posie.
Opening the refrigerator, she scanned the contents. “There’s mac and cheese.” She turned to him with a question in her eyes.
With that dark hair framing her face in tousled waves, the long lashes and pouty lips, she made his heart thunder. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Her bare, smooth legs, the toenails painted magenta, reminded him how they’d felt in Vegas, when he’d skimmed his hands up her thighs and gripped the back of her knee.
He could feel it.
His cock sliding into that tight, wet heat.
Fuck. His body went white hot with desire.
He couldn’t go there, couldn’t reignite the attraction.
But that was the problem. It wasn’t just physical. Never had been. She was honest and warm and real…and he liked her. Liked being in her home.
Liked every damn thing about her.
She turned back. “How about roasted chicken? Posie loves chicken quesadillas.”
Don’t just stand here. Say something. “That sounds great. I’ll have one of those.”
“Perfect.” She pulled out a bag of tortillas and another of grated cheese, the storage container of chicken, some salsa and, when she reached in for something else, trying to shift everything in her arms, he darted over.
“Let me grab those.” Relieving her of the cheese and chicken, he set them on the counter.
“Where are you going to stay?” She turned on the oven.
“Haven’t even thought about it.” Brodie had comped the hotel room for two nights, but he knew the resort was booked for the rest of the summer season.
“I’m sure you could stay with the Bowies, but then you’d need to keep your rental car. That’ll add up. Actually, they probably have an extra car for you, too.”
“I think I’d rather stay in town. Closer to you two. I’ll check rentals.”
“Oh, I can tell you right now, you won’t find anything. The Economic Summit starts in a few weeks, and every business in the valley comes up with some kind of event or festival to take advantage of it. I’m having trouble finding accommodations, and I started organizing this event over a year ago.” She set a tortilla onto a baking sheet and sprinkled it with cheese. “Actually, I have a carriage house. I use it for storage, but it’s an actual house.” She stepped to the sink to wash her hands. “Here, why don’t you finish this while I make a quick call?”
As she reached for her phone, he stepped over to the counter and opened the container of chicken.
“Hey, Dad.” She went quiet, as she listened. “Oh, yeah, you settled her right down. Thank you for that. Hey, how’s your day looking tomorrow?” She broke out in an affectionate grin. “That’s really sweet. I love you, Dad. So, I’ve got a guest in town, and I’d like to put him up in the carriage house.” She cut a look to Beckett. “Not that kind of guest.” She rolled her eyes. “Very sure. He’s got a fiancée. But can you come over in the truck tomorrow and take all my boxes to your house?”
He pulled apart the chicken and set strips on top of the cheese.
“I’d love that, actually. A dresser, too, please. The only things in there are boxes of supplies for the shop.” She flicked a glance at Beckett. “He’s starting a job, but I’ll ask.” She lowered the phone away from her mouth. “Do you think you can be here around ten in the morning to help my dad take out the boxes and bring in a bed and dresser?”
“Absolutely.” Holy shit. This is happening.
I’m staying in Calamity.
Living in Coco’s house.
“Great.” She brought the phone back. “Yep, he’ll be here.” She paused, looking uncomfortable. “Actually, I need to talk to you before then. Do you think I can come over right now?” She listened. “Thanks, Dad. See you in fifteen minutes.” She disconnected and let out a breath. “I can’t have you meet my dad without letting him knowing who you are. That wouldn’t be right.”
“Makes sense.”
“Would you mind staying here for about an hour? Posie’s sleeping. She rarely wakes up, so you won’t have to do anything—”
“Don’t worry. I don’t mind, but should I be there when you do it? So they can meet me?”
“No. I can’t spring it on them with you there. They need a chance to react. But if it’s a problem, I can ask my neighbor. She and I watch each other’s kids like this all the time.”
“I don’t mind. I just didn’t want you to have to do it alone.”
“You’ll meet them soon enough. So, what about Willow? Is she going to be here with you? It’s a pretty small house. Maybe you should take a look at it and see if you’ll need something other than a bed and a dresser.”
“Uh, no. She won’t be coming.” But he couldn’t tell her the reason why before he talked to Willow.
She studied him for a moment. “This is hard enough for both of us….I can’t even imagine what it’s like for her. I don’t know what I’d do if I found out my fiancé had a child with another woman.”
“It’ll be fine.”
She watched him for a moment with an expression that said she knew he was full of shit, but since he wasn’t offering more, she said, “Okay, well. I’m going to get changed.” She gestured to the oven. “You’re good?”
“Yep. Don’t worry about me.”
The moment she left the room, he realized the obvious. He should’ve talked to Willow first. Before sending that text to Coco, before driving over here. Forget that she was sleeping, Willow deserved to know where things stood.
He pulled o
ut his phone.
Beckett: Call me when you get up. We need to talk.
It’s going to suck, but it has to be done.
Because, strangely, he hadn’t looked this forward to an adventure in a long time.
Chapter Eight
Coco kicked off her flip-flops. “Mom? Dad?”
“In here, hon,” her mom called from the kitchen.
Her parents stood at the island, making a salad together. Her dad cut the avocado, and her mom broke apart some feta and crumbled it into the bowl of greens.
“Hey.” Reaching them, Coco popped a walnut into her mouth.
“You have a guest, huh?” her mom asked. “This wouldn’t be the same handsome friend you went to Bear Mountain with, would it?”
“Yes, but it’s not like that. He’s engaged.” The whole ride over she’d considered how to break the news to her family. Much like the other day with Beckett, she just didn’t see an easy way to say it. “Remember that meeting Diane invited me to? About me providing the chocolate for a Splashagram influencer’s wedding swag bags?”
“Yes, how did that go?” Her mom turned to the sink to wash the cheese off her fingers.
No matter what, her parents would feel threatened. They loved Posie like she was their own daughter, and the idea that this stranger would come in and take her away for half the year…they’d flip out.
Because Beckett staying in town for the entire summer meant something. He was getting attached. And that meant Coco would have less time with her baby. No way around it. She would obviously never keep Posie’s father from her, but Coco couldn’t bear the thought of giving up a single minute with her. God, not having her for Thanksgiving, for whole weeks during the summer? It would kill her.
Come on. Tell them. “You won’t believe what happened.”
Her dad tossed the avocado slices into the bowl and rested his wrists on the edge of the counter. “Tell us.”
“Well, the groom, it turns out…he’s Posie’s father.”
“What?” Her mom swung around with wet hands.
“I know. When he walked in the door, I nearly had a heart attack. I still can’t believe the guy I hooked up with six years ago is here in Calamity. In my house. Right now.”