“Anyways, take care, and I hope to talk to you soon.”
“I will. I promise.” She ended the call and went into the kitchen and retrieved some drinks and the keys to the golf cart. She peered out the window before opening the door. Channing and Rusty were toiling away on the car while Isaiah played with a set of toy tools. Channing had bought the Lil’ Workman set to keep the kids busy while he worked on projects in the garage. Isaiah dropped his plastic wrench, and Channing bent down to pick it up and that’s when she saw it. Isaiah smiled when Channing gave him back the toy and playfully rubbed his head. Channing grinned back at him.
“I have refreshments for the hardworking men.” She handed Channing and Rusty juice bottles while Isaiah got a juice box with a straw. “What’s the prognosis on the car?”
“The radiator is cracked and the exhaust pipe is in bad shape. It’s in dire need of an oil change and a new battery.”
“Yikes.”
“No worries, Rusty is going to have her back in fighting shape.” He wiped sweat from his brow.
“That’s good to hear. Babe, I’m going over to Sam and J.J.’s. Do you mind looking after Isaiah for a little while?”
Channing stood there for a moment. “No, go right ahead. We’re fine.”
“Isaiah, I’ll be right back. If you need anything, I’m just a phone call away.”
The short ride to the Sam’s house gave her time to think. J.J. and Seth had all of the kids at a stadium event today, but she remembered Sam saying she was spending some time with Parker. She gave a quick knock on the door then entered the house. “Hello!”
“We’re in the study.”
Sam and Parker were both sitting in chairs staring at the computer on the desk. They both looked like they’d run a marathon.
“Hi, ladies.”
“Cassidy, congrats again on the baby news,” Sam said.
“Thanks. It’s still early days, but at least we’ve started the process.”
“My friend Kim is doing in vitro. She’s in the fertility shots phase. She says she feels like a human pincushion. But she says it’s worth it to get a baby of her own at the end of the journey.”
“I’ve heard about those shots.” Cassidy rolled her eyes. “I’ll get my chance in a few weeks.”
Sam beamed. “You’re going to be a great mom.”
“Thanks.” She sank down in one of the leather chairs. “What’s going on? You look beat.”
“We were sparring before we had a weekly video chat with our mom. Talking to her about what a horrible life I lead was much worse than boxing with Sam.” Parker folded her hands behind her head.
“Don’t mind cranky-pants over there, the family reunion is coming up and our mom wants to make sure we’re coming, no excuses.” Sam motioned at Parker with her head. “Did your houseguests get settled?”
“Still a work in progress. Thanks for fast-tracking them onto to property.”
“Not a problem. Kendrick said he would follow up today.”
“So he is giving Joy a full screening?”
“The usual. Why? What do you need?”
“I’m trying to put together the puzzle of Joy’s life. I know about the drug use and Isaiah being placed into a foster home for a while. I know the details of the current complaint, but I need to know as much as I can about her so I’m not blindsided in court. Do you think someone at Regency can ferret out some information about her past? She won’t talk about her family.”
“Sure. Whatever you need. And I know just the person who can help.” Sam put her arm around her sister. “Parker here has gotten her private investigator’s license since she quit the force.”
“Good for you, Parker.” Cassidy smiled.
Sam continued. “She refuses to work with me at Regency, something about being independent. But she will take the occasional job to keep her obscenely low rent paid.”
Parker shrugged. “I can’t help it if J.J. didn’t want Avery and me to worry about rent.”
“I heard you two are settling into your new place nicely. When’s the housewarming?”
“We were thinking of next month. We’re going to have a dual party with Wyatt.”
“Where is the happy couple?”
“They went away for the weekend. It’s kind of a getaway before medical school starts.”
“That’s so sweet.” Cassidy sighed. “Just think, none of the Blake men are hot on their trail.”
“A little maturity goes a long way. Thank goodness the men in the family have all opted to give them breathing room.” Sam laughed.
“So, Parker, do you think you can help me out? I feel really guilty about using Regency’s resources.”
“Sure. I’m just about wrapped up with my latest case.”
“Really? What are you working on?”
“I’m vetting Eden’s fiancé.”
“Come again?” Cassidy looked at Sam.
“Yes, I’m checking out my sister’s husband’s ex-wife’s fiancé.”
“And J.J. asked you to do this?”
“No. She called him and told him she was getting married. I thought I’d make sure things were on the up and up. She may not be a Blake anymore, but I know he worries about her crazy ass. Regency still keeps tabs on her too.”
“Wow.”
“And she calls Eden crazy,” Parker quipped.
“I do what I can to keep his mind at ease. He once loved her deeply and he’s concerned about someone taking advantage of that big settlement she got in the divorce.”
“That’s love, Sam.” Cassidy smiled.
“Yeah, yeah.” Parker scanned the calendar on her cell phone. “I can start on Monday. I’ll get Kendrick to copy me on Sam’s report and try to fill in as many gaps as I can.”
“Thanks, Parker.”
* * *
Channing glanced at his watch as he paced the living room floor. It was three in the morning, and Joy still hadn’t returned to the ranch from her work shift. They’d put Isaiah to bed around eight. He was tuckered out from his day. Cassidy had tried her cell phone several times after ten o’clock, but the calls went unanswered. He’d waited until midnight before calling Kendrick and asking for his help.
“I can’t believe this. She’s been here one day and she’s run out on her son.” Channing put his hands on his hips.
“Shhh.” She put her finger to her lips. “We don’t want to wake Isaiah.”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a lower tone. “I’m just frustrated.”
“We don’t know anything for sure. Her cell phone could have died. It’s not like she could charge it in your truck.”
He hadn’t thought about that, but she could have charged it at one of her jobs. A good parent would keep their phone charged. There was an incoming text message on his phone. It was from Kendrick.
Channing read it aloud. “They’ve located Joy and the truck. Kendrick is accompanying her back to ranch.”
“See, I told you there was nothing to worry about. Your precious truck is coming back in one piece.” Cassidy bit her lip.
“Cassie, you know this isn’t about my old truck. It’s about Joy being irresponsible. She hasn’t even been here a full twenty-four hours and she’s pulling a stunt like this.”
“Let’s just hear her out. OK?”
“OK. For you.”
He hadn’t expected Isaiah to stick to him like glue while he helped Rusty with the car. He wasn’t a bad kid. He was inquisitive and bright. Asking questions about the car that Rusty happily answered. They were having such a good time, he was almost sad when Cassidy returned from Sam and J.J.’s and said she was taking Isaiah into the house for lunch. She’d looked relieved that Parker would be doing research on Joy’s life. He knew it bothered her that Joy made no mention of her family. Which was interesting for a woman who avoided her own family. But he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut about that. Mama didn’t raise no fools.
The flash of the headlights of his truck sent a blast of light th
rough the room as the truck made the turn into the driveway. The Regency vehicle behind it parked in front of the house. Kendrick got out and ambled up the walkway. But they could hear Joy grumbling as she came through the back via the kitchen door.
“You take Joy,” Channing said quickly. “I’ll talk to Kendrick. I might strangle her.”
Cassidy nodded and made a beeline for the kitchen.
Channing yanked open the front door, mostly out of frustration. A tousle-haired Kendrick was just about to knock.
“Kendrick, sorry to get you up so late.”
“No worries, man. That’s what the on-call supervisor does.” He grinned. “We tracked her to some bar. She was coming out when we arrived. I identified myself and told her you and Cassidy were worried about her. She gave me some attitude, but ultimately she got in truck and came home. I followed to assure that the ranch was her destination.”
“Thanks. How did you track her down?” He wondered about that. His old truck pre-dated GPS, so he was curious when Kendrick said it was no problem.
“You remember that time I told you that we needed to inspect all of the family vehicles for safety reasons? We put GPS trackers in the models like your truck.”
He chuckled. “You are clever. But I don’t know if I feel violated or not. The next time I hop in the truck for parts unknown, you’ll know exactly where I am.”
“You’ll need to look for another way to throw caution to the wind and disappear.”
Channing paused and glanced Kendrick over. He had on a pair of black dress slacks and a nice navy blue shirt. Channing could also see the faint traces of someone’s lipstick on his cheek. “Did I interrupt anything?”
“No, typical Saturday night,” Kendrick replied, poker-faced.
“Oh.” Channing pointed to the smear. “You got a little lipstick right there.”
Kendrick laughed and swiped at his cheek. “I may have been entertaining a lady friend at her house when I got the call.”
Channing raised an eyebrow. “New girlfriend?”
“Too soon to tell.”
Channing could hear Cassidy and Joy’s voices raising in the kitchen. It didn’t sound good.
“I better get in there. You coming to poker night?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Kendrick smiled then got serious. “For what it’s worth, I sent someone into the bar to observe for a little while. She was talking to some guy who was more interested in playing pool than listening to her. They didn’t observe her drinking anything.”
“That’s something at least.” He waved good-night and went into the kitchen. Cassidy and Joy stopped talking when he entered the room.
“I was just telling your wife that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I stopped by that bar looking for a friend. My cell went dead, and I couldn’t charge it.”
“Besides showing up five hours late? They didn’t have a pay phone in the bar?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “A pay phone? How old are you? Sixty?”
“Give me a break. They’re not obsolete. And it doesn’t excuse you for not checking in. There could have been an emergency or your son might have wanted to talk to his mom.”
“But everything was fine. I know Scooter. He’s a good kid. He knows to behave when someone else is looking after him.”
Cassidy spoke up. “I know you two have your own rhythm, and we’re not trying to infringe on that. But the idea of a four-year-old being able to take care of himself is frankly a little shocking to us.”
“You have an opportunity to bring some normalcy into his life,” Channing added. “Establish some new patterns. Kids need structure, which includes getting home at a decent time. There will be no more late night arrivals.”
“That sounds suspiciously like a curfew.” Joy wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m an adult.”
“An adult who has a child,” he replied. “We respect that you don’t necessarily work traditional hours, but this has to stop. Be here by eleven o’clock or they won’t let you through the gate.”
“You’re the boss.” She stomped off into the hall.
“Make sure you’re at the table for breakfast at eight,” Cassidy called after her. “I thought we could go shopping afterward to a pick up a few things for Isaiah.”
That stopped her dead in her tracks. “I’ll skip breakfast. I probably won’t get up before noon. Scooter can watch cartoons until I wake up. Thanks for the offer, but he doesn’t need anything.”
“No. We told Isaiah we’d all have breakfast together at eight,” Channing said firmly. “We expect you at that table.”
Joy opened her mouth to reply, but Cassidy spoke before she could get a word out. “We can add a few things to his wardrobe and that will cut down on the amount of washing you have to do every week.”
“I don’t wash every week.”
“Goodnight, Joy. We’ll talk more in the morning.” Cassidy waved her off.
Joy continued down the hall, her body language making it clear she was angry. Channing stared at his wife. His wife stared back at him. There was nothing else to say.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cassidy finally shut her eyes about a half hour after she and Channing had gone to bed. When the alarm clock sounded at seven, she wanted to throw it against the wall and cuddle closer to Channing, but breakfast had to be made, especially since they’d put their foot down about it last night. So they got up, showered, and went downstairs to prepare the meal. This was a far cry from their usual sleeping in on Sundays and doing the crossword together while they munched on Saturday night leftovers. This early morning chaos was a prelude to the disruptions to come when they had little ones running around the house.
Before Joy could come up with anymore excuses, the three of them went to Mackenzie Square after breakfast while Channing caught up on work. There was a quaint little children’s store that she knew the ladies frequented, so she went there. She did her best not to overdo it, but she’d gotten him a couple of pairs of sneakers, shoes, and a few new outfits. When she saw the cutest infant raincoat on display in the window, she couldn’t resist getting it for Tyler and Michelle as a baby shower gift. Joy looked a nervous wreck when the sales woman totaled the items, but Cassidy assured her it was on her. Isaiah proudly sported his new kicks out of there as they continued on to the next store, an arts and craft shop that sold specialty toys. She got him some educational games and puzzles, then it was back to the ranch to get ready for the family dinner.
She found Channing in the bedroom getting changed. He looked downright sexy wearing a pair of jeans and a ruby-colored dress shirt and his favorite pair of loafers. She locked the door and dropped her bags on the bed.
“How did the shopping go?” he asked.
“Wonderful.” She grabbed hold of him and kissed him.
Cassidy slipped off the sundress she was wearing, pushed him onto the bed, and straddled him. Before he could get a word out, she swept her tongue into his mouth and unbuttoned his shirt. She trailed kisses down his neck then moved onto to chest and down until she’d reached his navel. Channing groaned in appreciation when she unzipped him and stroked his shaft.
“Shhh!” She giggled.
She loved the tension that always filtered across his face when she ran her index finger over his tip. It felt like an eternity since they’d been intimate when it had actually only been a few days. She loved that they made love daily and that they always took their time.
Right now it was rushed, and they had to be quiet, but damn it was exciting. She took him into her mouth and moved her tongue in a circular motion, and he groaned louder. She knew he could get pretty loud and normally that wasn’t a problem. But the deeper she took him into her mouth the louder he got. She could see the tension in his body as each wave of pleasure hit him. She reached for one the decorative pillows and threw it at him, and he covered his face with it and groaned again. Finally, she released him from her mouth, stood, and removed her panties. She got back on the bed and stra
ddled him again, but this time she sank down onto him. It was her turn to moan.
Channing reached up and gently cupped her breasts. The warmth of his hands permeated through her entire body. He used his thumbs to stroke her nipples ever so lightly. She shivered when he moved his hands down her sides and gripped her waist to get a better rhythm going. He thrust upward, and she rocked back onto him. The connection was electric. She thought she had the upper hand, but she’d lost control much too early. Soon she felt the familiar convulsions coming from him. She held on just long enough to climax with him. When she was finished, she collapsed on top of him.
“Wow,” Channing said, his voice shaky. “What did I do to deserve this afternoon delight?”
She smiled. “This baby isn’t going to get made with us holding hands or cuddling from exhaustion. We have to steal these moments when we can.”
“So you’re saying there’s a lot more spontaneous sex in our future?” He caressed her back.
“Yes.”
“I like the way you think.”
She stole a quick kiss and stood. “Now, we have to get ready for dinner.”
“Do we have to?” He fell back against the pillows.
“Yes.” She pulled on his hands. “If we’re lucky, we can sneak off and have sex in the guesthouse.”
* * *
Dinner was in full swing when they arrived at John Jacob and Teri-Lyn’s, and Cassidy couldn’t help but feel a little nervous bringing Joy and Isaiah. She really wanted them to fit in. Since the family bought into the Tomcats franchise, Sunday had been split between dinners there and cheering on the team at the stadium on game days. Channing led them into the backyard with Isaiah close on his heels. The little boy had really taken to him. Cassidy spied the rest of the kids running around. She’d hoped to talk to Jake. She wanted to ask him if he’d introduce Isaiah to the rest of the gang and make him feel welcome.
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