She sniffed, and Hexa peered around Jamie’s legs. She took one look at the alligator and barked up a storm. The crying woman stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened, and she bolted into his bedroom and threw the lock.
“Why is there a crazy woman with an alligator in my room?” Jamie grabbed his phone. He wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but he was going to get it on film.
Bethany sighed. “Bunny is scared of dogs. I’ll put Hexa up in my room, and then we’ll see about getting Bunny out of your room.”
Jamie let out a laugh. “The woman holding an alligator is scared of dogs?”
“She was raised on an alligator farm or something. She got that one as a pet, and her husband won’t let her keep it.”
Jamie rubbed the back of his neck. “Explain to me why I would be tempted by her?”
Bethany grabbed Hexa’s collar, who was lunging for the door of his room. “Well, she didn’t get the nickname Bunny by accident.”
“I was too busy looking at the alligator.”
“Right, like you didn’t notice her best feature.”
Jamie smirked. “Sure, I did. But the alligator was a little distracting.”
Bethany nodded. “I’ll be right back. Come on, Hexa.”
Of course the dog went upstairs with her. The joke was on her though. He heard Bethany shut the door and his dog whine. That would be the last time Hexa fell for that one.
Bethany bounded downstairs, and once again, her gracefulness struck him. She moved so fluidly.
“Okay. Let’s see about getting Bunny out of there,” Bethany said.
She ran her fingers along the top of the frame and produced a key, which she used to open the bedroom door and peek in. He guessed she didn’t want to come face-to-face with the alligator.
“It’s safe,” she said with a smirk and pushed the door open. They found Bunny sitting on the edge of his tub with the water on. The gator was nowhere in sight. He stepped closer to the tub and saw the critter scrambling around.
“Where’d you put the devil?” Bunny asked, watching the alligator.
“I put Hexa in my room. Bunny, I can’t keep Sweet Pickles. Remember, I told you I was getting a roommate. This is Jamie, and Sweet Pickles is in his bathtub.”
“So you’ll let him keep a vicious monster in the house, but you can’t keep Sweet Pickles?” Bunny glared at Bethany. Jamie was amused by the whole scene. First of all, no one he’d ever met had a pet alligator. Scratch that. He had a buddy in New York who had one, but he was six four and three hundred and fifty pounds with seven tattoos. Bunny did not look like the type of person who’d have one. And no alligator should be named Sweet Pickles. It was a disgrace.
“It’s no longer my choice. Jamie lives here now too.” Way to throw him under the bus. He’d get her back for that one.
Bunny turned her wide blue eyes on him. “I’m so sorry. But can Sweet Pickles stay here? Please.”
Jamie looked at Bethany, who was subtly shaking her head. He thought about agreeing, just to get back at her for putting the decision on him, but thought better of it. He didn’t want an alligator in his bathroom.
“Afraid I can’t do that. I need that tub.”
Bunny looked between him and Bethany. “There are other bathrooms.”
“But this one is attached to my room.”
“There are other bedrooms too. Please. I don’t know what else to do with him.”
Bethany jumped when the gator spun around in the tub, splashing water around. She put a hand on her chest. “Bunny, let’s think about other solutions. Maybe the pet store where you got him.”
Jamie pulled out his camera and took a few discreet shots of Bunny sitting on the tub. She may be crazy, but she was also incredibly photogenic.
“No. They won’t take him back.” She scrunched her face up, like she was thinking hard, and then her face lit up. “I know. Put Jamie in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Then he’ll be closer to you in case you get lonely.”
“Bunny,” Bethany hissed. Jamie had to hold in his laughter. Poor Bethany.
Bunny stood up and moved Bethany out of the way. “I’m helping you. You’ll see.”
Then she turned to Jamie. “I’ve lived here for almost a year, and she hasn’t gone on a single date. She’s definitely lonely.” Bunny looked at her alligator, and her voice got all high and squeaky. “Poor Sweet Pickles only needs to stay here for a week. Please.”
Bethany’s face had gone bright red. “Do you have a cage you were keeping him in at your house?”
Jamie grinned at her rush to disregard Bunny’s words about her being lonely. He wondered why she hadn’t been dating anyone. She was definitely cute enough and seemed fairly sane. Though he’d only known her for a few hours.
Bunny nodded eagerly. “Yes. It’s big enough to keep him until he’s about eight months.”
“Why don’t you bring it over here and put it in my storage room. Sweet Pickles can stay in there until your dad comes next week. That way Jamie can have his own bathroom back.”
Bunny jumped up, squealed, and threw her arms around Bethany. “Oh, thank you.”
Then she hugged him as well, and he staggered backwards a few feet. “You ought to consider sleeping upstairs anyway.”
Bunny was more forward than he expected, but he returned her hug.
A half hour later Bethany ran upstairs and let Hexa out, who immediately flew to the bathroom to sniff around.
She came downstairs with a pair of yoga pants in her hand.
“You weren’t kidding were you?”
He looked closer. The legs were torn apart.
“Sorry.”
She sighed. “It’s not a big deal. You warned me. I left them out on my bed.” She glanced down at the pants in her hands. “I didn’t like these ones much anyway. Sorry about Bunny. You sure you’re okay with the alligator in the storage room?”
He shrugged. “It’s not my house.”
Bethany dropped her eyes. “What she said about me not dating…”
“Is none of my business. I think I’ll stay down here, thanks.”
She exhaled, and he hoped she’d relax around him. Not that he’d mind if she invited him up to her room.
Jamie pulled into the parking lot of the park just before eleven. He’d been surprised when he’d finally gotten Zoe on the phone this morning, and she agreed to meet with him. Last time he tried to make that phone call, she hung up on him.
He found a bench with a clear view of both the road and the ocean. A seagull was attacking a discarded hamburger bun. He snapped a few pictures of it and then looked up when a car pulled up.
Zoe stepped out alone. Thank goodness she’d left behind creeper, though he’d hoped she’d bring Garrett. Which was stupid because he’d be in school.
She drove an old Ford Focus that had a few dents in the front bumper. She strolled over in her short shorts and a cami that showed off way too much skin, but then that always was Zoe’s style. He shook his head, wondering what he’d seen in her in the first place. Sure, she was tall. And blonde. But her face bore the harshness of a hard life.
She stopped a few feet from him and crossed her arms. “What do you want J?”
“Come have a seat.” He motioned to the bench, but she didn’t move.
“No. I’ll stand, thanks.” Her makeup cracked a little when she spoke. This concerned him. Was she covering something up she didn’t want him to see? She always was heavy on the eyes and the lips, but she never wore a lot of makeup on her cheeks. He brushed off the nagging feeling and focused on what he needed.
“I want to see Garrett.”
“He’s not your son.”
Jamie snorted. She was bluffing. He already had a paternity test done without her knowledge, but he didn’t want her to know that. “Yeah, he is. Why’d you keep him from me all these years?”
“Because he isn’t yours.”
“How do you know for sure?” He leaned forward, genuinely curious about why she was so insi
stent.
“Because I was sleeping around on you. Seriously. Not yours.”
He frowned, unsure if that was true or not. Either way, he didn’t care.
“You can’t know that for sure. We need to do a paternity test, and if it turns out he isn’t mine, then I’ll leave you alone.”
Zoe pulled a paper out of her purse and waved it in his face.
“You’ve already gotten lawyers involved. All kinds of weirdos snooping around my house. A court order. Really?”
He sighed. “If you’d taken my calls the first time, we wouldn’t be in this situation. When can I see Garrett?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Not. Your. Son.”
“Pretend with me a minute, Zoe. Let’s say the judge orders a paternity test, which I expect they will do. Let’s say that miracles of all miracles I am his father. Will you let me see him?”
She crossed her arms and blinked her eyes rapidly. “Duh. Of course I will. I’m going after a crapload of child support too.”
“Okay, then. That’s all I needed to know. See you in court.”
He stood up, brushed by her, and walked to his car. Zoe caught him by the arm and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Please don’t take my son. He’s all I have.”
Jamie softened. “I’m not trying to take your son. I want to make sure that I get to see him too.”
She nodded and frowned. “I didn’t mean to keep him from you. I thought he wasn’t yours.”
He still wasn’t sure if he believed her. His clenched his jaw, and his shoulders tensed. She was being unreasonable. He’d been trying for a few months to get ahold of her. She was deliberately keeping Garrett from him.
“Can I see him, Zoe, please?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until we know for sure.”
He pressed his lips together. He couldn’t lose his temper. “Okay then. Until the judge.”
She looked down at the court order and sighed. He wondered if she could even afford a lawyer. He shook his head. That wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t trying to screw her over. He wanted access to what was rightfully his. She drove away, and just before he climbed into his own car, his phone rang.
It was Andres, his PI
“Hey, man. Been doing some more snooping.”
“Yeah. What’d you find?”
“Nothing good. If that was my boy, I might not even wait for a judge before I took him.”
Jamie froze. “What? Why?”
“Zoe’s ex showed up a few months ago.”
“Oh yeah. Total creeper. I met him.”
“Well, I’ve been chatting up Garrett’s teacher. She says he’s been coming to school with some suspicious injuries. Bruises and scratches. He never did before the ex came back into the picture.”
Jamie tried to take in this information. It was too much for him. If that guy abused Garrett, Jamie would break his face.
“Did they report it?”
“Yeah. But the Department of Family Services doesn’t work that fast. Plus, the injuries were minor.”
Jamie clenched and unclenched his fist. “Anything else?”
“Looks like there might be drugs involved with Ray, but I can’t tell for sure. I’ll keep you updated.”
Jamie hung up the phone and debated whether or not he should go over to the bastard’s house. In the end, he figured it probably wasn’t worth it. He may do more damage than good. But his objective changed. If that was the kind of environment Zoe was putting Garrett in, he’d go for more than visitation. No wonder she was worried he’d take him away. She was putting him in danger.
He spent the day out around town taking pictures. It was the only way to keep his mind off his troubles. He was meeting with Annabelle, his attorney, the next night, and so for now, all he had to do was kill time. He headed to the house around six hoping to eat dinner with Bethany again. He liked her company.
He opened the door and nearly ran into her. She took a few steps back.
“Sorry. I’m going out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Where are you going?” He hadn’t meant it to come out accusatory or nosy. He was curious.
“Dance.”
She wore short yoga pants and a tight fitting tank top. In her hands she held ballet shoes. He should’ve known that’s where the gracefulness came from.
“Guess I’m eating out tonight then.”
“Guess so. There’s a few nice restaurants about a mile south.”
Hexa came up and nosed his hand. “Do they allow dogs?” He was hoping to eat in tonight. He still hadn’t picked up groceries though, so he supposed he’d have to. But Hexa would be a welcome companion.
Bethany nodded. “A couple have outdoor seating, and I see people with dogs all the time. There’s Bunny. I should go.”
Jamie turned and saw Bunny in the same get-up as Bethany. He supposed most men would appreciate Bunny more, but personally, he thought Bethany wore it better. Maybe it was the way she moved. He snapped a few pictures of the two of them walking down the stairs and wondered if Bethany would object to being a subject of a few of his projects. He’d have to get to know her a little better before he brought it up. But she’d be stunning.
“You sleeping with him yet?” Bunny asked as she pulled her seatbelt on.
“What? No!” Bethany didn’t often ask Bunny about her past, but she wondered how many men Bunny had slept with for her to make assumptions that Bethany would automatically jump in the sack with Jamie.
“Why not?”
“Because I hardly know him. Bunny, this isn’t up for discussion. Give it up.”
Bunny wiggled her eyebrows. “But he’s adorable. Come on. You know you want him.”
“Let’s talk about dance. Did you practice this week?” Bethany didn’t have high expectations that Bunny had been practicing, but it might take her mind off her current interrogation.
“Not changing the subject. I was asking Danny last night about your old boyfriends, and he said he couldn’t remember any. Why don’t you date?”
Bethany sighed. She and Bunny had never discussed this stuff before. Bunny liked to talk about herself or gossip, but she rarely pressed Bethany to do the same. That was probably why they got along so well.
Bethany turned the corner. “I’m not comfortable around men. Any of them. But especially good looking ones. I get all flustered and don’t know what to say. I can’t even look them in the eyes.”
“Danny’s cute.”
“So?”
“So you aren’t uncomfortable with him.”
“Because I’ve known him since we were in diapers. Danny’s different. I’ve already accepted that I’m probably never going to have relationships or marry. It’s not a big deal. I’m comfortable with myself.”
“That sounds too lonely. I think it’s good that Jamie ended up being a man. Maybe by living together you’ll have to get comfortable with him.”
They pulled into the parking lot of the dance studio. “So. Did you practice?”
Bunny shook her head. “No. I was all distracted by Sweet Pickles. But I will this week, I promise.”
Bethany smiled. Of all the students in her adult ballet class, Bunny was the worst. She had no grace and never practiced. But Bethany loved having her in class. If only for the laugh factor.
Bethany froze when she spotted the sign on the door. “For Sale.” Her stomach fell. Why was everything in her life changing? She didn’t think she could take any more.
Bunny saw it too. “Oh, you should so buy this place.”
Bethany rolled her eyes. “With what money?”
“Danny and I can help.”
That was always Bunny’s solution. This had been the studio she’d taken lessons in as a child. She started teaching at the studio during high school. If someone bought it and changed it or shut it down, what would she do? She supposed the owner was retiring. She had to be in her nineties by now.
Bethany shook her head sadly an
d followed Bunny inside. Maybe all of this was a sign that she needed to change her life. Sell her house and move somewhere completely different. Start over.
She sighed. Never. This was home.
Jamie grabbed his camera and bag full of lenses and headed for the kitchen. He wanted to get some shots of the beach in the early morning, his favorite time of day to shoot. Just after sunrise. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Bethany in the kitchen. She was climbing up on a stool. She wore a short Japanese robe, had headphones in, and he saw a phone in her pocket. Her hips shimmied with what he assumed was the music. His heart stopped for a second as he watched her. Damn, she was beautiful. He shook his head. She was a complication he didn’t need; he needed to think of her in a different way. So he watched her with his photographer’s eye.
He gently set down his bag. The lens he had on his camera wasn’t perfect for this, but it would work. He took a few shots of her rummaging around the cupboard. These shots, the unexpected ones, were usually the ones that made him the most money. He’d misjudged the situation earlier. Bethany was much more photogenic than Bunny.
Bethany stood up on her tiptoes, revealing the tone of her legs, which was enough to make him forget what he was doing. Taking pictures was second nature by now, or he would’ve never gotten his shots. Especially when she reached above her head, and her robe crept up, revealing the bottom of bare cheeks.
He almost stopped at that point, fearing he was border lining on intrusive, but he was glad he didn’t because she finally gave it up and climbed up on the counter, and he got the money shot. She grabbed a muffin tin from the top cupboard and spun around grinning. She frowned when she saw him with the camera. Busted.
She whipped out her headphones, her face screwed up in shock.
“Are you taking pictures of me?”
He shrugged, trying to brush it off as nothing. He took pictures of everything, everywhere. “Yeah. Sorry. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.’”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you need my permission to photograph me?”
“No. I need permission to publish them though. But you’ll give it to me.”
Folly and Forever (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 3) Page 4