Con Man

by Amy Brent

  “I missed you, Bridget,” she said. “Are you gonna come with us today? Daddy says we’re going swimming!”

  “Did he tell you where we were going swimming?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “We’re going to the beach,” I said.

  “The beach! The beach! Can we build a sand castle?”

  “Of course, we can! And I missed you, too, Lacey.”

  Thomas got her buckled in, and we went in search of pancakes. Lacey was chanting it in the backseat, and I joined her in her hunger-fueled song. Soon, the three of us were chanting “pancakes and orange juice” while Lacey wiggled her feet and clapped her hands.

  We headed toward the beach and found a pancake house along the way. Lacey devoured her breakfast while I watched in awe. This little girl had a massive appetite, and I could hear Thomas chuckling at my reaction, but I didn’t care. This girl could put away some food, and I had to say I was a bit inspired by her tenacity. Syrup dripped down her chin while she shoveled pancakes between her teeth, her body crouched down onto her knees so she could lean over her plate.

  “That’s impressive,” I said. “Does she always eat like that?”

  “Only pancakes,” Thomas said. “They’re Lacey’s favorite food group.”

  “You excited for the beach?” I asked.

  “I am,” he said.

  “Something I didn’t think about with this trip,” I said. “People are probably gonna take pictures. Of you and your daughter with me. Are you all right with that?”

  “I weighed the pros and cons before I invited you, I promise,” he said.

  “And you’re sure you’re all right with it?”

  “I promise,” he said. He reached over and took my hand for comfort, just as I heard a camera go off somewhere, and I couldn’t help but groan. His thumb traced light circles on the tops of my skin, trying to settle me down. People slowly pulled out their camera phones, but even with the commotion going on, I felt myself relax underneath his ministrations.

  “It’s gonna be all right,” he said. “I promise.”

  “Daddy, people are taking pictures of us,” Lacey said.

  “You ready to go, sweetheart?” he asked.

  “Could I take my juice with me?”

  “Of course, you can,” I said, smiling.

  We got a to-go cup for her, and Thomas paid the bill. I got Lacey back out to the car, with Thomas following closely behind both of us. We buckled her in quickly, and we left the pancake house. We traveled twenty more minutes to the shoreline of the ocean, but by the time we got there, the paparazzi were following us.

  “Hang on, girls,” Thomas said. He began swerving in and out of traffic as we tried to lose them with all the cars staying on our tail. He ducked down alleyways while Lacey squealed with delight, and her sounds of joy were the only thing keeping me from panicking. They wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for me, and I could feel the guilt wafting up my throat before Thomas started taking turns I didn’t recognize.

  One by one, the cars got lost in our path. We took side roads and ducked into wooded areas I didn’t know existed, and when we sped out onto a thin paved road, there wasn’t a car in sight behind us. We traveled a couple more miles before we hit sand, and he parked the car and got out.

  “We’re here,” he said.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “The beach!” Lacey exclaimed.

  “You’re not the only one with secrets, you know,” Thomas said, winking.

  I got out of the car and crawled up the sand dune. The sight was absolutely beautiful. The ocean was crisp, and the sand was fine. Waves crashed over rocks to our right with a beautiful, sun-kissed beach to our left. We were surrounded by trees and foliage, completely untouched by civilization, it seemed.

  “I found this a couple years ago when I first took Lacey to the beach,” Thomas said. “She was terrified of being around crowds of people, so I drove for two hours, looking for a secluded beach.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I said.

  “Come on!” Lacey said. “Let’s go swimming.”

  She grabbed my hand, and we ran down to the beach. We shed our clothes, and she pulled me into the water. We swam and rode the waves in while she splashed around in the puddles the ocean was making. All the while, Thomas watched us from the shore. Lacey jumped into my arms and rode around on my back. We swam for hours, bathed our skin in the sun, and swallowed down saltwater trying to body surf the waves in.

  The day was absolutely perfect. Lacey was smiling, and Thomas was relaxed. For the first time in my career, I was doing something that wasn’t under the scrutiny of cameras and the media. I felt relaxed and whole on this secluded beach with Thomas and his daughter. He came out into the water and wrapped his arms around me while Lacey went back to the beach to rest. He enveloped my lips in a kiss while the waves crashed all around our bodies.

  “I think it’s time we head back,” he said.

  “I think so, too,” I said. “Lacey’s lying down on the beach.”

  We looked back at Lacey, whose body was still and unmoving. Thomas took my hand and helped me out of the water. We made our way over to Lacey, and he picked up her sleeping body while I gathered up our towels and clothes. She was whipped, and I felt the same exhaustion settle deep within my bones.

  This day had been perfect, and now, it was time to rest.

  We got Lacey back into her car seat before we got back into our clothes and headed home. I figured Thomas would take me back to my house before he took Lacey and laid her down, and I was completely prepared to offer the idea of them staying with me for the night.

  But Lacey’s tired voice wafted from the backseat, just as we turned down the same road I’d taken to get to their house the first time I met her.

  “Will you stay the night with us, Bridget?” Lacey asked.

  “Yeah, Bridget,” Thomas said. “You want to?”

  I looked over at Thomas. A broad smile crept across my cheeks. His eyes glistened with happiness while we pulled up into his driveway, and I turned my body to look back at Lacey while I answered her question.

  “I’d love to stay with you guys for the night,” I said. “But we all need showers first.”

  “Will you stay with me in my room?” she asked.

  I looked over at Thomas, who gave me a smirk before he shrugged his shoulders. Lacey’s eyes were tired with sleep, but they were hanging onto every word dripping from my lips. This beautiful little girl, whose father had completely stolen my heart, was asking me to stay with her for the night, and something deep inside of me didn’t want to say “no” to her.

  Something deep inside of me never wanted to say “no” to her.

  “Of course, I will,” I said. “I’d love to stay the night in your room with you.”

  Chapter 24

  Thomas

  I rolled out of bed in the morning and went to check on the girls. Bridget was curled up in bed with Lacey, who had her hair spread all along Bridget’s chest. I couldn’t help but lean against the doorway and smile, thinking about how peaceful and happy Lacey looked. She had never taken to a woman like she had taken to Bridget, and it made me wonder what was to come as we attempted to do, well, whatever it was we were doing.

  I headed downstairs and decided to make breakfast. I cooked up the last of the bacon we had, along with some French toast and some fruit. As the smells wafted around my head, I couldn’t help but think about how amazing everything was. Having Bridget with us yesterday just felt right, and seeing her with Lacey made my heart skip a beat. She fit in so perfectly with our little dynamic, and every time she looked at Lacey, her eyes simply lit up. I’d never found a woman who reacted to my daughter the way she did.

  Bridget didn’t even hesitate last night when Lacey asked her to sleep in her room, and the thought of it brought a smile to my face. This is what Lacey had been missing. This was the type of connection and bond she needed with a woman in her life. Since the time she was
born, it had been just me and her. Daddy and Lacey, two strong individuals conquering the world. But my strong little girl was clinging to the most beautiful woman while she slept right now, and I realized that she had secretly been craving that connection all along.

  That connection with a woman that she just didn’t get with me.

  Bridget fit us like a glove. Like she was somehow tailor-made for the two of us. Her innocence and her charm throbbed my cock in ways no woman ever had, not even Lacey’s mother, and she played and interacted with Lacey as if…

  As if Lacey were hers.

  I kept thinking back on how beautiful the beach was with her in it. Her bikini body shoved into that sexy suit with her arms wrapped tightly around my daughter. I reminisced on how they rode the waves together while I cooked the French toast to perfection, and I chuckled at the shock that rolled over her face when she saw Lacey eating those pancakes. Lacey had a very serious appetite for a girl her age, and she didn’t joke around when it came to her pancakes.

  Neither of us did, honestly. Pancakes were life, and Lacey definitely got her life force from them.

  I set the table for breakfast and poured everyone some juice before I started the coffee and went to go wake up the girls. Neither of them had stirred, and I knew they would both be hungry. When I rounded the corner to peek into the room, my heart skipped a beat again. Bridget was awake, running her fingers through Lacey’s tangled hair while her sleep-filled eyes gazed down upon my daughter. Her arms were threaded tight around her, like she was protecting her from the harsh world outside, and for a split second, I saw part of myself in her. I saw her deep desire to protect Lacey while she laid there with her in her arms. Bridget’s chest rose and fell steadily while Lacey continued to lightly snore. All I could do was smile from ear to ear.

  And then, Bridget leaned up to press a little kiss onto the forehead of my daughter.

  She was perfect in every way for us, and I’d ride this wave as long as I could, no matter what beach it dumped us on in the end.

  Every second of it was worth it, just for this moment.

  “You girls ready for breakfast?” I asked.

  Bridget lobbed her head over and smiled at me, just as Lacey began to stir. Her body lifted up and smiled lazily up at Bridget, then her crusted eyes panned over to me before she coughed to clear her throat.

  “I’m hungry, Daddy.”

  “Well, good thing I made French toast then, huh?”

  “Mmm, French toast!”

  Lacey came alive in Bridget’s arms before she hopped off the bed. Bridget’s eyes were wide with shock, and she laid back down on the bed and laughed. Lacey sped by my legs as this beautiful woman tried to roll herself out of the twin-sized bed.

  “How’s that back?” I asked.

  “I’ll be getting a massage later, but it was worth it,” she said.

  “You hungry? I’ve got bacon, French toast, fruit, juice, and some coffee. Figured you might need it.”

  “Oh, my hero. Who can cook, too! Sounds like I might have to fire my chef.”

  “You don’t have a chef,” I said.

  “Well, then I’ll hire one just to fire him,” she said.

  “You would,” I said.

  I walked over and wrapped my arms around her while she steadied herself on her tired feet. She sighed and melted into my body. Her palms pressed against my chest while her head rested on my heartbeat. All I wanted to do was take her to lay down. I wanted to feel her curl into my body and mold to me, moving all her beautiful body parts around just to make way for me in her life.

  In her bed. By her side.

  I wanted to pick her up and throw her into the wall and bury my dick into her morning wetness. I wanted to walk around with her scent percolating just under my nose for the rest of the day. I wanted to lick her dry and taste her on my lips while I ate breakfast right across the table from her. But I settled for holding her as close as I could get her, until Lacey called out for us.

  “Can I eat now, Daddy?”

  “Sounds like someone’s hungry,” Bridget said.

  “Come on, let’s get you some coffee,” I said.

  Breakfast was wonderful. Having Bridget at the table with us just felt good. Lacey kept asking her lots of questions, and I kept running my bare toes up her leg. I’d see her shiver in the middle of answering, and Lacey would ask if she was cold, eventually running and getting her a blanket to wrap around her body while she shot me a dirty look.

  Watching my daughter wrap Bridget’s shoulders in her favorite blanket forced me to choke back tears. I’d gotten her that blanket the day she was born, and it was only a few weeks ago that she stopped carrying it everywhere with her. She cuddled with it, she cried with it, she was sick with it, and she fell asleep with it. Every single night since the day she was born, that had been her source of strength and security while I tried to navigate the world of being a single father, needing to provide as well as be there for her.

  And Lacey was wrapping that blanket around Bridget’s shoulders.

  “Are you leaving soon?” Lacey asked.

  “Unfortunately, I do have to go home and do some things,” Bridget said.

  “Will you come back soon?” my daughter asked.

  “Anytime you want me to,” Bridget said.

  “Want me to call Bernie?” I asked.

  “I sent him a message a few minutes ago,” she said. “He’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Who’s Bernie?” Lacey asked.

  “A friend of mine that’s coming to pick me up so you and your dad don’t have to take me home,” Bridget said.

  “We could take you home!” Lacey exclaimed.

  “Well, he’s already on his way. But I promise I’ll come visit soon. Okay?”

  “Okay. But only if you promise promise,” Lacey said.

  “I promise promise,” Bridget repeated.

  She leaned down and kissed my daughter on her forehead, almost as if it was mindless. Our actions as a cohesive unit felt much more natural than I thought they would, and I knew Lacey would have questions whenever Bridget left.

  “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, all right?” I asked.

  “Drinking coffee at the table while I stumble down in my pajamas?” she asked.

  “Exactly.”

  I gave her a small kiss on her cheek before I escorted her out to her car. I opened her door and let her slide on in. Lacey waved widely from the porch.

  “See you soon, Bridget!” she yelled.

  “See you soon, Lacey!” Bridget called back. “Promise promise. And I’ll see you tomorrow, handsome.”

  “Looking forward to it. And remember, call me if you need to go anywhere or need anything.”

  “I promise promise,” she said, winking.

  I shut the door behind her and watched as Bernie pulled away with that beautiful woman. I watched while their car disappeared around the corner, and just as I shook myself from my trance, I felt my daughter slip her hand into mine.

  “I like Bridget,” she said.

  “Me, too, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks for letting her sleep over.”

  “Anytime, sweetheart. She’s welcome anytime.”

  “What are we gonna do without her here today, Daddy?”

  “What do you mean, sweetheart?” I asked.

  “I mean, it was fun having her around,” she said. “What are we gonna do now?”

  “Well, we could do anything we want. You know, like we would do without Bridget here.”

  “But I want Bridget here,” she said.

  I knew how she felt. It felt different to watch her drive away, like it wasn’t really supposed to happen. We had her all to ourselves yesterday, eating breakfast and making a drive to a private beach with just the three of us. It felt amazing having that woman all to myself, and I could tell Lacey was feeling the same way I was.

  “I do, too, sweetheart. I do, too.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell her t
o stay?” she asked.

  “Because Bridget has things she had to do, honey. You know, like grown-up stuff.”

  “Couldn’t we have gone with her?” she asked.

  “You really miss her already, don’t you?” I asked.

  “Yeah.”

  I took my daughter back into the house, and I turned on a movie for her while I cleaned up from breakfast. My mind was whirling with the conversation I’d just had with her, but the moment I heard Lacey snoring on the couch, I knew those girls had stayed up longer than they should have. I covered Lacey up with her favorite blanket that smelled faintly like Bridget. Then I went back into her room and began making her bed.

  It was weird, not having Bridget around today, and I really wasn’t sure why. I mean, I was going to see the woman tomorrow, so it wasn’t like we were spending a whole bunch of time away from one another. I didn’t realize how much yesterday had impacted me until I went to go make up my bed. If she were still here, with Lacey sleeping like she was, I could’ve taken her right on this very bed. I could’ve wrapped my hand around her mouth while she moaned and bucked back into me. I could’ve slid into her from behind and felt her body writhing against me in pleasure while I took that beautiful little pussy she had on that curvaceous body of hers.