Ethan's Daughter

by Rachel Brimble

  In the past, he’d run from confrontation—not anymore. Not when he had learned what hiding from reality could do. A man losing his wife and a child losing her mother.

  Anna was unlikely to disappear from his life again anytime soon. And neither Leah nor Daisy deserved even the slightest slash of his ex-wife’s poisoned tongue.

  If Leah wanted to play nurse outside working hours... Thoughts not entirely suitable for his current dilemma filtered into his imagination.

  “Something funny?”

  He coughed and sat a little straighter in his seat. “No.”

  “You were smiling.”

  He faced her. God, she was beautiful. Beautiful and kind and caring...and sexy and pretty spectacular in every other way, as far as he could tell. Finding out more about her was something he might have wanted, but had to ignore if he had any hope of keeping her away from Anna.

  He shrugged. “I was just thinking about something I saw on TV.”

  “Hmm. Sure you were.”

  She shook her head and the soft sway of her cropped, glossy blond hair about her face took a little of his breath away. He shifted in his seat and glanced at Daisy in the back. She stared at him mischievously, her mouth stretched into a grin.

  His smile dissolved as unease rippled through him. Was his attraction to Leah so obvious a seven-year-old could see it?

  He might not want to be alone forever, but now was the worst possible time for him to contemplate getting into anything...if Leah ever came to consider him romantically, of course.

  Even if he took Daisy’s emotional stability out of the equation, Anna’s impulsiveness, her unpredictability and spiteful temper had caused a cold, hard spot to linger like death in his heart. His marriage had marred him, made him into a man prone to bouts of selfishness, unnecessary protectiveness and moods that had no place around a woman or child. Sometimes it took all he had to keep Daisy safe from his weaknesses. Month by month, year by year, his daughter had given him the ray of light he needed to strengthen his hold on his internal ugliness.

  It was his baby who made him fight to get out of the box that still sometimes proved to be so firmly closed since Anna left.

  He wasn’t sure he could keep his internal battle hidden from another adult—another woman in particular—as well as he did from Daisy.

  The crunch of gravel beneath the tires told him they were home, and Ethan buried his thoughts. Yanking on the door handle, he got out of the car and headed to the back to help Daisy.

  The driver’s door clunked shut and Leah spoke behind him. “I have an idea. If you’re okay with it, of course.”

  Ethan frowned as he helped Daisy from the car and onto the gravel. “What?”

  “I’m happy to help Daisy get showered and into her pajamas while you’re speaking with your agent.” She shrugged. “It will save time and it is getting kind of late.”

  Ethan stared. Let her see to Daisy? Let her spend time alone with his little girl? He looked at Daisy. She vehemently nodded. “Please, Daddy. I can shower myself and show Leah my new pajamas.”

  He looked to Leah. “Are you sure?”

  She smiled. “Absolutely.”

  He blew out a defeated breath. “Okay, then. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll just grab my first aid kit from the trunk.” She walked to the back of the car and was hidden from his view for a moment before she slammed the trunk shut. Coming toward Daisy, she held out her hand. “We’ll have fun while Daddy’s talking to his agent, won’t we?”

  Ethan stepped back as his baby took Leah’s hand and they walked toward the house, Daisy screeching with laughter at something Leah said.

  He closed his eyes.

  He was in all sorts of trouble...and not just with Anna.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LEAH LAID THE last piece of tape around Ethan’s bandaged hand and sat back in his kitchen chair. “There you go. Good as new. Those stitches will need to stay in another few days, but I think—if you keep it clean and dry—I won’t need to come back tomorrow. But I can swing by Saturday morning if you like?”

  He gently probed the bandage. “Um, why not leave it for a few days, and if there’s a problem, I’ll call you.” He lifted his bright blue eyes to hers. “You said yourself it’s healing well.”

  It was clear the man was no closer to trusting her than she was him. “Look, I know you want me to butt out of your problems, but all I’m doing is trying to help.”

  “And you are. With my hand, at least. Everything else, you need to leave to me.”

  Their gazes locked and frustration hummed through her. Sooner or later, she was going to have to make a choice to either call the police or leave Ethan to his own devices. But how could she do that without ignoring her professional obligations? She inhaled a long breath, then exhaled. “How about we exchange numbers? If there’s a problem with your hand, you can call me. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll come by in a few days to remove the stitches. Agreed?”

  A muscle in his jaw flexed. He shrugged, his gaze returning once more to his injured hand. “Okay, fine.” He met her eyes, gave a tight smile. “That would be good. Thanks.” He stood and walked to the counter to grab his phone. “What’s your number?”

  She told him before typing his number into her phone. So she liked him. So caring about his hand had been partly a ruse to get his number, but now she would stop being friendly for a while and be her usual pain in Ethan’s butt instead.

  “So...” She inhaled again. “As much as I don’t want to harangue you about what happened with your ex, and as much as you want me to stay out of it, in order to do that I have a few questions I need answered.”

  His tentative smile dissolved and irritation simmered in his gaze. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  She stared at his bowed head, her impatience rising. “Ethan, your ex attacked you. What would’ve happened if Daisy had been in the house? You need to ensure your ex-wife doesn’t come back and end up physically hurting you again. Or worse, hurting Daisy.”

  His jaw tightened. “I won’t allow Anna anywhere near Daisy.”

  “So you’ve said before, but she’s the child’s mother. You might have full custody, but sooner or later Daisy will start asking about her mum. She might even want to see her. Then what?”

  “I’ll face that problem when I have to.” He glanced toward the kitchen door. “Look, it’s getting late. Maybe you should go.”

  Leah crossed her arms. “Will you please just talk to me? Whether you like it or not, I’m involved and starting to kind of like you and Daisy. So until I know she’s safe...”

  He shot her an impressive glare of his own before he rubbed his hand over his jaw and sat. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to make it any clearer. I don’t want you mixed up in this. I know Anna—you don’t. Believe me, you’re better off out of it.”

  “Maybe I am, but unfortunately for you, I’m not the sort of woman to walk away from someone in trouble. I’m a nurse, Ethan. I take care of people, and I can’t abandon you and Daisy until I know any danger has passed. I’m sorry.”

  “Abandon us? We’re not your responsibility.”

  Her cheeks heated. “Intellectually I know that, but morally you are my responsibility.”

  “I’m trying my best to be nice here.” His gaze burned with determination. “You getting any more involved than you are already isn’t up for debate.”

  “You know something? By rights, I should’ve reported what happened to the police last night, but so far I haven’t. For your sake. For Daisy’s sake. Having said that, if I suspect Daisy could be exposed to further danger, then I’ll have no choice but to go to the police. So you need to convince me that little girl asleep upstairs is safe.”

  Leah squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. “I’m
a professional who loves her job and the people who live in this town. I’m duty-bound to help them to the best of my ability. By sending me away, telling me to mind my own business, you’re making it hard for me to do my job. Just tell me how things were left with your ex. Is she likely to come back?”

  “Honestly?” His stare turned hard and his cheeks darkened. “I don’t know and that scares the crap out of me.”

  Chills tiptoed up her spine. “Then call the police. Get a restraining order. Whatever. You need to do something to ensure Daisy is kept out of harm’s way. Why don’t I take you to the station tomorrow?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “If I decide to go to the police, I’m perfectly capable of going there alone.”

  She couldn’t just leave. Somehow, after such a short time, Ethan and Daisy had gotten under her skin. She pulled back her shoulders. “I told you... I’m a nurse.”

  “And you’re duty-bound, right?”

  She swallowed against the coldness in his gaze and looked toward the darkened back garden. “Right.”

  Professionally and personally, she wished she’d walked any other route home than past the beach last night.

  That’s right. Keep telling yourself you wish you hadn’t come face-to-face with this lonely author and his daughter. That you aren’t thankful it was you who found Daisy instead of some sicko.

  Purposely softening her tone, she faced Ethan. “What are you going to do? I really don’t want us to fight about this.”

  He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. Leah gazed at his jaw and exposed throat. Everything about him attracted her...and the fact he was a published author gave her a thrill that should’ve been deemed juvenile. But the things she’d like to do with the man were far from juvenile.

  “You’re worrying about nothing.” He dropped his chin. “Anna lives in Bristol. That’s almost eighty-five miles away. She can’t just pop by.”

  Leah stood, needing some distance. The man was so damn stubborn. “Yet that’s exactly what she did.”

  “Yes, but I can’t see it happening again anytime soon. She wanted money from either me or her current lover in order to make a new start. Sooner or later, she’ll find a way to get that money, but she knows it won’t be from me, so why come back here?”

  Leah frowned. “So she’s in some sort of financial trouble?”

  “Yes. Well, no. Not really.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Leah, please. Just leave it.”

  “She’s Daisy’s mum, Ethan. If she’s in some sort of physical danger, what will you do if something happens to her? Could you live with that? Could Daisy?” Looking at his good hand where it lay on the table, she hesitated before reaching forward and covering it with her own. “You have to do something. You know you do.”

  His jaw tightened before he gently slipped his hand from hers and looked away.

  “Do you know why I became a nurse?”

  His chest rose as he inhaled and turned. He blew out a breath. “Why?”

  She barely knew the man. But what choice did she have but to share something about herself if she wanted him to see sense? “When I was about fifteen my grandmother disappeared. I was closer to her than any other member of my family, including my parents.”

  His gaze was steady and intense on hers.

  “Unbeknownst to me, she was diagnosed with cancer and my parents put her in a hospice as soon as they possibly could. Any place they didn’t have to look after her themselves. That’s the sort of people my parents are. I had no idea where she’d gone.” Tears burned behind her eyes. “They took it upon themselves to decide I was too young to watch my grandmother becoming more and more sick. She died without me having the chance to spend her last days with her, or even to say goodbye. I swore there and then that I would do all I could to help others who are sick. Help their families to care for them, be with them until the end.” She shook her head, fighting the urge to take his hand again. “Life is precious, Ethan. It can change in a heartbeat through no fault of your own. If Daisy’s your priority—”

  “She’s my only priority.”

  She pulled back her shoulders, praying he heard her. “Then prove it. Go to the police. Talk to Cat Garrett. She’ll help you ensure Daisy is safe. This has to be about your daughter. Not your anger toward your ex-wife.”

  “I sent Anna away because of Daisy. If this was about me, I could handle Anna whether she was here or a million miles away. I don’t want her near Daisy because my ex-wife would have no more qualms about using a seven-year-old to her own ends than she would an adult.”

  The sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. “So what are you going to do? I still think not involving the police is a bad decision. You can’t guarantee Anna won’t reappear any more than I can.” Leah frowned. “Do you have some sort of problem with the police? Don’t trust them?” Frustration merged with suspicion and chipped away at her thinning patience. She crossed her arms. “Or are you just too bullheaded to accept the fact that nobody can be there all the time for somebody they love?”

  He slowly pushed himself to his feet, his voice dangerously low. “There are more people in this than Anna. She witnessed some sort of drug deal, and when she said she was going to tell the police, her thug of a boyfriend threatened her. She says she wants the money to get away from him, but it could be she just wants money from me and has no intention of leaving the guy at all.”

  Leah felt sick to her stomach. “Drugs? Her boyfriend is dealing drugs. Then that’s more reason than ever to go to the police. Do you have any idea how many overdoses I’ve had to deal with? Kids cutting themselves on syringes while playing God knows where?”

  He closed his eyes. “I can imagine.”

  She took his hand, tightening her grip on his fingers until he looked at her. “Then we need to do something about it.”

  He stared at her before turning to the kitchen door. “You should go.”

  Trembling with suppressed anger, Leah glared. “I just shared something personal with you to try to make you understand that things can change without warning. People’s lives are turned upside down every day. Did you think for one minute your ex would turn up here brandishing a knife?”

  He stared at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. She raised her hands in surrender. “Do you know something? Do what you want. I’m leaving. But I’ll tell you this—if your little girl ends up in the ER on my shift... God help you.”

  She snatched up her purse and first aid kit before marching from the kitchen. Of all the stubborn assholes...

  She gritted her teeth and opened the front door before slamming it shut behind her. Two nights she’d been to Ethan James’s home and twice she’d left thoroughly irritated.

  He could deal with his own problems from now on, but if anything happened to Daisy... Leah got into her car and slammed the door. She looked in the rearview mirror toward the house. Goddamn it.

  How could she leave him alone to stave off whatever danger lurked around the corner? What if knives, guns or drugs suddenly became a part of Daisy’s world?

  Leah started the engine. I’m in this, mister, whether you like it or not.

  * * *

  SUNLIGHT CAME THROUGH the blinds in Ethan’s bedroom as his eyes flickered open. He stared at the ceiling as his conversation with Leah last night replayed in his mind. The woman seemed hell-bent on helping others, her professional obligations overriding anything he had tried to explain to her. He clenched his jaw. And along with her protests, she’d made sure he realized that there was a chance he could let Daisy down, as he had when she’d been born.

  He and Leah were opposites. Their life choices and sense of purpose were so far apart he couldn’t see how they’d ever agree on anything, let alone what to do about Anna.

  Taking a deep breath, he reached for his phone
to scan his overnight email. That done, he checked his Twitter and Facebook, searching again for Leah as though she might have suddenly decided to join the chaos of social media overnight.

  As he shut off his phone, Leah and her parting words zoomed into his mind once more. Memories of her had disturbed his sleep throughout the last two nights. He lifted his injured hand. He’d been sufficiently careful to avoid any further bleeding, so at least Leah’s fiery temper wouldn’t be aimed at him for neglecting to look after her handiwork.

  Shoving back the covers, he got out of bed and padded into his en suite bathroom.

  Once showered and dressed, he grabbed his phone from his bed and went to check on Daisy. He quietly pushed open her bedroom door.

  “Hey, sweetheart. How long have you been awake?” He approached her bed, to find the quilt covered in shredded toilet paper and three of her Barbies wrapped in three-ply bondage. He smiled. “Are they Egyptian mummies or sick?”

  She scowled, a line darting between her perfect eyebrows. “They’re sick. I’m making them better, like Leah did you.”

  “Right.” He stared at her dark curls as she bent over one of the dolls, her tongue poking from between her lips as she wound some toilet paper around one of the Barbies’ legs. “What happened there?”

  “She fell over the edge of Clover Point and broke her leg.”

  “Ah, nasty.”

  “Yep, but Leah operated and sewed her back up. I’m her helper.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ethan bit back his smile. “Do you want some breakfast, Nurse Daisy?”

  “Yep. Pancakes and strawberries.”

  “Coming right up. I’ll call you when it’s on the table.”

  “Okay, Daddy. I mean, Mr. James.”

  With love for his daughter squeezing his chest, Ethan resisted the urge to kiss her, knowing from Daisy’s expression it wouldn’t be welcomed in the middle of such a delicate operation. Leaving her room, he walked downstairs into the kitchen.