by Ali Parker
“I think so too.” Her eyes drifted back over to where the kids were being sent off in different directions to take up their first spots. Clapping her hands together, she inched forward a little as if she were trying to get closer to him. “Oh! They’re getting started.”
Both of us turned our attention to the game, and I quickly became as engrossed as she was while we watched. I would risk sounding like his father if I voiced my thoughts, but Austin was a natural. Spikes of pride hit my chest each time the coach yelled, “Good job, Austin.”
While we were watching, as Marie clapped and laughed in delight and Austin threw his small arms in victory, I realized just how much they were coming to mean to me. I could easily see myself being with them long-term, falling asleep with her in my arms each night, and tee-ball practices on Saturdays. This shocked the hell out of me. Marie had come to mean so much, so fast, I occasionally wondered if I was getting ahead of myself. But I didn’t give a damn.
Allowing myself to imagine it for a minute, I could imagine more days like this. More dinners, more mornings like today and more of the simple activities a family enjoyed. Lots more.
My heart gave a hard kick to my ribs. I wanted that with her, with Austin, all of it. And the sooner I could resolve this custody situation for Marie, the sooner I could work on making it happen for real.
“Marie!” someone called out from behind us. I turned to see Belle, Marie’s blonde friend, winding her way through the picnic blankets toward us. “I’m so glad I found you.”
Collapsing on the blanket with us, she pointed out her son where he was playing with Austin. “He was up at four in the morning, he was so excited for this.”
Marie stole a glance at me, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. Thank god Austin hadn’t also woken up at four, since he would’ve found me in bed with her if he had.
Marie and Belle chatted as the practice wore on, cheering loudly at the end when the boys ran toward us. Austin eyes were alight with exhilaration and excitement, a smile as wide as I’d ever seen on his face as he skidded to a stop near the blanket.
Taking me completely by surprise, he didn’t flop onto the blanket but launched himself right at me instead. He hit my chest with a loud thump. He wasn’t heavy though, so it didn’t hurt. My arms went around him automatically, and I tossed him over my shoulder, jumping to my feet.
I spun him around a few times, the sound of his laughter ringing in my ears. When I came to a stop, Marie was staring up at me with a look I hadn’t seen before.
Her green eyes were wide and bright, an intensity contained within them. A smile played on her lips as she watched us. Winking at her as I set Austin down, I tackled both him and Tommy gently to the ground. The boys squealed and giggled, squirming as they tried to get up from under me and push me to the ground.
Yeah... Between Austin’s happy laughter and the expression on Marie’s face as she watched us, I could definitely see myself doing this for a damn long time.
Chapter Eighteen
Marie
Clouds were gathering outside my kitchen window, smudging out the sun as they crowded out the blue sky. I stood in front of my stove, staring at the pancakes I was making for breakfast. Bubbles were starting to form in the batch I had in the pan. I flipped them absently, my mind somewhere completely different.
Jeremy had stayed over again last night. We’d taken Austin for lunch together after tee-ball, then he spent the rest of the afternoon with us. I didn’t have to go to work and neither did he, so it was the three of us going around town together like it was an everyday thing for us.
After Austin went to bed, Jeremy had taken me to mine again and proceeded to blow my mind. Several times. With him, I was learning why people wrote books about sex. Why it fueled entire industries and even why some people became addicted to it.
Before, with Wesley, it had been almost like a chore to me. It could be mildly pleasurable at times but that was about it. With Jeremy, there was nothing mild about it. He drove me wild, took me places I didn’t know existed and then did it all over again.
Being with him was an exquisite experience that I would live in, if I could. And not only for my own pleasure, but for his too. I found myself doing things I previously would’ve considered absurd, like buying naughty lingerie and fantasizing while I made pancakes.
I forced my attention back to the pancakes. Scooping them up with a spatula, I added them to the growing pile next to me and poured more batter in the pan. I was moving mechanically, my mind lingering on Jeremy.
He’d left hours ago, but I could still feel him imprinted on my body—the feel of him filling me, his hands and mouth driving me to madness. Just thinking about him now sent heat curling through me.
But it wasn’t just my body that was hung up on him.
Try as I might to deny it, I was falling for him. Big time. My heart was in deep. When Jeremy, Austin and I were together, I felt as if I could see glimpses into what our future could maybe, just maybe be like. If I was really, really lucky. And if I could resolve everything with Wesley.
Before I managed to do that, there was no way I could start focusing on the future. My nerves tightened the way they always did when my mind wandered to Wesley. The thought of him completely obliterated the lingering happiness and knee-weakening memories of my night with Jeremy.
The only blot on the weekend was when Jeremy mentioned he’d found an attorney recommended by his brothers for family law. Though I was near desperate for a good attorney to help me with the case, the cost of it worried me. Jeremy had insisted he’d help. Normally, I’d argue the point. In fact, I wasn’t comfortable with it, but my desperation to make sure Wesley didn’t get custody of Austin overrode everything else. I told myself I’d find a way to pay Jeremy back.
The moment I thought of Wesley, my mind recalled the note he’d left. A familiar feeling of dread settled heavily in my stomach when I thought about how he’d filed for custody, and terror clawed at me when I tried to imagine what my life would be like if he took Austin away from me.
Fear rose from my belly, making my heart gallop and choking me as it climbed up my throat. It tasted bitter on the back of my tongue. The pancakes suddenly seeming unappetizing.
A sharp knock at the door startled me. I was paralyzed for a second, irrationally afraid that Wesley was here to take Austin from me already. Austin’s excited voice calling from the living room cued me that wasn’t the case, relaxing me and making me want to burst into tears at the same time.
“Grandpa’s here!”
I heard him running to the front door, then found him waiting dutifully for me when I stepped out of the kitchen. He knew better than to open our door. No matter who we thought was outside, he always waited for me to confirm before we let them in. It was a habit we’d picked up when Wesley used to randomly stop by to ‘check’ on us.
At the time, I’d thought it was just the way things were, it was only much later that I realized how scary and invasive those unannounced visits had actually been. Squaring my shoulders, I shoved Wesley into the far corners of my mind.
I hadn’t seen my father for ages, and I was excited for brunch with him. I’d almost forgotten about it in the heat of another night with Jeremy, but Austin had reminded me earlier. Swinging open the door, I gave my father a wide smile as Austin wrapped his arms around his legs. “Whoa there, bud. Come give grandpa a proper hug.”
My father dropped to his haunches, opening his arms wide for Austin. The two hugged like the long lost best buds I knew them to be, then my dad pushed up off the floor and drew me in for a hug too. “There’s my girl. How are you?”
“I’m good, dad,” I said, my voice thick with unshed tears. I’d missed my dad so much, and it was such a relief to see him. “You?”
“Now that I’m back home and here with you two, I’m just perfect,” he told me, smiling as we stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind us. “Smells good in here. We havin’ pancakes?”
&n
bsp; “Just the way you like them.” Which meant both blueberry and chocolate chips, with loads of syrup for the plain ones. “I hope you came hungry.”
He patted his still flat stomach. “Always.”
We talked as I led him to the table, waiting until he and Austin were settled and chatting about tee-ball practice yesterday before I went to grab the pancakes from the kitchen. Leaning in the doorframe on my way back to the table, I took a good, long look at my dad.
I hadn’t seen him since I’d moved back to Cypress Creek, and he’d aged a little since the last time we’d had brunch like this a couple of months ago. His hair was now more salt than pepper and the lines on his face were deeper, more defined.
My mother and I weren’t close. She’d been largely absent in my life because of a persistent drug problem she kept insisting she had under control but didn’t, and my dad was really all I had. He’d always been overprotective of me and the last few times we’d spoken on the phone, he’d told me how relieved he was that I’d moved back to Cypress.
He worked out of town a couple of months a year, which was why I hadn’t seen him since moving back, but when he was around we saw as much of each other as we could. We used to have brunches like this every so often and it was a tradition I enjoyed.
“You going to stand there gawking all day?” his gruff voice asked now, drawing my attention back to the table.
I smiled fondly, running my fingers lightly through his hair when I set the pancakes down on the table. “Nope, I was just wondering when you were going to stop by the salon so I can color the gray away for you.”
He scoffed, feigning hurt by pressing his hands to his chest. “Me? Never. It’s called aging gracefully, child. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmured, dishing up pancakes for all of us. Austin and my dad raked the syrup closer quickly and kept it between them for the rest of the meal. Both knew I didn’t really like syrup, so neither offered it to me as they smothered their pancakes with it.
We kept the conversation light and away from Wesley until Austin was done eating, pushing his chair back and informing us that he was going to go back to building his puzzle. Only after he was gone did my dad turn to me, his expression becoming serious.
“What’s going on with that Wesley character now? You’ve lost weight and you look like you’re carrying the world around on your shoulders again.” My father had been about me for years. He knew about Wesley’s history with me, and it had always pained him that I was in Savannah. It might not be too far away, but it was enough for him to worry.
Sighing deeply, I knew there would be no hiding from the truth with him. He could see right through me. As much as I wanted to spare him the worry about the custody battle, I had to tell him about it.
“He’s filing for full custody of Austin.”
“What?” my father roared, his face turning red.
“Keep your voice down,” I told him, though I fully understood his need to yell and scream. I had the very same need whenever I thought about Wesley. “Austin doesn’t know.”
“Of course, of course,” he said, quieter now even though his skin was still flushed with anger. “Sorry. I just… I can’t believe this.”
“I know, me either,” I admitted. “He’s also still threatening me. I’ve started… seeing someone. Sort of. And a couple of weeks ago Wesley left me a note on my windshield that if I didn’t stop seeing him, he’d do something to the guy.”
“Who’s the guy?” my father asked, leaning forward as he propped his elbows on the table and studied me. There was keen interest in his eyes, as deep brown as mine were green.
“His name is Jeremy,” I told him, blushing as I said his name. I swear it didn’t matter how old I got, talking to my dad about guys was still uncomfortable. “Jeremy Lovett.”
My dad nodded approvingly. “The construction brother, I like him.”
Nearly choking on a sip of orange juice I was taking, I stared at my dad. “Excuse me?”
He chuckled. “This is a small town sweetheart. The notoriety that family has, most people around here know a lot about their business. Even if you don’t really care about the gossip, like me, you still hear things.”
“I didn’t realize they were quite so… notorious,” I said, recovering by chugging more juice.
“Come on, Marie.” My dad shrugged. “They’ve always been well known around these parts. You remember that, surely?”
“Of course.”
“Well, back then it was because those folks were rich, had five boys who each excelled at something. Hell, maybe even that there were five of them running around was enough already, but you know what I mean. Football was Jeremy’s sport, if memory serves.”
“Yeah.”
“You see, even I know a little about them because it’s practically unavoidable to hear about them in this town if you’ve got ears. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that Jeremy and his brothers are all good guys. Their dad got in a mess legally, but they’re not to blame for that. My old buddy Doc who just handed over his construction company to Jeremy has nothing but respect for him. Says he’s smart, honest and hard working. You deserve a man like that.”
“It’s because he’s a good guy that I’m worried for him. Wesley...”
“Is a nut job,” my father finished for me. “I know that. I understand why you’re worried, but you can’t keep letting Wesley run your life.”
“Maybe.” I lifted my hand to my mouth to chew on my fingernail, an old nervous habit. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I stopped because I knew it would worry my dad. Resting my hand on the table, I took a slow breath.
My dad reached over and gave my hand a squeeze, looking over at me earnestly. “Not maybe. You can’t, he’s taking enough away from you as it is. And look, I don’t have much money to spare, but I’ll help you however I can, okay?”
“No, Dad. I’ll make a plan.” I couldn’t take his money, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Gently squeezing my hand, fierce determination crept into his eyes. “Nonsense. We’ll figure this out. It’s not just you he’s threatening to take the boy away from.”
Tears stung my eyes as my heart filled with gratitude. My dad had always supported me, he’d been my pillar of strength for as long as I could remember. I was beyond lucky to have a dad like him.
“Sure, okay. We’ll talk about it.”
“And baby,” he said, waiting until I met his twinkling eyes. “I’m glad you’ve found someone. You deserve to be happy.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jeremy
“You ready for this?” I asked Marie when I picked her up on Wednesday for our meeting with the attorney.
She was a little pale, but she nodded and strapped herself in. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“I’ll be right there with you every step of the way,” I assured her, taking her hand and nestling it under mine on the gear lever after planting a quick kiss on it. “Tyson and Sonny both know this attorney, and they both think she’s great.”
Marie exhaled on a deep sigh, her eyes drifting to the tree lined street we were driving down. “I guess. I’m sure she is, I just… I think I’ll feel better when it’s over with.”
I didn’t know how long it was going to be before it really was all over with, but I gave her hand a squeeze and made a right toward downtown Cypress. “Me too, but we’ll get through it together okay?”
“Okay,” She agreed, turning her palm under my hand so she would wind her fingers around mine.
I’d been relieved when she didn’t push the issue on paying for the attorney. When I’d told her about it, I’d expected some push back. Marie was independent, and I hadn’t forgotten how prickly she could get about taking care of her and Austin on her own. While I’d sensed her internal struggle, she’d quietly thanked me and assured me she’d find a way to pay me back later. I didn’t give a damn if she did, but I knew it meant something to
her. The sad part was I sensed she didn’t turn down the offer of help because she was too scared Wesley might find a way to take Austin from her. That infuriated me because this was nothing but a game to him.
We held hands all the way to the attorney’s offices. I didn’t let go as we parked and made our way inside. Even anxious as she was, Marie still took my breath away. She wore lightweight capris today with a loose blouse. With her dark hair falling in shaggy layers, that temping streak of red peeking out among the locks, her clear green gaze and—fuck me—her lush lips, well she slayed me.
I nudged my thoughts off that track. We were here for a professional meeting. About Marie’s ex no less. The last thing I needed to be doing was lusting after her right now.
“This looks expensive,” Marie breathed, pausing as soon as we stepped through the doors of the building. I couldn’t argue with her.
The lobby was expansive for a place in Cypress, complete with marble floors and gold trim on the railings and curtain rods. Two sweeping staircases led from either side of it to the second story where I assumed the offices were located, while a big desk with a large window behind it greeted us.
Down the halls to either side of us were a collection of doors, most of them open and looking like conference rooms with round wooden tables in them. I wasn’t uncomfortable in places like this. It had nothing on my dad’s office growing up or even Beau’s office now, but I could see Marie wasn’t feeling confident.
“Don’t let it get to you,” I urged her. “They’re stuck in here all day dealing with boring stuff, might as well make it pretty to look at.”
She rolled her eyes at me, but cracked a small smile as we walked up to the gatekeeper, or receptionist depending on how you thought of her. The woman had glossy pink nails and her makeup was at least an inch thick, a cool expression on her face as she regarded us. “May I help you?”
“We’re here for Ms. Steele,” I told her, my tone matching the attorney’s last name. “We have an appointment for Lovett and Nix.”