While It Lasts

by Paige Rion

  “When did you sneak in here?” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

  “Dad! You’re crushing me. You’re lying on my arm.” She balled her fist and punched him in the side.

  He winced and sat up, rubbing his arm. At least he taught her how to throw a good punch.

  “What time is it?” He rubbed his eyes and peered at the alarm clock on his nightstand with bleary eyes. “Oh, shit.” He jumped from the bed and moved to his dresser.

  “Daddy, that’s a bad word,” Molly quipped in a parental tone.

  “It’s after nine o’clock and you have school,” he said, yanking on a pair of jeans. “Go to your room and get dressed.”

  “Do I have to go to school today?” she asked, and he could detect the oncoming whine-fest.

  “Yes, you have to go to school. What kind of question is that?”

  Molly sighed and flopped back on the bed in her flannel pajamas. “I’d rather stay here and hang out with you.”

  He shook his head and pulled on a T-shirt. “I have work to do.”

  Molly lifted her head, her eyes gleaming. “Are you seeing that woman again? The one from last night?”

  That snapped her out of it, he mused.

  He hesitated before answering, knowing he was approaching dangerous territory. He didn’t want to lie to Molly, but he certainly didn’t want her getting it into her head that they would be staying in Callaway Cove or that she would get a new mother out of this.

  “Probably. But it’s for work.”

  “Right,” she said, sitting up, criss-cross applesauce. “But it’s sort of a date.”

  Running a hand through his hair, he drew in a deep breath. “Sort of, but it’s not really like that.”

  “Miss Jenny said that you’re probably dating her but that you just don’t want to get my hopes up. Or that you’re afraid if I meet her, I’ll get attached.”

  Colton glanced at the ceiling, muttering a silent oath. “Did she, now? Remind me to thank her.” He ought to find a less nosy replacement, but knew he would do no such thing. Good babysitters were hard to find, and Jenny was a peach. Plus, seeing as how Colton was lacking in the trust department, switching sitters on a whim wasn’t an option.

  Molly continued to stare at him. Suddenly, his throat went bone dry. Grabbing the bottle of water off the nightstand, he took a sip.

  “Did you kiss her?”

  Colton choked, coughing and sputtering liquid everywhere. He croaked, “I don’t think we should be discussing this.”

  “You did.” Molly grinned, placing her face in her hands. Her little fingers made indentations in her chubby cheeks. “I bet it was a good one too.”

  “Okay,” Colton said, setting the water down. “Come on, get up. You shouldn’t even know about kissing.”

  Molly rolled her eyes. “I watch the Disney movies, Dad. I know about kissing. Everyone does.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Five. She’s only five.

  “I’m not going to even comment on that. Let’s just go. Get ready.”

  “So, do I get to meet her?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Molly’s face fell and all the excitement faded from her expression. His phone rang, and since Molly was right beside the nightstand, she picked it up. At his warning glare, she stopped herself from answering it and instead satisfied her curiosity by glancing at the caller ID. “Ra-chel,” she read.

  Her gaze snapped to his. “It’s her, isn’t it?”

  Colton stopped himself from leaping across the room and snatching up the phone. “That’s her.” He suppressed the fluttering inside his chest and forced his expression to remain placid, but Molly beamed.

  “Well, answer it!” she yelled.

  “I will.”

  “But you said you’re going to see her today.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Come on. You need to go out with her again.”

  “Tell you what, go get dressed, and I’ll answer the phone.”

  “And you’ll go on another date?” she asked, her eyes alight.

  “If you get ready in five minutes.”

  “Deal!” She scrambled off his bed, shoved the phone into his hands, and ran from the room.

  Colton answered, all the while telling himself he only did it to get her out of the room and ready for school.

  * * *

  Rachel pulled up to Lake View Park. She was right on time and pleased to see Rex waiting for her, his figure silhouetted through the tint of the hulking SUV’s windows. She parked and got out of her car as her nerves jumped. Smoothing the skirt of her black dress, she made her way to his vehicle.

  So much had happened in the time she spent with him last night. He opened up to her, revealing a part of himself he never had to anyone before, and she found out Carma was pregnant, hiding somewhere in Callaway Cove, likely fleeing the hands of her abusive step-father—all in the span of one night.

  She tightened the shawl around her shoulders, barely protected against the cold. But when Rex rolled down his window at her approach, she was instantly warmed.

  He whistled appreciatively. “Don’t you look nice. So, where are we off to? All I get is a clandestine call about meeting you in a suit and tie,” he said, nodding to his clothes. “I don’t just dress up for anyone, you know.”

  Rachel smiled back, trying to suppress the way her heart fluttered in response. She dragged a hand through the length of her hair, trying to make sense of her feelings for him. It’s okay, she told herself. While it lasts...

  “It’s a charity event. At the new children’s hospital. I’m supposed to go and read to the kids. It’s one of the few events for my father that I don’t mind and thought it would be nice to have company.” While it was the truth, she couldn’t deny her ulterior motive. She wanted to change any negative image he may have of her, and she figured this might be the event to do it.

  His expression warmed. “I didn’t realize you were such a softie, Miss Beaumont,” he said as he stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the other side, where he opened the passenger door.

  He waved his hand, gesturing for her to get in, which she did. As soon as they were on the road, she gave him directions, and then settled in for the ride.

  “I was glad you called this morning,” he said.

  “Were you?”

  “Yes, of course.” He glanced at her, a frown forming on his lips.

  “I’m teasing.” She grinned.

  Nodding, his gaze returned to road. “How’s your friend? Did you find her?”

  Rachel shook her head, as the image of Carma, with her tiny frame and protruding stomach flashed in her head.

  “I was thinking...” he said. “If what Andi said was true and she’s running from the law, she’s only making things worse for herself. If you find her, you should convince her to turn herself in. If it’s her first offense, they may be gentler on her.”

  Rachel shrugged. She had given this very thing some thoughts in the wee hours of the morning where both images of Carma and Rex kept her awake. And yet she had no more clarity on what the right thing to do was.

  “Maybe. Or maybe we should just help her hide. Disappear.”

  As much as she hated the thought of never spending time with Carma again, she wondered if that might be the best thing for her.

  “You can’t do that.” His hands tensed on the steering wheel. “You’d be an accessory. You’d—”

  “So?” Rachel could feel her anger burning, deep in her chest like a match to dry tinder.

  “So? Maybe because it’s the law. Because you could get yourself into a world of trouble.”

  Rachel clamped her mouth shut. She tried to smother the flames of her anger, but she couldn’t. They bit at her chest, until she couldn’t contain them.

  “Well, aren’t you noble? The loan shark believes in following rules and the law, as long as they don’t apply to him. Life has been cruel to Carma. If anyone should un
derstand that, it’s you. You understand a horrific childhood filled with abuse. Maybe what she did was wrong, but she deserves a break. She needs the protection of the law, not the other way around.”

  Rex glanced away from her and both of them said nothing for a moment. He finally broke the silence. “I don’t know the situation, and I never claimed to. I just don’t want to see you get in trouble. You’re good.”

  “She was abused. By her stepfather. In heinous and cruel ways. She stole. It was wrong, there’s no doubt about that, but she was desperate. She was scared, and now she’s still scared. She’s...” Her voice trailed off, not wanting to reveal too much to this man next to her, whom she wanted to trust, but realized she couldn't. Not really. Not with the situation at hand.

  “I need to help her,” she said, her voice heavy, betraying her emotion.

  Rex pulled into the parking lot of the new hospital and turned to her, but before he could say anything, she shook her head. “Forget it.”

  Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face. She fought the part of her that wanted him to hold her, to erase the strain of the last twenty-four hours with his kisses, replacing it with the knowledge she needed, that everything would work itself out. And she didn’t just mean with Carma, but with her feelings for him, as well.

  “Let’s go,” she said, and then opened her door.

  He followed her and they walked to the hospital. Rachel made her way into the entrance. Her father stood in front of the information desk, waiting for her, flanked by her mother. He spoke to his assistant, probably giving them orders. It only took him a moment to turn and spot her. His smile was instantaneous, but in the moment it took him to shift his gaze to Rex, it fell completely.

  His forehead creased, and before she could prepare herself, he crossed the room with his clipped stride. In an instant, he grabbed Rachel’s arm, and between gritted teeth, said, “A word, please?”

  He pulled her aside as her gaze shifted to Rex, who seemed relaxed in complete juxtaposition to the tension radiating off her father. “What the hell are you doing here with him?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Rachel met his fiery gaze.

  “The hell you don’t. That’s... Do you even know who that is?”

  “Oh, of course. His name is Rex.” She gasped, feigning innocence. “Why? Do you know him?”

  “Of course I know him,” her father sputtered. The vein in his forehead began to pulse, as he glanced to Rex and back. “He’s....”

  “What? Mom’s loan shark? I know.”

  His eyes shifted away from her to Rex, then back again. “How did you even meet him?”

  “I sought him out. After they showed up at the house the other day, I went to see if I could find him. I figured there may be a way for me to persuade him to let all this go. To forget about all of it. And, you know, I think he will. He’s not like you would imagine.”

  “You have no idea what you’re saying. He’s bad news. I don’t want my daughter being seen with someone like him.”

  “Dad—”

  “No arguing. Today will be the last you see of him. Your mother’s affairs and mine are none of your concern and I don’t want you getting involved with people I work with. All I need you to do is get through this luncheon looking like the lady you are, with a smile on your face and as much grace as you can muster as you read to the children. I don’t want to speak of this again. And I don’t want to see him with you again. Understood?”

  Rachel’s jaw clenched, her hands balling into fists by her side. She glanced at Rex, who stared at her, his eyes a question. “Fine,” she said, returning her gaze to her father.

  “And you don’t see that man again after today. Got it?”

  “Whatever you say, Father,” she said, but the smile she plastered on her face was bitter.

  “Good. Now,” he said, tightening the knot of his tie. “Let’s go address the staff. The media is waiting. Put that pretty smile of yours back on your face.”

  She turned away, moving toward Rex and trying to stifle the fury bubbling beneath the perfect daughter façade. Never before had she felt so completely insulted. She had begrudged her father before, angered by his demands, by his lack of consideration for her, for what she wanted, but never before had she felt quite this offended. Did he really think he could boss her around like she was still a little girl? She was a grown woman.

  As she took Rex’s offered arm, she glanced up at him. Suddenly, her father’s words struck her and her mouth dropped open. Had he misspoken? Or was Rex really someone else to him entirely?

  She shook off the sting of shock and focused on walking—one step in front of the other—as she mulled over his choice of words. I don’t want you getting involved with people I work with.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Colton tried to remain level-headed as he watched Rachel, poised on the edge of her seat, reading animatedly from a children’s book. Tiny faces, intent on her words, stared up at her and the pages of the book. Some were without a lick of hair, the result of fighting the firm grasp of cancer. Others were bandaged from surgery or strapped to breathing tanks.

  She screwed up her face when the troublesome monkey in the story got caught stealing bananas from the restaurant kitchen and the children laughed. The inflection in her voice matched the story perfectly, and as she glanced out at the children while reading, he saw the genuine warmth in her pale blue eyes, along with the truth. Yes, she did this for her father, but she did it for the children more. She wasn’t sitting up there wishing she were somewhere else. Her heart was completely invested.

  She read to the kids in front of her with a maternal warmth Colton would’ve thought impossible for a woman who had never borne her own children. Her expressions, her tone, the way she laughed with them, all of it spoke to her person. She seemed to want to make a difference in their day, even if just a half hour of happiness at storytime, where they could forget that they were patients in a hospital. Forget that various illnesses ravaged their bodies. Forget the scars from surgery, the nausea from chemo, the pinpricks of needles, if even for an instant.

  And for a moment, he did the unthinkable. The most dangerous, absurd thing a man in his position could do. For a second, he pictured her reading to his Molly the way she did for the children in front of him. Perhaps choosing a book from the little shelf in her room, contemplating over which they should start with, then curling up on Mol’s small bed and reading by the light of her pink bedside lamp.

  Rex pressed his eyes shut. Molly would love her, he thought, He pushed the thought away as quickly as it came, because it was the most toxic of poisons.

  He watched as she finished the story and snapped the book shut. The children begged her for just one more, and she graciously agreed.

  Colton felt the presence next to him, like a hovering storm cloud, and he knew who it was without even having to look. In fact, he was surprised it took him this long.

  “Mayor,” Colton said, his tone one of indifference.

  Charles Beaumont moved beside him and took a seat, both of them only yards away from his daughter, watching her as she read.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Rex?” he asked.

  The corners of Colton’s mouth curled in a smug grin. “Whatever do you mean, Mayor?”

  “Cut it out and be real for a minute. What are you doing with my daughter?”

  “Why? Does it bother you?” Colton asked, more annoyed than he should be at Beaumont’s obvious anger at his presence.

  “Of course it bothers me. Rachel is a lady. Your image may be a positive one in the public eye, co-founder of a respectable charity. But we both know better.”

  “Yes, we do. You know just as well as anyone. Don’t you?” Colton’s voice was hard as stone. There’s no way he was going to let this patronizing fool think that he could intimidate him or act like he was holier than thou.

  He glanced at Beaumont, waiting for him to look him in the eye. This man is a pie
ce of work.

  When the mayor finally met his gaze, he said, “You’re fine to do business with. I think we have an arrangement that satisfies both of us, but my daughter is not a part of that. I want her to date someone who isn’t just pretending to be honorable. I don’t want her directly wrapped up in any of this.”

  Colton laughed, a bitter snort. “Like you?”

  Beaumont’s face reddened and he clenched his jaw. “The money I get is used for the better good of Callaway Cove. I use it for campaign money, to ensure that any old baboon doesn’t steal the mayoral seat and destroy this town. I make it a better place. Just look around,” he said, glancing at the parents, the hospital staff, and children with pride. “That’s more than I can say for you.”

  “That’s right. I forgot.” Colton’s mouth flattened into a grim line. “None of that money I give you goes toward private yachts or vacations to glittering beaches or cabins in the mountains. Does it? Come on, Beaumont, the mayoral seat in Callaway Cove doesn’t pay that much. And you’re old money, but your account isn’t padded that much. I happen to have my sources and know that for a fact you lost boatloads in the housing crisis a few years back.”

  Beaumont’s eyes burned into him. “Am I supposed to feel threatened by you? I think you’re confused as to who holds all the power here.”

  There were so many things Colton wanted to say, but he already said enough. Who was he fighting for? Rachel?

  The notion that he had completely fallen out of character was not lost on him. He was supposed to be in business with the mayor. He was supposed to want him on his side. His role as Rex meant that he wanted Beaumont’s support to regulate and eventually approve the underground gambling operations they had going. Right now, they were under the guise of the veterans’ charity, but without the mayor’s help, and turning a blind eye, he’d be screwed. And it infuriated Colton that he had to pretend right now, which in and of itself reeked of trouble. Why should he be angry? This was his job. He’d never minded having to work undercover, hand in hand with criminals, before. It was just a means to an end. Gather information. Build a case. Then arrest.