Sweet Entanglement (Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series Book 12)

by Jean C. Gordon

  He let Sonja take Shelley, his gaze connecting with Lauren’s unreadable one. His jaw tightened. Her lawyer expression. What had he expected, her to leap for joy that he might have a child?

  Lauren broke the connection and frowned at her mother. For not correcting Shelley?

  “Jesse-Daddy.” Shelley pointed at him.

  With extreme effort, he attempted a casual shrug and mouthed “maybe” at Lauren.

  Liar, his heart screamed. You know she’s yours. His child. The grandchild his mother had looked forward to having. A child both he and his mother had expected would be with Lauren. His eyes stung and his head clogged.

  “I see,” Sonja said, studying the little girl’s face. She tapped her nose playfully. “I know Jesse.”

  She left off the Daddy part, but he heard it loud and clear, and he was sure Lauren had, too.

  “Mommy gone. Aunt Tara gone,” Shelley repeated.

  “You poor darling,” Sonja snugged Shelley with none of the awkwardness he’d had. “Why don’t we sit down to talk?” When neither he nor Lauren said anything, Sonja tugged Lauren to a weather-beaten, ornate wrought iron bench.

  Jesse followed, an unexpected depression in the ground triggering the unpredictable weakness in his foot. He glanced at Lauren and Sonja. They hadn’t noticed his almost-stumble. But he’d caught Sonja’s moral support. Was she supporting him because of their business deal? A deal that wasn’t final. He closed that hallway in his mind. He was way in over his head and would take help wherever offered.

  Lauren and her mother sat, one at each end of the bench as if Lauren didn’t want to be too close to Shelley. He stood resting his hand on the bench back near her and flexed his ankle.

  “Jesse, you sit, too,” Sonja said.

  His innate obstinance told him to say no I’ll stand. But his ankle needed a break.

  “Jesse-Daddy sit,” Shelley repeated.

  He wedged himself between the two women, trying unsuccessfully to avoid having his whole left side touching Lauren.

  “Good boy,” Shelley said, bringing a smile to even Lauren’s face.

  Shelley scrambled onto his lap and touched his stubbled cheek. With her on his lap and Lauren so close next to him, it was a double-teamed effort to rob the whole atmosphere—or at least the part he had access to—of oxygen.

  “Tell me what happened.” Lauren’s no-nonsense tone counteracted Shelley’s stroking his cheek, and Jesse choked in a big breath.

  He glanced from Lauren to Shelley to Sonja and back to Lauren. “Uh, little ears.” Even in her lawyer armor, Lauren had to know that hearing them talk about her and her aunt was apt to upset Shelley.

  “Shelley, sweetie. Do you want to pick flowers with me?” Sonja asked, pointing to a clump of flowers growing in wild disorder by the steps to the caretaker’s house about fifty feet away.

  “Yellow,” Shelley said, disentangling herself from Jesse.

  “Yes, yellow jasmine.” Sonja led her away, Jesse’s gaze following.

  Lauren cleared her throat, and he looked away.

  “Scoot down and tell me what’s going on.” She took a tablet from her bag and turned it on.

  As much as he was getting comfortable with Lauren pressed to his side, he moved away so she could let go of the stiff brittle way she’d held herself since he’d sat down.

  With frequent glances toward Sonja and Shelley, he told Lauren about Shelley’s aunt catching him outside tinkering with the ancient lawn tractor, trying to get it running to mow the lawn.

  “You didn’t lock the front gate?” she asked.

  “I didn’t know they locked. I thought they were for decoration.” He anticipated his aw-shucks, what-do-I-know attitude would get him a smile from Lauren. It didn’t.

  “What did the woman look like?”

  “Not too tall. Dark hair, long. Kind of hot.”

  Lauren typed on the tablet, her mouth drawn in a thin line. “You’d recognize her again?”

  A shriek from Shelley had him on the edge of the bench, ready to stand.

  “It’s okay,” Sonja shouted. “She saw a butterfly.”

  He waved to the two of them.

  “You’d recognize her again?” Lauren repeated, her question grating against his patience. Where was the warm Lauren he’d fallen for as a teen and all over again at twenty?

  “Yeah, I know who she is.”

  “You know her?”

  “No, I know who she is. I hooked up with her sister a couple of times.” The expression that flashed on Lauren’s face pinched his heart. But what was with her interrogation? All he wanted was to find out what he needed to do legally to accept his responsibilities. “Tara, the aunt, said everything I needed to know is in the suitcase.”

  Lauren’s response tore through him like a ballistic missile. “Good, Child Protective Services will need that when they come to pick her up.”

  White hot anger radiated from Jesse, who’d bolted from the bench to loom over her. “That wasn’t exactly my plan.”

  Lauren pressed back in the bench to get away from the heat. “I, I …” She what? She didn’t really know. Wanted to strike back at Jesse for seeing other women? That was nonsense. After Jesse had left her, she’d almost become engaged to her law school boyfriend.

  He strode over and retrieved the suitcase as if he had to be doing something physical, returning to the bench with a sheaf of papers in his hand.

  Jesse glanced from the top sheet to her. I’m ninety-nine percent sure she’s my daughter. She has my mother’s first name, looks like pictures of my mother at her age, and the timing is right for her birthdate.” He handed her Shelley’s birth certificate.

  “But you’re not listed as the father. You didn’t sign a Paternity Acknowledgement Affidavit.” She fell back on doing her legal job, explaining the situation.

  He paced in front of her. “I didn’t even know she existed.”

  “Sit down, please.”

  He dropped to the bench with a force that shook it. And her.

  “You said you called me as your attorney. I’m just explaining the legal situation.”

  Jesse set his jaw as he listened.

  “The Department of Social Services will take care of her while they establish paternity,”

  “Foster care?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I called you as a friend, too, not just my lawyer.”

  “I am your friend.” She reached to touch his hand, and he jumped up again, leaving her touching empty air.

  “No kid of mine is going into foster care.”

  “You don’t know she’s your daughter. It’s better if she doesn’t get attached to you if she’s not.

  “You don’t know she isn’t,” he shot back. The fire left his eyes and they softened to a look he’d once had for her. “I knew she was mine from the minute she said her name is Shelley. She looks just like pictures of my mom as a kid.”

  Lauren knew how close Jesse had been to his mother, how much he must miss her. She couldn’t let him accept a child as his because he hadn’t gotten over his mother’s death.

  “We need a potty,” Lauren’s mother interrupted before she could frame the right words to say to Jesse.

  “The cottage is open. I’ll show you,” he said.

  Her mother glanced at the birth certificate and other papers Jesse had in his hand. “No, just tell us. I’ll take her while you and Lauren finish talking.

  “It’s off the kitchen. Once you get inside ...” He gave the directions and continued to look toward the cottage as they walked away, Shelley hopping from foot to foot.

  “They’ll be fine,” Lauren said to get his attention. “Can I look at the other documents you have?”

  “What? Yeah.” He shoved them at her.

  Lauren shuffled the birth certificate to the bottom of the sheaf and stared. She flipped to the next page and swallowed.

  “Something bad?” Jesse asked.

  That depended. Jesse would probably be pleased.
“It’s a will Shelley’s mother did online.” Lauren struggled for the breath to continue. “It leaves all of her property to Shelley and names you as Shelley’s father and guardian.”

  “Let me see.” Jesse sat back next to her, shoulder to shoulder, hip to knee.

  A pulse throbbed in her throat.

  “She’s mine. I knew she was.” His voice was barely a whisper, as if he were in awe. “Woo-hoo!” he shouted.

  His abrupt change made her start.

  He threw his arms around her in a hug.

  Lauren gave herself a moment to enjoy the feel, the memories of Jesse’s arms around her, before she disentangled herself. “Jesse, even with the will, the probate court will have to approve the guardianship.”

  “So, what do I have to do, get a DNA test to prove I’m her biological father?”

  “Basically, and show you can take care of her. If we work through DSS, we can get their support. You can ease into a relationship with Shelley.”

  “And she’d have to go into foster care while we do. No. I’ve known more than a few people who’ve been foster kids and can’t say any of them had fond memories of it.”

  Jesse took her hand, and a shot of warmth ran through her. It would be so easy to give in to him. But, what if Shelley turned out not to be his daughter and he didn’t want her then? Lauren had been a college student when her father had left her mother and essentially cut off contact with Lauren. The hurt was still there. Shelley was a toddler who’d already lost her mother and her aunt. Lauren’s mind went into overtime for an argument Jesse might be open to. Money. He’d always been a saver and a planner for the future when he was finished racing. He was finished now and appeared strapped financially.

  “DNA testing is expensive. If you work through DSS, there’s only a small fee.”

  A muscle worked in his jaw. “Despite appearances the other morning and the fact that most of my investments went to help Dad pay Mom’s medical expenses, I have some left I could sell.”

  “Jesse-Daddy house stinky,” Shelley interrupted.

  Jesse had Lauren so absorbed in him and trying to make her point, she hadn’t noticed Mom and Shelley had returned.

  “It needs airing out and isn’t in as good a shape as I’d hoped.” His voice was flat.

  “You’d need to show you can care properly for her,” Lauren repeated, steeling herself for Jesse’s resistance again.

  His shoulders slumped, draining the steel from her.

  “What’s this about?” her mother asked.

  Jesse spoke before she could. “Crystal, Shelley’s mother, had a will naming me Shelley’s guardian, and as her father, which I guess I need to prove to the court.”

  When he glanced at her, Lauren nodded.

  Her mother sat between them, and Shelley climbed up on his lap. She reached over and touched Lauren’s cheek. “Pretty.”

  Lauren wrestled with the sensations flowing through her and memories of a long-ago conversation with Jesse about how many kids they’d wanted.

  “You and Shelley need a better place to live until you can improve the cottage,” her mother said. “My side of the duplex has three bedrooms, plenty of room for you.”

  Lauren swallowed the lump in her throat. Jesse living right next door to her.

  “I’d pay rent,” he said.

  Her mother waved him off. “We can work that out in our other agreement. You’ll need daycare.”

  “One of the reasons behind my suggestion,” Lauren interjected to get a place in the conversation.

  Her mother looked at her for an explanation.

  “She wants to get DSS involved,” Jesse beat her to it.

  “We don’t need to do that,” her mother said, joining Jesse in shutting her out.

  “Dad,” he said. “I planned to talk him into moving here eventually anyway. This should clinch his decision. I can’t think of anyone I would rather have watching my daughter.”

  “Perfect,” her mother said.

  Heads together, Jesse and her mother discussed their plan.

  Lauren crossed and uncrossed her ankles. “Since you’ve chosen not to take my legal advice … She closed and opened her eyes. Did she sound as priggish to him as she did to herself? Lauren softened her tone. “You may want to have Ray or Gerry handle Crystal’s will. Or another law firm.”

  Jesse’s head shot up.

  That had gotten his attention. Lauren scratched at a nick in one of her otherwise perfectly manicured fingernails. What a case she was. Jealous—that was the only word she could come up with—jealous of Jesse’s attention to her mother and Shelley.

  “No, I want you,” he said.

  Lauren dismissed the fanciful connotations his words conjured in her. He was talking about a business relationship.

  “You’ll represent us? Shelley and me?”

  Three sets of eyes gazed at her in expectation, two sets that were so alike with amber flecks and long lashes. It went against every ounce of better judgment she had, but what else could she say?

  “Yes, I will.”

  What have I done? she asked herself for at least the tenth time since she’d returned to her office. Her plan this morning had been to lure Jesse into leaving town with the deal for the Morrison property, Jesse’s property, that Ray had told her about this morning. She tucked a hair that had strayed from her French braid behind her ear and tried to focus on the documents in front of her. Was that only this morning?

  The ring of the office phone cut short her attempt to get back to work. Maybe Jesse had had second thoughts.

  “Lauren, can we see you in my office,” Ray said in an almost replay of earlier.

  She replaced the receiver. The Jesse she’d know rarely had second thoughts. Except about her. She swallowed. Just like that, the insecure twenty-year-old college student whose father had just left replaced the competent professional woman she’d become. Dad had said I’d always be his girl. Jesse had said he’d wait for me forever. Lauren shook off her ridiculous sentimental thoughts and went to see what Ray wanted.

  “What is this?” he demanded before she’d even gotten all the way into his office. He and Gerry were looking at the computer screen.

  Perversely, she took her time crossing the room so she could see. “New business,” she said, focusing on the folder she’d added in Jesse’s computer records for the probate of Crystal’s will.

  “Didn’t you tell him about Ken’s offer?”

  Lauren didn’t know what the offer had to do with the will. “I did. He’s already made a gentleman’s agreement with someone else.” Although, Ray and Gerry would find out soon enough, she wasn’t going to share now that the agreement was with her mother. “Nothing is finalized yet.”

  “Let us know if the deal is or isn’t finalized,” Gerry said.

  “Yeah,” Ray agreed. “Better yet, talk him out of it.”

  “Ken isn’t happy about the development,” Gerry said.

  His older brother gave him the evil eye. Geez. Ken was the firm’s biggest client, but from Gerry’s comment, you’d think he was their only client. The burger and fries she’d grabbed on her way back after leaving Jesse and her mom still discussing details sat heavy in her stomach. She and Brittany hadn’t had much work lately. Ray and Gerrie handled all of Ken’s work.

  “And the kid-custody thing. How quickly can you wrap that up?” Ray asked.

  “Mr. Brewster is anxious to finalize his guardianship as quickly as possible. Probate of the will will take the usual time.”

  “Yeah, but Brewster doesn’t have to stick around here for that part. I mean, he doesn’t seem like a person who’d be happy in a place like Indigo Bay. I’m sure he’s anxious to get back to his business concerns in California.”

  “Let me know if you have any trouble getting Brewster’s guardianship hearing expedited,” Gerry added. “I can talk to the Family Court judge.”

  Lauren bristled at what she took to be an insinuation that she’d need his help to pull strings or tha
t she would pull strings at all. “I can handle it.”

  “Fine. Do it.” Ray dismissed her.

  Lauren tamped down the urge to stomp back to her office. If Jesse decided to renovate the mansion with her mother, he’d be here months or longer. Much longer if he and his father opened a custom bike shop here. She dropped into her desk chair and opened the filing she’d started for Family Court. The contrariness that had sprouted with her bosses’ comments and attitude had her inclined to take her time on it.

  She knew why she wanted Jesse’s time in Indigo Bay to be as short as possible. She’d admit she wasn’t as immune to Jesse’s charms as she’d like to be. But their past had proven to her, at least, that they wouldn’t work together as a couple. And she’d be a lot more immune to him if he were 2,000 miles away again.

  Lauren stared at the computer screen. What she couldn’t put her finger on was why Ray and Gerry were so anxious to get Jesse out of town.

  C H A P T E R 5

  Jesse sat out on the bench again, head in hands, working out the call to his father in his head. He’d driven Sonja and Shelley and her things to Sonja’s place, and come back to get his bike and pack up what few things of his he’d taken into the cottage yesterday. He’d disappointed his father over the years, particularly by not finishing the engineering degree he’d started out of high school. The degree Dad had said would give him a career to fall back on after his racing career ended. Jesse rotated his bad ankle. Dad had always said Jesse could do better than him, better than running a bike shop. But what was wrong with that? Mom and Dad had been happy and, as far as he could tell, comfortable enough until Mom’s medical bills piled up. And Jesse couldn’t have asked for a better childhood, better parents. They’d always been there for him.

  He breathed in the salty breeze off the ocean. Dad wouldn’t be disappointed about Shelley. Well, maybe about my careless behavior and the circumstances of her birth. He should go ahead and make the call and get back to his daughter. Shelley was his responsibility, not Sonja’s. She’d been more than generous, much more so than Lauren. If he knew Lauren, which was up in the air, she’d only been doing her legal duty to protect him if Shelley wasn’t his. But she was. The little girl was what he and Lauren could have had if he hadn't screwed up.