Blair

The plate slips out of my hand and bangs against the counter as the silverware on top of it tumbles to the floor. The racket echoes through the small space, making it only seem that much louder.

“Did you lather yourself in baby oil before your shift today or what?”

I don’t look up from the slate grey counter when Krista steps up beside me. I’ve been a wreck all night, and with each passing second it only gets worse.

“I’m just off tonight.”

“That’s an understatement,” she adds with a laugh. “Wilber said he’s gonna glue skid pads to your hands so you won’t drop anything else.” Wilber is our seventy-two-year-old boss and an all-around great guy. Like a grandfather to us all, he spoils us and never once has he gotten angry, even when he should. “Thank goodness you have less than an hour before your shift ends.”

She hurries away after grabbing what she came for and I look up at the clock, verifying what she said. Forty-eight minutes…that’s how long I have until Isabelle meets her daddy. Though he saw her only a couple days ago, it all seems like a blur.

I guess it’s the unknown that terrifies me so much. Where do we go from here? How do I share her with him?

“He’s here.” I spin around, and in the process knock a fork to the floor. Krista is standing behind me, her brow arched as she looks down at the floor between us. Numerous utensils remain at my feet, my hands shake, and though no one can see it, my stomach is tied in knots. Forget knots; I’m so tangled up inside I feel like I’m going to keel over.

“Who’s here?” I already know she means Jake, but I guess I’m hoping for some luck that she means Will or someone else instead.

Krista reaches out and grabs my arms. “First off, you need to calm down.”

I nod, but I am anything but calm.

“Jake just sat down in your area, and Carol got him something to drink.” Again I nod.

“Is he alone?”

“Yes.” She smiles because she knows me too well. “Is this about you being nervous over him with Izzy? Or is it more of you being worried that he is with someone else and you’re gonna be forced to watch that?”

“Iz,” I say, but am well aware that it comes out sounding more like a question. “Okay, maybe both.” My shoulders sag, my heart beats rapidly, and I suddenly feel exhausted. “I can’t let myself feel the things I’m feeling, not for him. Not after everything that’s happened.”

Krista says nothing, only lets me ramble on with my self-lecture.

“He can’t just show up here a year later, then we fall back into the time before it all went wrong. He lied, he pretended to be someone else, that can’t be forgotten. Having a child doesn’t change a thing, being a cop, changing his life, it doesn’t erase the past. It can’t. Right?”

“It’s not me that you need to be asking those questions of, Blair.” Krista never let me have the easy way out. “You’re the only one that holds those answers, babe. This is your life and Isabelle’s.”

I hate that there are no easy answers to this mess, but I get what she is saying. I’m the one who holds onto those memories, those fears. I’m the one who has been wronged. It’s up to me.

“He’s here for Isabelle,” I say with a firm nod, standing tall and squaring my shoulders. “This is not about me, or him. It’s about Iz meeting her daddy and them getting the chance to build a connection. Nothing else matters.”

I ignore the way she throws out that are you sure look she often gives. Bending over, I quickly pick up my mess, wipe away any excess from the floor, then toss the rag and all into the bin. “I have customers,” I say over my shoulder as I step back out through the swinging doors into the dining area.

Immediately my eyes find him, zoning in on him like he’s the only person seated in my area. And as if he feels me too, he lifts his gaze and instantly a grin covers his lips. I may still hold a grudge, I may still be hurt beyond belief that he wasn’t honest with me from the start, but nothing can diminish the pull I feel toward this man. From the first time I saw him behind the bar at Miller’s, I swear he reached inside me and held my heart in the palm of his hand. I want to hate him, I want to ensure that what I felt for him will never resurface, but I know in that very second living by those rules will be difficult.

I force my legs to move, but with each step I feel my stomach growing tighter and tighter.

“Sorry, I know I’m early.” He doesn’t wait for me to say anything as I pause near the end of his table. “I did try to waste time driving around town, even looked at a few places with a Realtor^® today.”

Though he already mentioned once finding a more permanent place here in town, hearing it again once again gets my nervous energy going.  

“But then I ended up here and sitting in the car for over an hour got difficult, so here I am.” Jake shrugs, leaning back in his seat as he tosses his arm over the back of the booth.

I had the words I wanted to say etched out in my mind on my way over to the table, but suddenly I can’t remember them. So instead I stand there staring at him, looking like some kinda fool, I’m sure.

“Figure I’ll eat something.” He points toward the menu he has stretched out in front of him. “What’s good?”

“Anything.” My voice squeaks. His eyebrows shoot up and his forehead crinkles. I quickly clear my throat, lifting my notepad from the front of my apron and focus on it instead. “But I’m biased because Wilber is by far my favorite boss and I wouldn’t speak a harsh word about him or his menu.” Just pick something, anything.

“In that case, let me have the…” His mouth moves but I don’t hear the words. Or maybe I hear them but they don’t register in my mind. “And can I get extra jalapeños in that? All chicken though, no shrimp.”

I nod, staring at the notepad because sooner or later the guy is gonna catch onto the fact I was staring at his mouth, his eyes, and his hands.

“The fajitas are my favorite.” I look to my left to see Carol standing there just as she sets an iced tea on the table. When she offers me a wink, I feel my cheeks heat. She’d caught me, that’s obvious. I’m thankful she swooped in to rescue me though, now that I don’t have to have Jake repeat his order. Or worse, get him something he didn’t even want.

“I’ll go put this in.” I step back leaving them to socialize. I know eventually everyone in town will know who he is to me and to my daughter. It’s only a matter of time.

For the next thirty minutes or so, I do all I can to ignore the fact that Jake is here. I wait on the rest of my customers as if my entire world isn’t shifting beneath my feet. I smile, though I can feel it is forced. I laugh along with the customers who share humorous stories or funny jokes. I even make it a point to ask if things are okay as I quickly hurry from one location to the next.

Five minutes before my shift ends I look toward the door just in time to see Will and Marcy stepping inside, with Matthew and Isabelle in tow. They pause near the door as they look behind them just before Shawn steps inside.

And my heart sinks.

Since he knows the guys, he has met Izzy a time or two. So when he reaches out and skims his finger over her cheek, then leans in closer to talk to her, I instantly look over at Jake to see if he notices.

Seeing his nostrils flaring as he also looks in the direction of the door confirms he definitely notices.

“She looks just like her beautiful mom.” I jump at the sound of Shawn’s voice. They’d moved in closer and were now only a few feet away without me even realizing it. All I can think is He is a complete idiot. Besides her little toe on both feet that had a slight bend just like mine, Isabelle looks nothing like me.

Shawn reaches out and places his hand on my hip before leaning in and pressing a kiss to my cheek. The entire gesture throws me off as my eyes widen in surprise.

“We were just telling Shawn that Isabelle’s daddy is in town.” I can instantly see the apologetic look that covers Marcy’s face. “He showed up to see if he could catch you before you left.”

“You’ve been dodging my invites for that second date,” Shawn smiles and I just want to punch him. How can one person be so dense?

I don’t get the opportunity to decline. I don’t even have to turn around to know that Jake is standing behind me. Will, Marcy, and even Shawn are looking over my shoulder.

“I’m Jake.” His deep raspy voice rings out and covers me like a smoldering blanket. “This little beauty’s daddy.” He points toward Isabelle, who is safely tucked against Will’s chest.

Shawn seems so out of place as he stands there with a displeased look on his face. It’s almost like he feels he has some entitlement over Jake when it comes to Izzy and even me.

“I’m Will. I believe you know my sister Whitney?”

“I do.” Jake places his hand against Will’s outstretched palm and they share a firm shake. “This is my wife, Marcy, and our son, Matthew.”

“Nice to meet you all.” Jake steps closer and I can feel the heat of his body now pressing to my side. Marcy offers a smile, before her gaze meets mine and she wags her brows. Yes, I know he’s very easy and I do mean easy on the eyes.

“I’m Shawn.” He shifts his body like a standoff to Jake and offers a nod in my direction. “I’m a close friend of Blair’s.” It’s my turn to narrow my eyes at Shawn. He can’t be serious right now. “Funny thing is she never mentioned anything about Isabelle’s father. Only that he wasn’t in the picture.”

“Shawn, I—”

“I am definitely in the picture.” The tone of Jake’s voice suddenly reminds me of one I’d heard before, only not from his lips. Chills cover my arms and the back of my neck and I suddenly feel as though I’m thrown back into that horrific night that took place over a year ago. My hands shake even though I try to hide the trembling. “Had I known that I had a daughter, I would have been here a lot sooner.”