Chapter Four

When Lydia woke up on Sunday morning, it hit her that she hadn’t thought the whole moving in with Jake thing over very well. Normally, she would have spent her day doing laundry and getting prepared for the week ahead. Sometimes she would have lunch or dinner with a friend, but those get-togethers had grown rare since Crystal met Mark. Naturally, her friend was part of a couple now and spent most of her free time with her man. Lydia didn’t begrudge her that; after all, she’d been that woman once when Brett was alive. Even after three years, she still had trouble adjusting to being single. She’d made joint decisions for so long that she automatically felt like she should consult someone before agreeing to anything.

Not knowing what else to do, she showered and dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted white top. She threw on a pair of low-heeled sandals and took a breath before stepping out into the hall. She was bracing herself to see Jake again when she caught a flash of motion before something slammed into her legs. She rocked back, just barely managing to catch herself. “What the . . .” she murmured as she tried to get her bearings.

Then she heard a giggle before a childish voice asked, “Who are you?”

Lydia looked down to find Jake’s daughter grinning up at her. Dear Lord, the child was more beautiful in person and resembled her daddy even more. And those dimples. Lydia could feel her insides melting into a gooey mess. She squatted down, bringing herself eye level with the curious little girl. “I’m Lydia and I believe that you’re Casey.”

The little girl screwed up her face before asking, “Are you a stranger? ‘Cause I can’t talk to you if you are.” Abruptly, her small face zeroed in on Lydia’s feet. “Can I wear your shoes? I like sparkles. Mommy says they make girls look like ramps, but I don’t see how. My cousin, Kendall, has a ramp for his skates. But it don’t look nothing like sparkly shoes. So . . . can you please take them off now?”

Before Lydia could stop her head from spinning with all of the rapid-fire words coming from Casey’s mouth, the little girl had removed her own shiny black sandals and was tugging on Lydia’s. “Honey, maybe we should ask your dad first,” she managed to spit out. When Casey’s lip wobbled and she appeared on the verge of tears, Lydia stepped out of her shoes without another word of protest. “Okay, here you go, sweetheart. Do you need me to help you put them on?”

Casey gave her a sweet smile that no longer showed any trace of tears. Lydia was pretty sure she’d been hustled by a six-year-old. The little girl plopped on her bottom and preceded to push her tiny feet into Lydia’s shoes. She was grateful at least that they didn’t have any type of heel that would make them dangerous for her to wear. “You’ve got big feet,” Casey tossed out as she stood back up. Then she grabbed Lydia’s hand and began tugging her down the hallway. “Let’s go show Mommy my ramp shoes!” Resistance was futile at that point. Casey was hell-bent on finding her mother, and Lydia was very much afraid that she’d given Jake’s daughter a pair of tramp shoes to wear. What else could “ramp” mean? She knew darn well it wasn’t some skating reference.

She barely had a moment to panic before Casey had her in the kitchen standing just inches away from a tense Jake and an obviously angry but beautiful woman who had to be Chris. Of course, the mother of his child would look like a supermodel. Should I have expected anything less? She had the kind of flowing locks that women paid big money to achieve with hair extensions. It was also readily apparent that she spent a lot of time in a gym, no doubt with a personal trainer. Plus, her makeup was flawless and her features would have been beautiful if not for the scowl currently marring her face.

“Daddy, look what I found in your bedroom!” Casey’s voice seemed to reverberate around the kitchen, causing the adults to stiffen.

Chris put her hands on her designer jean–clad hips and hissed, “For God’s sake, Jake, really? You’ve just been standing here telling me how important it is to set a good example for our daughter, and you have some tramp in your bedroom the whole time?”

The word “tramp” registered with Casey almost immediately, and Lydia winced as the little girl began pointing frantically to her feet. “She let me wear her ramps, Mommy! She had them on, but now I got them.” Then she wrinkled her little nose and added, “But I don’t think she got skates.”

Lydia knew she should be angry at the insult from Chris, but she was so horrified to be stuck in the middle of this train wreck that all she could do was stand stock-still while it played out before her. To her amazement, laughter boomed through the air and Jake bent over, holding his side. “Ramps? What the heck does that mean?”

Chris sniffed indignantly. “She’s referring to the type of women you’ve dragged into your house. The one who is presently standing beside my impressionable daughter!”

Jake stood there for a moment as if doing the math in his head before her insult finally got through to him. He seemed to lose all of his mirth as his jaw hardened. “Christina, this conversation is hardly appropriate for Casey. And the fact that you’ve used that word around her before completely boggles the mind.”

Lydia had no experience with parenting, but still she felt that Jake and Chris should be having this discussion elsewhere. They might not have noticed it, but their daughter was watching them with rapt attention. So Lydia squared her shoulders and cleared her throat uneasily. When she had everyone’s attention, she looked at Casey pointedly before turning back to Jake and Chris. “If you don’t mind, I thought I could go into the other room with Casey and watch television.” Anything loud enough to block the sound of their bickering, she thought, but didn’t verbalize it.

“Absolutely not!” Chris snapped out. The other woman might be beautiful on the outside, but the sneer on her face and the contempt in her voice made her very ugly to Lydia at that moment. She stalked over to her daughter and gritted out, “Take those shoes off, Casey. We’re leaving now.”

Obviously, Casey noticed the tone of her mother’s voice and wisely didn’t argue. Instead, she slid her small feet from Lydia’s shoes, and then bent down to pick them up. “Thank you for letting me wear your ramps,” she whispered politely.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Lydia said softly, feeling anguish for the little girl. This child, like so many, didn’t deserve to be caught in the war that raged between her parents. She shouldn’t have to worry about anything more important than her next tea party or learning new things at school. She glanced quickly at her mother, before bolting across the room and connecting with her father’s leg.

He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. Lydia was certain she saw moisture in his eyes as he buried his face in his daughter’s soft curls. “Daddy loves you, baba. I’ll see you real soon, okay?”

“Must you insist on calling her that?” Chris huffed out, before stepping over to Jake and taking a reluctant Casey in her arms for a brief second before putting her on her feet. “Let’s go find your shoes.” The kitchen was dead silent as they each seemed to be waiting for them to either reappear or for the sound of the door closing. A few minutes later, a slam reverberated through the house and Jake slumped around the bar.

“I’m sorry, Lydia. That should have never happened in front of you or Casey. I didn’t tell her about our marriage today for the very same reason. I figured I’d talk to her while Casey was at school one day this week. But she dropped by unannounced this morning in a foul mood. I tried to hold my tongue to keep it from escalating, but even that pissed her off. When you and Casey walked in the kitchen, she was looking for a reason to blow and she got it. She’s angry over the joint custody papers I filed and she’s in my face at every opportunity about it. I’m not sure what she hopes to gain from these impromptu visits. The only bright spot is getting to see Casey, even though it’s unexpected.”

Lydia walked toward him and laid a hand on his arm. “It’s all right,” she replied. “I shouldn’t have come into the room when I knew she was here.” Giving him an amused look, she added, “But your daughter doesn’t take no for an answer very easily. She towed and I followed.”

Jake chuckled then put his other hand over hers. She bit her lip to keep from moaning at the feel of his warm skin beneath her hand. Touching him probably hadn’t been the best idea. “She is a lot like her father in that respect. I also apologize about the whole ramp-tramp thing. It’s beyond my comprehension why Chris would say that in front of her. Trust me, that conversation is far from over.”

Worried, Lydia asked, “Do you think us being married is really going to help your case? She seemed so . . . hostile today. I’m afraid that it will just make her worse.”

Looking disgusted, he shook his head. “Oh, undoubtedly it will make Chris more of a bitch than usual. She set all of this into motion, though, with her absurd demands.” When the door slammed once again, they both stared at each other in shock. “What the hell?” Jake retorted as he pulled away from her to see who their visitor was. He’d barely rounded the corner when the reappearance of his now grinning daughter brought him to an abrupt halt.

Chris was just inches behind her and looked as if she’d swallowed something sour as she rolled her eyes and said, “Can Casey stay with you for a few hours? My mother was supposed to watch her today while I helped a friend with a baby shower. But apparently, she’s been up sick all night and just now saw fit to let me know.” Lydia wondered idly why it would be a problem for Chris to take her daughter with her but wisely kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to risk another round of being called a tramp—or a ramp as Casey put it.

“Of course,” Jake replied without hesitation. “How about I drop her by this evening around seven? We’ll go to the aquarium or to the zoo.”

Casey jumped in place, clearly excited by her father’s plans for the day. “I want to go to the quarium, Daddy, and pet a fish!” Lydia was smiling at the little girl, thinking about how adorable she was when Casey unknowingly threw her under the bus. She grabbed Lydia’s hand and tugged on it. “Can she come with us too, Daddy?” Without waiting for Jake’s reply, she told Lydia, “You gonna love those fishes. And if you lay on your tummy on the rocks, they’ll let you pet the big ones. No standing up, though, ‘cause you might fall in the water.”

It was a testament to how much Chris wanted a babysitter that instead of making another scene, she simply settled for glaring from Jake to Lydia before saying stiffly, “I’ll be expecting her at seven. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t confuse her by including someone she’ll never see again after today. I’d rather not answer any questions as to who Daddy’s special friend is.”

Lydia could see the frustration on Jake’s face, and she couldn’t blame him. Actually, she had to give him a lot of credit for not telling the other woman off. There was rude and then there was Chris. She seemed to be in a league all her own. Lydia had a feeling that she chose to do a lot of her taunting in front of her daughter because she realized he would be less likely to retaliate in the same manner. He blew out an exasperated breath before saying, “We’ll discuss that this evening when I drop off Casey.”

Chris shrugged her shoulders and whirled on her impossibly high heels. Almost like something out of a movie, her long, pale hair floated behind her as she tossed a “Whatever” over her slim shoulders.

What a bitch, Lydia couldn’t help thinking as the three of them were left behind in an obviously expensive cloud of perfume. Jake pasted on a big smile for his daughter and clapped his hands together. “All right! Who wants to see some sharks?”

“Me do, me do!” Casey whirled and bobbed before latching on to her father’s leg.

Lydia stood uncertainly, not knowing if she was invited or if he wanted to spend the time alone with his daughter. How comfortable could he possibly be with her going along, seeing as they barely knew each other? He was probably too much of a gentleman to exclude her, though, so she decided to make it easy for him. “I think I’ll get my clothes ready for the week ahead and then curl up with a book this afternoon. You two go ahead and have a blast.”

Jake’s jaw dropped at her words. “What? Why? I thought . . . I mean, don’t you want to come with us? Do you not enjoy aquariums? The one at Broadway is amazing. We’ll grab some lunch afterward and walk around.”

She shifted uncertainly. She really did want to go, and he appeared to genuinely desire her company as well. Before she could answer, Casey took first her daddy’s hand and then Lydia’s. “Let’s go!” she announced.

Jake gave her a playful grin over his daughter’s head knowing full well that she wouldn’t say no to the little girl—and she didn’t. Within minutes, Casey was buckled in the backseat of Jake’s truck while Lydia took her seat beside him.

“Thanks for coming along,” he said as they drove the short distance through Myrtle Beach to Broadway at the Beach. It was a mix of shops, restaurants, and attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium.

Figuring she might as well come clean, Lydia said, “No problem. I have a membership to the aquarium, so I’m there quite a lot. I’ve found it’s a pretty good place to spend a lazy day. Plus, they’re constantly adding different exhibits, so there’s always something new to see.” Did that explanation make her sound like a loser? she wondered wryly. He probably thought she had no life. How many single women spent time hanging out at a local attraction geared primarily toward children? She didn’t want to add that Brett had originally gotten the membership for the two of them to enjoy together, and she hadn’t had the heart to cancel it. So each year, she paid the membership fee. And on the days that she missed him the most, she would often find herself driving there and spending time doing one of the things that he’d enjoyed so much. She’d always thought that someday they’d bring their own child to learn about some of the aquatic habitats from around the world, but that hope had died along with Brett.

Lydia had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she jerked when a hand landed on her knee. “Is everything okay?” Jake asked, sounding concerned. It was then that she realized tears were trailing down her cheeks.

“Oh God,” she squeaked out as she quickly wiped away the moisture.

“Hang on, honey, let me find somewhere to pull over,” he said as he slowed the truck.

“No, Jake,” she rushed out. “Please—I’m fine.” When he continued to throw uncertain looks her way, she sighed before saying, “I used to go to the aquarium with Brett. He loved it and I’ve kept the membership all these years because it held many good memories for me. I realize that may sound silly to you, but—”

“Why would it?” Jake interrupted. “Of course you would feel that way about any place you and he frequented together. Heck, I get a stupid grin on my face when I go in McDonald’s because I’ll recall something silly that Casey did on the playground when we were there together the last time. There is no right or wrong in how we feel—it just is. That said, if going here is going to be too hard for you, we’ll go somewhere else. And it won’t be any kind of inconvenience.” He’d continued to hold her leg, but now his fingers were idly caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh as well. She didn’t think he was even aware he was doing it, but she certainly was. She’d gone from sobbing over Brett to one big mass of quivering awareness at the touch of another man. If she was ever to move on with her life, then she needed to stop feeling so conflicted and just enjoy Jake’s comfort and his touch.

She dropped her hand over his for the second time that day and squeezed. “I’d really like to share it with you and Casey.”

He surprised her by shifting his hand under hers until their fingers entwined. He kept his eyes on the road but said softly, “We’d like that too, sweetheart.”

No matter how hard she tried to tell herself not to be swept away in all things Jake, her heart still thudded heavily in her chest when he made no move to pull away. He continued to surprise her—in mostly good ways. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was drop-dead handsome and oh so sexy. She’d even suspected he was a good guy after he came to her rescue in the parking garage that day. Most men would have been terrified to deal with a crying woman, but he’d actually been very sweet and thoughtful. Some lady was going to be very lucky when he decided to settle down for real.

Their marriage had been on borrowed time from the moment they said, “I do.” If she was already attached after one day, how would she possibly deal with the aftermath of losing something she never really had?

*   *   *

Jacob stood watching his daughter and Lydia as they lay on their stomachs to pet the stingrays in the aquarium bay. To say these two had become fast friends was an understatement. Casey had practically hung on Lydia’s every word as they moved through each exhibit. Lydia told Casey fun facts about each fish in a way that she could understand, and he’d been about as captivated as his daughter by the time they were nearing the last areas. Whether she knew it or not, Lydia seemed born to be a mother. She was nurturing in a way that Chris had never been. She might love their daughter, but she’d never be the soccer mom who brought cupcakes to the matches or invited the other kids over for a slumber party. The only way Chris would entertain another child was if it was socially advantageous to do so. She had no qualms about using Casey as a stepping-stone to make connections with well-to-do parents.

Casey shrieked in pure delight when her hand touched one of the rays as it passed by. “Lydie, did you see? I feels its whole back!”

Lydia threw her arm around his daughter and squeezed her. “I did! That was awesome. How long are your arms, little miss? I stretched as far as I could and I still missed it!”

Jacob’s chest felt unusually tight as Casey beamed up at Lydia before turning to look at him. “It’s okay, Lydie. Daddy’ll let us wait til you gets one. Right, Daddy?”

“Of course I will, baba,” he choked out, feeling strangely moved by seeing the woman who was technically his wife interact with his child. How he wished for Casey’s sake that she could have a woman this nurturing in her life all the time. Chris might love her, but she was as different as night and day from Lydia.

They ended up staying at the stingray exhibit for another thirty minutes until Casey was ready to move on to the gift shop at the end of the tour. Then Casey jumped up from her position at the bay and skipped past him to look at the stuffed animals a few feet away. He walked forward and extended a hand to help a smiling Lydia to her feet. Water had splashed the white shirt Lydia was wearing, and it was wet. He was certain that she had no idea he could vividly see her blue bra and the creamy swells of her breasts. His cock was rapidly stirring to attention at the erotic sight.

“Jake . . . Jake!” He blinked as Lydia’s voice finally penetrated the sexual fog he’d fallen into. Shit, she still hadn’t noticed her shirt, but all of the men in the area had. Hell, no. They could get their thrills somewhere else. “Are you coming?” she asked as she turned to follow Casey into the store. Oh yeah, sweetheart, I’d love to be coming—inside you, he thought before shaking his head.

“Lydia . . . how about we wait here while you go to the restroom and—freshen up?”

She wrinkled her nose but didn’t budge. At this point, one of the nearby men had edged closer and was ogling her tits. Jacob was about two seconds from punching him in the nose, which wouldn’t be a great idea with his daughter close by. He glared at the bastard before stepping closer and putting his hand on Lydia’s arm. He leaned down until his lips were at her ear and said, “Look at your top, baby. If you don’t want me kicking the guy’s ass to your left, then please go try to dry it out.”

She appeared puzzled for a moment before she warily inspected her clothing. He heard a loud gasp at the same time as her arms quickly came up to cover her breasts. “I . . . I’m going to—be right back,” she said shrilly as she hurried away. The nearby man gave him a sheepish look, but thankfully turned in the opposite direction and took off.

“Where Lydie going?” Casey asked, looking forlorn.

He mussed her hair then tweaked her button nose. “She had to go to the restroom, but she’ll be right back. How about we go on inside the shop and let you start looking.” He knew from painful experience that taking Casey shopping could be a long and drawn-out affair where she would change her mind no less than ten times until she settled on something. He figured he was doing Lydia a favor by letting her get started.

While his daughter darted from one thing to another, he kept watching for Lydia. When he saw her walk into the shop, he raised a hand and drew her attention over to them. His eyes went straight to her chest when she walked up and he could see by the blush on her cheeks that she’d noticed. The area that had been so transparent a short time ago now appeared to be completely dry. “I had to turn it around backward,” she confessed as she reached his side. “I tried to use the hand dryer, but it wasn’t working very well.”

“Er—you look great. No one will know the difference,” he assured her then realized he was still gawking at her breasts. “Sorry ’bout that,” he murmured, feeling strangely bashful in his admiration for her.

“Ah, no problem.” She giggled before Casey ran up and threw herself into Lydia’s arms.

“Lydie! You back!” Puckering her small mouth, she said, “Should I get the turtle or the stingray?” Before Lydia could answer, Casey danced around excitedly. “Me knows! I’ll get the pink ray and you gets the blue one!” Then she turned those eyes on him, and he was well aware he’d agree to whatever she wanted. A rainbow pony? Done! “Daddy, can you buy Lydie a stuffed animal too? I don’t know if her got any money or not. But if we buy it for her, then she be our friend forever, right?”

Damn you, Chris, he inwardly raged as he stared at his daughter. She was far too young to believe that she needed to buy friends. No doubt, she had overheard some of her mother’s conversations with her cronies. The fact that his impressionable six-year-old attached a dollar figure to loyalty made him queasy. He could tell from the look on Lydia’s face that she felt the same way. Before he could gather his wits to talk to her, Lydia had already dropped to her knees to bring her face-to-face with Casey. “Thank you so much, sweetheart, for offering to loan me the money for my stuffed animal. That is so very generous and thoughtful of you. I am truly honored to be your friend because of how very special you are. A true friend doesn’t need gifts; they only need you. And even when you don’t see me every day, I’ll still be thinking about how very special you are and wishing you all the best.”

Casey stood silently as if digesting Lydia’s heartfelt words before she latched on to the last sentence. “You see me at Daddy’s, Lydie. I’ll ask my mommy if I can come play with you and your ramps.”

At that point, Lydia was blinking away tears, and Jake wasn’t far behind. A child’s simple words were sometimes the hardest to bear, and both he and Lydia were floundering. He straightened his spine and took control, even though it was tough. “All right, girls,” he said with false enthusiasm. “Let’s finish up in here and go have some lunch. I don’t know about you two, but I could eat a whole whale myself!”

Lydia blinked rapidly at the sudden change of conversation, while Casey, with a child’s short attention span, rolled with it and ran to grab her pink stingray while handing the blue one to her new friend. Lydia attempted to object, but Jake insisted on paying for both. She’d been amazing with his daughter today, and they both deserved a souvenir to remember their fun. As they stepped back outside into the bright sunlight, Casey took first his hand and then Lydia’s as she skipped happily between them. “You know you can’t get whale for lunch, silly.” She giggled as they swung her off her little feet. “Wheee, again!” she demanded over and over until their arms tired.

This is what it feels like to have a family. The thought struck him suddenly and without forewarning.

He had a great relationship with his parents and his brother, but even though he was a father, he’d never experienced a family moment like this since he became an adult. He’d twirled Casey and she’d ridden on his shoulders countless times, but never with a happy Chris alongside them. This type of behavior was known to irritate her beyond reason. Even at Casey’s young age, Chris felt as if she should act like an adult. Jake, on the other hand, wanted his daughter to enjoy being a child. Those carefree years would be gone before any of them knew it, and they could never get them back again.

One of Casey’s favorite places was Johnny Rockets. She loved the burgers and milkshakes there, so Jacob ran it past Lydia first to see if the location worked for her and then they walked in that direction. The hostess gave them a big booth, and Casey insisted they all be on the same side so she didn’t have to choose who to sit with. As his daughter used the coloring page and crayons to create another masterpiece for his refrigerator, Lydia looked over her head at him and said sweetly, “She’s precious, Jake. After one afternoon, I’m totally in love with her.”

A sense of pride filled him as he smoothed his daughter’s wavy hair. “Regardless of everything with her mother, she’s the very air that I breathe,” he replied quietly.

Nodding her head in agreement, Lydia said, “I understand why you were willing to do anything to keep from losing her.” They both kept an eye on Casey, making sure she wasn’t paying attention to their conversation. She appeared to be engrossed in her artwork and have tuned out the rest of the world.

“You were amazing with her today,” Jacob said truthfully. “She’s always been a little wary around strangers, which I normally encourage for safety reasons, but she connected with you almost immediately.”

Lydia appeared touched by his words. “Thanks. I’m an only child, so I’ve never really been around children much. Brett did have a nephew that we saw at all of the holidays, but that’s pretty much the extent of my experience with children. I’ve always loved them, though, and today was a real treat for me. Seeing a place you’ve been dozens of times before through the eyes of a child is unbelievable.”

They continued to talk throughout the meal whenever they could get in a word around Casey’s chatter. By the time they left the restaurant and walked back to the truck, it was nearly time to drop his daughter at home. Casey begged Lydia to sit in the back with her on the drive, and Jacob noticed them cuddled up together through the rearview mirror. If he’d been looking for the perfect stepmother for Casey, he’d found her. They were two peas in a pod. But sadly, all good things had to end, and that time had officially come as he pulled into Chris’s driveway and parked behind her BMW.

The house was a modern-style craftsman that Chris complained about constantly. It was in a great neighborhood and a premiere school district, so Jacob ignored her. It also had an amazing fenced backyard, where he knew that his daughter would be safe. Chris would rather live in a trendy condominium, but he’d put his foot down. If he was picking up the tab, then his daughter was going to have the type of house he’d grown up in. As he opened his door and came around to Casey’s, he stood awkwardly for a moment. “Lydia—”

“Jake, you don’t have to say it. I’m going to move to the front seat and wait for you in the truck. It wouldn’t be right for me to barge in there until you’ve talked to her about me.”

Feeling the tension leave his body, Jacob gave her an appreciative wink. “Thanks for understanding, sweetheart. You’ve been so great today. I don’t want to subject you to any more ugliness.”

He took his dozing daughter into his arms and heard Lydia close the door behind them as he moved carefully down the walkway with his precious cargo. It appeared to be his lucky night because Chris was on the phone when she answered the door and made no move to end the conversation as she took Casey’s hand when he set her on her feet. He gave her a hug and kiss then walked out. He was always sad when he left Casey behind, but somehow, knowing Lydia was waiting for him made it more bearable. She’d been with him for one full day, and already, he was eager to be with her. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking of her as his wife today and the need to make that into something other than a title was fast becoming an urge he was having trouble denying.