Tessa was sunburned. She could feel the telltale sting of too much sun on her exposed skin.

At almost 5:00 p.m., the sun might have been less intense than when they’d arrived at one, but it was still strong. Despite her seventy SPF waterproof sunscreen applied every two hours, Tessa knew her fair skin would be toasted tonight. She dragged the sunscreen from her bag again, sprayed a thick layer of the clear mist into her hand, and applied it to her face and neck. Then her shoulders. And wondered if she should pull Sophia from the surf again to dry her off and lather her up with more as well.

Her daughter’s hearty laughter reached Tessa’s ears, and melancholy twisted her heart. She couldn’t remember the last time Sophia had so much fun. She’d been in the water with Zach for hours. He’d done an early shoot and been finished by two. Tessa and Sophia had been at the beach since one, watched Zach for an hour before he’d introduced Sophia to the ocean and then taken her into the water. It was almost five now. The crowd was thinning out. Die-hard surfers still dotted the horizon and littered the beach, but the production crew was all but gone.

Movement on her right drew her gaze. A young woman stopped and smiled down at her. “Tessa?”

She squinted up at the woman but didn’t recognize her. “Yes?”

The other woman pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and offered her hand, smiling. “Hi, I’m Grace, a friend of Zach’s.”

Good Lord, another woman? Zach had been getting attention from various bikini-clad women all day—on set, off set, in the water, out of the water. This woman was at least wearing more than a few threads of clothing with a Hawaiian-patterned sarong knotted at her waist, but her body wasn’t any less beautiful than the other women. And she was striking, with strawberry blonde hair and light eyes.

Tessa reached for the other woman’s hand. “Yes, he seems to have a lot of friends here. Especially of the female variety.”

She returned her gaze to the water, where Sophia knelt on a boogie board, her hands gripping the sides while Zach dragged her beyond the surf where they would wait for the perfect wave before Zach pushed her toward the shore again.

Grace laughed and lowered to the sand. “I guess he does, but I’m sure some of those are because Sophia’s so adorable. Kids and dogs—they’re babe magnets for a single man.”

Tessa refocused on the woman, partly nervous about the fact that this stranger knew Sophia’s name and partly annoyed she’d nailed the whole chick-magnet thing. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

“I’m Josh’s wife.” When Tessa didn’t show recognition, Grace added, “Josh? The Renegades risk assessment manager?”

Renegades. “Oh, right. Nice to meet you.”

“You too. Does Sophia like the Pegasus?”

Tessa glanced at the stuffed animal partially hidden beneath a towel Sophia was using as a blanket to put Pegasus “to bed.”

“Oh yes,” Tessa said. “She had to put Pegasus down for a nap so she wouldn’t miss her while she was surfing.”

Grace laughed. “I’m glad. I thought Zach was going to pop a blood vessel trying to decide over a bin of stuffed animals.”

Tessa remembered Zach’s comment about having a friend’s wife help him choose gifts and smiled. “Thanks for helping out. Pegasus was a good pick.”

“Zach did the picking, I just got him to the store. He has wonderful things to say about you and Sophia.”

Tessa offered a tired smile. She wasn’t feeling particularly friendly today. She’d gotten up early to fight traffic to and from the airport, and spent all afternoon watching Zach get hit on by gorgeous women while he stole her daughter’s heart with excitement and fun. Tessa knew it was irrational, but that didn’t keep the anxiety at bay.

She offered what she hoped sounded like a teasing, sarcastic “Probably just that honeymoon period. We haven’t known each other very long.”

“Zach is very much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. And he and Sophia seem to be having a ball.”

“That they are.” She certainly didn’t begrudge her daughter the fun and comfort she’d found with Zach so quickly. It was just that the happier Sophia was with Zach, the more inescapable the sensation of Sophia slipping away was. “Either he’s a fantastic teacher or Sophia has a natural skill, because he’s sent her to the surf standing a couple of times already, and she’s never been in the ocean.”

“Maybe it’s hereditary,” Grace said.

“Maybe.”

“Why aren’t you in there with them?”

“I was, for about thirty minutes. Then I was getting in the way more than I was helping.” Her stomach tightened. “And I figured it would be good for them to have some one-on-one time. I’m enjoying watching them.”

“Are you?” Grace asked. “Because it looks like you’re going to dig your nails into your flesh.”

Tessa glanced down at her arms where they were wrapped around her knees and noticed for the first time, her fingers were so tightly clasped on her arms, they were bloodless, as were the areas under her fingers where they indented her biceps. Tessa sighed, released her legs, and planted her hands behind her in the warm sand. “It’s just…”

When she didn’t go on, Grace said, “It’s just that your baby is in the water with a man you don’t really know.”

Tessa forced her gaze away from Zach and Sophia and smiled at Grace. “Mama bear syndrome. I often wonder if it ever fades. Do you have kids?”

“No. Josh and I got married a few months ago. We’re waiting a little bit.”

“Do you two live here?”

She shook her head. “San Diego. Josh had to come for work. I took time off to come so we could have some sort of belated honeymoon.”

“Sweet.” Tessa wished she could do this more often. “What do you do?”

“I’m a dance instructor.”

“Really, what kind? Sophia takes ballet. She loves it.”

“Actually”—she grinned—“I teach strippers.”

Tessa’s mouth dropped open.

Grace laughed. “I get that a lot.”

“It’s certainly different. Were you a stripper before you started teaching?”

“No. Cheerleader and on-again, off-again musical performer. I took the den mother job out of necessity.”

“Den mother?” Tessa asked.

“That’s someone who manages the strippers backstage. Helps them with hair, makeup, costumes. Delivers encouragement, tough love, and therapy when necessary.”

“I never knew such a thing existed.”

Grace grinned. “That tells me a lot about you.”

She’d bet—as if Tessa wasn’t one of the sexually liberated bombshells currently flirting with Zach and Sophia. “Does that ever bother Josh?”

“Not at all. Josh helped me start my own studio. I still teach mostly strippers, but I love the women. Really hardworking women, many raising children on their own. A lot like you, actually, only they don’t have the education or skills to work a job that pays a living wage. Now I have better hours and take on other clients as well. Josh’s connection with the Renegades has, unexpectedly, brought me a few actors and actresses who need coaching through a movie role.”

Tessa formed a picture of what Grace’s life looked like. “That sounds really…fun.”

“It is.” Grace’s smile was warm. “I love it. And Josh loves me, so he’s okay with it. What about you? I hear you’re a big-shot attorney in Washington.”

Tessa’s laugh was edged with sarcasm. “I’m just an attorney struggling to find a foothold in a sea of attorneys.”

“I hear you’re close to that foothold.”

“You hear a lot. I’m surprised Zach has talked about me that much.”

“That’s why I came over. After hearing more about your situation, I could identify with you being on your own, taking care of a sick friend, and raising a daughter. I took on the second job because my mom has Alzheimer’s and the residences that care for Alzheimer’s patients are extremely expensive.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Grace nodded and offered a sincere, serious “And I’m sorry about Corinne.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m not sure how much Zach has explained about Renegades…”

“Just that he does occasional stunts for them.”

“He does. But the group is really more of a family. We look out for each other, you know? No matter where one of us is in the world, we have our thumbs on the pulse of our people. And there’s no problem too big or too small for the family to get involved. The guys are like brothers. And the women are like sisters. It can take some getting used to, and I say that coming from a very independent background. But they’re good people. Caring people. Generous people. And they have good intentions.” She tipped her head and met Tessa’s eyes directly. “I just wanted to warn you, because now, you’re part of that family.”

Tessa experienced a flash of confusion. “I don’t know what Zach said, but he and I aren’t, you know, permanent or anything. I’m only related to him through Sophia, who isn’t even mine by blood—”

“This isn’t about blood. It’s about relationships. You’re Sophia’s mother. Zach is Sophia’s father. That makes all three of you Renegade family.”

“Well, I don’t know how much longer Zach will be working stunts through Renegades. I think he’s going to take that part—”

“Doesn’t matter. Once a Renegade, always a Renegade.” Grace laid a hand over her forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So if you or Sophia ever need anything, even just someone to talk to, anytime, day or night, I hope you’ll lean on us.”

Tessa’s insides swirled with warmth and, yes, unease. She’d learned the hard way that forming relationships also left you open to pain. But the offer was genuine and selfless, and Tessa smiled, covering Grace’s hand. “That’s an amazing offer. Thank you.”

Grace nodded, and they fell silent again, watching the ocean where Zach steadied the board while Sophia got to her feet and put her arms out for balance.

“Gah.” Tessa sat forward and clenched her hands. “I know that water is over her head, and it doesn’t matter that she’s already a great little swimmer, it makes me crazy when—”

A wave rolled toward them, Zach kicked into action, swimming along with the board as he brought Sophia in sync with the crest, then let go with a push.

Tessa raised her knees and clasped her hands around them, a sound of dread rolling from her throat. Behind Sophia, Zach cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled encouragement and directions. She wobbled, stumbled a step, but stayed on the board until the wave crumbled beneath her, and she rolled into the water at the shore.

Tessa didn’t breathe until Sophia’s head popped out of the water, and she stood. Then Zach caught up with her, clapping and cheering. Sophia straightened into her trademark Olympic stand, fists overhead, chest out, a grin that took over her face, glowing in the sun. Zach picked her up and threw her in the air, then caught her again, and Sophia’s squeals pierced the air. Sophia wrapped her arms around Zach’s neck tight.

“Jesus Christ.” Tessa’s words came out on an exhale of relief, and she closed her eyes, slumping her shoulders. “I think I’ve aged ten years in the last few hours.”

Grace laughed. “They’re so adorable together. Sophia’s really brought out a whole different side of Zach. I think it’s pretty fabulous of you to be willing to work with him on this. A lot of women wouldn’t be as accepting of an absent dad.”

“It’s not easy. I came here thinking I was going to get a signature and go home to file the final adoption papers. Zach has turned my whole world upside down.”

“I think that’s mutual. But I also think it’s a good thing.”

Tessa sighed, not so sure herself. “God, I hope so.”

Zach took Sophia into a seat on his forearm and grabbed the rope on the front of the boogie board, dragging it behind him as he made his way up the beach. Tessa reached for a towel and stood as they drew close. She knew she shouldn’t be impressed by Zach’s body. After all, she’d had several private hours to learn every rock-hard dip and curve, but she wished she could memorize the sight of him carrying Sophia in one strong arm, wet from head to toe and still dripping seawater. The icing on that cake was his grin. Bright and happy. And proud.

“Did you see her, Mommy?” Zach asked Tessa. “I think we have a budding surfer.”

Oh, criminy. Tessa had images of sending Sophia to see her father, and chewing her fingers off in worry Sophia would drown. She pushed the fear to the background and tried to focus on the moment.

The intimacy between the three of them had gone from zero to sixty in forty-eight hours and hearing him call her “Mommy” and referring to Sophia as “theirs” made her heart flutter.

“I saw,” she told them.

“I rided the wave, Mommy,” Sophia said with her adorable enthusiasm while pushing her wet ringlets from her face. “I rided it good.”

“You were awesome,” she told Sophia. Wrapping a towel around her shoulders, she met Zach’s smiling eyes and said, “And so were you.”

“Thanks.” His eyes were soft and fixed on hers. If Grace wasn’t there, Tessa thought he might have kissed her. “Hey, Grace. What are you and Josh doing?”

“He’s talking with Keith,” she said. Tessa recognized the name of the director. “We were going over to Merriman’s for dinner. Do you three want to join us?”

“Oh, heck.” He grinned at Sophia. “I promised Sophia if she rode three waves to shore on her feet, we’d get her shave ice.”

“And I did it,” she confirmed. “I did it.”

“I know,” Grace told her, giving her belly a tickle. “I saw. Okay, you guys go celebrate. We’ll see you tomorrow night at Jax’s, right?”

Tessa didn’t know what Grace was talking about and didn’t like the idea that Zach had made plans with Sophia without telling Tessa. There wasn’t any logical reason not to let Sophia go somewhere with Zach on her own, Tessa just hadn’t thought about it. This was all moving so damn fast.

“Probably,” Zach said, glancing at Tessa. “We’ll talk about it tonight.”

“Okay.” Grace surprised Tessa by turning to her and wrapping her in a hug. “Great getting to know you.” Then she caught Sophia’s hand and kissed the back, making her giggle again. “You too, water baby.”

As Grace started up the sand toward the parking lot, Tessa took Sophia, set her on a towel, and dried her off.

“Did Pegsis have a good nap?” Sophia asked, leaning down to pick up the stuffed horse.

“A very good nap.” Tessa noticed a little pink tinge to her skin and winced. She looked up at Zach while he dried off with another towel. Water glistened on his tan skin, reminding Tessa of how he’d looked getting out the shower their first night together. “I guess she shouldn’t stay out in the sun this long.”

“You put sunscreen on her every hour.”

“Doesn’t look like it was enough.”

“I’m hungry.” Sophia’s grumpy tone set off warning bells in Tessa’s head.

“You were in the water a long time,” Tessa told her. “I bet you’re starving.”

“Can we get shave ice now?”

“Yep,” Zach said.

“No,” Tessa said at the same time.

They looked at each other and smiled.

“I guess your mom’s right,” he told Sophia. “Let’s get some real food in that tummy of yours, then you can have the ice. We’ll call it an early dinner.”

“I don’t want dinner,” Sophia said, starting to pout.

Tessa looked at Zach. “She’s going to be wiped out from the day. I think dinner at home would be the safer bet.”

“I don’t want to go home,” Sophia said. “I want shave ice.”

Zach crouched beside them and helped Tessa get Sophia out of her wet bathing suit and into a sundress. To facilitate the transition, he took the stuffed animal while he helped maneuver her into a dry outfit. And Tessa had to admit, he looked adorably ridiculous with a sparkling Pegasus under his arm.

“I wanna go back in the ocean,” Sophia complained.

All Tessa wanted to do was put Sophia to bed and sink into the bathtub with tropical bubbles. Of course that would come second only to the desire to slide her naked body against Zach’s.

“But, you look so pretty,” he told her. “And we can go back into the ocean tomorrow.”

Tessa pulled out Sophia’s sandals and Sophia put a hand on Zach’s shoulder to balance. She looked Zach right in the eye when she told him oh so seriously, “I have sparkly sandals. Like Pegsis’s wings.”

He grinned. “You sure do.”

Once Sophia was sorted out, Tessa looked at Zach. “You don’t have to stay with us if you want to hang with your friends.”

He reached out and cupped her face. “You’re better than friends. You’re family. And I’m right where I want to be. This has been the best day I’ve had in months. And I really want to take you both to dinner.”

Tessa smiled, covered his hand with hers, and turned her head to kiss his palm, trying to savor the moment. There weren’t many opportunities left. “I just hope Sophia makes it without melting down.”

“It’s still early. She’ll be fine.”

Famous last words.

Sophia sat on a towel and played with the sand while they packed up. When he took the beach bag from Tessa, he slid a hand around the back of her neck in a gentle show of affection. In a low voice, he asked, “When can we tell her?”

Tessa met his gaze. “Tell her what?”

“That I’m her dad.”

Tessa’s mind darted from “When can we tell her?” to what she anticipated his next question to be “When can she live with me?” and some future fear that leaked into her consciousness from nowhere, the anticipated “I’m getting married, and she wants to adopt Sophia.”

She forced her mind to toss out the future fears for the moment. “Oh.” She looked down at Sophia, who now had sand all over her dress. Tessa shrugged. “Anytime, I guess. Just to warn you, she probably won’t understand the concept. She’s never had one, so she doesn’t really know what it means. I don’t want your feelings to be hurt if she doesn’t—”

He shook his head. “I understand.” His mouth turned in a silly smirk that made him look vulnerable. “I just really want to hear her call me Daddy.”

Tessa’s heart flipped and fluttered.

“Hey,” he said. “If that’s not okay with you—”

“No, no. It’s fine.”

“Then why did you just look green?”

She huffed a laugh and closed her eyes a second. “Everything’s happening so fast. I just…I’m—”

“Scared,” he said. “I know. I’m trying really hard to minimize—”

“You are.” She stroked a hand down his warm muscled arm. “You’re great. It’s not you.”

Zach clasped her hands. “We should figure out the details of how we’re both going to see Sophia. I think that will ease your stress.”

No, that wouldn’t ease her stress. Because answering that question led to a million others. Questions she didn’t feel like she had the strength to answer. She tried to smile. “I’d really just rather stop time—”

Her words cut off as two women approached with surfboards under their arms. They were young and not just pretty, but Sports Illustrated gorgeous, complete with killer bodies in string bikinis. And they stopped a few feet from Zach.

“Hey, Zach,” the honeyed blonde said, but her speculative gaze was on Tessa. “Who’s this?”

That hit Tessa as bold and territorial. And the brunette was frowning at Sophia as if the sight of her was distasteful, raising Tessa’s hackles.

“You have a kid?” the brunette asked.

“Don’t be stupid,” the blonde told the brunette. “Zach with a kid? What a joke.”

Tessa was uncomfortably aware of the tension coiling through Zach’s muscles, jumping in his jaw. “No one asked your opinion,” he told them. “So stay out of my business.”

His abrupt backlash over the women’s approach zinged shock through Tessa. He definitely had an intense side that showed under pressure, bringing back Abby’s “What if he loses his temper with her…?” and making nerves hum along her shoulders.

He tossed the beach bag over his shoulder, and when he turned, Sophia lifted her arms to him. “Up?”

Zach bent and effortlessly lifted Sophia into a seat on one forearm, sparkling Pegasus and all.

“No way,” the blonde said with a snotty laugh, her gaze tracking between Zach and Tessa. “You had a kid with her?”

Anger broke over Zach’s face. The same anger Tessa had seen that night she’d told him about Sophia, when he thought she’d been lying.

When he opened his mouth again, Tessa said, “Zach.” She leveled her voice in an understanding but firm tone, hoping to give him a lifeline to perspective. “We should get going.”

Zach glanced at Tessa, and guilt flashed in his eyes. He cut a look at the woman. “Don’t come around again.”

Tessa didn’t know what that meant, but the women looked at each other with a spark of surprise. He started up the beach, taking Tessa’s arm gently. “Let’s go.”

On the way to the car, Sophia asked, “Who were those ladies?”

“No one important, baby,” he told her.

Important enough to sleep with. Tessa’s mind was spinning with negativity and jealousy and doubt. The familiarity between the women and Zach had been clear. The way he hadn’t introduced them to her and Sophia, another sign. She’d bet her promotion he’d slept with them. Judging by the way the women acted together, Tessa would also bet he’d slept with them at the same time.

She might not date much, but she’d met enough of Corinne’s friends and heard enough of their colorful stories to know what happened in the looser singles scene. And that only added insecurity to her insecurities.

“Are you mad at them?” Sophia asked.

He hesitated. “A little.”

“Why?”

“Because they were rude.”

Sophia gave him a quizzical frown. “Why?”

He sighed. “Because they’re, evidently, not as mature as you are.”

Tessa had to bite her lip to keep from snorting a laugh.

“What’s mature?” Sophia asked.

By the time he glanced at Tessa for help, she couldn’t hide her smile. “What are you grinning about?”

“Why?” she asked Zach in an innocent imitation of Sophia. “Why is the ocean blue? Why do birds chirp? Why did you say that? Why didn’t you say this? Why? Why? Why?”

Sophia turned her quizzical frown on Tessa. Tessa reached over and tickled her belly, instantly changing Sophia’s expression. And Zach seemed to relax a little.

Between the beach and the car, Sophia talked about the seagulls, the sand, and how hungry she was.

At the lot, Zach turned toward his car.

“Sophia needs to be in a car seat,” she reminded him.

“Oh, right,” he said. “Sorry.”

“We can still take yours. I just need to take the seat out—”

“No, yours is fine.”

She opened the door, and Zach awkwardly settled Sophia in the seat, then stared at the straps. With a sigh, he stepped back. “You’re going to have to show me how this works.”

“It’s okay.” Tessa rubbed his arm and gave him a smile. “The secret to kids’ car seats isn’t programed into us at birth. We all have to learn how to use them.”

Once they had Sophia—and Pegasus—buckled in, Tessa closed the door and handed him the keys. “What about your car?”

“We can come back for it.”

She nodded, but when she stepped around him to move to the passenger’s side, he caught her waist and pulled her back. “I’m sorry about them.”

She shook her head. “They’re the ones who should be sorry, not you. I’m sorry they upset you.”

He smiled a little. His gaze lowered to her mouth. “A kiss would instantly change my mood. I would have done it earlier, but I didn’t know if I should kiss you in front of Sophia.”

She smiled up at him, leaning into his body. “She can’t see us now.”

A look of relief eased his features. He cupped her head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Then another. And another. And finally stroked his tongue along them until she opened. He tasted her, gently, slowly, and finally pulled back with a moan. But he smiled, closed his eyes, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

And Tessa couldn’t help but wonder how he’d treated the women he’d just spoken with. Wondered how long he would treat her sweetly like this. Wondered if Sophia’s continued grumpiness would change his mood.

No time like the present to find out. Tessa knew dinner would be a challenge.

“Better,” he murmured against her skin before kissing her there again. “Much better.”

She smiled and stroked his chest, wishing this could last.

But for Tessa, none of the good things in her life seemed to be lasting very long.