CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THOUGH BROOK LYNN was in a knock-down-drag-out fight with her nerves, she was able to hide it behind the warden persona. A stern expression and clipped, efficient movements. The talent came in handy as she and Jase climbed into her car.
“We will get this figured out,” she said. Would they, though? Would they, really? He might have a kid—and a former girlfriend he might want to support.
He mumbled an agreement, too dazed to respond any further than that.
She took extra care on the road, going slower than usual as her mind lobbed questions and statements at her as if they were baseballs and she held a bat.
Jase...a father?
Jase...a family man?
A family that did not include Brook Lynn, but did include Daphne, the girl he’d once loved.
He loves me now. He said so.
But does he love me more than he once loved her? Brook Lynn had a major mark against her. She’d walked away from him the moment she’d learned the truth about his past. Did this Daphne person have any marks?
By the time she reached his house, her fingers had clenched the steering wheel so tightly the two were practically fused together. Her legs trembled as she trailed Jase to the porch and inside the house.
Beck waited by the door, and as they passed him, he marched outside, casting Brook Lynn a pitying glance and saying, “I’ll give you guys some privacy.”
He wanted Jase to have a choice, he’d once told her. Now she understood. The choice between Brook Lynn and Daphne, present and past.
The moisture in her mouth dried when she noticed the floral-printed luggage stacked in the foyer. How long did the woman hope to stay?
Jase stopped in the living room, and Brook Lynn moved beside him. A pretty brunette in her late twenties sat on the couch. She wore a crisp gray blouse and black slacks, and despite the heat outside, she looked as fresh as a newly bloomed rose. Her makeup was perfectly applied and demure. The slenderness of her bones gave her a regal air Brook Lynn would never be able to achieve.
Studying the competition, she began to feel like an idiot for ever being jealous of her sister, who would never make a play for Jase now that Brook Lynn was dating him...and Jase would never do anything with Jessie Kay to jeopardize their relationship. But this Daphne person was a whole different story. She had what Jase never had but had probably always wanted. A family.
A little girl sat at Daphne’s side. She wore a white sundress and shifted uncomfortably, tugging at one of the dress’s straps. She had a shoulder-length crop of dark hair that was straight as a pin and eyes as flawless as the most expensive emeralds. A thought Brook Lynn had often had about Jase’s eyes. The little girl had his mouth, too, with an upper lip plumper than the bottom.
Calm. Steady.
Brook Lynn’s gaze returned to Daphne...who was staring at her with curiosity, probably speculating about her relationship with Jase.
“Daphne,” Jase said, his voice rough. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too. Although you look so different. So big.” Her attention returned to Brook Lynn. “And who do we have here?”
“This is Brook Lynn,” he said.
She waited for him to add, She’s my girlfriend. But the words never came.
Feeling like an interloper, she moved in front of him, giving Daphne her back, and whispered, “Do you want me to go?”
Deep down, she prayed he would grab hold of her and command her to stay with him, then tell her he needed her support now and always. But he could barely peel his gaze from the woman who consumed his past.
“Yes,” he finally said, and it was like being stabbed in the heart. “Thank you for understanding. Text me when you get home and let me know you’re safe.”
Officially dismissed. The hurting only magnified as she turned away from him. “Sure thing.”
Without another word, she walked to the door. Her legs shook the whole way.
“What are you doing here?” she heard him ask Daphne.
Brook Lynn hesitated, hovering between inside and outside, her hand resting on the door’s knob. All she had to do was give a little tug and the partition would close, stopping her from becoming a dirty eavesdropper. But the need to hear Daphne’s reply locked her in place.
“Beck emailed me. I thought you wanted to see me...that maybe you’d heard... Well.” Daphne cleared her throat. “Jase, I’d like to introduce you to your daughter, Hope. Hope, this is Jase. Your father.”
Hope. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.
Jase’s girl.
Brook Lynn stood there, struggling to breathe for one minute...two...as she waited for Jase’s response. But he didn’t give one, and she couldn’t risk staying there any longer. The door snickered closed, and she stumbled to the car.
Maybe Daphne was lying. Maybe she was telling the truth. But Brook Lynn suspected the latter—and knew her relationship with Jase was about to change drastically.
Even...end?
She wasn’t sure how she made it home without crashing. By the time she pulled into the driveway, the tattered remains of the warden facade had completely burned away.
Less than an hour ago, she’d realized just how deeply she had fallen in love with Jase. Now she could lose him.
Once inside her bedroom, she texted Jase as requested. Minutes ticked into an hour, but a response never arrived.
A daughter, she thought, dazed. Jase had a daughter. He was a dad, with a ready-made family. What place did Brook Lynn have in his life now?
I can make a place.
He just has to give me a chance.
The thought mocked her. He’d asked her to give him a chance, too, and yet she’d hesitated.
She tossed and turned all night. Jessie Kay never came home, and for once she didn’t go out looking.
In the morning, Brook Lynn dressed with special care, choosing a pink T-shirt with cutouts of lace and her best shorts, the ones with the fewest frays at the hem. Jase still hadn’t texted her.
She drove to his house and found Daphne’s minivan still parked in the driveway.
Dread made Brook Lynn’s limbs feel as if they were a hundred pounds each as she made her way inside, using the key Jase had given her. The luggage bags were no longer stacked beside the front door, which wasn’t actually a good sign. It meant they’d been moved into one of the rooms. And since there were no spare bedrooms...
There were no blankets or pillows on the couch to suggest someone had slept there.
Jase isn’t a cheater, she reminded herself. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make a clean break from her and go back to Daphne.
The scent of bacon saturated the air. Since Brook Lynn had started working here, she had been the one to fix breakfast every morning. Maybe Beck had an overnight guest, and he’d decided to make his famous morning-after meal. His consolation prize for the woman he’d never see again. But Brook Lynn doubted that was the case. For the most part, she’d taken over that duty, too.
She tripped her way to the kitchen. Daphne stood at the stove, and wave after wave of jealousy rolled through Brook Lynn. I may not work for Jase anymore, but cooking his meals is still my job. No way in hell this girl was going to take over.
“Where’s Jase?” Brook Lynn asked.
Daphne glanced over her shoulder and offered a tight smile. “You’re Brook Lynn, right? The maid?”
I’m far more than that. But it looked as if the claws had come out. “Where’s Jase?” she asked again.
“Out back. But would you mind staying inside for a bit? He’s getting to know his daughter, and I’d really like to give them more time.”
Her hands tightened into fists. “More time? Where were you nine years ago?” I’m acting like a green-eyed she-beast. Don’t like this side of myself.
Daphne turned off the stove and faced her full-on, features hardening by the second. Today she wore a blue tank and shorts that came to just over her knees. Casual chic. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail, showcasing the many piercings in her ears. Her feet were bare, her toenails painted a delicate pink.
“I’ve already discussed that with Jase,” Daphne said, her voice stiff. “I owed him an explanation. I don’t owe you anything.”
Do not react.
Should she go?
The back door slid open. In strode the little girl. She’d looked uncomfortable and nervous last night, but that wasn’t the case today. Happiness radiated through her pores.
Jase came in behind her, wearing a soft, tender expression. Seeing him with his daughter only made her fall deeper in love with him—but when he spotted Brook Lynn, he frowned.
Perspiration dotted her palms. She was suddenly transported back to her childhood, before she’d gotten the implants. Jessie Kay would drag her out of the house to play with other kids, only to have those other kids run away, not wanting anything to do with Earmuff Girl.
“Brook Lynn,” he said in greeting, his voice tempered, revealing zero hint of his emotions.
Back to square one.
“This is Hope. Hope, this is Brook Lynn.”
Again, he left off the girlfriend identifier. “Hello.”
“Hi. I guess.” The girl certainly had her mother’s unwelcoming attitude. But she’d inherited more than Jase’s eyes and mouth, Brook Lynn realized. She had inherited the shape of his face. They were like carbon copies of each other, and a pang tore through her chest.
“Don’t be rude,” Daphne admonished, surprising her.
Hope glared up at Brook Lynn as if she was the enemy. “She started it! We’re having a family day, and she’s not family.”
Translation: go home. “Don’t worry. I’m not staying,” Brook Lynn croaked.
Jase tousled Hope’s dark hair, earning a grin from her, before he claimed Brook Lynn’s hand. “Excuse us for a moment.” He ushered her out of the kitchen, into his bedroom, where he released her to scrub a hand down his face.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He plopped on the end of the bed.
Both sides were mussed, both pillows flat and well used.
“They stayed the night,” Brook Lynn said hollowly.
“Of course.” He sounded mildly offended, as if she’d just accused him of throwing the pair into the street.
“Daphne slept in here,” she said. A statement, not a question.
Understanding dawned, and he snapped, “With Hope. Not me. I crashed in West’s room. Both he and Beck stayed out all night.”
She exhaled a breath she felt like she’d been holding all her life. Okay. All right. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who I am anymore. This situation is just so...”
“Screwed up. I get it.” A tense pause before he added, “But it’s about to get even more so. Daphne and Hope are going to stay for a few weeks.”
The jealousy she felt now made a mockery of the jealousy she’d felt only seconds before, though she tried not to show it. “I’m glad you’ll have a chance to get to know your daughter.” That was the truth.
“She is...perfect,” he said, and Brook Lynn would have sworn there were stars in his eyes.
It warmed her heart to see the deep love he’d already developed for the girl. “Why is Daphne just now telling you about her?”
“Because I was in prison.”
“That’s an excuse.”
A sardonic flash of teeth. “Really? Because I seem to recall you wanting nothing to do with me for that very reason.”
Ouch. “Do you still want to be with me?” she asked quietly.
“I do,” he said without hesitation. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you I loved you.”
Relief was like the first rain after a long drought. “But...why didn’t you tell Daphne I’m your girlfriend?”
“Honey, the last I heard from you, you were giving me time. I didn’t know you were accepting me back as your boyfriend.”
“I—”
A light tap sounded at the door.
“—want you,” she finished. “I want everything from you.”
He reached for her, only to fist his hands just before contact as another knock sounded. His arms fell to his sides. “The door,” he said.
“Right.” Trembling, she turned the knob.
Hope stepped inside, wide-eyed, a plate of food in hand. “Um, hi.” She glanced between them.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Jase said, his tone gentling.
Hope unveiled a devastating smile, preening under his attention. “Momma wanted you to have your breakfast while it was still hot.”
Well, wasn’t that nice. Too nice?
Had Daphne come here hoping to win Jase back?
Brook Lynn’s knees nearly gave out. If she were to war against Daphne, she would lose. Daphne had the ace.
Be that as it may, Brook Lynn wasn’t giving up without a fight. Not this time. She’d walked away once already, and it had brought her nothing but heartache. Jase deserved better. He deserved her best, and that’s what she would give him. I’m coming at you guns blazing, Mr. Hollister.
“Eat your breakfast.” She strutted over, kissed him on the forehead and whispered, “Your days belong to your daughter, and I’m glad about that, I really am, but your nights are mine.”
* * *
JASE GLANCED AT the clock. 10:07 flashed in bold red numbers. Hope had been asleep for an hour. And for the entirety of that hour he’d wanted to go to Brook Lynn.
But Daphne sat on the couch, telling West and Beck what she’d told him last night—her story since they’d last seen each other. Neither interrupted her. Neither accused her of lying about Hope’s paternity.
Jase didn’t need a DNA test. In his heart, he knew the truth. Break out the pink cigars. I’m a dad.
He was scared as hell he’d do a bad job with Hope, maybe scar her emotionally because he had no idea how to love a kid, and she’d have to spend a few decades in therapy, but he did love her. Just a few minutes alone with her had sealed the deal.
You’re really my dad?
I am.
I’m glad. I’ve been dreaming of you my whole life.
He’d toppled head over heels then and there. And yeah, for a guy who’d professed to never want kids, he’d sure fallen for this one fast and hard. But then, he hadn’t known what he’d been missing.
“I found out I was pregnant the day before Jase’s sentence,” Daphne said. “I was scared, but I thought I could find another guy and everything would be okay. Jase had no money, no prospects and no future. I wanted someone who had those things. But the one I picked stuck around only until I began showing. I got a job as a receptionist at a law firm and went to night school to become a court stenographer, knowing I’d need a way to support the baby on my own. And I did it. I finished, was making something of my life, but Jase was still in prison. I just...I didn’t want Hope to see him behind bars.”
Good call. But if he’d known about her, at the very least, he could have been there for her, providing money, a home, food, clothes. Anything she’d needed, everything she’d wanted.
“Where does she think he’s been?” Beck asked.
Daphne plucked a piece of lint from her shirtsleeve. “In another country, helping starving children.”
A saint rather than a sinner. Of course. “I’ll be telling her the truth,” Jase said. “Soon.” The thought of his own daughter fearing him caused him to break out in a cold sweat, but he wasn’t going to lie to her or risk someone else telling her. He also wasn’t going to allow her to think he’d put other kids before her.
“He’s been out for over six months,” West said, anger tightening his voice. “You’ve had plenty of time to create another lie about her dad’s return.” The wound on his forehead had begun to heal, but the wounds in his soul had begun to leak their poison.
He once again smelled of the most potent alcohol.
“Well,” she said, casting Jase a look filled with remorse. “I thought about it, I did, but I wasn’t sure how Jase would feel, if he would care. But I was just fooling myself. I see that now. I was scared. I’ve been in a stable, loving relationship for almost three years now, and I didn’t want to screw that up. But Tyler is in the military. The army. He’s currently overseas, left last week, and he’ll be gone for six months. That’s why I decided to answer Beck’s email.”
“Is he good to Hope?” Beck asked.
It was a question Jase had asked, as well.
“Very. He loves her like she’s his own.”
But she’s not his. She’s mine. And he adored that little girl with every fiber of his being.
“You’ll have to tell him about me, Daph.” Jase pinned her with a hard stare. “I’m going to be a part of Hope’s life.” Now and forever.
“I know,” she said, surprising him. “If he’s able, he’s going to video chat with me later tonight. I plan to tell him then.”
“And that’s going to make everything better?” West exploded. “You left without a word, hid a secret for nine years and think you can come back as if you’ve done nothing wrong?”
Daphne stiffened.
“West,” Jase said. “I love you, man, but I won’t let you talk to her like that.”
“Someone has to look out for you.” West’s gaze practically spewed fire as it landed on Jase. “I didn’t before, but I will now.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, drew in a breath. This was what guilt did, he realized. Tore down. Left you in a rut. Unable to move forward. And Jase didn’t want to live like that any longer. He didn’t want his friends to live like that.
He stood, walked to the couch where West and Beck sat and eased onto the coffee table in front of them, his attention remaining on West. “Let it go,” he said softly. “It’s time. The past is a noose around your neck, and it’s choking the life out of you.” He looked to Beck. “You, too. You just hide it better.”
Both men focused on something other than Jase and remained silent.
“I want better for you. I want better for me.” He patted each of their knees. “I want my friends back. The ones who see me as an equal, not someone they owe.”
Again, silence.
“I’m asking you to move forward. Therefore, you have to move forward,” he continued. “You’ve paid enough. I’ve paid enough. We’re going to enjoy life. Finally.” He gave them another pat before standing and meeting Daphne’s watery gaze. “I’m really glad you found your happily-ever-after.”
“Me, too. I hope you find yours.”
“I’m working on it.”