Tys Heart--California Cowboys - Selena Laurence(ang.)

TY’S HEART CALIFORNIA COWBOYS 3

SELENA LAURENCE

GOLDEN AGE PRESS

Copyright 2017 © Selena Laurence All Rights Reserved Copy Editing by LindaEdits.com Cover by Sweet and Spicy Design All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, sorted in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. For permission to use any portion of this material, please contact the author at: [email protected] Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

About Ty’s Heart Praise For Selena Laurence Books by Selena Laurence Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21

Chapter 22 Epilogue The Czar 1. Mick 2. Solana 3. Mick 4. Solana 5. Mick About the Author

ABOUT TY’S HEART

She's come back to steal his heart. Ty Jenkins is a good man. For five long years he's devoted his life to his young daughter, Katie, giving everything he's got to make sure she won't miss the one thing she can't have--a mother. When that very woman blows back into town, Ty's world is turned upside down. He'd do anything to care for Katie, but caring for her gets complicated when he still has feelings for the woman who abandoned them both. Jodi Morgan has made a lot of mistakes in her life, and the biggest one of all was giving up her infant daughter the day she was born. But now she's back in Big Sur, California, determined to be there for her girl however she can. What Jodi didn't count on was the way she feels about Katie's father. Between his devotion to Katie and his work-honed

body, Ty is one hell of an attractive package. As two parents begin a journey to do what's best for their child, they rediscover the feelings they once had for one another. Can Ty trust Jodi not to leave again? Has she come to be part of Katie's future? Or will she steal his heart?

PRAISE FOR SELENA LAURENCE

"Laurence’s tightly woven story is a superb mix of sexual and political tension that’s certain to please fans of both." — Publisher's Weekly review of THE KINGMAKER

"Delicious and Intriguing." — Lauren Blakely, NYT Bestselling Author on A LUSH BETRAYAL

“Selena Laurence has the ability to bring to life complex characters you instantly start rooting for from page one. Passion, humor, and a sexy hero all make for one read you don’t want to miss.” — Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author on PLAYING WITH FIRE

"I totally fell in love with Nico and Tess’s story." — Cindi Madden, USA TODAY Bestselling Author on THE HEIR

"The plot is deftly written and readers will be totally engrossed in the story" — InD'Tale Magazine review of A LUSH BETRAYAL

“Selena Laurence delivers on the promise of heat, and love with her sexy romances!” — Nana Malone, USA TODAY Bestselling Author

BOOKS BY SELENA LAURENCE

The Lush Rockstar Series A Lush Betrayal (Lush 1) Loving a Lush (Lush 2) Lowdown and Lush (Lush 3) A Lush Reunion (Lush 4)

The Rhapsody Rockstar Series A Lush Rhapsody (A Rhapsody Novel) Racing to Rhapsody (A Rhapsody Novel) Dreaming of Rhapsody (A Rhapsody Novella) Addicted to Rhapsody (A Rhapsody Novel)

The Powerplay Series Prince of the Press (A Powerplay Novella) The Kingmaker (A Powerplay Novel) POTUS (A Powerplay Novel) SCOTUS (A Powerplay Novel)

The California Cowboys Series Cade’s Loss (California Cowboys One)

Vaughn’s Pride (California Cowboys Two) Ty’s Heart (California Cowboys Three) Standalones The Heir: A Standalone Greek Billionaire Romance Pax (Lush the Next Gen) The Czar: A Standalone Hockey Billionaire Romance The Hiding From Love Series Falling for Trouble Secrets in a Kiss Concealed by a Kiss Playing with Fire

1

T

y stood and watched her as she gazed out at the ocean beyond the railing of the deck. He remembered the first time he’d laid eyes on her almost six years ago. She’d been standing behind the counter of his aunt’s coffee shop, all that pale blonde hair piled in a mess on top of her head. Her cornflower-blue eyes—eyes he knew as well as his own now—sparkled when she smiled at customers, and he’d felt it immediately. As if a bolt of lightning had struck him, he’d wanted that girl. He’d wanted that sparkle and glow to be for him. And for a brief time, it was. But now, as he quietly watched her, none of the sparkle was there anymore. None of the vibrancy that had been so magnetic when they’d known each other earlier. No, Jodi was different. He could see it in the set of her shoulders, the way she held her

arms so tight against her body. Then she turned and looked at him, and it was in her eyes. It was breath stealing, the sorrow he saw there, but he steeled himself against it. Closed himself off and let a layer of armor wind around his heart and his body. Because no matter how sad she might be, she was here to upend his life, to try to take the single most important thing he had, and even if it made her sad for the rest of her life, he wasn’t about to give her what she wanted. Katie wasn’t negotiable. “You came,” she said, giving him a small smile as she turned more fully, the thin embroidered cotton dress she wore blowing around her thighs in the breeze. Her hair was still that same shade of platinum it had always been—so rare for an adult to be that blonde naturally, but Jodi looked like the fae out of some Nordic fairy tale, all fair skin, white-blonde hair, and pale blue eyes. She was tall at five ten, he was taller at six two, and she was strong—long legs, wide shoulders, narrow hips—but buxom as well, a Viking warrior princess. He gave himself a little shake, remembering that if she wasn’t exactly the enemy now, she sure as hell wasn’t his friend. “Surely you didn’t expect me to find out you were in town and just ignore it?” he answered, walking to where she stood at the railing on the

deck of Lynn’s coffee shop, which was closed for the day. She watched him, her lips trembling just a touch, showing she was as uncomfortable with this as he was. “No, I guess not.” She looked back out at the water. “Jodi?” he asked quietly after a few moments. “What are you doing here? I thought we settled this last year.” She sighed, then turned to him. “I don’t even know where to begin.” He shrugged, glancing away from her because, dammit, those eyes. Those eyes without the sparkle nearly broke him in two, and he couldn’t afford to be weak. Not now. Not with her. “How about at the beginning?” She shook her head. “That’s not the part that matters. All that matters is the end. The day I woke up and realized that nothing in my life was ever going to be right again as long as I didn’t have her.” He stiffened. Fuck. He’d known it was coming, but damn, it cut through him like a hot knife through butter. “No.” “Just hear me out—” “No.” “Ty—” He whipped toward her, getting so far in her

face, her could see her pupils dilate, feel her warm breath on his skin, hear the little gasp she made as she startled at his advance. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to give her up and then change your mind. Leave her with me for almost five years to diaper and feed and teach and love, to raise every single day, and then decide you want her back.” “It’s not like that. If you’ll let me—” “I. Said. No!” he bellowed. Then they both stopped, staring at one another, and as tears welled up in her eyes, the fury drained out of him, leaving him so incredibly tired. And heartsick. Sad that he couldn’t give Katie everything she deserved. Angry that this woman had taken so much from his daughter, and yet he still had…feelings of some sort for her. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice much quieter now. “I didn’t mean to yell. But the answer is no. She has a family that loves her, a home that’s safe and secure, friends, a community. You’re not allowed to disrupt that. We had an agreement. I’m sorry if it’s been hard on you, but you made your choice, and you can’t go back.” He looked her in the eye. “Katie has everything she needs.” It was a lie, he knew it, but he wasn’t about to admit it to Jodi, so he turned and started back toward his truck parked in front of the café. Long strides ate up the deck as his heart burned in

his chest. “She doesn’t have me.” Jodi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was crystal clear, and in spite of what he’d just done and said, she wasn’t angry, simply determined. “Like I said,” he retorted without turning around. “She has everything she needs.”

“S

omebody woke up on the wrong side of the bunk,” Dirk chided Ty as they worked side by side carrying bales of hay into the family barn. Ty grunted, lifting a bale off the back of the truck and swinging it into an empty stall, where he dropped it unceremoniously. “Just tired. I stayed up too late working on the health certificates for the batch going to auction next week.” Ty’s family owned one of California’s largest cattle ranches, and they were in the process of going organic. It was work he loved, normally, and the organic component had been his brainchild, but today he couldn’t seem to gather the energy to give a damn. Dirk spat a stream of tobacco juice into one of several cans nailed to posts and fencing around the barn. Ty’s older brother, Cade, had developed the

system to keep the old man from spitting all over the floors of the barns and chicken houses. Dirk had been with Big Sur ranch since before Ty and his brothers were born. There was no telling him what to do, so you had to figure out creative ways to manage him. “I thought it might have something to do with the blonde you were with on the café deck yesterday afternoon.” Ty shot a glance at Dirk, his lips tightening into a grimace. “You weren’t supposed to see that. No one was.” “How long has she been back?” “She texted me two days ago.” “That the first time you’ve heard from her since she left?” Ty had never told anyone that she’d been back once before. Nearly eight months ago, when she’d shown up at the town’s annual Boots and Brews event. He’d managed to send her away that time, but now she was back, and seemed more determined than ever. “No,” he admitted. “It’s not the first time she’s contacted me. There was one other.” “And she wants to see Katie?” Dirk asked softly, his old eyes cloudy with concern. He loved Ty’s daughter as much as anyone, serving the role of grandfather to her since Ty’s own parents had died shortly before he met Jodi. Dirk

lived on the ranch, so he’d watched her every day of Katie’s life. “She can want.” Ty grunted, lifting another bale. “It’s not going to happen.” Dirk nodded, his expression somber. They worked in silence for a few minutes until the tension finally got to Ty. “What? Just spit it out along with the tobacco. You obviously have an opinion, so let’s hear it.” Dirk paused in his work, spit more juice—onto the ground next to the truck this time—and chewed on his cheek for a moment. “A child needs a mother.” “She has a mother,” Ty snarled, anger swirling in his chest. “Aunt Lynn’s been taking care of her since the day she was born. She moved into the house to do it. And now she has Nina too. Someone younger who can do the fancy hairstyles and talk to her about boys when she’s older. The kid has more family looking after her than most kids with two parents will ever get. She’s fine.” “She is. And you’ve done a great job. But Nina and Cade will have their own kids, and while Lynn’s a healthy woman, she’s not getting any younger.” He paused. “And neither am I.” Ty took a breath, tried to calm the pounding of his heart, the sick feeling that churned in his gut. “I know you mean well, and you always want the best for her, but there is no way in hell I’m going to let

the woman who walked away from her back into her life. Katie may have the occasional question now, but imagine the upset if she’s rejected at this age. How she’d feel if she got to know Jodi and then had that taken away.” He shook his head. “No. It’s too big a risk. I won’t disrupt her life like that.” Dirk held up his hands. “I get it. And you’re her daddy. You need to do what you think is best, but if Jodi’s back and she really wants to see her, you might not get the choice.” And that was what terrified Ty more than anything. The idea of Jodi lawyering up and getting the courts involved. He had legal documents giving him full custody of Katie. Cade had made sure Ty’s bases were all covered when Katie was born, but Jodi was her mother. Her name was right there alongside his on the birth certificate. And even in the twenty-first century, courts were heavily biased toward mothers. “Yeah, I know,” he answered sadly. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” “Let’s hope,” Dirk answered.

2

J

odi straightened her skirt before looking in the window of the Big Sur coffee shop, owned by Ty’s Aunt Lynn. Jodi had been twenty-two the first time she’d driven into Big Sur, she and her best friend from college, Darcy Lee, taking a yearlong road trip before they settled into regular careers and the rest of their lives. The plan had been to stop somewhere, pick up whatever work they could find, and when they got bored, they’d move on to the next locale. But early on, they’d landed in Big Sur, Jodi had gotten a job at the coffee shop, and then there’d been Ty. Her mind traveled back to those early days with him. He was mourning the recent deaths of his parents, and she’d wanted nothing more than to take the sadness out of his eyes. He was tall, dark, handsome in a way the hippie guys she usually

ended up with couldn’t match. They’d been casual, knowing she wasn’t going to stay, but she’d realized early on her heart was more invested than she’d like it to be. Then the unthinkable had happened and she’d gotten pregnant, in spite of the pill. They’d agreed to be exclusive while she was in town, so there was no question who the baby belonged to. Ty offered to marry her. She politely declined. They barely knew each other after all. It had only been a few weeks. But then the panic set in. Jodi had seen life as a single mother up close, watching her own mother struggle for years. Her mother had been buried under poverty, under a burden she never wanted. While Ty seemed to be the kind of standup guy you’d want to father your kid, and God knew his family had enough money to take care of child support, Jodi was terrified. That she’d end up with a child, alone, poor, trying to scrape by like her own mother had all those years. It wore down a woman’s soul, wrecked her heart, stole her youth. Jodi couldn’t bear the idea of doing it to herself or her baby. So she told him she wanted to put the baby up for adoption, and he said he’d do it—raise the baby himself, with help from his family. He’d inherited his parents’ business; he had a house, a job, two brothers, an aunt. He was set up to provide the baby with a home that she never could. Big Sur

was a tight-knit community. The baby would have a charmed childhood in the coastal town. The kind of childhood Jodi had only dreamed of. Ty’s older brother had been suspicious of her, to say the least, expecting she’d want money, no doubt, but Jodi had signed all the paperwork he’d asked for, and then she’d given birth at the hospital with Darcy and Ty there, Cade and Lynn waiting in the hallway outside. Darcy’s job was to take care of Jodi. Ty’s was to take the baby. But before she’d watched him walk out of the room, holding that little bundle in his arms, she’d asked to see her, hold her, just once. He’d looked terrified and hopeful all at the same time as he gingerly placed Katie in her arms. Years later, she came to realize what a mistake that moment had been, but she couldn’t take it back, and wouldn’t want to anyway. She’d stared down at that little face, a nose like Ty’s, eyes that were clearly her own, and she’d known she was doing the right thing. She wasn’t prepared to be a mother, she wasn’t capable of it, but that little face seared itself onto her very soul in that moment, and over the next few years, the absence of Katie’s sweet face became a greater and greater burden to carry. Jodi Morgan fell in love with her daughter that day. If only she’d realized it sooner. She gave herself a shake, smoothing her skirt one more time before she swung open the door to

the coffee shop. She walked in, pleased she’d judged the time right and arrived during the midmorning lull. As she approached the counter, she saw Lynn helping a customer with a doughnut order. After she boxed up the dozen that were going to the staff at the Big Sur Market, she handed his change over and lifted her gaze. Jodi saw the very moment recognition made its way to Lynn’s brain. She blinked once, then a smile spread across her face. “Jodi Morgan,” she cried before coming around the end of the counter with open arms. “My God, child, what are you doing here?” Jodi walked into Lynn’s embrace, warmth and peace wrapping around her like a blanket. Lynn had been a rock for both her and Ty when they’d discovered the pregnancy. She’d kept Cade calm so he wouldn’t take an inch off Ty’s hide, told them they had all the choices in the world, and supported them in every decision along the way. Lynn was one of many reasons Jodi had felt comfortable with the idea of giving the baby to Ty. She knew Lynn would be the very best kind of surrogate parent. “It’s so good to see you,” Jodi said as Lynn gave her one last squeeze before releasing her. Lynn turned to the young woman working behind the counter. “I’ll be out on the deck, Marlene. Bring this one a large coconut milk latte, will you?”

Jodi smiled that Lynn remembered her favorite drink, and let herself be led to the back deck overlooking the beach, the place where only the day before, Ty had told her there was no way in hell he’d allow her to be part of Katie’s life. As they sat, Lynn grabbed Jodi’s hand and held on. “I’m so happy to see you,” she said warmly. “Tell me what you’re doing here.” Jodi swallowed. “I saw Ty last night.” Lynn nodded, waiting. “I um, I don’t know if I approached him right.” She chuckled bitterly. “In fact, I think I did it all wrong.” “Oh, sweetheart,” Lynn said sympathetically. “I don’t think there is a good way to approach him if you’re here for what I think you are.” Jodi gave Lynn’s hand a squeeze before releasing it and sitting back in her chair. “I want to find a way…” “To know Katie,” Lynn finished. Jodi nodded. “It doesn’t have to be as her mother. I know I’ve given up that chance. But just to know her—maybe as a family friend, maybe I could babysit her sometimes, or go see her school events. Even if she doesn’t ever know I’m there. If I could just watch her from afar… I don’t mean it to sound creepy. I’d always do it with Ty’s knowledge and permission—” “Slow down, honey,” Lynn said, putting her

hand back over Jodi’s. “Take a breath. I’m not going to yell at you—which is what I suspect Ty did.” Jodi nodded, her throat tightening at the memory. “Let’s start from the beginning. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been doing the last few years. I’d love to hear about it all.” Jodi swallowed, willed the emotional chaos to settle, and started the story. “When I left Big Sur, I knew the whole idea of traveling the country for a year was done. Darcy was nice enough to understand, and she took me with her back to her parents’ house in Sedona.” “You couldn’t go see your mother?” Lynn asked, concern on her face. Jodi shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe I could have, but she had a new boyfriend—she started dating when I left for college. They’d moved in together, and I didn’t really feel like there was a place for me there, you know?” Lynn’s lips grew tight, but other than that, she didn’t respond. “But once I was in Sedona, I had this ache to get back to California. It was all I could think about night and day.” She looked at Lynn and saw the other woman understood immediately. “I didn’t want to admit it to myself then, but of course, it was because of her.” Jodi took a long breath, remembering those early days after Katie’s birth, the changes in her

body as it rebounded from pregnancy, the strange ache that lodged in her chest and never let up. She wasn’t interested in dating. She wasn’t interested in socializing. She’d tried to be the girl she’d been the year before, but she couldn’t pull it off no matter how many times she went with Darcy to clubs, movies, and parties. “So, I started looking for nursing jobs, and when I found one in San Luis Obispo, I jumped on it.” Lynn’s eyebrows lifted. “So you’ve been right there this whole time?” Jodi nodded, shame washing over her. Why hadn’t she come sooner? If she really loved her daughter this much, why had she stayed away? Then she reminded herself of what the therapist had taught her—you can’t change the past, you can only change how you look at it. She could look back and see what a terribly frightened and incomplete human she’d been. She actually had a strong maternal instinct, a good one, because she’d known no matter how much she craved Katie, she wasn’t ready for her yet. Jodi had needed to travel her own path before she was ready to be with Katie. So she’d left her with the very best people, and she’d set out to make herself the woman Katie needed. It had been hard, and it had taken far longer than she would have liked, but it was done. She heard her therapist’s voice in her head: “No

guilt for those years, only acceptance they were needed so now you can be your best for Katie.” “I was,” Jodi said, holding her head a little higher. “I needed to be close, but I wasn’t ready for her. I didn’t want to come here and do this until I was the very best I could be—for her.” Lynn shifted in her seat, her hand finally drifting away from Jodi’s, her brow furrowing slightly. “So what’s changed about you that makes you feel you’re ready to be part of her life now?” Sighing, Jodi struggled to pull forth words to describe a process and a result that were so enmeshed in the very fibers of her character and psyche. “You know about how I was raised, my mom, all the problems she had. I don’t know that I ever thought about what type of woman I’d be when I was older. I was good enough in school to get into college, and I thought it was somehow the answer to avoiding my mom’s struggles. If I could earn a better living, then my life would be so much easier. “But I realized once I was pregnant, I really knew nothing about anything other than a being a poor, single, beat-down woman. Getting pregnant by accident at twenty-two was the first step toward that very life, and I couldn’t take it. I also knew even though it happened by accident, it somehow wasn’t. It’s like my own image of myself forced it

on me. Like this thing inside me was saying no matter what, this is all you’ll ever be.” Marlene appeared with Jodi’s latte, and she gratefully took a moment to enjoy the first few sips of warm delight. As always, Lynn sat patiently, peacefully, and waited. “So I got the job in the hospital in San Luis Obispo, and I settled in, thinking I’d be this great career girl, and everything would fall into place.” She shook her head at the memories of how naïve she’d been just five years ago. “But the bad stuff, it didn’t go away. I still struggled. I was sad. I felt like something was missing all the damn time. I tried to fill it with boyfriends. I dated, mostly just dates, but three times, I had longer relationships. When the second guy in a row broke up with me, he said something that hurt me so bad, but I see now was just the truth. He told me I was like a beautiful block of ice. I kept so much of me locked up, frozen somewhere deep inside, no one could ever really know me.” “Oh, sweetheart,” Lynn murmured. Jodi looked down at her hands where they lay in her lap, shaking her head softly at the memories. “He was right. No one did know me, because I didn’t know me. I still had this image of myself as my mother. I couldn’t seem to get past it, no matter how well I did at my job or how much money I socked away in savings, or how many doctors I

dated. I was this empty, desolate woman. “But you know how they say you have to hit rock bottom? Well, I finally did a year and a half ago. A position opened up in the neonatal ward, and I applied for it.” Jodi heard the small intake of air as Lynn’s eyes widened for a moment. “What a cliché, right? How in the world I couldn’t see what was happening, I’ll never know, but I didn’t. I didn’t see I was punishing myself with all those babies every day, and in any other way I could until I got involved with a man who was abusive.” “Oh God.” Lynn’s whole body went rigid, and then she leaned out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Jodi’s shoulders, squeezing her tight before sitting back. Jodi gave her a tight smile. “It’s okay. I know now how it happened, and why. And if it’s any comfort, he only hit me once. The emotional abuse I tolerated, but the physical woke me up, and I left immediately. I went to the head of psychiatry at the hospital and told her I needed help, so she checked me in.” “Oh!” “It’s not quite like you think. I wasn’t in the psych ward. She checked me into the hospital, called it exhaustion like they do with movie stars, and started me on antidepressants and some really

serious therapy. “I spent the eighteen months getting healthy, learning about the mistakes I’ve made, figuring out who I am and where I want to be.” “And where is that?” Lynn asked, even though it was all pretty obvious. “I want to be in Katie’s life. I don’t think she’s going to save me or make me whole. I know that’s all on me, and I feel confident that even if Ty never allows me to see her, I’m going to be fine. But I need to at least try. I need to give it my best shot, and if it isn’t meant to be right now, then I’ll wait. And when she’s grown, I’ll introduce myself and see if she’s interested in knowing me that way.” The back door to the shop swung open again, and Jodi looked up just in time to see a little girl with white-blonde hair tear out of the building and launch herself onto Lynn’s lap. “Auntie Lynn!” she cried. “Auntie Nina’s takin’ me to the park before school, and Daddy said we could stop and have a kidspresso too!” Jodi’s heart lurched as she watched the little girl wiggle on Lynn’s lap, her small hands patting Lynn on the cheeks while she talked. A wave of adrenaline rushed through her so fast and hard, she was shaking in seconds, her vision spotty around the edges. Katie had her hair and her eyes. The brightest blue, but with thick dark lashes like Ty’s. She could

see that, unlike her, Katie wasn’t going to stay blonde. Her brows and the underside of her hair were already darker than Jodi’s. But for now, it was platinum, with wispy curls that settled around her temples and ears. “I’m so sorry,” a woman said in the periphery of the haze Jodi was in. “I didn’t realize you were meeting with someone.” Jodi turned to see a perky blonde smiling at her, dressed in jeans and a Big Sur Organics T-shirt, her pregnant belly stretching the cotton fabric. “I’m Nina, Lynn’s niece,” she said, thrusting out a hand. Jodi stared for a moment, unable to process what she’d heard. Lynn’s niece. Lynn had only nephews. Three of them, Cade, Ty, and Vaughn. “Niece?” she asked, gaze darting from Lynn to Nina and back again as she halfheartedly shook Nina’s hand. “Well, by marriage,” Nina added. Jodi’s heart plummeted as she watched Katie, and everything she’d hoped for drifted away like dandelion fluff on the wind. She swallowed hard and tried to school her face into some semblance of acceptable grace. But then, as usual, Lynn stepped in, smoothing it all over as if this weren’t the very most important moment of Jodi’s life playing out like some sort of telenovela.

“Yes, Nina married Cade earlier this year. And I’m so happy to have another woman around the ranch.” Jodi didn’t realize she’d stopped breathing in those few moments, but the rush of breath and light-headedness that followed told her she’d forgotten to do the most basic thing for a minute. Nina cocked her head and fixed her with a sharp gaze. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Oh yes, fine. I should probably get going, though.” She looked at Katie, who was playing with Lynn’s bracelet while she sat on the older woman’s lap. “I don’t want to interrupt your family time.” “Don’t be silly,” Lynn said, giving Jodi a small shake of her head. “You haven’t been properly introduced to Katie yet.” “Katie,” Lynn said, setting the little girl off her lap so she faced Jodi’s chair. “This is an old friend of the family, Jodi. And Jodi, this is Katie Sophia.” Katie smiled at her, her sun-kissed skin glowing in the late-morning light. Her hair was caught up in a braid, but those little baby curls danced around her face and neck. She was dressed to play. No fancy little pinafores for Ty’s daughter, just good solid jeans, a pair of sneakers, and a hot-pink Tshirt with a glittery cow on the front and the words “Big Sur Ranch.” “Hi, Katie,” Jodi said softly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Hi,” Katie answered, studying Jodi in the way that only small children do. “You’re pretty.” Jodi grinned, so overcome she had to fight like hell not to bawl in front of the child and scare her half to death. “Thank you. So are you.” “Is she coming to dinner tonight?” Katie asked. “’Cause usually friends come to dinner.” Lynn stood, taking Katie by the hand. “Not tonight, hun, but maybe sometime soon.” She smiled at Jodi, and Jodi nodded, grateful she didn’t have to speak anymore since she wasn’t sure she could. “Why don’t you go in and have Marlene make you your kidspresso, then come back out so Nina can take you on to school.” “Okay.” Katie bounded away into the shop. “Have a seat, Nina,” Lynn instructed. Nina nodded. “Yes, I think I’d better.” She sat on the other side of the round table, her eyes never leaving Jodi’s face. “Nina, this is—” “Katie’s mother,” Nina finished Lynn’s sentence. “Yes,” Lynn said. “So it’s that obvious? I mean, I think it’s blatant, but I know Jodi. I was there when Katie was born, so I wasn’t sure what it would look like to an outsider.” Nina released a slow breath. “It’s pretty

obvious. The hair, the eyes, the skin tone.” She looked at Jodi sympathetically. “And the fact you nearly passed out when she spoke to you gave it away if the rest hadn’t.” “I’m sorry.” Jodi darted a glance at Lynn. “I’ll work on that, I promise. I can do something about the hair too—dye mine darker if it would help?” “What?” Nina squinted. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Lynn scolded. “If he doesn’t want her to know, I mean…” “Sweetheart,” Lynn said indulgently. “There isn’t any question of whether she’ll know, only when and how. Ty has the right to decide those details, but the fact is, you’re her mother. There’s no getting around it. You carried her in your body for nine months and gave her half her DNA. She’s going to know you’re her mother. That part isn’t up for grabs. The rest of it is something you and Ty will have to work out.” Jodi nodded, glancing at Nina, who swallowed and looked concerned. “I’m not here to try to take her,” she told Nina. “I just want a chance to know her. I approached Ty yesterday, but he, um, didn’t take it well.” “I imagine he didn’t,” Nina murmured. “Can I ask you something?” “Of course.” “Why now?” Jodi sighed. She’d known she would hear this

question a lot. Somehow she thought she’d be giving the answer to Ty first, but at least she was getting a lot of practice before she had to give him the speech. “I was raised by a poor single mother,” she told Nina. “It really impacted my view of the world and of myself. When I got pregnant with”—she glanced toward the doors to the café—“her, I wasn’t capable of taking that on. I was so terrified of ending up like my mother, I couldn’t see past the fear to care for her. But I’ve spent the last five years learning about what I’m capable of, figuring out I’m not my mother, and realizing that leaving my child was the gravest error of my life. I accept I can’t undo it, but I’d like to be better—for me and for her—moving forward.” Nina cleared her throat. “Well, okay then. You’ve got your work cut out for you.” “I know.” “The first thing to be done is to get you and Ty together so you can talk,” Lynn said. Jodi laughed bitterly. “I’m not too sure that’s going to happen.” “My nephews are some of the most stubborn men in California,” Lynn grumbled. “But they have hearts as big as the state as well. Let me talk to Ty. He’ll meet with you. But in the meantime, tell us what your plans are. Do you go back to San Luis Obispo soon? How much time off work did you

get?” Lynn turned to Nina. “Jodi’s a nurse at the hospital in San Luis.” “Actually,” Jodi said, steeling herself for the reaction to her news, “I quit the hospital. I uh…” She paused, taking a deep breath, remembering what her therapist said: "You are strong, and this is for you and your daughter. No fear.” “I’ve rented a house here in town, and I’m opening a holistic healing practice.” Nina had a sharp intake of breath, but Lynn’s smile slowly spread across her face like syrup over a pancake. “Well, good for you.” She watched Jodi for so long, Jodi felt a flush creeping up her cheeks. “How long have you been planning for this?” Lynn asked. “Over a year. I moved into a basement studio apartment on the outskirts of San Luis and worked overtime for the last fifteen months to save. I sold my new car and bought a used Honda CRV—but it’s in great shape, and has really high safety ratings—” “So you could drive Katie,” Nina finished, her eyes sharp. Jodi nodded. “The house I rented has a little fenced-in yard and a second bedroom.” Her words were rushed then. “I know that’s hoping for a lot— that she’d be allowed to spend the night, but I wanted Ty to know I’ve thought about it all, and I’m prepared for whatever he’ll allow…”

Jodi saw Nina wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. “And the business?” Lynn asked softly. “The hospital paid for me to do all sorts of training and continuing education over the years. I’ve had courses in herbal remedies, massage as therapy, doula work. I did the research, and in upscale communities like this, holistic practices do really well. The fact you didn’t already have one here is surprising. Because I’m a nurse, I can give people the coded paperwork so they can get some reimbursements from their insurance, but it’s a simple cash transaction on my end. I’m thinking of limiting my practice to women and children to start. Also, I can work out of my house—I checked the zoning requirements, and the landlord’s on board. I can set my own hours and be available when—if— Katie ever needed me.” “Wow,” Nina whispered. “You planned this a long time,” Lynn said, her eyes soft and kind. Jodi felt somehow foolish, but she powered through. “I know it’s probably a pipe dream. He might not allow it, or she’ll not want to know me. But I decided I’d rather be here in case, rather than be rejected over and over, than be a few hours away never having tried. If I can’t get to know her, at least I can be close, where she can find me as easily as walking down the street, should she—or

Ty—ever change their minds.” Lynn stood and pulled Jodi up too, hugging her hard and long. “I’m proud of you,” she finally whispered. “I’ll get your number, then let me give him a talking-to. We’ll be in touch.” She stepped back. “In the meantime, I think we should see your new house. Can we bring coffee over tomorrow?” Jodi looked at Nina, who smiled warmly. “Yes, of course.” Her start in Big Sur hadn’t been entirely smooth, but her heart was bursting with hope, and that was something Jodi hadn’t felt in a very long time.

3

“Y

ou what?” Ty growled as he thrust a hand through his hair and paced the floor of the barn. He and his aunt had gone there to avoid having Katie hear them after dinner. “I had coffee with her and heard her out,” Lynn answered calmly. “Something you ought to be doing as well.” Ty leveled a glare at Lynn. “Hear her out? You must be joking. This is the woman who let me walk out of a hospital carrying her day-old child and never once contacted me again until last year—” Ty stopped, realizing his mistake. “Last year? I thought she only spoke to you the other night?” Her eyes narrowed, and Ty felt exactly like he had as a little boy when one of his parents caught him in a lie. “She came to town last year and tracked me

down at Boots and Brews.” “And?” “And I told her in no uncertain terms she wasn’t welcome and had Anthony Chavez escort her back to her car.” Anthony Chavez was Big Sur’s sheriff and Ty’s former classmate. “You had the police remove her from the premises?” Lynn’s voice rose an octave. “What was I supposed to do, walk her over to Katie and introduce her? Hey, sweetheart, look, Mommy’s back.” His voice dripped with disdain, but his stomach churned with a mix of shame and anger. So much emotion all knotted together, he wasn’t sure which would eventually rise to the top and triumph. Lynn shook her head. “Oh, Ty.” She sighed. “I would have expected something like that from Cade, but not you. You’re better than that.” Ty grimaced. He was. But not about this. Not about the little human being who depended on him so completely and who’d held his damn heart in her tiny hands for the last five years. When it came to her, he wasn’t willing to concede anything. There was no extreme he wouldn’t go to, no string he wouldn’t pull. To keep Katie safe with the only family she’d ever known, Ty would cross any line he had to. “So tell me, since you so generously listened to

what she had to say—without my agreement, I might add—what’s she been up to the last five years while I was raising Katie?” Lynn ignored his bitter tone. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Ty. You could talk to her, figure something out, take it slow.” He rounded on his aunt, fury sizzling in his veins. “Do you not understand what a disadvantage I’m at here? Unless she’s been in rehab or jail, she’s the mother. They always favor the mother.” He choked out the last few words, his heart surging with pain. “She’s been a nurse in San Luis,” Lynn said softly. “Just fucking perfect. Tell me she has a rich husband to boot, and I may as well go deposit Katie on her doorstep.” Lynn walked to him, putting her hands on his shoulders, which slumped in defeat. These bursts of anger were foreign to him, and they exhausted him beyond all reason. “There’s no husband, no boyfriend, and no plans to go to court. She wants what's best for Katie—” “Really? If that were true, she wouldn’t be here.” “Ty,” Lynn scolded quietly. “She’s a little girl, and this is her mother. You’ve heard her asking about Jodi since she was old enough to talk. The

episode last year when she ran away and Nina found her by the creek? The questions the other kids at school ask? You can’t really think it would be better for her to never meet or know Jodi.” Ty breathed deeply. Some small, rational part of his brain knew Lynn was right, but damn, he’d never been so scared in his entire life. Not when his parents died and his entire world was pulled out from under him in one instant. Not when he held Katie in his arms the first time and realized he’d just handed his entire future over to seven pounds of helpless human being. Not when Jodi walked out the door for the last time and he knew she wasn’t going to change her mind. “I’m so fucking scared,” he whispered, not able to look Lynn in the eye. Lynn cupped his cheek in her well-used hand. “I know. I won’t lie, it could get ugly, but I choose to believe it won’t. She seems genuinely committed to being good for Katie, and good would never include separating her from us. Let me keep getting to know her again, and you sit down and listen to what she has to say. You don’t have to make any decisions yet. Just listen and think.” Ty had lived with his aunt long enough to know what he had to do. He nodded, his heart like lead in his chest. “Okay. I assume you have a way to reach her?” “I’ll send you the number… And Ty?”

“Yeah?” “She’s moved to Big Sur. She’s rented a house, is starting a business. She’s not going anywhere.” Well, that was just fucking great.

T

y made sure Nina was there too. He took on his older brother when he had to, but it wasn’t his favorite thing, and he knew Cade was going to sprout a few gray hairs over this one. “So what’s so top secret we have to meet at a bar at two in the afternoon?” Cade asked as Ty set down three sodas on the table at the Shark Tooth. Ty took his seat, darting a glance at Nina, who was nervously chewing on her lip. “It’s about Katie.” Cade’s jaw set, and his eyes narrowed. “What’s happened? Is she sick? Kids at school giving her trouble?” Since their parents were killed in an accident on the PCH, Cade had been all about duty to family, but with Nina pregnant, his patriarch instincts had doubled. He was on high alert twenty-four seven, ready to slay whatever dragons dared to threaten his loved ones. It was admirable, but Ty knew it would also be a pain in the ass at a moment like

this. “She’s fine, but her mother is in town.” “What?” Cade half rose out of his chair, but Nina had her hand on his arm nearly as quickly, and Ty heard her murmur, “Deep breath, there, baby.” Cade slammed back into his chair, eyes narrowed and jaw flexing. His voice lowered as he glanced around the empty room to make sure no one was listening. “What the fuck is she doing here?” “She wants to talk about meeting Katie.” Nina kept caressing Cade’s arm, but Ty could tell it was going to take a lot more physical attention from her than that to get Cade to relax. He stifled a grin at the thought of his sister-in-law straddling Cade in the middle of the Shark Tooth on a weekday afternoon. “She wants money,” Cade spat. “Maybe, but it’s not evident yet. Lynn says she’s moved here, rented a house, and is starting a business.” “A business she expects us to fund.” Ty sighed. “Like I said, so far that hasn’t been mentioned.” Cade pulled his phone out of his pocket. “What are you doing?” “Calling the lawyer, of course.” Ty shook his head. He’d known this was what Cade would do, and a part of him applauded it, but

he’d promised Lynn to listen to Jodi before doing anything else, and he always abided by his commitments. Especially where Katie was concerned. “I need to listen to what she has to say first,” Ty said. Cade paused in scrolling for the lawyer’s number. “What?” His forehead furrowed in confusion. Ty looked to Nina for help. “Hon,” she cajoled her big, angry husband. “Jodi just wants to talk to Ty. Tell him her plans, see what he’d be willing to try with Katie. I don’t think we need a lawyer yet.” Cade turned to his wife. “What?” Ty sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I met Jodi the other day at the coffee shop,” Nina said succinctly. “You met her?” Cade glanced at Ty, and Ty nodded in affirmation. “I did,” Nina answered, her chin tipping up in anticipation of the impending blowout. “I was taking Katie to school and stopped off at the café. Jodi was there talking to Lynn, so we ran into them.” “You ran into them?” Cade’s face began to turn red. “You’ve known all this was about to explode and didn’t tell me?” “Honey,” Nina said, looking him in the eye.

“This isn’t our battle. It’s between Ty and Jodi. I met her, she seems genuine, but Lynn knows her better, so I deferred to her. She’s very fond of Jodi and thinks she has Katie’s best interests at heart.” Cade backed down a touch, taking a deep breath that Ty could see was a struggle for him. “Any battle that’s his battle is our battle,” Cade said, watching Nina from under his brows. Ty waded in. “No, it’s not.” He shook his head. “This isn’t five years ago. I’ve been a father all these years, and I couldn’t have done it without the family. I wouldn’t have her at all if it weren’t for all your help when Jodi got pregnant, but this part is mine to handle. This is…” He swallowed hard. “This is Katie’s whole future—her self-image and answers to questions she’s had for years. No one can make this right for her except me, and I have to figure out how to do that.” Cade gazed at Ty, and the sadness in his eyes was too much. Ty looked away, his voice rough with emotion. “I can’t have her hate me in a few years because I kept her mother from her. I’m meeting with Jodi, I’m going to hear her out, and then I’ll decide what’s best for Katie.” Cade slumped back in his seat, and Nina wound a hand around the nape of his neck, teasing her fingers through his hair. He relaxed a touch, and Ty knew his brother was absorbing it all.

“When is this meeting?” Cade asked. “Tonight. At the ranch. We’re meeting at the old barn on the west end.” The abandoned barn was the perfect spot, far from the house, on Jenkins’s land, right on the road. “With no witnesses?” Cade’s tone clearly communicated his disapproval. “Cade,” Nina chastised. “I’m serious here,” Cade said, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table. “She could claim all sorts of things—that you threatened her, blackmailed her. Touched her.” He stared at Ty, and Ty had to admit his brother had a point. “Oh my God,” Nina exclaimed. “Do you really think she would do something like that?” Ty scratched his head. Honestly? No. But the fact was he hadn’t seen her in five years. What the hell did he know? “I don’t think so,” Ty began. “But you can’t say for sure,” Cade added. “It’s been five years. And in all honesty I didn’t know her that well before. I mean we dated for a few months, but it was fun. We weren’t to the point of being serious yet. We got to know each other better once we found out she was pregnant, but during that whole time, the tension was high. We were both scared, and then there were the legal issues…” His voice faded away as he remembered the near-constant stress of those months. Jodi must

have gotten pregnant nearly the first time they slept together, so by the time she figured it out, they’d only been seeing each other three months at most. From there on out, it was nonstop logistics and awkward nerves. They could have continued their relationship, but considering Jodi turned down his proposal and said she didn’t want to be a parent to the baby, they’d retreated to a polite but awkward friendship. He’d checked on her every other day, she’d given him the schedule of prenatal appointments, and then they’d met with lawyers. “You need to be smart,” Cade said softly. Ty nodded. Because he couldn’t risk some accusation that would impact Katie. He couldn’t afford not to be suspicious. “Okay. Nina?” She looked at him with an expression that said, not on your life. “Please?” “Why me?” “Yeah,” Cade seconded. “Why her? She’s pregnant. I’m not sure I can agree to her being around all that stress. It’s not good for the baby.” Ty leveled a look at his brother, and Cade shrugged as if to say, it was worth a shot. “First reason is you’re a woman. Cade’s right. I shouldn’t be alone with her until we know what’s going on, and having another man there doesn’t solve that issue.”

Nina nodded. “And secondly, you weren’t there when it happened. Lynn was as tied into the whole thing as Cade and I. We need someone who can be objective and won’t feel compelled to get in the middle of it.” “So you want me to just what…watch?” “Basically, yes. Just witness the conversation. It’ll probably keep everyone more levelheaded, and it’ll insure if there are any accusations about anything later, we have someone to verify what really happened.” Nina sighed but looked resigned. “Okay. You owe me, though.” “Anything.” “One of those chocolate lava cakes from the PCH Bakery. I’m currently on a mission to eat my weight in chocolate.” Cade snorted under his breath, and Nina slapped his arm without taking her gaze off Ty. “It’s yours. I’ll grab one after I get Katie at school.” “Ty?” Cade said before he took the last swallow of his soda. “Let me contact the lawyer? Just to give him a heads-up, see if he has any suggestions for what to be careful about.” Ty sighed. Lynn would say it was wrong to start off from a place of conflict, but the father in him said he couldn’t be too careful when it came to his

daughter’s safety and happiness. He nodded. “Okay. He’s not going to want me to talk to her without him, I guarantee it.” “And he’d be right, but I’ll tell him that’s not up for discussion.” “Okay.” “Good. I’m going to go make that call, then, before I have to meet T.J. and Vaughn at the gallery this afternoon.” “Ooh, I want to go to the gallery with you,” Nina said. “They have a watercolor that I think would fit perfectly in the nursery.” “The nursery that’s nothing but framing and concrete slab?” Cade asked, standing and helping his wife to her feet. “Yes, that very one. Just like the rest of our new house.” Ty waved his brother and sister-in-law off as they continued discussing the lack of progress on their new house and walked out the door. He sat staring at his soda glass for a few minutes until the bartender stopped by and asked if he needed anything. “No, thanks, heading out.” After the other man left, Ty stretched slowly, took a deep breath, and stood. He was doing it all for Katie. As long as he kept that at the forefront of his thoughts, he’d get through this. Katie was all that mattered here. She was all that had ever

mattered.

4

J

odi pulled up to the big faded red building and turned off the engine of her CRV. Her gaze traveled up the height of the building to the hay loft with the old weather vane wobbling on its crest. She remembered this building because she and Ty had sex in it when they were dating. Those had been good days—the days before they discovered the pregnancy. She’d been falling for him, if the truth were told. He was tall, dark, handsome, and so gentlemanly. One of the reasons his anger when she’d seen him the last two times had been so upsetting was it was out of character. Ty was the definition of a standup guy. He’d been getting over his parents’ deaths when they met, but he was never dark or angry. He had a subtle sadness that clung to him like a haze, but at his core, Ty was the

kind of guy who exuded happiness and confidence. For a girl searching so hard to find herself, that confidence of his was a real turn-on. When she was with Ty, she’d felt like everything in the world was settled. Ty never seemed to question where he was going or what he was doing. Even once she got pregnant, he never faltered in the conviction that he’d raise his child. Unlike most twenty-two-yearold men, he was clear from day one—he’d do whatever was necessary to care for the baby and its mother. Only Jodi hadn’t been able to be the mother. And so she was here today, having to beg to see her own child. She sighed, giving her face one last look in the mirror before getting out of the car and heading inside, where Ty and Nina waited for her. She’d been surprised when Ty said he thought it would be best to have a third person there for their talk. But she understood too. Ty had every reason to be suspicious of her. She’d bailed on him and the baby after the birth. When she’d approached him last year, she’d been so emotional and desperate, she’d ruined the whole thing, showing up at a town social event with no warning like a ghost from the past. It was no wonder he’d quietly but harshly told her not to come back and had her escorted off the premises. She’d spent thirty minutes on the phone with

her therapist before coming to this meeting, practicing her approach, reminding herself she was a different person, and she might not have earned this chance yet, but she was worth it. When she walked into the barn, his eyes tracked her every step. There was wariness there, but also something else, something that made her insides jiggle and slosh. “Hi,” she offered when she reached him, her gaze shifting to Nina, who sat in a camp chair with a book a few feet behind Ty. “Hi,” he answered, his gaze steady, his voice rough. “Don’t mind me,” Nina said cheerfully from her chair. “I’m reading up on the ideal feeding schedule to help babies sleep six hours a night.” Ty snorted and glanced at Nina over his shoulder. “Dream on, sweetheart,” he quipped. “Did she wake up a lot?” Jodi asked quietly, suddenly desperate to hear about Katie as an infant. Ty startled, staring at her for a moment before he gestured to some old bales of hay across the room. He spoke as they walked. “Um, at first it was every two hours—day and night. I’d feed her, change her, put her down, she’d wake up, and we’d start it all over again. But at three weeks or so, she settled into a four-hour cycle.” They each took a seat on a hay bale, facing

each other. Jodi crossed her legs and Ty’s gaze was fixed to the movement. She tugged on the hem of her thigh-length dress self-consciously. Ty’s gaze shot back to hers. “I’d love to hear more about her,” Jodi said, trying not to notice the muscles in his upper arms as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Those biceps bulged with the movement, and her tummy fluttered in response. “She’s spunky. Always doing something, always chattering. She, um, she takes dance lessons, and she’s started learning to surf. She rides a little pony we got her. We’ll get her on her own horse in a couple of years, but by then, she’ll be a pro. She really took to it.” “She had a great example,” Jodi said, smiling, remembering how well Ty sat his big quarter horse. His lips twitched but didn’t make it to a full smile. “She has a real sense of right and wrong”—he laughed wryly—“which she usually exercises on my younger brother.” Jodi had met Vaughn a few times but didn’t know him well. Five years ago, he’d been a surly, miserable college kid trying to survive his parents’ untimely deaths. Lynn told her he was married now, owned a gallery on the PCH, and still helped out at the ranch. “What kind of dance?” Jodi asked. There’d

never been money for dance lessons in her childhood, but she’d always dreamed of being a ballerina. “Ballet,” Ty answered gruffly. “I, uh, remembered it was something you’d liked.” Her heart fluttered as she tried to swallow the lump that lodged in her throat. “Does she? Like it, I mean.” He nodded, then grinned, a little of the awkwardness falling away. “She’s so cute, you wouldn’t believe it. She has these long gawky legs like yours, and when she pirouettes, she gets them all wrapped around each other. At the last recital, she almost fell down, but she wasn’t embarrassed at all. She just finished the whole mess with a flourish of her arms that had the entire crowd applauding her.” Jodi felt tears threaten, able to see the whole thing in her mind. “I’m so sorry I missed it,” she said softly. Ty sobered, nodding but not speaking. “I’m not here to take her from you. I know this is her home and her family. I just want to know her. It doesn’t have to be as her mother. I realize I gave up that right. If it has to be, I can be a family friend or something. I’ve been through a lot since she was born. I’ve figured out a lot of things. I’m in a really good place, and I want to help out any way I can. Any way you’ll let me.”

He cleared his throat. “You understand my concerns. If she were to get attached to you and you bailed again…” Jodi nodded emphatically. “Yes. And I’m going to earn your trust. We should take it slow so we all have time to adjust and you learn how committed I am. I know that won’t happen overnight.” He looked at her then, and she fell into his deep brown eyes. It took the air right out of her. Breath quickening, she looked away, trying to remember that this was about Katie, nothing else. “If we introduce you to her as her mother— exactly how do you see it playing out?” he asked. She’d thought on this so much. Discussed it with her therapist. Read books on the subject. It was going to be difficult no matter what, and there was no easy way to handle it, no foolproof method that would make it all okay for Katie. But in the long run, she truly believed it was to Katie’s benefit to know who her mother was. “I’ve read up on it, and I’ve talked to a therapist about it—” Ty blinked in surprise, and she gave him a small smile. Yes, she thought, I care that much. “I’d like to be introduced to her, and then you and I together can tell her that I’m her mother. After that, though, we need to listen to her. That part will be hard for me, but since this is happening without her say, she needs to feel she has some

control, that she gets to decide if she wants to know me and how much.” She paused, not sure how to say the next part. But when she looked at Ty, at the concern etched on his face, she knew she couldn’t be anything but completely honest. “That’s the point at which you can torpedo the whole thing. You know she takes whatever you say as gospel at this age. If you give a negative spin to me, or to the prospect of getting to know me, she’ll absorb it, and chances are she won’t want to pursue the relationship.” Ty’s jaw hardened. “You think I’d do that?” “No, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” she answered softly. He relaxed a touch, then sighed. “It’s what a lot of parents do in divorces.” “It is. But that’s not putting the child first. I’m not saying this to be selfish. But think about if you’d had a parent out there in the world that you could have known, and your other parent kept you from them. Wouldn’t you have wanted the chance to learn about the absent parent on your own? Form your own views?” She watched him then, the lock of hair that fell over his eyes, the serious line of his lips. His big, strong hands. Something inside her grew warm and alive, and she dropped her gaze so he wouldn’t see it—the want still flowing through her when she

looked at him. “So we introduce you to her,” he said, “then we let her decide what comes next—like if she wants to meet up with you or something?” Jodi nodded. He ran a hand through all that thick, dark hair. “I have to put some boundaries on this.” She held her breath, waiting, on the edge of more hope than she’d felt in years. “No unsupervised visits. Someone from the family has to be there with her if she sees you.” Her eyes stung, but she knew it was perfectly reasonable. She could be unstable for all Ty knew about her now. Trust was something they had very little of yet, and it would take time to build. “If she says she’s not interested, you go back to San Luis.” Jodi’s gaze shot straight to his, and her blood pumped hard through her veins. He continued, his expression grim with determination. “I don’t want her to have to deal with seeing you around town all the time, making her uncomfortable—hell, making us all uncomfortable. If she doesn’t want this, then you need to respect that.” “And I will, but I’m not leaving.” She saw his hands clench and unclench a couple of times. “So even though you say she has a choice, what you really mean is you intend to wear

her down? Be everywhere she is, stalk her until she gives in?” Jodi heard Nina clear her throat from across the room, and Ty’s brow furrowed. “No,” she answered firmly. “But I intend to be available to her should she ever decide she’s curious or has different wishes. She’s five, Ty. Kids change a lot between five and eighteen. At any point, she might decide she’d like to ask me something or tell me something. She might want me at some point, and I’m not going to be two hours away when—if—that day comes.” “And how are you supporting yourself while you’re living in limbo, waiting for Katie to come around?” Jodi gritted her teeth and reminded herself she’d thought he was sexy a few minutes ago. “I’m starting a holistic health practice. I’ve rented a house that has space for the business and living. I’ve been saving and training for this for a very long time. Big Sur is the perfect demographic for what I want to do.” “Have you ever owned a business before?” he asked. “No, but I did my research—” “What if it fails? Will you have to leave then? After she’s gotten attached to you?” “No. I have a contingency plan. There’s an inhome, on-call nursing service for the county. I can

get a job there easily. It’s not my favorite kind of work, but it pays well, and it will enable me to continue living here, even have hours I can flex around Katie’s needs.” “If she decides she wants a relationship,” he was quick to correct. “Yes,” she replied with a little more snap than was technically needed. “Is your ultimate goal here to get joint custody?” he asked, his voice dropping along with his gaze. She heard it, the thread of resignation, the tremor of fear. She reminded herself of what the therapist had said: “Put yourself in his place. Don’t ever forget he’s devoted his life to this child, and now you threaten that very life.” Reaching across the space between their knees and putting her hand on his arm, she heard his sharp intake of breath and felt the muscles flex beneath her hand. “I don’t have an ultimate goal. If the three of us ever reached a point where I could be a regular part of her life—have her spend the night at my house sometimes, go to her dance recitals—I would love that more than you can imagine. But my only goal here is to know the wonderful child you’ve raised. And I’ll be honored to get that chance, whether it’s ice cream once a month in the park with Lynn watching, or answering some questions for a school project years from now. I’ll take whatever she’s

willing to give and you’re comfortable with.” His free hand slid over the top of hers, and her entire body sparked to life. It was as if a small electrical current traveled through her from head to toe. “I’m sorry if I’m ever unpleasant about this. You’re saying all the right things, and I want to believe you’ve come to a place where you can be in her life.” She nodded, afraid to say or do anything that might make him remove that hand. But to her delight, he didn’t, and in fact, his thumb began to draw little circles on her skin as he talked. “This is scary as hell, and a certain part of me —the protective-dad part—is warning me I need to be very careful here, that I need to shelter her and be ready to do battle. You have to understand…” He paused, his teeth catching on his lower lip for just a moment, drawing her eyes to that full mouth and the perfect amount of stubble that surrounded it. “The instinct to fight anyone or anything you think might be threatening your child? It’s hard to rein in. Especially when you’ve been the only thing between her and the world for five years.” A tear crept out of Jodi’s eye, because that was on her. He’d been alone in this all these years because of her. Her inability to see past her own pain and step up. Her fears had controlled every decision she’d made for so long.

“But there’s another part of me.” His voice was low and rough. “It’s the other half of being a dad, and it’s saying Katie deserves a mother. The older she gets, the more she’ll need that presence in her life, and it would make her so happy to have someone else to share herself with. The other part of me feels like she deserves to have a mother who loves her, because she’s the best kid you’ll ever meet, Jodi.” Jodi nodded, eyes fixed on the floor as Ty held on to her hand. They sat like that for a moment, both of them gathering themselves emotionally, regaining control of the feelings swirling and tossing like a tsunami. Ty finally released her hand and she released his arm and sat back a touch, putting space between them that made her sad but also allowed her to breathe. “So, when do you want to do this?” he finally asked. She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as her heart raced in anticipation. “You know her schedule. When there’s a day where we have plenty of time, and she can process for a day or so afterward without any big expectations like a class trip or a dance event.” He nodded, thinking for a moment. “Saturday, then, after her ballet class. Where?” “Someplace she feels comfortable, but maybe

not a favorite place in case it goes poorly. I don’t want to taint some favorite hangout of hers.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “You really did think this all out beforehand.” “I’ve been planning for it for a year and a half, Ty. I’m not doing this lightly.” “Okay, then. Saturday at noon, the boardwalk ice-cream stand. We’ll prime her with some sugar and then take a walk on the beach.” “Thank you. I can’t—” She caught a sob as it struggled to fly out, then cleared her throat before looking at him again. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” His eyes were warm again, and his mouth curved in a soft smile. “I think I have some idea.” They walked back to Nina in silence, and then Jodi said goodbye and turned to walk out of the old barn. She was going to have her chance. It was all she could ask for. And now the real work began.

5

T

y watched Jodi walk away, and his fucking heart did a somersault. Just flipped over right there inside his chest. He felt nauseous and hot, cold and stiff, all at the same time. Like he had the fucking flu. “Well,” Nina said. “That seemed to go pretty well, don’t you think?” Ty nodded, not sure he could actually talk anymore right now. His nerves felt like they’d been through a blender, and the flipping-heart thing was a distraction. His gaze shot once more to Jodi’s retreating taillights. God, she was still so beautiful. He’d never known a more beautiful woman. Face like an angel, that white-blonde hair like a cloud around her perfect Nordic features. But the body of an Amazon. All long lean legs and voluptuous breasts. Narrow hips, and a perfectly round, firm

ass, even after giving birth to his daughter. “Ty? You okay?” Nina asked. He shot her a look before taking a deep breath and recentering his thoughts. “Yeah. A little shellshocked, but I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him sympathetically as they walked to his truck. “I’d be worried if you weren’t a little shell-shocked. But I think you did the right thing, if that’s any help.” “Thanks, it is, although I doubt Cade will agree.” He watched her put her seat belt on, then started the engine. “Let me handle your brother. You just take care of Katie. That’s the only job you have in all this. She’s the only person you need to make happy.” He smiled at her. She was generous, his brother’s wife. They’d all won the lottery when she chose Cade’s grumpy ass. She was going to be a fantastic mother. He only hoped Jodi would be as well.

T

y strode into the coffee shop and up to the counter. “Hey, Ty,” Marlene cooed as he leaned one elbow on the counter and winked at her. They did this, every Tuesday and Friday morning when

he stopped in after dropping Katie at school. It was a harmless flirt fest. Marlene had a boyfriend who was on the pro surf circuit and was gone a lot. This was her way of keeping life interesting while staying loyal. And for Ty, it was a much-needed reprieve from days filled with Katie and the ranch. Ty worked hard and didn’t get much time for anything else. In the five years since Katie was born, he’d never had another relationship. There were a couple of women he had a friends-withbenefits arrangement with, but they were staff at the cattle auction companies in Sacramento, so liaisons with them were sporadic. “Looking sizzlin’ today, Marlene,” he growled playfully. “You wear that for me?” She ran her hands down the tight tie-dyed tank dress she wore, lingering just a touch too long on her chest. Ty grinned. “This old thing?” She fluttered her lashes shamelessly. “I just closed my eyes and pulled something out of the closet.” He reached out and ran a finger along the strap on one of her tanned shoulders. “Mm, well, it fits you extremely well.” She batted at his hand playfully, then grabbed his finger in her fist and pretended to bite it, snapping her white teeth together for effect. “Yeah, you are good enough to take a bite out of.” He chuckled.

Marlene’s gaze darted over his shoulder, and she smiled, dropping his finger. “Oh! I’m sorry, I was so distracted by this cad, I didn’t realize you were there. What can I get for you?” Ty straightened and turned to find a wide-eyed Jodi standing watching him with what looked a lot like horror. “Um, just a refill on the coconut milk latte.” She swallowed uncomfortably, and for some inexplicable reason, Ty felt as though he was to blame for her discomfort. Jodi ignored him. “I’m on the deck.” She gestured toward the doors and then turned on her heel and nearly ran outside. “Okay, then,” Marlene murmured, looking at Ty from under her lashes. “You want your usual?” “Yeah, that’d be great.” He paused, glancing around the room, where several empty tables sat waiting. “I’ll be—” “On the deck. I know.” Marlene smiled at him indulgently, and he didn’t even bother trying to figure out what had just happened. All he knew was he needed to go to the deck, so he did. When he got outside, he found a few more customers scattered around at the outdoor tables. Sitting at the table closest to the railing, typing furiously on an iPad, was Jodi, her hair in a knot on top of her head, secured with a pencil. She was wearing a tank top with insets of lace

and a swingy cotton skirt. Wisps of hair blew around her face, and her expression was determined at best, grim if he was being honest. He wove around the other tables until he was standing over her. “Hey,” he said, resisting the urge to tuck a strand of hair back into her messy knot. She glanced up and gave him a tight smile. “Hi.” Her gaze fell back to the screen. Well, damn. “Do you mind if I sit for a minute?” he asked. She glanced around at the many tables sitting empty nearby and raised an eyebrow, but acquiesced with a nod. “So, I’m not sure what just happened, but I got a distinctly awkward vibe in there.” He gestured toward the café. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. It put her breasts in a very prominent position, and Ty had to remind himself not to perve on the mother of his child, even though perving on the woman was the reason he had a child in the first place. Fuck, this stuff was complicated. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It was on me. I, uh, hadn’t really thought about the fact that you have a whole life, and not just one with Katie. I should have asked if you had a girlfriend. It’s perfectly logical you would, and I should have realized—” “I don’t,” he said, his brain struggling to catch up. Was Jodi jealous? After all these years. The

thought sent a little burst of cocky pride to his chest, and he stifled a grin. “Oh. Well, in any case, I sort of conveniently keep overlooking the fact that you could, or you have—in the past—whatever. Katie has other women in her life, and some of them know her better than I do. Sorry, it hit me a little hard, but I’ll get over it.” Oh. She wasn’t jealous over him, but over Katie. Yeah. That made sense. He rubbed at his chest, the pang of disappointment clear and unwelcome. “Lynn, T.J., and Nina,” he said then, although why he felt the need to, he didn’t know. “They’re the only women she has in her life—the only ones she’s ever had. So it’s not a revolving door or anything.” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean—” “I know,” he answered, his chest still aching a touch. “I just wanted you to realize she has a family, not all sorts of…other people. I don’t have time—we don’t have time…” His voice faded as he struggled with what he was trying to convey. “You’ve been careful with her, and responsible,” Jodi said softly. “Just like I knew you would be.” “Yeah. That, I guess.” He chuckled, shaking his head. Then the awkward silence descended as they

both stared out at the beach and the ocean beyond, the waves crashing into the shore over and over again, the gulls screeching and diving after bits of food on the sand. “And what about you?” he finally asked, because he couldn’t stand not to know. “Is there someone moving here with you? Anyone I need to know about who might have contact with Katie through you?” “No,” she was quick to say, and his heart breathed a sigh of fucking relief. Only because he didn’t want strange men around his daughter. That was all. “I’m single and planning to stay that way,” she said. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “Forever? Even I haven’t made a declaration that permanent.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Just because you haven’t introduced Katie to them doesn’t mean you’ve been without company. I know you.” He laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means you’re…you.” She waved a hand at him as though that explained it all. “You’re too…you know, to have been without friends all this time.” He leaned forward, liking where this conversation was going. “Too ‘you know’?” he asked, his voice low and a touch rough.

She flushed, and he resisted touching her cheek to see if it felt hotter because of the pink color. “Ty,” she said, leveling him with a no-nonsense look. “You’re a sexy twenty-something man. There’s no way you’ve gone five years without sex.” He chuckled. If she only knew. It was a lot less frequent than she might guess. “Sexy, huh?” She rolled her eyes. “Katie wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t thought that at some point.” He wanted to ask if she still did, if when she’d seen him the first time in all those years, her heart had skipped a beat the way his had. He wanted to know if she lay in bed at night sometimes and remembered the feel of his hands on her skin the way he remembered the feel of hers on him. But he was traversing dangerous territory right now. While he was starting to believe that she really didn’t want anything beyond a chance to know Katie, he still couldn’t let his guard down. The fact was, Jodi could decide to try for custody at any point. She could pretend to only want to know Katie and then, once she’d gotten his daughter attached, she could go to court and take her from him. His guts twisted at the very thought of his baby being taken out of his home, living somewhere else, being cared for by anyone other than his own flesh and blood.

He leaned back stiffly, preparing to stand. “Well,” he said, “I’m glad we got a few more things out in the open. If things with you and Katie do develop, I’ll expect you to tell me if you’re seeing someone. I want to know about people she might come in contact with. We’re not in the habit of exposing her to just anyone. She’s only five, and extremely trusting because she’s never had a reason not to be.” He saw the look of shock that crossed Jodi’s face and felt a pang of remorse, but it had to be said. He couldn’t forget that Katie was his job here, not falling back into lust with her mother. “Of course,” Jodi answered quietly. “I would never put her in any situation that wasn’t safe and wasn’t approved by you.” Ty nodded once, briskly. “I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.” Then he stood and walked inside the coffee shop, a bitter taste in his mouth, but resolve in his heart.

6

“I

love this yard,” Nina said as she stood in the French doors looking out to the small lush garden. “Thank you. I think it will be a great place for clients to sit and relax while they wait or after their appointment if they want to take a breath,” Jodi replied, setting another plate into the cabinet in the kitchen. Her small house had a living room with a dining room directly behind it. The kitchen sat next to that, with windows to the backyard to match the glass doors the dining room hosted. “So, clients will come in from the side gate, and then straight into your office?” Nina pointed to the L-shaped extension of the house that also had glass doors to the patio. “Yes. That way, they’ll never go through the house, just in and out of the office. I have an

awning to set up for rainy days so they can be protected. Luckily, everyone around here is used to the weather, so I don’t think they’ll mind if they have to sit outside for a few minutes to wait while I finish up another client.” She paused. “Of course, that’s assuming I get enough clients that there’s a wait.” Nina walked into the kitchen, her hands resting on the shelf that her pregnant belly created. “None of that now. You’re not going to have doubts at this point.” Jodi sighed. Ever since Ty had so abruptly ended their conversation that morning, she’d felt out of sorts, as if something was going to go wrong. And since she was supposed to meet Katie for the first time as her mother tomorrow, she really needed that feeling to go away. “I wasn’t, but I don’t know, I’m feeling really anxious right now. Just ignore me. I’ll get over it.” “Over what?” Lynn asked as she walked in through the back doors followed by a younger woman with long dark hair. “You’re here!” Nina cried, grabbing the cute brunette and hugging her tightly. “I am! The drive took forever, but we found some great pieces.” Nina stood back, holding the younger woman’s hand. “Jodi, do you remember T.J., Vaughn’s wife?” Jodi smiled, amazed at the girl who’d been a

teenager the last time she’d seen her. “I remember T.J., but she wasn’t Vaughn’s wife then.” She winked, and T.J. stepped forward to pull her into a hug. “It’s really nice to see you again, Jodi,” she said quietly. “Thank you.” Jodi pulled away and smiled at Lynn. “Well, this does my old-lady heart good,” Lynn said. “All these smart, beautiful young women my nephews found. Gives me hope for the world.” Jodi flushed at being included. She was hardly Ty’s “find,” not the way the other two were, but God, some part of her rejoiced at being included— being part of a family. “Now,” Lynn continued. “Where is all the unpacking I’ve been promised?” “I really can’t thank you all enough for helping me,” Jodi said. “I didn’t think I had all that much stuff, but when the movers showed up yesterday, it looked endless.” “Oh, you have no idea,” T.J. added. “Try doing all the unpacking while the place is still under construction. Every time I think I’ve found a spot for something, Vaughn tells me I have to move it because it’s in the way of a drywaller or an electrician. It’ll be so satisfying to put things away here and know that’s actually where they get to stay.” “But the grand opening’s in just a few weeks,

right?” Nina asked as she unwrapped a glass from newspaper and set it next to the sink. “Yes, and Vaughn promises construction will be done enough beforehand so I can finally get everything settled.” “This is the gallery I’ve been hearing about?” Jodi asked, picking up another box and setting it on top of the small kitchen table. “Yes!” T.J. gushed. “We’re building an apartment above the gallery and remodeling the entire building, so it’s been a long process, but so exciting. We were just in San Francisco acquiring some new pieces for the opening show. It’s going to be spectacular.” “It sounds like a really fun project,” Jodi answered. “I remember Ty telling me about Vaughn’s art when he was still in college.” Lynn put an arm around T.J.’s shoulders. “His beautiful wife really helped him find his art again,” she said fondly. T.J. smiled softly. “He had a lot to get through, but it’s all good now.” Jodi watched the expressions on the other women’s faces and knew there was something she was missing, but didn’t want to be rude by asking. Then Lynn turned to her. “You probably haven‘t heard about Vaughn’s accident, have you?” “No, I don’t think so.” Lynn sighed. “He was caught out in a terrible

storm about a year and a half ago. He got caught under a big boulder in a landslide out on our land. Lost the lower half of his left leg.” “Oh no!” Jodi gasped. “That’s terrible. How is he doing with it now?” “I’m a physical therapist,” T.J. said. “So we’ve worked a lot. He’s got various prosthetics and does almost everything he did before. He’s developed some new pain in the last few weeks, but I’m sure we’ll find a solution to that eventually.” Jodi didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and the conversation continued around her. Finally, she set a platter aside and looked at T.J. “I can help him.” “Who?” T.J. asked absentmindedly as she washed a glass and handed it to Nina to dry. “Vaughn. With his pain?” Every eye in the room turned to look at her, and Jodi swallowed uncomfortably. “If he was okay with it, of course. I studied acupressure and some meditation techniques that have had really good results with patients who’ve suffered a traumatic injury.” Her voice faded as she felt her face get pink with heat. “I’m sorry, I overstepped. I shouldn’t have—” “Well, looks like you just got your first client!” T.J. exclaimed. Lynn and Nina grinned, and Jodi felt gratitude bubble up. “Really? You think he’d be willing to try it?”

T.J. snorted, and Nina smirked. “He’s willing to try whatever I tell him to. That’s how we work. He left me hanging for six years. That’s not the kind of thing a guy gets to come back from overnight.” She took her cell phone from her pocket and looked at it. “The way I figure, he has at least another two years of abject groveling and a couple of years of considerate cooperation beyond that. Maybe on our five-year anniversary, he can start being a pain in my ass again, but for now, he’s a kitten.” Nina and Lynn both laughed, and Jodi couldn’t help but join them. “I’ll give you my business card before you go so he can set up an appointment then.” “Perfect,” T.J. said. “Thank you so much for offering. Neither of us wanted him to use prescription painkillers, and it’s not a lot of pain, but it’s enough that it tires him out some days, and I hate to see him be uncomfortable.” Jodi gave the other woman’s hand a squeeze. “We’ll try these techniques, and if those don’t work, I’ll research for more options. We can fix it, I feel certain of it.” In fact, she guessed Vaughn’s mild pain was the one thing in her life she could fix for certain.

aturday morning came early for Jodi. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, second-guessing all her choices, wondering if she was about to ruin the life of a perfectly beautiful little girl. Maybe Katie would be better off not knowing her? What if she disrupted Katie to the point that she started having trouble in school, or didn’t get along with other kids? What if all this was really only about making herself feel better and wasn’t the best thing for Katie at all? An hour before she was supposed to meet Ty and Katie at the ice-cream stand, she walked into Lynn’s coffee shop, eyes bleary and heartsick with doubt. Lynn looked up from the receipts she was tallying and met Jodi’s gaze. “Uh-oh,” she said immediately. “Marlene?” she yelled over her shoulder. “I’ll be outside for a bit. Can you please come up front?” “Sure thing!” Marlene called from the back of the restaurant. “I’ll be right there. “Let me make you a drink,” Lynn said. “You go on outside.” Jodi followed Lynn’s instructions, walking to the railing of the back deck and looking out at the water. She’s forgotten how prevalent it was here in Big Sur—the ocean, the sea air, the constant sound of waves. It was beautiful and frightening all at once, reminding you just how small and unimportant you really were. It put a lot of things

S

into perspective, and Jodi really needed some perspective right then. “Here you go.” Lynn set a mug down on the railing next to Jodi, then leaned against it, her body turned sideways so she could watch Jodi’s face. “You don’t look so hot.” She didn’t mince words. Jodi huffed out a bitter laugh. “I don’t feel so hot.” “Tell me what’s going on?” Jodi sighed, blinked back a tear, and turned to face the woman who was more motherly than her own mother had ever been. “What if I’m not doing the right thing? What if this is bad for her? She’s so happy and perfect—” Jodi’s breath caught, and she stopped talking, squeezing her eyes shut. “Hey,” Lynn said softly. “You know what?” Jodi nodded to indicate she was listening but didn’t open her eyes, because she knew if she did, she’d cry, and she really didn’t want to cry right now. “The fact that you’re this worried about it all? Tells me everything I need to know about your intentions.” Lynn put her hand over Jodi’s on the railing. “Sweetheart, you might not think you have the instincts of a mother, but I think you have them in spades. Leaving that child when you did wasn’t selfishness, it was the ultimate act of love. You couldn’t be what she needed, and so you gave her

to people who could. And now that you’re back, you’re obviously more focused on what’s best for her than you are on what’s best for you.” Jodi finally looked at the other woman, taking a long shuddering breath. “I don’t want to hurt her.” “No parent ever does,” Lynn said, smiling warmly. “And yet everyone will. At some point, every parent will do something, say something, make some decision that hurts their child. But you know what? Children aren’t porcelain figurines. They don’t break every time they’re bumped. They bend and flex, grow and adjust, and they get over hurts the same way the rest of us do. You can bump her here and there. She’ll be okay. “I’m not used to this much responsibility. It feels like my heart is going to explode when I think about all the ways I could screw up.” Lynn laughed then. “Well, now you know how Ty feels every day of his life. The agony that poor man has gone through trying to do what’s right for that child.” “Oh God.” Jodi leaned her head on the railing, and Lynn stroked her back soothingly. “I’ve been the closest thing to a mother that little girl has,” she said. “I moved in as soon as she was born, and I’ve changed her diapers and cleaned up her vomit. I watched her take her first steps and ride her first pony. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone except her dad and his brothers. If I

thought you were going to harm her, I wouldn’t let you near her. You understand me?” Lynn’s tone was firm, and Jodi had no doubt every word was true. She lifted her head. “I do.” “You’re not going to hurt her. I can’t predict where this will all go, but I have faith in both you and Ty. I believe that you’re good people and good parents, and you’ll only do what’s best for her—no matter what that ends up being.” They both stood quietly for a few minutes then, and Jodi sipped her latte and let her mind rest, let Lynn’s words sink in, soak through her, soothe her battered emotions. “She’s lucky,” she finally said, turning to the older woman. “She’s lucky to have you looking out for her. Please keep doing it, and if it means you ever have to go against me because you think that’s best for her, don’t hesitate. Not even for a minute. She’s what matters. Nothing else.” Lynn nodded, and Jodi gave her a smile. “I’m off to see my daughter,” she said, setting her cup down one last time. “Good luck.” “Thank you.” Then she walked away to the boardwalk, the ice-cream stand, and the biggest step toward her new life.

“D

addy, I know her. She’s Aunt Lynn’s friend!” Katie’s voice carried down the boardwalk as Jodi approached, and her heart fluttered like a tiny bird caught in a cage. Ty was leaning down talking to Katie as Jodi met up with them. The sight stole the breath right out of her lungs. Every gesture, the way he tilted toward the little blonde head, the calm, steady expression on his face, the way his lips turned up when Katie answered him—it was the single sexiest and most heart-wrenching thing she’d ever seen. Ty as a father. She’d understood it in theory, but seeing it in practice was an entirely different experience. “Hi,” he said, standing as he held on to Katie’s hand. “I was just explaining to Katie that you and I know each other too.” She smiled down at the amazing creature who had come from her, hoping her nerves didn’t show too badly. “We do. Your dad and I knew each other a long time ago, before you were born.” Katie wiggled from one leg to another. “Then you can come to dinner now. ’Cause friends come to dinner, and you’re a double friend.” “Too true,” Ty said, giving Jodi a reassuring smile. “Let’s get some ice cream, and then we can eat it over here.” He gestured at the nearby

benches that lined the boardwalk. They ordered ice cream at the stand, Katie babbling the entire time about her ballet teacher— Miss Erin, Jodi noted—and when everyone was set, Katie with a cup of chocolate and a cone upside down on top, they sat, Ty on one side of Katie and Jodi on the other. “So, the cone and cup?” Jodi asked, raising an eyebrow at Ty. “So’s I don’t make a mess,” Katie answered between slurps off her spoon. Ty nodded, grinning. “After your two-year-old loses the ice cream off the cone and screams for an hour, you get inventive.” Jodi laughed. “I’m impressed. My mother only ever bought me the soft serves so they made a mess but they couldn’t fall completely off.” Katie continued to slurp, and Ty shot Jodi a look that said, Are you ready for this? She tried to look confident as she nodded, even though she was about as far from it as possible. “So, Katie bug?” Ty said, nudging her with his elbow. “Yeah?” Her bright blue eyes shifted to her father, and they were so trusting, so completely innocent and adoring, Jodi nearly told him to stop, forget the whole thing, she’d go back to San Luis, she’d learn to live with the ache, it didn’t matter if she hurt, as long as Katie didn’t.

But then he kept talking, and the train had left the station, and all Jodi could do was hold her breath and wait. “You remember how we’ve had talks about your mom?” Katie nodded, her brow furrowing a touch. “Yes. She couldn’t be my mommy, so she gave me to the best daddy in the whole world. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love me.” Ty blushed a touch. “That’s right. What would you think if I said I’d heard from your mom and she’d really love to see you again?” Katie took a long slurp of ice cream while Jodi’s heart nearly beat out of her chest. “I want to see my mommy. But is she going to come live with us like other people’s mommies do? ’Cause I don’t want Aunt Lynn to move away.” She shook her head vigorously. “If Aunt Lynn has to go away, then I don’t want a mommy.” “Never,” Jodi couldn’t stop herself from saying. Katie turned to her, her eyes widening. “No one will ever make Aunt Lynn go away, sweetheart,” Ty reassured her. There was a pause then, and Jodi knew without a doubt that her daughter was not only the smartest five-year-old on the planet, but also tied to her in a way that transcended time or geography. Katie knew, at some level deeper than consciousness, she knew.

Katie’s head whipped back to Ty. “Daddy?” Her voice was a whisper. ”Is she my mommy?” She pointed to Jodi. Ty smiled sadly at his daughter, and Jodi’s tears escaped. She simply couldn’t hold them in any longer. Katie turned to Jodi and was uncharacteristically quiet as she reached out a tiny hand and touched a tear tracking down Jodi’s cheek. “Why are you crying?” she whispered. “Because I’ve missed you so much,” Jodi answered, also in a whisper. “I missed you too.” Then she climbed up on her knees and put her arms around Jodi’s neck, hugging her close. “But it’ll be okay now, Mommy. I promise.”

J

odi and Ty spent the rest of the afternoon walking on the beach and answering Katie’s many questions. Where had Mommy been living? Did Mommy have any other kids? Was she going to live with them at the ranch? Why not? Could Mommy come to school so Katie could show the other kids that she had a mommy too? Did Mommy know how to dance ballet? Jodi was exhausted, but it was a giddy

kind of exhaustion, the type that made you want to tell complete strangers about the amazing, wonderful, intoxicating things that were happening to you. When Katie finally exhausted the extensive questions, Ty let her strip to the leotard she was still wearing from dance class and go into the water. “Does she swim?” Jodi asked, her heart racing as Katie headed into the waves. “Yeah. Not enough to swim in open water yet, but she’s an old hand here. We have rules, and she’s very good about following them.” Jodi nodded, still unable to peel her eyes off the tiny human in the vast ocean. She heard Ty chuckling and turned to see him grinning at her. “What?” “You’re already doing it,” he said. “Already doing what?” “Being a mom.” She blinked at him. “Um…” He shook his head. “The other dads always tell me about how overprotective their wives are about the physical stuff. They all think Katie’s a rock star because she’s never had a woman fussing over her safety. She’ll climb, jump, or dive into about anything.” “So, I shouldn’t tell her not to try stuff, even if I think it’s unsafe?” Jodi asked earnestly. She was

going to have to learn all this on the fly, and she didn’t want to make a misstep that might anger Ty so he kept Katie from her. He laughed and shook his head. “Of course not. Don’t be crazy over it, and expect she might give some pushback because she’s used to me, but you’re here to be you—her mother—not a carbon copy of me.” Jodi looked back out at the water where Katie was playing with another little girl near her age. She breathed deep of the ocean air, organizing her thoughts that were layered, complex, and painful in both good ways and bad. “I can’t believe how generous you’re being. I know this isn’t what you wanted. I just can’t thank you enough.” Ty shrugged uncomfortably. “I’m working to have an open mind and let Katie take the lead. I’m not making you any promises, Jodi, but I’m willing to give things a shot as long as Katie isn’t being harmed in the process.” She nodded. “She took it well. Is that what you expected?” “I honestly didn’t know what to expect. She’s never had anything of this magnitude happen in her life. But, I’ve lived with her long enough to know the first response isn’t always the final one.” He leveled a look at Jodi. “Kids process things differently than we do. Sometimes it takes days or

weeks or even months for them to understand something fully. We’ll keep going and see what happens, but don’t assume because today went well, it’s all smooth sailing from here.” “Okay,” Jodi said as Katie ran toward them. She went straight to Ty, and Jodi had to admit it stung. She knew it wasn’t reasonable, but she ached for the real mother-daughter bond she dreamed of. Don’t be a fool, she scolded herself. She’s known you for five minutes. It could take years. “Daddy,” Katie said as Ty rubbed her dry with a towel he’d brought from the truck. “Can Mommy come to dinner now?” “You know what, bug? I think we’ve had a long day and it might be best if we let your mom go home and get some rest.” Katie’s eyes grew big and sparkled with tears. “But what if she doesn’t come back?” And there it was, the fear of abandonment. Because Jodi had done it once, and she’d trained her daughter to expect it from her. Never again, Jodi vowed silently as she dropped to her knees in the sand, putting her hands on Katie’s shoulders. “Never. I promise, sweetheart. I won’t do that to you. I’m here to stay, and you can see me whenever you and your dad decide. I moved here especially so I can be with you. I won’t go away again.” Katie nodded, not appearing convinced. “How about if we plan to see your mom

tomorrow?” Ty suggested. Katie’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please! Can I show her my dog and my room and Beauregard and Dirk?” Ty laughed, looking at Jodi. “Beauregard’s the pony, Dirk’s the ranch hand.” “I remember Dirk.” Jodi smiled. “And I’d love to meet Beauregard if it’s okay with you.” “That’s fine,” Ty said, running a hand through his hair. Jodi knew his tell for nerves, though. She stood and looked him in the eye. “If it’s too much too soon, we can meet on neutral territory. Wait until later in the week. I’ll understand.” She felt Katie’s hand slip into hers. “Please, Daddy?” Please, Jodi’s heart added silently. Because now she’d found her, Jodi never wanted to let Katie out of her sight for a moment. Five years’ worth of love was washing through her with the force of a freight train, and she wasn’t sure she could do much to stop it now. Simply hold on for the ride, and pray Katie felt the same way eventually.

7

T

y looked from his daughter’s pleading eyes to the same shade of bright blue gazing at him from Jodi’s perfect face. God, that glow she had. It was mesmerizing. He’d spent the entire afternoon watching her interact with Katie, seeing that glow expand until it was practically wrapping around them all. And when he watched her next to the person he loved most in the world? He was fucked. Royally, truly fucked. He knew now what other men meant when they said they couldn’t deny their wives and children anything. Yes, the combination of Jodi and Katie was about all the beauty, love, and perfection Ty could stand. He felt it coming on, a complete collapse of his backbone, total dissolution of any wishes he might have for himself. Nope. If Katie and Jodi wanted something, Ty was pretty sure he’d be

caving and giving it to them. He stifled the groan that threatened to erupt from his chest, and turned his gaze skyward for a moment. No, it didn’t matter. He could still see their sweet faces dancing in his mind. “Lynn makes Sunday dinner at five,” he told Jodi. “If you come at four, you can have the grand tour of everything before we eat.” Katie jumped up and down cheering, and Jodi gave him the most dazzling smile he’d seen from a woman in years. Maybe ever. “You’re sure?” she asked, although it was pretty clear she didn’t really care, she was so happy for the invitation. “Yeah,” he answered, swallowing the urge to lean forward and touch his lips to hers, feel her breath on his face, absorb some of her glow. “It’s good.” He took a deep breath, letting the sea air filter through him as he tried to stay focused, be detached, get through this awkwardness without being awkward. “You remember how to get out there?” He turned his gaze back to her. “Yeah,” she answered. “Great. We’ll see you tomorrow at four, then. It’s time for us to go, Katie bug.” Katie turned her big blue beauties up to Jodi. They were still holding hands, and Ty couldn’t help but think they did it so naturally, he’d have never

guessed they hadn’t been bonded since Katie’s birth. “Aunt Lynn will make steak,” Katie said, grinning. “But I promise not to tell you the cow’s name it came from, ’cause Daddy says that’s rude and might upset some people.” Jodi choked with laughter. “Well, I do love steak, but yes, I’d probably rather not know the cow’s name.” Then she knelt down next to Katie. “May I give you a hug before I go?” Katie nodded solemnly and put her hands around Jodi’s neck. He watched Jodi’s eyes drift shut and her hands tremble as she wrapped her own arms around Katie’s waist. They stayed like that for what seemed to grow into minutes, and then Jodi released her with a quick kiss to the forehead. As they watched Jodi walk away, he saw Katie gently touch her fingers to the spot her mother had kissed. Her face had that same glow Jodi’s did, and Ty knew he’d just unleashed an entirely new future for his daughter. Only time would tell if that was for the best or the worst.

heard it all went okay,” Cade said as he walked into the office where Ty was doing paperwork.

Ty leaned back in the big desk chair, shoving the contracts aside. “It’s all she can talk about,” he said, referring to Katie. “Nonstop Mom.” Cade leaned against the open doorway, arms crossed, scowl firmly in place. That scowl was much less prevalent since Nina came into his life, but Cade had spent a lot of years scowling before her. It came naturally to him now. “And what kind of commitments have you made? Does she think she’s going to get regular visitation now?” Ty tried to remember that his brother was acting out of love and years of taking care of everything and everyone. Cade sometimes forgot he didn’t have to bear that weight anymore. Ty and Vaughn were all grown up and plenty able to fend for themselves. Hell, Vaughn was married, about to start his own business. Ty had been a father for five years now, and a fully participating partner in the ranch for just as long. “We aren’t anywhere near talking about anything beyond the next day,” Ty said patiently. “I’ve told Katie her mother can come over for dinner tomorrow night. That’s all.” “Dinner.” Cade harrumphed like an honest-toGod old man. Ty pitied the baby Nina was carrying. Poor kid was going to have to listen that disapproving grunt his whole damn life.

“I

“Yes. Dinner and a tour of Katie’s favorite things around the ranch—I think Dirk was one sight, the dog and pony were some others. Also her bedroom, of course.” A horn sounded from outside in the parking circle, and Cade turned briefly to wave someone off. “And you think that’s a good idea? Letting Jodi have access to the house and the family? What if she decides she wants to kidnap Katie? She’ll know exactly where Katie’s room is, how the house is organized—” “For God’s sake,” Ty groaned. “She’s not going to try to kidnap her.” “She could also be gathering information to take to court. Seeing if there are things that might make you look unfit—things that aren’t safe that Katie has access to, people that Jodi could argue shouldn’t have access to a five-year-old.” Rolling his eyes, Ty stood and walked to his brother. He laid a hand on Cade’s shoulder. “I can’t say whether all this will end up in a court. I admit she may want to press for custody at some point, but I choose to believe if it happens, it’s not because she premeditated it from the beginning. I don’t think she’s coming to our house to find things wrong and use them against us. She’s just a woman who had a kid too young and is trying to do better now.”

Cade’s scowl softened, and he looked at Ty with concern. “You’re not still interested in her after all these years, are you?” His heart skipped a beat as he gave his brother a firm shove. “What the fuck is the matter with you?” he snapped. “I barely know her. And I’m in the middle of trying to navigate her showing up in Katie’s life. You think I’d muddy the waters with sex?” Cade straightened and shrugged. “You seem almost supportive of her being here like this. But there are about a thousand ways this could go wrong and do damage to Katie.” Sighing, Ty leaned against the wall next to Cade. “I get that, and I’m still cautious, but I guess you could say I’m cautiously optimistic. If you’d seen Katie’s face today—” “That might not last.” “Right. And I told Jodi that. I said kids process this shit differently than the rest of us. And if she changes her mind, and doesn’t want stuff with her mother right now, then I’ll factor that in, but for now, it appears it’s very welcome on Katie’s part, and Jodi is being responsible and truly cares about doing the right thing.” Finally, Cade gave Ty a hard slap on the back. “Okay. If you’re sure, then I’ll leave it alone. I trust you—doesn’t mean I have to trust her.” “Just be at dinner tomorrow so you can talk to

her and see,” Ty said. “Oh, you can bet on it. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” “Nina likes her, you know,” Ty added, giving side-eye to his brother. Cade harrumphed yet again. “She likes everyone.” Sure, thought Ty, but he kept it to himself and went back to the desk. “Well, I’d really appreciate it if you’d play nice tomorrow night. It’ll be confusing to Katie if the family’s not welcoming of her mother. She doesn’t have a judgmental bone in that little body. She’s not blaming Jodi for being gone, and she’s ready—at least so far—to welcome her. I’d like all of us to take her lead and do the same.” “Fine,” Cade agreed. “You know I’d do anything for Katie.” “Thank you,” Ty answered. Ty’s phone chimed, and he glanced down to see Jodi’s name flash on the screen. “I need to go meet a contractor at the new house,” Cade said. “You got the distributor contracts handled?” “Yeah,” Ty said, distracted by the need to pick up that damn phone and pore over whatever message Jodi might have left. “All right. See you later, then.” Cade had hardly cleared the doorway when Ty

was tapping open the text. J: Thank you again for today. There aren’t words to explain what it meant to me. Ty had that strange sensation he’d felt on the beach when he looked at Jodi and Katie standing together. A feeling like he’d been consumed, but he didn’t even fucking care. T: You’re welcome. I can’t promise where it will lead, but it meant a lot to me too, being able to watch her find this missing part of herself. Katie’s birth had been a strange and somber affair. The fact that Jodi had decided to leave and give Katie to Ty had weighed on everyone. Once she’d found out about the pregnancy and made it clear she wasn’t going to marry him, Jodi had shut Ty out of her life except for talk about the legal papers and prenatal appointments. Their budding relationship had ended abruptly, and Ty had spent the time leading to Katie’s birth simply trying to hang on, not sure from one day to the next what might happen. Would Jodi change her mind? Would she disappear with his unborn child? Would he be able to handle fatherhood? No, Ty hadn’t been given the luxury of falling in love with his daughter at birth the way some men did. He’d had too many things and too many people to balance. Falling in love with Katie had been gradual, over weeks, months, years. He’d thought she was beautiful from day one, had been fiercely

protective, and admirably committed. But he hadn’t realized Katie held his heart in the palm of her tiny hand until much later, and then it hadn’t been so much of a shock as a quiet acceptance. He’d simply logged it in his mind, and kept moving—one heart, in the possession of a small child. But what he’d felt standing on the beach watching Katie and Jodi had been entirely different. Because, for a brief moment, he’d seen his heart split in two, both halves beating in blue eyes and blonde curls, soft smiles and warm lips. For a moment there, Ty had looked at his daughter and her mother and realized, between the two of them, they had the power to absolutely ruin him if they chose. His phone chimed again, and he looked down at the screen, still slightly dazed by the memory. J: Would it be okay if I called? I have a couple of things to ask about for tomorrow. He stretched and looked at the clock on the wall of the office—nine p.m. Shit, he’d been sitting for three straight hours. No wonder he was so stiff. An image of Jodi’s smile as she watched Katie run toward them on the beach played through his head. God, he’d love to grab a beer, sit out on the deck of the Big Sur Inn in town and watch the waves for a bit. It had been a hell of a long day. His gaze strayed to the phone. He couldn’t. Could he? He shouldn’t. Should he? No, he really

shouldn’t. But she was the one who wanted to talk. Yeah, that didn’t mean in person, jackass. Still, though. He looked at the damned phone again, then stood and stuffed it in his back jeans pocket before turning off the lights and leaving the office to stride across the parking circle and into the main house. “Katie,” he said as he walked into the family room where Katie and Lynn were watching Moana. “It’s time for you to get to bed.” “Only fifteen more minutes left,” Lynn told him, smiling. “Daddy, please let me finish it. I won’t ask for a snack or stories or anything before bed. I’ll brush my teeth super fast and hop right in.” “Okay,” he said, “but I’m going to say good night right now as long as Lynn’s okay with putting you down.” He looked at Lynn, who nodded. “Fine with me, since someone’s going to be such a good girl about it and go straight to bed.” She winked at Ty, then at Katie, who giggled. “Thanks. I’m going to run into town for bit.” He kissed Katie, then grabbed the keys to his truck and headed out the door. When he got into the cab, he paused before starting the engine and tapped out a quick text. T: I’m actually going to be at the Big Sur Inn bar in a few minutes. Why don’t you stop by and see me? We can talk there. Jodi’s response came fast, almost as fast as his

poor sorry excuse for a heart was racing. J: Okay. I’ll see you there in half an hour. So she would. And they’d talk, and he’d get a chance to clear his head, settle down, stop this rush of feelings that was threatening to overwhelm him. Because something messy had happened on the beach a few hours ago, and Ty was afraid his heart was right in the middle of it all.

8

J

odi dabbed at the lip gloss she’d just applied in her car mirror. The parking lot for the Big Sur Inn was nearly full, but she spotted the truck Ty drove right away. “What the hell are you thinking?” she muttered to herself, wiping the lip gloss off entirely. “This isn’t a date. Get a grip.” But try as she might, she couldn’t stop the extra little beat her heart gave when she thought about her afternoon with Ty and Katie. It had felt like she was part of a family, and she’d never once felt that before. It was intoxicating, and she’d come home to her little bungalow only to discover she didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to see them again—both of them. It was bad. And she was in deep trouble. She knew this, and yet she’d agreed to meet Ty here

without a moment’s hesitation. At a bar no less. On a Saturday night. She counted to three before climbing out of the Honda and walking to the deck entrance. The hotel had a restaurant inside with a bar, but when locals said to meet at the Big Sur Inn bar, they meant the outdoor part, on a large deck that extended out over the sand and hosted a perfect view of Big Sur’s famous Bixby Bridge around the curve of the coastline to the north. She walked onto the deck, her cotton-knit sundress clinging to her legs in the light breeze. The sun had set, and the bar was lit by candles on all the tables and white light strands that crisscrossed overhead. Tan skin, sun-bleached hair, and beach casual seemed the order of the day, and Jodi felt awkward for just a moment with so many beautiful people. But then her gaze landed on the most beautiful one in the whole place, and the breath stopped in her chest, lungs in mid-expansion. Ty was the darkest of the Jenkins brothers, his hair like thick, rich chocolate. His eyes were the same shade. His skin was sun-kissed year-round, and his frame was broad-shouldered and the kind of muscular that only came from hard work, not fancy gym equipment. But it was his smile that took what were even and highly appealing features and turned them into something truly dazzling. When he turned that smile on someone, it was like sitting by a warm

fire on a cold day. Suddenly, everything was good, warm, and safe. She watched him chatting to the bartender. He donned a pair of worn jeans and a thin Henley. The fabric clung to the muscles in his arms and shoulders, giving a hint of the firm curves that lay underneath. Jodi shook herself to get her head on straight. Cannot go there, she thought fiercely. Will not go there. She walked toward the bar where he sat on a stool. The bartender noticed her first, his eyes giving her a lazy appraisal as he grinned at her. Ty noticed the other man’s gaze and turned to see what had grabbed his attention. When he saw Jodi, that smile took over his face, and Jodi’s traitorous heart gave a hard knock against the cage of her ribs. The bartender leaned forward and said something quietly to Ty, but by the time Jodi reached them, Ty had slid off his barstool and was reaching out a hand to touch her elbow. “Let’s get a table,” he said, gesturing with his free hand. She smiled and nodded as he guided her to a table alongside the railing of the deck. He pulled out her chair for her, and Jodi struggled to keep from giving a little squeal like a teenager. Manners were something she hadn’t seen in a man in such a very long time. After he’d seated himself, Ty gave her a quieter version of his trademark smile. “I asked Greg to

send a waitress over, so we’ll get you a drink soon.” “Thanks,” she said, suddenly shy now that it was the two of them and no Katie. Ty leaned with his forearms on the table, watching her with an indecipherable expression in his eyes. “I was glad you texted.” “Oh?” “I think I need to debrief after today or something, and it feels like you’re the only one to do it with.” She nodded. Yes. This. This was why she’d contacted him. She wanted to analyze every bit of it, comb through the threads of emotions and conversation that had occurred. She needed to know what Ty thought, needed to hear if all the things she’d been feeling were normal. “Yes,” she exclaimed enthusiastically. “I feel the same way. It’s why I texted. Well, partly.” “And the other part?” He raised an eyebrow and leaned back, crossing his arms. “I wondered if it would be okay for me to bring Katie a little gift tomorrow night. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to buy her affection, and I wasn’t sure if it was too early—” “What’s the gift?” he asked, brow furrowing. She reached into her purse, extracted the small velvet bag, and held it out to him. Ty slowly opened it and poured out the little silver charm bracelet into the palm of his hand.

“It was mine growing up,” she said softly. “Each of the charms is something that was important to me as a kid.” She reached over and carefully touched each silver charm. “There’s the little book because I loved to read. The ballet shoes because I always wished I could be a dancer. The volleyball from when I played varsity in high school. There’s the caduceus emblem they gave me when I graduated from nursing school.” She paused, fingering the charm on the end of the chain. “And the baby rattle I got after Katie was born.” She heard Ty’s intake of breath and tried to draw her hand away, but his fingers closed over hers, the bracelet between them. “Did you ever stop thinking about her?” he asked, his voice rough and deep. She shook her head. “No. My therapist said I never had the separation that’s healthy for a parent who’s given a child up for adoption. I wasn’t relieved the way a lot of people are. I questioned every single day whether I’d done the right thing. I doubted so much, and so often.” She looked into his tender gaze. “I think I knew before I even did it I was making a mistake, but I couldn’t figure out how I’d ever be a mother. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life. Even the idea of her rejecting me now isn’t as terrifying, because at least I can envision that. I couldn’t envision being a

mother. Not once.” He rubbed a thumb over her knuckles, softly, slowly, before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it once. “You want her to have the bracelet?” She nodded, her throat swollen with emotion and her stomach filling with butterflies. “I want her to have some little bit of me, to know something about me, even if she decides she doesn’t want me in her life. At least she’ll have that. She can do whatever she wants with it, and maybe she’s too young, but it would make me feel like she’s had a peek at who her mother is.” The server arrived to take their orders, but Ty’s gaze never left Jodi’s as he murmured, “Give us a few more minutes, will you?” After the server walked away, Ty stood and pulled Jodi up with him, his eyes smoldering in the candlelight around them. He kept ahold of her hand and led her silently down the stairs and onto the sand, not stopping until they were in the dark of the beach, cold night air caressing their skin. Finally, he stopped, her hand still in his, the bracelet between their palms, the cool metal and little edges pressing against her skin. He carefully smoothed a strand of hair off her face, and she felt everything inside her give way, melting, softening, turning to liquid. “She’s not going to decide she doesn’t want you,” he said. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up

today. Every sensible thing in me says to be cautious. Cade is telling me to be wary, my gut tells me to watch and wait, any parenting book would want me to take a deep breath, a long walk, and probably a cold shower.” He chuckled, and Jodi felt something in her core clench with want. “But I’m having a hard time listening to that advice.” She gazed at him, into those eyes that made her want to dive in, swim in his warmth, soak up his strength. “Who would have guessed that I’d still find you so fucking irresistible after all these years,” he murmured. She swallowed. “We shouldn’t,” she answered, even though every fiber of her was arguing that they absolutely should. “I never do anything that doesn’t put Katie first. I haven’t been in a relationship since you. She’s never met another woman as my girlfriend.” Her heart hurt with the joy it felt at those words. “You’ve been an amazing father,” she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. “She’s so perfect.” “She had some good DNA to help.” Jodi felt a flush crawl up her cheeks. She wasn’t too sure she could claim any credit for the little angel she’d given birth to. Even her DNA wasn’t the best. Katie might look like her, but her

confidence, her spunk, and her joyful nature were all courtesy of Ty. “So what’s best for her now?” Jodi asked, her entire body swaying toward his in the dark. “You always do what’s best for her. What is that now?” He sighed. “To take all of this slow. To let you and her get to know each other with as little interference from me as possible. To keep my guard up in case you decide you want something I’m not willing to give.” “You mean like custody?” He nodded solemnly, his eyes beseeching her for an assurance she was only too happy to give. “I won’t do that to you,” she declared. “Or to her. You’re her parent, the one who’s been here since the start. I would never try to take her away. I swear. “Part of me believes that, but another part can’t. The part that’s protected her all these years, the part that’s felt like she was somehow more vulnerable because she didn’t have a mother. That part can’t let up. Not for a minute.” “I understand,” she responded, all her hopes dissolving like the little grains of sand beneath her feet. “And a third part of me doesn’t give a damn,” he growled. “Because it just wants this.” The charm bracelet fell to the sand as his hands cradled her face, and he brought his lips to hers, at first in a

tentative brush, then more firmly, his tongue sliding along the seam of her mouth as she opened to him on a moan. His breath quickened, and she felt her pulse thrum in short, fast beats. Her chest expanded until she feared it might explode. He brought an arm around her waist, pulling her hard against him. And he was hard—every inch of him, hard-muscled chest, hard hips, hard cock pressing to her pelvis, causing her to gasp in want. His lips roamed over her cheeks, jaw, and neck, as she clutched at the front of his shirt, her back arching, pressing her closer, ever closer. “We shouldn’t,” he rasped, his hand skating over the tip of her breast, causing shocks and tingles to shoot from her nipple straight to her core. “I know,” she gasped. “This isn’t the best thing for Katie,” he continued, his mouth finding hers again in a searing promise that sent her into a haze of lust and chaotic need. Then it was all hands and lips and hot words in the cool night. His palm found its way under her hem; her fingers found their way under his zipper. They kissed, and kissed, and kissed, until Jodi knew her lips would be swollen and her face stubble burned. But still they didn’t stop, even knowing it was wrong, that they were risking Katie’s happiness, that everything about their lives was completely up in the air, they kept going.

Until Ty slid two fingers inside her, and Jodi’s entire universe shifted. Because in all the years and out of all the men, she’d never felt like this before —not even with him. “Oh,” she cried out softly as he stroked into her and back out again. “Jesus, you’re wet,” he groaned. “So hot, so beautiful.” “That’s good,” she chanted as her hips thrust in time with his hand. “Really good.” Their position didn’t give them much range of motion, but Ty bent her back over his arm, dipping her slightly toward the sand. With his other hand, he pumped in and out of her mercilessly as she worked to keep from screaming in ecstasy. The need built in her, like water on the verge of boiling, at the very edge of exploding. Then he grazed her tight, hard nipple with his teeth, through the fabric of her dress, and fireworks were all she could see. The orgasm ripped through her, sharp, sudden, and long. So very long. She cried out, her voice washing away with the waves and the wind. When the pulses finally subsided and she was able to catch her breath, Ty pulled her upright, his fingers slipping away as certain parts of her protested the loss. “That may not have been in Katie’s best interests,” she said, still nearly breathless. “But it was definitely in mine.”

He chuckled, smoothing down her skirt and softly kissing her neck, tickling her and making her giggle. “I try to have the woman’s best interests at heart,” he whispered in her ear. “And who has yours?” she asked suddenly, realizing in a flash that all his years of sacrificing for Katie, of doing what he did without a wife or a partner, meant he was alone. No one was looking out for Ty. He pulled back, looking at her with questions swirling in his eyes. “Maybe it’s time someone put your interests first,” she murmured, dropping to her knees and tugging at his jeans that were already unbuttoned and unzipped. “You don’t have to—” “I want to,” she said clearly, looking up at him as she pulled his cock free from his boxer briefs. She breathed deeply of the scent of him—salty, earthy, so good. Then she held his shaft firmly in her hand and stroked her tongue from base to tip, eliciting a rough groan from deep in his throat. As she wrapped her lips around the width of him, and slowly, ever so slowly slid his cock into her mouth until it touched the back of her throat, his fingers found their way into her hair. He massaged her scalp, his breath becoming harsh and uneven, his hips thrusting ever so slightly in response to her

suction. Jodi was on her knees, and yet completely in control of the situation. She wrapped an arm around Ty’s slim hips and began to pump him in and out of her mouth, swirling his tip with her tongue, scraping gently with her teeth. “Jesus,” he gasped as his hips jerked rhythmically. “That’s fucking amazing.” She smiled, because it felt good to give him something, anything, after he’d given her everything she’d ever wanted today. “God, Jodi, you need to stop—” She shook her head and took him even deeper, and he groaned again but thrust harder, faster, his hands tightening in her hair, squeezing her skull with the perfect amount of pressure. Her core clenched, and she knew that if she touched herself, she’d explode again. But this wasn’t about her, it was about Ty, the man who’d taken the biggest mistake of her life—leaving her child—and turned it into something so perfect and beautiful, Jodi wasn’t sure Katie was really part of this world. Then he gritted out a string of profanity, and she took him deep, swallowing around him as he came, taking everything he had and loving every second of it. Someone had to put Ty first. She thought maybe she wanted to be that someone.

9

P

anic welled up in Ty as he stood and watched Jodi tuck his dick back in his jeans. He was so spent, so dazed and confused, he couldn’t even manage to get himself in order. He’d just experienced an orgasm that would live on as the orgasm forever. The orgasm that showed him how fucking dangerous his life had just gotten. Because he’d just had almost-sex with the woman who could take away the thing he loved most in the entire world. And he’d known that before he shoved his tongue and then his cock in her mouth, but he hadn’t cared. He’d been so swept away with her beautiful blue eyes and her soft blonde locks, the strong curves of her ass and breasts, the way she gazed at him when he talked, the tone her voice took on when she spoke of Katie —that he’d intentionally put Katie at risk.

If Jodi couldn’t be trusted, if she wanted more of Katie than he could give, then he’d just given her the opening. He might as well have shouted, Manipulate me with sex. He could just imagine the testimony in court: Why yes, Your Honor, I did have sex with her. And yes, Your Honor, she does come to dinner, and spend time with Katie, and give her gifts. But no, Your Honor, I don’t think she should be able to legally. He’d look like a complete asshole, and he knew it. And maybe Jodi knew it too, and that was why she didn’t seem to mind that what had started off as a talk about their daughter had ended up with a blow job on the beach. He stepped back from her and put a hand out to help her stand because the gentlemanly thing was so damn ingrained in him he simply couldn’t help himself. She brushed sand off her knees, and he felt a little sick to his stomach. He had to turn slightly away then, unable to look her in the eye, realizing he’d made such a grave error and done it so willingly. His gaze dropped to the sand below them, and he could just make out the sparkle of the little charm bracelet they’d dropped. He quickly zipped his jeans, then bent to retrieve the jewelry. He ran it through his fingers once, then turned to Jodi and did what he had to. “I’d like to wait a bit before we start in on

gifts,” he said quietly, pretending he didn’t hear the little intake of breath as Jodi’s whole body stiffened. “Let’s take it one day at a time. Tomorrow, she can show you her dog and her room. Maybe the next time, you can watch her dance class or her favorite movie.” He avoided Jodi’s gaze. He knew what he’d find there, and he couldn’t face it. He was being a dick, but on the off chance she did have an ulterior motive, he couldn’t risk being anything else. “Um, okay, of course,” she answered in a soft voice, disappointment soaking every word. “Whatever you think is best.” He dropped the bracelet into her outstretched palm and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what to say now,” he admitted. “We probably shouldn’t have—” “It’s fine.” Her voice was stronger, neutral, all emotion masked. He’d done that. He’d had to do that. “Just pretend it never happened.” She gave him a bloodless smile and clutched the bracelet hard in her fist. Yeah, like he could pretend an orgasm like that had never happened. Hell, that was the orgasm by which all other orgasms would be measured for the rest of his damn life. “I should get going,” she continued as he stood there like an idiot and tried to get his head together —or whatever that was shaking around inside him.

“I’ll be there tomorrow. No gifts. Well, not for Katie, anyway. I might bring something for Lynn.” Then she plastered on one last, tight smile and turned to walk back up the beach toward the parking lot. “Here, let me walk you to your—” She whipped around. “No. Thank you. I think we’ve done enough damage for tonight. Let’s stop while we’re ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she marched away in the dark, and Ty stood there wondering how in the hell he’d managed to make such a mess so fast.

T

hey were a godless bunch, the Jenkinses. His mother had been the one who went to church, but Ty and his brothers and dad had spent Sundays surfing, and Lynn wasn’t much for organized religion either. Sundays at the ranch were generally for big breakfasts, catching up on a few chores, and then whatever the hell made you happy. But right now, Ty was questioning whether he should perhaps have brought God into Katie’s rearing, because the Lord might be the only one who could save him at this point. “I don’t wanna!” Katie stamped her small foot, arms crossed, brow creased in frustration.

“Katie,” Ty warned, scowling down at the small hellion. “You know the rules. If you’re going to own a pony, then you have to take care of it. Beau needs his stall mucked out, and as his owner, it’s your job to do it. If he lives with all that poop and dirty hay in there, it’ll make him sick, and I know you don’t want him to get sick.” Katie scowled, then something akin to a lightbulb going on crossed her face, and her eyes narrowed. “I want my mommy!” she declared. Ty’s whole chest seized. What the ever-loving fuck? “Your mother has nothing to do with this, Katherine Sophia,” he growled. Credit to his daughter, she didn’t even flinch. The kid was entirely fearless. “My mommy’s pretty and nice, and she would never make me do somethin’ I didn’t wanna. I want her right now!” Then her lower lip quivered, and tears began to track down her face. Ty sighed, the stern father going out of him like air from a leaking balloon. He knelt down and pulled the little demon into his arms. “Aw, bug. You feeling a little off-center this morning?” he asked, stroking her back. Her head nodded against his shoulder as she sniffed. “Me too,” he whispered softly into her hair. “I

know it’s a lot to understand. Having a mom show up all the sudden like this. And if you don’t want to see her for a bit, maybe take a break, that’s okay. It doesn’t make you a bad girl, and it won’t mean she goes away. Your mother and I agreed that this is all up to you. However much you want to do. You can see her quite a bit, or not at all for a while. She’ll understand, and she won’t go anywhere. She’s here for you. She’ll stay right here for you.” In his mind, Ty crossed his fingers that it was true, and prayed to his newfound friend above he hadn’t done anything to send Jodi packing last night. Katie pulled back to look him in the eye, her gaze tearful and serious. “I want everything to be like it always is, but with Mommy here too—like she’s always been here so it’s not hard. I don’t wanna have to ask to see her or wonder if she’s coming.” Ty smiled gently and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “Would it be easier if the grown-ups just made the decisions for you so you don’t have to worry about it all?” She nodded. “As long as you don’t send Mommy away.” “I won’t send Mommy away, baby. I promise. You just let me worry about it, and you enjoy her when she’s around. How’s that?” She nodded again, her face clearing and a smile setting in finally. “But, Daddy?”

“Yes, bug,” Ty said, standing but keeping ahold of her hand. “I still don’t want to muck out the stall.” Ty chuckled. “I know, bug, but it has to be done.” Katie sighed heavily, then picked up the childsized shovel Ty had bought for her and headed toward the barn. Ty shook his head as he watched her go. “There will be some moments like this,” Lynn’s voice carried across the porch as she walked out of the kitchen. “I think it’s maybe more responsibility than she can handle right now,” he answered, turning to lean his ass against the railing so he could face Lynn. “She wants everything to be like it always is, but with a mother inserted smoothly into the empty spot.” Lynn chuckled. “Of course she does. Wouldn’t you prefer it that way?” He shrugged. “I suppose so. Although I don’t really know what that would look like. I mean, would it have been Jodi here from the beginning? Because that’d mean I wouldn’t have been the primary parent, and that breaks my heart.” Lynn watched him warily, but he continued, spilling some of the thoughts that spiraled through his mind. “Would it have meant Jodi showing up two or

three years ago, before Katie was really old enough to be cognizant of it all?” He sighed. “Would it have been me and Jodi married, even though we hardly knew each other and undoubtedly would have ended up divorced?” “You don’t know that,” Lynn said softly. “I also don’t know what I want or would have wanted. I can’t say I don’t want it to have happened, because I got Katie out of it, but I don’t know what I would have chosen—how I would have wanted this all to look—us to look.” “And it doesn’t really matter,” Lynn said, “because you can’t change what’s happened. Katie can wish to remake the past, but you’re an adult, and you know that’s not possible. You know the only thing you can affect is what comes next.” Ty nodded. His logical part knew all that. But the part that had been inside Jodi last night was anything but rational. And what was that part, anyway? Lust? Anger? Desire? Something more? He had no idea. No clue what his traitorous body and befuddled head were doing. “We were going to let Katie decide how all this played out, but I’m not sure that’s what she wants.” “Then by taking over, you’re letting her decide,” Lynn said. “She’s leading by saying she doesn’t want to lead.” Right. That made sense. “I don’t know what to do either, though. A week ago, I’d have said I

didn’t want Jodi here at all, but it’s too late for that now. And I’m not sure that’s what I really wanted anyway.” Lynn smiled patiently. “Maybe it’s not Katie who needs to decide what should happen here, but you. Maybe it’s just as important for you to get to know Jodi as for Katie to.” Ty thought about that. About the woman he’d dated, the woman who’d given birth to his daughter. And he thought about what he knew of her. It wasn’t actually all that much. The time they’d spent together had been sweet but brief. Nights at the Shark Tooth, days on the beach. A lot of flirting when he came to get coffee from her at Lynn’s café, a lot of sex when she’d come to the ranch after work. Ty knew that Jodi was raised by a single mother who struggled with everything. He knew she’d graduated from college in Oregon and then traveled south with her friend Darcy for a year of adventure wherever the wind blew them. He knew she had a nursing degree and intended to get a job as a surgical nurse after her gap year—until she got pregnant. He knew she loved coconut anything and her crystal-blue eyes turned dark and liquid when she watched him while she orgasmed. He knew her laugh was quiet, kind of like her, but her smiles were big, and her fears were as well. And he knew she’d been unable to be a mother when she was

twenty-two. Beyond that? He didn’t know a hell of a lot. Maybe Lynn was right. Maybe he needed to get to know the woman who was such a big part of his child, yet had been no part of their lives until now. Lynn patted him on the cheek like she’d done his whole life, and he was reminded how much he loved her, how crucial she’d become to him and his brothers. How much she’d sacrificed to take care of them all, and especially Katie. Yet she’d never once complained, never resented any of them or asked for a single thing in return. “You’ll figure this out, Ty,” she told him. “I can see it happening already. The three of you are going to be just fine. Don’t let the rough patches along the way keep you from what you really want.” “I don’t know what I really want,” he said. “That’s the point.” “Sure you do,” she answered as she strode away. “You just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”

10

“D

addy! Mommy’s here! She’s here!” Katie careened off the top step of the porch, landing with a thud in the gravel driveway before she sprinted toward Jodi. At the last minute, though, she slowed, suddenly shy and uncertain. “Hi,” Jodi said as Katie approached, a finger in her mouth, her eyes big. Jodi knelt down. “I’m really happy to see you.” Katie stepped closer, then whispered, “Can I hug you?” “Anytime you want. The more the better.” And that was all it took. Katie fell into her arms, and Jodi had that sensation again, as though she was finally complete in a way she’d never been before. A missing puzzle piece of her put back into place. She inhaled the damp, country smell of her

daughter, felt the soft brush of her white-blonde hair, and the velvet touch of her tender cheek. She almost couldn’t bear the joy she felt, it was so enormous, so overwhelming. Katie pulled back. “Now we have to go see Beauregard. I washed him today so he would look pretty for you.” Jodi grinned. “I can’t wait,” she said, standing and holding on to Katie’s hand. “Show me the way.” A throat clearing told her they weren’t alone, and she looked up to see Ty approaching. Her chest clenched, and she reminded herself of the humiliation the night before. Of the look on his face when he dropped the charm bracelet back in her hand, that cold mask that slid over his face and carved a trench between them, a valley she doubted could ever be crossed again. But she couldn’t think about it, couldn’t be hurt. Bad feelings about Ty were something she couldn’t afford to have, so she pasted on a polite smile and waited until he reached them. “Hi. Sorry if she accosted you. I told her to wait for you to get to the door, but she was a little bit excited.” He ruffled Katie’s hair. “Weren’t you, bug?” “It’s fine,” Jodi answered, her gaze everywhere but on his. It simply hurt too much to look into those eyes again.

“I want to show Mama Beau. He’s so clean!” “Well, lead the way, then.” Ty gestured toward the barn. Jodi hadn’t thought that after five years, her memories of the two of them together would be so strong. But when his lips had touched hers the night before, it had all come flooding back. The sensations, the tastes, the smell of him, of them. The way his hands caressed her skin, the heft of his cock in her hand. Jodi remembered Ty in ways she hadn’t even realized. And apparently, she also remembered every place they’d fooled around, because when they entered the barn, her gaze shot straight to the fourth stall on the left, where Ty had once laid her down on a scratchy blanket, rucked her flimsy skirt up, and worked her over with his mouth until she cried out so loud, it scared the horses. Katie was extolling Beau the pony’s every virtue, and Jodi was struggling to catch up as the memories assaulted her, when she felt a touch on her elbow. “That’s always been my favorite stall,” Ty whispered in her ear as his chin tipped toward number four on the left. “Do you remember why that might be?” She felt a flush work its way up her cheeks. He chuckled softly as Katie lifted one of Beau’s hooves and described exactly how she’d cleaned it, digging mud and manure out from around the

horseshoe. The tour continued, and Jodi met the dogs, got reintroduced to the ranch’s oldest, most valuable hand, Dirk, and saw the garden Katie had planted with Aunt Lynn. But through it all, she couldn’t keep her focus on anything except Ty. The man wasn’t making it easy to ignore him either. He stayed pretty much glued to her side, his deep voice sending little waves of excitement through her every time he spoke or laughed. It was as though the end of last night hadn’t happened and he was back to being the man who kissed her on the beach, consequences be damned. By the time dinner was served, her head was spinning, and she was growing to resent him immensely for sucking her energy and enjoyment away from Katie. Cade, Nina, Vaughn, and T.J. joined them for dinner, and as the food was passed around the large family table, Cade fixed his hard gaze on Jodi. “So, I hear you’ve been in nursing in San Luis the last few years?” Jodi scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate, her hand shaking ever so slightly. “Yes. I was at a hospital there.” “Which one?” Cade asked bluntly. She heard Ty make a sound in warning, and Cade’s gaze shot to his younger brother as Vaughn

joined in with a hard cough. “St. Luke’s,” Jodi answered, her chin tipping up, because no matter what Cade might think, she had nothing to hide. “And what kind of nursing?” he pressed. “I’ve done a variety—surgical, post-op, cardio ICU, and neonatal.” The table went silent, all eyes on her. She took a deep breath, glancing at Katie in the seat next to her. “Some of the work helped me realize what was missing in my life,” she said succinctly. Cade nodded, seeming to mull it all over, and she heard a collective breath exhale from the rest of the diners. “Auntie Nina,” Katie burst out. “I know I said you were the prettiest girl in the whole world, but that’s because I didn’t know my mommy yet. Cause she’s the prettiest, but you can still be second prettiest.” “Katie!” Ty admonished. “That was rude. You need to apologize to your aunt.” “Why, Daddy?” Katie asked, confusion written all over her face. “Second prettiest is still prettier than all the other girls in the whole world but one.” She gave Jodi a worshipful smile that nearly had her melting into the chair. “It’s okay, Ty,” Nina murmured from across the table, obviously more entertained than offended. “No, it’s not,” he corrected. “Katie, you can’t

always say everything that comes into your head. You need to stop and think about whether it might hurt someone else’s feelings.” Jodi bristled then, triggered by any man telling her daughter that she couldn’t speak her mind just because it might bother someone. “Actually,” she said, turning to Katie. “It’s fine to say what you think. You can be polite, but if you feel strongly about something, you need to say it, because your opinion matters.” A sharp intake of breath was Jodi’s first warning she might have started a firestorm. But before she could think about it, Nina had stepped in. “Katie, I have to agree with you. Your mother is the prettiest girl in all of Big Sur at least, and maybe the whole world.” She winked at Jodi. “You’re pretty lucky to have her for a mom, because you look just like her.” Katie blushed and smiled so big, the whole table was lit by it. “Well, if the beautiful Miss Katie will eat her green beans, she might get a piece of the angel food cake I made for her,” Lynn added. The rest of meal was uneventful, but Jodi would have had to be missing most of her five senses not to notice Ty’s silence as he sat on the far side of Katie, his brow furrowed, gaze fixed on his plate. When Lynn made the move to go to the kitchen

for dessert, Ty stopped her. “You rest. I can get it,” he said. “Jodi, help out, please?” She nodded, giving Katie’s hand a squeeze under the table before she stood. “Mommy.” Katie tugged on her sleeve, and Jodi leaned back down. “Yes, sweetie?” “That’s Daddy’s mad face,” Katie whispered. “If he gives you the choice between mucking out the stalls and vacuuming the truck, take the truck. Horse poop is gross.” Jodi nodded solemnly, tapped her on the nose, and followed the Ty to the kitchen.

A

s the door swung shut behind her, Ty made no pretense of getting the dessert, leaning his backside against the countertop and crossing his arms tightly. “You feel better?” he asked. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “About what?” “You obviously needed to assert yourself, make sure we all knew you’re the mother. Did it make you feel better?” Jodi’s pulse raced as a shot of adrenaline burst through her. “That’s not it at all—” “Really? So you dismissed me in front of my

own daughter, undermined my parenting, and insulted my sister-in-law, why, then?” Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that this mercurial and frustrating man had the keys to the thing she wanted most in the world, Jodi answered. “I didn’t mean to undermine you, but I see how that might have been a result. I’m sorry. I take exception to the accusation that I was insulting Nina. And I don’t think you heard what I was telling Katie.” “And what exactly was that?” He scoffed. “Don’t listen to your father? Be rude to other people based on how they look?” She stiffened. “No. Don’t censor your opinions just to please other people. It’s something our culture imposes on girls from the time they’re tiny, and it means we all grow up worrying all the time that we’re going to offend someone. We hide our intellects and our views just on the chance we might upset someone else. It’s not her job to keep everyone around her happy. She has a right to her opinions.” “For Christ’s sake,” Ty burst out. “I didn’t tell her to become a mouse, I just said not to be outright rude to people—especially not the aunt who’s been like a surrogate mother to her.” That struck home, but Jodi refused to acknowledge it, choosing to sling her own wellplaced arrow instead. “Well, thank God someone’s

taken on that role, because it’s obvious she’s in great need of a mother!” Ty’s eyes flashed, his mouth tightening dangerously, he took a step toward her, but before he could say anything, the door opened and Lynn appeared, a scowl on her face. “What in God’s name do the two of you think you’re doing?” she hissed. Ty fell back immediately, an expression of shame washing over him as his hands clenched and opened a few times. Jodi felt a flush work its way up her neck and into her cheeks. The hazards of being so fair skinned were great in moments like this. “Everyone in the whole house can hear you,” Lynn continued, whisper yelling. “And that beautiful child who’s been through quite a lot in the last few days doesn’t deserve to have to listen to her parents tear each other to pieces between dinner and dessert!” Jodi’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach, and defeat washed through her. A parent for less than forty-eight hours and she’d already made a mess of it. What if her instincts all those years ago had been right? What if she was ruining Katie’s life by showing up here like this? “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, holding a hand over her mouth, her eyes stinging with the shame. “Jesus,” Ty muttered. “You’re right, Lynn. And

I’m sorry too.” “It’s not me you need to apologize to,” Lynn said, her tone softening. “We all understand this isn’t going to be easy. You two have a lot to work through, but you can’t do it in front of, or in hearing distance of, Katie.” Jodi and Ty nodded in unison. “You need to work through this stuff away from her, come up with ground rules or something.” Her expression turned tender. “You’re both good people, and I have no doubt you’ll become a wonderful parenting team, but it’s not going to happen overnight, nor without some real work. Do that away from her.” Ty took charge then. He had the experience, the bond, and the confidence. Jodi stood, frozen in panic at the magnitude of her latest mistake when it came to her daughter. “Can you have her come in, please?” he asked his aunt. Lynn nodded, reaching out and giving him a pat on the cheek. “Be loving, nephew of mine,” she said softly. Then she turned to Jodi. “And you,” she said, taking the younger woman’s hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. “Tread carefully. He’s done it by himself a long time. It’s hard to give that up overnight.” Jodi nodded, swallowing hard.

Lynn moved out of the room, but before Jodi could look at Ty, Katie shuffled into the room, her eyes on the floor, hands nervously twisting her Tshirt at the waist. Ty sat heavily in a kitchen chair and held out his arms. “Come here, bug,” he said softly. The little girl fell into her father’s arms, burying her head on his shoulder as she climbed on his lap and straddled him, little legs wrapping around his waist. “Hey,” Ty whispered. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I yelled.” She lifted her head, gaze darting between him and Jodi standing to the far side of the table. “Please don’t make Mommy go away again,” she pleaded. “I’ll say sorry to Aunt Nina, and she can be the prettiest, I promise. I’ll never say anything like that ever again, Daddy.” Jodi’s heart broke, right into two pieces. She looked at Ty’s broad shoulders and thick dark hair, his well-muscled arms holding his tiny daughter so safe and tender at the same time. Ty’s voice was tight as he answered Katie. “Bug, I’m not going to make your mother go away, no matter how much we argue. You’ve never had two parents before, so it’s new for you, and for your mom and me too, but sometimes grown-ups argue, and parents are grown-ups. When I was little, my mom and dad argued sometimes. You

can’t let it scare you, and it doesn’t mean anyone’s leaving.” He looked up at Jodi as if for affirmation. She nodded in agreement. Katie turned to look at Jodi as well, and Jodi knelt on the floor a few feet away. “I’m so sorry I argued with your dad,” she said. “I’m still learning how to be a mom, and I guess I have a long way to go, but if you want me here, I won’t give up and I won’t go anywhere, I promise. I’ll keep trying to do better and be everything you deserve.” Katie smiled. “You already are, silly,” she said, giggling. “You’re my mommy, so you’re the best mommy in the world.” Jodi’s heart soared and thrashed and fluttered all at the same time. Pressure built in her chest, and she had to remind herself to breathe, the sensations were so overwhelming. “So let’s talk about what you said to Aunt Nina,” Ty added. Katie nodded, looking down at Ty’s T-shirt and frowning. “I don’t wanna hurt her feelings, but I do think Mommy’s the prettiest.” Ty sighed. “And it’s hard for me, because I want you to be polite, but I also don’t want you to think you’re not allowed to have opinions. You’re allowed to think and feel whatever you want, bug, and it’s not your job to make everyone else happy all the time.”

“But you shouldn’t do or say things that you know will hurt people either,” Jodi interjected. Ty looked at her and nodded in encouragement. She continued. “Being polite is a good thing unless being polite means people are treating you bad. Does that make sense?” Katie shook her head. “So, you know how we’ve talked about what to do if a stranger makes you feel uncomfortable?” Ty asked. Katie nodded, eyes wide. “Well, do you need to worry about being polite then?” “No!” Katie answered resolutely. “I scream and run away as fast as I can.” Jodi smiled and felt gratitude seep into her very bones that this man was the father of her only child. He was everything you could ask for in a parent. “That’s right,” Ty continued. “Now, what if one of the kids at school is being mean to another?” Katie shrugged indecisively. “Ask them to please stop?” Ty raised an eyebrow at Jodi as if to say, you want to take this one? “You can try asking nicely,” Jodi said, “but sometimes kids who are mean to others won’t stop if you ask politely. You might have to say, ‘stop it or I’m going to get a grown-up,’ right?” Katie nodded, then sighed in exhaustion, laying her head back on Ty’s shoulder. “Can we be done now?” she asked. “I really

want cake.” Ty chuckled as he lifted her off his lap and onto the floor. “We can absolutely be done. Will you take the cake back out to everyone, and your mom and I will be there in just a sec?” After Katie had the cake platter and serving knife balanced precariously in her hands, Ty sent her to the dining room and turned to face Jodi. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “I promise I’ll never do that again. It was a gut reaction, and I shouldn’t have—” “Shh,” he said as he stepped toward her and put his warm palms on her upper arms. “It’s okay. That one was on both of us. We fucked up. It’s bound to happen, and all’s well that ends well.” “This is really hard,” she admitted. “I feel like I’m going to fuck her up every time I say or do anything. It’s like walking on eggshells.” He chuckled, briskly rubbing his hands up and down her arms before letting them drop. She felt the loss keenly for a moment. “It gets easier,” he assured her. “But it never completely goes away. We all just do the best we can, you included.” “I guess Lynn had a point, though. Maybe we need to talk about some stuff—make some ground rules or something?” Ty rubbed the back of his neck, his expression shy. “I’d like that. I’d like the chance to spend

some time with you, just the two of us. I think maybe we need to get to know one another as much as you and Katie need to get to know each other.” Jodi tamped down the little surge of excitement that sparked through her at the thought of spending time alone with Ty. Down girl. No more complications, remember? “That sounds like it might be a good idea,” she answered. “About last night—” “Don’t,” she interrupted, flapping her hand in front of them. “It was a crazy night. We were both overwrought with all the emotions. We don’t need to talk about it. We’re here for Katie, to find a way for me to be a part of her life that works for all of us. We don’t need to complicate things any more than they already are.” Ty’s brow furrowed, but he nodded. “Good. We’re all on the same page, then. Katie’s the priority here.” “Absolutely.” “Then let’s go make sure she doesn’t eat the whole cake by herself, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a parent, no one else ever watches your kid’s sugar consumption as closely as they should.” Jodi laughed, and they made their way to the dining room to finish their very first dinner as an

odd family of sorts. And as they did, Jodi ruthlessly crushed the hopes that had fluttered to life when Ty’s lips and hands had touched her the night before. She was the luckiest woman in the world to get a second chance with her daughter. No sense in tempting fate asking for more than she deserved.

11

T

y lay in bed watching the numbers on his iPad blink from 1:55 to 1:56 a.m. He sighed, throwing an arm over his head as he gazed into the inky darkness. Clad only in a pair of boxers, he kicked the covers off his legs and groaned in frustration. It was a new thing, this inability to sleep. He’d been a light sleeper since Katie was born, listening for that tiny cry that came at all hours of the night and could only be soothed by him or Lynn. But he’d also learned to fall asleep quickly and in some of the most uncomfortable positions known to man. Sitting upright in rocking chairs, stretched out on too-short sofas with the TV flickering across the room, curled up in a pile of giant stuffed animals. Yes, Ty could sleep virtually anywhere his infant daughter had decreed.

But now, five days after he’d come in Jodi Morgan’s mouth on a darkened beach, he was suddenly unable to sleep, even in his own bed, after a long day of working, a visit to the gym, and a couple of beers with his brothers on the front porch. He should be exhausted, hell, he was exhausted, but he still couldn’t sleep. And why is that, asshole? He thought as he squirmed again, his cock twitching under his boxers. Because he’d tasted her, and now he couldn’t get her out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was porcelain skin, moonlit hair, the whisper of skin on skin, glossy lips opening, sliding around his cock. “Aargh!” he vented into the quiet of his room. He slid his hand under the waistband of his boxers and wrapped his fingers around his rapidly swelling shaft. His eyes drifted shut as he remembered the feel of her silky tongue on him, the way she swirled it around the head, then stroked down his shaft. His breathing picked up tempo as his hand got to work, sliding up and down, spreading the moisture that gathered at the tip. The image of her soft, voluptuous breasts came to mind, and he imagined pulling one hard, sweet nipple into his mouth, squeezing and kneading as she moaned her pleasure. His cock hardened more than he thought was possible, and he stroked faster.

Then he remembered the feel of her hot, wet walls pulsing around his fingers, her cries on the dark, empty beach, the way she molded her body to his in the aftermath of her release. His balls tightened and then he came, hard and long, making a mess of his chest and abs. He squeezed his shaft as long as he could, getting every last moment out of an orgasm that was better with the mere image of Jodi in his head than it was with any other woman in real life. Finally, he reached down to the floor, grabbed a discarded T-shirt, and cleaned himself up before throwing it against the far wall in frustration. He still wanted…more. The real thing, in his bed now. And as Ty drifted off to sleep, he knew this was never going to be okay. He’d crossed a line there was no coming back from, and sooner or later, he was going to have to pay the price.

T

hey’d agreed to meet for coffee once a week. It was when they’d discuss Katie’s schedule for the week, figure out when it would be appropriate for Jodi to see her, and hopefully get to know each other a little better. So, on a Monday morning a week after the dinner from hell, Ty walked into Lynn’s café giving himself a

pep talk about not ravishing the woman he was supposed to become friends and co-parents with. They’d given everyone a little cooling-off period after the family dinner, and Jodi had only seen Katie once during the last week, when Lynn had brought her to Jodi’s house for lunch. Katie had talked about nothing else ever since—Mommy’s cute garden, the room Mommy said she could help decorate in case she ever wanted to spend the night, all Mommy’s pretty shoes. If Ty had ever questioned whether Katie wanted a mother, he couldn’t any longer. The kid was in love, big-time. “Hi,” Jodi said as he reached her table on the deck outside. “Hi,” he answered, looking down at her as she worked on an iPad. “Do you need anything else?” “No, thank you, I’m good.” Yes, she was. Good. Ethereal. Delicious. All of the above, and Ty needed to stop noticing that shit if he was ever going to develop a working friendship with the woman. He set his coffee mug on the table and sat down with weary determination. “What are you working on?” he asked, taking his first sip of hard, black goodness. “Some marketing materials,” she answered. “I have two clients so far, but word of mouth will only get me so far.” “Tell me more about your business,” Ty said.

He’d majored in business in college and had always been the one of the Jenkins brothers who was most interested in developing the business and growing the ranch. Cade was a protectionist, determined to keep what their parents had left them so no one would ever want for anything. Vaughn was an outdoorsy type, an artist with a sensitive temperament. He loved riding with the guys out on the range and taking care of the animals. “Well, it’s alternative therapies, a variety of things. I can do medical massage, homeopathic remedies, a little energy work, nutritional solutions, meditation. I’m hoping to get training in some other modalities as time goes by.” Ty nodded. “And tell me your business plan.” She blinked at him. “Um, okay.” She paused. “Are you worried I won’t earn enough to be stable for Katie?” He smiled. “No, I’m just a nerd who loves business plans.” She relaxed. “Oh! Well then, maybe you can help with mine, because it’s pretty basic, and I’m sure there are lots of things I haven’t thought of.” They spent the next thirty minutes sitting side by side looking at the screen of her iPad, Ty pointing out marketing avenues she’d overlooked, and helping her refine cost benefit numbers. “Wow, I can’t thank you enough,” she said, finally closing the iPad and leaning back in her

chair to look at him. Her face was slightly flushed, and he could tell how much she wanted this—the business, life in Big Sur, their daughter. Two weeks ago, he would have hated the entire proposition, but he couldn’t continue to doubt in the face of her genuine enthusiasm and commitment. She truly had planned all this with great care. “If you want, I’ll look at it quarterly with you, help you recalibrate and go over your results. I mean, I don’t have to see numbers, I’m not trying to pry, but I’d love to see how it’s all working out for you.” “Ty, everything about me is an open book to you. You’re the father of my child. You’ve raised her, and you rightfully have custody of her. You can see my finances or anything else you want to if it means you feel more comfortable about me being with Katie.” He watched her, the quiet plea in her eyes. Please let me be with her, it begged. And he was helpless against it. “I’m seeing everything I need to, Jodi. You’re doing everything right. You can relax. And after a quarter, you can show me your business plan and results because I’m your friend and want to help your business succeed, not because I’m Katie’s father, judging and assessing you every minute.” She gave him a grateful, shy smile, and his heart pumped double-time. Fucking traitor.

“Jodi?” a man’s voice spoke behind them. Jodi turned, and her face lit up like sunshine. “Ross!” she cried before standing and giving the man a hug that, in Ty’s opinion, lasted far too long. “It’s nice to see you,” she said. “What are you doing up here?” Ross’s hands stayed on Jodi’s hips, and Ty’s own hands twitched in agitation. “I should ask you the same thing,” he replied. “I’m in Monterrey now, and I come to Big Sur once every couple of weeks for a regional meeting.” “That’s great! I’m living in Big Sur now!” Ty noticed that Ross’s fucking hands still hadn’t moved from Jodi’s hips, so he stood and extended a hand between them, virtually forcing Jodi to step back. “Hi, I’m Ty,” he said sharply. Ross the douche shook his hand, smiling like an idiot. “Yes, Ty is…um…” Jodi paused, flustered. “Her ex,” Ty provided. “We were just discussing our daughter,” he added for good measure. No harm in making sure old Ross knew the score from the get go. Ross blinked. “I didn’t know you had a kid, Jodi.” She blushed. “Yes, she’s five. She’s been living with Ty, but I wanted to be closer, so I’ve relocated up here.” She turned to Ty. “Ross is a

pharmaceutical rep. He used to come into the hospital in San Luis when I worked there.” Ty crossed his arms and nodded. Salesmen. Bunch of smarmy bastards. “Well, I won’t interrupt your meeting, but we need to get together, Jodi. Maybe have lunch some day when I’m in town.” “I’d love that,” she answered with far too much enthusiasm for Ty’s liking. They exchanged numbers, and Ross exited stage left, while Ty tried to swallow the bitter taste that coated his throat. Ten minutes later, Ty strode out of the coffee shop, two dates set for Jodi to see Katie during the week, and none for him to see her until the next Monday. Because she wasn’t here for him. And if he could only remember that, things would be a lot easier for them all.

12

T

he next few weeks flew by for Jodi. Between networking and marketing her business, seeing Katie every chance she could, and finishing up the seemingly endless task of unpacking and arranging her new house, she fell into bed exhausted but happy every night. The only hitch in the whole plan was her burgeoning feelings for Ty. Try hard as she might, she couldn’t forget their night on the beach, and the memories seemed to burrow deeper into her soul with each passing day. She found herself always on the lookout for Ty, every time she walked through town, every time she went to the Big Sur market for groceries, at Lynn’s in the mornings when she worked on administrative items, at the ranch when she went to see Katie. But oddly, except for their Monday-morning

meetings, Ty was nowhere to be seen. He arranged for Lynn or Nina to be around when Jodi had visits with Katie, and he was conspicuously absent at the ranch whenever she was there. “How does that feel now?” she asked her client, Mr. Moore. The octogenarian shifted on the padded massage table, adjusting his hip that he’d broken nearly a year ago. “Better and better every time,” he said, smiling. “I’m so glad. That’s the goal. It’s not instant pain relief, but I knew we could get you back running circles around Mrs. Moore.” He sat up slowly, his weathered face wrinkling with a devilish grin. “Don’t let her hear you say that,” he whispered. “She thinks she’s the boss of me.” “My lips are sealed,” Jodi told him, laughing. She helped him slide off the table and set him up with his walker before they slowly made their way to her garden, where Mrs. Moore waited at a table with an umbrella and a glass of ice-cold lemonade. “These are the loveliest medical visits we’ve ever had,” the elderly woman said as they approached. “I need to get the recipe for this lemonade. It’s just delicious.” Jodi smiled. Mr. Moore was the second client she’d acquired, Vaughn having been her first, and

she’d been seeing him twice a week, helping rehab his hip and manage his pain. Vaughn’s wife, T.J., had referred him, and he was one of her early success stories. “It’s the lavender,” Jodi said. “I’ll make you a recipe card for next time you come.” “That would be lovely,” Mrs. Moore replied. “Now…” Jodi reached into the pocket of the apron she wore when she worked and took out a small wax envelope. “I want you to make him up some tea with this every night before bed. It should act as a mild anti-inflammatory and help him sleep. Just two teaspoons in that tea strainer I gave you last time. The instructions are on the package, and you can always call me day or night.” Mr. Moore patted her on the cheek. “You’re a good girl,” he said. “You’ve helped me more than all those darn doctors ever have.” “Well, doctors are good for certain things, but sometimes we can help with the things they aren’t as good about. I’m just very happy it’s working for you.” “We’ll see you next week, dear,” Mrs. Moore said, wrapping a hand around her husband’s arm as he shuffled with his walker. Jodi’s phone chimed, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check it. “There’s your Uber. He’s waiting right out front.” The Moores left, and Jodi cleaned up before she

grabbed a jar of ointment and a platter of cookies and went to her car. Twenty minutes later, she had arrived at Big Sur elementary, where she was meeting Lynn to pick up Katie and take her to a costume fitting for her ballet recital. “Hi, Jodi,” Katie’s kindergarten teacher said as they met up on the lawn. School had just dismissed, and Mrs. Riley was in the midst of a swarm of fiveyear-olds waiting for their parents. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Jodi said. “Katie told me about the migraines you’ve been having, and I wanted to give you something that might help.” “Oh my gosh, that’s really sweet of you,” Mrs. Riley answered, a look of surprise on her round face. “I don’t know if Katie told you, but I’m a nurse, and I have a holistic healing practice here in town. This ointment should be rubbed on your wrists, carotid artery, and temples, and if you use it right away when you feel the migraine symptoms start, then again thirty minutes later, it should really help. And the best part is it’s not known to interact negatively with any prescription or over-thecounter drugs, so you can still take anything else your doctor has given you.” “Mommy!” Katie yelled as she came careening through a pile of kindergarteners under a nearby tree. “Hi there, love!” Jodi dropped to her knees and

gave Katie an enormous hug. It never grew old, that feeling of having her daughter’s arms wrapped around her. “We get to go try on my costume!” Katie twirled once to demonstrate her dancing. Jodi stood and stroked Katie’s soft hair. “Yes, we do. Have you seen Aunt Lynn yet?” “No, but she always comes to the other tree. She might be there waiting. I’ll go get her.” “Okay, but if she’s not there, come straight back, please, and we’ll wait together.” “Yes, ma’am!” When Jodi turned back to Mrs. Riley, the other woman was watching her. “You’re getting very good at this,” she said warmly. Jodi’s heart did a little shimmy at the praise. “Thank you. I’m trying.” “I have to admit, I was concerned when Ty explained the situation, but Katie has been just as happy and stable as ever, and you all seem to be handling things really well.” “Ty’s such a good father,” Jodi answered. “He leads and I just follow as best I can. He’s raised her to be so confident and secure. I don’t know that all kids could have dealt with something like this as well as she has.” Mrs. Riley shook her head. “No, they couldn’t, and Ty deserves all the praise he can get, but you’re doing beautifully too. You’re good with her, and

you’re patient, waiting for the relationship to build naturally instead of forcing things to make yourself happy.” She paused. “She’s a lucky little girl. I only wish all my students had such great parents.” Katie appeared with Lynn in tow, and they said good-bye to Mrs. Riley before heading to the dance school for costume fitting. Afterward, Lynn stopped in at the café, leaving Jodi and Katie to eat ice cream on the boardwalk outside. It was the first time anyone had left Katie alone with her, and even though Lynn was a few yards away in the café, Jodi felt like it was a huge milestone. A symbol of how much trust she was building with Ty and Lynn. She knew Cade was still suspicious of her, but she was going to get him to come around too. She’d planned for all of this for so long, she couldn’t believe her dream was coming true day by day. If only she could stop thinking about that night on the beach with Ty, life would be perfect.

M

ost of Jodi’s client appointments were late morning to early afternoon. She liked to keep her days before and after Katie was in school free so she could be available to visit or help out. Early mornings were reserved for a run on the beach, followed by coffee at

Lynn’s while she did administrative work—billing, answering client emails, ordering new supplies. Most days she was done with her run at seven a.m., right as Lynn’s café opened. But today she’d woken up too early, run too early, and now it was only six forty-five and she sat coffeeless on the deck, waiting for the little shop to open. She was watching the waves over the deck railing when she heard steps coming toward her. She turned, and her gaze collided with a set of dark, brooding eyes. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she took him in—bronze skin still dripping from the ocean, low-slung board shorts, abs for miles. His damp hair was slicked back off his face, leaving his dark brows and high cheekbones exposed. He was like a wet dream, and she was glad he needed to set his surfboard against the railing so she had a moment to compose herself before she spoke to him. “Good waves?” she asked as he stalked toward her, his expression dark. She was embarrassed by how breathy she sounded and cleared her throat, trying to organize her damn head. “Good run?” he answered looming over her as she leaned her back against the railing. “I saw you down by Moby’s Diner.” She nodded, pretty much speechless now. “You always out this early?” He took a step closer.

She shook her head. “Me neither. I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping.” “I have something that can help with that.” Dammit, she still sounded like she was in the midst of an asthma attack. “I bet you do,” he murmured, leaning one hand on the rail next to her hip, the rest of his body slanted away from her just enough that they didn’t touch, but not enough that he wasn’t all up in her space, keeping her pinned there, making it so she couldn’t breathe. “See, here’s the thing,” he murmured, his mouth next to her ear, his breath soft against her cheek. “I think you’re the only one who can help me with my sleeping issue, because you’re the one who’s causing it.” Her gaze shot to his, and what she saw there was desire, like hot flames licking her skin. Her breath caught and her lips parted, drawing his eyes to her mouth. “I’ve tried,” he said in a tortured voice, “so fucking hard to forget about that night on the beach. But it’s there, in my head, every night. I can’t get the taste of you out of me. I can’t forget what it felt like to have your lips on me, or to watch you come.” Jodi gasped, her breath coming in quick, short puffs, eyes widening and her skin heating in a flush.

“No matter how many times I tell myself it’s not what’s best for Katie, all I can think about is touching you, tasting you, being inside you. I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind.” Jodi fought the urge to sway toward him, close those last few inches so she could feel him pressed against her, mold herself to his hard planes, and wrap every inch of her around him. “Do you ever think about it?” he whispered like the devil ready to strike a deal. “Do you dream about that night?” She swallowed hard. “Yes,” she admitted. “All the time.” His mouth was on hers with crushing force in a split second. She opened to him as if she had no choice, her body making the decision before her mind could catch up. And my God, did her body have a few things worked out. Like that it wanted Ty’s lips everywhere, and his cock somewhere in particular. She gasped, and he gave a growl in response, his hand plunging into the hair at the nape of her neck, below her ponytail. He pressed against her, trapping her between the railing and his wet skin, rock-hard abs, and oh! Lots of hard things. Very hard things. “You’re making me insane,” he groaned, and if she hadn’t been enduring the same torture, she’d almost feel sorry for him. He sounded as though he really was on the brink of losing his poor mind.

She twined her arms around his neck, caressing and squeezing his biceps and shoulders along the way. Then her fingers found the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and she brushed through it, relishing the way the smooth, wet strands clung to her skin. His lips traveled the column of her throat, and then back up to her earlobe where teeth got involved, and Jodi squirmed with the ache that shot all the way down to her rapidly dampening core. “Tell me you want this too,” he hissed, his hips pressing into hers, grinding, circling. “Tell me I’m not alone in this.” “I shouldn’t.” She stalled, but her low moan when his hand squeezed her breast gave her away. “You want it.” He didn’t add the question mark at the end. “Yeah,” she breathed. “I do. I really, really do.” And then it was as if a wire had snapped inside him. He yanked away from her, panting, his eyes even hotter than they had been moments before. Grabbing her hand, he yanked her around the side of the building. There, a small room jutted off the side of the café, a door facing the deck with a keypad lock. Ty stopped in front of it and quickly keyed in four numbers before opening the door and leading her inside. While the light from outside filtered in before the door closed, Jodi saw a storeroom, mostly old

deck furniture, tables, umbrellas, chairs. There was a countertop that wrapped around two sides, some empty flowerpots stacked on one end. Ty seemed able to see in the dark after the door closed, or he knew the room really well, because he continued to pull her forward after the door shut with a decisive snick. Within a few steps, Ty’s hands were on her hips, and Jodi was spun and lifted onto the countertop. Her knees opened instantly as he stepped into the vee between her thighs. Then he renewed his interest in her lips, followed quickly by attention to her breasts. He yanked up her tank top and discovered the zipper on the front of her sports bra. “I like this,” he murmured as he slowly teased it down until the zipper popped open and her breasts spilled into his waiting palms. His thumbs and forefingers pulled her nipples gently, and she arched and moaned into his touch. But when his mouth joined in, she cried out as a sharp dagger of want shot through her. He sucked and licked for what seemed like hours, until she was a writhing mess of need, her core grinding against his erection, her legs wrapped around his narrow hips. “Want to be inside you so bad,” he gasped. “Then hurry up,” she answered, not caring if she sounded like a horny teenager.

He had her shorts off in a flash and his board shorts tugged down, his swollen head rubbing through her slick heat when suddenly he stopped. “No,” she gasped, pressing against him, wiggling to get all the anatomy lined up just right. “Condom,” he gritted out. “I don’t exactly carry them in my swim trunks.” “I have an IUD, and I’m on the pill.” He pulled back and looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “The pill alone hasn’t worked so well for me in the past,” she answered, giving him a wry smile. He dropped his forehead to hers. “And thank God for that,” he whispered. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” “Me neither,” she answered, and her heart swelled, because she realized that was the whole truth of it. In spite of how scared she’d been, in spite of how miserable many moments of the last five years had been, it had all brought her here, to the most beautiful child she’d ever seen, and a man —well, she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. He was an amazing father and sexy as hell. That would have to do for the moment. “So we’re good here,” he murmured, bringing her back to the decision at hand. He stroked a hand down her side, pausing for a brief second to caress the curve alongside her breast before he ran one finger through the softness between her thighs and

groaned softly. “Please tell me we’re good here,” he repeated. “So good,” she gasped, kissing him on his stubbled jaw and neck. The next thing she knew, he’d lifted her a few inches off the countertop and thrust at the same time. His cock slid in to the base in one stroke, and they both moaned. Jodi had to swallow, her need so great and so big, it felt as though it might spill out, open her wide, and let everything inside her pour into the dusty storage room. Ty began to thrust, and Jodi planted her heels on the edge of the countertop, draping her arms over his shoulders to stabilize herself. His hands gripped her hips so tightly, she was sure she’d have bruises the next day, and it only turned her on more —the idea of carrying his mark on her body was intoxicating and reminded her that she’d once carried his child. She’d been too busy being terrified to appreciate it, but God, what a lucky girl she’d been. “Fuck, it’s so good,” Ty gasped, pumping hard and fast. “Yes,” she cried, nodding frantically as she tipped her chin at the ceiling and squeezed her eyes shut. “I need you to come, gorgeous,” Ty said, using the term of endearment he used to when they’d

dated all those years ago. Hearing it from his lips did something to Jodi. Deep inside, something tender ached for a moment, but then she shifted her hips a touch, creating the perfect angle for his cock to stroke that magic spot inside, and before she knew it, she was balancing on the precipice, the pain and pleasure mixing like so many colors of the rainbow. “Oh God!” she cried out, as she tipped over the edge and the pulses of ecstasy slammed through her over and over. “Fuck yes, fuck yes,” Ty chanted in a hoarse voice as he pounded harder and faster then froze, his big body jerking slightly as he poured himself into her, her core still squeezing gently with the last vestiges of her orgasm. He breathed hard, his muscles tense, until finally everything in him relaxed, and he slumped against her, his head resting on her shoulder as her arms wound around his back and she stroked slowly up and down. “I think you broke something,” he choked out. My heart, a voice whispered inside her head. “I think you’ll survive,” she murmured. “You have no idea.” He pulled back, gently sliding out of her and looking her in the eye. “I want to do this again,” he said decisively. “I know we can’t tell Katie, but I want to see you again. This wasn’t—a one-and-done kind of thing.” He

ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not saying it very well…” She watched him for a moment. “You want to be friends with benefits? Fuck buddies? I’m a MILF?” He rolled his eyes at her, and she tried to keep her expression light, even though things hurt—all over her body. “No. I don’t know what I want or expect, I just know I think about you all the time, I crave you like I would an addiction, and I want to be able to spend time with you. It doesn’t have to be all sex— or sex at all, although after this, I have to say that would be a terrible opportunity to waste.” He grinned at her, and she narrowed her eyes. “But seriously,” he said, placing a palm along her cheek and looking at her so warmly, she wondered how she had ended up here. “I want to spend time with you. I don’t know what that means, I don’t know where that goes—if anywhere—but I’m drawn to you, and it’s not helping staying away.” Ah, so that was what had been going on. “That’s why you’re never there when I see her?” she asked. “You’ve been avoiding me?” “I’ve been trying to deny this attraction because I know it’s not best for Katie.” She laid her head on his shoulder, her arms around him loosely, his breath in her hair as he skimmed his fingers up and down her back.

“Maybe this is all part of the process,” she said softly. “Our relationship was interrupted just like our lives were. Maybe we need to do this for closure or something.” He didn’t answer for a few breaths, but when he did, his voice was rough, and she felt his chest expand with a deep inhalation. “Maybe,” he answered. Before she could question him more, though, they heard the sound of voices from outside. “Yeah, that far umbrella has a tear in it. I’ll just grab another one from storage.” The lock on the door clicked, and Ty reached down to yank up his shorts, then spun around, placing his body in front of Jodi’s. She buried her head against his back as light flooded the small room and she heard a gasp. “Oh!” Marlene cried as everyone froze like a tableau. “So sorry. I’ll just, uh, come back, then.” The door slammed, returning the room to darkness. “Well, shit.” Ty chuckled as he turned back to face Jodi where she was still perched on the counter, her legs open wide to accommodate him. “That was awkward.” They looked at each other and both burst into laughter, all the tension of the last few minutes floating away in the dark.

13

T

y’s day was spent in a battle with himself. While he’d been staring into her eyes, his cock recovering from fucking her senseless, he’d been convinced they should see each other, test where things might go. But once he’d gotten back to the ranch, gotten Katie up for school, listened to how excited she was to see her mother after school that day, watched as Cade and Nina quizzed her on her addition over breakfast, he’d realized what a huge risk he’d just taken. What if he started seeing Jodi and it didn’t work out? What if she decided to retaliate by trying to take Katie? Or worse, she got hurt and took off again? Katie would be crushed either way. She needed her family like she always had, and now she needed her mother too. If she were to lose either, it would break her tiny heart.

“What’s eating you?” his brother Vaughn asked as they watched a long line of cattle being loaded up to ship. “Nothing,” Ty responded absentmindedly. “Oh good, so you won’t mind if I set Jodi up with Deke Warner this weekend? He’s been asking about her.” Ty’s head whipped toward his little brother, his eyes narrowing when he saw Vaughn’s amused expression. “Yeah, thought that would get a reaction,” Vaughn muttered. Ty rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the discomfort the idea of Jodi with Deke caused him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked. “That you still have a thing for her.” Ty didn’t answer, just watched the big, softeyed cows making their way up the ramp to the truck. He leaned back against a fence and crossed his arms. “What if I did?” he finally asked, not meeting Vaughn’s gaze. Vaughn sighed. “I’d say you’re living pretty damn dangerously.” He was right. Ty had no problem admitting when his younger brother was right—something that seemed to happen more and more these days. But dammit, this time it stung. “Look, she’s done and said all the right things,”

Vaughn continued. “And she’s great at the voodoo medicine stuff. My leg feels better than ever. But we’d all be fools if we ignored the history here. She was drifting around the country when you met her, she never once considered keeping Katie, and she took off without a single look back.” Ty nodded. That was all true, but the way she looked at Katie now, the reverence in her voice when she talked about her—it was hard to reconcile the Jodi he saw today with the woman he’d known five years ago. “You don’t think someone can change that much?” Ty asked. Vaughn cleared his throat. “I’m not sure, and I guess I think Katie’s too important to take the risk.” Fuck. Vaughn was echoing what Ty’s more rational parts were telling him. Keep it to business, be prepared for the other shoe to drop, don’t trust her any more than necessary. Then an image of her and Katie staring up at him at the beach flashed through his head, and everything inside him went to jelly again. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look,” he said, turning to face Vaughn. “I know rationally you’re right. And I know this is about Katie’s well-being, her future, her happiness. You know I’ve always put her first—in everything.” Vaughn nodded solemnly. There was no

question about Ty’s devotion to his daughter. “But I’m struggling here. I’m having these… fantasies. About the three of us, about her and me —someone who loves Katie as much as I do. Something that’s like what we grew up with.” “Fuck,” Vaughn said slowly. “Dude.” He shook his head, his eyes full of disapproval. “You need to get some distance from this before you make a mistake you can’t undo.” Ty swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I think I already did.” Vaughn’s gaze darted to his, and words went unspoken but were communicated all the same. “When?” Vaughn asked. “Couple of days ago. I went for an early surf and saw her out for a run on the beach.” One of the ranch hands whooped as a cow reared up, trying to get out of the chute that led to the truck, and Ty saw Vaughn shift, ready to help if needed. The recalcitrant cow was subdued, and Vaughn relaxed back against the fence. “You can’t tell Cade.” Ty’s stomach clenched. “What aren’t you telling me?” Ty asked. “He’s hired a private investigator.” Ty’s vision blurred for a moment, a haze of shifting images and a pain that throbbed behind his temple. His fists clenched and unclenched as he paced a couple of steps away, then back again.

“What the fuck?” he gritted out. Vaughn’s eyes were sympathetic, but his words were blunt. “The attorney recommended it, and Cade’s not willing to leave this up to Jodi’s good will. Katie’s ours too. You’re too close to the whole thing. What you did the other day proves it.” Ty’s lips were pressed against his teeth as his whole body tightened in pent-up anger. He felt suddenly impotent, unable to take a step in any direction for fear of making the wrong move. “Do I dare ask what this investigator has found?” Vaughn shrugged lightly. “Most of what she’s said seems to be true. But there was a man, a couple of years ago. She filed a restraining order against him. Domestic violence.” If Ty thought his blood pressure had skyrocketed a few minutes ago, it went through the roof now. With a dozen of his employees standing nearby, he didn’t want to yell at Vaughn, and Cade wasn’t there to punch, so he did the next best thing, turning to the big round post that anchored the fence and hitting it with the flat of his hand as hard as he could. “Son of a bitch!” he growled as pain shot up his arm. Then he kicked the fucking thing for good measure, hearing a cracking sound when he did. “Good one,” Vaughn noted in a calm voice. “You want to go for three and see if you can knock

it over?” Ty put his hands up in surrender, breathing hard as he struggled to get his adrenaline under control. “Some fucker put his hands on the mother of my child?” His voice was raspy, his throat coated in dust the nearby cows were kicking up. “We don’t know the details,” Vaughn said. “But the investigator’s still digging.” “I want a name,” Ty snarled. “And an address.” “Seriously? That’s what you get out of this? Not the fact that this woman may have such poor taste in men she could put your daughter in danger?” Now Ty finally snapped, jabbing a finger in his brother’s face. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare make this about her. Some son of a bitch lays hands on a woman and you make it into her bad judgment? Jesus.” His lip curled in disgust. “I thought Mom raised you better than that.” Vaughn had the decency to look chagrined. “You know that’s not what I meant.” “No? What exactly did you mean, then?” “Only that when she spends time with Katie, you’re getting more than just her, you’re getting her baggage, anyone she’s friends with, the men she potentially dates.” “She’s not dating,” Ty said decisively. “Unless it’s you?” Vaughn’s eyebrow rose. And that’s when Ty knew, when he realized no matter how many people said it was a bad decision,

no matter how much of a risk it represented, no matter that it wasn’t rationally in Katie’s best interests, he wanted Jodi. Not just for Katie, not just for him. He wanted her for them. He wanted a family, something he hadn’t thought of with anyone else since the day Jodi left. For five years, Ty had been perfectly happy devoting himself to his daughter, his business, and his brothers. He’d been fine with no-strings sex, a life of work, Vaughn, Cade, Lynn, and Katie. Having a girlfriend or wife hadn’t ever entered his thoughts, because he didn’t want to risk Katie’s heart along with his own. But now? Now he found himself wanting something more. He found himself wanting to let his own heart go where Katie’s so obviously already had—straight to Jodi. It was as if he’d been saving that spot in their lives for her, and now she was here, he couldn’t turn her away, couldn’t pretend he didn’t want her nearly as much as Katie did. And he sure as hell couldn’t envision a world where Katie and Jodi spent time with another man —good guy or not. So yeah, Jodi wasn’t dating unless it was him. “Maybe,” Ty prevaricated. Vaughn’s gaze narrowed, his mouth drawn tight. “You’ve never been the self-destructive type,” he said. “And Cade’s going to lose his shit over this.” “Well, we both know he’ll get over it.”

“Will you at least let him keep the investigator on board? Get some more information about this domestic violence issue?” “I’ll get back to you on that one,” he answered decisively. “I need to sort some things out with her first.” Vaughn didn’t answer. “I mean it,” Ty said, pointing at his baby brother, who sported a short beard and arms thicker than Ty’s. “Tell Cade no more investigations until I say so. It’s an invasion of her privacy, and she’s given us no reason to mistrust her.” “Whatever you say.” Vaughn let out pained sigh. The last of the cows shuffled up the ramp, and the gate was shut. As the ranch hands walked around the transport truck making all the closures secure for the ride, Ty pulled his truck keys out of his pocket. “I’m going to check the herd in the north acreage, then go to town for a few things.” Vaughn snorted, but Ty elected to ignore him. “Lynn’s picking up Katie to come help at the café after school. It’s Cade and Nina’s night to cook dinner. You and T.J. coming?” Vaughn muttered a “yes,” and Ty gave him a sharp nod before striding to his truck. As he drove away, his brother stood and watched him, and Ty fought the churning sensation in his gut. God help him, he hoped this was the right

decision. Because if it wasn’t, Katie wasn’t the only one who’d end up hurt.

H

e hadn’t been to her house before, but luckily Lynn didn’t ask questions when he texted her for Jodi’s address. Now as he stood on her little front porch, looking at the pretty flowerpots that seemed to spring from every available surface, he wondered for the thousandth time if he was making the right choice. He considered turning around and heading back to the truck, but before he could escape, the door swung open, and there she was. Every thought but want fled his head, and he took a shuddering breath to steady his buzzing nerves. “Hi!” she said, looking surprised as her platinum hair fell in waves around her face. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, hey. I probably should have called first…” “No, it’s fine.” Then her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God, is Katie okay?” “Oh yeah, she’s fine,” he confirmed. She put a hand to her chest. “Whew. You scared me for a second.” He scratched his head and felt a flush work its way up his neck. “Yeah, I didn’t really think this

through very well. But now that I’m here, can we talk?” “Sure. Come on in.” She gestured for him to enter, and he took a few steps inside, looking around a small, but charming living and dining room. The colors were rich, the décor hippy chic, much like Jodi herself. “Great place,” Ty said, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. “Thank you. Do you want the tour?” “Um, sure,” he acquiesced, trying to focus on the house and not her ass under a pair of denim cutoffs. She showed him her cute vintage kitchen complete with 1950s diner table and chairs, then the patio and lush gardens. He had to admit he was impressed with how she’d set up her medical practice so that clients didn’t come through the house, but he couldn’t help but worry about her there alone with men she didn’t know, and he wondered if saying something would get him labeled an alpha asshole. “There’s only one bathroom,” she said as she leaned into the small room and flicked on the light. He had to smile at the bright yellow daisies she’d used all over the bathroom to contrast the stark black-and-white tiles. “And the bedrooms,” she finished, gesturing toward two doors across from each other at the end

of the hall. “Do you have friends or family to come use the guest room?” he asked, allowing himself a little prying because he really wanted to know more about her life the last five years. “Um, I have a couple of girlfriends from San Luis who might come visit, and Darcy and I are still in touch. We Skype once a week. But she got married last year and has a new baby, so she’s not doing a lot of traveling right now.” She paused, her hand resting gently on the wood of the door to one of the bedrooms. “I know I’m jumping the gun a lot with this, but what I really hoped for this bedroom when I rented the house is that maybe—eventually —Katie might be able to spend the night?” Ty fought the tightening sensation in his chest. He wanted Katie to be with her mom, but not like this. He didn’t want the two of them away from the ranch, having a life here in a house that didn’t include him. The idea of Jodi and Katie being their own family made something inside him hitch uncomfortably. No, that wasn’t what he was hoping for at all. Jodi rushed on, obviously sensing his discomfort, but not the source of it. “It was just an idea,” she said, turning and walking back toward him where he stood in the middle of the hall, not speaking because he didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep, I know her home is with you. Just forget I said anything—” She stopped, unable to go any farther because he was blocking her only escape. “Ty?” He looked down at her and took a shuddering breath as his hand moved of its own accord to smooth a strand of her silky hair away from her eyes. “I don’t want the two of you here without me.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I understand,” she said, her gaze darting away from his. “I don’t think you do,” he answered, his hand cupping her chin and cheek so she was forced to look him in the eye. “It’s not because I don’t trust you with her.” She swallowed, and he watched the movement like a hawk watching a bunny. “I want it all—the three of us. I want to be with you both. I want you and I want her—the whole thing.” Her breath caught. “What if it doesn’t work?” “You’ll still be her mom. I’ll still be her dad, and we’ll still do what’s best for her.” He stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “I know it’s a big risk, but at some point, I have to decide to just trust. I have to trust that even if you and I don’t work in the long run, you won’t use that as an

excuse to do things that aren’t in her best interests.” “I would never,” she said solemnly, and he wanted to believe her. “I don’t think you would either. And I want to follow my instincts here. I’ve always had pretty good ones when it comes to being a parent.” He didn’t admit that raging lust had never been a factor in those instincts before, but he didn’t want to acknowledge that difference even to himself. He took her hand and pulled her against him as he leaned his back against the wall. “I want more— more than conversations once a week where we set her schedule and smile politely at one another. I don’t want to act like we’re the remnants of a divorce that never happened.” He took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts. “I feel like we made an investment five years ago, and because it didn’t pay off the way we wanted, we’re ignoring the fact that we still got a pretty damn great return. “We got along, you and me. We may not have been serious after those few weeks, but I can tell you I was damn happy with you, and if Katie hadn’t happened, I can guarantee I would have been asking you to stay longer than that summer.” She smiled softly, shaking her head. “And I would have said yes.” He grinned. “Oh yeah?” “Yes. Don’t let it go to your head.”

“We were good together.” He watched her with those lips parted, cheeks flushed. “We did something amazing together. Maybe it’s time to invest some more in the partnership.” Then he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. His heart raced, his pulse thrumming, blood like hot lava in his veins. His tongue slipped out, tasting her lip balm—sweet, minty perfection. “Be with me,” he rasped as he skated his lips over her cheek. “See where this goes. Let’s at least try to give Katie what every kid deserves.” She pulled back, looking him in the eye. “But careful.” “Mm,” he murmured. His dick was so hard, he was having trouble listening to whatever she was saying. “Some dates, maybe we can do some day trips just the three of us, but no talk about the future. We don’t want to confuse her.” “Yes,” he whispered as he took her earlobe between his teeth and pulled lightly. She moaned in response. “We probably shouldn’t be having sex either,” she gasped. “Mm, I’m sure you’re right,” he growled, his hand finding its way under her little cropped peasant blouse. He quickly discovered she was braless beneath the flounces around the neckline. “Fuck,” he gritted out.

“Maybe just this once,” she whispered, her head falling back, exposing the long column of her throat. “I think we need more data before we make the decision.” “Okay,” she conceded on a whimper as he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He pushed off the wall and spun them so her back was to the end of the hall. “You didn’t show me the bedroom. I paid for the full tour.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve never had any willpower around you.” “No need to start now.” He grinned, his cock pressing hard against the constraints of his jeans. She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to bring her up to eye level with him. “Willpower’s overrated. Let me show you the bedroom.”

14

J

odi gave one last gasp as Ty’s head lifted from between her legs. Her back arched as he slid up her body like a snake, his tongue and hands stroking and licking every inch of her along the way. “I didn’t know it was possible to come that many times in an hour,” she said as he looked down at her, his smile a mile wide. “I think you may have one more in you,” he countered, wiggling his eyebrows as his hips thrust lightly against her, bringing his once again hard cock into contact with her very wet core “You can’t be serious,” she moaned. “How can you keep doing this? I thought guys ran out of juice at some point.” “Common misconception started by men who just wanted a one and done. With the right woman,

we can go a hell of a lot longer than science gives us credit for.” She started to laugh, but it died on her lips as his expression grew serious. “Turn over,” he rasped, all heat and danger now. She blinked at him, but then complied as he slid a hand under her hips and pulled her up onto her knees. “The headboard,” he said in her ear, that same dangerous quality to his voice. A thrill raced through her at the commands, and she grabbed the edge of the wooden headboard, arching her back so her ass slanted toward him. He murmured in satisfaction as his hands roamed up and down her hips and thighs. Then he pulled her ass closer and positioned himself. He entered her slowly, one excruciating inch at a time, making both of them weak with ecstasy. “You feel like fucking heaven,” he whispered in her ear as her head fell back onto his shoulder. With one hand, he skimmed up and down her torso, caressing her breasts gently, circling her belly button, dipping toward her clit but never actually meeting it. Meanwhile, his hips pumped leisurely, in and out in short thrusts until she thought she’d lose her mind. “You’re killing me,” she gasped. “But what a way to go,” he answered, wrapping an arm around her waist to pin her to him as he

continued his slow assault. “Really. I think I might…” He ground into her and circled his hips once. “You might what?” “Oh God!” Her whole body tensed with the orgasm that lingered on the edges of her reach. “You need something, gorgeous?” “You’re a bastard,” she said, half laughing, half crying. “Aw, poor girl,” he conceded, chuckling. “Let me fix that for you.” He reached down and circled her clit with his finger at the same time he circled his hips again, cock so far inside her, she had no idea where he ended and she began. The orgasm was swift, sharp, and the sweetest thing she’d ever felt, but before it ended, he grasped her hips and began to thrust hard, fast, short, and ferocious. He grunted as she hung on to the headboard, arms locked to prevent her body from being slammed against the thick wood. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Ty growled as he finally came, his teeth digging into the muscle that ran from her neck to her shoulder. They collapsed in a heap, her head on his stomach, his fingers sifting strands of her hair across his abs. “My God,” she murmured. “No wonder we have Katie. I guess I’d forgotten it was like that.”

“Sex in general or us?” he asked lightly, although she sensed the answer was important to him. “Us. That was definitely more than standard sex.” She felt his belly give under her head as he let out a breath. “Like I said. We have some pretty amazing returns on our investment.” They were silent for a few moments before he broke the quiet. “So, these last few years…you had other relationships, obviously. Anything serious?” Her throat closed, and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, part of her wishing there’d never been five years she had to account for. But then she reminded herself that those five years had helped her become the woman she was now, the person who could contemplate being a true mother to a beautiful little girl. No regrets, she thought. It was all part of the process. “There were a couple,” she answered. “They were…learning experiences.” “Jodi?” Ty said as he sat up, forcing her to sit as well, and turn to look at him. She reached down to pull a sheet from the tangled bed in front of her, but he put his hand over hers. “Don’t,” he said, his eyes pleading. “Don’t hide from me. There’s nothing you can’t tell me. I won’t judge. You’re Katie’s mother. You gave me the most beautiful

thing one human can give another. I want to be on your side. I want us to be here for each other.” She nodded, but something inside her still fought telling Ty about her most humiliating moments. “I made some mistakes. One in particular. A guy—he was a doctor at the hospital. We lived together.” She sat back against the headboard, pulling her knees up to her chest. Ty faced her, one knee propped under his elbow, looking like a Greek god in repose. “You have to know, I wasn’t in a good place then. I hadn’t come to grips with my issues about Katie yet. I was still on the treadmill with my career, convinced if I worked enough, earned enough, I’d somehow escape being my mother. He was all about his career. I thought it would be a great match—the two of us spending all our time and energy on being successful.” She sighed, remembering all the warning signs she’d ignored. “It was emotional at first. He’d criticize me, make me feel guilty for doing anything with other people. It deteriorated from there. We’d argue a lot, and it was always my fault. I always ended up having to beg him for forgiveness. He’d get angry over the tiniest things, a hair-trigger temper he made no effort to control.” Ty made a low, rumbling sound in his throat and she looked up to find his eyes blazing with fury.

She swallowed. “Then one night, he came home late from a surgery. I was already in bed, but he was banging around the house, slamming doors, swearing. I got up to see what was wrong and found him in the kitchen on his second scotch. He started in on me the moment I walked in the room—I hadn’t left him any dinner, I didn’t understand the demands of his job, he was sick of how ungrateful I was.” “You don’t have to tell me,” Ty suddenly interjected, his jaw set like concrete. “It’s okay,” she answered softly. “It’s part of me—of who I am now. I can’t pretend it didn’t happen.” Ty’s hand found her leg, and he began a slow stroke up and down, soothing, gentle, the exact opposite of the man who’d tried to take everything from her. “When it became clear he was just going to keep berating me no matter what I said or did, I decided to go back to bed—and while I didn’t tell him, I also intended to lock the door. But as I turned to leave the room, he grabbed me by the arm, swung me around, and backhanded me across the face.” Ty was silent now, but when she glanced at his face, his eyes were screwed shut, his jaw muscles clenching and unclenching. “It knocked me down, and disoriented me so

much, I couldn’t move for a few moments. Luckily for me, though, his phone went off right then, and it was the hospital. He had to go to his home office while he was talking to them so he could log in and give the instructions for the patient. I grabbed my purse and ran. Got a hotel for the night and only went back for my things the next day when I knew he was at work and I had a friend with me.” “Jesus,” Ty swore softly, his hands coming up to cradle her face. “I’m so sorry.” She nodded lightly. “Did you go to the police?” “Yes, not right away, and not for me, but to save the next woman. Until then, I was so focused on how in the world I’d let things get that far, how I’d been so far in denial that I’d stayed with him—” “You were the victim.” Ty’s voice was firm. “It wasn’t your fault.” “No, it wasn’t, but I’m also an educated, intelligent woman. Trained in the medical field no less. I know the signs of an abusive relationship. I could see the escalation over several months.” Ty slid up the bed until he was resting against the headboard too and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair as he murmured comfort. “I’m so glad you got out. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met, gorgeous.” “There’s more,” she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. This part was almost harder than

the rest for her to talk about. It made her so vulnerable, cast a shadow of doubt over who she was and whether she could be a fit parent. “After it happened, I made a promise to myself —that I would take control of my life, figure out why I was so unhappy that I’d ended up with someone like him. So…” Ty’s hand never stopped its soft caresses, and she breathed in the smell of him for strength—grass, sunshine, saddle soap. He was like the foundation of everything, and she wanted to build her most beautiful world on that platform. “I checked myself into the hospital—for psychiatric evaluation. The head of the department diagnosed exhaustion so it wouldn’t impact my medical records, but they put me on antidepressants.” She pulled away from him so she could look him in the eye. “I spent a year and a half in therapy. That’s how I came to terms with my feelings about Katie. That’s when I planned how I could come back here and try to salvage my relationship with her. I’ve done it all with the guidance of my therapist. I’ve worked to make sure I was as careful as I could be every step of the way.” “And I can’t thank you enough for that,” he answered, his eyes tender. “It shows me how dedicated you are to her and to being the best mother you can.”

“You can use that against me now—my mental instability—” “Stop,” he commanded. “Don’t talk that way about the mother of my child.” Her heart did an actual backflip at that. Ty defending her even if it was just to herself. “You’re not mentally unstable. Anyone who talks to you for five minutes can see that. You had a rough childhood. You’ve been recovering from it ever since. And now here you are. Whole, healthy…” His voice cracked as his lips touched hers in the briefest brush. “Perfect.” Any other words she might have spoken were swallowed in desire as they melted back down onto the bed, heated skin, whispered words, sliding, thrusting, caressing until they both came and her soul was filled with the blinding white light of hope.

J

odi spent the next few weeks in a spin cycle of stolen moments with Ty, afternoons with him and Katie, and time at the ranch. They decided to keep the relationship between them, using Katie as the excuse for meetings, discussions, outings. She could tell Cade still hadn’t warmed up to her, but the rest of the family seemed to be on board, albeit

cautiously, and Katie was as happy and welladjusted as ever. The decision to allow her time alone with Katie didn’t come in a monumental way. It was early on a Saturday morning when Ty called and asked if she could pick Katie up at dance class and take her to the dress rehearsal for the upcoming recital. “We have a gas leak in a pipe that runs through the north acreage, and I need to supervise the guys fixing it, make sure nothing gets blown up,” he told her as she heard his truck door slamming over the phone connection. “Lynn can get her there, but then she’s going to Monterrey for the day right after drop-off.” “It’s no problem at all. I was only doing some bookkeeping this morning, I’d much rather go to dance rehearsal. Trust me on that.” Ty chuckled. “Well, she’ll be thrilled to have you there. I’m sending her costume to class with her so she can put it on before she goes to the dress rehearsal.” “Of course. Any other instructions?” “Mm,” he murmured, his voice early morning raspy. “Maybe send me a picture of you in bed? That’d make my day watching a bunch of guys covered in dirt a lot more bearable.” “You’re terrible.” She grinned. “I’m bewitched,” he answered. “I can’t get enough of this Viking princess I captured.”

Jodi’s smile softened, and her heart raced. “You need to go to work now.” “I’ll be waiting on that picture, gorgeous,” he chided. She rolled her eyes, though he couldn’t see her. “I’ll consider your request.” After they hung up, Jodi climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom. Her hair was a tangled mess, and the thin white tank top she’d slept in showed nipples and side boob. She looked at herself critically in the mirror and was about to bring a hairbrush to her head when her phone chimed on the counter. She looked down at the screen. Ty: don’t brush your hair, don’t put on a speck of makeup. I want what I’d see if I could sleep in your bed every night. Jodi felt her whole face grow warm, while other parts went tingly. She glanced once more at herself in the mirror, then shrugged and went back to bed. Lying down on her back, she held the phone up above her so it showed both her hair splayed across the pillow and the skimpy top she wore. Then she pursed her lips a touch and clicked the shutter. She sent the photo with no words and waited. A reply came in seconds. Ty: Fuck. I’m not sure if that made my morning better or worse. I’m going to be at the site with a hard-on all damn day now. Jodie: Just being accommodating. You asked

for it. Ty: And trust me, I’m grateful. Really grateful. You have any close-ups of that top you’re wearing? Jodi couldn’t control the way her lips turned up into a devious smile. She’d never done this before —the phone-sex thing—but she thought she might like it. She slipped her free hand under the stretchy fabric, kneading her left breast while she also arched her back. She took the picture of her torso only, her nipples popping through the white cotton, her waist and belly button showing in the strip of exposed skin below the shirt’s hem. When Ty’s return text came, it was a picture too—of his very obvious erection under the fly of his jeans. Ty: That’s what you do to me. Before she could respond, the phone rang and his name popped up on her screen. “Hi,” she answered, already breathless. “I’m dying here.” His voice was deeper than normal and coarse. “You started it,” she reminded him. “And you’re going to finish it.” “I’m across town, cowboy. Not much I can do for you from here.” She heard him grunt something, and then there was a pause. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

“Do what?” she asked, her brow furrowing. “I’m off the road. Tell me what you’re doing.” “Um, I’m talking to you on the phone.” “Gorgeous, you’re terrible at this. I guess I have to lead the way. Lie down and close your eyes.” She did what he said. “Now, squeeze that tit the way you were in the photo.” Ah. Now she understood. They were really going to do this? “What will you be doing?” she asked. “Whatever you tell me to,” he said darkly. Her mind nearly short-circuited at that. “Are you going to pretend it’s me doing it to you?” “It is you doing it to me, gorgeous. Just the memory of you in my head is enough to get me there.” She smiled to herself as her hand slipped from her breast to the waistband of her underwear. “Slide your hand over your abs,” she instructed. “Do you feel those ridges? They’re so damn sexy.” “Mm,” he answered. Her fingers drifted toward her core, and she knew she’d find it wet and waiting. “You got those sweet fingers at your pussy?” “Yes,” she gasped, her fingers sliding through the slickness there. “Good girl.”

“Undo your jeans,” she commanded. “Take your cock out and fist it.” “God, you’re dirty. My dirty Viking princess.” “Ohh,” she moaned as she rubbed over her clit. “That’s it,” he coached. “Feel my fingers there? My tongue? I’m licking you up and down, the perfect pressure on all the best places.” “I have my lips wrapped around your cock” she answered, her voice strained with arousal. “Yeah, gorgeous, you do, and fuck, that feels amazing.” Words ceased, and all that could be heard was heavy breathing and soft moans. Jodi let the phone fall to the pillow beside her, speaker engaged. She clutched her breast in one hand, the other sliding faster and faster over her clit, occasionally pausing to dip inside her core. Her hips thrust in time with her fingers, and she was so close; then she heard Ty’s voice, demanding, taking charge, sending everything in her into overdrive. “I’m close, gorgeous. Come for me.” Her fingers circled and pressed harder, faster, and then she was crying out, the sharp, fast orgasm racing through her. Ty heard her and groaned, “Fuck, yes,” as he came on the other end of the phone line. “Oh my God,” she whispered as the last pulses rolled through her.

Ty chuckled in her ear. “You can say that again.” “Who taught you to do that?” she asked as she picked the phone back up and held it to her ear. “No one. I’m just so damn horny all the time with you, I’m having to get creative. I can’t spend all day every day in bed with you, so I need other outlets.” She laughed. “Now you’re probably a mess.” “But remember I’m the parent of a five-yearold. My truck is well stocked with wet wipes.” “You’re an amazing guy, Ty Jenkins,” she told him softly. “I’m amazingly nuts over you, Jodi Morgan.” “I’ll get Katie at noon. And see you tonight?” “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, tenderness in every word. They ended the call, and Jodi closed her eyes, a smile crossing her face as she drifted back to sleep.

15

“M

ommy!” Katie cried as Jodi greeted her after dance class. “Hey, pretty girl,” she said as she bent to pick up the bundle of pink and blonde. Katie kissed her on the cheek, and Jodi squeezed her tight, gratefulness flowing through her like it did every time she touched the miracle she’d made from her own body. “Daddy said you’re going to take me to dress rehearsal.” “Yes, I am, so let’s get your stuff, and when we’re there, we’ll find a bathroom and get you into your costume.” Katie wiggled, and Jodi set her down. Katie held her hand and led her to the coatroom where the students kept their bags. Possessions secured, they made their way to the car.

Once Katie was strapped into the booster seat in the back, Jodi took them to the elementary school where the dance school would hold their recital in a few days. The gym was bustling with dancers, teachers, and parents, mostly mothers. Jodi led Katie into the locker room nearby and helped her strip out of her leotard and tights and wiggle into a different set of tights and a purple tutu. “My hair’s apposed to be in a bun,” Katie said, brow furrowed. “Well, let’s see what we can do,” Jodi said, digging through Katie’s dance bag to see what was there. “Ah, here’s a brush and some bobby pins. We can get it done with these.” Katie sat patiently while Jodi chatted to her. “You have my hair, and these curls are impossible to tame, I’ll tell you from years of experience. But if we braid the ponytail, then wrap it around like this, it’ll be a braided bun and it will stay in a lot better.” “That’s pretty,” Katie said, looking in the mirror opposite the bench they sat on. “And these little pieces at the front? I have the perfect thing for them.” She led Katie to the sinks and got a few drops of water on her fingers. “If you wet them, then curl them like so—” She wrapped the flyaway strands around her index finger,

creating ringlets with them. “They’ll dry like this and won’t be flying all over the place.” Katie nodded, a bright smile on her face. “You’re good at this, Mommy. My hair’s the prettiest.” Jodi kissed her daughter on the top of her head. “You look beautiful. Now you need to go dance like a prima ballerina.” “Yes, ma’am,” she answered. “Daddy says if you’re going to do something, do it right.” Jodi laughed. That was Ty all right. “Daddy’s right, so let’s get you out there to do it up.” They exited the locker room and made their way to the director’s table, where the girls from Katie’s class were gathered. “Why, Katie,” one of the mothers said as they approached. “What an interesting hairdo you have.” Jodi’s brow furrowed as she looked around at the other dancers, all of whom had buns too. “My mommy did it,” Katie announced proudly, obviously not catching the woman’s critical tone as Jodi had. “You mean your nanny, sweetheart?” Katie frowned in confusion. “No, my mommy,” she said, pointing to Jodi. “Hi,” Jodi said, leaning toward the woman with her hand extended. “I’m Jodi, Katie’s mother.” The woman looked at her hand as if it had a

disease, and Jodi retracted it with a raised eyebrow. “Oh! Well, I’d heard about you, but I thought it must be a silly rumor. I mean who’s ever heard of a woman who gave her child up coming back?” Jodi’s throat swelled, and she stifled the urge to cover Katie’s ears from hearing the poison. “Well, here I am,” she said with as much bravado as she could muster. “Not a rumor.” “Katie, hon,” the woman said, bending over so she was at eye level with the kindergartener. “You can’t dance with your hair like that. Remember how all the dancers need to have the same hairstyle? If you come with me, we’ll get you all set. I have hairspray and an extra hairnet to do your bun right.” “I like my hair the way it is,” Katie protested, looking to Jodi for confirmation. “I’m sorry,” Jodi said, though she was anything but. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with her hair?” “What’s wrong, Katie?” asked a dance teacher as she approached. “Oh, I was just explaining that she can’t perform with her hair like that,” the evil mother interjected. “It’s fine. I can fix it for her.” “Hi, Jodi, isn’t it?” the teacher asked, putting out her hand. Jodi shook it, giving demon mother a look that said, This is what you do to be polite. “Yes, it’s nice to see you again.”

The teacher smiled patiently. “Ty may not have told you, but all the girls have to wear a traditional ballerina bun, no hair around their faces, no braids or curls. There are specific instructions for how to do it at the director’s table.” “But I don’t want to change my hair. It’s pretty,” Katie said, her lip jutting out in defiance. “I’ll tell you what,” the teacher said, kneeling down to Katie’s level. “Why don’t you keep it this pretty way for today since it’s only dress rehearsal, and then for the performance, your mom can do it like the instructions say?” Katie looked up at Jodi. “That’s a great compromise, don’t you think?” Jodi asked, pasting a smile on her face. “Okay,” Katie conceded. “But Mommy? Can we do my hair like this for school?” “Absolutely.” “Good!” the teacher announced. “Now that’s all solved, Meghan, I think they’d like your help at the third-grade lineup.” Demon mother smiled like a snake. “Of course,” she oozed, before taking her pointed tail and heading off to another part of the gym. “And Katie,” the teacher said, taking Katie’s hand. “Let’s get you to your line. Your mom will be right in the bleachers watching.” Jodi nodded, smiling as the teacher led Katie away. Then she put her head down and speed

walked to the locker room, where she shut herself in a stall before the tears started to flow. Stupid, stupid thing. What had she been thinking? She really thought she could be a mother after missing the first five years of her life? She didn’t even know the most basic things about Katie’s life. She’d missed all the milestones—first steps, first words, first dance class. She snorted wryly. That was probably the one where they told you about the damn rules for how to do hair. She leaned back against the door. God. What a mess. Maybe it would be for the best if she took a step back. Let Ty and Lynn do the hands-on parenting. She could be a great cheerleader, go to the functions, tell Katie how fabulous she was, but keep a bit more distance. She obviously wasn’t cut out for this. Her instincts were crap. And why wouldn’t they be? Her own mother had barely even known the name of Jodi’s school. She’d managed to get Jodi fed and clothed—most days—but she’d never once set foot in the school past the first day when she had to sign paperwork. She’d never signed Jodi up for a single activity, never attended one of Jodi’s volleyball games in high school and was late to high school graduation. She didn’t even show up for college graduation. Yes, Jodi came from the world’s worst maternal stock. And she’d just proven that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

She took a deep breath and wiped the last tear away. But all she could do now was tough it out and make sure Katie had a nice day at rehearsals. She blew her nose, stepped out of the stall, and fixed her makeup as best she could at the sinks before she went back to the gym and tried to pretend she knew what the hell she was doing. It was the longest afternoon of her life.

T

y stood in the kitchen later that evening, trying to puzzle out what Katie was reporting to him and Lynn. “But you said your hair was in a bun. So what was the problem?” he asked, confused. “Not the right kind of bun,” Katie corrected, looking frustrated. “They have rules about the ballerina bun,” Lynn said, rolling her eyes. “You remember the instruction sheet they send home every year.” “Oh yeah. Lots of hairspray, right? So you look like a little seal with everything slicked off your face?” “I like the way Mommy did it better, and she said our hair won’t stay off our faces ’cause it’s too curly.” Ty sighed and looked to Lynn for help.

“Well, I wasn’t there,” she said, shrugging. “But we’ll get it all fixed before the recital next weekend, I’m sure.” Ty knelt and tickled Katie on the stomach. “It’s all good, bug. We’ll make sure your hair’s done right.” She giggled reluctantly. “I don’t like Samantha’s mom,” she announced. “Well, she was just trying to help, I’m sure,” Ty said, even though he’d met the woman and thought she was a piece of work. “She made Mommy sad.” “She did?” he asked, suddenly on high alert. “Yes. After rehearsal, she looked like she’d been crying. I don’t want her to be sad, Daddy.” “Of course not.” Ty was somber. Lynn shot him a concerned look. “I’ll tell you what,” he said, putting on a grin for Katie’s sake. “If you go get ready for bed super fast, I’ll let you watch a little of the national rodeo championships on TV with me.” “Yay!” She jumped up and down. “Chasing cows! Knock ’em down and tie ’em up.” Lynn chuckled and shook her head. Ty’s sweet, blonde daughter was notoriously bloodthirsty, naming any cow she encountered on the ranch, then asking if that was the one they were eating at dinner. Ty rolled his eyes. “It’s a little more

complicated than that, bug, but yes. Now go get your jammies on.” After Katie left, Lynn turned from the sink where she was rinsing pots and pans from dinner. Ty packaged up leftovers and stored them in the refrigerator. “You think something went wrong?” Lynn asked. “I don’t know what to think.” “Are you going to ask her about it?” “Sure. I’ll give her a call after I get Katie in bed.” Lynn nodded. “Good. I think we need to know exactly what happened.”

A

n hour later, Ty finally settled into a chair on the front porch with a beer in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He texted Jodi. T: Hey. Are you around? He waited five minutes and didn’t get a response, so he tossed the phone aside and looked out at the darkness, listening to the sounds of the animals in the barn settling in for the night, along with crickets and bullfrogs starting up their nighttime activities.

He hadn’t needed to worry about another person aside from Katie in a very long time. The sensation was foreign to him. The thought of Jodi upset made him itch in his own skin. But he also couldn’t let Jodi’s feelings interfere with Katie’s needs. If Katie’s hair had to be done a certain way for her to be in the recital, then that was what had to happen even if it hurt Jodi’s feelings. Damn. His gaze wandered to his phone again. Nothing. He sighed, and stood to go inside to bed, but he hadn’t taken two steps before he turned, heading out to his truck at the same time he dug his keys out of his pocket. He needed to find Jodi. Figure out what had happened at that dance rehearsal. Because there was no way he was going to be able to sleep worrying about his girls. The thought shot a bolt of discomfort through him. His girls. That wasn’t something he’d ever expected to think. No, Ty had figured he’d devote himself to raising Katie, and when she was grown, maybe he’d have time to find a nice woman, get married, run the ranch together. But now, here he was, a kid, her mother, and so many feelings, he had trouble sorting through them all. As he drove down the dirt road leading to the PCH, he could only wonder how his father had done it all those years. He’d made it look so easy, balancing the needs of his three rowdy boys and his

wife. Now Ty could see it was a lot more complicated than it appeared. As often happened when he remembered his parents, his thoughts turned to the fact they’d missed meeting Katie— their first grandchild. He knew they would have adored her. It was a tremendous loss to Rex and Sophia as well as to Katie. The kind of loss you felt deep in your bones. He’d never thought of the loss of her mother as being the same magnitude as the loss of her grandparents. Maybe because he’d never known Jodi as a mom. But he'd known his own parents, and because of that, he realized exactly what Katie was missing without them. But, he thought as he made his way through town toward the little string of cottages on the north edge of the town center where Jodi’s rental house was, now he was learning about Jodi as a mother. And if Katie had never had Jodi? Yeah, that would have been fucking tragic too. His daughter deserved her mom. The love that shone in Jodi’s eyes when she looked at Katie, the soft way she spoke to her when they were planning things to do together. Katie deserved the way Jodi explained animals and biology when they hiked in the canyons around the ranch. She deserved the songs Jodi sang to her when she tucked her in before leaving Ty’s house. She deserved the silly way Jodi had joked with her to take her mind off a scraped knee when she’d

fallen in the driveway. His daughter deserved a mother—her mother. And he had to remember that. Jodi didn’t need to be perfect; no parent was. She just needed to be her, and be present. That was what Katie had yearned for her entire life, and it was what she deserved. It was what they all three deserved. When he pulled up to Jodi’s house, a light shone from the living room, so he went to the door and knocked, determined that if she wasn’t here, he’d wait as long as it took. He needed to know she was okay—the three of them were okay. She answered quickly, and his gaze took her in with one swift pass—hair in a messy bun, face devoid of makeup, eyes tired above dark circles. “Hi,” he said, not moving as if he could sense her fight or flight instincts at the ready. “I texted, but you didn’t respond. Can we talk?” Jodi nodded, her expression resigned. He stepped past her into the cozy little house, and as happened every time, he was enveloped in warmth, his entire body relaxing, his soul comforted. “Do you want anything to drink?” she asked, gaze on the floor, her shoulders slumped in defeat. He took her hand. “No, gorgeous. Come here.” He led her to the sofa, where he sat and pulled her onto his lap. Her head found his shoulder, and they stayed like that, his arms wrapped around her, her head tucked under his chin.

“Tell me what happened at the dance recital,” he instructed gently. She sighed a long, shuddering breath. “Katie told you?” He chuckled. “A five-year-old’s not the most reliable source of information. What I got was something about the wrong kind of bun, Samantha’s mom, you, and tears. I figured I’d better get the adult version of the whole thing.” “It was horrible,” she said softly. “I’m horrible. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I messed it all up. She’s probably so humiliated, having a mother who people whisper about all the time. One who doesn’t know the most basic stuff about her life. I’m so sorry.” He held her firm and strong, but she was stiff in his arms, her face hidden from his gaze. He could hear her breaths, short, hard, fast. “She wasn’t humiliated. She was worried— about you. And she was angry—at the other mom. Tell me exactly what all happened.” Jodi launched into the story, and by the time she was finished, Ty was so mad he thought his head might spin off right there in her living room. He pushed her away, only so he could see her face, maintaining a hold on her arms as she balanced on his lap. “Listen to me,” he told her, his voice nearly a growl, it was so rough. “Don’t you dare spend one more second of your time or energy

on this. Not on that woman, not on the fucking hairstyles, not on any of it.” She blinked at him. “I will handle Samantha’s mother and the dance studio. And next Saturday, you will do our daughter’s hair for the recital, and if you want her to have a braided bun, then do it. If you want her to have curls on the sides, then do it. Hairspray? Fine. Hairnet? Great. But you will be the one to decide. You. Are her mother.” Her upset was unexpected but not unwelcome. He was surprised at how good it felt to be the one who saw her this way—so vulnerable, struggling to put it all together, to become the woman he knew she was growing into. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she sniffed. His hands, which stayed on her body at all times, brushed aside a stray droplet from her cheeks, and he chuckled and kissed her on her red nose. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just sorry it all happened. I guess I knew there were mean moms out there, but I’ve never had to think about it for myself. I assumed everyone would follow my lead about you. If I said you could be involved in her dance or her school, then they’d accept that. I never thought about anything but the legal aspects of all this. I never thought about how tough it might be for you to be accepted socially in

this new role.” “It’s not your fault,” Jodi said, giving him a brave smile. “There’s no model for how to integrate a mother into your kid’s life five years in.” She shook her head, and his heart shook with it. “I have to accept I may never really be accepted by everyone else. If I can keep being accepted by her, that’s the only thing that matters.” He sat for a moment, watching her perfect face, listening to her soft breath. “You will be accepted, gorgeous,” he murmured, stroking silky hair from her face. “My family’s been in Big Sur for three generations. We run one of the largest ranches in the state, and we’ve contributed millions to the improvement and upkeep of this community. We weren’t raised to pull rank, but I won’t hesitate if people are challenging my family. It’s not up to the town mean girls to say if you’re acceptable as Katie’s mother or not, it’s up to Katie and me.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment. “We say you’re in. So you’re in.” She laughed then, and he knew it was all going to be fine. He also knew he was in this so deep, he might never get out.

16

I

t didn’t happen as often as it used to before Cade and Vaughn both got married, but Ty loved the lazy weekend mornings when he and his brothers would take rides on the land, checking fence lines, talking about the business, reminiscing about the times they’d done the same thing with their dad when they were growing up. Today, Vaughn was with his in-laws, helping at their family ranch adjacent to the Jenkins’s property, but Cade had been at the house bright and early, asking Ty to go out with him. “How’s Nina feeling?” Ty asked as they ambled along a creek that ran through the center of their acreage for several miles before it cut down a canyon and funneled into the ocean below. “Big. She feels big. At least that’s what she says. Her back hurts, and her ankles are puffy.”

Cade shrugged lightly. “I have to admit, she looks a little like a panda after a good meal, but—” “Please tell me you haven’t said that to her,” Ty interjected. Cade chuckled. “I’m married now, asshole. I have more finesse than that.” “Thank God. I remember when Jodi was pregnant, we were at one of her prenatal appointments, and she was complaining to the doctor about her puffy fingers. I said something about them looking like little sausages, and she burst into tears in front of the doctor and the nurse. Everyone in the room glared at me like I’d committed a felony. I never spoke a word in one of those appointments again.” Cade’s horse skittered to one side, and both brothers looked down to make sure there wasn’t a snake or other animal. A stick was the culprit, and Cade shushed his horse, falling back alongside Ty. Ty shook his head, remembering back to when Jodi had been pregnant. He didn’t think about those days often—they’d been scary and painful—but there were a few moments that stood out. The first day she’d told him she was pregnant and he’d held her as she cried as if her very heart had been broken in two. The moment they’d both seen Katie on the ultrasound monitor. Jodi had turned her head and watched Ty’s face instead of the screen. He’d never known how she felt in those moments, but

now he was pretty sure she’d been racked with guilt, heavy with the weight of what she had decided to do, and buried under the pain of leaving her child. “You’ve never mentioned the pregnancy before,” Cade said. “Even when you were going through it, you hardly told us a thing. You’d go to those appointments or meet with the lawyer and Jodi, and when you got home, you’d just go to your room or back to work like nothing had happened.” Ty shrugged, briefly chewing the inside of one cheek. “I was barely holding on. I didn’t have it in me to talk about it.” Cade nodded. “But now?” “Now that she’s back and both Katie and I are getting a chance to know her and hear what she’s been through, it helps make sense of everything that went on then. I can think back on it and it doesn’t…hurt as much.” “You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?” Cade asked, his eyes stony as he looked at the land ahead of them. His back was ramrod straight, his hair mussed and sun-streaked like it always was. He had the sandy hair that their father and Vaughn shared. Ty was the one who’d inherited their mother’s dark locks. “How long have you known?” “A couple of weeks at least. I saw you kissing her on the boardwalk one night when I was coming

back from a meeting in Monterrey.” Ty pursed his lips. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but he’d wanted to control the moment, work up to it, determine the best words to say. Now he had to react on the fly, not the most ideal arrangement, but unavoidable. “We’ve been seeing each other, getting reacquainted. We haven’t told Katie, but we’ve spent some time together—the three of us. It’s—” He paused. How could he describe what it felt like to have the three of them together? Like a missing piece of the puzzle that was him and Katie had finally been filled? Like this was how things were always meant to be? It sounded sentimental even to his own ears, but it was the truth of it. He didn’t know how to spin that any other way. “It makes me happy. It makes Katie happy,” he finally summarized. “Having Jodi with us feels right.” “For you or Katie?” Cade asked. “Both,” he answered, glancing at his brother to see him frowning. “You might find both of you getting happy only to be abandoned or worse,” Cade said. “Worse?” Ty asked, his blood pressure rising. “If this is all part of her plan to take your daughter.” Ty sighed in frustration. “It’s not.” “You don’t know that. How can you be certain

she’s not using sex to complicate things and get her way?” “Her way?” “Yes, custody.” “What if we had joint custody?” Ty suddenly asked, surprising even himself. “You’re kidding, right?” Ty nudged his horse forward, and Cade matched him, keeping their mounts shoulder to shoulder. “Why is that so preposterous? She’s her biological mother. She’s done nothing but be responsible, loving, and cooperative since she came back. What if she really is ready to be a parent now? Am I supposed to keep them limited to once or twice a week supervised visitation forever?” “What about Lynn?” Cade asked. “For all intents and purposes, she’s Katie’s mother.” “She’s like a grandmother to her, not a mother, and you know it. Yes, she’s been there for her and helped raise her, but she’s never pretended to be her mother. She’s always deferred to me for the big stuff, never made the decisions about things like schooling or discipline.” Cade leaned down and patted his horse on the neck before pulling to a stop and facing Ty. “You can’t give up custody to her. Once you do, you’ll never be in control again. She could try to take Katie to another state. She could ask to

have Katie live with her. She could demand child support, because God knows you’ll always have more money than her.” Ty’s insides clenched, and he breathed through his nose roughly. “Jesus. Do you always have to be so protectionist? I get it’s been your job to keep us all safe and the business running smoothly, but I grew up a long time ago. I’ve been raising that kid for five long years, and if anyone knows how much she’s missed having a mom, it’s me. I didn’t want to admit it when Jodi showed up—hell I ran her off completely the first time she came back—but even I have the grace to admit when I’ve been wrong. She’s changed. She’s battled her demons, and she’s here for our daughter.” “That’s your dick talking.” Ty’s wrath was lightning fast. “Fuck you,” he snapped, pointing a finger in his older brother’s face. “You have no right to say that to me. I’ve been single for five fucking years. I’ve put Katie first in everything, always. I was twenty-three years old when I got her, and I’ve lived like a sixty-yearold monk ever since. I’ve earned the right to have a relationship, and I’m still putting my daughter first. Getting involved with her mother is hardly the act of an irresponsible man.” “No,” Cade answered, his voice low and threatening. “It’s the act of a stupid one.” Then,

before Ty could formulate an answer, or more likely, a punch, Cade clicked to his horse, spun him around, and took off fast. Ty sat and watched his brother’s retreating back, his stomach knotted along with his fists. Damn Cade and his overbearing paranoia. She wasn’t going to bail, and she wasn’t trying to take Katie. Jodi was solid. Just like their blossoming relationship. It was right, the three of them. It was what he’d never known he wanted but had needed all along. If only Cade’s words would quit humming in the back of his mind.

J

odi’s client roster had gradually grown, and for the first time since she’d opened up shop in Big Sur, she didn’t have any open spaces in her day’s schedule. While she’d intended to start with women and children, her practice had actually developed organically around elderly patients. After Mr. Moore had been referred to her by T.J., the elderly community had begun to refer friends and family, and now she was seeing a slate of patients in their seventies and eighties. It suited her fine. She’d always loved her rotations in geriatrics when she was in nursing school, and she’d never had such grateful patients

as the ones she was treating in Big Sur. Most elderly patients spent vast amounts of time at doctors and hospitals, being poked and prodded, shuffled from one specialist to the next, subjected to test after test and drug after drug. Jodi quickly realized that the chance to come someplace non-institutional, breathe clean air, have someone listen to them and treat their whole selves —body, mind, and soul—was an opportunity the elderly rarely got and seemed to deeply appreciate. “I can’t thank you enough for seeing me so last minute,” Nina said as she lumbered into Jodi’s office/treatment room. “It was no problem at all. I don’t have any obligations with Katie this afternoon, so I just added an extra appointment time for you.” “You’re the best,” Nina answered, grimacing as she hoisted herself onto the padded massage table. “So it sounds like you’re having some sciatica?” Jodi soothingly ran a hand up and down Nina’s arm. “If that’s the shooting pain from my waist down my right hip and butt, then yes.” Jodi shifted to Nina’s side and ran a hand down her back from shoulder to waist. “Tell me where it starts?” “Lower…right there.” Nina’s face scrunched in pain. “And it goes down to…yeah about right there.” “Definitely sciatica,” Jodi responded.

Nina sighed. “The doctor gave me a list of overthe-counter painkillers that he says are okay to use at this stage of the pregnancy, but I’d really rather not. They’ll just wear off after a few hours, and I’ll need to keep taking them over and over. My gut tells me that’s not a good choice for the baby, but I still have a month until I’m due, and I might die before then.” Jodi gave Nina a sympathetic smile. “I promise we won’t let you die, and also that I can help with this.” “Bless you,” Nina murmured as Jodi motioned for her to lie on her left side and began to gently massage the affected hip and lower back. “I’m going to give you some targeted massage, then some ointment that you’ll have Cade rub in twice a day. I’ll also give you a list of stretches to do, and some meditation specifically designed for pain reduction.” “Meditation? Really?” Nina asked as she stiffened slightly when Jodi hit a particularly tender spot. “Trust me,” Jodi said. “Everyone’s always skeptical at first, but it’s one of my most effective treatments.” “Yes, ma’am,” Nina answered. “I’ll do whatever you say. It’s got to be better than dosing my kid with drugs all day long.” “I had to take antibiotics when I was pregnant

with Katie,” Jodi said absently. “Really? What happened?” Jodi continued the massage, pressing harder, working her way down Nina’s hip and into her glute muscle. “I got a respiratory infection. I was so sick. I was working at Lynn’s and living in this little onebedroom place with my friend from college. Between the stress of an unexpected pregnancy and all the people I was exposed to all day at the coffee shop, I caught what should have been a cold, but turned into something much bigger. When it finally became clear I wasn’t going to get better on my own, we had to give in and take the antibiotics.” She shrugged. “Sometimes modern medicine is the only option—sometimes alternative stuff is. You start with the least invasive and work your way up until you get the problem fixed.” “That’s a very inclusive view,” Nina said, relaxing into the massage that was obviously providing her some relief. Jodi hummed a response and kept working. “You said ‘we’ had to give in? Who was we?” Jodi laughed. “Oh! I meant Ty and I. He was at all my doctor’s appointments, and we made all the medical decisions about Katie together during the pregnancy.” “That’s funny, Cade always gave me the impression you’d decided you were going to give

the baby up right from the beginning. He always mentions you guys doing up the legal papers and stuff before she was born.” Jodi’s chest felt tight as she remembered those meetings with the lawyer. She’d agreed to everything, but he’d still made her sit through hours of hashing over every little detail. Most of which dealt with all the things she couldn’t ask for and couldn’t have. Cade and his lawyer had wrapped up the custody and family finances in impenetrable steel. Ty had mostly sat quietly and looked ill. “We had decided all that, and yeah, lots of time at the attorney’s. But between the two of us, before we ever got to any of that, we agreed that we’d put the baby’s welfare first and make all the decisions about her health together. We’ve never had any problems agreeing when it comes to Katie.” She smiled at Nina and motioned for her to sit up. “How’s that feel?” “Oh my gosh. Better! You’re a miracle worker.” Jodi helped Nina slide off the table. “It’s really just about understanding where all those muscles and nerves are in there, and how they connect to one another. If you can get the muscles around the nerve to release, it gives the nerve a chance to relax, then the inflammation will go down and everything will feel better.” “So,” Nina said quietly, returning to the topic of

Jodi and Ty. “Cade tells me you and Ty are seeing each other again?” Jodi felt a flush rise to her cheeks. “Yeah, we’ve been spending some time together. We’re taking it slow. We haven’t told Katie anything, but we’ve done a few things just the three of us.” “And how’s that going?” Nina asked. Jodi couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Really great. It’s just…I don’t know, it feels good…right.” Nina leaned forward and hugged Jodi tight. “I’m so happy to hear that.” She pulled back and looked Jodi in the eye. “Did you and Ty ever not get along? It sounds like you work really well together.” “We do—we did—that was never the problem.” “So what was?” “I couldn’t handle having a child,” she answered succinctly. “It was nothing more than that. We were still getting to know each other, and just having fun—and lots of sex—when I got pregnant. I don’t think either of us knew where it could have gone if Katie hadn’t happened.” “Maybe that’s why you need to do this now?” Nina asked. “Try it again, see where it goes. Get closure if nothing else.” Jodi nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. We had a premature end. Maybe neither of us has ever felt

right about that.” “And maybe you were meant to be.” Nina’s voice was hopeful but cautious, as if she was waiting for Jodi to contradict her. Jodi breathed deeply, too afraid to give voice to the hope that swirled in her faster and harder every day. The hope she and Ty might become something permanent, that the three of them could be a real family. “I’m afraid to get ahead of myself,” she told Nina. “But it feels really great right now.” Nina hugged her again, her round, hard tummy wedged between them. “I’m so happy for you. I think you’re wonderful —for both of them.” “Thanks. And you’re wonderful too. I know Cade’s not my biggest fan, so I really appreciate you being willing to be friends with me in spite of that. It can’t be easy, and I’d understand if you didn’t feel comfortable spending time with me or being a client here.” Nina leaned over to the coat hooks on the wall and snagged her purse, looping it over her shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous. My husband is the best guy in the world, but he’s stubborn as a mule and so protective of his family, it borders on criminal. If he doesn’t like us being friends, he’ll have to get a different wife, and trust me, he’s not going to do that.” She winked, and Jodi felt lighter, laughter

bursting out of her. “Well, if you can think of anything I could do to win him over, let me know. I’ve kind of avoided him since I’ve been back, just hoping he’d come around, but maybe I need to deal with him now. I don’t want things to be uncomfortable for Ty or Katie when they’re with Cade.” As the two women walked out the door and onto Jodi’s back patio, Nina raised an eyebrow at Jodi. “You need to focus on your sweet family, and let me deal with my recalcitrant husband. I’ll get him to come around, I promise. It’ll take some time, but I’ll get him in line.” She stopped and grabbed one of Jodi’s hands. “I’m so glad we got to talk. I love you and Ty and Katie together. So do Lynn and T.J. You all deserve something wonderful. We’re rooting for you.” Jodi’s eyes filled, and she took a shuddering breath. In all her sessions with the therapist, and all the thousands of hours she’d planned and prepared for the move to Big Sur, she’d never dared hope for something like this—a thriving business, people who wanted to be her friends, and a chance at love with the father of the child she’d longed for all these years. It filled her so much, she felt like she might overflow with it. “Thank you. That means so much to me,” she told Nina. The two women said their good-byes in the

driveway, but before Jodi could go back inside, a text from Ty came through. Ty: Come meet me at the inn? Jodi smiled as she texted him back. Jodi: Where is our daughter? Ty: At her friend Jessica’s house for the night. Jodi: I’ll be right there. Yes, things in Big Sur were very good, Jodi thought as she grabbed her keys and climbed in her CRV. Her life had taken a turn for the spectacular. She was the lucky one at last.

W

hen she got to the inn, Jodi found Ty waiting for her at a table along the railing looking out at the same beach they’d first kissed on all those weeks ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago now they’d given in to the attraction. “Hi,” he said as he stood and brought her into a warm kiss before pulling her chair out and helping her get seated. She smiled at him as he called the waitress over, and they ordered chips and guacamole to go with their beers. “Thanks for coming over. You didn’t have a client?” he asked while she poured her beer into a

tall glass. “I’d just finished the last of the day when you texted. It was Nina, actually.” “Oh good, I was hoping she’d see you. Were you able to help? She’s been limping around the place like an old woman.” The waitress arrived with the food and drinks, and Jodi hungrily dipped into the guacamole, stuffing a chip into her mouth before she realized she hadn’t answered Ty. She chewed laboriously as she held up a finger, signaling him to wait a moment. He laughed at her until she finally swallowed the mouthful of food and washed it down with beer. “Stop laughing at me, and yes, I think I can get her pain diminished. She felt better after the massage today already.” Ty reached across the table and held her hand. “You’re amazing,” he said, his eyes warm and deep. “The way you help people is amazing. The way you’ve fit into Katie’s life—and mine—is amazing. I had no idea how you’d be able to do this when you showed up, but you have. You’ve become someone we can all rely on, someone who makes our lives better.” Jodi flushed with embarrassment at the generous words. “I asked you to come tonight because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay.” His hand slid along hers, his fingers linking them together. “Come here,” he said roughly pulling her toward him. She stood from her seat, and he tugged her to his side of the table, settling her on his lap. She looked around at the other guests on the deck, but he caught her and placed a hand on her chin, turning her to face him. “Don’t worry about what they’re doing. All that matters right now is you, me, and Katie.” She nodded, her heart beating wildly as she wondered what he was about to say. He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket where it hung on the back of his chair. Pulling out a paper folded in thirds, he placed it on the table, tapping it with one hand while his other kept her anchored on his lap, caressing the curve of her hip. “This is something I had the attorney draw up—” Jodi’s heart stopped beating, and her ears began to hum, everything in her freezing like a river in the dead of winter. Ty must have felt the wave of fear that washed over her, because he kissed her on the lips, lingering, sipping, his breath coming faster. When he pulled away, his voice was low and rough. “It’s a joint custody agreement. Naming you as an equal partner in Katie’s rearing, reversing the papers you signed when she was born.”

The breath rushed out of Jodi’s lungs in a whoosh, and her vision became hazy for a moment, black pinpricks floating on the periphery. “Breathe, gorgeous,” Ty coached as he let go of the papers and dug his fingers into her hair, cupping her skull and holding her firmly facing him. “It’s okay, I’m here, it’s all okay.” Adrenaline shot through her so hard and fast, she started to shake, her whole body trembling like a leaf in a strong breeze. “What if I’m not ready?” she gasped. “What if I do something wrong?” “You won’t,” he said tenderly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. “Well, you will, but so will I, and so will Cade and Nina when they have the baby. All parents make mistakes, but yours won’t be any different than the rest of us.” “Oh my God,” she said slowly. She tried to say something else, but all that came out was a sob. She had literally lost control of her body, and it simply shook, dissolving into a mindless mess while the whole time, a voice inside her head kept saying, your dream is coming true, you fool, say something coherent. Ty held her as she rode out the physical effects of the shock, the shaking, the breathing she thought might never go back to normal. When she finally calmed down, he’d shifted the chair so their backs were to the restaurant and they faced the ocean.

They both watched it for a while, the soothing waves rolling in and out, the gulls marauding along the beach picking up the day’s leavings. “You going to be okay?” he asked finally. “I think so,” she said, shifting so she could look him in the eye. “Are you sure about this? What if some of this”—she gestured between the two of them—“doesn’t work out?” “Katie has a mother,” he answered. “A woman who gave birth to her and loves her and wants to be in her life. That isn’t dependent on whether I’m sleeping with the woman or not.” “And is that what we’re doing? Sleeping together?” She realized as she said it she wanted his answer to be “more.” So much more, because while she’d tried to avoid thinking about it, the fact was he was a lot more than sex for her. He looked unsure. “This is a lot for one conversation, and I want these conversations to be separate. What’s between you and Katie, and what’s between you and me.” “But can they be separate?” she asked. “There are so many ways one could complicate the other. Would you even be sleeping with me if I weren’t Katie’s mom? Maybe you just like the idea of her having a mother so much, it’s made you think you feel something for me. If Katie gets mad at me, will you then too? If you and I quit doing whatever it is we’re doing, will you regret letting me into her

life?” “Oh, gorgeous girl,” he said, a gentle smile spreading across his face. “You’re starting to sound like a nicer version of Cade.” She winced, reminded of how opposed to her his older brother was. “Let me clarify for you—I’ve watched you with our daughter now for weeks. In different situations, around all sorts of people. I’ve also watched you as a human being. I see a woman who’s been through a lot, come out the other side, and wants to do right by her daughter. I want you to have that chance. And I want her to have that chance. I’ve gotten the papers done to give you joint custody so that can happen. She deserves to have a mother—her mother.” Something in Jodi’s chest loosened, and she placed a hand on Ty’s cheek, loving the way his stubble scratched her hand and his eyes flashed with heat. “Thank you,” she said simply. The way he melted into her touch told her he understood just how grateful she was. “The rest…” His voice was hoarse now. His hands squeezed her hips and waist tight. “You and me. It’s not because you’re Katie’s mother. I mean, that makes it more intense, deeper. But I’d be hot for you if you were a stranger walking by on the street, or a girl I’d never seen before standing behind the counter of my aunt’s coffee shop.”

She smiled at him, memories of him flirting with her all those years ago flooding back. “And it’s not just sex,” he added. “You must know that by now. I spend most of my days waiting to hear your voice, see your blue eyes, touch this skin.” His lips skated along her collarbone briefly. “I’m falling for you, Jodi Morgan, and I would be even if we didn’t already share a daughter.” She kissed him gently on the lips, her hands cradling his face. “In case you’re curious,” she murmured. “The feeling is mutual.” “Good. Then let’s do what feels right. See where it all takes us, and raise a beautiful kid together.” “Amen.” They sat, gazing into each other’s eyes, kissing softly, as the ocean air cooled and night settled in. Everything about the way they touched each other was unhurried, soft, slow, because they both realized that they had time, sweet, beautiful time. Time to learn one another, time to become a family, time to fall in love. A throat clearing behind them had them jerking apart, suddenly aware they’d been making out in a public space for the last forty minutes. “You two ready to move on?” the server asked. “Maybe to one of the Inn rooms?” Jodi hid her face in Ty’s shoulder in embarrassment. But he just chuckled and reached

under Jodi’s leg into his front pocket, extracting a couple of twenty dollar bills. “This should take care of it for you, Candy,” he said, holding the bills up over his shoulder. “With some extra for your suffering.” Candy huffed out a laugh. “It’s no hardship for me. I’ve been busy all night. You may have traumatized the couple with the seven-year-old who kept asking, ‘How long can people kiss like that, Mommy?’” “Oh my God,” Jodi muttered. Ty laughed, but shook his head, chagrined. “Message received. We’re out of here,” he announced, standing and setting Jodi on her feet. He turned to smile at Candy, who just rolled her eyes at him. “You Jenkins boys,” she sighed. “When you find a woman, you’re hopeless.” “Nah,” Ty said, his eyes on Jodi the whole time. “We’re hopeless before we find ’em. Afterwards is when all the hope sets in.”

17

T

y woke to an aching hard-on and something warm and soft in his arms. Jodi. Why yes, please, and thank you very much, he thought as his hand snaked up to cup her bare breast. His hips pressed closer to her heat, his morning wood rapidly swelling even more. Jodi murmured, shifting slightly, arching her back. Hell yes, that was just the sign he needed. He pinched her nipple lightly and ran his lips down her shoulder, working his hips harder as she gasped. “You awake?” he asked, his voice all kinds of raspy and hot. “Mmm,” she moaned in response, thrusting back against him with her perfect ass. He trailed his fingers from her breast to her clit, very grateful they’d both fallen asleep stark naked.

When he reached that warm, soft heaven, he couldn’t help but groan at how wet she was. “Jesus,” he growled. “No, it’s all you,” she answered. He chuckled before sliding a finger inside her and rendering her speechless. “That’s what you get for being sassy,” he whispered in her ear. She ground against his hand and gave a small cry. He leisurely worked her over, sliding fingers in and out, licking skin here and there, his own erection pressing harder and fuller against her ass until she finally begged for him “God, are you ever going to fuck me?” she gasped. “You’re impatient,” he whispered, circling her clit so slowly, she groaned in frustration. “I need to come or I’m going to die right here in this bed, and then Katie won’t have a mom anymore.” “Fine,” he said dramatically. “You’re a demanding woman.” She sighed happily as he wrapped an arm under her thigh and lifted it before thrusting his cock so far inside her, he wasn’t sure he’d ever come back out. “Better?” he whispered as he started to move. Her little cries and pants were the only answer he got for a few minutes until she was screaming

his name as she clenched around him, her entire body bowed in pleasure as he pressed into her hard, unwilling to move and miss feeling every wave of her ecstasy. When she started to come down, he pumped again, hard and fast, and it took only a few thrusts before he was coming too, hot shards of pleasure up and down his body. He grunted and rode out the pure fucking bliss until he was wrung dry. He eased out of her and rolled onto his back, still panting, and so boneless he wasn’t sure he could have stood if he’d had to. Jodi wiggled her way up against him, her head on his shoulder, one arm slung across his abs. He could feel her breasts pressed to his side and knew already he was going to want to take her again very soon. “Wow,” she said, yawning. “Is it possible that it gets better every time? At some point, we have to top out, right?” “I vote we keep trying until we do—see just how spectacular we can be. We must be close to setting records at this point.” “What, like world’s hottest sex?” She giggled. “Do they have that in the Guinness Book of World Records?” “If they don’t, they should. We’d win.” He squeezed her waist, making her squirm. “Mm,” she answered. “For sure.”

They dozed for another half hour until Ty had to get up to pick up Katie from her sleepover. “We should talk about what we want to do with her schedule from now on,” he said as he poured himself a glass of orange juice in Jodi’s quaint kitchen. “If you’re ready to have some sleepovers, I don’t mind. But I’m also wondering if you want to start getting her from school on ballet days and doing that whole thing. It would give me a few more hours to get paperwork done so I didn’t have to work on the weekends as much. Lynn does it sometimes, but I know she wouldn’t miss it if she didn’t have to.” “That’s Tuesdays and Thursdays?” she asked from her perch on the counter, where Ty had placed her because he liked looking at her bare legs dangling off the edge of the countertop. He stepped between those long beauties, running a hand up one of her calves. “Yeah, would that work with your client schedule?” She nodded. “Yes, it’s perfect. I’ve been leaving all my late afternoons open so I could see her whenever you wanted, but if I’m going to have Tuesdays and Thursdays regularly, maybe I could start scheduling some later appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays. I think I have the demand to do that.” He watched her face, glowing with the ideas she had for how to balance being a mom with being

a successful business owner. It flooded him with pride. And hope. This was going to work. Him, Jodi, Katie. They were going to work, and maybe, sometime in the not so distant future, this little house would be Jodi’s office, but her home could be the ranch with him and Katie. Even a month ago, that might have seemed like an impossible dream, but now he was convinced it was something to strive for. “I think that’s a great idea. Maybe we could ask Lynn to do after-school duty on Mondays and Wednesdays, you’ll do Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I’ll stop work early on Fridays, pick her up and just do some father-daughter time. We’ve always played it loose, Lynn and I just figuring it out each day—sometimes we’d get Cade or Vaughn to fill in, but now that she’s getting older, going to school all day, and having her own activities, it would probably be better to set a schedule. She’ll know who to expect each day, and the rest of us can arrange our jobs around a predictable calendar.” “I would love that,” Jodi answered, kissing him on the cheek. “Good. Now, I have to run and pick her up. What’s your day look like?” “I have some research to do for a new client who starts on Monday, and then I want to visit another who’s had to go into a nursing home.” Ty saw the sadness wash over her eyes. “Is it

tough having elderly patients?” he asked, leaning into her and caressing her arm. She seemed to consider it for a moment. “It can be sad, but I really love knowing I made their quality of life better, even if it’s just for a little while. In nursing, you don’t always feel like you had a real impact. You’re often caught up in the rigid routine of giving meds, and following schedules. This is more rewarding. I can really listen to what people need and do things that make them feel better for days at a time instead of hours.” “I’m proud of you,” he said simply. Because he was. “Have dinner with Katie and me tonight?” “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” “Good. We’ll pick you up at six. We’ll go to a place Katie loves in Monterrey.” Yes, Ty thought as he walked out of Jodi’s house and got in his truck, he’d give it a few weeks, let everyone adjust, but this house was meant to be an office. Jodi, on the other hand, was meant to be at the ranch. With him. With their daughter. With the family that had been waiting for her for five long years, even if they hadn’t known it at the time.

t was three forty on Tuesday afternoon when Ty got

the call. He’d left his phone on silent while he was meeting with the ranch’s new advertising firm in Monterrey, so by the time he climbed into the truck and switched it back on, ready to drive home, he’d missed three calls and the fourth was ringing. “Hello?” he answered, something in his gut telling him this wasn’t going to be a good call. “Hi, Ty,” a woman’s voice on the other end said. “This is Carol Riley, Katie’s teacher.” His heart raced that way parents’ do when they hear the school on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, of course, hi.” “So, there must have been some misunderstanding about Katie’s pickup schedule today. She said her mom was supposed to get her and take her to ballet, but Jodi hasn’t been by…” The teacher’s voice faded away as a buzzing sound built in Ty’s ears. He sat, frozen still in the driver’s seat of his pickup, panic racing through him at the speed of light. He couldn’t possibly process all the things jumbling in his head. But his protective instincts took charge. Sparing Katie became his only conscious thought. “Oh man,” he said to the teacher. “I am so incredibly sorry. This is all my fault. I got my days all mixed up—today’s Tuesday, right? I told Katie the schedule for Thursday. I’ve been off all day and went to the wrong meetings myself at work.”

I

“It’s fine.” The teacher’s voice relaxed about ten degrees. “I was supposed to leave here ten minutes ago, but I can wait for you to come get her.” “Yeah, I’m dashing between meetings—” He looked at the clock in his truck. Even at lifethreatening speeds, he couldn’t get to Katie’s school in under thirty minutes. “I’ll have Lynn come grab her,” he finished. “She’s closer right now than I am.” “That sounds great. Thank you,” the teacher said. “Sure, and thank you for staying with her. I’m really sorry about this. We’re still adjusting to have more people in the schedule, and I need to pay more attention.” “No problem, I’ll let her know, and we’ll see Lynn soon.” Ty called Lynn and arranged for her to get Katie from school, then ended the call and immediately punched the button for Jodi’s number. When voice mail picked up, he swore in frustration. “Hey, it’s me,” he said after the tone. “You didn’t pick up Katie. It’s okay, I have Lynn going to grab her, but I’m worried. Please tell me what’s going on so I know everything’s okay.” He disconnected, sent a text with the same message, then began the drive back to Big Sur,

breaking the speed limit, his heart racing the entire time. By the time he reached the ranch at four twenty, he’d progressed from fearful to terrified with a dash of angry. Where the hell was Jodi and why wasn’t she calling him back? She was punctual to a fault, always returned his calls within an hour tops, and had claimed to be so excited about picking Katie up and going to dance practice. Before he got out of the truck, Lynn was there, waiting to talk to him in hushed tones. “She’s watching a movie and eating chocolate ice cream,” she said as he climbed out of the cab. “She’s trying to be tough, but she’s worried and confused. She doesn’t buy the excuse you got your days mixed up.” “Yeah,” Ty said as he slammed the door, his button-down shirt that he’d worn for the business meeting itching the hell out of him. “I said that to save face with the teacher. I didn’t want her to think Jodi had flaked, but honestly, I’m getting worried.” “I’ve tried calling her twice,” Lynn said. “Yeah, and I have too. Texted, left messages. Nothing.” “Do you think she’s all right?” He pressed his lips together, his brow furrowing in frustration. “I don’t know what to think. But when I gave her those joint custody papers on

Friday, she got pretty freaked out. Expressed a lot of concern she might not be ready or would make a mistake.” Lynn looked at him, her eyes sad. “I really thought she’d gotten past all that.” He sighed heavily. “I did too. But I’m telling you, if she hasn’t, there’s nothing more I can do. I can’t have someone in Katie’s life who flakes on her, no matter what the reasons. She needs to be surrounded by reliable people who will show up when they say they will, and take care of her like she needs them to.” “She might have been in an accident, though, had some emergency that’s keeping her from getting to us.” He nodded, a sick lump forming in his gut. “Maybe. But given her track record, I can’t dismiss the possibility she’s just panicked and taken off.” Lynn shook her head. “Poor Katie,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “She’ll be devastated.” “Which is why we won’t say anything until we know for sure. We’ll just go with ‘Mom had a work thing’ and leave it at that. Should at least buy us a few hours. In the meantime, after I talk to Katie, I’ll go to Jodi’s house and try to find her.” Lynn nodded. “Okay. And maybe I can see if Becca can come over and play. That should help distract her for a while.” They agreed on their plan, and Ty walked into

the house to face his daughter, all the while his head and heart heavy with the pain of the most crushing disappointment he’d ever faced. And the fear that the woman he was coming to love could never love him and his daughter the same way.

18

J

odi paced the floor of the hospital room where she’d been for the last three hours. Mrs. Moore’s cell phone was pressed to her ear as she talked. “Yes, Doctor, I understand, but he’s mentally very sharp. I talk to him for several hours every week while we work on his pain management and flexibility. Studies have shown a strong correlation between a patient’s declining mental faculties and nursing home stays. He’s done one stint, he hated it, his wife hated it. Why should we jump to that as the default option here?” She gave a tight smile to Mrs. Moore, who sat next to the hospital bed holding her husband’s hand while he slept, hopped up on painkillers for the fall he’d just taken with his new hip. He’d suffered a dizzy spell, tumbled down a couple of steps, and landed right on the damn hip that they’d been

trying to rehab for the last six weeks. Mrs. Moore had called Jodi in a panic, and she’d met them at the ER just as the ambulance pulled up. The last three hours had been nonstop arguing with paramedics, nurses, and now his orthopedic surgeon, while Jodi tried to get them all to stop the process that would place Mr. Moore in a nursing home for the foreseeable future. “Yes, Doctor,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I do understand that if they leave the hospital against medical advice, his insurance will decline any further payments for this injury.” She watched as defeat crawled across Mrs. Moore’s face and she began to cry. Jodi walked out of the room and across the hallway into a small niche where nurses stood to update charts. “Look, Dr. Revel, I know these people. They’re deeply attached. They barely made it through his last tour of the nursing home, and if you put him there again, it might not only kill him but her too. Do you have elderly relatives? Have you seen nursing homes? If we can come up with a plan to deal with his injury, including a way to keep it from happening again, will you at least consider a different course of action?” She waited, listening to the pompous surgeon’s speech about all the patients just like Mr. Moore he’d treated. Of course, none of them were just like

Mr. Moore because none of them were Mr. Moore. It was one of the flaws of modern medicine— doctors and nurses saw symptoms and diseases, not humans. Mr. Moore had the same symptoms as lots of other patients, but he wasn’t lots of other patients. “Yes, sir, we can definitely live with that. We’ll give you another plan of treatment within the next twenty-four hours and then work from there. The family is very grateful. Thank you.” After the call ended, Jodi took a moment to breathe deeply and recenter her thoughts. It had been nonstop panic since Mrs. Moore had called. They were without a doubt her favorite clients, and without any children, they had no one to advocate for them. When they’d called, she knew she couldn’t let them take on the institutional medical community without her help. So, she’d jumped in her car, rushed to hospital, and done nothing but soothe tattered nerves and discuss treatment options with hospital staff ever since. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times before walking back across the hall and into Mr. Moore’s room. “They’re going to make him go, aren’t they?” Mrs. Moore asked, her entire body telegraphing how exhausted she was. “Not yet,” Jodi answered. “His surgeon has agreed to give us twenty-four hours to come up

with an alternative treatment plan. I’ll put something together tonight, and discuss it with you first thing in the morning, then we’ll see what the doctor thinks.” “Oh!” Mrs. Moore stood and moved to Jodi, grabbing both her hands and giving them a squeeze. “I can’t thank you enough. You’ve been so good to us. I know this isn’t part of your normal services. I just…I’m not sure how we can ever repay you.” Jodi smiled down at the weathered face, thinking what a wonderful grandmother Mrs. Moore would have made. Maybe she could play that role for Katie since Jodi’s own mother certainly never would. Then everything inside her went dark. “Oh my God,” she gasped, flipping Mrs. Moore’s phone over in her hand. “What time is it?” She looked at the display that very clearly read five ten p.m. “Oh my God, oh my God, no, no, no.” She jammed a hand into her hair, nausea rolling over her in waves. “What is it?” Mrs. Moore asked, her eyes widening in concern. “I was supposed to pick up my daughter at school two hours ago. Oh my God.” “Okay, it’s going to be all right, sweetheart. The school won’t let children stand on the sidewalk alone for hours. They’ve certainly called whoever is on the contact list by now. I’m sure she’s with her

father or someone else you’ve designated.” Jodi’s stomach roiled. Oh God, how could she have let this happen? She looked around frantically for her purse, but she knew her phone wasn’t in it. She could picture it exactly where it lay on her desk where she’d been working when the Moores’ call had come through. She’d set the phone on the desk, grabbed her purse, and run out the door, never once stopping to think about her five-year-old waiting on the front lawn of the elementary school. “I have to go,” she said hurriedly, shoving Mrs. Moore’s phone at her while she slung her purse over her shoulder. “Everything here is set for tonight. You make them get you a decent fold-out to sleep on, and I’ll be back in the morning.” “Of course, sweetheart.” Mrs. Moore put a palm alongside Jodi’s cheek to stop her for a moment. “It will all be okay. I promise. You made a human mistake. You’re a beautiful person, and you love that little girl. She’ll forgive you.” As she left the hospital, all Jodi could think was whether Ty would ever forgive her.

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odern cell phones were a curse, Jodi thought as she sped toward her little house. They kept you connected with

more ease and speed than anything in history, but they also kept you tethered to them, because if you didn’t have them, you had no memory of anyone’s phone number. She hadn’t bothered to memorize Ty’s or Lynn’s numbers, and so all she could think to do was stop off at her house, grab the phone, and then call them while she sped to the ranch, praying the entire way they’d forgive her. When she pulled up to her house, however, Ty’s truck sat in her driveway and the man himself sat on her front porch. Even from the driveway, Jodi could see the dark look on his face, and she took a bracing breath before exiting her SUV. As she walked toward the porch, Ty stood, all six plus feet of him tense and vibrating. “Is she okay?” Jodi asked without any greeting. She stepped up onto the porch and faced him. “She will be. You want to tell me what the hell happened?” “I got a call at about two o’clock. My best client, an elderly man, had fallen on his new hip and was heading to the ER. It was an emergency situation. Everyone was in a panic. They want to put him in a nursing home, we don’t think that’s where he belongs. I left my phone here at the house. If you go inside, you’ll find it right on the desk.” “You could have borrowed a phone to call the school, me, Lynn. What the hell did you think

would happen to her standing out on the front lawn waiting for her mother who wasn’t going to come?” The volume of Ty’s voice grew as did the furrow in his brow. “I didn’t, okay?” she answered in anguish. “I didn’t think about what would happen to her because I forgot until five ten this evening. I forgot I was supposed to pick her up. I was so distracted—” “You forgot.” His intonation was flat, cold, and final. “I’m so sorry, Ty,” she whispered. “It was a terrible mistake. I’ll explain it all to her. I’ll make it right.” “I’m not sure about all that, Jodi. I’m not sure you’ll be explaining anything to her. See, when you’re a parent, work doesn’t come before your kid. Friends don’t come before your kid. Your own needs don’t come before your kid’s. Barring you lying alongside the road unconscious, there is nothing that comes before your kid. You can’t ‘get distracted,’ you can’t forget, you can’t leave them standing alone in front of a school when they’re five fucking years old.” Jodi’s heart stuttered, squeezing tightly, but she wasn’t going to fall apart. She wasn’t. “I’m so sorry,” she said, nodding emphatically at his punishing words. His gaze was cold, his words colder.

“I have to get home to my daughter, let her know you’re not dead on a roadside somewhere. All of our scheduling arrangements are off the table for now. I need to think about this. Figure out what’s next—if anything—for you and Katie.” He stepped around her, careful not to touch her, and took the porch steps in one big stride. “And what about us?” she asked, her voice strong even though everything else in her was about to crumble into dust. He stopped at his truck, not turning to face her. His broad shoulders slumped, and his head dropped. “There was a point when I thought you might actually be lying alongside the PCH dead. Then there was the point at which I thought you’d skipped town because you couldn’t handle it all. Now I find out you’d completely forgotten her for hours. I’m not sure what I feel at this point. I’m not sure if I can be with a woman who does that.” It was like a knife to her gut, digging deep, opening every wounded part of her she’d worked so hard to repair over the years. In one fell swoop, he managed to cut through it all and leave her bleeding on her front porch as he barreled away in his truck. Jodi sank to the floorboards of the old wooden porch, her knees to her chest as she watched the thing she wanted most in the world slip away yet again.

19

“G

ood morning,” Nina said as Ty walked into the kitchen at six a.m. He blinked at her, wondering if his mind was playing tricks. “What are you doing here so early?” he asked, heading straight for the coffeepot. God bless Lynn for putting a timer on the damn thing so there was always coffee available from five thirty on. Nina smiled as she rubbed her protruding tummy and sliced a banana. “I don’t sleep all that much these days. Or I should say I sleep like a cat —twenty minutes here, twenty there.” He poured a cup of heaven, added a dash of cream, and sat at the kitchen counter, watching her as she tossed the bananas in a bowl and added a pint of blueberries. “Fruit salad?” “Mm-hm. You can put it on top of the pancakes

I’m going to make you.” He nodded, feeling like he was a step or two behind somehow. “And you’re doing this why?” Nina deftly sliced some strawberries next, adding them to the bowl before she turned to the stovetop and flicked on a burner. “Seems to me you might be due for a little TLC.” Ahh. She felt sorry for him. Just great. “I’m fine. It’s Katie you should be worried about.” Nina raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m concerned about Katie, but the fact is, she’s a kid who loves her mom and she’ll make a lot of accommodations for her, especially if Jodi apologizes sincerely, which I have no doubt she will.” Ty scowled at her. “You, on the other hand, are an adult, and we’re entirely different animals.” Silence settled over the kitchen as Nina mixed together the ingredients for the pancakes, tossing in some walnuts and chocolate chips for good measure. Finally, Ty couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s that mean—we’re different animals.” She ladled the first pancake into the pan. “Adults have been hurt. We’ve been betrayed and disappointed, and knocked around by life over and over. Even the most fortunate of us have had some

setbacks, and it changes your views, makes you wary, protective. It’s a necessity. We don’t have someone dedicated to protecting us twenty-four seven, so we have to do it for ourselves. But then we sometimes go overboard with it. Turn away chances we shouldn’t, don’t forgive people we should.” “You think I should forgive her?” He raised one eyebrow, his tone incredulous. “I think you should hear her out, discuss it, maybe wait and see how the next few weeks or months go. Don’t make a snap decision.” She flipped the pancake and scooped some fruit salad onto a plate. “She forgot my kid—for hours. If she were a babysitter, I’d have fired her on the spot.” “But she’s not a babysitter, she’s her mother.” “Who wasn’t here for the first five years.” “But is trying to be here now, and hasn’t had one misstep since she showed up. And not just with Katie. She’s developed a business, become really well liked in town, made some friends—me among them. And she’s been so patient and good with Katie. That whole meeting could have gone many ways, but Jodi handled it perfectly, and because of that, Katie’s life has been richer than ever. She finally knows about the missing half of herself.” Ty’s blood thrummed in his veins, his chest tightening.

“And there’s another reason you need to think before you make any decisions about this,” she said softly, placing a plate with steaming-hot pancakes and fresh fruit in front of him. “I think you might be in love with her, and I can guarantee she is with you. You’ve been by yourself for so many years now, Ty. You deserve happiness more than any person I know. You and Katie deserve to have Jodi in your lives, and even if she’s not perfect, I think she’s pretty damn great.” Ty blinked at the breakfast in front of him, unable to look his sister-in-law in the eyes. Then he heard her slip quietly out the back door, leaving him with a plate full of food for thought.

“D

addy,” Katie said on Sunday night after dinner. “When am I going to see Mommy again?” “I’m not sure, bug. She’s been busy with work.” “But she calls me every day, and she said she misses me. When I asked when I can see her again, she said I needed to ask you.” Ty had ended any visits between Jodi and Katie for the remainder of the week, but he hadn’t said anything when Lynn let Katie talk to Jodi on the phone. He knew he couldn’t simply excise Jodi

from Katie’s life now. He needed to determine what ground rules should apply at this point. The joint custody papers he’d drawn up hadn’t been filed in court yet, so he was still fully in charge of Katie and her life. He could freeze Jodi out and force her to take him to court if she wanted more. But it didn’t sit right in his gut. He was mad, disappointed, and confused, but something kept him from doing anything permanent. He’d pressed pause, but his daughter wasn’t going to put up with that forever. “Okay, I’ll talk to her tomorrow and find out when you can see her again,” he said, hoping it would placate Katie for a few days. He underestimated his daughter. “Here,” she said, holding out Lynn’s phone she’d had behind her back. “She’s on the phone. You make the plans now.” She handed him the device and skipped happily away. He’d been played by a five-year-old. Sighing, he walked with the phone out the front door and sat on the porch. “Hello?” “Um, hi.” Jodi’s soft voice came over the line, and Ty’s heart leaped. He might be able to tell his mind he didn’t care anymore, but his heart said otherwise. “I guess Katie wants us to pick a time for you to see her.” “She’s been calling and asking every day.”

“She said you’d been calling her.” “The first time yes. I wanted to apologize for the pickup fiasco. But I wasn’t sure if you were okay with me calling, so I haven’t since Wednesday, but she’s called me every day.” Well hell, Ty thought. Damn kid wasn’t going to make this easy on him. “You and I probably need to talk before you see her.” “Whatever you’d like.” Jodi’s voice was polite but distant, and he had to admit to himself he hated it. Hated the loss of warmth and joy he’d been able to ease from her a week ago. Hated feeling as though they weren’t a team anymore, but wary opponents circling one another before one of them took a shot. He looked at the sky as the sun began setting. Katie would go to bed in a couple of hours. The ranch was quiet, and he hadn’t slept well in days. Maybe it was time to pull the Band-Aid off. Settle this thing once and for all. “Meet me on Lynn’s deck at nine?” There was silence for a long breath, then her answer. “Okay. I’ll see you then.” Yes, she’d see him then, and he’d see her. And one way or another, he and Katie would be fine. He’d make sure of it.

20

J

odi stood at the railing of the café and closed her eyes, breathing in the night air full of moisture and salt. She heard him when he approached, or maybe it wasn’t so much heard him as sensed him. She’d become so attuned to him over the last few weeks it felt as though she could feel him even when he didn’t touch her. She wondered if, living in the same town as him, that would always be the case. Ten years from now, when he’d found someone and married her, giving Katie a stepmother, would Jodi still be able to sense him when he was near? Be able to imagine the feel of his palms as they stroked down her back, cupping her ass, pulling her against him for a searing kiss. “Thanks for meeting me,” he said quietly as he took the spot next to her along the railing.

“Of course,” she answered, a shiver working its way across her skin at the tenor of his voice. “I’m not sure what I want to say, actually,” he admitted. “But I know we can’t stay in this limbo forever.” She nodded, eyes still on the sea. “I’m still—I don’t know—angry’s too strong a word. Maybe disappointed, maybe frustrated.” “I get that. You have every right to be.” He turned to her, and she finally looked at him. His anguish was visceral, and she gasped in response to the onslaught of emotions. “I don’t want to feel those things. I want it to be like it was before,” he rasped, his hands clenched into fists. “But I can’t get past the part where you forgot our daughter. Our five-year-old daughter.” “I know. I’m having trouble getting past it too.” The water rushed in over the sand and back out again, washing away some shells and seaweed but leaving others in its wake. And that was when it crystallized for her. She could never wipe away all her mistakes, because she’d only make new ones— like forgetting to pick up Katie at school. Not because she was an unfit mother, but because she was human, and humans weren’t static. They were mercurial and fallible, and evolving. That beach, the ocean, the seaweed and shells, they were all like the human life—mistakes out, mistakes in.

Sweeping through, over and over. Just like the good parts, the joy, and the successes swept in and out on the same waves. “I’m having trouble getting past it, but I will,” she said, her voice sounding stronger to her own ears. “Because here’s the thing, Ty. Even at my lowest, I always put Katie first. When I knew I couldn’t be a mother, I gave her to you because you had everything I didn’t—a stable income, a loving family, a solid self-image. That was better for her than having a depressed mess of a mom who might have bailed on her after she got attached to me. “And when I got my head on straight and I could be there for her, I came back, because I knew having a loving mother in some form would be better than none at all. Yes, I wanted her, but I didn’t do it selfishly. I did it putting her first at every step. I’ve cooperated with you at each turn, from the day we found out I was pregnant until tonight. I’ve never fought you because you and I were in agreement about what was best for her.” She looked at him, seeing how conflicted he was, how tense his body was strung. “And I made a mistake this week. It’s hard to get past, but I will, because it’s best for Katie that I not focus on the one thing I’ve done wrong. It’s best for her if I keep being present in her life, loving her, supporting her. And by forgiving myself,

I can teach her to forgive herself when she makes mistakes, and I can show her that even when I mess up, it doesn’t change how much I love her.” Ty watched her for a moment, emotions flitting across his face in increments. Sorrow, regret, frustration, resignation. When he didn’t answer her, she finally broke the lock of their gazes. “Think about what you want from here,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for Katie no matter what.” Then she turned to walk to her car on the opposite side of the building. “And what about us?” he asked in an echo of her question the night he’d tracked her down at her house. She watched him in the moonlight, the ocean breeze ruffling his hair, and her heart stubbornly refused to let go. So her mouth stubbornly refused to as well. “I’ve never doubted what I feel. You need to decide what you do.” Then she walked away, no tears, no regrets. The waves would wash in and wash out. All she could do was keep on living and keep on loving. She was only human, after all.

ommy!” Katie yelled as she flung herself into Jodi’s waiting arms. A week without seeing her had seemed like an absolute eternity to Jodi, even with daily phone calls. “She’s been so excited to see you, I had a hard time getting her to focus this afternoon,” the teacher said, smiling. “Uh-oh. Do we need to have the talk about listening to your teacher?” Jodi said, ruffling Katie’s hair as she stood, grabbing Katie’s backpack in one hand and Katie with the other. “No, she was good as always, just a little more wiggly, right?” Katie gave a bashful smile. “Mrs. Riley let me to stand up finally ’cause I had the wiggles too bad.” She threw her arms around Jodi’s legs. “I missed you, Mommy.” Jodi looked down at the sweet blonde head and stroked Katie’s soft hair. “I missed you too, love.” She smiled warmly at the teacher. “Thank you for taking such good care of her last week. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” Mrs. Riley waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Oh please. I once had a father who dropped his kid off for school, drove off in a rush to get to work, and didn’t realize that there was no school that day.” Jodi’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh my God. What

“M

happened?” “Luckily, the older woman who lives across the street from the school saw him sitting out here on the lawn all alone and brought him a cell phone so he could call his mom. The mother was so mad at her husband, the kid said Daddy had to sleep on the sofa for a week.” Both women laughed, and Jodi’s heart felt a million pounds lighter. “Thank you,” she said again. “That really helped.” “Well, you two have a nice afternoon. Enjoy hanging out with your mom, Katie.” As they walked to the SUV, Jodi gave a wave to Lynn, whose car she’d spotted when she pulled up. She hadn’t been surprised to see Ty had sent her to not so covertly observe. “Is that Aunt Lynn?” Katie asked, peering down the row of parked cars. “Yes, I think it is.” “What’s she doing here?” “I’m not sure,” Jodi fibbed. “Maybe she had to deliver coffee to one of the teachers.” Katie shrugged, seeming unconcerned as she climbed in Jodi’s car and buckled into her booster seat. “You ready for dance class?” Jodi asked as she started the engine. “Yes, but will you stay and watch?”

“Of course. Every minute, and then we get to go out to dinner afterward.” “Yay!” Katie kicked her feet up and down. “Mommy?” “Yes, Miss Katie?” “I love you and Daddy.” “I love you too,” Jodi answered. And your daddy, her heart added.

21

“Y

ou’ve been avoiding me,” Cade said as he walked into the office adjacent to the barn and crossed his arms, stance wide as he stood in front of the desk where Ty was working. “I’ve been busy,” Ty answered, not looking at his brother. “No, you’re avoiding me because you don’t want to talk about Jodi.” Ty’s throat grew thick and dry. Even hearing her name now made him want to crawl out of his skin. It was as if his nerve endings were on fire all the time, sizzling, ready to burn him up. He leaned back in the executive chair that accompanied the massive desk. “All right, let’s get it over with. Tell me you were right, she’s unreliable, she’ll just do shit like this again, she doesn’t deserve another chance.”

Cade sat heavily, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees as he looked at Ty from under his brows. “I’m not always right—” “But you were this time.” “No. I wasn’t.” Ty stared at his brother. “I said she’d either leave town again or try to get custody. She hasn’t done either thing. When you got mad at her for forgetting Katie, she had the perfect excuse to jet out of town in a huff, but she didn’t. She waited until you calmed down, then she went right back to being there for Katie.” He paused, seeming to pick his words before he said them. “You offered her joint custody, and she didn’t jump on it. She questioned whether she was ready, and since then, you haven’t filed the papers and she hasn’t said another word about it, am I right?” Ty nodded. Cade cleared his throat before he continued. “The only thing she’s actually done that I could criticize her for is forgetting to pick up Katie. So let me tell you a story, because I’m sure you don’t remember.” Ty settled in, wondering where Cade was going with this. “When I was only in first grade and you were still at home with Mom, we had these mini days

where once a month, we’d get out of school early. So one Wednesday in March, I rode the bus to school. Dad was the one who walked me to the bus stop because you were sick with a fever and some stomach thing, and she’d been up all night taking care of you.” Ty smiled, shaking his head, remembering his mom and the things she used to do when her boys were sick. The special foods she made, the silly songs she’d sing to get them to laugh even when they didn’t feel well. “So the end of school came—at twelve thirty instead of three o’clock, because it was a mini day. The school buses didn’t run on mini days, so everyone’s parents came to pick them up. But guess whose mom was a no-show?” Ty stared at his brother, eyes widening. “Mom forgot to get you?” “Damn straight she did, and who could blame her? She’d been up all night with a sick preschooler, cleaning up vomit, trying to get your fever down, then the school throws in this once-amonth schedule change that also changes the normal transportation arrangements. She was tired and off-kilter, and she forgot.” “Well, hell,” Ty muttered, leaning back in his chair. “Luckily, Mrs. Roberts, the principal, saw me wandering the lawn and brought me in to call home

and wait until someone could come get me. Ended up being Grandma, who said I was lucky, because when she was little, her mother forgot to send her older brother to walk her home, and she was so little, she tried to do it by herself and got lost. They found her in the neighbor’s cornfield at dinnertime crying she was so hungry and tired.” Ty chuckled, amazed his brother had a story like this to tell in the middle of one of the worst weeks he could remember. “Parents fuck up. You’ve told me that a hundred times, and you’re right. I’ve been worried Jodi wasn’t stable enough for this, or she’d try to take advantage of you. But I never said I expected her to be perfect.” “But maybe I have,” Ty answered quietly. “Or maybe you’re just afraid to let her in all the way. And I haven’t helped with that. I’ve been suspicious and paranoid, and you were right to get pissed at me. I was out of line. Jodi’s given me no reason to treat her the way I have.” “I want her to be who I think she is,” Ty said. Cade nodded. “Then maybe you need to let her.” Hours later, after Cade had gone and work was done for the day, Ty lay on his back in the bed of his truck and stared up at the stars. The sky had very little light pollution out on the ranch, and he never stopped marveling at how truly insignificant

it made him feel when he looked at all that inky black full of millions of pinpoints of energy—stars, planets, galaxies. He had no doubt there were other worlds out there, other lives unfolding, other beings who might look different but might feel very much the same. That common thing called humanity might be more than human really, because Ty had a hard time imagining any life form that didn’t experience basic things like the need to protect its young, or the desire for a life partner. He let his mind wander back to the first days he’d known Jodi, back before the pregnancy, before things became so full of stress and responsibilities that the two of them shut each other out, struggling just to survive the whole thing and bring another human into the world relatively unscathed. God, he’d loved being with her. It had been different than it was this time around. Lighter, freer, not as intense. But he’d loved it all the same. Loved watching her talk to customers at Lynn’s café when she worked. Loved seeing the way her hair tangled around her face first thing in the morning. Loved the way she laughed when he held her down on the sand at the beach and tickled her. Ty realized with sudden clarity that he’d been falling in love with her, and if that hadn’t been interrupted, he would have asked her to stay, would have wanted to finish it off—the falling in love, the

keeping her with him always. For five long years, Ty had shut off any ideas about Jodi because he’d had to. She was gone, she’d left him with a daughter, and time to regret the loss of her was something he didn’t have as a single father. But since she’d come back, he’d been like a homing pigeon, returning to that place as fast as he could—that place where he was falling in love with a woman who he feared might be his one and only. “Dammit,” he whispered into the dark as he rubbed a hand over his eyes. He couldn’t deny it, especially not to himself. It was separate from Katie, and yet wholly entangled with her. It was a Gordian knot of want and joy, disappointment and fear. Jodi made everything in his world so much more complicated, and Ty was a pretty simple guy at heart. He did what was right. He never faltered. He loved, he protected, he supported. He wasn’t cut out for all these shades of gray, these peaks and valleys, this fucking chaos that had taken over his insides. But he couldn’t ignore it all either. It was here. She was here. And the fact was, he’d fallen a very long time ago. It had just taken him five long years to admit it.

nother week passed, and Ty allowed the schedule he and Jodi had envisioned to play out. She picked up Katie on Tuesdays and Thursdays, took her to dance and then out to dinner. He made sure never to be in the house when she dropped Katie off, but he also stopped sending Lynn as the watchdog at school. He knew he couldn’t hover forever. Either he was going to give Jodi the chance to be a mother or he wasn’t, and that ship had sailed weeks ago. But try as he might to be satisfied with an arrangement that seemed to be working smoothly, he couldn’t. It felt wrong every time he watched out his office window as Jodi and Katie climbed out of the little CRV and laughed with Lynn on the front porch. He ached when Katie regaled him with stories of the things she and her mommy had done on their afternoons together. Truth be told, he was miserable, and it wasn’t getting any better. The misery made him unable to focus on his work, which was why he was walking along the boardwalk at two p.m. on a Wednesday instead of sitting at his desk at the ranch reviewing feed orders like he should. He breathed deep of the sea air and watched the smattering of people out in the middle of the day at the beach. As a couple walking a few dozen feet in front of him shifted course, his gaze was caught by a head of platinum-blonde hair. His heart

A

raced, and he stopped, watching Jodi as she walked very slowly with an elderly couple. The man had a walker he was using, his gait somewhat labored but steady. His wife had a bit of a dowager’s hump but seemed relatively spry, and she walked with her hand resting on Jodi’s arm, whether for balance or simple companionship he couldn’t tell. He could have easily turned around, gone the other direction, Jodi would have never seen him, but instead, he kept walking toward them, his long strides overtaking them easily. As he approached, Jodi seemed to sense his presence, glancing over her shoulder just as he was reaching them. “Oh, Ty!” she said, her eyes widening a touch as she slowed. Her companions stopped, looking at him expectantly, warm smiles on their wrinkled faces. “Hi,” he answered, smiling at the three of them. “Are you taking a break from work?” she asked “Something like that,” he answered. “Let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Moore,” she said. “They were some of my first clients in Big Sur. Violet, Sebastian, this is Katie’s father, Ty Jenkins.” “Oh yes,” Mrs. Moore said, smiling. “I knew your mother, and Cade used to do yard work for us when he was in high school.” Ty smiled, remembering Cade bitching about the odd jobs his dad made him take off the ranch so

he would have some experience with a boss other than their father. “I remember that,” Ty said. “It’s very nice to meet you.” “Jodi, dear,” Mrs. Moore said. “Since Ty is here to chat with us, will you be a dear and go get me a bottle of water from the concession stand?” Jodi glanced between her client and Ty, who nodded in agreement. “Um, sure. I’ll be right back.” Her brow furrowed a touch, but she gamely made her way to the nearby concession stand to do Mrs. Moore’s bidding. “We met your daughter the other day,” Mr. Moore said. “She’s a real pistol, that one.” Ty laughed. “Yes, she is. I hope she was polite, though. We try to get a balance in there somewhere.” “She was a perfect angel,” Mrs. Moore said. “She has spunk but is polite and simply lovely.” She paused. “We were so sorry to have kept Jodi from her after school that day.” Ty tensed. “When was this?” “The day poor Jodi forgot to pick Katie up,” Mrs. Moore continued. “Sebastian had fallen on his new hip, and we asked her to come to meet us at the hospital. All those doctors ever want to do is give him drugs and put him in a nursing home.” “I’m not going back to that place,” Mr. Moore

stated emphatically. Then he looked at his wife with a tender gaze. “I can’t leave my sweetheart. I miss her too much.” Mrs. Moore patted him on the cheek. “Jodi is the only person who listens to what we want. She’s given Sebastian so many ways to help his pain and rebuild his strength. And she came to the hospital that day and stayed for hours. She had to fight the entire nursing staff, the hospital administration, and the head orthopedic surgeon to keep them from checking Sebastian into a nursing home. She won, but we felt so bad we had distracted her to the point she forgot Katie at school.” Ty blinked at them, blood rushing through his ears, his heart beating far too fast. “Well,” he said weakly, “all’s well that ends well. Katie got picked up just fine, and you’re out here in the sunshine and fresh air instead of a nursing home.” Mrs. Moore nodded, her gaze a little too shrewd for Ty’s taste. “Yes,” she agreed. “It did all end well. Jodi is truly an amazing young woman. Katie’s so lucky to have her for a mother.” Just then, Jodi walked back up with the bottle of water that Ty now suspected had been a ploy on Mrs. Moore’s part. He said polite good-byes and turned back the way he’d come, striding along the boardwalk at a clip that matched his pulse. Fast.

22

A

fter Jodi dropped the Moores off at their house, she went back home. She didn’t have any other clients for the rest of the day, so she planned to take a run, do some reading, and maybe stream a few episodes of Nashville with T.J., who was missing Vaughn while he was on an art-buying trip in New York. As she pulled into her circular driveway, however, Ty’s big truck sat waiting, and she had to remember to breathe deep so she wouldn’t fall apart. Seeing him on the boardwalk today had been torture. All she could think about was the way his touch felt on her body, the tone his voice had when he murmured sexy words in her ear. Now the fear of him keeping her from Katie had faded, all seeing him evoked was memories of them together, and those were painful as hell.

She climbed out of the car and watched him warily where he stood leaning against the post of her porch, all long limbs and broad shoulders. It would really help if he were unattractive in some way. Maybe a receding hairline, or a gut hanging over the waistband of his jeans. But no. She sighed. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on, and that made it all so much harder. “Hi,” he said, his voice low and rough, as she stepped onto the top step next to him. “Hi. Is everything okay with Katie?” He nodded. “Yeah, it’s all good, but I was hoping we could talk. Do you have a few minutes?” Her heart raced, adrenaline shooting through her so her hand shook as she reached to put the key in the door. “Um, sure,” she said, fumbling with the lock. “Come on in.” They made their way into the house, and she turned for the kitchen. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” “Sure,” he answered, although he didn’t sound like he really cared. As she busied herself making the coffee, he rested against the doorframe, watching her silently. Once the machine was set to brew, she put her back against a countertop and crossed her arms, feeling defensive even though he hadn’t said a word. “So, what’s up?” she asked, trying to sound carefree and casual, but failing miserably.

“I heard the story about what happened the day you forgot Katie,” he said softly, his eyes full of liquid heat. Her heart squeezed in pain, and she nodded. “The Moores were the clients I told you about that day.” He nodded, pushing off the doorframe and taking a step closer. “What you did for them was amazing,” he continued, taking another step toward her. Her cheeks felt hot, and she had to catch her breath for a moment. “I realized something the other night.” A step closer. “When we first met, before you got pregnant…” A step closer. “I was falling in love.” Her heart beat hard and fast as he came yet a step closer. “If Katie hadn’t come along…” He took one last step, standing in front of her now, liquid heat in his dark gaze. “Katie complicated something that was so simple—you, me, the way we were feeling about one another—and it’s a complication we’ve been struggling with ever since. I haven’t handled that well. Over and over again, I’ve pushed when I should have stepped back, stepped away when I should have stuck.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and her breath hitched in her chest, everything stopping for a long second before heart and lungs started back up, pumping furiously,

making her wonder if she’d survive this newest onslaught of emotion. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, leaning in just inches from her face, his warm breath fanning over her skin like thousands of tiny feathers. “I should have believed in you more—I should have believed in us more.” He rested his forehead against hers, his hands coming up to rest against the countertop on either side of her hips at the same time. He caged her in, and being trapped had never felt so good. “I only started to believe in myself recently,” she whispered. “I couldn’t expect you to do something I couldn’t do for myself.” “Yeah, but I’m pretty slow on the uptake.” “And now?” she asked, her voice breathy and wary. “Now,” he said, his lips brushing against her cheek while her neck arched in response. “Now I think I’d better make my move before someone a hell of a lot smarter than me steals you away. Because you are amazing. You’re smart, responsible, charming, and gorgeous. You’re a fantastic businesswoman, and the most caring person I’ve ever known. You’re patient, you’re thoughtful, and you have the biggest, most generous heart in the world.” She sighed, touching him tentatively, her palms resting against his abs, fingertips barely stroking the muscles beneath his T-shirt.

He kissed her on the lips, once, twice, then one cheek, then the other, she felt her hips drift toward his, everything inside her becoming molten heat. “I want you, Jodi Morgan. I want you today and tomorrow, and a decade from now. I want you in our lives permanently. I want you on the days you get so wrapped up in your clients that you forget Katie at school. I want her to know if her mother has a lapse like that, it’s only because she cared so much, she couldn’t leave another human being in need. I want you on the days you stand on my aunt’s deck and tell me to get over myself because you know who you are, you worked your ass off to get here, and you’re not going to doubt that, no matter how many times I do. I want you.” Then he pressed against her from lips to toes, and he kissed her, long, hard, with total abandon. And Jodi kissed him back, her heart bursting out of the chains that had held it for so long. Because in spite of the restrictions she’d put on it all these years, her heart had grown and thrived, becoming stronger each day, blossoming into something that had room not only for Katie, but for Ty and herself as well. “I love you,” he whispered as his lips traveled along her jaw, his teeth nipping at her tender skin. “I love you so much. And I’m so sorry. Please say you’ll be mine.” There was no doubt then, no hesitation on her

part, no words of caution. She simply said what her newly freed heart told her. “Yes. A thousand times yes. I love you, Ty. I’ve always loved you. And I’ve always loved Katie. I just didn’t know how to let myself.” Then words faded as breaths and murmurs grew. Clothes were shed, and before long, Ty had turned Jodi to face the counter as he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other braced against the countertop. He bit softly into the muscle that ran from her shoulder as she arched her back and pressed her ass into his erection. “Are you ready, gorgeous?” he asked, his voice like sandpaper in her ears, the vibrations traveling all the way to her core. “So ready,” she answered. Then he slid into her, one hot inch at a time, both of them gasping for air. As he began to pump in and out, her hips shifted in rhythm, back and forth, creating the most electrifying friction she’d ever felt. There was nothing in the world but heat and slick skin. Ty’s chest hairs against her back, his breath in her ear. His fingers drifted across her nipples. His palm cupped the weight of her breasts. She reached behind her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, making her back arch and changing the angle of penetration. “Jesus,” he gritted out. “You’re so tight, so hot.”

“Faster,” she gasped, and he complied until they were both crying out in bliss, her core contracting around his thickness over and over until she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold herself up any longer. But he was there, his strong arm around her waist, being strong for both of them, like he always had. Ty had taken the most frightening moment in her life and turned it into her greatest joy. He’d built a family and saved a place for her even though he had no idea she’d ever come back to them. “God, I love you,” he murmured, sliding out of her and turning her so he could look at her face. Her heart beat out its agreement. “I love you too.” She placed her palm along his cheek, her gratitude overwhelming her for a moment. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “No more tears. Only smiles. No more pain. Only joy.” “Okay.” She nodded emphatically. “Okay.” Then he scooped her up and walked her to the bedroom where they lay, simply touching one another, just reveling in the freedom that finally reaching this place gave them. “You know you have to move, right?” he asked after a few minutes. “What?” She leaned up on one elbow to see his face. “You can’t keep living in this house?” “Why not?” She searched his eyes for some

hint, but all she saw was devotion and heat. “Because you need to be with your family. We’re all at the ranch.” Then her face felt like it might split in two, her smile was so wide. “Ty Jenkins, are you asking me to move in with you?” “Yes, ma’am, I am,” he said in his best cowboy drawl. “And if you play your cards right, I’ll ask you marry me sometime soon too.” “Oh my God,” she whispered. “Do you think Katie will be okay with that?” He caressed her cheek. “I think she’d be ecstatic.” As they melted into each once again, Jodi couldn’t help but think about that fateful day all those years ago when a plastic stick had turned pink and she’d thought her life as she knew it was over. She’d been right, but when one thing ended, other things began. Like the detritus pushed in and pulled out by the ocean, life was constantly turning over, reconfiguring, shifting in the sand. If you looked at parts of it, you could see loss, death, hopelessness. But if you looked at the total, you’d also see renewal, birth, and hope. You’d see an opportunity where once there had only been doubt. You’d see love where once there had only been fear. It might have taken her five years to see the big picture, but Jodi had learned from her mistakes,

she’d fought to get back to where she belonged, and she’d won the love she so rightly deserved.

EPILOGUE

T

he day my parents got married was the happiest day of my life. I was six years old, and the ceremony was held in an old barn on my family’s ranch in Big Sur, California. There were flowers hanging from the rafters, bales of hay for the younger guests to climb on, and a fancy white dress for me that matched my mother’s. My parents got rings, and I got the charm bracelet that still dangles from my wrist. It has the charms my mother put on it when she was growing up, and now it has others I’ve added. My very favorite, though, is the baby rattle she added the day I was born. I didn’t see her again for years after that, but she wore the bracelet every day and looked at that rattle because, in her heart, she never left me. A lot of people ask how I have such a close relationship with my mom since she wasn’t around

those first five years of my life. They think she abandoned me and wonder how I could ever forgive her for that. But before she came back, my dad used to tell me she loved me so much, she gave me to the best dad in the world while she went to make things better. And he was right. Over the years, she’s talked to me a lot about what she went through when she was a kid, why it was so hard for her at twenty-two to take on the task of raising an infant. My mom grew up without love in her life, and she had to learn to love herself before she could really love anyone else. But once she did, she was the best at loving us anyone could ever be. Even at the age of five, I knew I had two choices when it came to my mom. I could be mad at her for leaving in the first place and never get a mother, or I could forgive her and take the opportunity the universe was handing me for something I’d wanted as long as I could remember. I took the opportunity, and I never once regretted forgiving her and having her join our lives. The day she married my dad was the day that made it official for all of us, and it was a day to remember for those of us who were old enough to be there. My cousin Deacon, whose dad is my uncle Cade, was only a baby, so he doesn’t remember it, and his younger brother Rex wasn’t even conceived yet. My twin cousins, Ben and Chase, who are my uncle Vaughn’s sons, were still

cooking in my aunt T.J.’s tummy so, they like to say they were there, but it’s really stretching the definition. But the one person who should have been there and wasn’t was my little brother, Jax. He didn’t come along for a few more years, and while I was sometimes envious he got our mom from day one, I always had the wedding, so it all evened out. The only problem with having been at my parents’ wedding was it sealed a vision in my mind of what true love ought to look like. Watching the look on my dad’s face when my mom walked down that aisle is something I’ll never forget. He’d looked at me with utter devotion for the entire six years of my life, but I’d never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at Mom that day. The vows they wrote together still hang in a frame on the wall of their ranch house. I, Ty, promise to always be your port in any storm, hold your hand even when you don’t need me to, and love you with every piece of me for the rest of my life. I, Jodi, promise to always hold our family in my heart, be present even when you don’t need me to, and love you with every piece of me for the rest of my life. They kissed, and all my aunts said it was the most beautiful ceremony they’d ever seen. My uncles tried to act like it was no big deal, but I saw

the way Uncle Cade’s eyes glossed over when he watched my dad. There wasn’t a dry eye in that barn. What my parents had been through to get their happily ever after was special, it always has been. The problem is, when you grow up in the midst of Big Sur’s greatest romance, you tend to have high expectations in that department. I’ve spent my whole life thinking I’d grow up, meet someone, and they’d look at me like Dad looked at Mom that day. Stupid, stupid girl. I’ve seen a lot of different men look at me a lot of different ways, but not one has ever looked at me like that. Only problem is, I can’t settle for less. Which makes me think I’m doomed to be single forever. My mother says I’m being a drama queen, which is kind of fair since I am an actress. But she doesn’t seem to understand how special she and Dad are. Most men in my life are industry types—producers, directors, other actors. Their idea of true love involves a blow job in the back of a limo and a contract stipulating royalties, commissions, or union-wage-scale pay. Hollywood, the place that peddles visions of romance twenty-four seven, is entirely without romance of any sort. So, I’ve decided not to expect what my parents have. I won’t ever have someone look at me the way Dad looked at Mom all those years ago. And that’s okay. I have a career to manage and a ladder

to climb. Straight to my little gold man, Oscar. Because he’ll look at me any way I want him to, and once he’s mine he won’t ever leave. THE END WAIT! Have you read Selena’s standalone hockey romance The Czar? Turn the page for an excerpt!

THE CZAR

"Smart and sexy, Selena never disappoints." Jennie Marts, USA TODAY Bestselling Author.

They call him The Czar, the heir to a billion dollar Vodka fortune and Chicago's homegrown NHL superstar. But when Mick Petrovich sustains a career-ending injury, life seems hopeless until he sees a blonde trying to unlock her apartment door. Solana Werner spent six years working for one thing--a job in marketing at Petrovich Vodka. While her mother, father, and ex-boyfriend might all have left, she knows corporations are forever, and

Petrovich will never abandon her. Then Solana meets her new neighbor, he's hot, tortured, and none other than hockey's Czar, her new boss's son. But employees aren't allowed to date Petrovich family members, and Solana wouldn't do anything to risk her dream job…would she? Read an exclusive excerpt from The Czar! Just turn the page!

1

MICK

adies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice "L booms through the arena. "In your starting lineup tonight for the Chicago Norsemen, last year's MVP in the MidNation Conference, and All-Star Center, our very own native son, number 12, Mikhail Petrovich, The Czaaaar!" The crowd goes nuts, and I take a couple of steps on the rubber matting that lines the entry to the rink before I hop onto the ice, brandishing my stick above my head as I take a lightning fast turn around the perimeter. When I reach my teammates I twist my outside hip around and tip my skate to the inner blade edge so that a huge cloud of ice spray lifts from the floor as I grind to a stop. I'm better at this than any skater I know, and I manage to send the crystals as high as my teammates’ faces. "Asshole," my best friend, Deke, mutters,

running the back of one arm across his face to wipe away the moisture. I chuckle as we settle in and wait for the rest of the team to be introduced. Fifteen minutes later the game is underway and I'm up at the boards, fighting for the puck against Andre Romero, one of the toughest defenders in the league. He's also an asshole who's known for cheap shots and a penalty record that rivals the worst in our conference. I shove him off of me and manage to hook the puck as I do it. I charge down the ice, eyes on the opening I see between two of Romero's teammates. My D-men have them tied up, and I'm closing the gap fast, I know I can thread this little black disk through the tangle of bodies and into that pretty net waiting for it. But suddenly, it’s like a boulder fell from the sky. I'm slammed hard on my left side, I twist, bringing my stick up to protect myself, but my skate edge must catch a divot in the ice and I feel myself falling as the boulder, which is actually Romero, seems to fall right along with me. On the way down I think about the irony that it really does seem to be happening in slow motion, yet, it's at the speed of light. I hear the ligament snap as my knee twists up under me, and the pain is so sharp and sudden that the wind leaves my lungs in a paralyzing rush. I've got my lips open a bit like a fish, desperately trying to grasp a mouthful of

oxygen, when things go from bad to worse. The impact with the ice is hard, but the weight of two hundred and fifty pounds of Andre Romero crushing me is worse, and the shattering pain that spreads through my hip as bone meets bone is the worst of all. Lying on the ice, my entire right side throbbing with horrific pain, I hear chaos—my teammates yelling, refs' whistles blowing, grunts, the sounds of flesh smacking against flesh, but my eyes are screwed shut, and when I try to move, even a tiny bit, something stabs through me like a thousand sharp knives. "Mick," Deke's voice comes to me and I open one eye to see his face hovering over mine, worry playing all over his bloody nose and the eye he must have just blackened against Romero's fist. It’s strange, but mostly what I’m thinking is that he shouldn’t have taken his helmet off to fight. "You're going to be okay." I grit my teeth as the team doctor kneels beside me and starts flashing his penlight in my eyes. "Not this time, man. I don't think I'm going to be okay this time."

2

SOLANA

“S

ol!” my roommate, Marissa, calls from the kitchen. “Yeah?” “The computer keeps flashing that you have an urgent email. You didn’t log out last time you used it.” I close my copy of Conquering Corporate Culture, climb off my bed in our tiny, shared bedroom, and walk to the living room. “Also,” Marissa says as I enter, “the moms say we have to come to Tampa for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. They won’t let us skip both.” Marissa is also my cousin—our moms are sisters, they moved to the U.S. from Spain together. I’m an only child, and Marissa’s the only girl, so we became kind of a package deal—we might as well be sisters, everyone treats us like we are.

I try to ignore the pang that goes through me when I think about my mother’s move to Florida. She packed up the van and pulled out of town the day I graduated from high school, leaving me to live with Marissa’s family until college started in the fall and I could move to the dorms. Nothing quite like having your own mother counting down the days until you’re out of her home, and in many ways, her life. “I vote Christmas because it’s going to be freezing here by then,” I mumble, shaking off my bad memories as I grab the laptop we’ve been sharing off of the counter and bring up my email. My eyes scan the newest message once, twice, then a third time before I shriek, unable to believe what I’m seeing. “I got it! I got it! Oh my God, M, I got it!” I toss the laptop on the sofa where Marissa catches it before it slides onto the floor, then I’m screaming and bouncing and probably scaring the crap out of the neighbors. “Ok, ok,” she laughs. “Calm the hell down, chica. I take it you got one of the jobs you applied for?” I’m nearly breathless when I answer, hands gesturing like I’m a used car salesman. “Not a job, the job! The one at Petrovich. I’m the new junior marketing executive at Petrovich Vodka!” Now Marissa knows what all the fuss is about.

Her hands fly to her mouth and her brown eyes grow big and round. “Shut the front door!” she gasps. “You got it? The big one? The one you’ve been talking about for two years?” She’s right. I have been talking about working for Petrovich for two years. It’s a phenomenal company—still family owned, but turning out a monstrous profit year after year, and innovative both with their product and their marketing. Hashtag career goals. Before I know it, Marissa is off the couch and we’re both jumping around like a couple of lunatics. “Woo hoo!” we shriek, holding each other’s hands and dancing in a circle like we did when we were little. A pounding vibrates the floor beneath our feet and I roll my eyes as we stop jumping and Marissa drops to the floor where she yells into the hardwood, “Take a chill pill, Herman. We’ve got shit to celebrate!” She stands and we both giggle breathlessly. “This calls for a party,” she says, skipping into the kitchen. She returns with a box of red wine, the only alcohol we have in the apartment. “It’s cheap but plentiful,” she says, holding the box up over her head with one hand and two wineglasses with the other. She pours the wine and we both raise our glasses to cheer. “To Petrovich’s newest junior

marketing executive,” she says. “May you get to do lots of those marketing kinds of things that you like so much.” I laugh at her ignorance about my work. “And may you see The Czar every single day you’re at the office because nothing makes a job worthwhile like some sizzling eye candy.” The Czar is Mick Petrovich, heir to the Petrovich Empire. His father is the owner of the company, but rumor has it that now that Mick is no longer able to play professional hockey he’ll be working for the company as well. “He would be nice to look at,” I agree, taking my first swallow of wine. “I’m not sure if he’s working there or not.” I shrug. “I probably won’t see him anyway. I’m sure all the Petroviches are locked away on some super secret floor with gold bidets and dishes of caviar all over the place.” “Eww,” Marissa says, scrunching up her nose. “Caviar and bidets in the same sentence does not create good images in my mind.” “Sorry. Think about Mick Petrovich again, that’ll clear your mental palette.” She sighs. “Ah, yes. Those legs, that chest, the ass.” She sighs as she takes a sip of wine. “You have to promise me to get a picture if you do see him.” “I won’t, but okay, I promise.” “Good. Now let’s get this celebration underway!”

She stands up on the coffee table while I stick my iPhone in the dock and set it to The Chainsmokers. As we begin to move to the music, glasses of wine clutched in our hands, the occasional sloshes splashing to the floor, I think, it paid off—every bit of it. I’m finally on my way to my dream—a corner office in a tall building, a corporate position, a home that no one can take from me. I’m going to be part of something bigger, something permanent. I hug my cousin and swig wine, because this is the greatest day of my life. Petrovich Vodka, here I come.

3

MICK

P

etrovich Vodka is one of my least favorite places in the world. Which is why I avoid it like the plague. For the last five years I’ve been able to use my job as an excuse, but now that I no longer have a job, it’s getting tougher to find reasons not to go to the evil empire my father built from scratch. I hobble to the large black SUV that waits for me at the street in front of my apartment building. The ankle to thigh brace that I have to wear for my knee makes it nearly impossible to maneuver. I can’t bend it, can’t drive, can’t exercise. What I can do is go to physical therapy, and other than one-night stands and a lot of television, that’s pretty much all I do these days. My life is an endless cycle of PT, puck bunnies, and Game of Thrones reruns. Vanya, my father’s driver, exits the car and

opens the back door for me. I’ve told him a hundred times that he doesn’t need to do that, but Vanya’s old school, he’s been with my dad since I was a small child. My dad modernizes what he has to, but the fact is he’s still a traditional Russian patriarch. He expects allegiance from his people, and Vanya, raised in the pre-wall-coming-down Soviet Union is more comfortable in that role anyway. “Thanks, Vanya,” I tell him as I sit on the edge of the backseat then swing my braced leg into the car with the rest of me. I have to admit that this Escalade with all the seats adjusted to provide maximum legroom in the back is a real improvement over my Aston Martin for the time being. After Vanya climbs into the driver’s seat he looks at me in the rearview mirror. “Your father asks that you call him, Mr. Petrovich.” I sigh. I’ve been avoiding my dad for days now, but I can’t in front of Vanya, it would look bad and undermine my dad’s authority. He knows this, hence the reason he used Vanya to get to me. Fuck. “Thanks,” I say as I take my phone out of my pocket and hit Dad’s speed dial number. “Mikhail,” my dad answers. “Hi. Vanya said you needed to speak to me?” “How is the therapy going?” I shift on the seat and look out the window,

knowing what’s coming and wishing he’d just get to it already. “It’s fine, Dad. Everything’s on schedule, no surprises so far. The new hip joint is stiff, but that’s better than if it were too loose. The ACL is healing like it’s supposed to.” “Good. So you’ll be out of the brace in one month?” He’s being disingenuous. I’m sure he has the exact date I can take the brace off entered in his calendar—probably with little stars and dollar signs drawn around it. “Yeah, just about a month.” “This is good. I have maintenance working on your office space now. The northwest corner suite, it has a small conference room attached and a full bathroom. Also, if you will have your physical therapist call me, I will make sure the building gym has any equipment you need installed. That way you can keep up with your rehabilitation.” My heart rate picks up and I struggle to stay in control of the tone and volume of my voice. “We’ve discussed this already, I’m not coming to work for the company.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” my father scoffs. “You can’t play hockey anymore, this has always been our plan. Once you retired from hockey you would become the vice president of public relations. This is your destiny. It is past time for you to start taking

a daily role in your company.” Then he digs the knife in deep and twists. “I will not be here forever to run it for you.” Because here’s the thing, my father doesn’t consider Petrovich Vodka to be his company. He sees himself as the steward who is maintaining it for my brother and me. Everything he does is for us, which only makes things that much more difficult since I hate Petrovich Vodka. Everything about it. It stole my family from me, and I’d rather die than work there. But I don’t feel like fighting with my father today so I pretty much brush him off. “Ok, I’ll think about it. Have you talked to Dmitri this week?” Because every good sibling knows that the easiest way to get a parent off your back is to deflect to your moody younger brother. “I had Katerina bring him food and she says he is locked in his studio painting like a madman. I’ll never understand how he can spend days on end doing nothing but slapping paint on canvases. But I commissioned him to paint a new piece for the lobby. Big. Twelve feet high. It will hang near the photo of you on the Olympic podium, and then everyone will know exactly who Petrovich is when they enter the building.” My father is nothing if not enthusiastic about his sons. He doesn’t understand us, but he’s always proud of us.

“I’ll call Dmitri and check up on him, make sure he’s remembering to sleep and eat. But we’re almost to my PT appointment, Dad, I’d better go.” We end the call and I sigh as I lean back against the leather seats. I’m tired of battling my father. And while I love him, the fact is that he’s never understood me, and isn’t too great at listening to me. He’s Russian, so of course he supported me when I played hockey, but the rest of the time he bulldozed through whatever wishes or hopes I might have had. He spent the majority of my childhood at work, building the corporation that he is determined Dmitri and I will take over, though neither one of us wants it. Him, because he loves his art and his freedom—me, because I know how our mother died. Dmitri is too young to remember the days when our mother was alive. What things were like when she was still functional, before the constant tastings and corporate cocktail parties, and free samples of booze took hold of her and ate away at her soul until she was nothing but a shell of a human being. But while Dmitri doesn’t remember, I do, and because of it, alcohol is the very last business I will ever work in. I have, in fact, refused to take money from my father at all since I entered the draft and went into the NHL my senior year in college. It all sits in a massive trust fund for me anyway. But without hockey, who am I, and what am I

doing with the rest of my life? It’s a question that haunts me day in and day out, and one that spreads a blanket of darkness over my soul. Because the idea of spending the next forty some odd years sitting in an office in the Petrovich building crushes me. Absolutely and completely crushes me. I can’t imagine anything more soul sucking, mind numbing, and heart wrenching than a corporate life at Petrovich Vodka. Unfortunately, I don’t have another plan. And my time is running out.

4

SOLANA

M

arissa would be thrilled, because my new office is full of Mikhail Petrovich. His picture is in the lobby, his hockey jerseys are hanging on the walls, along with newspaper clippings and trophies. I was so nervous when I interviewed here that I didn’t notice the décor, but now as I’m shown around by my new boss I realize that the corporate offices are nothing but modern art and The Czar. “And here’s the ninth floor staff lounge,” Adrienne says. I smile. Focus, Solana. “This is nice,” I comment mildly as we move through the kitchen area and on to the hallway that leads back to my new cubicle outside of Adrienne’s hard-walled office. “Well, it’s nothing compared to the executive

suites on the top floor, but it’s okay.” I knew I was right—gold bidets. I’ve gotten the impression this morning that Adrienne lusts after an executive position. She mentions the top floor of the building frequently and when we passed by one of the VPs in the lobby her eyes literally glowed when he said hello to her. “There’s a lot of stuff around about Mick Petrovich,” I say, finally letting my rogue thoughts work their way out of my mouth. Adrienne’s eyes go glassy almost instantly. “Oh, he’s such a role model to the employees here. Mr. Petrovich likes to keep all of Mick’s accomplishments front and center so the staff are reminded about the company’s values.” Okay, I’ll bite. “Maybe you should tell me those values again? So I can have them in mind when I start working on the new Olympics campaign.” Adrienne looks at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “They’re right there in the lobby. And you know if you’re going to work here you should probably memorize those pretty fast.” She continues on down the hall, her stiletto heels digging into the carpet at every step. I’m guessing that she doesn’t know what the company values are, so that’s a dead end. But, my mind is still fixating on the Czar, hot piece of eye candy that he is. “So, does Mick Petrovich spend much time

here?” I ask next. We’ve reached my cubicle and she stops, turning to pin me with a look of disdain. “While he stops by occasionally, he doesn’t have time to visit with the junior staff.” Her voice indicates that she finds junior staff to be the lowest of life forms. “Those of us in the senior ranks sometimes get invited to luncheons and receptions that he attends.” She pauses and then leans forward as though she’s going to share the secrets of the universe with me. “There’s no faster way to get fired than to chase after Mr. Petrovich’s sons. There was a girl in accounting who saw Mr. Petrovich’s youngest son, Dmitri’s, address on some paperwork. I don’t know the whole story, but she got inside his apartment somehow and was waiting for him when he came home one night. Mr. Petrovich fired her and had her charged with stalking and violating the privacy laws. After that and a couple of instances where women staff came on to his sons here at the office, he put a rule in the personnel codes that there was no fraternizing with the family. Staff members are specifically forbidden from socializing with any of the Petrovich family except for required office functions. We don’t fangirl here.” Shit. I swallow uncomfortably and she casts me a disapproving glance before picking up the stack

of files she left on my desk when we started our tour. “I have meetings to get to now. You should have everything you need. Don’t forget, lunch is only an hour and I’ll need you to take yours at a different time than mine. And please let me know if you’re going to be away from your desk more than ten minutes.” I nod and smile as she hustles off to God knows where. Then I collapse in my seat and lean my head against the high chair back. I’ve worked for seven years to get to where I am today—junior marketing executive at a major international corporation. It’s all I’ve thought about, wanted, focused on. I should be ecstatic, I should be invigorated, I should be getting to work so that I can prove they haven’t made a mistake hiring me. Instead, all I can do is look around at the Mick Petrovich paraphernalia on the walls. Across the walkway from my cubicle is a framed poster of Mick after he won the Stanley Cup for the first time. He’s got the cup in the air, his lips just touching the side as he kisses it. His hair is a tousled mess, and he has a day’s worth of stubble on his strong jaw. I can see part of his forearm and the tattoo that disappears beneath his sleeve. He’s sweaty and it’s a candid shot, but he looks so freaking sexy it’s heart stopping.

Fired, I tell myself. If you’re lucky that’s the worst that would happen. Yeah, no hot guy is worth that. Ugh. I sigh as I click on the browser icon on my computer screen and open my personal email account. At the top is a message from my former advisor at Loyola, Professor Martin. She’s the one who got me this job. She’s been a consultant to Petrovich Vodka for several years, helping them formulate some of their most innovative market share strategies. I’m damn lucky she likes me and was willing to give me the glowing letter of recommendation that she did. [email protected] Solana: I hope your first week on the job goes well. I’ve had a family crisis and need to go back home for several weeks or more to take care of my mother. I’m hoping you can housesit for me? I’m leaving tonight, but the keys are with the concierge at the new building and you know the drill. Ambrose will be thrilled to see you. Let me know you’ve gotten there and everything’s ok. Regina. Regina was my mentor all through my MBA and I’ve housesat for her several times, taking care of her cat, Ambrose, and her many plants. She recently moved to a super chi-chi building in the Gold Coast neighborhood. I haven’t been there yet, but I’m kind of excited to see it. I usually just stay

at her place when I housesit, it’s a good way for Marissa and I to get a break from one another. We get along great, but our apartment is tiny. I make a mental note to text Marissa at lunch and tell her I’ll be housesitting, then I send a quick email back to Regina. Luxury and solitude here I come.

B

y six o’clock I’ve outlasted Adrienne and a couple of other junior marketing staff, so I figure it’s safe to leave the office. It’s important to look like you’re working harder than everyone else, so I’ll be putting in a lot of hours whether I have enough work to warrant it or not. With a company as big as Petrovich I have an endless amount of historical research I can do to fill the time. They have ad campaigns and marketing statistics going back at least thirty years. The more of that I read, the better prepared I’ll be when I get a chance to manage accounts. I take the train home and grab several days’ worth of clothes and toiletries. I’m just about ready to leave when Marissa comes stumbling in the door loaded down with dresses in her arms. She’s an assistant to a designer and often has to bring samples home to make minor repairs to them—

sewing on buttons and changing hem lengths, things like that. She kicks the door closed with her foot and falls forward over the arm of the sofa, collapsing on top of the stack of dresses. “Tough day?” I ask, chuckling. She kicks her wedge-heeled-clad feet and mumbles something into the sofa. I reach down and grab her hand, hoisting her into a sitting position, the dresses still in a messy pile half under her ass. “You’re going to wrinkle those.” I point at the dresses and she sighs and lifts her left hip so that I can pull them out. I take them and drape them over the hanging rack we keep in the corner for all of her work projects. “I swear to God,” she wails as her head rests on the back of the sofa, her eyes screwed shut. “If my boss doesn’t get on some sort of hormone therapy I’m going to shoot myself in the head.” I laugh. “Menopause is that bad, huh?” “Worse. Over the course of ten hours today she cried, promoted me once, demoted me twice and threw a candle at one of the delivery guys from the fabric manufacturer.” “Did you get a raise out of any of it?” I ask as I make my way to the kitchen, grab a stemless glass from the cabinet and open the valve for the boxed wine on the counter. Then I pull out a container of

hummus from the fridge along with a box of crackers. She lifts her head as I put the glass of wine in her hand. “I’m not sure. She gave me a handful of money from the petty cash box at one point and told me I was a treasure that she needed to protect, but that was before she demoted me the first time, so I don’t know if I get to keep it.” She takes an extra big swig of the merlot and visibly relaxes, putting her feet up on the coffee table. “Bless you, prima,” she tells me, using the Spanish word for cousin. “Oh!” She sits forward, eyes popping open. “I can’t believe I forgot! It was your first day. How did it go? Did you love it? Was it everything you thought it would be?” I tell her about my day, which was relatively uneventful, and she listens dutifully. “So,” I say as I get to the end of the story, “really the only interesting things were the five hundred items of Mick Petrovich memorabilia that the entire place is decorated with.” “Really?” She gazes at me with big eyes. “So he’s everywhere?” “He sure seemed to be.” “So did you just sit around and stare at his pictures all day?” She takes a sip of wine, then dips her finger into the container of hummus. I make a mental note not to eat any of that later. Gross. “I’ll admit that he’s gorgeous, and really

freaking sexy, but my boss told me there’s a big thing at the company about not ‘fangirling’—as she put it—over the Petrovich brothers. I guess there have been a couple of incidents where women who worked there crossed the line in a big way, so Mr. Petrovich put an end to that. It’s even written into the personnel rules: No chasing his sons.” Marissa scowls, disappointment written all over her features. “Takes all the fun out of everything,” she mutters. I chuckle. “But really,” I continue as I walk toward the door and lift my duffle over my shoulder. “I doubt I’ll run into him. I’m not sure he even comes into the office. He doesn’t have an official position there. And I wonder if it makes him sad to be there? It’s kind of like a memorial to who he used to be, you know?” Marissa nods. “That is sad,” she concurs. Then she grins and takes another long drink of her wine. “But you could always console him.” I could, I think. As much trouble as it might get me in, consoling the Czar wouldn’t be a bad job to have at all.

5

MICK

J

oanie Sambosa has her head between my legs when my best friend, Deke, comes barreling into my apartment. “Fuck!” he hollers as he turns his back on the sight of me getting a blowjob at three o’clock in the afternoon. “Dude, you need to lock your door,” he grumbles. “Why?” I answer as I lounge on my sofa. “You’ve got a key, and nothing’s ever kept you out.” Joanie releases my dick with a pop and grins, delicately wiping her lips. “Hey, Deke,” she says coquettishly. “Hey, Joanie,” he answers, back still turned to us. “How’s it going?” Joanie is one of the team puck bunnies. She’s

always available to party with the guys, and with a few of us she has a friends with bennies arrangement. Although I guess I shouldn’t use the term us anymore. I’m not part of us now. I’m just a guy who knows the team. “I’m helping our poor injured boy feel a little better,” she coos. I pull my track pants back up, grimacing as I stuff my still-hard dick into place. “That’s nice of you,” Deke answers as if this is a tea party and we’re all standing in the garden discussing the weather. “You can turn around, dude. It’s not like you’ve never seen my junk before.” “Five years in a locker room together is more than enough exposure to your junk,” Deke answers, turning to give Joanie a tight smile. Since he’s obviously not going to leave, I tell Joanie I’ll catch up with her later and walk her to the door. “Call anytime, hot stuff,” she purrs, before laying a kiss with a lot of tongue on me. When I close the door and return to the living room, Deke is standing there, disapproval all over his big, furry face. “What?” I ask, arms out to my sides. “It’s fucking three pm, man. What are you doing?” I collapse on the sofa and lay my head back, eyes closed. “If you don’t know the answer to that

I’m worried about what they taught you in sex ed all those years ago.” He sits down facing me. “Mick, for real. I get it, I really do, but you need to do something other than sleep and fuck.” I open one eye and look at him for a moment. “Why?” “Because you’re not even thirty years old. You’re not dying anytime soon, man. You’ve got all the time and money in the world, and maybe that’s part of the problem. If you needed to get the hell out of the apartment to earn a living it’d probably be better for you.” He sighs. I do as well. “But since you don’t have a financial reason, you’re going to have to motivate yourself some other way, because at this rate you’re going to end up just like her, and I know that’s the very last thing you want.” He’s right, it is the last thing I want. To end up like my mother. The woman who couldn’t manage to get past her own pain no matter how much we all loved her—needed her. But I think that’s something Deke doesn’t realize, something that makes me different from her. If someone needed me, I’d never let them down. Like my team. I lived to keep my promises to my team. And now that I’ve lost them? Somehow I’ve lost me as well.

I

t’s nearly eight pm by the time I leave my apartment for the first time today. I grab a tshirt off the bedroom floor and put it on with my sweats. It’s easier to wear sweats because of the brace, but I don’t really care anyway, I have no reason to wear anything but sweats, so it all works out nicely. I run a hand through my hair and opt to put a ball cap on it, flipping the brim to the back of my head. I could have the Thai place down the block deliver my dinner, but I’m supposed to walk a certain amount every day so I follow the doctor’s orders. I know it won’t ever get me back on an NHL rink, but I think I’ll want to do a few things like walk and run, so I adhere to the regimen, hoping that eventually the plastic hip joint they’ve given me will act like a normal one. As I shove my wallet in my front pocket and dig for my keys to lock the door, I hear a huff of frustration from the hallway behind me. I turn to see a woman struggling to unlock my neighbor’s door. I know it’s not my neighbor, a Petrovich associate of some sort, because she’s short, brunette, and a good five years older than me, while this woman is blonde, tall, and has an ass on her that could star in my spank bank. My dick takes charge and I find myself hobbling the fifteen feet down the hall to stand near

her. “You need some help?” I ask. She jumps, dropping the keys, and nearly stumbling over the duffle bag she has at her feet. Her hand goes to her chest as she looks at me with wide eyes that grow even wider in recognition. Yes, I really am him. I sigh. It can get old. “Uh…” She breathes out, then rallies, visibly gathering her wits and also a little spark in her eyes. It makes her even more striking than she already is. “I think I have it, thanks.” “Really? Because it looks like you can’t get in, and I happen to know for a fact that you don’t live here.” I point to my neighbor’s front door. “I’m housesitting for my professor,” she explains, then her eyes narrow. “What’s your excuse for loitering?” I point to my apartment. “My place,” I answer, one eyebrow raised. Her face goes pink and I chuckle. Then she bends down to pick up the keys she dropped. I barely manage to keep from checking out her ass again. “So, your professor apparently didn’t tell you the secret to opening the doors in this building,” I say as I gently lift the key out of her hand and slip it into the lock. “First left.” I twist the key counterclockwise. “Then right a half turn.” I twist it back a hundred and eighty degrees. The lock clicks and the knob turns in my hand. I push it open and

gesture for her to walk through. “Okay,” she admits grudgingly. “I’m impressed.” “Now that you know the trick you’ll be a pro.” I grin at her, then in a less than graceful move I bend my good knee, letting the braced leg swing behind me, and scoop up her duffle bag from the floor. “Come on, let’s check out your new digs.” I sweep my arm out again, encouraging her to walk ahead of me. I’m hoping that she’ll be too polite to wrestle her bag out of my hand and tell me to fuck off. My gamble pays out when she nods and steps over the threshold. I follow close behind. I’m fully aware that if I weren’t a celebrity she would never let me inside like this. It’s one of the perks, but also the reason celebs who aren’t good guys can be so dangerous. People mistakenly think that because they recognize you it means they know you. We make our way into the apartment that’s the same floor plan as mine, but decorated entirely differently. The floors are wood like mine, but a light ash color, the walls are gray and the furniture is all glass and chrome. A huge black leather sectional is the most prominent piece of furniture, and the walls host a few framed pieces of modern art, the only bits of color in the space. I set her bag down on a barstool and put my hands on my hips taking a look around. “I’m Mick, by the way,” I say, holding out my hand.

She smirks as she shakes it, and when her skin touches mine my insides do a little merengue. “Yeah, I sort of figured that one out. I’m Solana.” “Welcome to the building, Solana,” I say, not releasing her hand even as she tugs slightly. For the first time in five months my interest is piqued, and I’m not about to let the object of that interest escape. Game on. **Buy THE CZAR here**

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Selena Laurence is an award-winning and USA TODAY bestselling author who loves Putting the Heat in Happily Ever After. Her super sexy stories take place everywhere from rock concerts to family ranches, and her books can be found around the world in four languages, at libraries, bookstores, online, and in audio. Selena lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she can often be found at a local coffee shop, hiking the trails, or watching soccer. At home Mr L, her kids, “goldendoodle” and “demoncat” keep her busy trying to corral chaos. A veteran Indie author, Selena also coaches writers through her blog and workshops on turning #Passion2Profession. Want to get to know Selena better? Love advance reader copies of pre-release books? Think it's fun to help choose covers, and discuss sexy, five star reads? Then you need to join Selena's Squad HERE! You can follow Selena at the links below as well as subscribe to her newsletter HERE. And don’t forget the easiest way to find out about Selena’s newest releases: Follow her on BookBub HERE. www.selenalaurence.com [email protected]