“She’s been brought into the twin-fold,” a sweet voice said behind me. I spun around to see a woman around my age, also red-haired, grinning after the trio. “Hi, I’m Ruth. It looks like you’re stuck with me for a while.”
I laughed and held out my hand. “Laurie. We’re new around here, so I’m just happy she’s making friends.”
Ruth squeezed my fingers before motioning to the kids, the corners of her eyes still crinkled. She looked like the type who laughed a lot. “She’ll have friends in Rob and Rowe for life if she can stand them. Being friends with twins, however, is not an easy task. Come on. Let’s go before we lose them.”
“How old are they?” I asked. “They’re gorgeous, and it looks like Katie’s already having a lot of fun with them. They might have a friend for life in her too.”
“They’re eight, and Katie?”
“Seven.” We fell into step side by side, talking while we followed them from house to house. “Should we wait for your husband?”
I’d noticed her wedding ring when she’d shook my hand, but I’d only just realized it was just the two of us walking. Her hazel eyes shone with amusement when she answered my question.
“I suppose we could, but he works the night shift, so we’ll be waiting a while. He only just went to work. Can you imagine what that group would get up to if we left them alone for so long? I’m pretty sure Rob would end up in jail for stealing a garden gnome or something. The only thing worse would be if whoever he stole it from brought him back instead of going to the cops.”
“Maybe you’d get lucky and they wouldn’t know which house is his,” I joked. “If they showed up at your door, you could just deny any knowledge of who he is.”
“Like disavowing him?” She grinned before waving her hand. “I should’ve thought of that earlier. It’s too late now. Everyone around here knows who we are. The people here are very friendly and it’s an extremely family-centric neighborhood. It’s a great place to raise a family, but not so much if you don’t want people to know which tiny dictator belongs to you.”
“That’s good to know.” I laughed. “I think I made the right decision when I chose this neighborhood then. What you’ve just described is exactly what I wanted for Katie.”
“You definitely made the right choice,” she said. “You won’t regret it. Where did you move from?”
“Downtown.” I thought back to my apartment there. “We desperately needed more space, though. It’s been fine for the last couple of years, but since Katie started at school, the commute was a little long and the apartment a little small. All things considered, we needed a little less little in our lives.”
“I know exactly what you mean. Unless you make a boatload of money and can afford one of those fancy penthouses or the even fancier renovated houses, it’s mighty difficult to raise a family there.”
“You sound like you’re talking from experience.” I glanced at her profile while the kids squealed with laughter at something or someone up ahead. Her features were delicate, but there was something about her that told me she was a force to be reckoned with.
“Are you kidding? As soon as the doc told us there were two sets of eyes sitting in my stomach and two heartbeats, Rowan and I knew it was time to head to the suburbs.”
“That must have come as a shock,” I said.
She shrugged, her eyes crinkling again. “It did, but it’s been a blessing in many ways. One of which is that I never have to go through pregnancy again. We’ve got our pigeon pair, and that’s more than good enough for us. I always wanted to move out here anyway. I hated our tiny studio in the city.”
“I was the complete opposite. I loved my apartment. Honestly, I never thought I’d move to a place like this. It is beautiful, though.”
“Parenthood makes us all do things we never thought we would,” she mused. “I might’ve wanted to move out here, but I sure as hell didn’t want to drive a station wagon and pack coolers for baseball games. I thought I’d be one of those new-age, super-cool moms who somehow manages to fit everything into a nifty little coupe and got platters made up for games.”
“Let me guess. You couldn’t fit the car seats into the coupe?”
She nodded. “Not even one. The salesman laughed at me when I told him I’d need something that could fit two. My diaper bags wouldn’t even have gone into the car I really wanted.”
“But you wouldn’t change it for the world,” I said. “I’m willing to bet you don’t even think about that car anymore.”
“I wouldn’t change it for the world or anything else,” she agreed. “But especially not for a car. It was just an adjustment period.”
“I know what you mean.” I wondered how long her adjustment period had been. Ruth felt like someone who could become a friend, but I didn’t want to disrupt the peaceful flow of our conversation by hauling out all my baggage just yet. “You seem to have adjusted pretty darn well, though. I’m not sure I would’ve been the same in your position.”
“Well, the Lord knew he was testing us when he gave us two, but He always knows best.” She laughed. “To be honest, I’m still adjusting. Every parent I know is still adjusting. Whenever you think you’ve got one phase figured out, they enter the next one.”
“Yeah, I’ve started to realize that too.”
“What about you?” she asked. “Where’s your husband?”
“Oh, I don’t have one.” I spent the next few minutes explaining only the very basics of what had happened, still preferring not to spill my whole story to a perfect stranger on the sidewalk on what was supposed to be a fun night out. “I’m still looking for my mom-tribe. Would you be interested? I feel like I should warn you that there might be a lot of late-night phone calls about stupid stuff.”
She took my hand and squeezed it. “Late-night phone calls are exactly what mom-tribes are for. I’ll give you my number. I’d love to be a part of yours.”
Ruth told me more about the neighborhood and the numbers I absolutely had to have. Hers, of course, was one of them. The others were the contact details of the local doctor, dentist, grocery store, and an elderly handyman who could apparently fix anything.
“My parents were supposed to come out with us tonight,” I told her later, one hand in the pocket of my coat and the other clutching a cup of hot cocoa from one kind neighbor who’d thought about the older folks out as well. “They would’ve loved to meet you. They’re going to be proud of us for making friends around here. They’ve been worried.”
“You’re going to fit right in. I can tell.” She gave me a reassuring smile before doing a half-turn to face me while we walked. “Why didn’t they come out with you?”
“Work. Dad owns a garden shop and they got a big landscaping order this afternoon. Mom’s helping out. I offered, but they insisted it was more important that Katie and I come trick or treating.”
Before she could reply, we walked past a flashy Mercedes parked at the curb. I recognized it instantly. It was the very same one that had cut me off yesterday and held everyone up outside the school. The jerk’s plates were imprinted on my brain.
My eyes narrowed of their own accord. Mr. I’m Too Cool for the Rules is somewhere around here.
Ruth frowned. “Is everything okay? You suddenly seem stressed.”
Loud laughter drew my eyes to a house a few doors down, and there he was. He stole a piece of candy from a cardboard briefcase the little girl was carrying.
“Sure. I’m fine. I just got a bad taste in my mouth.” I was intent on ignoring him if we passed by them.
Sure enough, not even a minute later and while we were still waiting for our kids, the jerk and his daughter came walking in our direction. Our eyes locked at the last minute, and he broke out into a wide grin.
“It’s you,” he said.
I tried not to notice that I’d been right about his height and his build. He was at least six feet tall and his charcoal T-shirt hugged a lean abdomen but stretched a bit over toned muscles in his
arms. His dark hair looked every bit as perfect as it had when we’d had the displeasure of meeting, the slightly longer top swept to one side of his annoyingly handsome face.
Those brown eyes had a reddish-orange shine from the warm colors of the lights surrounding us, and they were fixed on me like he was trying to drill a hole in my skull.
How does he do that?
Looking him up and down, my lips curled in distaste. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
An amused gleam made his intense, assessing gaze sparkle as he lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Just that I’m afraid you’re going to yell at me for walking too close to you on the sidewalk.”
I scowled at him but he kept on walking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I watched him go over my shoulder. So you think you’re funny, do you? You’re not, ya big old reason the middle finger was created.
“Do you know him?” Ruth asked, drawing my attention back to her. Her eyes were wider than they’d been before, almost as if she was starstruck.
“His daughter goes to school with Katie.” I shook my head. “We met yesterday. Sort of anyway.”
“He’s kind of a big deal around here,” she said. “In fact, his number would be another good one to add to your must-haves even if he doesn’t live in the neighborhood.”
“I don’t care who he is. I’d rather not even run into him again if I have my way. I think I’d have to be dying before I’d call that rude, arrogant, and entitled jerk for anything. Plain and simple.”
She gaped at me before her lips rose into a knowing grin. “You know, I recall saying something very similar about my husband once upon a time. It’s funny how life works out sometimes.”
With that ominous little tidbit, Ruth waved the children closer and directed them to the next street over. She didn’t bring it up again for the rest of the night and neither did I, but I couldn’t help wondering what she’d meant by it.
He had a little girl, which meant there had to be a mother somewhere out there. When I started wondering if she was in the picture or not, I decided her comment had to have been nothing more than one of those things people say in passing.
Because there was no way—no way—life could ever be that funny. Even if I was desperate for a partner, I sure as heck would never be desperate for him.
Chapter 8
Jacob
The weeks after Halloween passed in a blur of work, preparing for Thanksgiving dinner, and making sure Allie was ready for the play they were putting on at the school. She had been cast as a pilgrim, and she’d been talking my ear off about it all week.
There was only one more week to go until Thanksgiving, and the night of the play had finally arrived. She only had a small part, but I was looking forward to her scene. The rest of the kids? Well, I wasn’t very excited about having to sit through their parts.
Attendance wasn’t optional, though. I had to be there for Allie and I would never let her down. If that meant watching everyone else’s kids to see her performance, I supposed I’d just have to grit my teeth and bear it.
I arrived at the school early, parking near the exit so we’d be able to make a quick getaway after the show. On my way over, I’d stopped to buy flowers for her. It was a bouquet that might’ve been more suited for the lead actress in a Broadway show, but hey, she was the lead actress in my life and she deserved all the roses I could buy.
There was still almost an hour before the show was supposed to start, but there were a lot of parents already present. The building housing the school hall where the play was being held was covered in creeping vines. Judging by the amount of people taking pictures of their kids there, it made for a good backdrop to a photo.
I’ll have to take a few for Shannon later. She’d never stop pestering me if I didn’t. I’d have put up with the pestering if I hadn’t known that Allie would want her mother to see her in her costume. I’d even already ordered Shannon a professional recording of the show that would be sent to her once it was ready, but I’d also record it myself so she could see our daughter acting her heart out without having to wait so long. Hmm. There’s an idea. Maybe I can encourage Allie to become an actress instead.
I scrapped the idea almost immediately. No. Nope. There’s no way she’s ever moving to a big city like Los Angeles or New York by herself.
Several of the teachers tried to sneak in a word with me when I made my way backstage. I overheard one, a middle-aged woman who’d gotten divorced last year, gossiping about me to someone I didn’t know.
“He’s a hot commodity around here. Single, successful, and a wonderful father. It’s too bad he only ever has eyes for his daughter when he’s around.”
I smirked and pretended I hadn’t heard her, looking around for the only girl I had eyes for instead. It was good to know that word was finally getting around that I wasn’t interested.
A friend had once told me that I sounded like an ungrateful, immodest dick when I’d told him that I was tired of being flirted with, but after Shannon left, it had been nearly unbearable. Give a guy a break.
I was trying to raise a little girl by myself, like actually raise her instead of hiring the job out, and I somehow had to fit in working at least fifty hours a week. My reply had been simple. Just because I sounded like an ungrateful, immodest dick didn’t invalidate how I was feeling.
Finally spotting Allie with some of her friends, I successfully dodged several more people trying to make conversation and finally got to my girl. Bowing down in front of her, I lifted the flowers and flashed her a grin.
“For you, milady. Break a leg out there.”
Her face split into a wide smile as she took the bouquet from me. “Thank you, Daddy. You’re staying for the play, right?”
“Of course.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’ll take some pictures for Mom later, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed, eyes shining with joy as she lifted the flowers to her nose. “I love roses. Thanks, Dad.”
“I know, and you’re welcome.” Giving her a last hug when someone announced it was time for them to start getting changed, I said good luck to her friends as well and then went to find my seat.
It was near the front row, on the aisle so I wouldn’t have to do the awkward scooting dance, only to have my knees crushed by the chair in front of mine. I’d asked for the front row, but the tickets had already been sold out.
If only I’d known then that I’m a hot commodity in Savannah. I snorted at the thought, shaking my head as I walked into the auditorium.
Unfortunately, when I’d come up with my plan of being early so I could see Allie before the play and give her the flowers, I hadn’t taken into the account that it also meant I’d be waiting at my seat for the show to begin.
My ass hadn’t hit the chair yet when the first of the lionesses descended, her eyes zeroed in on her prey. Me.
Dorothy Carter and I had gone to high school together, which now appeared to make her think that she had some kind of claim on me. She was gorgeous. I had to give her that.
Pitch-black hair framed her heart-shaped face. Her deep blue eyes were alert and intelligent. Somehow, even though she was now a single mother to four kids, she always looked like she’d stepped out of a high-fashion magazine and had spent hours on her makeup.
I don’t know how she does it. Honestly, even just the thought of having four children under the age of thirteen exhausted me, yet Dot made it look like it was no effort at all.
“Jacob,” she practically purred when she bent down to brush a kiss against my cheek. “How are you? Where have you been?”
“Allie decided ballet was too boring for her, so she’s trying fencing these days instead.”
Her brow furrowed at my blunt statement before she blinked it away and smiled demurely. “Marie misses her at the studio. We should arrange a play date for them sometime. A sleepover perhaps? We’d be there to chaperone, of course.”
She lifted a hand to drag her
nail over my chest, and I shuddered. Definitely not the pleasurable kind of shudder.
Thankfully, Allie didn’t like Marie much. I knew she wouldn’t want to have a sleepover with her any more than I wanted to have one with her mother.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass. Allie’s schedule is so full these days. It’s hard to keep up with everything, you know?”
Undeterred, she took the vacant seat beside me. Her smile didn’t even falter. “I’m sure we’ll find a suitable time soon. Now, tell me, how is Shannon? Are you still struggling to get over her?”
I nearly choked on the next breath I took. “She’s good and no, I’m not.”
She scooted even closer, the corners of her mouth tipping up as she brought the red-painted talon to my chest again. “You won’t believe how happy I am to hear that.”
A shadow fell over us, and I looked up to see yet another of the moms who always approached me at these things. I actually liked this one, though. Not to date, but at least she wasn’t only interested in my money and my dick like dearest Dot was.
Anne had actually been a friend to me once or twice after Shannon had left. She’d helped me out when I had gotten into a bind with Allie, and while I knew she liked me, I’d been completely honest with her from the start. She knew we would never be anything more than friends.
“How are you, Anne?” I asked, using her arrival as a reason to distance myself from Dorothy’s high-heeled foot that had started running up my calf.
“I’m so good.” Anne smiled and pulled me into a quick hug, pushing up on her toes to whisper into my ear before releasing me. “I saw Dorothy putting the moves on you again. Sorry. I tried to keep her distracted, but it’s like she’s got a sixth sense about you.”
I laughed as I pulled away. “You know how it goes. How’s Tim? I heard he’s also a pilgrim this year.”
She giggled, leaning into me a little. “Yes. He’s been having the practices with Allie. Apparently, we’re in for quite a treat tonight.”
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