by L. P. Dover
“Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I replied back. “I made coffee.”
Roger smiled and gave a thumbs-up. “You’re the man.” He poured a cup of coffee, and came over next to me. “Did you and Meghan work things out?”
“I hope so. She’s letting me meet Ellie today. I’m not going to lie, I’m nervous. I want her to like me.”
Roger slapped a hand down on my shoulder. “Just be yourself and you have nothing to worry about. Although I did hear some not-so-good stuff about you last night. Makes me worry for my daughter.”
I stood and faced him so he could see how serious I was. “I know. We all make mistakes, and I’ve made plenty of them. I love your daughter. I’ll do anything to make her happy.”
He studied me for a second, and then smiled. “I know. I figured that out last night when you came all the way out here.” Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and we both looked to see who it was.
With her hair in a messy ponytail and wearing her pink pajamas, Meghan waved at us. “Good morning.”
Her father squeezed my shoulder. “Good luck today.” He walked toward Meghan and kissed her on the cheek, whispering something in her ear that made her smile.
She opened her arms and wrapped them around my waist. “You ready for this?”
My pulse had been racing all morning. “Of course. Not nervous at all.”
Lifting her brows, I could tell she didn’t believe me. “You’ll be fine. Ellie’s probably going to be really excited when she realizes who you are.”
“That’s not the only reason she’ll like me, is it?”
Meghan leaned up on her toes and kissed me. “Just be your charming self. She’s never seen me with a man before, other than her Paw Paw and Uncle Emmett, so I have no clue how she’s going to take it. We’ll spend time with her today, just you, me, and her.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” her mother said, coming out of the bedroom in her light blue robe.
Meghan shook her head and put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. “Mom, what are you doing? You never have your hair and makeup done this early in the morning.”
Her mother lightly touched her hair and shrugged. “What? There’s a famous actor and pro athlete in the house.”
Meghan patted my arm. “Don’t worry, he’s used to seeing the unglamorous side to me.”
I kissed the top of her head. “And I love it.”
“Awe, that’s so sweet,” her mother gushed, waving her hand toward the kitchen table. “Sit down and tell me how you two met.”
Meghan snickered and pulled me over to the table. “It’s really funny, actually. It was the day I came home. I literally walked into Justin and recognized him immediately.” She looked over at me. “The second I saw his eyes, there was no mistaking it. Anyway,” she said, turning back to her mother. “I pretended not to know who he was. He needed a ride, so I took him home.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I had no clue she knew who I was. I thought it was nice being able to be around someone who didn’t. I offered to fix the fence and the barn just to be with her.”
Her mother placed a hand over her chest. “That is so sweet. So you’re the one who fixed the fence?”
I nodded. “We both did. Meghan helped.”
“And once that was done,” Meghan began, “he brought me to North Carolina to meet some of his family.”
I’d noticed her father paying attention to everything we said while he poured his coffee. “I guess you two are pretty serious then?” he asked.
Looking over at Meghan, I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it. “We are. I love her.”
Her father came over to the table and glanced at us both before settling his gaze on mine. “I can see when a man realizes what’s in front of him. You came all the way out here to take a chance with my daughter. I wish Kim’s husband was smart enough to see what he has instead of working all the damn time. There’s nothing more precious than time with your family.” He set his coffee cup down on the table, and turned a sad smile to Meghan. “If he’s what you want, I support you. I’m just curious how you’re going to be together when you live in Wyoming, and he’s based in North Carolina.”
Meghan sighed, and she looked at me. “We haven’t worked that out yet.”
“But we will,” I added. “We’ll figure it out.”
Light footsteps echoed from the hallway downstairs. Meghan grabbed my arm and squeezed. “Ellie’s awake.”
Everything moved in slow motion. When Ellie turned the corner in matching pink pajamas like Meghan’s, and her dark hair in messy curls, she looked exactly like a mini version of her mother. Ellie rubbed her eyes and yawned as she slowly walked over to us, keeping her head down as if she was going to fall back asleep.
“You guys woke me up with all your talking.”
“You needed to get up anyway,” Meghan said. She leaned in close to me. “She can be sassy. Just forewarning you.”
“I think I can handle it.”
Meghan got up and picked Ellie up in her arms. Ellie laid her head down on her shoulder and closed her eyes. “Ellie-Bear, we have a guest. He’ll be staying with us the next two weeks.”
Ellie slowly opened her eyes, and that was when she finally saw me. She blinked a couple of times and stared at me, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Haven’t I seen him before?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
Meghan giggled and kissed her cheek. “Yeah. You’ve seen him on TV. His name’s Justin Davis.”
I waved. “Hey, Ellie.”
“Oh, my God,” she squealed, jumping out of Meghan’s arms. Eyes as wide as could be, she stared transfixed at me. “I can’t wait to tell my friends at school.”
Meghan bit her lip and shrugged. “Guess there’s no keeping a secret now.” She gently pushed Ellie toward me. “Why don’t you introduce yourself?” I slid out of the chair and down to my knees so I could be on her level.
Ellie squealed again and rushed over to me. She definitely wasn’t shy. “I’m Ellie,” she said, holding out her little hand and doing a small dance of excitement.
She had a firm grip when I shook it; I was impressed. “Justin. It’s nice to meet you, Ellie. Your mother told me a lot about you.”
Still shaking my hand, she looked back at Meghan, and then back to me. “Are you my mom’s boyfriend?”
Meghan snorted, and nodded for me to answer. “I am. Is that okay with you?”
All my reservations were put at ease when she flung her tiny arms around my neck. Her laugh was the cutest sound I’d ever heard. “Yes!” she squealed.
I hugged her back, and peered up at Meghan with the biggest grin on my face. “Ellie, how would you like to spend the day out on the beach with me and your mom? I’d like to get to know you better.”
She let me go, and jumped up and down. “Let me get my bathing suit on.” She ran to the stairs, giggling the whole way.
I stood, and Meghan nodded. “I think we’re off to a good start.”
I sure as hell hoped so.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Meghan
I was amazed at how well Ellie attached to Justin. Maybe it was because she was starstruck, although I wanted to believe it was because Justin was being so sweet to her. “Mommy, watch this!” Ellie shouted.
She was out in the ocean with Justin, waiting on the perfect wave. He had her on the boogie board, ready to let her go. That was all they’d done for the past two hours, while I sat on my beach towel and watched them. Justin waved at me to catch my attention. “This one’s it!”
A wave came up behind him, and he pushed the boogie board forward. Ellie screamed and laughed as she sailed across the water to the shore. Justin ran toward her so he could help her up. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The level of excitement on Ellie’s face was something I’d never seen before. Even Justin surprised me. With Ellie, he acted like a big kid; it was sweet, and something I didn’t expect.
Ell
ie ran up to me with Justin behind her, pulling the boogie board behind him. She plopped down in front of me, spraying me with droplets of ocean water. “Justin said he’s going to take us for ice cream later.”
“He did, did he?” I asked, grinning at Justin.
He sat down beside me and shrugged. “Hey, you can’t spend a day out in this hot sun without getting some ice cream.”
I looked around at the other people on the beach. No one seemed to realize they were in the midst of a star. If we went to a public place, our chances of anonymity would go down drastically.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked.
Justin and Ellie’s smiles both faded. Ellie cocked her head to the side. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s just ice cream.”
“I know that, honey. Justin is a well-known person. If someone recognizes him, they’ll post pictures, and the next thing you know the paparazzi will be here camping out in our yard. The whole reason I was scared to let you meet Justin was because of that. As soon as the paparazzi know who we are, privacy will be hard to come by.”
Justin sat down beside her. “Your mom’s right. Maybe we should keep this place a secret. That way, the paparazzi can’t ruin it for us.”
Ellie fiddled with a handful of sand and sighed. “Do we have to stay hidden forever? That doesn’t sound like fun. I want to be famous too.”
I should’ve known Ellie would want to be in the spotlight. Justin tried his best to hide his smile, and failed miserably. “Sorry,” he whispered, “that was funny.”
Rolling my eyes, I tapped Ellie’s chin. “We’re not going to stay hidden forever. But like Justin said, maybe it’s best to keep this place a secret. That way, we can come back here and know that we have our privacy.”
Ellie nodded. “Okay. But when can Justin take us places? No one at school will believe me when I tell them.”
Justin sighed, but I could see the mischief in his eyes. “She has a point. I, for one, would love to show off you beautiful ladies to the world. Maybe even get this little one,” he said, poking Ellie playfully in the side, “an acting gig. You do want to be an actress, don’t you?”
Ellie jumped to her feet, and danced around. “Oh, my goodness, yes! Can you do that?”
Justin winked at her. “I can do anything. That is, if your mom’s okay with it?”
Ellie clasped her hands together, and gave me her puppy-dog face. “Please, Mommy. It’s all I want.”
I had my reservations, but I had to trust that Justin knew what he was doing. “Okay,” I gave in. “I’m fine with it. Justin and I haven’t discussed the future yet, but I know he has to be back in Charlotte in a couple of weeks to start hockey practice. We could possibly visit him the weekend before school starts?”
The look on Justin’s face made my heart melt. I knew he was waiting on me to make the first step. Ellie jumped in my arms. “Can we? Can we? I love riding in planes.”
“How about a private jet?” Justin asked. “I can have it ready for you at the airport.”
Ellie squealed and danced around, her hands going ninety miles as she waved them in the air. “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe this! I have to tell Maw Maw and Paw Paw.”
She ran toward the house, screaming for my parents. Justin roared with laughter and laid down on the towel next to me. “That girl is after my heart. She’s just like you, only she wants to be famous and you don’t.”
I laid down beside him. “She has no clue what your world is like, Justin. All I want is to make the right decisions for her, and myself.”
“It’s not as bad as you think, angel. Yes, the paparazzi can be a pain in the fucking ass, but you have to think of all the people out there that deal with it. My sister and Dallas, Lacey, and Maddox. They have a baby, and they’re doing fine. Pictures of them do get published from time to time, but it’s all because people love seeing them together.” He sat up, and looked down at me. “You and I can be the same way. Ellie can have everything she’s ever dreamed of.”
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “You make it sound so easy.”
“It is easy. We can do this.” He leaned down and kissed me. “It’s time, angel. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
Taking a deep breath, I sat up and shook my head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Nothing will ever be the same.”
Justin chuckled. “No, but it’ll be worth it.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Meghan
The first week passed by in a blur. Every day, Justin and I spent time with Ellie, and they grew closer and closer. He was determined to take her to her favorite ice cream shop, and ended up calling the manager to see if we could have a private session after hours. He paid a nice chunk of change for that private time, but it was a treat for my family. Everyone went.
Ellie and my nieces giggled and screamed as Justin tossed them this way and that in the pool. My father even joined in, and it was the girls against the guys. My mom watched them and laughed. “He’s so good with the kids. Your father has thoroughly enjoyed his company. They stayed up all last night talking about golf.”
Grinning, I grabbed a strawberry off the fruit tray and took a bite. “Yes, I know. I fell asleep listening to them. Golf is boring, even to talk about.”
Kimberly walked out of the house carrying a plate with my mom’s leftover chocolate birthday cake. She set it down in front of us, and we all grabbed a fork. Justin had heard her talk about this fancy curio cabinet she wanted, so he ordered it, and it was going to be shipped to their house when they got back to Wyoming. He was trying hard to make a good impression, but I didn’t want him to feel like he had to do all those grand things to be accepted by my family.
“Have you figured out the game plan for when he leaves next week?” Kimberly asked.
I kept my focus on Justin and Ellie. “For the most part. Ellie and I are going to fly out and see him the weekend before school starts. After that, we’re going to play it by ear. Justin says he’ll come out to Wyoming every chance he gets. Until games start, we’ll have every weekend.” Which I knew wasn’t going to be much. “Then, after that, he said he’ll fly us to his games.”
“That’s a busy lifestyle, sis. Think you can handle it?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. I looked over at her and nodded. “I think it’ll be an adventure.”
Her lips pulled back into a smile. “That’s what I wanted to hear. He’s a good guy, Meghan. I want it to work out between you two.”
My mother rubbed my shoulder. “Me too, sweetheart. And not because he bought me that expensive curio cabinet I wanted either. He’s genuinely a good person.” Her gaze landed on him in the pool. “Just look at him with the girls. He’ll make a wonderful father.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, Mom. We haven’t even talked about marriage.”
Kimberly winked. “Not yet anyway. It will one day though. The guy’s head over heels for you.” Her smile slightly faded, and she sighed. “I’d love it if my husband made half the effort Justin has for us. I haven’t been able to get in touch with him today.”
Jackson worked a lot, and it was hard for him to take time off. I know Kimberly missed him. She focused on the cake, and picked at it. At least until my mother gasped, and accidentally smacked the fork out of her hand trying to get her attention. “Mom, what are you doing?” she snapped.
She pointed at the house, and walking out of the back door was Jackson. Kimberly slapped a hand to her mouth and gasped. Her girls screamed, and jumped out of the pool to hug their dad, their cries of excitement filling the air. Kimberly ran over to them, and joined in on the family embrace.
Justin and Ellie walked over, and I couldn’t help but notice the devilish smile on Justin’s face. “Why do you look like that?” I asked.
He shrugged, and glanced back at Kimberly and Jackson. “No reason.”
Then it hit me. Over the past couple of days, he’d asked Kimberly a lot of questions about Jacks
on and where he worked. He’d taken a huge interest in their relationship. “What did you do?”
He held up his hands. “Nothing. Want to take a walk with me and Ellie?”
Gaze narrowed, I ate a bite of the chocolate cake. “You can’t fool me.”
Mom giggled and slapped my back. “Have fun on your walk.”
I took Ellie’s hand and she grabbed onto Justin’s. We swung her in the air, and she giggled. It felt so normal, like we were a family. Once we were on the sand, I stared at Justin, pursing my lips. “What did you do to Jackson?”
Ellie snickered, and my attention snapped to her. She looked up at Justin, and he shook his head, like there was a secret between them. “Seriously? My daughter knows what you’re up to, and I don’t?”
Ellie giggled again. “It was a secret, Mommy. I told Justin I wouldn’t tell.”
Justin stopped and knelt down in front of her, both of them trying to contain their mischief. “All right, peanut, I think it’s time I tell Mommy what I did. I don’t want her getting mad at us.”
Ellie nodded. “Okay.”
Justin stood, and bit his lip. “I kind of called Jackson, and persuaded him to come down here. I told him that Kimberly and the girls missed him.”
“How did he get the time off of work? His company never approves anything.”
His grin widened. “Power of persuasion, I guess.”
Ellie tapped her foot on the sand. “That’s not what it was.”
Justin hung his head and laughed. “Fine. I bribed Jackson’s boss with season tickets to watch his favorite football team.”
The look on Kimberly’s face when Jackson showed up was priceless. She was so happy. I didn’t care what Justin had to do to get Jackson here, as long as it brought him back to Kimberly and his girls.
“Thanks, Justin. You have no idea how happy it made Kimberly.”
