“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 one-bedroom 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.
When 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 laug
hed 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
Ty 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.
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