by Jeannie Moon
“I’m sorry. That kind of change must be hard to face.”
“It’s going to be an adjustment.”
But memories of the torture were making the adjustment easier. There were a number of times he thought he’d be better off dead, and wished they’d just finish the job. His nose and cheek had been broken, and every time he looked in the mirror, the small bump on the top of his nose was a reminder. The more he thought about his injuries, it was a miracle he didn’t have brain damage. But these were details she didn’t need. He got the feeling Lila would have those visuals forever, and he didn’t want to be a broken man in her eyes.
Even if he was broken.
“I came to Mimosa to think. To figure out what’s next. I had no idea you were in the house. And as far as the baby, Tony told me you were pregnant when I called to tell him I was here.”
“Didn’t take you long to do the math, I guess.”
“About ten seconds.” They laughed together, and it felt good. Sharing his story, even if it was vague, settled him. “Tell me about the fire.”
She sighed. “Not much to tell. Someone left a candle burning near a window. A curtain caught fire. It spread quickly.”
“Were you hurt?”
She shook her head slowly. “No. Got out with the clothes on my back and my purse. It was pure luck no one was hurt.”
“But your place?”
“There’s only rubble left. We lost everything. I was lucky I had friends who could help me recover.”
Josie. Lila must have called her when she had no place to go.
Nick’s instinct was to jump in and try to solve her problem, but at this juncture, she really didn’t have one. Unless she considered him a problem, and if she did, she wouldn’t be the first.
“Come back to the house with me and eat something. We have to talk about your pregnancy and how we’re going to handle it.”
Things had been going so well until he said that.
“Handle it?” she repeated.
“I just meant—”
“I don’t need to be handled, Nick. Neither does this child. If you don’t want it that’s fine, but there’s nothing to handle.”
Before he could say another word, Lila sprang to her feet and practically sprinted for the house. She might have been pregnant, but she was still strong and athletic. She was also moody as hell. Cripes.
Josie had told him more than once to watch his latent Neanderthal tendencies around women. He’d have to remember that advice.
Rising and following Lila to the house, he saw their closest neighbor, Lena Vandenberg, watering her flowers.
Lena had lived in her house on Mimosa for over twenty years. One of the original owners in this little subdivision, she knew everyone and everything. Her knowledge of all things Barefoot Bay rivaled Charity and Patti at the Super Min, but she was much better at keeping secrets. She was a nice woman and had been one of his grandmother’s best friends.
“Well, well,” she called. “When did you get here?”
“Hi, Mrs. Vandenberg.” Nick veered to his left and stopped at the bottom of her patio steps. “I got in late last night.”
“Must have scared Lila to death.”
“I did. She tried to beat me with one of my grandfather’s old golf clubs.”
“Ha! I love it.”
“It would have been funnier if she hadn’t been scared. How have you been?”
“Not bad. I get up every day. What brings you to our little island?”
No use in lying. “Injury. Have to figure out my next move.”
“It seems to me, the pretty lady in the house should be right up there on your list.”
She was. But telling Lena that would only lead to more questions. “I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good day, ma’am.”
“Hmm. Charmer. You behave, Nick DeMarco.”
He saluted her before he stepped inside the house, and she smiled back. He was charming and Lila should remember that.
He was also an asshole, and she’d remember that without a problem.
Chapter Four
They’d fought. Again.
It was exactly the opposite of last time they were together in the house. Instead of not being able to keep their hands off each other, she and Nick could barely exchange two words without squaring off about something.
The changes in his life were hitting fast and furious. First there was the reassignment. Then he found out about the baby. Obviously, he’d counted on having some time alone, and they were stuck together in this house and Lila didn’t know what to do.
Lila watched as he talked with one of the local police officers patrolling the beach. There’d been groups of kids making a lot of noise and causing trouble around their little stretch of coastline, and the local police had bumped up their patrols. She’d been picking up a few things at the Super Min the other day, and Charity had been railing at “…good for nothing parents who let their kids run wild.”
She almost reminded Charity that parenting wasn’t an exact science, and that as long as no one got hurt, it was mischief. Annoying to be sure, but just a nuisance.
Nick and the officer had taken that authoritative stance that men often do—feet planted, legs spread wide, arms folded—projecting an air of confidence and control. It made Lila chuckle because they didn’t know how to control the kids on the beach any more than any other resident.
If Lila had learned anything about kids from her years working in a school, it was that they were unpredictable.
Lately, everything about school was unpredictable. Especially what was going to happen with her job.
Refocusing, she had to figure out what she and Nick were going to do about each other.
They were still strongly attracted to each other. Wickedly attracted. Like a moth to a flame. That wasn’t something Lila could even think about.
But then she watched him on the beach. He wasn’t doing anything special. He was just there, and just like the first day they met, her heart raced and her breath caught and Lila felt like she was going down for the third time.
Nick turned his head and when he caught sight of her, he waved. His gaze lingered and when his mouth turned up ever so slightly on one side, Lila’s insides started to buzz with excitement. The man was potent. With a just a look, a sexy grin, he made her want. It was that chemistry which had exploded four months ago when they were together.
The reality she’d faced every day since she’d been with him was that he’d ruined her for any other man.
But she couldn’t lose control with him. Even though he wasn’t going to be running off to some unknown place halfway around the world, that didn’t mean he was going to stay on Mimosa with her.
She had enough problems without adding heartbreak to the list.
The slow burn intensified as he got closer. Once he was right in front of her, she breathed out.
“You okay there, beautiful?” he teased. “Are we speaking again?”
Taking the out he gave her, she turned on her best attitude. “I’m not sure yet. Are you going to apologize?”
“For what this time? I haven’t even been here twenty-four hours and I feel like I’ve apologized at least fifty times.”
“It’s hardly fifty. Don’t exaggerate.”
Bringing his body against hers, Nick’s hand settled on her hip. Warm and playful, his grin was killer, as always. “No? Maybe I have to do a little more misbehaving to reach my apology quota. What do you think?”
Lila was in such trouble. She’d happily help him misbehave and there would be no apology necessary.
“Lila?”
Finding her strength, she pushed away. “It’s not a good idea.”
Holding her at arm’s length, he examined her face. “Okay, but I don’t know if you really believe that. We were good together.”
“You’re fresh.”
“I’m fresh?” he countered. “You have the corner on that market.”
“Hmmpf. I have no idea what y
ou’re talkin’ about.”
Once she said no, he kept a respectful distance, but the fact that he could read her so well was making her crazy. She wanted him so much she hurt. A missing him kind of hurt that would end very, very badly if she gave in to her feelings. He wasn’t the type to stay no matter what he’d told her.
Fight or flight. Normally, she’d fight like hell, but she was tired of fighting—exhausted—so she got away from him as quickly as possible, heading into the house. A pointless exercise, because he was right behind her. Nick wasn’t a quitter, and now, out of the sight of the neighbors, he was a man with a mission.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Just stay back there.” Lila scooted to the other side of the kitchen island.
“Over here?” He patted the granite opposite her and then leaned in. “You think this is a sufficient barrier?”
“I think…” She waved her hand around to make her point. “That if you are any kind of gentleman, you will do what I say and just keep yourself over there.”
Settling himself on one of the tall stools, he leveled his dark gaze at her. “Is this agreeable?”
“Yes. Fine.” It was so hard not to make eye contact with him. She wanted nothing more than to fall into their molten depths.
“Your southern is coming out. I love it when that happens.”
“I have no idea what that means. My southern.”
“Your accent gets stronger. You say things, that are… I don’t know…funny.”
“Funny? I’m not tryin’ to be funny, but if you try anything that’s when my southern is going to give your Yankee behind a big ole whoopin’.”
He started around the island. Lord help her.
“Really?” he asked. “You promise?”
“I cannot believe you just said that to me. To the mother of your child.”
“The mother of my child is a beautiful, sexy woman. And I want her, even though she says doesn’t want me.”
“I didn’t say that,” she uttered on a breath. Damn.
Proof again that she was weak, Lila didn’t move when he took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but while I was gone, you were the only person I thought about calling. Even when I was in the hospital.”
Those words. Those simple words forced her guard down.
“I was thinking about you all the time, but I’m glad I didn’t know you were hurt. I…it would have been terrible.”
Gently, almost like a whisper, Nick dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. He didn’t push. He didn’t try anything else. He just hung that out there between them.
“You call the shots. That hasn’t changed.”
Feeling like she could tell him the truth, Lila gave up a little more. “I don’t know what I want, but I worry about everything. There’s so much at stake now.”
“I understand.” He might have understood, but that wasn’t making this any easier on either of them. “But I’ll be there for you. You know that, don’t you?”
Nodding, Lila gave up what she imagined was a pretty weak smile. “I guess I’m still getting Old Nick out of the picture and making way for New Nick—the one who’s planning on sticking around a while.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, well, remember that New Nick is currently unemployed. He’s going to need to find something to do.”
“I’m sure he will. He’s very resourceful. But in the meantime, maybe we could give each other some space?” It killed her to say it.
“Stay in separate corners, huh?”
“I think that’s best, don’t you? At least until we can get used to each other again. Figure each other out.”
“Last time I was here, it got hot pretty fast.”
“It did,” Lila breathed out, thinking about how fast things moved between them. This time they needed to take it slower.
Nick shrugged. Resigned. “I have a friend who lives up the coast in Fort Myers. He’s away right now, but once he’s back I can crash there.”
Nothing prepared her for the sadness that washed over her when she thought about him leaving. Even if it was the right thing. “Okay.”
“I’ll be around if you need anything with the house, and I’d like to go to your next doctor’s appointment, if that’s not too much.”
“No, I’d like that.” Without any warning, her cellphone started chirping. She ignored it at first, but that became impossible by the tenth ping.
“Someone really needs to talk to you.” Nick picked her phone up off the counter and handed it to her.
Checking her messages, Lila saw what she’d been most afraid of was pretty much inevitable. She was going to be suspended. She might be fired. “Awesome. I thought I’d at least get a week.”
Nick’s hand settled between her shoulder blades. It calmed her for a split second, but then worry took over.
“What happened?”
“A group of parents complained to the superintendent about me. They think it’s a bad example for a teacher in the school to be unmarried and pregnant. I still don’t know how they found out. I’ve barely told a soul.”
“Damn. What does that mean for you?”
“It means I could lose my job. I could be fired. The superintendent has indicated that’s probably what’s going to happen. For the short term, I’ll be suspended.”
The message was from a friend who heard the news through the district grapevine.
They stood in silence, sobered.
“There has to be a way to keep that from happening,” Nick objected “I mean, I’m here. It’s not as though you don’t know who the father is. That has to count for something.”
Rubbing her hand along the side of her neck, Lila had no idea what the hell she was going to do. Every nerve was buzzing from anger, from fear, from uncertainty. “Knowing isn’t enough. It’s not like we’re together. I’m just the math teacher who jumped into bed with the future queen’s brother.”
“That’s a load of shit. Are people really going to think that?”
Lila nodded. “They already do. I had a meeting a few days ago that was less than pleasant. The director of personnel wants me out.”
“That’s not right. Can you get a lawyer?”
“It doesn’t work that way. The way the contract is written—the teachers’ association lawyers don’t even have a response.”
“I want to fucking hit something.” He was so angry. Lila had never seen Nick like this. Even when he found out about Josie and Anton, he didn’t go off like this and he was pretty pissed off.
Lila sat in a chair at the kitchen table, agonizing over the right words to put in a text to her colleague, but she couldn’t seem to form a thought that made sense. How did she respond?
“Don’t answer. Don’t say anything that could come back to hurt you.”
She froze. He was right, of course—there was no way to know who she could trust, but how could she fight back? Her job was her life.
“I have an idea,” Nick said quietly.
“What?” she asked, still staring at her phone.
“Let’s get married.”
Lila froze where she sat and looked up, the expression on her face completely blank. Nick had no idea if she was going to laugh in his face, cry, scream, or throw herself in his arms.
“Are you out of your ever-lovin’ mind?” she asked.
There it was. “Nope. I’m serious.”
“I’m thinking that, when you were hurt, your brain was a tad scrambled.” This was not going to be an easy sell.
“What would make that a good idea?” she continued.
“You’re having my baby, which has caused you a huge problem, and if you marry me, I can protect you.”
“Protect me?” Lila stood, and her long legs, tanned and shapely, carried her toward him. “Do I look like I need protecting?”
Dropping his hands on her shoulders, he kissed her nose. “Actually, you do. Because while you want everyone to believe you’re tough
as nails, you’re human like everyone else…you have feelings. And this baby—” He touched her belly, and heat shot right to his groin; his reaction to her was visceral. They’d made a life together, and there was no getting around how much that meant. “Worrying about this baby is making it worse.”
“I didn’t set out to trap you. And that’s how this looks.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“I know. But you need me, Lila. You and the baby need me.”
With her arms wrapped around her middle, she stepped away and walked to the window. She was thinking. The woman was always thinking.
“How would this all go?” she asked. “I mean, you don’t love me.”
He wasn’t so sure about that, but he knew he cared for her deeply, and he did like her. That had to mean something. He knew a lot of couples who were ‘in love’, but couldn’t stomach being together. From where Nick stood, he and Lila were in a better place. Even when they were fighting, they were in a better place.
Approaching carefully, he mapped out his plan. “We had an affair and fell in love, and then I had to go away on a classified mission. I’m in the military, a marine lieutenant colonel, so it’s plausible. You decided to keep things quiet until you could tell me yourself.”
“Just like that?” Lila sounded damned cautious, which was understandable. “How married are we going to be?”
If he had his way, they’d be very married. Nick wanted her. Even now, having to resist the urge to kiss her senseless was making him crazy. Together, they could heal. They could both heal.
When he found out his sister and his best friend were in a relationship and he’d lost his shit, Lila didn’t tell him to suck it up, she tried to understand. She’d let him rant, and then she took him to bed and made love to him until nothing else mattered. He’d do the same for her every damn night if that’s what she wanted.
But that wasn’t what she needed to hear.
“How it goes when no one is looking is totally up to you,” he said. “But in public, I might take advantage of being allowed to touch you.”
