She climbed off the cupboard and stood on the stool. “What makes you think that?”
He walked up to her and set the camera on the counter behind her. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, but he wanted to be closer to her. She tensed, and he worried that maybe he’d gone a little too far.
On the stool she was eye to eye with him, and he couldn’t help but notice things about her that he hadn’t before. The length of her eyelashes, the spray of freckles across her nose, and the way one dimple appeared in her cheek when she smiled.
She backed up against the counter, but he didn’t step away.
“You’ll give me permission because you need the money. I’d give you enough to cover the taxes and insurance for another two years.” He waited for a response, but none came. Maybe he shouldn’t have said those things. “What are you doing up this early?”
She dropped her eyes, and he got swept away in those eyelashes again. “I always get up this early. I like the morning. I’m making banana muffins and wanted to get them in the oven before I got ready for work.” She put the muffin tin between them. As if that would stop him if he wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. Because he did. Especially when she licked her lips like that. He leaned down, ignoring the protests in his head.
She looked up at the last second, her eyelashes mere inches from his. She didn’t back away or turn her head like he expected her to. In fact she leaned closer to him. He inhaled her sweet scent. Then before he could do something he knew he’d regret, he clenched his fists and took two steps away. He couldn’t afford a distraction like her.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and to his surprise, spoke to him.
“What are you doing up? It’s not like you have a job to get up for.”
“I do, actually. It’s called photography. The beach is great in the morning. Speaking of, I’m heading out. If I don’t see you before you leave for work, I hope you have a good day.”
He reached around her, grabbed his camera, and escaped from the kitchen. He had to get his head on straight. He didn’t come here to get involved with any woman. Especially one who was responsible for his residency.
He had to take care of Garrett, and no woman, no matter how beguiling, was going to change that.
Bethany got stuck in traffic on the Folly Beach Bridge on the way home from work. She wanted to get home and curl up on her couch with a book. Maybe Hexa would even snuggle next to her. She wasn’t happy about having Jamie in her house, but she loved his dog.
She’d thought about getting one over the years. She had one growing up, but it died when she was in high school. Dogs were a lot of work and responsibility. Plus, she never knew what her money situation would be, and she had a hard enough time handling financial crises with her house. She didn’t want to worry about how she would pay for surgery or something with her dog. So for now she’d use Jamie’s dog.
She frowned. The incident in the kitchen bothered her. Not because he was taking pictures of her but because she worried that something would happen between them eventually. In the forty-eight hours he’d been at her house, she’d nearly kissed him. She shivered at the thought.
She didn’t know how things would work if they were involved with one another. She’d had exactly two relationships in her life, and one had ended after two weeks. The other was awkward and weird and made her never want to even think about trying again. She simply didn’t know how to relax around men. This would not end well, and as he pointed out, she needed his money. That made her face burn with shame. Maybe she didn’t deserve the old house if she couldn’t even afford to take care of it. If something major happened and it needed to be repaired, she didn’t have the money to do so.
She’d googled Jamie like he’d told her to. His pictures were stunning. He took completely ordinary situations and made them look otherworldly. But his pictures were completely realistic. She clicked on several of the pictures, and when she saw the print prices, she knew she’d never be able to afford even a small one.
When she pulled into her garage, she noticed a red Mercedes in the driveway. That wasn’t the same car Jamie drove yesterday. Maybe he switched.
Hexa greeted her as she opened the door. Bethany scratched her behind the ears. She walked into the kitchen and found Jamie sitting at the kitchen table eating Chinese takeout with a gorgeous leggy blonde. She could’ve given Bunny a run for her money.
So much for reading on the couch. Bethany wasn’t going to spend the whole night watching those two make kissy faces at each other. Why would he do something like that after he nearly kissed her this morning? Or maybe she misread his signals. She was so bad at this. Here she was thinking he might be interested in her, and instead he was seeing someone else. She’d been dumb even thinking that. Look at the woman he chose. Bethany wasn’t nearly as pretty.
She didn’t want to know when they retired to the bedroom, which they were bound to do. The chemistry between them was undeniable. That woman was giving Jamie a look she’d only ever seen Bunny give Danny. Bethany would make herself a sandwich and eat upstairs.
She gave a forced grin to the two of them, and Jamie stood up.
“Bethany, come join us. There’s plenty of food.”
Oh, no way. She smiled. “No, that’s okay. Looks like a cozy date. I’ll let you two have your privacy.”
The woman laughed and placed her hand on Jamie’s arm, gazing up at him with adoration. “This isn’t what it looks like. Please come join us. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
Not what it looks like? Then why was she clutching Jamie’s arm like she owned him? And that look that woman gave him. If that was what love looked like, Bethany wasn’t interested.
Bethany frowned and cautiously made her way to the table. This was odd. She might as well see what the woman had to say anyway. Jamie grabbed another plate from the cupboard and set it down across from himself.
The woman reached out her hand. “I’m Annabelle. It’s nice to meet you.”
Bethany took it and then sat down. She dished herself up some fried rice and a beef dish she’d never seen before. She hoped it wasn’t spicy.
Jamie spoke. “Annabelle is my attorney. She thinks you need to know exactly why I’m here so that if people come snooping around, you’ll understand.”
Bethany jerked her head up. “Excuse me? What have you gotten me into?” An attorney was not good news.
Jamie laughed. “Nothing bad. I swear.” He grinned and leaned forward. “I have a six-year-old son who I’m trying to gain custody of.”
Annabelle scooted closer to Jamie, and Bethany wondered if she was hoping to land more than a client with Jamie.
Bethany spoke without thinking. “I was under the impression I was getting a roommate, not a family.”
“Don’t worry. If I win, I’ll move out. There’s a long road until we get to that point. His mother was none too happy to receive the court petition.”
“Where does she live?”
“Down the street. That’s why I wanted to rent a place in this neighborhood.”
“If he’s six, why do you suddenly want to have something to do with him? Seems kinda late.”
“I didn’t find out about him until a few months ago. I called Zoe a thousand times and finally decided to go through the legal system. I saw her a few days ago, and she refused to let me see him and told me he wasn’t mine. But I had a paternity test before I got here, so I know she’s lying.”
Bethany raised her eyebrows. “She doesn’t know about the test?”
Jamie nodded.
“How’d you pull that off?”
“Zoe doesn’t have a lot of money, and so I arranged for Garrett to receive a scholarship at a private school. They got me a DNA sample. It was pretty easy.”
Bethany didn’t know if she should be impressed or frightened by his abilities. “Why not just go after visitation? Custody seems a little extreme, don’t you think?”
Jamie took a deep breath. “At first that was all I wanted, but my PI told me that within the last couple of months Garrett has been coming to school with unexplained bruises, cuts, and scratches.”
Jamie having a son surprised Bethany. He didn’t seem like the daddy type. Though this was all new to him. She hadn’t wanted to get involved before, but now she should keep her distance. She wasn’t great with kids.
“There could be explanations for that.”
“There could. Except a few months ago she hooked up with an old flame. The injuries started after he moved in with them. We did a background check and found out he’s been arrested a few times for assault. If she’s willing to let him beat up my son, then she’s not fit to keep him.”
Bethany nodded. “What’s this got to do with me?”
Annabelle answered. “Lawyers and other court officers may come to check out the house. Jamie paid six months up front so he could start to establish residency. I know he said he plans to move out if he gets custody, but that can’t come out. As far as everyone knows, the boy will live here with him.”
Bethany thought about it for a few minutes. A child couldn’t hurt her house any more than Hexa could. In some ways it might make things easier. Knowing Jamie was there for such a noble thing made his presence less intimidating somehow. “I guess that’s okay. How long do you expect the custody thing to last?”
Annabelle spoke up. “Considering how difficult Zoe is being, probably six months to a year.”
“But if he’s being abused, don’t you want to get him out of there faster?”
Annabelle nudged Jamie’s shoulder. “We can’t prove anything. The school has filed an official complaint with DFS, but they have so many cases on their hands that it takes time to process them. We’re hoping that if something happens and they remove the boy from the home, that he can stay with Jamie. But the first step is to prove he’s the father.”
“You sound like you know what you’re doing,” Bethany said. She fiddled with her food. A little kid in her house would be a challenge, and she was a little irritated that Jamie didn’t mention Garrett when he moved in, but things could be worse.
Annabelle nodded. “I do. I’m the best in the state.”
“Annabelle is also an old friend. We went to school together. I’d lost touch with her, but when I needed an attorney, I called my buddy David, and he told me she was down here.”
Bethany finished eating quickly after that. She needed to process this new information. When she first found out she was getting a roommate, her biggest concern was how she and Bunny would deal with d-day. Now she was knee deep in a child custody case. She almost laughed out loud. This was too much.
“I’ll let you two catch up,” she said as she stood.
“Thanks, Bethany, it was nice meeting you.” But Annabelle wasn’t even looking at her. She had eyes only for Jamie.
Jamie parked outside the school. He wanted to see Garrett, and Zoe still wasn’t cooperating. He was surprised she’d agreed to meet him in the park a few days before. He supposed she was trying to figure out what he was up to. He was a little nervous she’d flee, so he had his PI tailing her nearly 24/7. He felt a little scuzzy for having her followed, but now that he knew about the possible abuse, he wanted regular updates on what was going on.
He’d never imagined he’d come into parenthood this way. He had fully expected to be happily married first. But when Blake called him up and told him he saw Zoe with a little boy that looked just liked him, he immediately acted. How could he not? But it’d been six years. Six years he’d missed out on his son’s life. Guilt plagued him.
Fifteen minutes later Zoe came out of the school with a chubby little hand clasped in hers. He wondered why he’d ever bothered to date her. At the time, maybe she was his type, but now she repulsed him. They’d stayed together for a few months. Not long for most people, but for him that was a long relationship.
The little boy did, indeed, look just like him. His heart clenched. He had Jamie’s green eyes and nose. His hair was blonde and spiky. He was adorable. Would he have Jamie’s mannerism as well? What did he love to do? Sports? Cars? Art? Jamie desperately wanted to know him. He had to resist opening the door and getting out. He had to be patient.
Annabelle told him she’d secure visitation rights within a few weeks. They had to do an official paternity test, and then he should be able to at least see Garrett.
Once they crossed the first hurdle, then they’d go after full custody. He wasn’t confident he would win. He knew how these family things worked. The most he could hope for was joint custody. But if Ray was abusing Garret, he wanted to make sure he had him for as much time as possible even if they couldn’t prove anything. If he secured joint custody, he’d buy a house and stay in Charleston.
If, by some miracle, he did manage to get full custody, he’d take Garrett to his place in New York City.
Zoe and Garrett approached a beat up Honda Civic. Garrett climbed in the backseat, while Zoe slid into the passenger seat. She leaned over and kissed Ray, who was driving the car. He had long greasy black hair and multiple piercings on his face. What did she see in him? Why would she put her son in danger? Maybe Jamie was overreacting.
Just before they drove away, Ray lit a cigarette. Garrett was turned around and staring out the back window. Jamie clenched his steering wheel. They had no car seat. They didn’t even bother to buckle his seat belt, and Ray was filling his son’s lungs with cigarette smoke.
Jamie called up Andres. He had to get Garrett out of there.
“Jamie, man, what’s up?”
Jamie gripped the phone. “I want pictures. Lots of pictures.”
“Of course. Of what exactly?” Andres sounded so relaxed like this wasn’t a big deal.
“I want any and all evidence you can gather that proves she’s unfit as a mother.”
“You got it.” Andres laughed. “That won’t be hard.”
Jamie’s stomach tightened. As much as he wanted to prove that she wasn’t a good mother, he hated the thought of what his boy was going through.
After they drove away, he made his way to Costco. Bethany had no good food in the house. No wonder she was skinnier than a bird. He smiled when he thought of her. He liked her a lot more than he should.
Jamie had just finished putting all the groceries away when Bethany arrived home. He pulled out his computer, uploaded all his pictures from this morning, and flipped through them. She truly was stunning. He’d love to do a series with her, if she’d agree.
He was surprised by how attractive he found her. Maybe his tastes were changing. If anyone were to ask him what his ideal woman looked like, he response would be different than it was just two weeks ago. Short, brunette, dancer. Nope. He had to get her out of his head. She was responsible for his residence for crying out loud. If he did something stupid, and then she got hurt, she’d be liable to kick him out.
“Did you have a good day?” Bethany asked as she opened the fridge.
“I did. What about you?” She gaped at the fridge.
“Where did all this food come from?”
“Costco. Help yourself.” He didn’t care how much she ate.
She shut the door and leaned against the counter, looking down. “I don’t feel right eating your food.”
He stood up and approached her, trying to figure out how he could make things easier between them. “Why not? I had no problems eating yours.” He smiled, desperately wanting her to look him in the eyes.
She took a couple of steps back. “That was for one night.” She looked at him for the first time since she got home. Her ocean blue eyes captivated him, and butterflies floated in his stomach.
“Do you like to cook?” He could cook fine on his own, but he wouldn’t mind having someone do it for him. He liked to be taken care of, and it didn’t happen nearly enough. The women he usually dated weren’t the domestic kind.
She brought her hand to her chest, but dropped her eyes again. “I�
��m a southern woman, of course I love to cook.”
“Tell you what. You make dinner three to four times a week for me, and you can eat as much of my food as you want. How does that sound?”
She paused for a second and pursed her lips. “I guess I can do that. I can start tonight. What do you want?”
“That’s up to you. I’m not picky.”
“I’m going to change, and then I’ll see what I can come up with.”
He went to his computer and looked at his pictures from this morning. He got some nice shots of birds and the beach, but his favorite was the one of Bethany standing on the counter. She made a fascinating subject. The series took form in his head. He liked the idea of focusing on her height. Perhaps she would agree to posing for some shots. Though he’d be around long enough that he might get enough natural shots. Natural was always better, but once she became conscious of him photographing her, they’d lose their naturalness.
She came downstairs wearing a tank top and Nike shorts. Those made her look unbelievably sexy. Her calves flexed with each step, and that tank top plunged a little too low. His heart raced. He was certain she wore them for comfort, but they drove him crazy. Not as much as that robe, but it was a close second. What was he thinking?
She’d make a nice series. That’s it. Then he snorted. Yeah, right. He was only fooling himself. He had to force his eyes away from her, or she’d ask him why he was staring.
Bethany grabbed a few onions and peppers out of the fridge and then disappeared into the pantry. He grabbed his camera and silently followed her. She looked around for a few seconds.
“Holy cow,” she whispered, and his stomach fluttered. He liked surprising her. He’d filled her pantry with snacks, anything she could possibly want for baking, and even a couple of bottles of wine. She didn’t seem to notice him standing there.
She looked up and groaned. He almost laughed. She reached above her head toward the spices on the top shelf. Her fingers brushed the bottom of a bottle. He took a few shots. Perfect. At this rate he’d only need seven or eight more situations, and he’d have his whole series. He would make a fortune off this short, gorgeous woman.
Folly and Forever (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 3) Page 5
