by Doreen Alsen
“‘Kay.” He ran off.
“He never does anything at normal speed,” Jeff commented.
“He never has.” Danny scrambled through the crowd of teens. She always held her breath until she saw him arrive unscathed. “I’ll get you your pizza.”
He grabbed her hand, turned it over, and pressed a kiss into her palm. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Right about now she needed a fan. Flashes of Jeff’s mouth against other parts of her body popped across her mind.
“Hmmmmm.” He’d made that noise as well when she’d put her mouth on parts of his naked body.
And she had no business fantasying about Jeff naked when his daughter was sitting across from him.
“Daddy, why are you always kissing Danny’s mommy?”
Jeff froze. “Why are you asking that?”
Beth put a hand on the back of the booth to steady herself.
“You kiss her,” Cookie pointed to Beth with her finger. “All the time and you never kiss my mommy any more. It makes me sad.”
Jeff glanced at Beth before turning all his attention to Cookie. “First, it’s not polite to point. Please say you’re sorry to Beth.”
“Sorry,” she muttered without looking up.
“It’s okay.” Beth sat on the bench again.
“Now second, you know your mom and I got a divorce. Do you remember what that is?”
“It means you’re not married any more and you don’t live with Mommy and me. But I want you to live with me and Mommy again! I want you to kiss my mommy.”
Beth had to tell herself to breathe. Given how smoothly the evening had gone so far, this came way out of left field.
Jeff stroked a hand over his daughter’s hair. “I’m sorry but that’s just not going to happen. I have to live here in Lobster Cove now because this is where my job is. Do you understand?”
She sighed. “I guess so. I still don’t like it when you kiss Danny’s mommy.”
Jeff looked at Beth, his gaze filled with chagrin. “I’m sorry that you don’t like it, but I’m still going to kiss Beth.”
Cookie turned to face Beth, her face filled with anger.
Time to get out of Dodge. “I’ll be right back with your pizza.”
****
Beth had just settled herself into bed with a cup of chamomile tea and Scarlette LaFlamme’s latest, when the phone rang.
Jeff. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “I’m sorry about Cookie tonight.”
“You can’t control her feelings. I think it’s natural for her to resent me and Danny. It’s going to take some time for her to come around.”
“I know. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.” He coughed. “I don’t think Katie is helping matters. Cookie spent a lot of time on the phone with her tonight before she went to bed, but I don’t know.”
“It’ll get better the more she gets used to me and Danny.”
“What are you up to?”
Smiling, she said, “Are you changing the subject?”
“Maybe. So what’re you doing there, Bethy?”
“I’m in bed with a book and a cup of tea.”
“Wish I was there with you.” His voice got low and husky. “I think I’d try to make you lose interest in that book.”
“Oh really?” She leaned back against the pile of pillows behind her.
“What are you wearing?”
She looked down at her usual bedtime ensemble, an extra large Maggie’s Diner tee shirt, a pair of blue pajama pants with small red flowers on them and a thick, soft pair of socks. “Let me see. A very skimpy black silk and lace teddy and a very, very skimpy black lace thong,” she purred.
She’d never worn a thong in her life, but he didn’t have to know that.
“Hmmmmm. I wish I was there to see you.”
“Me too.”
“You know what I’d do?”
She swallowed. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“I’d slip that teddy off you and kiss your breasts. I’d tease your nipples until they turned into tight little points. Think you’d like that?”
“Eep!”
He chuckled. “Then I’d kiss my way down your body and use my lips and tongue, my teeth maybe, to make you so crazy for me you’ll beg.”
She licked her lips, her skin quivering as she imagined him pleasuring her with his lips, tongue and teeth. Her breath hitched in her lungs.
“After I’d made you come at least a couple of times I’d thrust deep inside you and make us both very happy.”
Oh, boy. And she thought Scarlette LaFlamme was steamy!
“What do you think of that?”
“Um, I’m pretty much in favor of it all.” Her mouth went dry. “I need a glass of water to cool down.”
He chuckled. “And I think I need a cold shower. Will you dream about me tonight?”
“You know I will.”
“Good because I’m going to be dreaming about you.”
“Oh, Jeff.”
“Gotta go. See you in the morning. Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams.”
After they hung up Beth stared at the cover of The Duke’s Desire. Maybe Jeff should be writing these books. There had to be some men who wrote romance novels.
Right?
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much food,” Jeff said as he walked along with Beth and the kids through downtown Lobster Cove. “Do they do this every year?”
“The Harvest of the Sea just gets bigger every year.” Beth waved to her friend Anita, the one who used to drop Danny off and pick him up before Jeff knew the kid was his son.
Speaking of Danny
“Mom! Can I go jigging for tinker mackerel with Ben?”
“Not right now. You need to stay with us and keep Cookie company. You’re the only kid here she knows.”
Cookie, ever the drama queen, sniffed noisily. Danny’s chin jutted out. “But the contest will be over!”
“You don’t even have your fishing pole and mackerel lure,” Beth pointed out.
“But Mom—”
“Don’t ‘but mom’ me. We’re going to the lobster boil for supper after we check out all the other contests.”
Sliding his gaze to Jeff, Danny opened his mouth. “Don’t even think of asking me to contradict your mother,” Jeff warned.
Danny glared at Cookie. He muttered something under his breath and Jeff was pretty sure the word stupid figured large in it.
“I don’t like lobster,” Cookie said.
“I’m sure they’ll have something you like.”
“They always do.” Beth smiled at Cookie who didn’t return the favor.
Great. Just great.
What happened to the civil child he’d picked up yesterday?
They wandered through the crowd checking out all the exhibits lining the street. He bought a stuffed Lionel Lobster for Cookie, bright red with big black bugged out eyes. Danny proclaimed it was for babies, but Beth shut that down right away.
They tasted clam chowder, cranberry relish, beach plum jam, chowed down on lobster shaped cookies from Sweet Bea’s, sampled blueberry pie and enjoyed the street performers.
At least, Jeff thought, he and Beth did all that. Danny sulked and kept sending meaningful glances toward the pier where the tinker mackerel derby was happening. Cookie apparently had lost all interest in food, but she did want to get her face painted.
“This is the last year for the beach plum jam contest.” Beth turned, a jar of the stuff in her hand. “It’s an endangered plant species in Maine. Only in Maine.” She shrugged. “Who knows?”
“I didn’t know that.” Jeff watched Cookie getting a rainbow painted on her face.
“Mom, please let me go to the tinker mackerel derby! Just for a minute. I’ll come right back, I promise!”
“Danny.” She took her son’s hands. “You’re the big brother. You need to get to know Cookie.”
He pul
led his hands out of hers. “Whatever.” He jammed his hands into the front pouch of his Sharks hoodie and slinnked off.
Jeff decided to intervene. “Beth, I think it’ll be okay if we cut him loose for a little bit.”
“But Cookie won’t have anyone to play with.”
“Do you see the two of them doing any playing?”
“I don’t want him going off and deliberately lose track of time.”
“Good point.” Light bulb moment! “I’ll go with him. That way I can keep him on track and you can have some alone time with Cookie so she can get to know you.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Jeff. She already resents me. She’s here to visit with you.”
Jeff frowned. He’d wanted to hold her hand all day long, kiss her every once in a while, but had refrained because of Cookie. “She needs to get used to you. Spending time with her is the best way to fix that.”
“I don’t know. She seems to get more hostile by the minute.”
“Come on. It’ll be fine. It’ll be beyond fine. It’ll be awesome.” He put on his best ‘you know you want to’ smile.
She huffed. “Okay, I suppose. Don’t let him stay too long.”
He gave in to the urge to kiss her. “Be right back. Danny! Cookie!”
The kids turned at the sound of his voice. “Danny, I’m taking you to the mackerel derby. Cookie, you’re with Beth. Be good!”
Danny cheered and ran in the direction of Pier Two. Cookie stood frozen on the spot.
Beth could bring her around, like she did when she helped her make chocolate milk back at his mother’s house. Cookie’d come around that time. Beth had a knack.
Right now he had to catch up with the blur that was his son.
****
Cookie stood in front of the face-painting booth like she’d grown roots into the pavement that went all the way to China. The bright rainbow on the side of her face became more obvious as she grew paler and paler.
Beth cringed. This kid did not want to like her.
There was very little of Jeff in her. She was all Katie. Memories of Katie when she’d been Cookie’s age, when she’d been Beth’s best friend flooded her memory. She shoved back the pangs of regret and loss. “So Cookie, where do you want to go next?”
“Where did Daddy go?”
“He’s taking Danny to watch his friend Ben compete in the tinker mackerel derby, so we girls are on our own. What do you want to do next?”
She hitched up one shoulder. “Dunno.”
Beth looked around. Ah ha! “Let’s go get you a balloon hat.”
Cookie blinked at her then shrugged one shoulder again. The other one. So the girl was an ambidextrous shoulder-shrugger. Cool. We all had our talents.
Dealing with a sullen six years old diva was not one of Beth’s, yet here she was.
“I bet we can get the guy to make you a pink balloon swan. I’ll get one, too.”
“Swans aren’t pink.”
“I imagine he’ll make you a swan in any color you want.”
Both shoulders went up. Would wonders ever cease?
She had to stop it. Cookie was confused and upset and it was no joke. “He has some balloons that are iridescent. Those would make a magnificent swan.”
Cookie gave her the stink eye. “What’s iridescent?”
“The balloon is clear but it has hints of color in it.” You’re talking to a six-year-old Beth. Get a grip. “Like when you blow soap bubbles.”
More silence. The back of Beth’s head started to itch.
“I guess that would make a beautiful swan.” A wistfulness came into Cookie’s eyes. “I think it would.” Beth made a decision. “Swan Lake was your mother’s favorite ballet.”
“I know. It’s my favorite too.”
Now we’re cooking with gas. “She’d play the record and make me dance around with her, even though I didn’t have an ounce of grace. Still don’t.” Beth had an acute sense of rhythm. Too bad her feet decided not to share it.
“She dances with me. I like it.”
She thought about playing piano duets with Danny, the kid hell-bent on never touching a piano again. “I bet. I bet your mom is really proud of you.
“She is. She tells me all the time. Everyone is proud of me.” Cookie had a very smug smile on her face.
“I know your dad is proud of you too.”
Clouds descended onto Cookie’s expression again. “Then why did he go with Danny and not me?”
“He’s proud of both of you.” Beth stopped in her tracks, knelt in front of her and put her hands on Cookie’s upper arms. “Your father adores you. He loves you very much.”
“I know.”
Good-bye clouds. Hello Rainbow Bright. Cookie lit up.
Beth stood. “So let’s go get you a swan hat.”
Cookie peered at her. “Can we get one for my mommy too?”
“Of course. Whatever you want.” Beth doubted Katie would wear an iridescent balloon hat that had been twisted to represent a swan. “It’ll be a nice present to take back to her.”
Cookie tossed the stuffed Lionel the Lobster they’d bought her earlier into the most nearby trashcan.
“Cookie!”
“I don’t want it any more.”
Beth leaned against the trashcan. “Your dad bought you that stuffed animal because you begged him for it.”
“Danny made fun of it so I don’t want it any more.” Her smile now stretched across her face, probably because she thought she was getting Danny in trouble. “He’s mean to me.”
Danny was jealous but not jealous enough to torture Cookie. “You two just have to get to know each other. I know you’re used to having your father to yourself. I understand that you don’t want to share him.” Beth stopped. Cookie grudgingly stopped with her. “Your father is going to be very hurt to learn you threw away Lionel.”
“He loves me more than the boy.” Cookie nodded. “My mommy told me so. She said he loves me and her way more than he ever loved you. Someday he’ll make you and Danny go away.”
Oh, holy crap! This was a situation Jeff had to deal with, pronto. She seriously didn’t know what to say. Still she had to try. “How about this? Let’s go get you a balloon hat and then you can do something by yourself with your dad.” She reached in the trashcan and pulled out the stuffed lobster.
After brushing it off, Beth handed it back to her. “There you go. Good as new.”
Cookie relented and took back the toy.
Baby steps, Beth thought. Baby steps.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Beth stowed her wallet back in her purse and picked up the bag holding the shirts she’d just bought for Cookie and Danny. “Hey, Cookie! Let’s go find your dad and Danny and“
Where was she? She wasn’t standing where she was supposed to be. She craned her neck to look around. “Cookie?”
The world spun around her for a minute in dizzying loops. “Cookie?”
No sign of her.
“Have you seen the little girl who was standing here just a minute ago?” She grabbed the arm of a woman with several kids who stood nearby.
“Blonde? Pink jacket? She was here.” The woman turned around.
“I’ve got to find her!” Nearly hyperventilating, Beth dropped the bag with the shirts and slapped her hand against her chest. “What if someone took her?”
“She ran off that way.” One of the kids pointed in the direction of the waterfront.
“Toward the piers?”
The kid nodded.
“I’ve got to find her! She doesn’t know anybody or anything! She doesn’t live here!” Little spots marched across Beth’s eyes.
“Go to the public safety booth. They’ll be able to help you. In the meantime I’ll keep my eye out and spread the word.”
“Oh, thank you!” She started to run to the booth and nearly collided with Jeff and Danny.
“Beth?” Jeff steadied her. “What’s wrong?” He looked over her shoulder.
“Where’s Cookie?”
“I don’t know! One minute she was standing here and the next she was gone. One of those kids said she ran away to the piers.” Beth started to tremble.
“You lost my daughter?”
“I’m sorry! I stopped to get the kids some T-shirts and while I was paying for them she disappeared.”
“We’ve got to find her!” Air rasped in and out of Jeff’s lungs.
“I was on my way to the security station when I ran into you.”
“You do that. I’m going down to the pier and look.” His hands fisted by his sides and his voice was rough and staccato. “I can’t believe you lost her! I trusted you to take care of her, keep an eye on her at the very least. Danny, stay with your mother and I mean it. I don’t want to worry about her losing you like she did the night you sneaked out and she didn’t know about it. Jesus.” He ran a hand over his head. “What kind of mother are you?” He sprinted down to the docks.
Beth swayed with horror as Jeff’s angry words filtered through. No time for her hurt feelings. She grabbed Danny’s hand. “Let’s get going. The sooner we find her, the better.”
****
Jeff couldn’t hear anything over the roaring in his ears. “Cookie! Cookie!” He rushed around, legs unsteady, desperation riding him hard.
She was so little! She could be anywhere. Someone could have taken her!
He couldn’t think about that. She was around here. She had to be.
Beth, Danny and a couple of rent-a-cops caught up with him and joined the search. Some of his players on the football team were there and they pitched in right away.
Everyone was calling her name, combing every inch of the festival space for her.
He could lose any visitation rights to her because of this!
Starting to shake, he kept forcing himself to breathe and calling her name. “Cookie!”
If he didn’t find her, he would never forgive Beth. Ever.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The wind started to whip around; the temperature dropped. Fat drops of rain plunked down on the harbor, causing circles in the water. Cookie only had on a lightweight jacket. She was bound to be so cold. His world narrowed around him as he searched every place he could think of to find his little girl.
