by Jody Holford
“No, but when I was finishing my social work degree, I did a practicum at Family Services and they’ve got all of those types of contacts. They can connect you with a lawyer who won’t kill your budget.”
His hands tightened again. He hadn’t wanted to do things this way. He’d hoped he and Gina could keep things easy, friendly. She loved their daughters. She was a good woman, underneath the thoughtless acts. Gina didn’t think about consequences…or others. She went with what she wanted and how it made her feel. It had been fine, mostly, until now. This time, Gina had gone too far. Taking his girls out of the state did not make him feel easy or friendly.
“I’m not broke.”
“No. But if she decides to fight this, it could go on for a while. Anyway, they can provide counsel and advice, even if you don’t hire them in the end. Something to think about.”
Gina had no money to fight anything. It was another tension between them—sometimes he felt like he was paying for three kids. Elliot nodded again. It was all he thought about. “Your mom must be freaking out that all her girls are home to stay.” He heard her suck in a breath before she replied, “She will be.”
“You didn’t tell her?”
“No. I wanted to get through Christmas. There will be so much excitement, and I don’t want to put a damper on anything. I want to make it through the holidays and spend some time with my nieces and sisters before I dive into explanations and plans.”
He couldn’t figure out how having her home for good would put a damper on anything. Her family would be thrilled. “With them?” He glanced at her. She was adjusting her coat, trying to get it off without removing her seatbelt. “Hmm?”
“You’re keeping quiet with them. Can you share with me?”
Kate pulled her arm through and he reached to hold it for her so she could tug on the other side. Her shirt gapped a tiny bit between the buttons. Enough for him to see a glimpse of smooth, creamy skin and a flash of purple satin. Fuck. Eyes back on the road, he felt her moving around, his hand still on the end of her sleeve. Finally, she pulled it from his grasp.
“Thanks. Phew. That was the closest I’ve come to a work out in a long time,” she said, laughter lightening her voice.
If the girls weren’t in the car or he had any right at all, he’d tell her that even without working out, she was fucking gorgeous. Staying quiet, trying to keep his thoughts on getting them all home safely, despite the snow that was starting to fall, he waited for her to explain. As a cop, he knew silence could be his best friend when it came to getting information from someone. People felt compelled to fill in the quiet.
“I want to start a dress shop.”
“You mentioned that.”
“I want to do it on my own. Without everyone telling me how it should be, you know? I love my family. They’re well-meaning, but going home means pulling everyone in. They’ll all have an opinion on where and what and how, and I already have those ideas, so I want to make sure I can get the ball rolling before I tell them. I have the small business loan filled out online. I just need to press send.”
She shifted in the seat, setting it back a bit before angling toward him.
“I can’t move back home. It’ll feel like a step back. It’s one thing to come for Christmas but another entirely to move back into my old bedroom and stay. Even for a bit. I don’t feel like the same person I was when I left, and I think staying there will make me feel like I should be.” She rubbed her hands over her face and gave a not-so-certain laugh. “That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”
Elliot shrugged. “I don’t think so. Sounds like you moved away, grew up, got the experience you wanted and needed, and made the best decision for
yourself. Now you’re home and want to start a life on your own terms. It sounds like being an adult.” She nudged him in the shoulder. “Thanks oh wise one. When did you get so smart?” He chuckled, flashed her a quick grin and winked at her. “I’ve always been this smart. You were just too blinded by my good looks to dig deeper.”
Her face went red like the skin of summer cherries and desire curled in his belly. He’d been joking but the look on her face said she had in fact been very aware of his looks.
Gracie’s voice hit a particularly high note in one of the songs, pulling him out of his thoughts. Tightening his hold on the steering wheel, he trained his eyes, and his brain, back on the road.
“Plus, having kids makes you see things differently. Nothing wrong with growing up and getting what you want out of life. That takes drive and determination. And a solid plan.”
“It does. Let’s just hope mine is solid.” He laughed. “I hope mine is too.”
They’d driven a little farther, and the sun was starting to sink into the horizon, ready to give up for the day and let the moon take over. Kate yawned and he thought he heard another yawn coming from the back.
“Daddy,” Beth moaned. Kate turned in her seat and Elliot glanced at the rear view mirror. Gracie was out, but Beth was pale. “What’s wrong, pumpkin?”
“I don’t feel so good.” Shit. “What doesn’t feel good?”
“My belly.”
Kate glanced at him. “She’s a little pale.” Kate adjusted her belt and reached back. “Can you lean forward, sweetie?” She must have because Kate settled back in her seat and said, “She’s warm.”
“Daddy,” Beth said again, her voice low and mournful. It twisted his gut. “Okay, Beth. I’ll pull over at the next stop. You got a bag back there in case you throw up?” At this, Beth started to cry, waking Grace. “I don’t want to throw up. Throwing up is gross.”
“You threw up?” Grace asked, coming fully awake.
Kate loosened her seatbelt again and Elliot switched lanes, heading for the exit up ahead. “Hey sweetie, can you take a small sip of water?”
Beth shook her head “no” through her tears. He hated when the girls cried. Regardless of the reason, it made him feel helpless, like his hands were tied behind his back with zip strips.
“It’s okay, Bethy. You’re okay,” Grace said. No matter what—they had each other’s backs. Every damn time. Fuck, he really loved his kids.
“Oooh, no,” Beth moaned.
Kate undid her seat belt and shuffled around, twisting to reach his daughter. He heard rustling and Grace squealed and then he heard Beth throwing up.
He took the exit, trying not to be distracted by Kate’s very sweet ass, which was practically in his face. Pressing the brake gently, he hoped she didn’t go flying. Her voice was soft and sweet; she was taking care of his kid and that was as sexy as the rest of her.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Grace, stop crying, honey. She’s fine.”
Sniffles and tears were the soundtrack to Elliot finding a gas station and finally pulling over. When he did, he got out of the truck, took the bag from Kate’s hand, tied it, and pulled his daughter out of her belt and into his arms.
“You okay, sweet pea?”
“Daddy, I’m sweet pea,” Grace said from her seat. Yeah, they had each other’s backs…until they didn’t. And then they would again. “You’re both sweet peas. Beth?” She nuzzled into him, her small arms going around his neck.
“I don’t think I’m going to throw up no more, Daddy.”
He rubbed her back. “Okay. We’ll just take a little break.”
“I don’t wanna get back in the car, Daddy,” Beth said into the crook of his neck.
“We have to get home. We haven’t even decorated for Christmas, sweetie. I was waiting for you guys.”
“The car makes my belly mad,” Beth said, sniffling.
“She threw up four times when Mommy was driving us to Aunt Shelly’s,” Grace said, getting out of the car too.
Kate came around to the driver’s side where he was holding Beth. Grace was holding her hand. Their eyes met, and he easily recognized the flash of anger in Kate’s. It was a mirror image of his own.
“Your mom didn’t tell me that.”
“Mo
mmy said she just needed more practice at long car rides,” Grace said.
Elliot squeezed his daughter tight. “Why didn’t you tell me the car made you feel yucky?”
Beth leaned back and put her hands to his cheeks, squeezing them a bit. “Because I thought it was practice and it wasn’t so bad at first.” She rested her forehead against his. It wasn’t hot, but it was clammy.
“Why don’t Grace and I go grab some fresh waters and I’ll see if they have something for her belly?” Kate put a hand on his arm.
Looking down at her, he nodded. “Kate, we might need to stop for the night.”
He braced for irritation, at least a touch of it, at having her desire to get home thwarted by his kids. She’d eaten the cost of a plane ticket and a taxi just to drive with him and get home quicker. Instead, she tilted her head and a smile spread across her face, carefree, like a flower blooming one petal at a time.
“That’s probably a good idea. I’ll ask the clerk if there’s anything close by.” She touched her finger to Beth’s nose. “Sound okay?” Beth nodded.
Grace tugged on her hand and looked up. “Maybe there’s a pool.”
Kate just laughed, grabbed the bag from Elliot’s hand and pulled Grace along with her into the small convenience store attached to the gas station. She chucked the bag into the trash bin, like she dealt with vomiting seven-year-olds every day.
“Sorry, Daddy,” Beth whispered.
His heart squeezed like a fist. Leaning in to nuzzle her, he kissed her cheek, making her giggle. “Don’t say sorry. You okay to settle back in for a few minutes? I’m sure there’s something close by.”
She nodded and he helped her put her seat belt on. He was in his seat when Grace and Kate came back out with a plastic bag of snacks and drinks. She helped Grace get settled and then got in beside him.
“Not only is there a Best Western with an indoor pool down the street, but I also bought some ginger ale. When I was little, my mom always gave it to me and my sisters. Made my tummy feel better,” Kate said, her body angled toward the girls.
Turning back, Kate smiled at him and the fist around his heart tightened again, but in an entirely different way. In a way that said, “she’s a natural with your girls.” He quashed the thought and gestured to her with his chin. “Seat belt, Aarons.”
She gave him a full-mouthed grin. “Do you call me that because you can’t remember which of the sisters I am?”
He wished like hell he could think of her the way he thought of the other two. But his heart and body refused to cooperate; neither realized how much he didn’t need another complication. And though she made him laugh and turned him on, the Aarons girls weren’t the kind of women to just have a fling, regardless of their adventurous spirits. Or maybe they were…how would he know? What he was sure of, was if he were to find out that Kate was up for a short-term hook up, her father and brother-in-law would probably shine up a couple of shotguns. Elliot was barely wrapping his head around committing his life to his daughters. There wasn’t enough of him left to give Kate the kind of relationship she deserved. Not that she was asking.
His hand was on the gearshift and he waited until her eyes fastened back on his. “I know exactly which one you are. Always have, Kate.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. He called her Aarons because he liked the way her name sounded on his lips, perhaps too much. And he liked the way the little “O” formed on her mouth when he said it. Clenching his jaw, he gave his head a small shake. Enough. His girls needed some rest and then he’d get them all home so they could settle into something that resembled a normal life. Until their mother swept in and tried to shake it up again.
Chapter Four
Kate turned to her other side on the scratchy sheets. It didn’t make the mattress any more comfortable so she rolled to her back, staring into the darkness. If she focused, she could smell the subtle trace of Elliot’s cologne, which was a far better smell than the staleness of the comforter she was lying under. After the girls had bathed, Beth ate some crackers, and both girls had ginger ale, they’d settled onto the beds to watch the Disney channel.
Elliot had texted Alex to say he’d be delayed and back at work the day after tomorrow. Kate had turned off the lights a while ago but she couldn’t sleep. Instead, she was listening to the sound of two adorable girls snoring and trying to measure Elliot’s breaths, wondering if they signified sleep. He and the girls took the bed closest to the bathroom, just in case, but getting out of the car seemed to settle Beth’s stomach. Between her mother’s impromptu trip and Elliot’s desire to have them home, they needed the break and Kate was happy to stop for the night if it helped Beth. The urgency to get home had faded a bit in Elliot’s presence.
Kate felt badly for Elliot and the girls. The tug of war that came with shared custody had to be hard on all parties involved. She was lucky to have her parents, who’d weathered their own storms, but came through them together. Kate had gone through most of her life with the kind of blissful-take-no- notice ignorance that came to those who’d never had it any other way.
Her family was all about love and protection. Honesty and caring and a sometimes, too much oversharing. They made mistakes, all of them. They’d hurt each other—they were human and all had their share of faults—but underneath, they wanted what was best for each other.
In Kate’s mind, Gina thought too much about what she wanted—like getting to her sister’s house—regardless of what that meant for her girls, like upset tummies. Kate hated seeing what Gina did to Elliot. He was the safety net, the one who picked up the pieces when the consequences of Gina’s irresponsibility emerged.
Kate was about to get up, tiptoe to the mini fridge, and grab a bottle of water when she heard a distinctive, “Oomph,” followed by a low, drawn-out moan. Her pulse woke up and started racing.
“Elliot?” she whispered.
“Hmm?” His hushed voice was laced with pain.
Kate threw back the covers and turned to face him. He lay on the outside of the bed he was sharing with both girls, who were snuggled in the middle. A night table sat between the two beds and the alarm clock’s numbers blazed 3:33. She couldn’t see his face but she could hear his breathing, which had gone shallow and slow.
“Are you alright?” Kate squinted into the darkness.
“Yup,” he groaned quietly. “Gracie has really pointy knees and really good aim.”
Kate brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I’m sorry. That’s not funny.”
“Nope. Not funny.”
Her chest filled with laughter that begged for release. He took down criminals, busted offenders, watched over their small, beautiful town. And he’d finally been taken out by a sleeping angel with tiny knees.
“You done laughing, Aarons?”
She went up on one elbow. “Almost. Get over here. How can two little girls take up so much space?” she asked, scooting over. His breathing seemed to have stopped, so she spoke again. “Elliot?”
“What?”
“Come share this bed. The girls are hogging yours.”
She held her breath. The waiting gave her time to realize the implications of her offer. Her cheeks warmed right before heat washed over the rest of her body as well. They were friends. It meant nothing. Just a courtesy. But now she couldn’t stop thinking about lying beside him, in bed, in the dark.
“I just meant there’s no reason we can’t share over here. I stay pretty still in my sleep. My knees won’t hurt you,” she said, making light of it.
A deep sigh was his first response. “I think I better stay right here, Aarons.” There it was again. Like she was a pal on his damn football team. He wouldn’t hesitate to share a bed with a buddy, and clearly that’s how he wanted her to think he saw her. This pricked at her pride like a pin against a balloon.
“You sure you know my name?”
His voice was low. “I know your name.” More silence followed, only this one felt charged. She wanted to st
retch her fingers out and see if she could reach his bed. Him.
“I won’t bite,” she said. Unfortunately, she pictured biting him—just a gentle bite—right under his jaw. It would be slightly scratchy, soft, and she’d feel his pulse beneath her lips.
As the silence stretched on, she second-guessed her offer. Why was she pushing him? Maybe because nighttime left her lonelier than any other time. She might be happy that she’d broken things off with Darby, the lying-cheating-jackass head of accounting at her fashion house. But the couple of nights he’d managed to stay over (usually he said he had early meetings, and she’d been too caught up in everything to realize he wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, given his job), Kate had luxuriated in the feel of someone next to her.
She hadn’t known she’d enjoy the weight of someone she loved lying beside her. She’d loved sleeping in either of her sisters’ beds when she was little, but this had been different. Waking in the darkness next to someone she cared about, being able to curl into them and remind yourself you weren’t alone—she missed that far more than anything else about Darby, and she hadn’t even known she wanted it. Someone beside her every night, for good. The sound of their breathing lulling her to sleep.
“Kate?”
Her name on his lips brought her back, made her shiver. “Hmm?”
“How come you aren’t sleeping?”
Because the sound of you breathing and the hint of your cologne is distracting. “Sometimes I just can’t.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“You get screwed over by a guy in New York?”
Her heart screeched to a halt. Dammit. Cops were too nosey and too perceptive. At least, the ones she knew were. “What?”
She heard him rustle and shift, and then she felt the weight of him on her blankets, essentially pinning her under the covers. Now that he was beside her, she couldn’t breathe. Well, she could but all of her air was filled with Elliot.
Light from parking lot filtered through the gap in the curtains, and Elliot’s eyes flashed like stars in the darkness—sharp, sparkling, intense. She fought the urge to move closer.
