by Lori Ryan
“Uncle Max,” she said.
“Yeah, half pint?”
“It’s okay if your babies are bastards because I’m a bastard, too. That doesn’t mean they won’t be nice, like me.”
Jake’s throat burned and his eyes stung.
“You’re right, baby girl,” Max said, his voice cracking with emotion. “They’ll be so nice, just like you.”
“And since you didn’t mean bastard as a bad word,” she said, “you don’t have to pay the swear jar.”
The room fell silent again and Jake could feel the emotion fill the space. This little girl, with her temper-tantrums and sharp mind, was such a paradox. Maybe she had been made from pixie dust, maybe she was Tinker Bell herself.
“Are you almost done with the treehouse?” Aunt Sally asked Max, thankfully changing the subject.
“Just about,” he said. Max had been working on a treehouse and a playscape in his backyard ever since he’d found out Devlin was pregnant. The family had given him shit more than once over the project. “You going to come check it out when I’m done, half pint? I could use someone to test everything for me. Make sure I did okay.”
Becca giggled. “Uncle Max, babies can’t climb trees.”
“Only monkeys?”
“And me,” she said proudly.
“Come on.” His mother turned to leave. “Let’s get the table ready for dinner.”
Jake watched his mother walk away with Becca, feeling himself steady a little at the thought of his mother’s experience and help.
His visit to Canyon Creek was supposed to be temporary, a respite while he figured out what the hell to do with his life. Now he wondered how he would navigate the turbulent waters of parenthood without the support of his family when he returned to California.
Chapter Ten
Jake stepped away while Becca was busy preparing for dinner and dialed the Senator’s private line. He’d called multiple times, a sure sign there was trouble.
“Jake, what the hell?” He practically shouted. “I’ve been calling all day.” Todd sounded even more overwrought than he usually did. Sometimes Jake thought it was a miracle the guy could pull himself together all the time to make speeches and dazzle the people who voted for him.
“I’ve been with my daughter,” he said. “It’s not like this has been a vacation for me, Todd.” Jake no longer felt the need for formalities with his boss.
“Yeah, yeah,” Todd said, and Jake could almost picture him rubbing his forehead the way he did. “I know. It’s just—Jake, listen we have a problem.”
Jake sat on the bed in his old room. He was now sleeping down the hall and Becca was sleeping in here. His mom had mentioned painting it and getting some girlier bedding for her.
“Tell me what’s going on?” he asked. What Jake wanted to say was, "Handle it yourself. Make a decision without me for once," but he didn’t. They’d worked too hard on the upcoming insurance bill, which was more than likely what was at stake here.
“It’s that girl who worked on the campaign that first year. Cassie.” Todd’s voice was shaky, and lacking confidence, something rare for the senator.
Jake sighed at Todd’s lack of respect. To Todd, all women were "girls." He didn’t see the difference between a girl in high school and a woman who worked on his campaign. It was one of the things Jake had tried to show Todd over the years.
Christ, Jake thought. How was it that Todd never seemed to grow or change?
“Cassandra Huntley?” Jake finally said. “What about her?”
Jake remembered Cassie. She’d come to work on that first campaign right out of college. Jake remembered being impressed with her drive and tenacity. She’d worked her way through college maintaining two jobs to pay her bills. She was sharp and intelligent, but what Jake remembered the most was the way she had looked at Todd anytime he was in the office.
She’d had a killer crush on the senator. Anyone could see the attraction. She’d worked for them through that campaign but left shortly after Todd’s victory. Jake was thankful. The last he’d heard she was working for one of the largest trade associations in California.
“She’s threatening to talk, Jake. To tell the press. To tell my wife.”
The Senator’s words hit Jake and he went still. What the hell had Todd just said?
“Tell them what?”
“She wants money.”
Jake took a long slow breath and held it for several heart beats. “What do you mean?” he asked on an exhale. His head started to pound and he could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on.
“She sent a letter to my house, for God’s sake. To my house, Jake!”
“What can she possibly be demanding money over?” He knew the answer. Knew it in his gut.
Jake hadn’t ever thought Todd was a saint but he never suspected infidelity. Jake was friends with Todd’s wife, Hannah. He knew her as well as her husband, he respected her. He’d assumed on some level Todd had married Hannah because of her pedigree and political connections, but he’d always thought there was love there, too.
“Cassie was a distraction, Jake,” Todd said.
Of course, he’d call this situation a “distraction.”
“I mean, hell,” Todd said, “I get stressed, you know that. And when I finally do get home, all Hannah wants to talk about is how bad her day was, or what needs to be fixed around the house, or how we don’t communicate anymore.”
“We all get stressed, Todd. It doesn’t mean we find ‘distractions’ to ease the pain.”
“I know, I know. I just needed someone to go to who didn’t want all that. Who didn’t demand anything from me.”
“Cassie’s demanding now though, isn’t she?” Jake snapped.
“I thought she just needed a little money to get her by the first few times she asked.”
“What?” Jake stood up, catching himself when he realized how loud that had come out. “You’ve paid her before?”
Todd’s response was hushed. “Just, well, she came to me twice before and said she needed money. She said she would talk if I didn’t help her, but I just thought she was being dramatic. She can be that way sometimes.”
So much for not being demanding.
Jake walked to the window and looked out on the scenery he’d enjoyed so often as a child. Staring out at the majestic view of Canyon Creek Mountain, he found no comfort this time. “Are you still sleeping with her?” he finally asked.
Todd was quiet.
“Answer me.” Jake bit out the words and it struck him how much he sounded like a father chastising a child now. Like Todd was his teenager gone astray. Hell, maybe that’s what this had been all along. Jake wanting Todd to be something he wasn’t. Believing Todd was more than he was, more than he could be.
“No. I broke things off with her a year ago.”
“A year ago?” he growled. “You’ve been seeing her all this time?”
Todd said nothing.
“Why did you stop seeing her a year ago? What happened.” Hopefully Todd would say he realized he loved his wife and couldn’t hurt her?
“I met someone else,” Todd said quietly.
Jake swore under his breath and scrubbed a hand through his hair. If Becca had been anywhere nearby, he’d have had to write a check to settle his debt with the swear jar.
“Are you kidding me with this, Todd?” That’s when it hit Jake. Todd expected him to make this go away. He had called because he thought Jake would somehow magically bury the scandal that was about to break before it killed his career. Killed both their careers.
As much as he didn’t want to know, Jake needed information if he was going to handle this situation.
“Tell me everything,” he said. “What does she want? What did she send you, does she have proof that you two were together?”
As Todd confessed everything, Jake listened and gritted his teeth.
Cassie had sent a letter but Todd knew she had photos. Maybe more. They’d been meeting for y
ears in a small hotel on the outside of Sacramento. She checked in under a fake name and he would join her later, going straight to the room.
The trade association had fired her and Cassie was demanding one hundred thousand dollars to start up her own business. Todd had told her he’d need time to make that happen.
“I need to think,” Jake said. “Tell me what’s going on with the legislation,” he said. He needed to keep the insurance bill moving forward. Maybe that would erase the bad taste he had in his mouth brought on by his boss’s infidelity.
After gaining all the information he could stomach, Jake disconnected the call and sat on the bed, wondering how in the hell his life had gotten so screwed up. How had he gone from the job of his dreams, a job where he felt he was making a difference, to a job where he felt more and more like he was compromising everything he was and all he believed in?
Chapter Eleven
Lina straightened the chairs in the small alcove of the library, anxious for the meeting to start. She hoped more people would show up this time now that it was in a bigger meeting space than her living room.
The more she’d thought about Jake’s comments the more she realized he was right. They really did need to rally together as a cohesive group. Hopefully after tonight’s meeting, the concerned citizens of Canyon Creek could become more unified and even come up with a name as Jake had suggested.
Lina turned and straightened the stack of papers on the table behind her. She’d outlined all the issues she wanted to talk about at the upcoming Town Council meeting, things like environmental impact studies, growth comparisons, and budgetary restrictions and costs. She wanted to make sure the group was informed and unified before any of them stood up to speak at the meeting.
“Wow,” someone said behind her. “Looks like you’ve done your homework.”
Lina bit back the smile threatening to spread across her face at the familiar voice. She was no longer a silly teenage girl, hyped up on hormones. Or at least she thought she was all grown up, until Jake Sumner appeared.
She felt Jake right behind her. “This is impressive, Bianchi,” he said, his breath brushing her neck as he read over her shoulder. It sent a wave of heat toward no-man’s land—duly titled because no man had been between her legs in a very long time. She drew in a deep breath and then had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning, he smelled so damn good.
Lina turned and studied him.
Jake was decked out in his casual attire, jeans, navy pullover and classic suede tennis shoes, only tonight he’d added one item that sent him from handsome to hot as hell. Glasses. Sexy glasses. Black-rimmed wayfarer styled frames that made him look like a nerdy college professor. He’d definitely make any coed want to stay after class for extra lessons.
Lina swallowed hard, reminding herself that this man’s life was chaos, plus he didn’t even live here. And he had a kid. A cute kid, yeah, but still.
“Lina!” Becca shouted.
“Shhh!” Ms. Parker, the town librarian, hushed from the front desk.
“Rebecca,” Jake scolded.
“Oh sorry,” Becca said. “Lina!” Her attempt at a whisper was raspy but no quieter, which amused Lina.
“You have a fan.” Jake chuckled. The sound of his laughter vibrated over her skin, heating her from the inside out.
“Hey, little mouse.” Lina smiled, lifting the little girl in her arms.
“Hey, big mouse.” Becca giggled.
“What do you have there?” Lina nodded to the book in Becca’s hand.
She turned the book around so Lina could see the title.
“Oh, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. That’s another great book.”
“My Aunt—” the little girl paused, her brows furrowed as she stared at Jake.
“Bird,” he said, nodding.
Bird?
“My Aunt Maggie gave this to me,” she said proudly.
“What was up with bird?” Lina asked, staring from Becca to Jake.
“My Aunt Sally came up with a game for Becca since she has such a large family now,” Jake said. “She developed cue words for each person to help Becca remember.”
“And Maggie’s cue is bird?” she asked.
“Magpie,” he said as if it made perfect sense. “You know, the bird. That’s what Maggie’s dad calls her.”
Lina nodded. “Got it. Bird.” She looked down at Becca. “What’s my cue word?”
“You don’t need a word to remind me who you are, silly.” She giggled. “I know you always.”
Something in Lina’s chest burned with an emotion she didn’t want to acknowledge. “You better, topolina.” Lina poked Becca’s belly, sending the girl into a fit of laughter.
“Oh, wait here.” Lina set Becca on the floor and walked to her bag, pulling out a small sewing kit. “I can fix Dog after the meeting. If you’re still here,” she added, not wanting to assume Jake would stay.
He glanced down at his watch. It was almost six-thirty, the meeting would be starting soon.
“I don’t anticipate the meeting going past eight,” she said.
Becca tucked Dog under her arm and clasped her hands together, bouncing on her toes. “Please, Jakey, please.”
He ruffled her hair. “We’ll see.”
Becca’s smile fell and her shoulders slumped.
Jake squatted down in front of her. “Remember what we said?”
Becca let out a frustrated sigh. “We’ll see doesn’t always mean no.”
“Right,” Jake nodded once and stood.
“But most of the time it does,” she grumbled under her breath, staring down at her stuffed animal.
Jake’s gaze met hers and he rolled his eyes.
Lina bit back a laugh. “Trouble,” she mouthed.
“Tell me,” he said.
“Hey Becca,” Lina said, “I know Ms. Parker loves to have story time in the children’s section. Maybe you could ask her if she’s going to start soon. I bet she’d even let you pick a few books.”
Becca’s eyes went wide. “Really? I could pick the book?” Her head snapped to Jake then to Lina.
“Maybe. If you asked nicely.”
“Maybe she’ll let me read Click, Clack, Moo.”
“Usually Ms. Parker reads,” Lina said.
Becca’s smile fell. “Oh.”
“But maybe she’d make an exception. If you’re really nice.”
Becca’s eyes went wide and a small smirk dimpled her right cheek. She looked like a kid who was calculating the perfect crime in her mind. Yeah, Jake had his hands full with this one.
Becca tilted her head to look up at Jake. “Can I?” she asked.
“May I,” Jake and Lina said in unison, correcting her. They stared at each other and laughed.
“It’s not nice to laugh at me.” Becca pouted.
Lina squatted down. “We weren’t laughing at you, little mouse. Your dad and I were laughing at each other.”
“Oh,” she said, seemingly surprised.
“It’s just proper grammar.” Lina explained, knowing Becca had a much better grasp of the English language than most five-year-olds. “Can I means, do I have the ability to do something. I’m pretty sure you could ask Ms. Parker, right?”
Becca nodded.
“May I means do I have permission to do something? It’s a hard rule,” Lina said. “Don’t worry, you’ll get it.”
Becca glanced up at Jake. “May I?”
He smoothed back Becca’s hair in such a gentle, loving way that Lina’s heart ached. “Sure, sweetheart. Just don’t…”
Before he could finish the sentence, Becca all but sprinted toward the front counter.
“Run,” he sighed under his breath.
Lina stood and bumped his hip. “Good luck with that one, Mr. Sumner.”
“Tell me.” He laughed.
“Don’t worry, I was just as feisty as a kid.”
“Still are,” he bumped her back.
His eyes held hers, his gaze dark
er now.
Parts of her that had no business throbbing were doing just that.
“Well,” she coughed out, “I should probably get things ready for the meeting. People will be showing up soon.”
Without another word she turned her back, willing away the strong emotions welling up inside. She had a mission, and it wasn’t seducing Jake Sumner. Although that didn’t sound so bad either.
Chapter Twelve
Jake watched as Lina turned her back, surprised at her quick retreat. Although, looking at her backside in a pair of skinny jeans, he probably shouldn’t complain.
He turned and saw several citizens and business owners of Canyon Creek were now filling the small space. There was an energy in the air he recognized. It was the kind of thing he’d experienced often earlier in his career when he and Todd and their team were working alongside grassroots organizations on issues they were passionate about.
He scanned the room and knew Lina was responsible for this. She’d pulled this group together, given them something to fight for, to believe in.
“Hey, Jake,” someone called behind him.
He turned and a flash of hot pink caught his eye. He instinctively stepped back. Lauren Avery, the owner of Salon 101, was making a beeline for him. Her hair and nails were so done up she looked like she’d spent hours in a chair at her own establishment.
Her eyes roamed over him, her tongue darting out and licking her lips, which were coated in a three-inch layer of candy apple red lip gloss. She looked as if she were trying to decide which body part to eat first.
She’d always been all over him in high school, something he wasn’t opposed to at the time. But now, she looked like she’d been pumped up with more silicon and synthetic fillers than Pamela Anderson. Her lips were fuller than he remembered them, and she definitely hadn’t had those breasts when he’d known her.
“Uh,” he cleared his throat, “hey, Lauren.”
She ran her hands up and down his arms and slowly slid them around his shoulders. Before he could pull away, she stepped into him, pressing her fake breasts into his chest.
