“It does. These are good tears.” Penny laid a hand on her oldest son’s cheek and kissed him. Then she ran trembling fingers over the arm of the swing again. “I’ll treasure this, Tucker. Every day when I sit on it to drink my first cup of coffee, it’ll be like getting a good-morning hug from you.”
He made excuses to keep Elisa around until everyone else had gone.
“Stay with me tonight, Lissie.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason.” He raised a brow. “And don’t use Daisy. She’s sound asleep in her Murphy bed, and we both know it would take more than a sonic boom to wake her.”
Elisa laughed. “True.”
He leaned in and kissed her, long and deep. “My parents loved you, and Daisy was quite the hit. She and Jax sure got along well.” Pulling Elisa closer, he ran his hands up her back, into all that beautiful hair. “You do things to me, sugar.”
“Kiss me again.”
He did.
“I need a promise, Tucker.”
He stiffened. “I’m not good at makin’ promises.”
“I understand that, and if you can’t, I need to know that, too.”
“Fair enough.”
“Promise me you’ll never disappear from my life again like you did after Halloween. If something’s wrong or something’s bothering you, tell me. Talk to me about it. Don’t leave me in limbo.”
“Understood.”
“No, I don’t think you do. That’s exactly what Luke did. He left without a word. He abandoned me.”
“I talked to you.”
“Not in the same way. You went from lover to distant friend with no warning and no explanation.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was confused. I screwed up majorly, didn’t I?”
“You did, but I’ll give you a mulligan. This time. Understand, though, if it happens again, there are no more do-overs. No second second chances. I can’t.”
“Message received loud and clear. You have my promise.” He took her hand and led her upstairs to his bed.
* * *
Much later, she stood under the warm shower water, enjoying the feel of it as it beat down on her, reliving the last hour. Tucker’s kisses, his hands on her body. His heat mixed with hers.
The shower door opened and he stepped inside, wrapping his arms around her from the back, dropping kisses on her smooth, wet skin.
She leaned against him, placing her hands over his. “I could get used to this.”
Without a word, he took the soap from its niche and lathered her up. Then he shampooed her hair, ran his fingers through its length, and massaged her head and neck. She’d never experienced anything as sensuous.
The water ran cold by the time they sagged against the tiles, spent and holding each other up.
Elisa smiled and whispered against his neck. “You’re a great host. I’ve never enjoyed dinner more.”
“It’s late. Why don’t you sleep here tonight?”
“I can’t.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You can, but you won’t.”
“That’s semantics.”
“No,” he growled. “That’s me sleeping in a lonely bed.”
“Tuck—”
He shook his head, then pulled her in for another kiss.
An hour later, a barefooted Tucker buckled a sleeping Daisy into her car seat. “I still don’t understand why you won’t stay.”
“How many reasons do you want, Tuck? When Daisy wakes, she’ll be confused. I can’t explain why Mommy decided on a sleepover, and she’ll expect to do it again. Second, Desdemona will know.”
“She won’t care. Do you honestly believe she doesn’t know that you and I—”
Elisa held up her hand. “Don’t go there. Third, I have to open the bookstore in—” She glanced at her watch. “A few hours, and I’d prefer to do it in a different outfit than the one I wore today.” She arched a brow. “Need more?”
He leaned in and kissed her soundly. “Oh yeah. I need so much more.”
On a sigh, she wrapped herself around him and kissed him back.
Finally, she pulled away. “Goodnight, handsome.”
“Night, babe.”
Desdemona wasn’t home. A soft light burned in the kitchen beside a note. It looked like she and the good doctor would be gone for a couple of days. Interesting.
Morning came quickly, and the day was long. She and Daisy ate a light dinner and watched the Disney channel. It seemed strange to have the entire house to themselves.
When Daisy fell asleep halfway through a movie, Elisa decided a long bubble bath was in order, although thoughts of that tub brought memories of the night she’d shared it with Tuck. Then memories of last night’s—or, more correctly, this early morning’s—shower. Whew.
She slid into the warm water and read a few chapters of the new romance book that had come in today. Then she laid it on the floor beside the tub and thought about her plan to repay Doc.
She’d taken the first step today. She’d posted the flier.
Chapter 23
“Hey, Gav, I’m gonna be a couple minutes late,” Tucker said when his brother answered the phone.
“What are you up to?”
“I just turned onto Desdemona’s street. I need to talk to Elisa.”
“Got it bad, don’t you?”
“Maybe, baby brother, maybe.”
“Better you than me,” Gaven said. “You should take her coffee if you’re stopping by this early.”
“Already taken care of.” Tucker glanced at the Sweet Dreams mugs in his cup holder. “Later.”
When had the irritation at having his life disrupted by this woman and her child turned to something else? Something he wanted—something that should scare him but didn’t. Elisa and Daisy had become a vital part of his life, one he’d nearly let slip through his fingers.
A trip to Savannah had taken longer than he’d expected yesterday, so he hadn’t had a chance to so much as see Elisa. They’d talked on the phone, but it wasn’t the same. He figured he’d bring her morning coffee and maybe earn himself a kiss. He’d brought along one of Daisy’s Pop-Tarts, too. Breakfast with his girls—almost like it used to be.
He slid from the car, grabbed the coffee, and jogged up the sidewalk to the front door, amazed all over again by Desdemona’s home. Why one woman would own a house this big, this…everything, he couldn’t imagine. But then, logic didn’t always come into play.
Nobody answered the bell. A check of his watch showed not quite seven thirty. Hmmm. Maybe Elisa was still asleep. He knocked. Once, twice, three times.
Glancing at the wall mailbox mounted by the front door, he noticed a large manila envelope that had been rolled and placed in it. Elisa must have forgotten to take in the mail last night.
Well, he’d deliver it along with her coffee.
When he pulled it out, he wished he hadn’t. It was addressed to Mrs. Lucas Danvers. The return address? None other than Mr. Lucas Danvers. Husband or ex-husband? He was suddenly sorry he’d come.
The door opened and Elisa stood there, dressed but looking awfully tired.
“Tuck. I didn’t expect you this morning.”
“Were you expecting this?” Stiffly, he handed her the envelope.
She stared at it. “I filled out a form asking the post office to send my mail here. This was forwarded from Bowden.”
“I see that.” He jerked his head toward the piece of mail. Voice cold, he asked, “Is this the deep, dark secret you haven’t been able to share with me, Lissie? The one that’s tying you in knots?” He felt as though he was suffocating, but he had to know. “Are you still married?”
“No.” Her eyes didn’t meet his, though.
“I don’t sleep with other men’s wives.”
“I’m no one’s wife, Tuck.”
“Why’s he writing you and addressing it to Mrs. Lucas Danvers?”
Daisy, hearing his voice, stuck her head around the corner. “Tut! You comed to see us!”
“Yeah, but I can’t stay, sweetheart.”
“Why?”
He drew in a ragged breath. “I have to go to work. First, though, this is for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out her Pop-Tart.
“Look, Mommy. Look what Tut brought.” She gave him a grin, then started tearing the wrapping from it.
He slid a finger beneath Elisa’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “Something’s wrong, and it’s destroying you. You’re not sleeping, and you’re losing weight again. It’s all about trust, Lissie. Not just me trusting you, but you trusting me to accept whatever secret you’re holding on to. Until you do—” He shook his head. “Unless you can, it’s probably best we don’t see each other.”
“I’m not married.”
“Good to hear. Really good to hear.” He studied her face. “But you are hiding something. Like I told you before, the one thing I can’t abide is people who aren’t truthful.”
He nodded toward the envelope. “I’ll leave you to deal with that in private. Let me know if we need to talk. The ball’s in your court.”
He held up the coffee. “Room service, Ms. Danvers.”
Setting the cardboard tray on a small table, he turned on his heel, closing the door quietly behind him. Had she told him the truth and her ex was up to something, or had he been duped by a pair of big blue eyes?
* * *
Elisa stared at the envelope as the sound of Tucker’s Mustang faded into the distance.
“I’m hungry, Mommy.”
“Well, then, let’s eat.”
“I want to eat Tut’s Pop-Tart.”
“Okay.” Elisa felt numb…and cold deep inside.
Once Daisy was settled at the kitchen table, Elisa opened the envelope and scanned the letter. Luke’s parents had told him she’d left town, and he assumed she’d sold the house. He actually had the nerve to ask for his half of the profits from the sale.
She choked back a sobbing laugh. As if. Without his bills, she would still have a house to live in. What had she ever seen in Luke? Had she really been that innocent, that naive? The man was a user.
And now Tucker, who had every right to doubt her, had walked away. How many times had she tried to tell him about her dad and failed? He’d accused her of keeping a secret. He was right.
She could prove she was no longer married to Luke. To take care of the other, though, she’d have to come clean and tell Tucker who her father was. Either way, they would be finished—and she couldn’t blame him.
It was a lose-lose situation.
Chapter 24
The next morning, Elisa was still fighting with herself about Tucker. She could clear up the Luke mess easily enough, but that still left her secret, the one Tucker knew existed. If she told him the truth, it would hurt him. It would also hurt her and Daisy, because he couldn’t possibly want anything to do with Hard-Ass Harry’s family. If she didn’t tell him, it would remain a barrier to any kind of relationship between them, and if he was smart, he’d walk.
Trust, he’d said. Oh, it came hard.
However she chose to deal with it, though, she accepted that the next move was indeed hers.
Desdemona had returned late yesterday but intended to head to Savannah that afternoon for a spa visit. Elisa poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from her friend.
“Good morning, Desdemona.”
“Is it? You tell me.”
Elisa frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Desdemona snorted. “What’s wrong? This place is like a tomb. Doesn’t take a clairvoyant to see what needs doing. Go pay Tucker a visit. Talk to him. Set him straight…and trust him.”
Elisa nodded. She’d told her friend about Luke’s letter and Tucker’s ultimatum. “I will. First, though, I need to drop Daisy at day care, and it’s my turn to take the snacks.”
Desdemona made a shushing noise. “You don’t trust me to take care of that?”
“Of course I do, but—”
“Uh, uh, uh. Stop right there. Go. I’ve got this.” She gave Elisa a critical scrutiny. “Before you rush off, run back upstairs and make yourself a little more…a little more. You’re a beautiful woman. Play it up.”
Elisa frowned.
Desdemona shooed her again. “Go. Time’s not standing still, and you’ve got a bookshop to open sometime today.”
“Thank you. For everything—including the letter your lawyer sent to Luke.”
“That should put to bed that piece of nonsense. It’s up to you to straighten things out with that man of yours, though.”
“Oh, but he’s not—”
“He is, and it’s about time the two of you accept that. Now go.”
She went, taking the stairs quickly.
A few minutes later, Daisy wandered into her room. Scrambling onto the bed, she asked, “What ya doin’, Mommy?”
“I’m getting ready for work, honey. I have a couple errands to run first, so Desdemona will take you to school today.”
“’Kay.”
“Don’t let her forget the snacks for your class. They’re on the counter.”
“I won’t.”
“Good girl.” She dropped a kiss in Daisy’s sweet-smelling hair, then spent more time on her makeup than usual.
“You look pretty, Mommy. Can I have some lipstick, too?” She pursed her little lips.
“In another twenty years or so.” Daisy’s lip jutted out, and Elisa laughed. “Maybe a little sooner.”
“’Kay.”
Hands on her hips, Elisa studied her closet. Not wanting to look too obvious, she slid into gray jeans, a white long-sleeved T-shirt, and simple white sneakers. Because the temperature had slid south, she pulled on a soft, oversized gray sweater and added a warm, darker-gray scarf.
Straightening her shoulders, she grabbed a pair of large sunglasses and her purse. Time to do it.
She found him under a car at Wylder Rides, swearing a blue streak. That wasn’t a good omen, but there was no putting this off.
“Tuck?”
The swearing stopped.
“Can we talk?”
Gaven and Brant, at the far end of the bay, looked at each other.
“Hey, Elisa,” Brant said. “Want a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks.”
Gaven nodded a greeting before the two brothers made a beeline to the office.
Chickens, she thought. At least, though, she’d have privacy to swallow whatever amount of crow this called for.
Slowly, Tucker emerged on the creeper. A smudge of grease coated his left cheek, his hair was disheveled, and his jeans had definitely seen better days. Despite the cool day, he wore a shirt with the sleeves torn off, his tattoo showcased. She’d never seen a man who looked more wonderful. Sexier. Angrier.
He sat up but didn’t bother to stand.
Heat raced up her neck and across her face, but she stood her ground. “First of all, I want you to know that I’m not married. I have my divorce papers in my purse if you need to see them.” She met his gaze.
“I don’t need to see them.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Does Luke want you back?”
A derisive smile on her face, she shook her head. “He wants half the profits from the house sale.”
“Profits? I thought it went into foreclosure,” Tucker said.
“It did. Apparently his parents missed that memo.”
“I’m sorry to say this because he’s Daisy’s father, but he’s slime, Elisa.”
“Yes, he is, and that makes me a terrible judge of character.”
“With me?” She wanted to cry.
“Definitely not with you,” Tucker insisted. “It was years ago.”
“And it’s left you wary.”
“That and a few other things that have happened, yes.”
She waited a beat. “Just so you know, I haven’t slept with anyone but you since Luke walked out on me.”
A tic played in Tuck’s left eye, and his nostrils flared as he breathed deeply. “What do you want me to say to that?”
“That’s up to you.”
In a flash, he was on his feet. He pulled her in and kissed her till she didn’t know which end was up.
His arms still around her, he asked, “You gonna answer his letter?”
“I’ve had a lawyer contact him.”
“That’s not what I asked. Are you going to answer him?”
Her breath was deep and shaky. “No.”
“Anything else you want to tell me?”
Heaven help her, she couldn’t. This wasn’t the time or the place. But then, it didn’t ever seem to be. “No.”
“You should probably leave, then. I’ve got a lot to do and a lot to think about.”
Wordlessly, she nodded and walked back to her car, carrying her secret with her. Her own personal albatross. A single tear dripped off her chin, and she swiped at it as she drove back to town to open the bookstore.
He wouldn’t forgive her.
She’d lost him.
Daisy had lost him.
Chris Young’s song “It Takes a Man” came on, the lyrics arrowing straight to her heart. Chris was right. Just because a man could make a baby, it sure didn’t mean he’d be a good daddy. Luke had made Daisy, but he hadn’t cherished her, hadn’t laughed or cried with her, and he never would. Elisa couldn’t, under any circumstance, imagine Tucker running away from a child of his. He’d be a father, a daddy that stuck. No matter what.
And it made her unbearably sad that Daisy would never know that kind of love.
* * *
It was beginning to feel like Christmas. All the stores and street lights were decorated, and people seemed just that little bit friendlier. Elisa stood in the doorway of Just Books…and a little more. Outside, she’d strung lights and hung an evergreen wreath on the door. Inside, colored lights glowed in the window, and Christmas music played quietly in the background. The fresh fir she’d decorated shimmered, and the scent of warm mulled cider added to the atmosphere.
I've Got You, Babe (Must Love Babies) Page 25
