“But we let them, didn’t we?” She said softly.
He could have counted the seconds as they passed before she nodded very slowly and he allowed himself to breathe. Relief flowed like the necessary oxygen through his cells, through his blood stream, from head to toe. He actually felt light headed with the rush of relief. He’d gambled everything inside him for this chance.
“We need to go home,” Lili stood up, struggling to keep her words from shaking as she gathered the bottle from the playpen. A sharp, brief moment of panic struck her when he reached to take Hailey from her arms. Until she saw the little arms reaching for him. Hailey didn’t know, wouldn’t know this part of their life. She bit her lower lip and let Hailey go into the strong hands.
“I’ll walk you girls home,” he said warmly, sliding his keycard into the pocket of his slacks and striding to the door, holding it for her and following behind. “Can we get there without going outside?” He asked after several quiet minutes of walking.
“Most of the way,” she said, jumping slightly when his free hand took hers.
“I didn’t used to make you nervous,” he said quietly, smiling at the soft curls on the head now resting against his chest.
“I didn’t expect to ever see you again, Oliver,” Liliana said honestly.
“Would you have told her about me?” He said the words even as they threatened to get caught in his throat. He didn’t deserve it and would have understood even as he was angry. He’d allowed too many other people to influence and build walls between them. He’d earned the work ahead of him.
“Come inside a minute,” Lili took the dozing baby, carrying her into the bedroom they shared and laying her in the blankets in the dim room. She lifted a small plastic protected book from the table by the crib and took it into the large living area. She handed it to Oliver. “I’ve been showing her that since she was born,” she said softly, fingers stuffed nervously into the pockets of her jeans. “I didn’t care what anyone said. I knew you were her father and I’d never have kept that from her.”
Oliver looked at the small album of photos she’d gathered of them, his hand shaking as he handed it back to her. His palm went to the side of her face, his thumb brushing over the damp cheek.
“I…uhh…I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless before, Lili,” he said gruffly, tipping her chin up and touching her mouth with his. “Thank you for listening,” he whispered, his lips brushing her brow before he let himself out of the apartment, pausing at the door. “Lock up, Lili. Good night.”
Lili decided he wasn’t the only one speechless tonight.
****
Liliana glared at the clock then groaned when she heard the bubbling and thumping from the crib. But the smile broke free when she found Hailey tangled in her blankets and grinning up at her excitedly from the corner where she sat kicking the side of her crib.
“Bath time…last night totally messed up our schedule,” she babbled, quickly striping the baby and heading for the bathroom.
Oliver Kensington decided his strategy might just work in getting his marriage back on track. He stood at her door with a tall steaming cup of coffee and was really glad seconds later that it had a very secure cap on top.
“What?” Lili demanded and stared in mounting aggravation until it registered. “Oliver! Oh, god, I’m so glad to see you!” She grabbed his free hand and yanked, barely noticing the closing of the door behind him.
“What’s wrong? Is Hailey alright?” Blue eyes skirted the large room, landing on the baby happily pounding the surface of the highchair with two flat little palms.
“Hailey’s fine, just hungry and I desperately need a shower!” Lili pulled him to the table and gestured to the bowl. “Could you just feed her for me? Please? We didn’t get a bath last night and had to this morning and then…”
“That’s my fault,” he guessed with a glance at the long bare legs and a tee shirt that he knew from experience had nothing under it but Lili. And he was pretty sure it was his tee shirt since she’d never been in the military. “You haven’t dated since you came out here.”
“I…of course not!” She answered in mounting frustration. “I’m married and I have a child!”
“So us having dinner last night threw off your schedule,” he said carefully, opening the button on his jacket and sliding into the chair, coffee set to the side. He lifted the small spoon and stirred the mixture. “Go shower, Lili. I’ll manage this,” he scooped a little out and carried the spoon toward Hailey, chuckling when the little pouty mouth opened excitedly, hands patting the surface of the highchair and chasing small oat circles over the top.
“Thank you!” Lili turned and took off at a run, stopping and pulling the tee shirt off and tossing it to the bed. She paused outside the bathroom.
Oliver dropped a handful of tiny ‘O’s’ in front of Hailey.
“Don’t give her more than a couple cereal at a time! They end up all over the room!” She called before ducking inside the bathroom and beginning the shower.
Oliver heard the water begin at the same time he saw oat circles scattered with two gleeful little palms pounding on the tray. He sighed thickly, slipped another spoonful of cereal into the waiting mouth and sat back at the bubbling laughter in the similar blue eyes.
“Not making me look good here, kid,” he said with a shake of his head. He lifted the coffee and took a long drink. “I’m pretty sure mama would frown on the coffee for breakfast,” he told Hailey when she reached for his cup. He looked at the table and found the small sippy cup. He lifted it and found it held liquid. “Must be yours…how about a taste,” he held it tightly, amazed at the little hands that immediately clasp the cup and drank the pale liquid. Apple juice, he guessed by the smell, learning that she would push the cup back when she was finished and wait patiently for another spoonful of cereal.
“I think we’re getting a rhythm here,” he said after a few peaceful minutes. He heard drawers opening and closing, a pair of low black heels tossed in the direction of the door. He frowned at the pursed lips until he saw her looking at the cup.
He thought about the course he’d taken and pulled all the information he’d absorbed, purposefully keeping himself positive even when he wasn’t sure he could convince Lili to let him back into their lives.
Oliver went into the kitchen and opened drawers, finding a small towel and damping it down by the time Lili came from the back of the apartment. The bowl and cup were both empty, only a few oat circles were being toyed with on the tray and the little face and hands were clean. He met the surprised look in the wide, dark eyes, her hair still damp from the shower and disheveled as she ran hands through it to settle it into its feathered style.
“I…finished?” She looked from Hailey to Oliver, winced when she stepped forward and squashed an oat beneath her toes. She sighed and noticed the oats scattered around the floor. “I’ll get them later. I’m going to be late,” she swept past, pulled three prepared bottles from the fridge and dropped them and some jars of food into the bag waiting by the front door. She was about to get her daughter when she turned to see Hailey nestled safely against Oliver. “I…your suit…”
“It cleans, Lili, don’t worry. Come on, I’ll walk you inside,” he stopped at the door, lifting the baby bag with his free hand. “I can take her to the daycare, Lili.”
“I…that would really…” she gulped down a breath of air and slid her feet into her heels, hands grabbing up her own pack before pulling the door open. “Oliver, I’m usually not like this in the mornings.”
“Lili, I know just how organized you are,” he said with a warm chuckle, leaning down and kissing her softly.
“I…I don’t want you to think…” she knew panic was showing through her shaking hands as they went down the stairs toward the employee entrance.
“I think Hailey has the best mama on the planet,” he told her honestly, stopping her at the entrance. “Let me help. I know where the daycare is and I’m sure they can walk
me through getting her settled. You can trust me, Lili,” he breathed another sigh of relief when she nodded. He leaned Hailey closer to Lili. “Kiss mama good bye and let’s get moving, kid.” He watched Lili and Hailey kiss softly before winking and going off in the opposite direction from where the kitchens were.
Lili listened to him talking to Hailey before she took off at a light run toward the kitchens, weaving between the buildings and into the back of the resort.
Oliver learned the procedures before taking the clipboard of two pages and efficiently completed the forms, signing them and providing identification to the director of the daycare.
Eve Covington gave him a relaxed, informative tour of the facilities. She asked no embarrassing questions and offered no veiled accusations, her smile and words welcoming and warm. He walked away wondering how Lili managed to surround herself with supportive, open minded people while the friends of his previous life were grasping and snobbish.
He had a few who were genuine friends and those he’d never forget. Nothing could have stopped the grin on his face when he checked on Hailey before heading out for his office, the big blue eyes smiling up at him and gurgling when his fingers grazed her cheek before he left her with her group.
He heard the familiar voice in the back of his head repeatedly calling him an idiot, the sight of the car seat in the back of the SUV making him smile. Sunlight glinted off the buckles like a sparkling ray of hope.
Chapter Thirteen
It was almost one before Lili and Fleur collapsed in her office, sighing happily that things for the banquet had gone smoothly. They’d decided to enjoy a peaceful snack. Fleur watched her friend open her backpack and pull a five by eight photo frame from inside. She added it to the collection of photos she already had of Hailey and her.
“Are you alright?” Fleur asked after chewing thoughtfully on the toasted bread, dark eyes meeting those of her friend. “You have not said much about Oliver.”
“I don’t know,” Lili dipped her spoon into the frothy cup of fruit and yogurt she’d mixed for herself, sitting back and closing her eyes for a long minute. “I honestly don’t know. I went through about a hundred different scenarios on how I’d handle meeting up with him again and all of them included indignation and…and a lot of anger. Then all of a sudden he’s there, holding Hailey, rocking her…and there’s nothing inside my brain but fear that he’s there to take my baby away from me. But he isn’t,” she said hastily when she saw concern on Fleur’s face. “He isn’t. I asked,” she felt the heat on her cheeks. “I begged actually.”
“It would be a very frightening thing to worry about, Lili,” Fleur said softly. “Do you trust his answer?”
“He never lied to me, Fleur,” she answered with a sigh. “He…I don’t know what happened. He is in the middle. When we’re alone…until his friends and relatives involved themselves in our life, he’s so sweet and considerate. He’s charming and teasing and smart and funny. My brain is really mixed up,” she admitted with a shaky laugh. “And my heart hurts,” she whispered, swiping angrily at her cheeks.
“You still love him.”
“I wake up with a pair of the prettiest, sweetest blue eyes every morning,” Lili said with a deep breath. “I see him every day in Hailey. I just don’t know how I can go back to that without his trust.”
“Speaking together without the relatives is a good beginning. We know they do not have your best interests at heart,” Fleur said with a nod, quiet for a few moments before she saw Lili stiffen and hold her breath. “Lili?” She turned and looked at the tall man, pale hair slivered with silver and wearing an expensive suit. His eyes were that deep blue she saw in Hailey’s but that was the only similarity. His were cold and hard. A younger woman dressed just as severely and carrying a briefcase was moving at his side.
“Mr. Kensington,” Liliana held on to the edge of her desk, her feet flat on the floor and chin tipped, refusing to cower.
Bright blue eyes went to Fleur with a dismissing glance. “I want to speak to Liliana alone, please.”
Fleur saw the answer on Lili’s face and snuggled her behind into the chair, popping the final piece of her lunch into her mouth. She smiled impishly.
“I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Kensington. I left all that in New York and have no intention of returning,” Liliana worked hard to keep her voice level.
“You want this done in front of her? I don’t have an issue with that,” he signaled the woman at his side with a slight nod. “This is Marianne Simpson, my son’s divorce attorney.”
“Oliver wants a divorce,” Lili said slowly, blinking and watching the couple.
“Oliver should never have married you,” he told her derisively, the sneer on his lips a permanent resident when he spoke with her. “He’s asked me to deal with this.”
“You’re saying Oliver sent you to speak to me?” Liliana said very cautiously, grateful for the poker face Fleur offered when their eyes met. She was used to catching them in lies. “Where is Oliver?” She asked, keeping her tone light and curiously casual.
“My son wants nothing to do with you and is in Florida opening a new arm of his business,” he informed her without hesitation. “I’m handling this inconvenience for him,” he waited while Marianne Simpson set her briefcase on the edge of the desk and pulled a sheath of joined papers from inside.
“It’s not like Oliver to shirk his responsibilities,” Liliana said deliberately flippant. “He always believed in handling things on his own, in his own way.”
“He’s agreed to fifteen hundred dollars a month support for the child until she is twenty-one years old,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken, his glare speaking volumes. “You stated often and in the presence of witnesses, that you wanted nothing from him monetarily, and that is also taken into consideration in the settlement against you, which is nothing.”
Liliana leaned back in her chair, pretending to be stunned. “You aren’t requesting verification that Hailey is his daughter? You and your wife were quite vocal about paternity being seriously questioned. I believe your words were I was a money grabbing slut who deliberately became pregnant to trap your innocent son in marriage. Even though due to the time line, we now know that wasn’t the case at all.”
“What we believe doesn’t enter into it. My son believes it and wants it settled and finished with,” he said flatly.
“What type of visitation does he want?” Liliana caught the interested look on Fleur’s face and only stared at Oliver Kensington Sr.
“He doesn’t care if he ever sees the child again,” he said coldly.
“That’s very odd. Oliver was extremely involved in my pregnancy and was really looking forward to being a dad.” Lili smiled at a memory. “We even spoke of taking childcare classes together. So we could learn to do things correctly.”
“Men come to their senses when the proper influence is accepted.”
“Influence,” Lili repeated softly. “You and your wife worked hard to influence him. But you never gave a thought to what he wanted.”
“A parent always knows best, even when the child balks.”
“Why do you hate me so much? I’ve never done anything to you,” Lili asked softly, ignoring the papers on the top of her desk. “I haven’t tried taking Oliver away from you. I’ve tried fitting into your family because…”
“Fit into our family? A bastard child of a waitress?” He sneered down at her, his head shaking. He held a sense of satisfaction on his face when her breath caught at the stinging comment and she paled beneath his attack. “You’ll never be part of our family. Oliver will make a match with a woman of his stature and pedigree.”
“He was happy,” she said softly. “The campaign you created of lies and…you broke the trust he had with lies.”
“I’m not interested in discussing this with you,” he shoved the papers across the desk. “Sign these.”
“I’ll have my attorney look them over. You can have them on Saturday,” she said with
a casual shrug. “I’ll be at my apartment.”
“If you sign them, there will be no more contact and you can keep your daughter,” he told her, the hinted veil of a warning in his words before he turned and left her office.
“I believe he threatened you,” Fleur said with a long breath.
“He doesn’t know where Oliver is,” Lili said quietly, taking the legal sized pages and folding them to shove into her pack.
“There is an interesting gleam in your eyes,” Fleur leaned forward with a little chuckle. “I like it.”
Lili sighed when she entered the daycare.
She shouldn’t be surprised.
Whatever Oliver was up to, he was determined.
She leaned against the open door jamb, arms crossed and watching while he wrestled with a giggling baby and a diaper and clothing. Arms and feet were quite active, a little bubble on the baby’s lips while daddy was mumbling and trying to tighten the tape on the diaper. Every time he thought he had it, Hailey would offer a burst of wiggled excitement and the thing popped free while he was trying to tug the small bloomers back up Hailey’s legs.
She cleared her throat softly, very surprised to see Oliver actually jump, startled by her presence. She stepped forward, taking his palms and setting them on the side of the dressing table. Then she quickly removed the diaper, turned it around and zip taped it in place around the chubby middle, the small elastic bloomers pulled into place before she took the little hands and pulled the baby to sit up.
“Backwards? I had the damned thing backwards?” Oliver glared at the bright laughter from the woman next to him. He lifted Hailey against him while she gathered the travel bag, making certain she had the blanket and bottles in place before taking his free hand and leading him to the front.
WindSwept Narrows: #20 Fleur & Liliana Page 9
