Jamie parked outside the school. He wanted to see Garrett, and Zoe still wasn’t cooperating. He was surprised she’d agreed to meet him in the park a few days before. He supposed she was trying to figure out what he was up to. He was a little nervous she’d flee, so he had his PI tailing her nearly 24/7. He felt a little scuzzy for having her followed, but now that he knew about the possible abuse, he wanted regular updates on what was going on.
He’d never imagined he’d come into parenthood this way. He had fully expected to be happily married first. But when Blake called him up and told him he saw Zoe with a little boy that looked just liked him, he immediately acted. How could he not? But it’d been six years. Six years he’d missed out on his son’s life. Guilt plagued him.
Fifteen minutes later Zoe came out of the school with a chubby little hand clasped in hers. He wondered why he’d ever bothered to date her. At the time, maybe she was his type, but now she repulsed him. They’d stayed together for a few months. Not long for most people, but for him that was a long relationship.
The little boy did, indeed, look just like him. His heart clenched. He had Jamie’s green eyes and nose. His hair was blonde and spiky. He was adorable. Would he have Jamie’s mannerism as well? What did he love to do? Sports? Cars? Art? Jamie desperately wanted to know him. He had to resist opening the door and getting out. He had to be patient.
Annabelle told him she’d secure visitation rights within a few weeks. They had to do an official paternity test, and then he should be able to at least see Garrett.
Once they crossed the first hurdle, then they’d go after full custody. He wasn’t confident he would win. He knew how these family things worked. The most he could hope for was joint custody. But if Ray was abusing Garret, he wanted to make sure he had him for as much time as possible even if they couldn’t prove anything. If he secured joint custody, he’d buy a house and stay in Charleston.
If, by some miracle, he did manage to get full custody, he’d take Garrett to his place in New York City.
Zoe and Garrett approached a beat up Honda Civic. Garrett climbed in the backseat, while Zoe slid into the passenger seat. She leaned over and kissed Ray, who was driving the car. He had long greasy black hair and multiple piercings on his face. What did she see in him? Why would she put her son in danger? Maybe Jamie was overreacting.
Just before they drove away, Ray lit a cigarette. Garrett was turned around and staring out the back window. Jamie clenched his steering wheel. They had no car seat. They didn’t even bother to buckle his seat belt, and Ray was filling his son’s lungs with cigarette smoke.
Jamie called up Andres. He had to get Garrett out of there.
“Jamie, man, what’s up?”
Jamie gripped the phone. “I want pictures. Lots of pictures.”
“Of course. Of what exactly?” Andres sounded so relaxed like this wasn’t a big deal.
“I want any and all evidence you can gather that proves she’s unfit as a mother.”
“You got it.” Andres laughed. “That won’t be hard.”
Jamie’s stomach tightened. As much as he wanted to prove that she wasn’t a good mother, he hated the thought of what his boy was going through.
After they drove away, he made his way to Costco. Bethany had no good food in the house. No wonder she was skinnier than a bird. He smiled when he thought of her. He liked her a lot more than he should.
Jamie had just finished putting all the groceries away when Bethany arrived home. He pulled out his computer, uploaded all his pictures from this morning, and flipped through them. She truly was stunning. He’d love to do a series with her, if she’d agree.
He was surprised by how attractive he found her. Maybe his tastes were changing. If anyone were to ask him what his ideal woman looked like, he response would be different than it was just two weeks ago. Short, brunette, dancer. Nope. He had to get her out of his head. She was responsible for his residence for crying out loud. If he did something stupid, and then she got hurt, she’d be liable to kick him out.
“Did you have a good day?” Bethany asked as she opened the fridge.
“I did. What about you?” She gaped at the fridge.
“Where did all this food come from?”
“Costco. Help yourself.” He didn’t care how much she ate.
She shut the door and leaned against the counter, looking down. “I don’t feel right eating your food.”
He stood up and approached her, trying to figure out how he could make things easier between them. “Why not? I had no problems eating yours.” He smiled, desperately wanting her to look him in the eyes.
She took a couple of steps back. “That was for one night.” She looked at him for the first time since she got home. Her ocean blue eyes captivated him, and butterflies floated in his stomach.
“Do you like to cook?” He could cook fine on his own, but he wouldn’t mind having someone do it for him. He liked to be taken care of, and it didn’t happen nearly enough. The women he usually dated weren’t the domestic kind.
She brought her hand to her chest, but dropped her eyes again. “I’m a southern woman, of course I love to cook.”
“Tell you what. You make dinner three to four times a week for me, and you can eat as much of my food as you want. How does that sound?”
She paused for a second and pursed her lips. “I guess I can do that. I can start tonight. What do you want?”
“That’s up to you. I’m not picky.”
“I’m going to change, and then I’ll see what I can come up with.”
He went to his computer and looked at his pictures from this morning. He got some nice shots of birds and the beach, but his favorite was the one of Bethany standing on the counter. She made a fascinating subject. The series took form in his head. He liked the idea of focusing on her height. Perhaps she would agree to posing for some shots. Though he’d be around long enough that he might get enough natural shots. Natural was always better, but once she became conscious of him photographing her, they’d lose their naturalness.
She came downstairs wearing a tank top and Nike shorts. Those made her look unbelievably sexy. Her calves flexed with each step, and that tank top plunged a little too low. His heart raced. He was certain she wore them for comfort, but they drove him crazy. Not as much as that robe, but it was a close second. What was he thinking?
She’d make a nice series. That’s it. Then he snorted. Yeah, right. He was only fooling himself. He had to force his eyes away from her, or she’d ask him why he was staring.
Bethany grabbed a few onions and peppers out of the fridge and then disappeared into the pantry. He grabbed his camera and silently followed her. She looked around for a few seconds.
“Holy cow,” she whispered, and his stomach fluttered. He liked surprising her. He’d filled her pantry with snacks, anything she could possibly want for baking, and even a couple of bottles of wine. She didn’t seem to notice him standing there.
She looked up and groaned. He almost laughed. She reached above her head toward the spices on the top shelf. Her fingers brushed the bottom of a bottle. He took a few shots. Perfect. At this rate he’d only need seven or eight more situations, and he’d have his whole series. He would make a fortune off this short, gorgeous woman.
She spun around.
“Were you taking pictures of me again?”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. Here let me get those for you.”
He reached above her and grabbed the three spice bottles.
“Why were you taking pictures of me?”
He sighed. “Because you make a very interesting subject. I promise I won’t publish any pictures without your permission.”
She shook her head and took the spice bottles from him.
“What are you making for dinner?” he asked in an effort to change the subject.
“Fajitas. Could you please restrain yourself and not take any more pictures of me tonight?”
So much for changing the subject.
He nodded. “I’ve got enough kitchen shots anyway.” Bethany stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled. It was the first time he’d gotten such a reaction out of her.
“Do you need any help?” He seemed so sincere when he asked, but Bethany didn’t know how she would handle cooking with him. He’d make her so nervous, she’d probably burn the whole thing. Normally cooking relaxed her, but if he were hovering over her, it would make everything worse.
“No, I think I got it.”
He pulled up a stool and sat across from her. She wasn’t sure this was any better. He didn’t seem to take the hint that she wanted to be alone. She put some onions and butter in a pan. Having him stare at her was disconcerting.
She stirred the onions, but decided to break the ice. “So, you haven’t said much about yourself. Where are you from?”
“I have an apartment in Manhattan. But I’m from upstate New York.”
Of course. New York. Yankee. “How’d you end up in Charleston?”
He paused. “My son.”
She glanced at him. That was a mistake. She lost track of what she was doing. “I know, this time, but how’d you meet Zoe?” She grabbed the peppers and started chopping on the counter in front of him.
“I did a series on beautiful trees a few years ago, and she did some modeling for me here.”
“That was her? She’s pretty.” And she was. The girl he had in the tree in Charleston was a knockout. She looked a lot like Bunny. If that was the kind of girl he went for, then she didn’t have a chance. Annabelle probably did though.
“How do you know what she looks like?”
“You told me to look you up, so I did. Zoe was obviously the girl in Angel Oak. That’s the only tree you did in Charleston.” It was a phenomenal picture. Jamie had serious talent. He had ways of making the ordinary seem extraordinary. Though, Angel Oak probably made an easy subject. He had several dozen pictures on his website, but this one stood out because it was close to her home. Bethany grabbed some chicken out of the fridge and mixed it in with the onions.
He gave her an incredulous stare. “Yeah that was her. She came to New York for a few months after that. Then she went running back to Charleston when we broke up.”
“Why’d you break up?” Now that she had him talking, she wanted to know more about his past.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t remember. I went through a string of women during that time. It wasn’t a good time in my life. I’m not proud of it.”
“So you’re a recovering womanizer?” She grinned at him and caught his eye. He faltered for a second and then gave her a huge smile that made blood rush to her face. She concentrated on dinner again.
“I guess. I don’t know. A few years ago, I got tired of it all, you know. I’m ready for something serious, but I can’t seem to find it. Though, I should be careful what I wish for. A son is pretty serious.”
“Yeah, it is.”
She pulled the meat off the burner, grabbed a hot pad, and set the pan on the counter along with the tortillas. She chopped up a tomato and lettuce and climbed on a stool next to him. She reached for the food as he stood up, and she wondered where he was going. He came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He filled her glass halfway, and she took a sip. It was better wine than anything she’d had in a while.
“What about you? Any skeletons in your closet?”
She snorted. “I was never a womanizer, if that’s what you’re asking.” She felt her butterflies slowly dying.
He grinned. “Oh come on, I told you a little about my past. You can spill a bit.”
She kept her eyes on her plate. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to talk to him but surprised herself. “I have the opposite past. This conversation we are having now is the longest conversation I’ve had with the opposite sex in three years.”
He set down his fajita. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“I’m pretty good at work, but I’m super uncomfortable around men.”
“Is there a reason you are running your mouth now?”
“I have no idea. Would you like me to stop?” She didn’t know why she was talking so much. She didn’t mean to. Perhaps it was the wine. That was stupid. She’d only had one drink.
“No. I don’t. It’s rather refreshing. Why are you so uncomfortable with men?”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. This wasn’t something she spoke of much. “Aside from my father and Danny, I’ve never been around men. I went to an all-girls high school and college.”
“Why?”
“Because my parents thought it would be best for me. Especially with my dancing. I’ve had like, two boyfriends.” She added the like in the hopes that he wouldn’t take it literally.
“You know, I have friends I can hook you up with. Good guys. Seriously, you shouldn’t be alone.”
She nearly laughed out loud. If only he knew what she was thinking. Yep, the wine was getting to her.
“I’ll tell you what, you stay out of my love life, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
He put his fork down. “Fair enough. I was only trying to help.” He didn’t seem all that bothered that she didn’t want to take him up on his offer. Maybe he wasn’t being serious.
Sure he was. If she gave him long enough, he’d help himself. Though she wasn’t sure that would be a bad thing. Her face reddened thinking about it.
“Your cheeks are sure red. The fajitas aren’t that spicy.”
“It’s not the fajita meat,” she said the words before she even realized what was coming out of her mouth.
Jamie chuckled. “Oh yeah, then what exactly are you blushing about?”
She took a bite of her fajita and shook her head. She was done talking.
“Come on, tell me.”
She opened her mouth, and the words nearly came out. She was never drinking wine with him again. A half a glass should not affect her like this. She shoved another bite of fajita in. Her babbling was horrible.
He scooted closer to her. “Beth, you want to tell me, you almost did.” He moved her plate away so she couldn’t reach it and tilted her head so he was looking in her eyes.
He called her Beth, like they were friends or something. No one called her Beth. Not even her parents. Hearing it come out of his mouth like that sent a shiver down her spine.
“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to assume the worst. I can tell you my theories.” He gave her a crooked grin.
She shook her head. That would make it worse. She didn’t want to know what he thought she was thinking.
Bethany made a grab for her plate at the same time as two black paws appeared on the counter, and Hexa snatched the fajita right off the plate.
Both Bethany and Jamie dissolved into laughter, and when they finally pulled themselves together and went after Hexa, she was hiding in the living room with her head hung low, no food in sight.
Bethany had to get her thoughts straight. She set down her glass of wine and looked down at Hexa. “Do you mind if I take her down to the beach for a walk.”
“Only if I can come with you.”
Bethany squeezed her eyes shut. She was trying to get away from him. She’d said too much. She needed to walk off her half glass of wine.
“Okay.” She gave him a tight smile, not knowing how she could turn him down.
Hexa took off down the stairs and was on the beach before they even reached the bottom.
“How long have you lived here?” Jamie asked.
She ran her fingers along the worn rail. “Since I was a baby. I grew up here.” And she never wanted to leave.
“Where are your parents?”
She squirmed a little. Her parents weren’t something she talked about much. But she couldn’t not give him an answer. So she gave him the short version.
“They died a few years ago in a sailing accident. They left me the house.” That was a day she didn’t like thinking about. It was the worst day of her life. The day the sheriff came to her door and gave her the news. She was catatonic for weeks after that. She held on to their memory through the house.
Jamie kicked off his flip-flops and picked them up. “That explains why you don’t want to move out.”
“Yeah, it’s the one thing in this world that I love more than life itself. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost it. Though it’s expensive to maintain.” She couldn’t continue. It was too painful to talk about. If Jamie hadn’t moved in, she wouldn’t be here anymore.
They reached the end of the boardwalk, and she took off her shoes. There was another thing she loved about the house. The beach was usually nearly empty. Mrs. Calhoun never came down, and Bunny only did when they were together.
Hexa ran up to them as they walked down toward the water. She circled them, kicking up the sand. Jamie reached down and picked up a stick. Hexa froze and waited. Her whole body shook as he raised the stick above his head. He threw it far down the beach, and she took off after it.
“I’ll bet she enjoys that more with you than she would with me. You can definitely throw it farther.” She didn’t want to admit that she was fairly impressed by his stick-throwing skills.
He shrugged. “I have longer arms. And muscles, you know.” He flexed and wiggled his eyebrows at her. She laughed. What the hell? Was she flirting with him?
He looked down at her. “Though your arms looked pretty toned. Do you work out?”
“Yoga and dance.” She sat down in the sand, and he followed her. Hexa dropped the stick in front of him. He chucked it down the beach again. Bethany was surprised by how comfortable she was with him all of the sudden. It had to be the wine.
“Dance, that’s right. Do you only do ballet?”
“I prefer ballet, but I’m too short. I started dancing when I was three. I can do ballroom, jazz, hip hop, you name it, and I probably can do it.”
“What does being short have to do with anything?”
“Most professional ballet dancers are tall and lean. I’m not.”
“So do you and Bunny take classes together?”
She laughed. “I teach Bunny and a handful of other adults. I’d love to open a studio of my own someday, but I can’t afford it.”
“Did you major in dance?”
“No, I wanted to, but my parents convinced me that something else might be more practical. So now I work at the CVB and hand out brochures about Charleston. I’d probably make more as a professional dancer.”
He looked her up and down and then wiggled his eyebrows. She swatted him. “Not that kind.” She shook her head. She was blushing like mad and didn’t want him to see.
Hexa got bored with the stick and jumped around in the shallow water, barking at Jamie.
Jamie stood up and whipped off his shirt. Bethany looked up at him before she could help herself and then couldn’t look away. Every muscle of his chest and stomach was defined. He flexed his pecs.
“Like what you see?” He grinned at her.
She looked away.
“I’m going swimming. You wanna come?”
She shook her head, her face red with embarrassment. She stood up and looked down at the beach. “I’m going inside. I trust you can find the hose and shower.”
He nodded. “Wait,” he said before she could even turn around. “Can you swim?”
“Of course I can. I grew up here. I know this water better than you do.”
She made the mistake of looking up at him. Once again she was mesmerized by his chest. He smiled at her and then ducked down. Before she knew what was going on, he’d whisked her legs up and was carrying her like a small child.
Then before she could react, he ran out into the water.