Chapter Twenty-Three

Francesca

 

Near six, I wake to the smell of coffee. I’m tired and deliciously sore in places that haven’t been touched by a man in—well, ever.

“Morning, Sunshine. Your dirty coffee mugs are hilarious.” Tommy is standing mostly dressed in the doorway of my bedroom with a mug in his hand that says, “Yes, I have a dirty mind and right now you’re running through it naked.”

I smirk. “Morning. Lina and Lily started the collection. Every so often, they find new ones.” I could get used to having him here in the morning, especially if it means we spend the nights like last night. That isn’t accurate. I want to wake up with him daily. Waking up with him daily is going to take some time. I sigh inwardly as he sits beside me and hands me the cup. “Thank you.” He’s sexy in the morning, even more so after a night filled with sex.

“I need to get going. Still up to coming over for breakfast? Maybe nine instead of eight?”

“Absolutely. How are we handling this?” I motion between us.

“What do you mean ‘this’?”

I shake my head. “With Ellie. How open are you with her?”

“Did you misunderstand what I said last night?”

I tilt my head in question.

“No other woman has met my daughter. There were no other all-night dates or sleepovers. I have only been with you since my divorce.”

Holy hell! He has some serious skills that haven’t been used in way too long! Mine. “No, I didn’t make the correlation from what you said. I’m honored to be the first to meet Ellie.”

“Anything else?” A sly grin appears on his stubble-covered face.

“Yes, but it will take too long to discuss and a lot more coffee.”

“Fair enough.” He leans in and kisses me tenderly. Every kiss leaves me aching for more. “I’ll see you in a little while. Come over when you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

He kisses my forehead and walks out the door. I savor my coffee, which is somehow prepared perfectly, and replay every decadent touch from last night. Twenty minutes later, I drag myself into my huge shower and let the scalding water soothe the aches it can reach.

I bound up the front steps of Tommy’s house, and the door flies open.

“Morning, Frankie.”

“Hi, Ellie.”

“Dad is in the kitchen cooking a massive amount of food.” She takes off up the stairs quickly.

I smile. “Thanks.” Stepping inside, I hang my zip-up on the hook and add my keys to the bowl by the front door. It feels oddly domesticated.

When I step into the kitchen, I’m assailed by the tantalizing smell of bacon and coffee. Rounding the island, I kiss Tommy hello.

“Hi, Sunshine.”

“Hi. How can I help?” I ask, washing my hands.

“Coffee please.”

I nod and busy myself with two cups of coffee. “Why is Ellie in a crazy good mood this early on a Sunday? And isn’t this a lot of food for three people?”

He laughs. “Tess called and said she would be here soon. Remi and Eva are still asleep.”

Oh.” I fail to hide the disappointment and sadness in my voice, the hollowness in my chest indicative of my feelings. I have no reason to be upset Ellie wants to spend time with her mother. Yet I am. I have no right to feel rejected. Yet I do. I’m already attached to both Tommy and Ellie, deeply attached.

Within seconds, his arms are around me and his lips press to the nape of my neck. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs against my skin.

“Nothing for you to be sorry for. You don’t need my approval to….” I turn in his arms, and he traps me against the counter.

Concern he hurt me and a dash of joy spark in his eyes. “Either way, I’m sorry. Ellie deserves a clear schedule, and quite frankly, so do we. If you don’t want me to come to dinner later, I won’t. I know you invited both of us.”

I shake my head. Before I can reply, Ellie and a woman I recognize enter the kitchen.

“Good morning, Tom…. Hi, I’m Tess.” Reluctantly Tess extends her hand and appraises me. “I know you.”

The angst in the room dials up to one hundred. Despite the time and place, she’s perfectly coifed from her clothes, including a cardigan, to her red-soled shoes. I note a significant amount of makeup caked on her right cheek.

I may not have remembered her name, but I never forget a face. Tess was Lina’s mean-girl bully. “Yes, you do. Lovely to see you again.” As Tommy drops his front arm, I extend my hand and welcome her through gritted teeth.

Tommy looks between the two of us before greeting her. “Morning, Tess.”

“Tommy. Thank you for being flexible.”

Tommy nods. The inevitable question about our relationship doesn’t come. I would prefer Tess ask us instead of Ellie. The awkwardness of this gathering gets worse when Eva and Remi enter the kitchen.

“Remington. Evangeline. Good morning.” Intrigue and questions play out on her face.

“Tess,” they say in unison.

“Would you and Michael like to join us for breakfast? There’s plenty,” Tommy offers. He probably wants to break the tension. Unfortunately, he fails.

“Michael stayed in a rental in Connecticut.”

Sensing the awkwardness, Ellie moves toward us, hugs Tommy and then me, and waves to Remi and Eva. “I’ll see you on Tuesday after practice.”

“I’ll be there,” Tommy replies.

“Will you be there too, Frankie?” she addresses me.

“Yes.” My response is clear and direct. I won’t ever let her down like Tess has in the last few weeks.

Tess cringes at my response, winces, and lifts her hand up but lets it drop before touching her face. I only know high school Tess and a little of what Tommy and Ellie have shared, as well as her recent actions. However, she’s hiding something. I don’t like to speculate, but my suspicions aren’t good.

Ellie grabs Tess’s forearm and all but drags her out of the house. As she does, I notice another wince. More evidence something is wrong keeps surfacing.

The four of us take a seat with fresh coffee and eat the huge breakfast in silence, other than required pleasantries to pass food. Once the dishes are washed, Remi and Eva excuse themselves to clean up the guest room.

“We need to talk.” Tommy’s tone is unwavering, letting me know this conversation isn’t optional.

“Okay.” I step outside onto the porch and take a seat on the stairs leading down to the grass. Some time passes before Remi and Eva stick their heads out the door to say goodbye. Then Tommy sits beside me.

“I’m truly sorry about messing up our plans for later today. I was more focused on Ellie having time with her mother, especially since Ellie is supposed to be with Tess this weekend.”

“I know. I’m sorry for getting upset. It isn’t my place to question how you navigate what’s going with on with Ellie’s custody.”

“No reason for you to be sorry at all. I love that you want to spend more time with both of us and you were disappointed Ellie can’t join us anymore. That is if you still want me to join you.”

I push out a breath slowly. “The disappointment hit me harder than I expected. My afternoon included both of you, and I told Emilia. I may not go at all now. The three of us can go next weekend. I’m not used to navigating a schedule with three adults, especially one who is… inconsistent.”

“Kind of you, but I’ll stay here and you can blame me if you want to go to dinner.”

I consider his offer but immediately dismiss it. I won’t make Tommy look bad because of Tess before they join our first family dinner.

“You may not think I’m kind after my next statement. I don’t know Tess now, but Tess fiercely bullied Lina in high school. It’s why she recognized me. I’m sharing only for your information. I preface my next statement by saying again, I don’t know Tess well at all, but she is acting odd. Along with her failure to show up for her relocation motion, the trashing of the living room and no-show for parenting time with Ellie, she’s overdressed for the weather, coverup is caked on her right cheek, and she winced when Ellie grabbed her forearm.”

Tommy hangs his head. “I saw her wince too. Well, I noticed the clothes and the wincing, not the makeup.”

“Have there been any other signs?” I ask quietly.

I shake my head. “Generally, I don’t see Tess. Only Ellie does. Today was a rarity. We communicate through text or email. Ellie goes between our homes from school or practice.”

“Did her behavior change after Tess married her husband?” Luca’s interrogation skills may have rubbed off on me a bit. My instinct is to dig until I’m sure Ellie is safe.

“Right after the divorce, I was mostly worried about Ellie and a bit about myself, not Tess.”

“Understandable.”

“Her recent behavior has been strange, but it’s only since Michael’s promotion and then relocation came up.”

“I’m concerned for Ellie if Tess is suffering through domestic violence.”

He draws me closer and sets a kiss to my temple. “I know. I’m concerned too. Even Ellie mentioned she was acting differently. How do I handle this? I don’t want my daughter in the middle.”

“I’m not sure. I would suggest talking to Tess, but it seems you only talk about Ellie, which makes sense considering your relationship to one another. Yet if Michael is harming Tess, the next question is will he harm Ellie?”

Tommy shudders beside me.

“I’m sorry. This topic is delicate.”

“Don’t be sorry. The thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. I need more evidence to consider he may be hurting Tess. The mere fact you see signs and are concerned makes me rethink what I believe to be true.”

He rocks onto his feet and extends a hand to me, leading me back inside. We curl up on the love seat in his bedroom, my head against his chest, his heart hammering against my temple faster than it should be right now.

I push off his chest so I can look at him. “What do you know is true?”

“The change in her behavior occurred since Michael’s promotion.”

“Ellie mentioned something similar when she came to my office but not in those terms. She was talking about her mom shopping more, increased frequency of manicures and pedicure due to more evening corporate events with Michael. It didn’t seem important, but now I’m not so sure. On the surface it’s meaningless, but she needs different clothes to hide bruises on her arms or back.”

“I don’t think there is anything I can do right now. Michael isn’t here. I have no concrete proof.”

“Exactly what Luca would say. You only have a bunch of things that might add up to something or, taken separately, nothing.”

Tommy leans up and brushes his lips across mine. “Can we talk about something else?”

I kiss him again and set my feet on the floor. “Grab some shoes. I want to show you my workshop.”

A confused look graces his face, but he pushes to stand too. Within twenty minutes, we’re walking with our hands intertwined under the archway of Hartley Mason.

“This is your workshop?”

“Yes, why?” We stop and take off our shoes. It’s the off-season, so this park isn’t crowded anymore.

He grins at me. “Then I have two. I either build something or go to my secret spot on Short Sands when I need to think or sort through stuff. I went there after dropping Ellie off at Kylie’s last week when Tess dropped the boarding school plan. So much has happened since then. At least for now, nothing is happening with our custody agreement.”

My designated spot is unoccupied. Tommy hoists himself up and then pulls me into his lap. “I’m truly sorry about dinner.”

“It’s fine. It’ll be equally as awesome next Sunday, assuming you’re both free.”

“Yes, we would like to join you. Please blame me with Emilia at least.”

“It won’t be necessary but thank you for offering to take the heat. She’s feisty.”

“So is her sexy aunt.” He tightens his arms around me while pressing his mouth to the back of my neck.

“Sexy, huh?”

“Very much so.”

I turn and kiss him hard before replying, “Thank you. You’re pretty hot yourself.” I twist forward, lean back against him, and close my eyes.

“Thank you for sharing your spot with me,” he murmurs near my earlobe.

“You’re welcome.” I lose myself in his arms and my thoughts about many topics from Tommy, Ellie, and hiring an assistant.

Tommy takes a deep breath before speaking. “Sunshine, will you stay with me tonight?”

“Yes. Why were you nervous to ask?”

“You exceed everything I have been looking for, and it’s scary. So much so I’m still not convinced you’re real. More importantly, I’m afraid to believe we can work.”

“The same is true about you.” About an hour later, we head to my place where I pack an overnight bag and necessary items for work. After a simple dinner of grilled chicken and vegetables, we turn in for the night.