full height. “I want to get him used to living with me a week or two at a time. Of course, we need to work out an arrangement that works for both of us.”
Taking a step closer, she jabbed her finger into his chest. “You promised you’d put Jake’s needs first.”
He stood his ground. “That’s what I’m doing. I’m reorganizing my life to include him.”
“But he has a family. I’m his mother.”
“I know that.” She was so focused on her anger, she didn’t seem to get that he wasn’t threatening her relationship with Jake. He needed to reassure her. “I’ll never come between you and Jake, Jessie. The condo has plenty of room, even an extra bedroom for you or your parents to stay as much as you like when he’s with me.”
She shut her eyes. “My parents and I can visit him?” she whispered.
He tried to ignore the accusation in her tone. He needed to make her see the entire picture. “You can stay with him anytime he’s with me. Anytime you want. For as long as you want.”
She pressed her hand to her forehead. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He swallowed. “I’m doing my best to figure out a way to be Jake’s father. And I think I’ve found a well-qualified caretaker for when I have to work. I think you’ll like her.”
She stiffened. “A nanny? You hired a nanny? ”
“No.” His gut twisted. This was going from bad to worse, and he didn’t know how to stop it. “She’s a babysitter. And I want your input before I hire her. I’d like to drive you and Jake down to meet her as soon as possible.”
She took a step back. “You were scheming to separate us all along?”
“What? No. I was never scheming.” Struggling to get a foothold in the quicksand he’d managed to stumble into, he reached out to touch her arm.
She jerked away.
He dropped his hand to his side. “I’m trying to work out a compromise. I told you I don’t want my son growing up without his father like I did. I think the best way to do that is to have him live with me part of the time, don’t you?”
“No. He’s too young to be shifted back and forth between us. If you cared about him, you’d see that.” Her words were clipped, her tone seething.
“Jessie—”
“Don’t ‘Jessie’ me. Nothing you have to say interests me now that I know how underhanded you really are.”
Flinching, he raised his hand in front of him to try to calm her down.
“How could I have been so wrong about you? How could I have ever believed Jake was lucky to have you for a daddy?”
She’d believed that?
“Mama mad?” Jake peered up at her, eyes wide.
“Yes, Mama’s mad, sweetie.”
The little guy scowled up at Peter. “Bad Pedo.”
Pain stabbed his chest. He dragged in a breath and tried to figure out where things had gone so wrong and what to do about it.
Jessie scooped Jake up and took a step closer to Peter, her eyes dark with anger. “Your nanny can rot for all I care. And so can your condo. If you think I’ll ever hand him over to you, you don’t know me at all.” Turning, she strode away without a backward glance.
Peter stood rooted to the spot, his heart thudding so hard against his ribs, its pounding muffled everything else. The anxiety he’d been fighting crashed over him in waves. He felt as if he were drowning in them.
Chapter Eight
S till in her swimsuit, Jessie strode up the driveway, hugging Jake to her for all she was worth. She never wanted to see Peter Sheridan again as long as she lived.
Jake patted her face assuringly.
She kissed his forehead. She hated upsetting Jake. She’d done her best to calm down ever since she’d left Peter at the lake, but she just couldn’t get past how completely he’d fooled her.
Why did you bring Peter into our lives, God? she asked angrily. I even began to trust him.
Look where that had gotten her. She’d taught Jake to trust him, too. Stupid. No wonder she hadn’t heard from Peter. He’d been plotting to take Jake away all along.
Taking a step closer, she jabbed her finger into his chest. “You promised you’d put Jake’s needs first.”
He stood his ground. “That’s what I’m doing. I’m reorganizing my life to include him.”
“But he has a family. I’m his mother.”
“I know that.” She was so focused on her anger, she didn’t seem to get that he wasn’t threatening her relationship with Jake. He needed to reassure her. “I’ll never come between you and Jake, Jessie. The condo has plenty of room, even an extra bedroom for you or your parents to stay as much as you like when he’s with me.”
She shut her eyes. “My parents and I can visit him?” she whispered.
He tried to ignore the accusation in her tone. He needed to make her see the entire picture. “You can stay with him anytime he’s with me. Anytime you want. For as long as you want.”
She pressed her hand to her forehead. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He swallowed. “I’m doing my best to figure out a way to be Jake’s father. And I think I’ve found a well-qualified caretaker for when I have to work. I think you’ll like her.”
She stiffened. “A nanny? You hired a nanny? ”
“No.” His gut twisted. This was going from bad to worse, and he didn’t know how to stop it. “She’s a babysitter. And I want your input before I hire her. I’d like to drive you and Jake down to meet her as soon as possible.”
She took a step back. “You were scheming to separate us all along?”
“What? No. I was never scheming.” Struggling to get a foothold in the quicksand he’d managed to stumble into, he reached out to touch her arm.
She jerked away.
He dropped his hand to his side. “I’m trying to work out a compromise. I told you I don’t want my son growing up without his father like I did. I think the best way to do that is to have him live with me part of the time, don’t you?”
“No. He’s too young to be shifted back and forth between us. If you cared about him, you’d see that.” Her words were clipped, her tone seething.
“Jessie—”
“Don’t ‘Jessie’ me. Nothing you have to say interests me now that I know how underhanded you really are.”
Flinching, he raised his hand in front of him to try to calm her down.
“How could I have been so wrong about you? How could I have ever believed Jake was lucky to have you for a daddy?”
She’d believed that?
“Mama mad?” Jake peered up at her, eyes wide.
“Yes, Mama’s mad, sweetie.”
The little guy scowled up at Peter. “Bad Pedo.”
Pain stabbed his chest. He dragged in a breath and tried to figure out where things had gone so wrong and what to do about it.
Jessie scooped Jake up and took a step closer to Peter, her eyes dark with anger. “Your nanny can rot for all I care. And so can your condo. If you think I’ll ever hand him over to you, you don’t know me at all.” Turning, she strode away without a backward glance.
Peter stood rooted to the spot, his heart thudding so hard against his ribs, its pounding muffled everything else. The anxiety he’d been fighting crashed over him in waves. He felt as if he were drowning in them.
Chapter Eight
S till in her swimsuit, Jessie strode up the driveway, hugging Jake to her for all she was worth. She never wanted to see Peter Sheridan again as long as she lived.
Jake patted her face assuringly.
She kissed his forehead. She hated upsetting Jake. She’d done her best to calm down ever since she’d left Peter at the lake, but she just couldn’t get past how completely he’d fooled her.
Why did you bring Peter into our lives, God? she asked angrily. I even began to trust him.
Look where that had gotten her. She’d taught Jake to trust him, too. Stupid. No wonder she hadn’t heard from Peter. He’d been plotting to take Jake away all along.
Similar Books
