Brianna said, giving him a pint-sized hug that squeezed the heart right out of him.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to wait.” He brushed a kiss upon her cheek.
“You know what?” she asked. “Mommy went to see Daddy in Heaven.”
“I heard,” he whispered against her hair, his voice cracking with grief for her loss. “And I came to take you home with me.”
“Are you taking Chloe, too?” she asked. “She said I’m going to live with her.”
Over Jake’s dead body. And he’d lined up a legal team to make sure that wouldn’t happen.
“Hello, there,” a sultry, female voice said.
Jake turned to face a tall, shapely redhead who reminded him of Julia Roberts in her Pretty Woman days.
A scattering of freckles across her nose gave her a girlish appeal. But as his gaze dropped to a yellow bikini top and a pair of black shorts, he realized there was nothing remotely childlike about her body.
Damn.
Without a conscious thought, he zeroed in on a pair of long legs that could wrap around a guy, making his hormones kick up a notch and his brains leave town—permanently.
Double damn.
“Mr. Braddock?” she asked, reminding him it was his turn to respond.
He cleared his throat. “Yes.” And she had to be Ms. Haskell. Chloe. Desiree’s “dear” friend.
For a man who prided himself in maintaining control, he was having trouble finding his words.
“I’ve heard about you,” she said.
He expected her to continue with one of those standard remarks, something about it being a pleasure to finally meet him. But since she didn’t utter anything more, he wasn’t sure what she’d heard about him.
In his attempt to distance himself from his stepmother, he’d neglected to consider what Desiree might think of him, what she might confide in her friends.
Not that it really mattered, he supposed.
Chloe shifted her weight and placed a hand on a shapely hip. He tried to read her body language, but his gaze merely locked on an impish spark in those green eyes, the hint of a pair of dimples, the fullness of her lips.
“Since we have an appointment in Dallas on Friday,” she said, “it’s a bit of a surprise to see you in California.”
“I realize that, but I wanted to see my sister. I think it’s best if she has family near her right now.”
“Chloe’s my family, too,” Brianna said. “Mommy told me. They’re the same as sisters.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jake responded, sensing the showdown to come and prepared for it.
Yet when he glanced at Brianna, at the smile she wore, he realized this wasn’t the time or place for a confrontation. Maybe he’d better tread easy, make nice. Lay on the charm until he could take Brianna home, then let the attorneys fight it out.
Brianna tapped him on the shoulder. “Could you please put me down? I lost my shoe.”
He placed her on the ground, and she half hopped, half walked to get her missing pink flip-flop.
His full attention returned to Chloe, even though her presence had been nearly overwhelming once she’d come on scene.
“I have temporary custody of Brianna,” she said, “until we meet in Dallas.”
“Okay. But you’ll have to forgive me for being concerned about her. All of this came as quite a shock.”
Chloe crossed her arms under her breasts, causing them to swell before his eyes.
Didn’t she have some kind of cover-up to wear?
He fingered the collar of his crisp white shirt and adjusted the knot of his tie. According to the weather report, it wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near as warm in Bayside as it had been in Dallas, but it seemed as though he’d brought the heat and humidity with him.
“Brianna is doing as well as can be expected,” Chloe said. “Desiree tried hard to prepare her.”
“How can you prepare a five-year-old for something like death?”
“It’s difficult for anyone, I suppose.” Her voice was soft, laced with something. Grief? Compassion?
Whether it was sincere or not, he couldn’t say. “I’m sure you can understand why I wanted to come and check on her. And why I want to take her home.”
“She is home.”
Before he could object, Brianna ran back and grabbed one of each of their hands. “Are you going to spend the night with us? We’re having brownies for dinner. Chloe and I made them all by ourselves.”
“I, uh…” He glanced at Chloe, feeling as awkward as an adolescent on hormone overdrive.
“It would be nice if you stayed for dinner with us,” she said. “But from what I understand, you’re a very busy man. So maybe we ought to take a rain check. Brianna and I will be flying to Dallas on Thursday evening and will be staying for a while. You can spend some time with her then.”
She’d welcomed him to dinner politely, then blew him off at the same time, making it clear that she wasn’t going to allow him to take Brianna without him making a scene—something he wasn’t about to do.
Not if it caused Brianna any unnecessary sadness. She’d had far too much already.
“Maybe we can go to Buckaroo Roundup for dinner on Friday night,” he told the child.
She brightened. “That will be so fun. I like to ride the pony in the game room. Will you get me a bunch of tokens?”
“You bet.” A grin tweaked his lips. Score one for the home team. He’d make up for lost time as soon as they got back on his turf. Maybe he’d have to throw in a visit to the toy store, too. There was a lot he needed to make right.
In his attempt to avoid Brianna’s mother, he’d inadvertently steered clear of his little sister, too. And he regretted it. Especially now.
“You’ll like Buckaroo Roundup, too,” Brianna told Chloe. “They have ponies and other rides in the back room.”
His gaze locked on Chloe’s, and he sensed a don’t-underestimate-me vibe.
He wouldn’t. But she’d better not underestimate him, either. If she messed with the bull, she’d have to watch for the horns.
It was out of character for him to step down from a fight, to fly all the way to California, then leave without taking Brianna with him. But he didn’t want the little girl to sense the power struggle brewing. He’d just bide his time—until Friday.
So
