Chris was just inches behind her and looked as if she’d swallowed something sour as she rolled her eyes and said, “Can Casey stay with you for a few hours? My mother was supposed to watch her today while I helped a friend with a baby shower. But apparently, she’s been up sick all night and just now saw fit to let me know.” Lydia wondered idly why it would be a problem for Chris to take her daughter with her but wisely kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to risk another round of being called a tramp—or a ramp as Casey put it.
“Of course,” Jake replied without hesitation. “How about I drop her by this evening around seven? We’ll go to the aquarium or to the zoo.”
Casey jumped in place, clearly excited by her father’s plans for the day. “I want to go to the quarium, Daddy, and pet a fish!” Lydia was smiling at the little girl, thinking about how adorable she was when Casey unknowingly threw her under the bus. She grabbed Lydia’s hand and tugged on it. “Can she come with us too, Daddy?” Without waiting for Jake’s reply, she told Lydia, “You gonna love those fishes. And if you lay on your tummy on the rocks, they’ll let you pet the big ones. No standing up, though, ‘cause you might fall in the water.”
It was a testament to how much Chris wanted a babysitter that instead of making another scene, she simply settled for glaring from Jake to Lydia before saying stiffly, “I’ll be expecting her at seven. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t confuse her by including someone she’ll never see again after today. I’d rather not answer any questions as to who Daddy’s special friend is.”
Lydia could see the frustration on Jake’s face, and she couldn’t blame him. Actually, she had to give him a lot of credit for not telling the other woman off. There was rude and then there was Chris. She seemed to be in a league all her own. Lydia had a feeling that she chose to do a lot of her taunting in front of her daughter because she realized he would be less likely to retaliate in the same manner. He blew out an exasperated breath before saying, “We’ll discuss that this evening when I drop off Casey.”
Chris shrugged her shoulders and whirled on her impossibly high heels. Almost like something out of a movie, her long, pale hair floated behind her as she tossed a “Whatever” over her slim shoulders.
What a bitch, Lydia couldn’t help thinking as the three of them were left behind in an obviously expensive cloud of perfume. Jake pasted on a big smile for his daughter and clapped his hands together. “All right! Who wants to see some sharks?”
“Me do, me do!” Casey whirled and bobbed before latching on to her father’s leg.
Lydia stood uncertainly, not knowing if she was invited or if he wanted to spend the time alone with his daughter. How comfortable could he possibly be with her going along, seeing as they barely knew each other? He was probably too much of a gentleman to exclude her, though, so she decided to make it easy for him. “I think I’ll get my clothes ready for the week ahead and then curl up with a book this afternoon. You two go ahead and have a blast.”
Jake’s jaw dropped at her words. “What? Why? I thought . . . I mean, don’t you want to come with us? Do you not enjoy aquariums? The one at Broadway is amazing. We’ll grab some lunch afterward and walk around.”
She shifted uncertainly. She really did want to go, and he appeared to genuinely desire her company as well. Before she could answer, Casey took first her daddy’s hand and then Lydia’s. “Let’s go!” she announced.
Jake gave her a playful grin over his daughter’s head knowing full well that she wouldn’t say no to the little girl—and she didn’t. Within minutes, Casey was buckled in the backseat of Jake’s truck while Lydia took her seat beside him.
“Thanks for coming along,” he said as they drove the short distance through Myrtle Beach to Broadway at the Beach. It was a mix of shops, restaurants, and attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium.
Figuring she might as well come clean, Lydia said, “No problem. I have a membership to the aquarium, so I’m there quite a lot. I’ve found it’s a pretty good place to spend a lazy day. Plus, they’re constantly adding different exhibits, so there’s always something new to see.” Did that explanation make her sound like a loser? she wondered wryly. He probably thought she had no life. How many single women spent time hanging out at a local attraction geared primarily toward children? She didn’t want to add that Brett had originally gotten the membership for the two of them to enjoy together, and she hadn’t had the heart to cancel it. So each year, she paid the membership fee. And on the days that she missed him the most, she would often find herself driving there and spending time doing one of the things that he’d enjoyed so much. She’d always thought that someday they’d bring their own child to learn about some of the aquatic habitats from around the world, but that hope had died along with Brett.
Lydia had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she jerked when a hand landed on her knee. “Is everything okay?” Jake asked, sounding concerned. It was then that she realized tears were trailing down her cheeks.
“Oh God,” she squeaked out as she quickly wiped away the moisture.
“Hang on, honey, let me find somewhere to pull over,” he said as he slowed the truck.
“No, Jake,” she rushed out. “Please—I’m fine.” When he continued to throw uncertain looks her way, she sighed before saying, “I used to go to the aquarium with Brett. He loved it and I’ve kept the membership all these years because it held many good memories for me. I realize that may sound silly to you, but—”
“Why would it?” Jake interrupted. “Of course you would feel that way about any place you and he frequented together. Heck, I get a stupid grin on my face when I go in McDonald’s because I’ll recall something silly that Casey did on the playground when we were there together the last time. There is no right or wrong in how we feel—it just is. That said, if going here is going to be too hard for you, we’ll go somewhere else. And it won’t be any kind of inconvenience.” He’d continued to hold her leg, but now his fingers were idly caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thigh as well. She didn’t think he was even aware he was doing it, but she certainly was. She’d gone from sobbing over Brett to one big mass of quivering awareness at the touch of another man. If she was ever to move on with her life, then she needed to stop feeling so conflicted and just enjoy Jake’s comfort and his touch.