Page 39 of Unlikely Guardian

She had a sleeping Megan cradled in her arms.

He smiled, leaned his shoulder against the door frame and watched them. This was one of his favorite moments—watching Megan sleep. When she was awake, she was always on the move, and it was impossible to concentrate on the sheer joy she’d brought to his life. But now, with her resting peacefully, Jason could study her tiny face and relive all the wonderful things that he loved about her. If he accomplished every career goal he would ever have, it wouldn’t come close to the fulfillment he’d gotten just by being Megan’s dad.

And that brought him back to Lilly.

She could take fatherhood from him, but he no longer thought that she would. He mentally shrugged. Maybe that was what he wanted to believe, anyway.

The files that Lilly had brought from her office were scattered on the desk tucked in the corner. She’d no doubt been reading through them while watching Megan. Double duty. He’d done a lot of that himself over the past eleven and a half months.

“Lilly’s rushing things,” Erica whispered, walking up behind him. She folded her arms over her chest and didn’t take her gaze from Lilly. “It’ll confuse Megan.”

Jason made a sound to indicate he didn’t agree. “Megan doesn’t look confused or rushed.” She looked as if she belonged right there in Lilly’s arms.

Erica stayed quiet a few moments, and Jason braced himself for the fallout. It came. “I don’t know how you can welcome her into your home. Not after what she did to Greg.”

Fallout, indeed. Any other time, he might have agreed. But this wasn’t any other time. It was now, and whether he wanted it or not, things were changing between Lilly and him. They had to change, for Megan’s sake.

“Oh, I get it,” Erica concluded on a rise of breath. “You’re being nice to Lilly because you’re worried she’ll take Megan. That’s it, isn’t it?”

He wished that was it. Jason wished the attraction he felt for Lilly was all part of the custody issue and the love both of them felt for Megan.

But it wasn’t.

He wanted to kiss Lilly. He wanted her in his bed. Hell, he just plain wanted her. That didn’t have a thing to do with Megan.

“Please don’t tell me you’re willing to have a relationship with Lilly for Megan’s sake?” Erica went on.

Jason didn’t know the answer, and he didn’t want to explore it now. Especially not with Erica.

Because this wasn’t going to be pleasant, he gently took Erica by the arm and led her down the hall so they wouldn’t wake Megan and Lilly. He only hoped there wouldn’t be shouting, but it was a distinct possibility.

He considered several ways to go about this, but decided to use the direct approach. “Erica, I think it’s time for you to leave.”

She went board-stiff. Stared at him. And then jerked away from him as if he’d slapped her. “What do you mean?”

He continued with the direct approach. “I mean that Lilly and I have enough to deal with right now, and your being here isn’t making things easier.”

“I see.” Keeping her gaze pinned to him, she stepped back. She swallowed hard. “Did Lilly talk you into doing this?”

“You know I can’t be talked into anything that I don’t feel is right. This was my idea. Lilly needs time to be with Megan, and Megan needs time to be with her. That won’t happen with you around. Megan will keep turning to you, and that’ll only cause friction between Lilly and you.”

Erica pulled in a breath and gave a shaky nod. “You’re certain about this?”

“Positive. I’ll give you a month’s severance pay and a reference, but I want you to consider this your two weeks’ notice—”

“Two weeks’ notice isn’t necessary. I’ll leave today—for Megan’s sake. And yours.” Erica looked down at the floor. “I’ll pack a few things and arrange for someone to pick up the rest. I won’t be long.”

“There’s no need for you to rush.”

“Yes. There is.” When she lifted her head again, Jason had no trouble seeing the tears in her eyes.

Great. He felt like a jerk. But he would have felt like a bigger jerk if Lilly had had to battle Erica just so she could spend time with her daughter. This was definitely a case of one too many moms.

Swiftly wiping away her tears, Erica headed in the direction of her room, but then stopped and turned back around to face him. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out so I could stay. And just for the record, no hard feelings.” With that, she walked away.

Jason was a little surprised with her reaction. It was amicable and the decent thing to say. The right thing. If Erica was sincere, that is. But he wondered if she truly was.

“Anything wrong?” He looked back to see Lilly standing in the doorway of her room.

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