Page 8 of After the Vows

On Saturday, I strut around my lawn watering my flowers while wearing the shortest skirt I own. Still no sign of Lucas.

On Sunday, I decide it’s time to pull out the big guns. Go big or go home is my motto.

I dig through my closet for a raincoat. I undress before donning it. I add a pair of strappy high heels to my ensemble. The final touch? An empty dish bowl for the ‘butter’ I’m going to ‘borrow’ from my sexy neighbor.

Is this move cliché? Yes. Does it work? I’m betting on it.

I check my look in the mirror and nod in approval. “You got this, Chloe girl. You got this.”

I march next door to Lucas’s place. I don’t give myself a chance to chicken out before I ring the bell.

The door flies open and a little girl answers. “Hello.”

I check the house number. Yep. I’m at the right place. I didn’t accidentally end up at Mrs. Agatha’s house. Lucas lives here. Or, at least, he did last week.

“Natalia!” Lucas hollers from somewhere in the house. “Don’t answer the door.”

This is definitely the correct house but why is Lucas hollering at this little girl? No one mentioned he had a child.

Is he married? Hold on, Chloe. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Maybe he’s babysitting for a friend.

“Too late!” the girl shouts before smiling at me. “I’m Natalia. Who are you?”

“I’m Chloe. I live next door. What are you doing here?”

She giggles. “You’re silly. I live here of course.”

“You live here?”

“Why are you wearing a raincoat? It’s not raining.”

Because I came over here naked to seduce the man I now fear is your dad? Nope. Not the words I’ll ever speak to a small child. Not in this lifetime.

“Is Lucas your dad?” I ask instead.

An arm wraps around her waist and she disappears from view as Lucas shoves her behind him. “I told you not to answer the door.”

“Dad,” she whines. “What do you think is going to happen? I thought we moved to this Podunk town because it’s safe and boring.”

My jaw drops open. Dad? Lucas is a dad? Where’s her mom? Has he been hiding her, too? I shake my head and force those thoughts away.

It doesn’t matter. Lucas is officially off the menu. I don’t get involved with men with children. Chloe and children is equal to oil and water. Incompatible.

Instead, I take issue with Natalia’s statement. “Excuse me, but Smuggler’s Rest is not a Podunk town. It just so happens to be the coolest town on the coolest island on the East Coast.”

Natalia peeks around her dad to roll her eyes at me. “Adults always say things are cool even when it’s not true.”

“Oh yeah?” I raise an eyebrow. “Have you been toMermaid Mystical Gardensyet? Or what about the boardwalk? Have you tried a muffin atPirates Pastries?”

“What’sMermaid Mystical Gardens?”

“The coolest amusement park in the world.”

She giggles. “You say cool a lot.”

I shrug. “What can I say? I’m a cool person.”

Lucas clears his throat. “Is there something we can help you with?” He rakes his gaze over my raincoat and I feel my cheeks heat.

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