Page 22 of Outlaw

Ten

Branwen

How to explain all this to a four-year-old was as complicated as how I was going to tell Hudson. I wasn’t sure who to start with.

When I had gone back to find Stevie, she’d been in the kitchen with Jayda, elbow deep in cake batter. Her big eyes had twinkled with excitement as she explained that they were making a strawberry cake with real strawberries.

When Jayda had first walked into the great room earlier, I’d misjudged her. The fact that she was beautiful and young had made me assume the worst. Not that I was jealous of her, but because I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave my daughter with her father’s entirely too young plaything or girlfriend. His saying she worked for him had made me want to laugh. I still believed she did more than clean and cook for Linc and Luther. But that wasn’t my business. As long as they kept that away from Stevie, then whatever.

The woman had won over Stevie, and if we were being forced to live here for a year, I needed to learn to overlook a lot. They would have to clean up their lifestyle in Stevie’s presence. Whatever orgy or sex parties they used to have here ended today. They now had a four-year-old under their roof. This was something I should have brought up to Linc in his office, but his demand that we live here had thrown me for a loop. I couldn’t think clearly. Being away from his dark gaze made it easier to consider all that this really meant for us.

I still had no idea what Linc was going to demand we do about the apartment and our things. I needed to tell this all to Hudson face-to-face. I wanted to pack up our things and speak to the apartment leasing agency about getting out of the lease early or subletting. A steady throb behind my temples set in as the many different things that had to be handled rattled off in my brain.

Jesus, how had this all snowballed so quickly? I had gone over so many scenarios before coming here to get him to sign the papers, and this was not even close to any of the outcomes I had planned for. The man who had demanded I take the pill and told me he didn’t want a kid, then left without any way for me to contact him shouldn’t have wanted us to move in so he could make up for lost time. He wasn’t supposed to want her in his life. Yet I would be lying if there wasn’t a part of me that warmed toward him for it. Stevie was my greatest joy, and having the man who’d helped in giving her life see what a gift she was and want her did lessen the ache in my chest I hadn’t even realized was there. I’d carried it for so long that it had become a part of who I was.

Jayda opened the door to the oven while Stevie stood on a stool, leaning over the sink and washing her hands. I would have to think about all this later. My curious little munchkin was no longer distracted, and I was going to have to explain this to her somehow. She hopped down and hurried over to me, smiling.Today had been another adventure for her. She was happy. I just hoped that she handled it well when I told her that this adventure was going to be rather prolonged.

“Jayda is going to show me the pool!” she exclaimed.

“That is, if it’s okay with your mom,” Jayda said. “She might have other plans.”

I shrugged. “No other plans. Let’s go see that pool.”

With Stevie’s hand in mine, we followed Jayda out of the kitchen. I knew she probably had a list of things to do and entertaining us had to be annoying. But I didn’t know my way around or where Linc expected us to go next. Keeping the smile on Stevie’s face was important today. I wanted her to like it here since she had no other choice.

We were almost to two large glass doors leading out onto a patio when Linc appeared.

“Thank you, Jayda.”

She nodded, then quickly exited the room without a word.

My hand tightened on Stevie’s as he approached us. I didn’t want him bringing up anything to her yet. I needed to explain it to her and let her ask me questions first. Dropping it on her would upset her and confuse her. I was sure Linc had very little knowledge of four-year-olds. He hadn’t had one in a very long time.

“Can she swim?” he asked me.

“Yes. She’s taken swimming lessons the past two summers,” I replied.

The flash of relief in his eyes was followed by his shoulders relaxing. “Good. I have a security system being put in that will ring if any door that leads to the pool is open. There will also be an alarm that goes off if there is movement by the pool and no one is out there supervising. Just for precaution. I wasn’t sure about her swimming abilities, but even so, she never needs to go out there alone.”

I agreed that it wasn’t safe, and I’d never allow that, but the fact that he was doing all that to ensure her safety was impressive. “Thank you.”

He cut his eyes from me to the doors. “Her safety is my priority. Would you both like to go have a look outside? Perhaps tell me what kind of swing set you want.” He dropped his gaze down to Stevie, who was watching him with keen interest.

She glanced at me with a look of apprehension, then scrunched her nose as she turned back to him. “Mommy took me to pick one out, but the one I weally love is too big for Hudson’s yawd,” she told him matter-of-factly. “But she said she would find me one that fits.”

The swing set she’d wanted was one meant for a playground and multiple children. Hudson had a small vegetable garden in his backyard, along with his storage shed that took up a good amount of space. There was a small area where he’d said we could put a swing set for her. She hadn’t been happy about not getting the one she wanted and pitched a tantrum when I told her that we were shopping for a swing set only. Maybe with one slide attached, but that was it. Not an entire playset with all the extras.

“What kind did you want?” he asked, his attention solely on her.

“It had a cuwy slide and a stwaight one, a clubhouse, a lemonade stand, a wope ladduh, and thwee swings!” she exclaimed, using her hands to describe it.

He nodded and reached to open the door. “Sounds like a winner.”

“It is! But Mommy is getting me one that I will like too,” she added the last part and smiled at me, as if she needed to reassure me that she would be happy with the swing set I chose for her.

I had warned her she wouldn’t get one at all if she acted ugly about it. That had changed her tune quickly.

Linc opened the door leading outside.

---