Page 102 of His Greatest Treasure

Nova’s laugh is louder than I think I’ve ever heard it, at least in the last few years. Her cheeks are flushed from the afternoon in the sun, and I fight off happy tears, knowing how okay she is with Oliver being around.

Hell, the moment she saw the both of us outside of school this afternoon to pick her up, she ran out of her classroom so fast that she almost tripped on the laces she forgot to tie. Even ushering her inside the house for just long enough to get changed into her swimsuit and unpack her lunchbox was a struggle. All she wanted was to spend time with him.

Fuck, my eyes burn behind my sunglasses. Tipping my head back, I suck in a breath and smile.

The past two days have been something from a dream. I want to hope that they’re a sneak peek into the future, but I don’t want to jinx anything.

From our first real date to our night together and the morning waking up in my bed with him beside me, I’ve been walking on air. He even got my parents’ approval. Or, well, my mother’s. Dad will play it off for as long as he can, but he’s sure to fall for Oliver too.

“She got you, Ollie!” she shouts with a poke to Oliver’s chest.

“She did, peanut. But you know what happens now?”

“What?”

“We get payback. Mermaid attack!” he bellows.

In a blink, I’m in his arms and up in the air, the pool water beneath us. I flail my arms and play into the act as Nova cheers and jumps, egging Oliver on.

“Tickle her stomach, Nova. We have to torture her before tossing her overboard,” he says.

Nova doesn’t hesitate. She digs her fingers into my ribs and has me scream laughing in an instant. My cheeks burn alongside my abs, but all I can focus on is the mix of laughter coming fromOliver and Nova. I add mine and prepare to be dunked under again.

This time, I plug my nose and close my mouth before falling beneath the water and flailing back to the surface with my feet planted beneath me.

“Okay, okay. No more dunking Mom,” I beg once I’ve wiped my face free of water.

Neither of them replies.

Confusion sparks as I stare between them before realizing neither of them is looking at me. I follow Oliver’s stare and stiffen, my well of happiness suddenly empty.

“What are you doing here, Chris?” I ask tightly.

He inspects me with a dirty glare from his place by the front fence, and I feel underdressed in my bathing suit. Still outside of the yard, he grabs hold of the silver top of the chain-link fence and leans against it.

“What the fuck is going on here?” he spits.

Oliver moves at my back, so close now I can feel the heat from his body. I want to be comforted by it, but the subtle shift of his position doesn’t go unnoticed by Chris.

Nova wades to the edge of the pool and lifts herself up by the rim. “It’s not the weekend yet, Daddy.”

“Our custody arrangement was made loosely.”

It’s an innocent reply wrapped in a threat as clear as any I’ve ever heard. My back snaps straight as I stand beside my daughter.

“Why are you here?”

“I found one of Nova’s library books at my house. Apparently, I should have called before coming by to drop it off.”

“Which book?” Nova asks, curious now.

Chris nods back at his car. “It’s in the car.”

“Give me a second, and I’ll walk you to the house so you can bring it inside,” I say when it’s the last thing I want to do.

He’s as angry as ever. Only one comment he doesn’t like away from exploding on me. I’m not going to let him ruin Nova’s day when she’s had such a great one.

We’ve never had a strict visiting schedule. Nova stays with him every second weekend because it’s all the time he can spare to give her his full attention, but he’s visited plenty of times outside of then. He just chose a really bad time to pop up. One where he’s had to see both me and Nova laughing with another man.

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