Page 11 of Summer Fling
That sounded ominous for some reason. "I'm not saying I can convince Blake of anything?—"
"If she wants to talk to me, I'd be happy to." He stood, and I knew our time was over.
"I appreciate you taking the time to go over this with me." The last few months, Ashton had doubled as my therapist. Was I doing the right thing?
Ashton shook my hand, and I headed out of the office, my head swimming. I could stand to be stronger when it came to Oakley, but how would she react if I said that Blake was my fiancée? She'd lose it, and I was afraid of the fallout.
There was no guarantee that Blake would even agree to my terms. In fact, I had a feeling she wouldn't. She was a psychology student after all. Ashton's plan was a little crazy. Who would go along with it?
But then again, what harm would it cause if we pretended to be together? It would get Oakley to back off, and it would be better for Lilliana. If I could present the best case going forward with the judge, maybe I could win this thing. Maybe I could finally relax and enjoy being a father without the worry and stress. Get out from under the constant threats.
I returned to work, trying to focus on the job, but my mind kept wandering to Ashton's suggestion.
We were already living together. It wasn't a stretch to say that we were dating. What would it entail other than acting like a couple a few times in public? The more I turned it over in my head, the more reasonable it sounded.
I ignored the nagging voice in my head that wanted to know what would happen if the judge found out it was all a lie.
I parked in the driveway, excited about the future. If I could get through with filing the initial paperwork, I might get what I wanted. A real schedule when I could rely on seeing Lilliana and maybe some control over this situation. That was something I'd lost the day Oakley said she was pregnant.
I went inside, pleased to hear Lilliana squeal from somewhere in the house, and then the thump of her feet as she ran toward me. I scooped her up into my arms and kissed her cheek. "I missed you, sweet girl."
"She missed you too," Blake said from the hallway where she stood watching us with a smile on her face. "How was work?"
"I was able to work knowing she's in good hands." I was grateful to Blake for coming into my life when she did, and I wasn't afraid to tell her that.
"I'm happy to help. Henry was here for a few hours, but he just left. I was thinking about starting something for dinner?—"
I shifted Lilliana to my hip, and she played with my beard, which consisted of tugging it to see if it would come out. It was painful, but I'd endure anything for her. "I've got dinner. You've already done so much. You probably want to take a break."
"Actually, I was just filling up the water table so that we could play."
Lilliana wiggled to get down and ran toward the sliding glass door, excited to play in the water table. "When I'm home, you don't have to watch Lilliana."
"I get that. But I told her we'd do this after her nap, and I always follow through on my promises."
I filed that nugget away for later. Blake was a woman of her word, someone with character, who hopefully wouldn't manipulate me like Oakley had. "I talked with my attorney today. Maybe we can discuss what he had to say tonight after Lil's in bed?"
"That's fine with me." She turned and headed toward the slider to the patio.
I felt energized now that I had the formations of a plan. I knew what I could do to make things better, and I was excited to talk to Blake about it. I just hoped that she'd be onboard and wouldn't decide that this job was too much for her.
There was a distinct possibility that she'd decide I was crazy.
Outside, I could see the water table where Blake was playing with Lilliana. She squealed when her dress got wet but couldn't stop slapping her hands on the water. Blake sat on a nearby chair always within arm distance, laughing and talking to her.
I hadn't allowed myself to think about what it would be like to raise Lilliana with someone else. I thought I'd go it alone. But it was nice to watch them play while I was in the kitchen. It was easier too. Usually, I had to keep her occupied while I cooked.
I got out the pasta, filling a pot with water. Then I pulled out some ready-made shrimp skewers, intending to cook them on the grill. I went back and forth from the grill on the patio to the stove to cook. When the pasta was done, I added salami, red onion, feta cheese, and black olives, throwing it in the fridge to cool it down before we ate.
I'd reserved some of the pasta and added cheese to it for Lilliana. She loved cheese or buttered noodles but wasn't ready for the fancier pasta dish I'd made.
I set everything outside on the table. "It's dinner time."
"Let me dry off Lilliana."
"I've got her," I said, picking Lilliana up, feeling how wet she was against my shirt. My gaze was drawn to the white shirt that Blake was wearing. It was now transparent from the water, and I could easily see the blush-colored bra that she wore underneath. It was lined with a delicate lace design.
I tried not to focus on her nipples that were poking through the thin material. She was my nanny. I shouldn't be ogling her this way, even if I was thinking about making her my fiancée.
