Page 26 of Summer Fling
I needed to keep my mind on the end result. I wanted official fifty-fifty custody of Lilliana. I wanted stability. Lusting after my nanny would give me anything but stability. If I caught real feelings for her, I'd mess everything up, and I couldn't afford to lose Blake.
I needed her now more than ever.
Oakley asked if she could see Lilliana, and I convinced her to wait until Monday so that I could take her to my parents. Thankfully she didn't put up a fight about it. I'd kept track of the time I spent with Lilliana and the times that Oakley showed up unannounced to drop her off or pick her up. I wanted to prove to the court that there was a pattern of behavior that wasn't good for Lilliana.
I wanted to enjoy every minute with my daughter today, because I didn't know when I'd get to see her again. Oakley might decide to keep her as retaliation for filing for a formal custody agreement. I hadn't heard if she'd been served yet, but I could guess that she wouldn't be happy when she was.
On the drive to my parents, Blake looked out the side window.
"My parents already know you," I said to reassure her.
She sighed. "I know."
I glanced over at her again. "Why are you nervous then?"
Her gaze flitted to mine, and then away. "We're going to tell them that we're dating."
"We'll say that we liked each other before you moved in, and it felt natural to be together. We'll call it love at first sight. That's a thing, right?" I asked, trying to keep things light.
She wiped her hands on the skirt of her dress. "I guess so."
"Should we have talked a bit more about the details?" I looked over at her.
"We should probably keep it vague so we don't screw up. We like each other, and we're seeing where it goes." Blake waved a hand.
We'd need to lead up to us getting engaged, but we could keep it low-key for now. I had a feeling that Ashton would insist it was the best way to go into the mediation and potential trial after. We're engaged and building a life together. I wouldn't know what I'd do if he suggested we get married. I wasn't quite ready for any of this. But I'd do anything for my daughter.
Lilliana was the end game, and I needed to remember that.
I reached over and covered Blake's hand with mine. "I really appreciate you doing this."
Her brow furrowed. "What if they don't believe it?"
"You mean because you're completely out of my league?" I said as I turned into the driveway and parked next to another Kingston Construction truck. It looked like most of my family was already here. We'd had to wait until Lilliana woke up from her nap to come over.
Blake shifted on her seat so that her knee was folded, and she was facing me. "Why do you keep saying that? How are you out of my league?"
At least I'd distracted her from her nerves. "You're gorgeous. Smart."
She shook her head. "I'm not out of your league." She ticked her points off on her fingers. "You're attractive. You work in your family's business, and you're an amazing single dad."
"You think I'm attractive?" I asked, enjoying teasing her.
She rolled her eyes. "That's what you got from my list? Not the amazing-single-dad part?"
I quickly sobered. "That was nice too."
Lilliana gurgled from her car seat. I glanced in the rearview mirror, checking on her in the one I'd installed on the back of the seat since she was still in a reverse-facing chair.
Blake's lips quirked. "See? Lilliana agrees with me."
"I'm outnumbered now with two women." It actually felt good to think of Lilliana as living with me. For so long, I had to visit her, and it wasn't the same. I wanted to be the one who got up with her in the middle of the night and prepared her dinner in the evening. I hoped that it wouldn't be taken away from me.
Blake grinned. "Get used to it."
I pushed on the handle opening the door. Blake met me at the rear-passenger door. I lifted Lilliana out of the car seat.
"I'm out of this girl's league too," I said as I looked at my beautiful baby girl. Sometimes it was hard to believe that she was mine. That she'd grow, and I'd be able to say she got her nose or her eye color from me. She'd always be a piece of Oakley too, but I loved all parts of her. My love for her was all-encompassing.
