Page 29 of Summer Fling
I almost interjected and said I was the nanny. There was no need for anyone else to watch Lilliana, but Dalton said, "We'd love to go out by ourselves sometime."
I blushed, almost not believing that anyone else was buying this story of ours.
"I think this is great," Joy said as she started passing the salad bowl around the table. "I'm so happy for you two."
Now I felt guilty. His mother was happy for our fake relationship. What would happen when she found it was all for show? The goal was for her to never find out. But what were the odds that this wasn't going to blow up in our faces?
We'd have to keep up this charade for weeks or even months. Then we'd break up and pretend that we weren't meant to be together. That was the best-case scenario. The worst was that everyone found out, and Dalton didn't get custody of Lilliana.
I didn't want to be the reason why he didn't get custody of his daughter.
After dinner, we cleaned up and then went to the beach. The guys broke into two teams to play volleyball, and I sat with Lilliana in the sand by the fire. Dalton had brought a few sand toys out for her to play with.
Ivy sat next to me with Henry. "You have to tell me how this happened. I didn't know that you liked Dalton, much less were dating him."
I gave her a look. "I wouldn't have said anything to you. You're my employer."
"I thought we were friends," Ivy said, hurt tingeing her tone.
"We are friends. It's just… I didn't think I had a chance with everything going on. Oakley's always around?—"
"Speaking of— How did she take it?" Ivy asked.
I sighed. "We haven't officially told her we're dating yet."
"I don't think it's going to go over well with her. She doesn't seem to understand the word no," Ivy said, helping Henry sift sand through a toy.
I sensed the need to give her something to help make our story believable. "Dalton's a great dad. The way he takes care of Lilliana?—"
"I know what you mean. There's something about a man taking care of his child… It gets me right here." She smiled and touched her chest over her heart.
"Yes," I agreed.
Shep dropped into a chair nearby, grabbing a water bottle and twisting the cap off. "What are you talking about?"
"How attractive it is when a father takes care of his child," Ivy said.
His brow furrowed as if he was thinking about it. "What if a man takes care of any child, a niece or nephew? Is he just as attractive?"
"Hmm. What do you think?" Ivy asked me.
I grinned. "I think so."
Ivy shared my smile, both of us knowing that our doubt would bother him. He was usually so confident in his ability to attract women.
He leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. "A man taking care of a child that's not his? That's even more attractive."
"You're ridiculous," Ivy said with a small shake of her head.
"The ladies love me no matter what I'm doing," Shep leaned back in his chair.
"What are you saying now?" Brady asked Shep.
"That men taking care of kids is attractive, whether you're the father or not."
"Why are we even talking about this?" Hudson asked.
"You can't keep up with us, so you have to gab with the women?" Marshall baited him, and Shep stood, flexing his biceps. "We all know I'm in shape. You're the old man who can't keep up."
