Chapter 22
Protective – how Lucas should not feel about his fake wife
Lucas
I wake and even before I open my eyes, I know she’s gone. I knew it. Chloe is a runner.
This is why I have to keep my distance from her. This is why our marriage will never be real. I can’t risk another woman abandoning me or my daughter.
Except I didn’t keep my distance last night. I spent the night buried deep inside her. And when we were both too tired to move, I wrapped my arms around her and ordered her to sleep.
I’m an idiot.
The door bangs open. Is she back? Did she go pick us up breakfast and coffee?
“Dad! Are you here?”
What was I thinking? Of course, Chloe isn’t back.
Enough of this bullshit contemplation. My daughter needs me to be there for her. Especially since Chloe isn’t here. I feel a twinge of guilt at how upset Chloe was when I reminded her Natalia is my daughter.
I guess we both needed the reminder.
“Dad!” My door flies open. “Are you still in bed? I’ve been up for hours. We made pancakes for breakfast and went to the beach to eat them. Why don’t we ever go to the beach? I want to learn to surf. How old do you have to be to surf?”
“Slow down, cupcake. Did you drink coffee, too?”
“Don’t be silly, dad. Kids don’t drink coffee.”
I start to slide out of bed before I remember I’m naked. This is the problem with Chloe. She makes me lose my mind. Makes me forget my priority is and always will be Natalia.
“Why don’t you put your clothes in the laundry room and I’ll get dressed and we can decide what to do for the day?”
“Where’s Chloe?” she asks instead of complying. “Chloe! Why isn’t she answering?”
“Maybe she’s still asleep,” I lie since I have no intention of explaining to my twelve-year-old what actually happened.
“I’ll find her.” She rushes off and I grab a pair of boxer shorts before hurrying to the bathroom.
“Chloe isn’t here,” Natalia announces when I join her in the kitchen fifteen minutes later. “I called her but her phone is switched off.”
Is Chloe hiding from my daughter? Not okay. She can’t act like Natalia’s mother and then disappear.
“Oh wait. According to the calendar, she’s working.” Natalia points to the calendar on the refrigerator. It has my shifts and Chloe’s working hours on it to help us better plan pick-ups for Natalia.
Hold on. Maybe Chloe didn’t run? Maybe she’s working? I glance at the clock. It’s barely ten in the morning. The brewery doesn’t open for lunch until noon on Saturday. It’s official. Chloe’s a runner.
“What do you want to do today, cupcake?” I ask as I pour myself some coffee.
“Can we go to the beach?”
“Didn’t you already go to the beach this morning?”
“But, Dad, I didn’t have my swimsuit.”
“Let me finish my coffee and eat my breakfast and then we’ll go.”
“Yeah!” She rushes to me and throws her arms around me. “You’re the best dad ever. Although, Piper’s dad is pretty cool, too. He works at Mermaid Mystical Gardens. He can make the rollercoaster stop if he wants to. Why haven’t we gone to Mermaid Mystical Gardens yet? Piper says it’s fun. They have rollercoasters and lots of rides.”
“I thought you wanted to go to the beach today?”
“Oh, right. We’ll go to the amusement park when Chloe has a day off. Then, we can go as a family.”
My heart aches in my chest. I know Natalia wishes Chloe was her mom but it’s not to be. As soon as the custody hearings are over, Chloe will be out of our lives. I ignore the way my stomach dips at the reminder.
I don’t need Chloe. All I need is a twelve-year-old girl who is not going to learn to surf anytime soon if I have anything to say about it.
We spend several hours on the beach, swimming in the ocean, throwing a frisbee around, and building elaborate sandcastles.
When Natalia declares she’s starving, it’s the perfect excuse to leave. We pack everything up and make our way home.
I frown when I notice Chloe’s bike is missing. She can’t still be at work. She was only planning to work the lunch shift today.
We enter the house and Natalia shouts for Chloe.
“She isn’t here,” she pouts.
Should I message Chloe? Nah. She’s an adult. She can handle herself.
My phone beeps with a message from Weston.
Your wife is drunk at Rumrunner.
Damnit. She better not be causing trouble.
We’re fighting over who gets to arrest her this time.
There’s no reason to wonder any longer if she’s causing trouble. She is.
I’ll go get my wife.
Thought you would.
I can practically hear his laughter through the text.
“Natalia.” I kneel down in front of my daughter. “I need to pick up Chloe.”
“Why? Is she in trouble?”
I hope not. “Will you stay with Mrs. Agatha until we get back?”
“Dad. I’m not a child. I can stay home alone.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“Fine,” she huffs. “But I’m researching surfing lessons while I’m there.”
Once I drop Natalia at our neighbor’s house, I drive to the bar. I take the truck since I don’t know if Chloe is in any shape to walk.
I step into the bar and let my eyes adjust to the darkness before searching the space. Chloe’s friends are in a corner booth. Maya appears to be sleeping while Nova is giggling uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Sophia and Paisley are deep in conversation.
“I’m telling you,” Sophia says as I reach them. “I saw the alien plain as daylight outside my window.”
“And how much alcohol had you drunk at this point?” Paisley asks.
“Listen to me. It was an alien.”
“Was he green and had antennas for ears?”
“Yes!” Sophia slaps her hand on the table. “I knew it! You saw him, too.”
“Yes, I did. On Saturday morning in a cartoon on the television.”
I clear my throat. “Where’s my wife?”
Sophia sighs. “He says, my wife.”
“Chloe is his wife or have you forgotten? How much moonshine have you had?”
“As much as you.”
Paisley purses her lips. “Chloe is at the bar.”
She points to where Chloe is standing with a group of men. Why the hell is she speaking to a bunch of men? After the night we enjoyed? Who the hell does she think she is?
I prowl across the room. The men notice me and frown. Chloe whirls around to see what they’re frowning at. She waves to me and nearly falls over. One of the men catches her.
I wrap my arm around her and pull her away from him. “Keep your hands off my wife.”
Chloe pets my chest. “Don’t be mad, hubby of mine. I was thanking these gentlemen for buying us moonshine.”
“They bought you moonshine?”
She grins up at me. “Yep. We won the Bootlegger’s Escape Room festival and now the entire bar is buying us rounds.” She leans close to me. “They don’t need to buy us rounds. We drink free because we won!”
She throws her arms in the air and falls backward. I tighten my hold on her before she falls.
“I think it’s time to go home.”
She curls her bottom lip in a pout. “But I’m having fun.”
“Yeah, spoilsport,” one of the men says. “She’s having fun.”
I growl at him. “My wife is not having fun with you. She’s coming home with me.”
Chloe pokes my chest. “I live with him because he’s my hubby.”
“How much have you had to drink?”
Her eyes get foggy as she counts. “There were five shots at the escape room.”
“There were shots at the escape room?”
“Duh.” She rolls her eyes and tips backward. I steady her. Again. “This is Smuggler’s Hideaway. There’s always moonshine at our festivals. Do you drink moonshine? Have you tried any?”
She whirls around but I keep my arm banded across her waist. I’m not letting her go with the predatory look on the faces of the men in this place. They’re out of luck. Chloe is coming home with me.
“Harper!” she screams. “Can you get my hubby a shot of moonshine?”
I shake my head at the bartender. “I’m good. I’m driving my wife home now.”
Chloe sighs. “I love it when you call me your wife.”
She couldn’t be more beautiful at this moment. All her guards are down and her light green eyes are shining with happiness. What I wouldn’t give to witness her smiling up at me every single day for the rest of my life.
I shove those thoughts away. Chloe isn’t a keeper. I already chose one woman who wouldn’t stay. I know better than to choose another one.