Chapter 30
Revelation – not necessarily a surprise if you suspected it all along
Lucas
“P iper says we need to do the bumper cars, too,” Natalia says as I park at Mermaid Mystical Gardens .
She hasn’t stopped talking since we started driving. Granted, the drive isn’t long but still. My daughter is a chatterbox.
“The bumper cars are called Bubble Bash ,” Chloe explains as we walk toward the entrance. “The cars are designed to resemble submarines and the floor looks like the ocean.”
“Cool! More ocean stuff. I like the mermaid stuff the best.”
“Me, too.”
We reach the booth to pay and Chloe tries to elbow me out of the way. “I should pay. It was my idea.”
“But Natalia is my daughter and you’re my wife. I’m paying.”
“Let him pay!”
I glance behind Chloe to wave at the mayor. “Hi, Lana.”
“Hi, tall drink of water.”
“He’s not water,” Natalia says. “He’s my dad.”
Chloe giggles. “It’s a compliment. It means your dad is handsome.”
“According to the counselors at summer camp, my dad is the most handsome of the dads.”
“They’re right,” Chloe whispers.
“What did you say?” Lana asks. “I didn’t hear you.”
I shove a ticket into Chloe’s hands. “This is yours.”
She scowls. It’s adorable. “I wanted to pay.”
“Too bad, wildcat.”
“Can you at least lie and say I can pay next time?”
“Nope.” I grasp my daughter’s hand and lead her toward the turnstiles.
“It’s common courtesy to lie,” Chloe grumbles.
She’s cute. “You have a strange definition of courtesy.”
“Whatever,” she mumbles and scans her ticket before pushing through the turnstile.
“All right, cupcake,” I say once we’re inside the park. “Where to first?”
She points to a teacup ride but instead of teacups, there are clamshells and sea urchins.
“ Triton’s Twister . Good choice.” Chloe takes her hand and they skip toward the ride and get in line.
“What about me?” I ask.
“You can hold my purse,” Chloe says.
“You’re not carrying a purse.”
“I want a drink, Daddy. A coke!”
“You’re not having a coke. You can have a lemonade.”
Chloe bats her eyelashes at me. “Am I allowed to have a coke?”
I shake my head. “I’ll get the drinks. You enjoy your ride.”
The attendant opens the gate and kids rush to find a clamshell or sea urchin. Chloe looks around before entering through the exit and securing a clamshell. I’d say she’s a bad influence on my daughter but Natalia is smiling and laughing.
Lights flash and the song Under the Sea plays as the clamshells and sea urchins start to spin around. The kids scream in excitement but loudest of them all is Chloe. Her arm holds Natalia close to her as they both scream in delight.
Damn, I love that woman.
The revelation doesn’t surprise me. I think I’ve been in love with Chloe since she whisked Natalia away for a day of pampering when she got her first period. The way she loves my daughter is a sight to behold.
She’s fiercely protective. I wish I could have witnessed her sticking up for Natalia when she got in trouble for punching another kid. I bet she was magnificent. After how Holly treated her own flesh and blood, finding Chloe is a miracle.
But I don’t love Chloe merely because she loves my daughter. I’d love her even if Natalia wasn’t in the picture. She’s smart and funny and has more layers to her than an onion. I’ve enjoyed peeling those layers away these past weeks. Discovering things about Chloe she keeps secret from the world.
And she’s sexy as hell. Sex with Chloe is the best I’ve ever had. The way she trusts me in the bedroom is so fucking arousing, it’s addicting.
Chloe isn’t ready for words of love from me. Getting her to agree to take a chance on me was hard enough. But I can be patient. I’m not going anywhere.
The ride ends and Chloe helps a wobbly Natalia out of the clam shell and to the exit. I wave them over to where I’m standing.
“I want to go on the rollercoaster next!”
Chloe giggles. “You’re still dizzy from Triton’s Twister .”
“I thought you wanted a drink,” I say before Natalia can argue with Chloe and steer the two of them toward a refreshment stand.
“Now, can I go on the rollercoaster?” Natalia asks once we have our drinks.
“You need to finish your drink first.”
“I can finish the drink in line.”
“She has a point. The line for the Sea Serpent Coaster is thirty minutes now.” Chloe waves her phone at me.
“You downloaded the app for Mermaid Mystical Gardens ?”
She rolls her eyes. “No, silly. I already had it.”
“But this amusement park is for children.”
She giggles. “You’re cute. Na?ve. But cute.”
“Do I get to at least ride the rollercoaster with you?” I ask Natalia as we begin to walk toward the coaster.
“I’ll ride by myself. You two can ride together,” Chloe offers.
We join the line. Natalia bounces up and down.
“Do you have to go to the bathroom?” I ask although I’m pretty sure I know the answer.
“I can wait.”
Chloe feigns a grimace. “I can’t. Do you want to go with me?” She hands me her soda. “Hold our place in line.”
When they’ve been gone ten minutes, I start to get worried. I’m reaching for my phone to call Chloe when I hear her.
“My husband is holding our spot.”
“I don’t care. I’ve been waiting here for fifteen minutes with no one to hold my spot. Maybe I need to go to the bathroom,” a woman says. I crane my neck but I can’t see either one of them.
“Go ahead,” Chloe tells her. “I’ll hold your spot.”
“It was hypothetical.”
“You don’t need to pee?”
“No.”
“Then, why are you making a fuss? Come on, Natalia.”
“But you’re cutting in the line.”
“What’s your email address?” Chloe asks.
“My email address? What do you need my email for?”
“I’ll send you some information about what cutting a line is. Because this ain’t it.”
People laugh before Natalia and Chloe come into view.
“What took you so long?” I ask.
“The line for the restroom is nearly as long as this line.” Chloe winks at Natalia.
The line moves and it’s our turn to board the rollercoaster. Chloe rushes toward the back. She helps Natalia into the last car of the rollercoaster before sitting in the spot in front of her. I join Natalia and make certain she’s strapped in.
Chloe glances back at us. “Who’s excited?”
I frown at the empty seat beside her. We should have another child. One of each. A boy and a girl. I bet I can convince Chloe to have my baby.
The ride starts and we begin a slow ascent to the highest point of the rollercoaster.
“I don’t feel very good,” Natalia whines.
I groan. “Please don’t throw up.”
“Deep breaths through your nose and count backward from one hundred by fives,” Chloe suggests.
“100. 95. 90. 85. 80.”
We reach the peak and fly down the other side.
“Whoo hoo!” Chloe shouts and Natalia joins her. Her nausea completely forgotten.
By the time the ride ends a minute later, Natalia is smiling and laughing.
The ride stops and I help to unbuckle Natalia while Chloe jumps out and lifts her out of her spot.
“Awesome! Can we go again? I didn’t get sick.”
“Maybe later,” I say to put her off.
Chloe leads her to the exit and I trail behind them.
“What next?” Chloe asks when we’re back on the main thoroughfare.
Natalia doesn’t get a chance to answer before my phone rings. I dig my phone out of my pocket and scowl at the caller ID. Holly. Why the hell is she calling?
“I need to take this.”
Chloe shoos me away. “We’ll wait by the bench over there where we can see the mermaids.”
“What do you want?” I answer the phone when I’m certain I’m out of hearing range.
“Where are you?” Holly asks.
“What business is it of yours?”
“I’m at your house. I want to see my daughter.”
“You can’t show up and demand to see Natalia.”
“I’m not leaving until I see her.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” I hang up before she has a chance to gloat.
“What’s wrong?” Chloe asks when I return to them.
“There’s an emergency. I need to go.”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to yell at me or demand to know what’s important.
“I hope no one’s injured. Go. Do your sexy cop thing. I’ll ring Sophia to pick us up when we’re finished.”
She’s not bitching or complaining?
“Will you be okay on your own?”
She grins. “We’ll be better than okay. We don’t have to worry about you slowing us down.”
She’s serious. She’s not hurt or offended or mad. She’s perfectly okay with me leaving to handle an emergency. Although, if she knew what the emergency was, she might feel differently. I’ll get rid of Holly before she arrives back home.
I hug Natalia. “Be good and listen to Chloe.”
“I will, Dad.”
I kiss Chloe. “Thank you.”
She pushes me away. “Go do your serve and protect gig. I got this covered.”
I open my mouth to say I love you but manage to snap it shut before I blurt the words out. Wrong place. Wrong time.
“See you at home,” I holler before hurrying out of the park.
Knowing Chloe and Natalia will soon follow me has me rushing home to deal with my ex. Holly is no longer my family. My real family is at the amusement park. And the two shall not meet.
I won’t allow my ex to hurt my family. I don’t care what I have to do.