CHAPTER ELEVEN
“And they all lived happily ever after.” If only real life were that simple. “Okay, kiddo, it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Lucia flipped the book shut and set it on the nightstand next to the massive king-size bed. “It is way past your bedtime.”
“Are you going to stay in here with me?” For the first time since arriving at the house earlier, her daughter seemed scared.
Eddie had made sure Isabella was distracted with swimming in the beautiful pool, chasing lizards, and with Calliope’s help, learning how to properly climb a tree.
Her daughter hadn’t had time to dwell on what happened at school.
Now that it was dark outside and she was in a strange room in a house she was unfamiliar with, her daughter’s fear began to resurface.
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll stay in here until you fall asleep, and you promise not to hog all the covers tonight.” She tickled her daughter’s side.
“Okay, okay.” Isabella giggled and wriggled around to escape being tickled. “I won’t steal all the covers.” She settled down and swiped her hair out of her eyes. “Pinky promise that you will stay in here until I fall asleep?” Her daughter crooked her little finger and held it up.
“Pinky promise.” They locked their little fingers together.
Isabella levered up and hugged her.
“Good night, baby.” Lucia kissed the top of her head.
“G’night.” She started to lie down but sat back up really quick. “Oh, will you tell Eddie I said g’night?”
“You already said good night to everyone.” They’d all been so kind and were the most watchful group of humans she’d ever been around. Their attentiveness had helped her and Isabella relax, even if only for a few short hours.
“I know, but I want to say two g’nights to Eddie.” She held up two fingers.
He had been especially wonderful with her.
Multiple times today, his eyes connected with Lucia’s and she’d had trouble dragging her gaze away from him. He was just so … male.
Broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a chest to die for with a sprinkling of dark hair that wasn’t there all those years ago.
And his abs … Hoo-boy. When he’d walked onto the patio wearing only his board shorts, heat had flooded Lucia’s face, and she’d resisted the need to fan herself.
Though she might’ve actually drooled just a tiny little bit.
He had a five-o’clock shadow that emphasized his square jaw, and those deep brown eyes still affected her the way they used to, when he would look into hers whenever he told her he loved her.
“Mooom.” She dragged out the word, effectively snapping Lucia out of her delirium over Eddie’s body. “Will you tell him?”
“Yes, I’ll tell him good night again.” Lucia made sure Isabella had her bunny and pulled the comforter up to Isabella’s shoulders. “Now it’s time to sleep.” She reached to turn off the bedside lamp.
“Can you leave the light on?” Her daughter hadn’t slept with a light on since she was three years old.
“Sure.” She tapped the end of the girl’s nose.
“Thanks, Mom.” Isabella rolled to her side, pulled her bunny in close, and started rubbing her thumb over the satin lining on the bunny’s ears. Self-soothing. Another habit she’d stopped a few years ago but that had returned, thanks to their current situation.
After a couple of moments of having her back rubbed, Isabella’s eyelids drooped shut. Her lips parted slightly, her fingers stilled, and she began to quietly snore as she fell into a deep sleep.
Lucia waited for a few minutes, just to be sure she was really asleep, and in the quiet of the room, she was hit by a staggering realization.
Not once had her daughter asked for her dad today. Most little girls who’d been through what she had would look to their daddies for safety, security, and protection. Isabella had gotten so used to not being able to count on him that she hadn’t even mentioned him once.
In one day, Eddie had shown more interest in her daughter than her own father ever had.
Lucia called Curtis earlier to let him know what happened and found out he was halfway to Mexico to hop on a cruise he’d booked a few months ago. He’d scheduled it even knowing it would mean missing yet another scheduled visitation with Isabella.
Instead of offering to cancel his trip and rush home to be with his traumatized daughter, he threw out some lame excuse about losing his deposit. Apparently losing five hundred dollars was far more tragic to him than some maniac trying to grab their daughter.
Once again, the asshole had further proven his unreliability and lack of concern for his little girl.
Lucia told him the sheriff’s office thought the missing girls were connected to the attempted kidnappings of Violetta and Isabella. And she mentioned how Eddie and his team agreed to work with the sheriff to figure out who was doing this.
She thought for sure that would trigger an onslaught of questions. But the minute Eddie’s name was mentioned, Curtis shut down, and she could practically feel his hostility vibrating through the phone.
His total lack of curiosity or real concern about their daughter confirmed to Lucia that he had moved on. Not just from their marriage—which was totally fine with her—but from his role as Isabella’s father.
“There’s no reason for me to hurry back.” His last words to her were barbed with resentment. “I’m sure your big, brave Marine can take care of you guys.”
After spewing that nastiness, he’d hung up.
She’d always been honest with Curtis about her feelings for Eddie, and he’d always said it didn’t matter, that she would grow to love him. That phone call was the first time he’d taken the mask off and shown his true bitterness.
She could understand him wanting to punish her, but what kind of man would do this to his own daughter?
Lucia would have to come up with a gentle way to tell Isabella that her father no longer wanted to be a part of her life. But that would have to wait until this whole mess was resolved.
One disaster at a time.
She stood, careful not to disturb her daughter, and walked over to the door. After a last look at her sleeping child, she silently backed out of the room and pulled the door shut with a soft click.
She blew out a long breath, turned, and bumped chest-to-chest into Eddie. Her hands landed on his shoulders, and his flew to her waist to keep from knocking her over. His fingers ended up slipping beneath the hem of her shirt, and she felt a definite zing where he touched her skin.
“Sorry.” He remained in place, his chest against hers, his hands on her waist. “I was just coming to check on you guys.”
Lucia could’ve sworn his fingertips caressed her side.
“Is she asleep?” He glanced over her shoulder at the door.
“Yes.” She liked his touch too damn much, which was why she forced herself to step back from him.
Her back was pressed against the door, and she tucked her fingers into her front pockets to resist the powerful urge to keep touching him.
“It took three books to get her there, but she finally crashed.”
She squeezed past him and headed through the house to the kitchen.
“Where is everyone?” The only light in the large open space was the under-cabinet lighting shining down on the white marble countertops.
“Either walking the perimeter or in their rooms.” He was on the opposite side of the room. Whether he was creating space between them for her benefit or his was unclear.
She slid open the wide glass door to the patio and stepped outside.
“It’s a beautiful night.” His voice was low as he moved up behind her.
“Shit.” Her hand flew to her chest. “You startled me.”
“Sorry, about that.”
“It’s not you. It’s … everything.” Well, it was partially him, too.
Lucia was a walking, talking jumble of mixed emotions.
She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay. At the same time, she was hoping he didn’t touch her, because she was trying very hard to keep her shit together and his touch might push her right over the edge.
“Come on.” He tilted his head to the side and led her around the pool to where a couple of lounge chairs faced the canyon. “Have a seat.”
“Eddie, I—”
“We need to talk, Lucia.” His tone brooked no argument, indicating he was not going to let this go. “This conversation is long overdue, and we need to get it out of the way so we can focus on keeping you and your daughter safe.”
“Fine.” She plopped down onto the cushion, turned and stretched out her legs, then sat back.
He sat sideways on the lounger next to her, his bare feet firmly planted apart on the pool deck, his elbows propped on his thighs.
He gave her a long look before he spoke.
“I just need to know why you did it.” That was it. That was all he said. It was all that needed to be said because they both knew exactly what he was asking about.
She sighed and tried to gather her thoughts.
“It all started because I was upset with you for joining the Marine Corps, especially knowing how I felt about it.” They’d discussed it but only as a possibility.
“So when you told me you’d signed the papers, I was angry, so I told you I couldn’t see you that weekend because I had to study for a big exam.
” She quickly added, “Which was true, by the way.”
“Funny, it didn’t look like you were studying in those pictures I saw of you.” His nostrils flared, and she could feel his anger seething just beneath the surface.
“It wasn’t what it looked like.” She’d been shocked when her roommate first showed her the photos.
“Oh, so it wasn’t you making out with some other guy?” He shot up off the lounger and paced back and forth, then stopped. “You lied to me, Lucia.” He glanced toward the house and lowered his voice. “You said you were going to be studying, and like a fool, I believed you.”
“Eddie, sit down,” she said. “Please. I can’t talk to you when you’re towering over me like that.”
He seemed to realize how intimidating he might look to her and sat back down.