Chapter 15
Shannon
I woke up to the smell of bacon. Quickly dressing and going to wake Zara, I headed downstairs and found Jace in the kitchen. Zara’s breakfast was prepared and waiting for her, while he busied himself making eggs and bacon for the two of us.
He wore jeans and a clean T-shirt, his hair wet and falling over his forehead. Seriously, this wasn’t fair. How did a person look so incredible first thing in the morning? Was it the nepo baby genes? Pure luck? The bacon-y aroma adding a little something extra to his handsomeness?
His smile was wide when he saw me. “I made breakfast if you’re hungry. I hope you don’t mind that I used your shower.”
I tried not to flush at the way he took me in while butterflies wreaked havoc in my belly. “I don’t mind, so long as you didn’t waste my expensive Japanese shampoo by using it as shower gel again,” I teased, and he smirked back at me.
“That was one time,” he countered with a chuckle.
“And it was traumatising enough for me to remember.” I paused to study him. “How did you sleep?”
“Not too badly. I think those old episodes of Red Dwarf helped me drift off.”
“Rewatches are always relaxing,” I agreed.
Jace nodded before a shadow passed over his features.
“I filled my dad in on everything that happened yesterday. He’s decided to go see an old friend of his today.
A senior Garda. The law can be fairly useless when it comes to stalking and harassment claims that don’t involve actual bodily harm, and especially when it’s happening online, but he thinks it’s worth a shot to get some official advice on the matter. ”
“It can’t hurt. Just out of curiosity, is there any type of person your father isn’t friends with?”
Jace shook his head. “He knows everyone, from criminals to law enforcement to fintech moguls. He’s always got an acquaintance he can ask for a favour.”
“I’d love to see his little black book. I bet there are some surprising people in there.”
He chuckled while pushing a plate with toast, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon towards me. “No doubt. Eat up. This still your favourite?”
“Pretty basic, but yes.”
“It’s not basic to like what tastes good, Shannon.”
There was an intensity in his gaze that had me fidgeting with the sleeve of my jumper. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I went with a simple, “If you say so.”
“Dad! You’re here!” Zara exclaimed joyfully as she came into the room with a giant grin on her face.
Jay’s answering grin made my heart melt as he pulled her in for a hug. “You look hungry. I made your favourite.”
Zara took in the plate with a sliced up banana next to almond butter and blackberry jam on toast. She sat down and shoved some toast in her mouth before declaring, “I love your toast the best.”
“Hey,” I complained with a smile, and Zara shook her head. “It’s okay, Mammy, your pancakes are better than Dad’s.”
“I feel like we’re being played against one another here,” Jace commented with a chuckle before shovelling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
“Maybe,” Zara allowed cheekily and picked up a slice of banana. She folded it into the middle of the slice of toast she was eating before taking a big bite.
While the three of us ate together in companionable silence, my heart filled with longing for the simple act of sharing breakfast as a family. When I glanced up, I found Jace staring at me, a soft look in his eyes like he was having the exact same thought.
By the time he had to take Zara to school he had almost everything tidied up and put away. I tried to remind myself not to get used to it. Jace was on his best behaviour because he wanted me back. If I let him into my affections, all the cooking, cleaning and helpfulness could fall by the wayside.
Jace had done this type of stuff for me early in our relationship, but then his music career had taken off, and he was gone all the time, so he didn’t really have many opportunities to be domestic.
It was still nice to remember the old days before all the money and fame and personal loss came along to complicate things.
“I’ll be back later, but Dixon is right outside watching the street,” Jace said. “You notice anything suspicious, let him know, and then call me, okay?”
“Sure,” I agreed, and he stood there, his gaze wandering from my face, down my body, and back up again. He appeared to be having a thought, but in the end, he didn’t share it, only gave me a little secret smile before he headed out to drive Zara to school.
It was almost three-thirty when I realised Jace hadn’t returned to drop Zara home yet.
Normally, they would have been back by now.
Checking my phone, I found no messages or missed calls, so I went outside to ask Dixon.
He sat in his car, eyes scanning the street, and what sounded like a podcast was playing through the speakers.
I tapped on his window. He leaned forward to turn off the podcast then rolled it down.
“Shannon?”
“Jace still hasn’t dropped Zara home from school. Was there some kind of a hold up?”
“Right, there was a suspicious looking guy hanging around a little while ago. I got distracted making sure he wasn’t up to anything—he wasn’t, just your run of the mill oddball. Anyhow, I completely forgot to tell you. One of the moms at the school, Laura something or other?”
“Delamare,” I said, not liking where this was heading.
“Right, well, she organised an impromptu football game in the park for some of the kids. Zara wanted to go so Jace took her.”
“Ah, okay, that explains it.”
“Those moms go a little crazy for our guy, right?” Dixon went on, his lips curving in amusement.
“They do?”
He nodded. “Almost trip over themselves to be the one who gets to talk with him during drop off and pick up. It’s kind of entertaining, like watching the human version of a nature show where females fight over the most desirable male.”
It was clear Dixon found it all harmlessly amusing, but personally, I wasn’t so entertained.
I had no right to be jealous, but I was.
Infuriatingly so. I mean, I got it. Jace was hotter than any of the other dads who dropped their kids off at school, but it bothered me to imagine them all vying for his attention, especially since most of them were married.
And especially since he was supposed to be focused on winning me back.
Ugh, I was ridiculous.
“I’ll bet,” I said, and Dixon gave me a little salute as I returned to the house.
About a half an hour later, I was in the kitchen working on dinner when Jace and Zara finally arrived back.
Zara looked energised, her cheeks rosy and her uniform covered in mud after the football match.
My annoyance over the mothers flirting with Jace vanished when I saw how happy she was. She’d obviously had a great time.
“Take off your muddy clothes. I’ll run you a bath,” I said, and Zara dashed up the stairs.
“I can do the bath,” Jace offered, and I finally looked his way.
“That’s okay. I imagine you’re tired.”
He shrugged. “Not really.”
“No? Dixon mentioned all the mothers at school who apparently like to flirt with you. Seems exhausting.”
I started to walk away, but his hand snatched my wrist, spinning me back around so our chests pressed together. His other hand splayed across my back, steady and warm.
“You sound jealous,” he murmured low.
“Ha! You wish,” I shot back, though my heartbeat betrayed me.
He didn’t smile, not really, just leaned in slightly, forehead almost touching mine, until all I saw was him. “I mean it, Shannon. The only one I want is you. No one else. Not them, not anyone. Not ever. Only. You. Always.”
A shiver trickled down my spine as his gaze held mine, intense and unflinching. Just then, our daughter’s shout from the stairs broke the tension, “I’m ready for my bath!”
Jace laughed, tilting his head to call back, “Just a sec, Zarzar.” He brought his attention back to me, softly caressing my cheek.
“We clear?” he asked, and I wasn’t sure if my face could flush any harder.
No words forthcoming, I bobbed my head before scurrying back into the kitchen to finish making dinner.
***
The next few days passed in the same routine.
Jace, Dixon or Isla were with me most of the time, aside from the odd few hours where it wasn’t possible.
Though that was normally when I was home with the alarm on and the doors locked.
When I went out to shop for groceries or meet Margie and Ozzie for lunch, though, I had a tail.
Margie spotted Dixon sitting on a bench outside the café, pretending to scroll on his phone so as not to look too out of place.
“Who’s that?” she asked with intrigue. “Also, is he single, and can I go flirt with him pretty please?”
I laughed. “That’s Dixon. He’s part of Jace’s security team. He works for the band, but he’s watching over me at the minute.”
Both my friends wore equal expressions of curiosity so I filled them in on why I currently had a security detail. They were concerned when I told them about the car almost running me over.
I didn’t tell them about Jace sleeping on my couch, nor about his plan to win me back. Margie had been concerned the last time I’d talked to her about getting closer to Jace, and I’d already worried her enough for one day.
“So, we have Wine & Letters at Lotte’s this Friday,” Ozzie said. “Have you found something to read yet?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance, but I’ll work on it tonight.”