5. Nessa
5
NESSA
M y eyes glance to the sleeping baby in the back seat for what seems like the hundredth time since leaving Nashville. The baby that isn’t mine.
“You’re going home today, Remi. You finally get to live with your daddy,” I say quietly, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears but I keep going because it’s the one thing I’ve allowed myself to commit to fully with the sweet little girl in my temporary care. “He’s the sheriff…and handsome. I can see why your mama was,”—my eyes dart to the rearview mirror as I worry my bottom lip—“so interested in him.”
I smile but it’s bittersweet. There’s nothing easy about any of this. A woman lost her life, a man is about to be thrust headfirst into fatherhood, a baby will grow up without ever knowing her mother. And then there’s me, the estranged cousin who’d somehow been listed as next of kin on the hospital paperwork and deemed guardian to the unborn baby as designated by Scarlett.
Remi Maeve.
The nurse I’d met with after arriving at the hospital had said that’s the name Scarlett had picked but that they’d left the paperwork blank and the decision to me.
She’d given her daughter my middle name.
As if we were still as close as we were as kids—as if time and school and careers and bad relationships hadn’t pushed us into the we’ll catch up on the next holiday category.
“She was really cool, Remi. Your mom and I would race around the block, throwing elbows in that last stretch to make sure we’d come in first before collapsing in the front yard of my parents’ house, giggling and out of breath. We’d eat popsicles from the general store and stare up for hours at the clouds, making up stories.” I swallow down the guilt and nostalgia. Things had been so much simpler back then. And now I’ll make nice with the Sheriff so I can tell Remi all the best things about her mom.
“Why Ya Wanna” by Jana Kramer plays softly through the speakers. It’s one of my favorite songs even though I’ve never had a love like that—never let anyone in long enough to miss them when they’re gone.
“You won’t be like me, sweet girl,” I whisper as I look in the mirror at her, little bow lips parted as she dreams.
I’ll make sure all her dreams come true. So many things her mama and I had wished for as little girls were nothing more than fairy tales. We’d grown up and grown apart, albeit for very different reasons, but I wouldn’t let that happen again.
Remi would always be loved, and I’d be the cousin I should have been to Scarlett.
Focusing back on the road, I follow the GPS the last few miles into Blackstone Falls. I’d been here a couple of times, just driving around, catching glimpses of Jensen and doing my best to make sure that Remi would be happy here.
Safe.
By all accounts, Blackstone Falls is idyllic with its fields of crops, charming center of town, and waterfalls surrounding Cedar Lake. It seemed perfect, and I’d kept up on the local news in the Blackstone Gazette.
My favorite story so far was about the teens who’d held a lawn mower race in Jamison Downey’s field. The field had been donated as a thank you to the town for help in rounding up his cows a couple of months prior.
Several elderly residents were pictured in the crowd, and it was reported that this year’s betting pool was upward of twenty-five hundred dollars. The winnings had been split with the driver, and all participants and spectators had headed into town for a generously, and anonymously, paid for lunch.
That last piece had the townspeople talking.
I’d heard about stuff like that but had never experienced any of it. Any of my free time growing up was dedicated to training and getting to the next level. I’d made it, but I’d missed out on a lot too.
I’m nearly vibrating with nerves by the time I pull into Jensen’s driveway—nerves I’ll be sure are hidden from sight when I finally meet him.
The ranch-style house is beautiful with black siding and a large maple door. The bushes are trimmed with precision, the yard well-kept. The man is meticulous and it makes me smile because Remi is about to turn his neatly organized world upside down.
Parking my car, I step out and zip my jacket up a little higher. I’ve barely had a chance to make it to Remi when the front door opens, Jensen taking up the majority of the space.
He’s even more handsome up close with sandy blond hair and a chiseled jaw. His button-down shirt is stretched tight across his chest and tucked into dark wash jeans. His belt buckle and boots are everything I’d expect out here, but I’d somehow thought I’d be immune to the look.
I am not.
Sheriff Jensen Kade is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
Because of course he is.
He hesitates, his steps slowing as I detach Remi’s car seat from the base and then hold out my hand.
“Jensen Kade,” I say addressing him with a casual glance, “it’s nice to meet you.” He takes my hand; his cerulean eyes are curious but his shake is firm as little sparks of electricity zip up my arm. It’s unexpected and I have to work overtime to keep my expression unaffected.
“Likewise, Miss Hart. How was the drive down?”
“Scenic.”
His lips twitch as he reaches for the car seat, his eyes brightening as he takes in the still sleeping baby.
“She looks bigger,” he murmurs, his gaze scanning her face and hands clutching the muslin blanket in her lap.
“She’s doing so great,” I say, hoping to help ease the twinge of hurt in his voice. “She’s strong and healthy and you’ll get to see every milestone our girl hits.”
Jensen nods and clears his throat, not disputing my use of our girl, as he asks, “Would you like to come inside? I can show you her room and?—”
“Another time maybe,” I say, desperately trying to give myself some much-needed distance, the smell of his spicy cologne already tempting me to stand a little closer. “I have to find a hotel to check into tonight.”
“A hotel?” he asks, his brow furrowing the slightest bit.
“Yeah, I’m staying in town to consult with Blackstone University’s athletic director about building their soccer program.”
“Your idea?”
“Not exactly.” His lips curve up a little on one side and oh wow, that looks good on him. Clearing my throat, I add, “So I should get going.”
He opens his mouth and closes it before saying, “Can we talk for a minute? We haven’t had the chance.”
“That was intentional,” I say, widening my stance and crossing my arms. It’s not a power move but one to reiterate the point.
“Why?”
“I’ve been in the public eye my entire life. You didn’t need an audience.”
“I—thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He nods and motions toward the house again. “I picked up dessert.”
“For a professional athlete?”
He shrugs as he turns toward the house. “It’s your off-season.” His lips twitch as he looks at me over his shoulder before holding the door open for me and standing to the side. His muscles flex as he holds the car seat.
I will not stare.
But damn, the way this man fills out a shirt should be criminal. I snicker at my own joke and relent, walking past him and into the open kitchen and living room space. It’s surprising—far less bachelor pad and more rustic with a modern flair.
Polished wood floors, granite countertops, and oversized gray couches make the place feel inviting and homey. I have the strangest urge to start opening the cabinets to see all the things the private investigator wasn’t privy to.
Startled by that train of thought, I say, “I have Remi’s things in the car. I kept the Pack ’n Play and some of the other things because she’ll still be able to use them for a while but…”
He slides me a plate and the now opened box of pastries. “We have plenty of time to work all that out.”
“I’ll have more flexibility while I’m here, but I’ll be heading back to Nashville as soon as I can.”
Jensen’s whole body tenses, his head turning slowly to look at me. “And where are you stayin’ while you’re here?”
“The college has offered off-campus housing.”
“What if you had another option?” He runs his fingers through his blond hair. It’s longer than it was in the pictures I’ve seen of him and it looks sexy as hell, especially when it’s all tousled like he just rolled out of bed.
Snapping back to reality I prod, “Like what?”
His lips press into a hard line as he heaves a defeated breath. “I need a favor.”