CHAPTER 32
Valentina
“T hanks again for inviting me.” Daisy sets down her bubbly water on the patio table under the umbrella shading us. Her blonde hair, curly and whimsical, is pulled into a messy ponytail. Dressed in white bohemian pants and a sleeveless top, she radiates the effortless charm of the model she is. I’d be jealous, but I know how Jason feels about me and where his relationship stands with Daisy.
“You made Eden’s day.” I nod toward the splashes and shrieks emanating from the pool where Eden is the star among her chanting friends.
She winces. “I was worried she wouldn’t speak to me again.”
“Kids are forgiving.”
“The twins don’t even know me.”
“They will.” If she starts showing up more often.
I understand Daisy’s fear of failing as a mother. While I don’t support how she stepped back, her openness softens my judgment. She promised to come today—and she followed through—which means she’s trying, even choosing to leave Scott behind to avoid stirring Jason’s lingering resentment.
For now, I’ll leave the Scott issue to Jason. He’ll confront it when he’s ready. As long as I’m part of his life, I’ll ensure Daisy is included in these moments like the kids’ birthdays where her presence counts most.
Laughter and chatter draw my gaze across Jason’s bustling backyard to the pool a good distance from the house. He’s in blue swim trunks with pink flamingos, his broad chest shimmering in the sun thanks to the lemongrass and peppermint sunscreen I sprayed all over him. He moves along the pool’s edge snapping one photo after another.
At the shallow end, Liam keeps a watchful eye on the younger kids. Ethan and Russ stand outside the gazebo manning the grill behind a cloud of smoke.
We’d planned a small gathering, but Eden’s ever-expanding circle of family and friends turned today into a festival of an affair. The crowd buzzes, most clustered around the cake and presents in the gazebo where my mom is rearranging the food table, while Leah and her husband and Judy and Phil hover around the gift table.
Laughter pulls my gaze back to the pool, and Eden beams with a group of girls before they splash into the pool.
Her friends are mostly new faces from the church camp she attended two weeks ago, though a couple came from her old school.
“Val! Mom!” Atticus calls out, poised for a dive at the deep end. Jason and I have ensured they know how to handle the deep end safely. “Watch this!” he yells before plunging headfirst and rising to our cheers and claps.
“I’ll go take some photos.” Daisy stands, and I do the same.
As we join the others, one of the girls’ shoulders seems pinker than when she showed up. “Hey, sweetie.” I crouch at the edge of the pool where her feet dangle in the water. “Let’s add some sunscreen on your back.” I guide her toward the makeshift first aid station where I stocked a utility bag with essentials.
Subtle essential oils scent the air as I spray her back before she darts off.
“Hey, girl.” Leah saunters my way, a sarong over her swimsuit, a water bottle in hand. She hates swimming, but she’ll venture into the water if I do.
“Caught up with Daisy a bit?” She sinks onto the bench beside me, fanning herself with a Family Sphere magazine she snagged from the table.
“She was thanking me for the invitation.”
The sun is relentless today, even under the umbrella, and I can’t feel any breeze. I’m wearing my swimsuit beneath the summer dress. As soon as I get a chance, I’ll strip off the dress and dive into the pool.
“I’m glad she’s at peace with you being the kids’ stepmom. You’ve been a constant in their lives these last months.”
I’m not sure I qualify as a stepmom yet. Though the way things are going, it might come to that. For now, I focus on today. “You should have seen Eden light up when she saw her mom.”
Eden loves me too, but she has a special place for her mom. Maybe now, she can stop blaming herself for her mom’s disappearance.
“You’re a counselor at heart, seeing what’s in their best interest.” She shakes her head, her words soft. “Eden lights up around you too. God is using you here, and it could be where you’re supposed to be.”
“I think so too.” My gaze lingers on all the kids but mostly on Jason. Their happy smiles make me want to join their pool volleyball game.
“Apparently, this is where we line up for sunscreen.” Ethan approaches in a T-shirt and swim trunks. “Before I dive into the pool, I’d better map out where everything is.”
“You’re in the right place.” I adjust the basket on the table.
“Leave it to Val. You have a ton of sunscreen to choose from.” Leah pulls out a spray bottle with a yellow handwritten label for lemon and peppermint essential oil spray. “Thank goodness, I don’t need any of these.”
“What might you recommend?” Ethan examines a bottle.
“Depends whether you want to smell like lavender or peppermint—or both.”
“I’ll start with peppermint and lemon.” He sprays it on his arms. “By the way, Val, I wanted to thank you.”
“If you mean volunteering at the church camp, no need.”
“That too.” He sprays his other arm, dousing the air with a minty scent. “Rita said you gave her some great insights.”
I smile, remembering the church’s crafts session. When Rita and I volunteered, she shared her family’s challenges. Her mother-in-law moving in with them had strained their marriage. “It was nothing, really.”
Ethan replaces the spray in the basket. “It might be nothing to you, but it meant a lot to her family. You have a way of making people feel at ease.”
I catch Jason’s heated gaze from near the grills where Russ stands. Jason salutes, and I grin. He’d cautioned me about getting too close to his friends, so what’s he thinking about Ethan chatting with me?
“I didn’t know you’re a counselor.” Ethan chuckles. “Jason says you’re good at it.”
“Did he now?” I wink at Jason. Did he just mouth “I love you” before walking toward his mom and Phil outside the gazebo? They’d returned from their trip a week ago.
“He did. He also says you’re a good Bible teacher.”
My heart warms. “I’m not a Bible teacher though.”
“Val is the best.” Leah pats my arm. “With kids and adults.”
“I’ve never worked with adults.” Only on TV. Which is different.
“You have a chance to. Would you consider being our family counselor at church? There’s no pressure, of course. Jason probably pays you more than the church will, but you don’t have to quit your job with Jason’s kids. We can work out a schedule for an afternoon or two. I haven’t figured that out yet. All I know is the families at church could use your wisdom.”
“You make me sound so intelligent.” His trust is daunting. Plus, this opportunity could complicate my other new opportunity.
“I’ve seen it myself and heard a lot from you-know-who.”
“I don’t know.” Jason submitted my credentials and résumé to NWAY Network without telling me, and the casting director contacted me. I can’t guarantee I’ll get the job I’m set to interview for next week, but what if I do?
“She’ll pray about it.” Leah speaks for me.
I blow out a breath. “It sounds like something I’d like to step into.”
“Pray about it.” His dimples deepen as he smiles. “We better eat soon so we can get to that cake before it melts.”
I thank him again before he walks away.
“Look who’s the busy one now!” Leah bats her eyes. “You have the dream option of moving to a big network—in your field, psychology, even. And then there’s the church-counselor gig in a small town. Something you’d considered, right?”
“Not for a small town, though.” I rest my chin on my hand, my gaze drifting to where Jason’s kids splash around, then to Jason himself, who’s laughing with his mom and Phil. His laughter almost decides for me.
“It’s obvious what I should do, but I need to be sure before I dive into the wrong place.” I glance back at Leah, finding her keen eyes alight with interest. “If I work for the network, it doesn’t mean my relationship with him has to end, right?”
“Well, there will be a long commute every day to Manhattan if you choose to stay in this town for your boyfriend.”
“I could see him in Manhattan when he comes to work.”
“The kids are off for the summer—when will you see them?” Her eyebrows pull together.
That question hits closer to home. “On the weekends?”
“That’s if the job gives you weekends off.”
Doubt crowds in. Will Eden feel abandoned? Will she think I left them for a better job?
Leah’s gaze softens. She grips my hand. “It’s not just a job choice, is it? It’s about where your heart lies and where you see your future.”
This decision isn’t about location or ambition. It’s about where I belong.
She’s so wise. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one with the Psychology degree?”
At night, after the party buzz dimmed, the guests departed, and the kids curled up in bed, Jason and I settle onto the living room sofa. Dim light seeps through the big window from the porch, and the refrigerator emits a smooth hum.
“The party was wonderful.” He drapes his arm over my shoulder, pulls me closer, and kisses the top of my head.
“You told Ethan I’m a counselor, huh.” It’s not a question, more an amused observation.
“What’s wrong with a man bragging about his sexy and smart girlfriend?” The vibrations of his voice resonate against me.
“Nothing. As long as people don’t expect too much of me.” I smile into the semidarkness, content in his presence. “I’m still mad at you for submitting my résumé behind my back.”
“Like I said.” His warm lips touch my cheek, and I gasp in a breath. “Had to fix my mistakes. If you don’t get hired, it will be their loss. I’ll submit to another network.”
“What are you going to do for two whole weeks?” My voice dips with the dread of possibly starting a new job and missing out on his upcoming time off.
“I’m hoping to take my girlfriend on a few dates.” His thumb traces slow circles in my palm. “I expect it’ll take me longer than two weeks to find a nanny. You set the bar too high.”
His earnestness tightens my chest. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Grumps?”
“Never.” He takes my face in his hand. I shift so our heads touch when he leans in and I close my eyes.
“This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.” A tremor wobbles his voice. “I’d rather have you to myself.”
At his sincerity, my words burst free, unguarded and true. “I love you, Jason Sterling.”
“I was wondering when you’d fall in love with me.”
I touch his chest, and his heart beats against my palm, similar to the thumping of mine. “I think I loved you way before we crossed that line.”
“The line from?” His breath fogs my face, hovering on my lips, making it hard to hold up my eyelids.
“From dislike to something...”
I’m not sure if he or I initiate the kiss, but once again, we’re sinking deep into the sofa, his hands in my hair and mine moving along his jaw, as our chocolate-cake breaths mingle. The intensity of his kiss heightens my longing and desire for him.
I love the way I feel small and protected beneath him, as if I’ve found where I fit, where I belong.
I’m not sure I can get enough of him. And that could be dangerous if we’re living under the same roof. But I am sure of one thing: We belong together.