Chapter 8
eight
. . .
Winnie
The rehearsal dinner had been so much fun, but Melody and I sneaked out right after we ate. She was exhausted, and I knew Archer wouldn’t relax until she was in the room resting.
And of course, when we attempted to sneak out, he followed us all the way back to the suite to make sure we’d made it back safely.
I encouraged him to get back downstairs, because a gorgeous Frenchwoman named Sabine was clearly interested in him—she’d pulled up a chair at our table and attached herself to him.
I’d given Melody her bath, and we’d both slipped into our jammies before climbing into her bed and turning on Dumbo, which was her favorite movie.
“I like snuggling with you, Winnie,” she said as her little hand found mine. We were both sitting with our backs pressed to the headboard.
“I like snuggling with you, too,” I said, stroking her little hand with the pad of my thumb.
She scooched closer to me and slid down on the bed a bit, and I knew she was getting sleepy. “Will you go with me to get my hair dones tomorrow for the flower job? I don’t think daddies are supposed to go in that room.”
“Of course I will. Are you excited?”
“Yeppers. And I’m happy I’ll have my Beefcake with me when I walk down that island with my flowers.”
I chuckled. She was damn cute.
Speaking of cute… Cutler, a.k.a. “Beefcake,” had more game than most grown men I knew. He’d introduced himself to me, kissed the back of my hand, and told me I was his girl.
“He will definitely be right there with you.”
“Will you stay with me in here tonight until Daddy gets back, Winnie?” She squeezed my hand as her little eyes fell closed.
“Of course I will. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here watching Dumbo.”
I listened to the sound of her breathing until it settled and she fell into a sound sleep. Her hand slipped from mine as she rolled onto her side. Her arm came over my waist as if she was hugging me and making sure to keep me there.
Melody was the sweetest kid I’d ever met. I continued watching as the cute little elephant on the screen started flying, his ears flapping around him.
My phone vibrated, and I looked down to see a text from Archer.
Archer
How is it going over there?
We’re good. She just dozed off. And I’m watching Dumbo get his redemption on all the haters.
Archer
Fabulous movie.
We’re fine. Get back to your date.
Archer
I’d rather be watching Dumbo.
Suck it up, Archie. You know what they say… when in Paris.
Archer
No one says that. It’s when in Rome, and we aren’t in Rome.
Just go have some fun. You’re only young once.
Archer
If I’m young, what does that make you?
Younger than you.
Archer
Fine. I won’t be too late.
I chuckled and was just setting my phone down when it vibrated again. I was going to tell him to stop texting me and go have some fun when I saw my ex-husband’s name on my phone.
He hadn’t texted in a few weeks, and I was hoping now that I’d left Chicago, he’d move on as well.
Jaden
Hey. How’s small-town living?
I didn’t want to give him any information about where I was or what I was doing. He hadn’t made this divorce easy on me. He’d dragged it out, and financially he’d hit me hard.
We weren’t friends anymore.
We hadn’t been in a very long time.
All is good.
Jaden
I’m sending you a screenshot of the bill for the BMW. It broke down and needs some work.
He loved to word it as “the BMW,” when it was very much his car.
A photo of a bill for $1700 came across my screen, and I rolled my eyes.
Why would you send me a bill for your car? We’re divorced. This is your problem not mine.
Jaden
I would never have gotten this car if we hadn’t been married. We had two incomes when I bought it.
We actually had one income when you purchased that car, because you were between jobs.
And if you remember, I kept the same car that I’d had since high school.
You chose to buy a car that you couldn’t afford.
That is on you, Jaden. I wish you nothing but the best, but we need to not speak for a while.
I’ve asked you to stop texting me numerous times.
I’d made this request during our very messy divorce.
But every few weeks, Jaden liked to have a few cocktails (which was a nice way of saying “a dozen cocktails”) in the evening, and then he’d start rage-texting me.
I’d tried blocking his number, but he’d always have his mother message me.
She’d then beg me to unblock him and promise that he’d just text to check in and nothing more.
But here we were again, and it was a pattern that wouldn’t change unless I gave him no option.
Jaden
So I’m supposed to pay a bill I can’t cover because you chose to leave our marriage?
Jaden
How fucking selfish are you?
Actually, I was the opposite of selfish when it came to this man. I’d stayed with him much longer than I should have.
He’d been unkind and, I suspected, unfaithful.
I’d paid his bills and left him everything that we’d purchased together, even though I’d paid for most everything we had.
So I was done engaging.
I set my phone down and stared at the TV in hopes he’d go away.
I opened my Kindle and started reading and ignored the next dozen angry texts from Jaden.
My eyes grew heavy, and I set the Kindle beside me to rest my eyes.
And I let the darkness take me.
I felt a hand graze mine, and I startled, sitting up with a jolt.
“Hey, hey, it’s just me. I was just setting your Kindle and your phone on the table,” Archer said, his words slurring a little bit, and he looked good.
Really good.
His hair was a bit tousled, and he had this lazy smile on his face.
Plump, kissable lips. A little bit of scruff along his chiseled jaw.
“Your phone keeps vibrating,” he said, glancing down at the screen as his eyes widened. “Who the hell is this?”
My phone was locked, but the first few words of a text from Jaden showed on the screen.
Jaden
You’re a selfish fucking bitch.
I took my phone from him. “Sorry. That’s my charming ex-husband. He’s a real peach, isn’t he?”
I got out of bed, taking my Kindle and my phone with me, and he followed me out to the living room area.
“I thought you were divorced?”
“We are.”
“Yet he texts you shit like this?” he asked as he sat on the couch and patted the space beside him for me to sit.
“Not every day, but sometimes. He gets drunk and angry, and he’s got a gift for rage-texting.” I dropped to sit beside him as I rubbed my eyes, since I’d just been in a deep sleep.
“Block him.”
“I did. But then his mom called me and asked me to unblock him. She promised he’d stop harassing me.”
“And he hasn’t. Shame on her for asking that of you. You gave it a shot, and he didn’t change. You should block the asshole.”
He was right. Meredith would have to understand. She shouldn’t have gotten involved. I clicked on his name, blocked him, and held up my phone to show him.
“I agree. He’s blocked.”
“Good girl,” he said, his voice deep and gruff. My body responded, and I quickly jumped to my feet.
It was dark and late, and things suddenly felt—too close.
I made my way to the door. “How was your night? Did you have fun with Sabine?”
“Not particularly.” He held my stare. He was standing now, his muscular frame highlighted by the light from the moon. “Thanks for staying with Melody.”
“Of course. I’ll see you in the morning. If you want to sleep in, just send her into my room with me, and we’ll get breakfast and walk over to the park.”
“I think you might be too good to be true, Winnie,” he said as he winked at me.
I nodded before hurrying to my room and closing the door behind me.
I needed space and air.
I climbed into my bed and squeezed my eyes closed, and all I saw was Archer Chadwick’s emerald green eyes.
My boss.
And I hoped like hell that sleep would take me, and I’d wake up tomorrow and forget all about how sexy my boss had looked tonight.
The sun came through the curtains, and I sat forward in bed and grabbed my phone, surprised that it was already after ten o’clock in the morning.
I sprang out of bed, surprised to see that my door was closed.
I pulled it open to find Archer and Melody sitting at the dining room table, eating pancakes.
“I thought I left my bedroom door open? Why didn’t you wake me up? You could have slept in,” I said as Melody jumped off her seat and ran toward me.
“Daddy shut your door, and he said that we should let you sleep.” She smiled up at me.
“I feel like I’ve failed as the traveling nanny.”
“Listen, I was up, and you were out. You need sleep, too. This isn’t boot camp. You’ve been doing everything for us since we arrived. You’re allowed to have some downtime, too.” He motioned to the plate beside his that had a silver dome over it. “I got you eggs and bacon.”
I sighed. “Let me brush my teeth real quick.”
I hurried into the bathroom, gaping at myself in the mirror when I realized my tank top was completely see-through. I brushed my teeth and my hair, pulled it into a bun on top of my head, grabbed the robe from the closet, and slipped it on over my pajamas.
I came back out to join them and made my way to the chair beside Archer.
“How did everyone sleep?” I asked.
He wore a fitted black sweater and dark jeans, and he looked all polished and put together, per usual.
“I slept reals good. Did you fall asleep with me, Winnie?” Melody asked, that little twang making me smile every time she said my name and held the last syllable longer than necessary.
“I did, sweet pea.”
“I like when you call me ‘sweet pea.’” She flashed me her white teeth and then cinched her brows together as if she was thinking about something. “Hey, it’s Thanks Turkey Day soon, right, Daddy?”
“Yes. And we’ll be here in Paris for Thanksgiving.”
“What about Winnie’s daddy?” she asked, and my chest squeezed at how thoughtful this little girl was.
“Do you usually spend Thanksgiving with your father?” Archer asked, and now he mimicked his daughter’s concerned look.
“Yes. But he knows I’m in Paris, and he’s going to be just fine. We always cook for all the guys at his mechanic shop, and he’ll just do it this year without me. I sent him our favorite recipes, and I told him I’d FaceTime him on Thanksgiving and help him get things prepped.”
“I should have asked you if you were okay leaving over a holiday,” Archer said, and I could see the anguish in his gaze.
“You did! You asked if I wanted to go to Paris with you, and I said yes. You didn’t force me,” I chuckled. “I’m happy to be here.”
I always missed my father when I wasn’t with him, but he understood that I’d moved to Rosewood River to make a new life for myself, away from Chicago and away from Jaden—and he was the one who’d encouraged me to do it.
“All right. Well, you know if you want Christmas off, or any particular days or weekends, you just put it on the calendar.”
“You’re already trying to get rid of me, and we’re only a couple of weeks in?” I teased.
“Not a chance.” He winked, and my stomach fluttered again with a rush of butterflies.
I’d gone years without butterflies.
Years without any excitement.
Years without my body reacting to anyone.
And now I land a job, and I start getting all the flutters around the one man I can’t go there with?
They say karma is a bitch, but I think working for the hottest single dad I’ve ever met is the worst kind of torture.
I’d take karma any day.