Book 24 Temptation After Dark #10
Dara laughs, which is another thing that happens more often lately.
“True.” With the windows down, she turns her face into the last of the day’s warm sunshine.
Peace has been an elusive thing since they lost their son, but it has shown up occasionally since they came to Gansett.
If nothing else, she and Oliver are finding their way back to each other, and for that, she would always be thankful.
Oliver introduces Dara to Luke, and they both meet Sydney and Lily. When Luke brings Lily out to the deck to say good night, Sydney tells them that Luke takes care of bedtime every night.
“I did, too,” Oliver says. “It was my favorite time of day with Lewis.”
“I’m so, so sorry you lost him,” Sydney says. “I wish there was something more I could say than that, but as I know all too well, there’s nothing anyone can say to take the pain away.”
“No, there isn’t,” Dara says. “And people just don’t understand. They think we ought to be ‘better’ by now.”
“I hate to tell you, but ‘better’ is going to be a lifetime effort.”
“I’ve begun to realize that.” It is, Dara realizes, such a relief to speak to someone who understands. “I was very sorry to hear about what happened to you, too.”
“Thank you. It’s been a few years now, and the ache isn’t as sharp as it was at first, but it’s always there, a part of who I am now.”
Syd takes Dara’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “I’m so glad Luke invited you over. I’ve been planning to come see you at the lighthouse.”
“I’m glad he invited us, too, even though I was worried about whether it was appropriate to bring our tragedy into your home, especially after what you’ve survived.”
“After I lost my family, I was supported by so many people. Some I’d known for years, and others came to me because they’d been where I was and knew how to help in a way my longtime friends and family didn’t.
When I look back at that time, it’s the people who were strangers to me—then—who made the biggest impact.
Since then, I try to pay that forward to people going through similar things, because I know how much it meant to me to have that support.
My door is always open to you, Dara—and Oliver.
If you’re having a bad day, come see me.
I get it, and I’ll always be happy to listen, to talk, to hug you or whatever you need. ”
Dara hugs her new friend. “That means so much to me. You’ll never know. People reached out to me after we lost Lewis, but I was too broken to let them in. I think I’m ready now for the kind of support you’re offering.”
“The best advice I was given after my loss was to accept that I was spared for a reason. I think that reason was for me to come back here, to rekindle an old flame with Luke and to have Lily. I’ve come to believe this life, the one I’m leading now, was the one that was meant to be, but that doesn’t take anything away from the life I had with Seth and the kids.
It’s hard to explain that to people who haven’t lived through what we have. ”
Dara feels like Sydney is speaking directly to her battered soul. “You’ll never know what it means to me to talk to someone who truly understands.”
“I do know. I really do. I’ll always be sorry you had to lose your sweet boy for our paths to cross, but we can never have too many friends.”
“Thank you, Syd. Thank you so much.”
While making dinner, Jared receives a call from the investigator, Mike.
He’s found Jessie, and she’s agreed to meet with him the next day.
He’s afraid of her bolting before he gets to talk to her, so he’s staking out her grandmother’s house where he found her.
Lizzie wants Mike to ask Jessie if they can have permanent custody of the baby.
Jared calls Dan Torrington to ask if they can do that.
“Anything is possible if all parties agree to it.”
“In that case,” Jared says, “I have a huge ask. Could you draft something for us tonight that our investigator could propose to Jessie tomorrow?”
“I have a boilerplate custody agreement I could adapt for this. It wouldn’t be a big deal to get that done tonight, but I just wonder if the mother is in the right frame of mind to sign something like that, and we’d need information about who the father is, too, because he’d be required to sign as well. ”
Hearing that, Lizzie’s spirits plummet again.
“I have no information about her state of mind or who the father is,” Jared tells Dan, “but I can have Mike talk to her and get a sense of what she’s thinking.
Our only request is if she and the father sign over their rights to us, they need to understand it’s a permanent arrangement.
They can’t come back in a year or two or whatever and ask for her back. ”
“The agreement they’d sign would be airtight on those points,” Dan says. “The most important thing right now is to pitch the idea to her and ask about the father. I’ll draft something your guy can give to her to consider.”
“If Jessie is agreeable to this idea, we’d like to get this taken care of sooner rather than later. Every day that the baby spends with us only raises the stakes. For both of us.”
When Jared says that, Lizzie’s heart expands with love for her husband as she realizes she isn’t the only one who’s fallen for the sweet baby girl.
“I understand. I’ll get right on it for you.”
“Thanks so much, Dan. We appreciate your help.”
When Cooper and Gigi arrive and see how tense they are, they ask what’s going on. Jared shares the latest developments. “Holy crap,” Cooper says. “That’s exciting and terrifying.”
“All at the same time,” Lizzie says, keeping her arms around the baby as if that can somehow stop anything bad from happening. She would never survive having to give her up. That much she knows for certain.
“What can we do for you?” Gigi asks.
“Keep us entertained?” Lizzie says. “Help us keep our minds off it for a few hours?”
“That we can do,” Cooper says.
They pitch in to help finish the meal prep and enjoy a delightful dinner at the table on the patio. The baby sleeps through everything until they’re finishing dinner.
After dinner, Lizzie goes inside to make a bottle for the baby. Jared brings the baby into the kitchen, who was squalling with outrage. “I told her the bottle was coming, but it wasn’t fast enough for her.”
As the baby enjoys her bottle, Jared and Lizzie watch over her in stunned amazement at how beautiful she is.
“We’re going to get to keep her,” Lizzie whispers.
“I know it in my heart.” She looks up at her husband, meets his intense gaze and shares the thing she’s kept to herself until now.
“You’re going to think I’m even crazier than usual when I tell you that the minute I saw her at the clinic, I knew she was meant to be ours. ”
“You… You what?”
“I knew, Jared. I knew it here.” She flattens her hand over her heart. “I couldn’t have known that Jessie would leave her with us and take off, but I knew she was our child. I don’t know how I knew that. I just did.”
“Lizzie…”
“I know. I know. It’s insane, but I can only tell you how I felt.” She offers a shy smile.
“What about you?” She reaches up to caress his face. “Don’t try to tell me you haven’t lost your heart to her, too.”
“I have—for sure. I mean, look at her. She’s so perfect. But I never want anything to hurt you, and that’s why I’ve urged proceeding with caution.”
“I know, and I love you for always trying to protect me—sometimes from myself.”
“I’ll always protect you from things that can hurt you.” He kisses the top of the baby’s soft head. “Even little bits like her.”
“She’s not going to hurt me. She’s going to make my life—and yours—complete.”
“God, I hope so, Lizzie.”
“It’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
Jared and Lizzie bring dessert to the patio.
“We have big news,” Cooper says, grinning at Gigi, who once again rolls her eyes at him.
“What big news?” Jared asks.
“The stunningly beautiful, incredibly funny, sexy, take-no-prisoners Gabrielle Gibson has agreed to give me a chance to show her that I make for an excellent boyfriend when I put my mind to it.”
“Wow,” Jared says, seeming genuinely stunned. “That’s big news indeed.”
“Tell me the truth,” Gigi says. “Am I a fool to give a player like him a chance?”
“Not at all,” Jared replies. “Cooper is one of the good guys. He’s smart, loyal, fun, funny, dedicated, hardworking. He’d be one of the first people I’d want in my foxhole when shit goes sideways, and he’s been one of my best friends since the time he could first walk and talk.”
Cooper is so stunned by Jared’s effusiveness that he can only stare at his older brother as he tries to process everything he’d said.
“What?” Jared asks, laughing at Cooper’s amazement. “None of that is news to you.”
“I’ve just, uh, never heard you say all that before.”
“I mean every word of it. Anyone would be incredibly lucky to have you as a boyfriend, not that anyone has ever truly test-driven that word with you.”
“Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter,” Gigi says, laughing. “Do tell, Jared.”
Cooper glares at his brother. “Shut up, Jared.”
“Don’t you dare stop now,” Gigi says. “How many are we talking? Hundreds? Thousands?”
Jared laughs as he glances at Cooper, who stares daggers at him. “Let me just say that my baby brother has always been popular with the ladies, but I’ve never seen him as interested in one as he is in you.”
Cooper lets out the breath he’s been holding. He should’ve known Jared would have his back. He always did.
“He’s truly one of the good ones, Gigi,” Jared says. “I believe it’s safe to have faith in anything he’s promised you.”
Gigi wakes to a text to her and Jordan from Matilda. Rise and shine, ladies! I need a meeting with you two this morning at nine to discuss the final episode. Please come alone to my hotel. This meeting is just for the three of us, and I’ll provide breakfast. Thanks!
Jordan replies a minute later. Why does she have to be so chipper in the morning? It’s annoying.
Seriously annoying, Gigi says.