“But you’re going over there after lunch, aren’t you?” Lydia guessed. Regardless of how much Mia might complain, she’d never leave a customer hanging, no matter how silly the issue. It wasn’t in her DNA to be anything less than perfect where her job was concerned.
Putting her hands on her hips, Mia glared before slumping down onto the bench beside Crystal. “Dammit, you know I am. If nothing else, this is a challenge to my skill in training customers and my patience at not choking a pain in the ass.” Taking the sandwich Lydia passed over, she asked, “What’d I miss? If you tell me it was the sex talk part, I’m going over there to stand in the street.”
Crystal bumped shoulders with Mia as she said, “I was just filling Lydia in on my latest mother drama. I told you about it when you dropped by this morning. So you didn’t miss anything.”
Mia shook her head as she took a bite of her sandwich. “I’m sorry, Crys, but I swear your mother is a raving bitch most of the time. I don’t know how you can still manage to spend time with her. And Mark must love you more than you imagined to tolerate her as well.” In what sounded like some kind of demented town hall meeting, Mia asked, “Does anyone have anything else besides Psycho Sandy that they need to discuss?”
Lydia raised her hand and muttered, “Well, I have Homewrecker Chris if you’d like some variety. She’s also the guest you never wanted to invite, but don’t know how to get rid of.”
Grimacing, Mia asked, “The baby mama? I thought she had gone all nice now. Is she back to her witchy ways again?”
“Oh no,” Lydia said wryly, “she’s still sweet as sugar, especially where Jake is concerned.”
“But things are really good between you and Jake, right?” Crystal asked, looking confused.
“We’re great.” Lydia nodded. “But I know that Chris is up to something. She’s all gushing and accommodating to Jake, but I’ve caught the looks she gives me when she doesn’t think that anyone notices.”
“You think she’s playing him,” Mia guessed. “I swear men are so gullible where a conniving woman is concerned. It’s like they want to believe that the female sex is sweet and pure and can’t process it when that’s not the case.”
“That pretty much sums it up,” Lydia confirmed. “I know she thinks if she continues to be nice, then he’ll relax his guard further and she’ll be in. She isn’t above using Casey to accomplish that goal either, which sucks.”
“Have you talked to Jake about it?” Crystal asked, looking concerned.
“I’ve brought it up a couple of times, but I just come off sounding like I’m jealous, which only makes her look better. He thinks she’s accepted things as they are and he’s not going to make any waves with her when she’s not doing anything to cause trouble. He was sweet about it. He asked if she’d said or done anything to me that he’d missed, and I had nothing. Really, how would he respond if I said, ‘She’s looking at me funny, make her stop?’ So instead, all I can do is grin and bear it while I suspect she’s making a play for my husband.”
“I love how easily you say that.” Mia grinned. “For two people who got married in ass-backward fashion, you’re one of the happiest couples that I know.”
“Mark says that Jake always refers to you as his wife at the office,” Crystal piped in. “Have either of you said the L-word yet?”
“That would be a no.” Lydia sighed.
“Well, do you love him?” Mia asked bluntly. “Are you holding back waiting for him, or do you just not feel that way at this point?”
Running a hand through her hair, Lydia admitted, “I do—love him. I know it’s fast and we haven’t been together for that long. But I was halfway in love with him that first night we made love on his kitchen counter. Er . . . I didn’t mean to say that,” Lydia stuttered.
Mia whistled in a move that would make a sailor proud. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about! We all need to talk about sex more—the kinky variety. I’d be happy to tell you about a few of my hotter moments with Seth if you give the deets on Mark and Jake.”
“No!” Crystal quickly interjected. “I can hardly look Seth in the eyes now. I swear when he came up to congratulate us at our wedding, all I could think about was the fact that he has a monster pecker! And that’s something no bride should be picturing about another man when the ink isn’t even dry on her marriage license.”
Wiggling her brows, Mia said, “Well, honey, it is huge. If it makes you feel any better, I thoroughly rode that baby all the way to the big O-town just hours after that.”
Despite herself, Lydia couldn’t contain her giggle. She certainly wasn’t a woman of the world sexually by any means, but Crystal, who was married to a well-known playboy, looked so adorably flustered. No doubt, one of the qualities Mark loved about her. Even after being married once before him, she retained that innocence that men found so attractive. “Don’t feel bad,” she whispered to Crystal. “I was thinking the same thing when I saw Seth as well. We know way too much about the size of his equipment and how he uses it.”
“Blah, blah.” Mia shrugged. “I love that man of mine and I’m going to brag about him from time to time. He knows it and he’s resigned to the fact. Hell, I’d hazard a guess that he likes thinking that all of my lady friends know what he’s packing.”
Since Mia was speaking so candidly of her relationship, Lydia decided to ask a question she’d often wondered about. “You and Seth have been together for a while. Any plans for wedded bliss in your future?”
Not looking in the least uncomfortable, Mia shook her head. “We’ve discussed it, of course, and Seth has let it be known that he wants that sooner rather than later. Underneath it all, he does have a traditional side that wants to settle down and produce some offspring. I also love how our lives are right now and selfishly am not ready to change that. So we’re happily living together until we’re ready to take the next step. I have no doubt in my mind that he is my future. I might admire other men, but Seth became it for me shortly after my mother bought him at that bachelor auction.”
Lydia’s mouth dropped open as she sputtered out, “Wait—what?”
Crystal laughed as she asked, “You never knew that? Mia actually met Seth while doing an installation at his Oceanix Resort. Then her mother decided to purchase him for her at a charity auction.”
“It was actually for a date,” Mia clarified. “And after a few bumps in the road, we’ve been together ever since. I freaking love the hell out of that man.”
“Wow,” Lydia muttered. “I think it’s official, Crystal—you and Mark have had about the most normal courtship of us all. Mia bought her man, and I married mine in a drunken Vegas moment.”
Crystal threw out her hand, fist bumping them both before saying, “Yep, I just puked on Mark’s shoes and passed out in his arms. I’d consider that pretty traditional compared to you two.”
After their laughter had died down, Mia looked at Lydia and asked, “So what do you plan to do about Chris? That homewrecker is totally after your man. If he’s not catching on to that fact, then you need to really be on your game. Don’t give her any opportunity to be alone with him.”
“But I trust Jake,” Lydia protested. It felt wrong to consider watching him like some cheating boyfriend. She didn’t think he would ever do something like that to her, but she certainly wouldn’t rule out Chris giving it her best try.
“Why haven’t you told him how you feel about him?” Crystal asked. “I know it’s hard especially if he hasn’t said it yet, but someone has to be first, right?”
“I guess I’m just afraid of making things awkward. I know he cares about me because he’s said that many times. And there are times when I think it goes beyond that . . . but I don’t know. I never had to worry about this stuff with Brett. He said the words first and often. But with Jake, I’m constantly second-guessing myself. He’s very affectionate and the . . . sex is amazing. We al
so enjoy spending time together just doing mundane things like cooking or watching football.”
“Those are great signs,” Mia assured her. “If he were just in it for the sex, he wouldn’t bother himself to do all of that other stuff. He obviously likes being with you in and out of the bedroom. Regardless of why you got married, you have something between you that is continuing to grow and evolve.”
Crystal surprised them all by adding, “He’s your man, so take a stand with Chris if you have to. I almost let my ex-husband drive a wedge between Mark and me. Your relationship is the most vulnerable when things are new and you are still learning about each other. Be protective of that and watch her. Jake may just be glad to have her off his back, but a leopard doesn’t change its spots and she hasn’t changed who she is overnight. Knowledge is power.”
“You’re right, both of you. I promise I will be on my guard.” Straightening her spine, Lydia added, “I’m in love with Jacob Hay and I won’t let her ruin it for me.” With new resolve, Lydia walked back to her office with Crystal after saying good-bye to Mia in the elevator. She was going to tell Jake how she felt about him. She hadn’t come this far to chicken out now. If she wanted to keep the new life she had made, then risking her pride was a small price to pay.
* * *
Jacob approached Chris’s table at the country club warily. Their last lunch, where she went nearly postal, was still fresh in his mind. When she’d called earlier asking if they could get together to discuss Casey, he’d hesitated long seconds before finally agreeing. He also felt strange about meeting her without speaking to Lydia first. Even though she’d never been anything but understanding where Chris was concerned, he also knew that it bothered her when he spent time with his ex. And that was something he was sympathetic to. He didn’t think he would handle it well if their positions were reversed and he constantly had Lydia’s ex-boyfriend to contend with. Those thoughts made him feel a bit like an asshole, though, since Brett was dead and that possibility didn’t exist.
Chris got to her feet and gave him a warm hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek. “Jake, thanks for meeting me.” Then she ran an appreciative glance over him before adding, “You look handsome, as always.” Before he could reply, she quickly inserted, “Casey looks more and more like you every day.” As was always the case, when his daughter was brought up in conversation, he lost track of everything else. God, he loved that little girl so damn much. He waited for Chris to take her seat again, and then politely pushed her chair up to the table before sitting across from her.
He ignored her flattery and asked instead, “Have you ordered yet?”
“Of course not.” She smiled. “I was waiting for you.”
Their server walked up at that moment and Jacob quickly ordered both his drink and his food, not wanting to prolong the encounter any longer than necessary. Chris frowned, looking disgruntled, but finally requested the garden salad with dressing on the side, of course. Would it kill her to just drench that lettuce in ranch dressing for once? He didn’t bother to suggest it; she’d probably pass out. Lydia didn’t have her dressing put on the side. Hell, she even ate pasta. Actually, that was one of her favorite dishes. “So what can I do for you, Chris?” he asked warily as the server placed his glass of water on the table. He was still a bit traumatized from their last visit here, so he wanted to be prepared if she suddenly went ape-shit. Wait—what was brushing against his leg under the table? He glanced at her suspiciously, but her face gave nothing away. He was on the tall side and the table wasn’t that big. It would be easy to accidentally touch each other in passing. So he shifted slightly until whatever had been pressed against him was gone.
“We have a daughter together, silly. Wouldn’t it be easier if we were friends?” she asked brightly.
Beware! Minefield ahead, proceed with extreme caution, Jake thought as he processed her words. Friends—really? How was he supposed to answer that? He’d gotten used to battling about everything with the mother of his child. Did he enjoy it? No, not at all. Was it mostly predictable? Yeah, pretty much. Her behavior had done a complete one-eighty lately, and it had made life easier. Although he couldn’t help thinking of the saying Beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He hadn’t bothered to look too far below the surface of the recent ease between the two of them, figuring the unpleasantness would fire back up again soon enough. When he caught her staring at him expectantly, he muttered, “Um, sure. I guess so.” Then he attempted to steer the conversation back to their daughter by adding, “So how is Casey doing with the new classmate who was bothering her? Did you go ahead and talk to her teacher like I suggested?” Casey had complained to him and Lydia about a boy in her class who was knocking the pencils from her desk and being a nuisance in general. He figured the kid actually liked her because that was the usual expression of adoration at that age. He’d done the same thing to Maryanne Sullivan until she’d given him a right hook in the neither regions. Apparently, her father had taught his daughter early on how to deal with pushy boys.
“Yes, Jake, of course I did,” she huffed impatiently before seeming to catch herself. “I handled that the next day and everything is fine.” Before he could reply, she quickly interjected, “So how is your . . . live-in doing? Will she be staying with you much longer?”
Jacob’s glass halted halfway to his mouth. “Are you talking about Lydia? My wife?”
Shrugging innocently, she said, “That’s what I said, wasn’t it? I’m just surprised that she’s still there. Your women don’t usually hang around this long.”
Setting his drink down with a thud, Jacob took a moment to control his temper before saying, “I’m not going to discuss her with you. The only thing I’ll say is that she’s not going anywhere. She’s not some casual hookup. We’re married and I don’t see that changing. Is that a problem for you?”
And the charming, docile persona kicked in right before his eyes. Reaching out to touch his arm, she said sweetly, “No, not at all, Jake. I think she’s a really nice person and I hope you two will be very happy together.”
She was saying all the right things, but Jacob didn’t think she actually meant any of them. In their situation, it was probably to be expected. If she’d moved on and gotten married or been in a serious relationship, maybe things would have been different, but she’d done everything up to and including trying to force him into marriage to her. So it wasn’t likely she would suddenly appoint herself as Lydia’s fan club president. He knew that his wife had also had concerns about Chris’s new and improved disposition. It was suspicious considering they still hadn’t resolved the issue of joint custody. Something that Chris strangely hadn’t mentioned lately. It was a slippery slope indeed to travel. He’d never allow Chris to be ugly to Lydia again. But he also had to maintain a halfway passable relationship with the mother of his child for Casey’s sake. He’d just go ahead and admit that most men weren’t really that good at straddling the fence in that way. “I appreciate that, Chris,” he said diplomatically. “I know it’s been an adjustment, but we’ll all get there.”
“That’s one of the things I wanted to tell you.” She smiled as she took a bite of her plain lettuce leaf. Yuck, was there any dressing on that greenery at all? “I’ve been seeing someone myself.”
Jacob had a mouthful of hamburger when she dropped that bomb, and it damn near went down the wrong way. Out of all the things he’d expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them. Not that it bothered him that she had a new man in her life—as long as it was someone who was good to his daughter. But to his knowledge, she hadn’t been involved with anyone in quite some time. It might sound vain, but she’d spent most of the last few years trying to get him back into bed. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe there hadn’t been someone here and there, but she certainly kept it very quiet. Casey had never mentioned a new uncle appearing out of the blue or anything, and his daughter would have certainly told him all about it if Mom had a new boyf
riend. When he finally managed to swallow his food, he said, “Well, good for you. Is it serious?”
She toyed with her hair, watching him carefully. “It’s possible. His name is Dean and he’s a plastic surgeon.”
Impressed despite himself, he asked, “So we’re talking face-lifts and such?”
She actually blushed—something he wouldn’t have thought her capable of before motioning to her chest. “Er—breastaugmentation.” She said it so fast that the entire thing came out as one word, but he knew he heard the breast part and couldn’t control the chuckle that came out.
“Oh, grow up, Jake,” she snapped as she rolled her eyes. “It’s a very lucrative field and Dean has a busy practice.”
“I’ll bet.” He smirked. Breast enlargements in a beach town were probably like money in the bank. Heck, even he felt the urge to meet Dean now. When she looked ready to have another one of the tantrums she’d thrown on their last visit here, he wiped the smile off his face and got it together. He’d rather not have his membership canceled when she threw her dry salad at him. “I’m just kidding, Chris. Congratulations. I hope everything works out. Maybe we can all go out to dinner soon.”
“Sure,” she sniffed. “I’ll mention it to Dean. He stays really busy, though, so it could be a while before our schedule is free.”
After that, they made small talk, mainly centered on their daughter. It was quite possibly the most pleasant hour he’d ever shared with Chris. He’d let his guard down until there came another slide of something against his inner thighs. This time, when he attempted to shift and close his legs, he felt what had to be her foot just inches from his crotch. Unless her legs had suddenly grown a helluva lot longer, that couldn’t be an accident. She had to be stretching to reach that far. Say something or let it go? “You are aware that you have your foot in the vicinity of my dick, right?” he asked bluntly, and then lowered his voice when the teenager at the next table turned to stare. Fuck, he’s probably Facebooking this conversation right now.