Late Nights & Love Lines (Single Dad Hotline #2)

7. Liquid laxatives are not allowed

7

LIQUID LAXATIVES ARE NOT ALLOWED

SEBASTIAN

“ Y ou’re pretty anxious to get back to Sailport Bay,” Alexei says with a teasing lilt that grates as we head from the airport back to the beach house.

“I’m excited to see my kids.” I ignore his prodding by keeping my face pointed toward the passenger side window. “I haven’t been away from them since their world imploded.”

“Of course. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the nanny I heard you verbally sparring with last night.”

My glare cuts to him, and the temperature in the SUV rises to scorching levels. At least he has the good sense to keep his eyes on the road, though that doesn’t stop his lips from twitching and curling into a smirk I want to wipe away with the back of my hand.

“That’s not how it is. Rowan and I, we have a weird history. I knew her when I was a twelve-year-old kid, for fuck’s sake.”

“And as a fifteen-year-old lovesick puppy,” he reminds me.

I’d forgotten he was working at camp with me that summer. He witnessed the same things I did.

“I remember how distraught you were when she was taken away from camp,” he presses.

“She was thirteen, Alexei. I’d known her for five summers, and there was something about her as a little girl that made me protective of her, but it was never anything more than that. She was my friend.”

I won’t tell him how I panicked when she didn’t return the next summer, or the one after that. I don’t tell him that I worked that camp every summer until my father put a stop to it because I’d hoped she’d return. And I definitely don’t tell him that the only thing that kept me from finding out where she lived to make sure she was safe was that Pappy told me she was writing to him, so I let it go. At that point, I was eighteen years old. I had no business worrying about some kid I knew for a few summers, no matter how intense our connection had always seemed.

“Jesus, Seb. I didn’t say you were inappropriate with her, but you can’t deny that she’s always had an effect on you.”

I fiddle with the AC because the air in here is stifling. “I never saw her again, Alex. I think it’s safe to say I wasn’t the only one concerned for her safety after witnessing how that asshole manhandled her, shouting about repenting for her sins.”

It was the first time I’d seen an adult actively destroying innocence just because he could.

Alexei tilts his head in silent agreement. “And what’s it like seeing her again now?”

My pulse accelerates as I roll his question around in my mind. The truth is, I haven’t had time to process my reactions to her—my old friend. That pull, the string that kept me checking on her day after day is still there, but now it’s edged with heartache, trauma, and enough sexual tension to light up the entire sky—it has claws and barbed wire and strikes to kill.

“Different,” is the word I settle on to answer his question. It is different. I’d always worried about the little girl from summer camp. In my mind, she never aged, she stayed that sad little girl. But now, she’s a sad, beautiful woman who chooses to live her life in temporary situations.

I’m still trying to reconcile the two versions of the same person when Alexei pulls onto the gravel road that leads to my new home.

We round a corner, and the large house comes into view. It’s much more space than we needed, but as soon as I stepped inside, I could feel us making it a home. The large light-gray house sits on a hill overlooking the ocean. Windows cover most of the walls, giving ocean views from almost any vantage point.

My palms itch as though I’m nervous, so I wipe them on my shorts. Alexei notices, but simply raises a brow in recognition.

“If, at any time, your plans change, say the word and I’ll be happy to jump in as your wingman.”

I swing my head in his direction so quickly I’m surprised my eyeballs don’t roll around in my skull. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m here to solidify this merger, to remove my kids from the fuckery at home, and to find a nanny—a permanent nanny—that’s it.”

He opens his door and climbs out, but not before mumbling, “And plans have a funny way of changing.”

God, he infuriates me sometimes. Not even Nick could get under my skin as Alexei does, and Nick always had a bit of a mean streak in him.

Thinking of the man who is still actively trying to turn investors against me reminds me of the betrayal that led me here in the first place. It’s the reminder I need. The reminder to put my children first—nothing else matters as long as they’re happy, healthy, and safe.

Not even the sexy Rowan Ellis.

“Okay, well, I’m out of here.” Alexei’s sly grin is annoying. He’s spent all morning trying to witness the chemistry between me and Rowan in person and it makes me want to kick him out and lock the door.

Instead, I focus on wiping down the kitchen island and wait for him to show himself out.

“You’re not staying with us, Uncle Alex? I have a bunk room. You can sleep with me and Kade. It’s, ah…” Miles scratches the side of his head. “We’ve been having fun. Right, Ser?” He looks to his sister, almost as if he’s asking permission to be happy, and acid crawls up my throat.

“Right,” Seren says. At least she attempted to hold back her sarcasm for him, but I’m starting to miss the Gen-Z slang that used to send me to Google with every conversation. This version of my daughter is muted and much too old for her years.

“I love you, kid, but my bunk bed days are over. I’ll be at a hotel in Corolla, it’s not too far away. I’ll come by in the morning to pick up your dad for our meetings, then we’ll be back to explore the camp with you in the afternoon.”

“Uncle Alex is scared of bugs,” I whisper to Kade as he sits in my lap at the island with a coloring book and crayons. He’s been attached to me since I walked in. My little boy gasps, and mischief sparkles in his shining eyes.

“That’s silly.” Kade giggles.

“Uncle Alex is silly,” I stage-whisper.

A knock on the kitchen doorframe has us all turning toward the sound. Rowan stands in the open doorway with the sun filtering in behind her. Her dirty blond hair is piled high on her head with random strands spilling out as though she just rolled out of bed and didn’t bother brushing it, yet it’s so sexy I can’t drag my gaze away. She’s so fucking beautiful.

She’s wearing a form-fitting black tank top with a pair of very short running shorts, and the strings of a pink bikini sneak out through her top to wrap around her neck.

“Good morning,” she says cheerily. Glancing around the room, she pauses only briefly on Alexei. A perverse sense of satisfaction hits me when she doesn’t show an ounce of recognition.

“Good morning,” I reply. Kade wiggles from my lap and barrels through the room toward her.

Rowan crouches down, but he doesn’t ease up on his speed and almost knocks her over. She catches herself with her free hand and keeps them both upright. He wraps his arms around her tightly and she pats him awkwardly on the back.

That’s…strange. I’ve seen her pick him up before. Is she really that awkward about a hug? Is it because everyone’s staring at her, or did I reinforce her walls by insisting we’d be friends again?

She stands, but Kade immediately slips his hand into hers, and I watch as each muscle in her body relaxes once she has a little space.

“Are we going? Are we going on a hike now?” Kade asks, bouncing on his toes.

Rowan’s face erupts like the first rays of sunshine on a cloudy day as she slowly reveals her perfectly straight teeth and dimples my fingers ache to caress. I purposefully fill my lungs with air, so I don’t do something stupid, like pass out in front of her, but that’s the effect she has—the ability to make me forget basic human functions like freaking breathing.

“We can head out as soon as we cover you with sunscreen.”

“All done,” he grins. “Daddy sprayed us.”

“Oh.” She seems surprised, but I’ve always been a hands-on dad. “Well, if you get your hats on, we can go.” She turns to Seren, and her lips dance around a smile—somehow it conveys understanding.

“Did you decide to come with us?” Rowan asks. Everyone tenses, waiting for my little girl’s response.

Seren shrugs her shoulder. “I heard the wild horses are pretty epic, so I guess I’ll go.” I can tell it took a lot of effort on her part to keep her excitement at bay, and that gives me hope.

“I’m so glad,” Rowan says. There’s a hint of relief in her tone that sinks all the way down to my bones.

“Okay if I tag along?” I finally ask. “It’s a rare free afternoon for me.”

“Oh.” Rowan’s eyelashes nearly hit her hairline, and she manages to frown at the same time. “Ah, of course. We’re going to hike through the Ruby Rolls Trail. It’s a little longer than I’d normally do with them, but it spits us out at the beach near the wild horses.”

“Sounds good. Pappy went into town with Leo to get some fishing supplies, but Leo’s fiancée dropped off a picnic lunch. I guess he told her your plans.”

She stares at me as if I’ve grown three heads while I spoke. Alexei, who has been silently observing our interactions with a smug expression of appreciation on his face, finally steps forward.

“Hi, Rowan. You might not remember me, I’m Alexei. I attended Pappy’s camp for a few summers with Seb.”

Her face remains neutral, but the muscles around her eyes tighten. “It’s nice to meet you,” she says. “There were a lot of people at camp.”

He nods, glancing between the two of us as if an answer to an unasked question will magically appear. When it doesn’t, he simply chuckles. “Well, I’m heading to the hotel to get some work done. I’ll be back to grab you tomorrow at seven, Seb.”

“Thanks. If anything?—”

“I’ll have everything ready for Hayes and Sinclair. I’ve got this, you do…” He waves his arms around the kitchen. “Everything else.”

Alexei Stepanov might be a pain in my ass, but he cares about my family, my business, and me. I should have listened when he told me Nick was bad news.

I nod in appreciation and stand back as he hugs all my kids, then exits the kitchen with a wave.

Rowan moves around the space as if she’s always been here and starts collecting the kids’ water bottles. Kade still has ahold of her hand, so she gives him one of the bottles to hold, and they fill them at the filter on the refrigerator door.

She’s slipped into our lives seamlessly.

“Miles, can you grab the bug spray from the porch and stick it in one of these bags?” she says, pointing to a couple of backpacks on the floor with her foot. The movement drags my attention to her long slender legs.

“Yup,” he runs past me and out the door.

“Seren?”

My daughter doesn’t quite glare at Rowan, but she isn’t exactly pleased either.

“Leo said to tell you they got your Amazon order, but all packages to camp have to be inspected, and they don’t allow liquid laxatives. But you can go to the infirmary if you have a stomachache.” Rowan smiles sweetly at Seren.

I spin on my daughter. “Are you sick?” Was she ill while I was gone?

Seren’s face flames red, setting off her bright green eyes. “Geez, Dad. I’m fine.”

Worry festers in my chest. “Then why did you need a laxative?”

Rowan walks between us and chuckles. “It’s all good, Sebastian. Seren and I are still coming to a truce, isn’t that right, Seren?”

My daughter rolls her eyes, and her fingers twitch before they clench into fists. “Leo’s flyer said we can have packages delivered to camp. So much for two-day shipping,” she grumbles. “I ordered it before…”

“Before what?” I demand, unease rolling down my spine. She wouldn’t seriously try to make Rowan sick, would she?

“Before we came to an understanding,” Rowan fills in. “It’s all good. You ready?”

I can’t decide if I want to look at Rowan or my daughter, and it results in a rushed glare between them both. “Yeah, I’m ready. But this conversation isn’t over, Ser. As much as I want to be, I can’t be with you guys every second. I have to work, and we need the help, so you have to accept that.”

My daughter stomps out of the room, and Kade chases her out the door.

“I’m sorry if she’s…being difficult,” I say.

Rowan bends over to pick up the backpacks, and I’m a prick because my gaze is glued to where her running shorts stretch over her perfect ass.

She stands quickly, and I immediately stare at the ceiling. What the hell is wrong with me?

“No problem. It’s probably better if she gets it out on me rather than the permanent nanny.” She smirks and walks out the door.

Why does it feel as though I’m being electrocuted every time she reminds me that she’s temporary?

She’s never hidden the fact that she has an end date, and my kids need stability. Even though my head understands that, my heart isn’t getting the message because every time she’s near, it beats for her—to her song.

Yes, my kids need stability, but they also need someone they can relate to, right? Someone they can tell their secrets and their fears to. And when I think about who that someone could be for them, the only person I see is Rowan.

The wild horses have nothing on the wild contradictions floating around my mind.