Jarod's Heart (King Brothers Stories #2) (18 page)

As she relaxed, her mind began to wander. The past two weeks had been harder than when she had refused to speak to him for a month because this time she wasn’t angry with him. She’d tried her best to limit herself from being around Jarod, except for work, where he was more respectful than usual. Their playful banter had disappeared and she missed it. She supposed his behavioral changes had everything to do with the fact that he was a father now, but that didn’t explain his request that she stay at the estate tonight.

Then there was Jessica, who had been a force to be reckoned with because she had the same determination and stubborn streak as her father. If Lauren was on the estate grounds somewhere and Jessica found out, the little darling sought her out immediately, calling out, “Lorn! Lorn!” As soon as Lauren was found, Jessica was in her lap or holding tightly to her hand, unless she could finagle Lauren into carrying her on her hip.

Lauren loved every minute of it, though. She hadn’t had much of a childhood herself. Empathizing with the little girl, she didn’t want to disappoint her, even at the cost of Lauren’s heart. She just couldn’t say no to her.

Lauren’s eyes grew heavy, the last image in Lauren’s mind was Jessica’s sweet face, and then she succumbed to sleep.

“LORN.” AN EXAGGERATED
whisper tickled her ear and tiny fingers tapped her cheeks. “Wake up. Joojee is makin’ pang-cakes.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Lauren opened one of her eyes to see familiar blue ones blazing at her from a tiny hummingbird face surrounded by a halo of black tresses.

“What time is it, Jessie?” She struggled to see the alarm clock through her own tangled mass of blonde hair.

It was 7:30 am.

On a Saturday.

After a late night.

“Bref-kest time,” Jessica chirped.

Lauren’s heart melted. Yes, she’d do anything for the little imp.

“Okay, kiddo. Let me get changed.”

She unwrapped herself from the heavenly cocoon she’d been nestled in and asked, “Where’s your dad?”

“I’m right here,” said a smokey voice from her doorway. He was leaning casually on the doorframe, as if he belonged there. Something was different about him this morning. Her heart skipped a beat at the proprietary way he was looking at her. Once upon a time, she’d seen him wear that expression, but it had never been directed toward her.

His eyes seemed to glow with azure fire, and his impressive chest was defined through his simple white t-shirt. A coat of arms, one of many hidden tattoos that marred his perfect skin, was peeking out of the sleeve on his left bicep. He was still in his sleep pants of blue plaid flannel, which hung low on his hips, and his feet were bare.

Her mouth watered.

“Like what you see?”

Her startled eyes shot back to his face to meet his devilish smile.

Damn it.
She mentally chastised herself for being caught ogling the perfect male specimen, but she was more than ready with a rebuttal.

“I always like what I see when you’re around, Jarod. You know that.”

The surprise in his eyes was worth the heat that she knew was pinking her cheeks. She brazenly winked at him as she quickly hugged Jessica and marched into the bathroom for her quick morning routine.

She heard muffled voices through the bathroom door, and then her bedroom door shut softly. Leaving the bathroom, she quickly changed into a pair of well-worn blue jeans, another camisole layered with a pink and white flannel button-up shirt. Wool socks and tan waffle-bottom boots completed her ensemble before she headed down to the kitchen.

She was the last to enter the Saturday morning chaos that was routine with the Kings.

Jessica had stationed herself on a barstool at the marble island, where Julie was flipping her famous pancakes on a giant electric griddle. Camille was moving from the refrigerator to the table with armloads of condiments for breakfast.

All the men sat at the table except for Charlie, who was carrying a heavy platter for Camille that was laden with scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. Charlie had a special relationship with Camille, Lauren supposed. He’d lost his own mother at the tender age of twelve. Camille treated him like one of her own sons and a grandson all wrapped up into one special kid.

“Lorn! Sit here,” commanded a mouth full of pancakes, and a tiny hand gestured to the barstool next to her.

“I see you’ve got your breakfast. How is it, sweet pea?” Lauren settled herself on the designated barstool while Jessica continued to stuff her tiny mouth with pancakes. She smiled, revealing a rather large amount of syrupy mush.

“Close your mouth when it’s full, Darlin’.”

Jarod’s big hand gently wiped a napkin across Jessica’s chin. Then he walked around and snagged the barstool on the other side of Lauren, putting her in the middle. He sat sideways with his left arm on the marble and his knees spread wide to surround Lauren’s stool. He brushed a curl off of her shoulder with his right hand, and his toothy grin conveyed to her that he’d gotten over her remark and he was making his next move.

What is his game?

“I take it you had a good night’s sleep,” she said, a bit breathily.

“Actually, no, I didn’t.” He pointed his chin toward Jessica. “She likes to sleep sideways. I think I might have a bruised rib or two. That is, when she’s not lying on top of me,” he chuckled, but then, more seriously, he admitted, “She has nightmares.”

Lauren nodded in understanding. She still had nightmares sometimes.

“Anything you want to share?” he asked, his expression more of concern than pleasure over the game he was trying to play.

“Not right now. Besides, you know most of the story already; everyone in town does.” Then, her confusion got the better of her. “What are you up to, Jarod? This isn’t like you.”

“Later,” he said cryptically, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Then he stood up to collect his daughter. “Let’s go get you cleaned up, Darlin’. You missed your bath last night.”

Lauren’s eyes followed him as he sauntered out of the room with Jessica in his arms. That’s when Lauren noticed that all conversation in the room had stopped.

“What?” she asked, irritated at having the attention on her once more.

Julie grinned. “Nothing. Grab a plate and join us at the table.”

Stomach rumbling, she wasted no time filling up her plate. Conversation ebbed and flowed around her as she contemplated the tingle that still caressed her cheek from Jarod’s soft kiss. He hadn’t shaved, so a little beard stubble had grazed her skin.

She was just pushing her empty plate away when a micro-person climbed onto her lap. Jarod, never far behind his daughter, sat down next to her.

“That was fast.”

“She took a shower,” he said in disbelief. “She couldn’t wait to get back down here to you.”

She was just about to give him a sassy retort when he handed her a brush and two hair ties. “I have absolutely no idea what to do with these.”

“Of course you don’t,” she smirked, taking the hair ties and brush from him.

“Two braids, Lorn,” Jessica commanded.

“Please,” Jarod reminded her.

Jessica put her little hands on Lauren’s cheeks and looked her in the eyes, “Please, Lorn?”

Lauren laughed. “Turn around, silly. Two braids it is.”

She brushed out and divided her hair, ignoring the stares and whispers from the rest of the clan.

HER NIMBLE FINGERS
hypnotized him. She wove his daughter’s hair into an intricate plait beginning at Jessica’s crown and flowing seamlessly down the right side of her head all the way to her shoulders. When Lauren’s fingers reached the end of the three raven ropes, she used one of the blue elastic bands that Jessica had picked out and swiftly wrapped it around the ends, careful to keep the hair smooth. When the braid was complete, she began the whole process again on the left side. Jessica sat perfectly still through the entire process, to Jarod’s amazement.

The importance of beauty rituals must be written in female DNA.

His view of her work was obscured now, so he concentrated on Lauren’s face instead. She was smiling and humming softly, as though she and Jessica were alone in the room. When she was finished with the twin French braids, she wrapped her arms around Jessica and placed a swift kiss on her temple.

Jessica giggled.

“All finished, sweat pea.”

“Thank you, Lorn.”

Instead of jumping down to seek out some new entertainment, Jessica leaned her head back on Lauren’s chest and placed her tiny arms over Lauren’s hands, which were wrapped around her middle.

Jarod said a silent prayer of thanks that Jessica was here with them now, receiving the love and attention she so desperately needed, and he vowed he’d move heaven and earth to keep it that way. Apparently, the most immediate need Jessica had was for a mother, and it looked like she’d already picked out the lucky candidate.

Her choice was perfectly fine with him.

“What do you want to be for Halloween, Jessica?” Jason asked.

All eyes landed on her. She looked up at Lauren before she shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you know what Halloween is, Darlin’?”

She shook her head at him. Jarod shared a look with Jason and saw his own anger reflected in his brother’s green eyes. However, Jason was better at schooling his features.

Jason put his arm around Julie and said, “How about we show you, princess?”

CAMILLE TASKED THE
men to the barn, where a section had been cordoned off for the larger outdoor seasonal decorations. Not unlike the Room of Doom, this space was huge, but full of sealed bins of lights and outdoor garlands instead of open cubicles of dainty crafting material.

Jarod didn’t have an aversion to being here because it was mainly just for storage. Plus, Camille had never used the barn for her special brand of punishment for her rowdy boys.

He collected some containers marked “Halloween” and marched back to the front yard of the main house. James, Jason, and Josh were busy with the folding ladder and some tools.

Because most of their neighbor’s homes were so far apart in this area, every Halloween, the Kings invited their rural community to their home for some safe trick-or-treating and neighborly fellowship. If the weather was bad, the barn would be opened up for their guests to congregate as well. The forecast was for clear skies and warm temperatures this year, and they hoped that would hold out until after the festivities.