LITMIR.BIZ

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forth.

      The only man in Charlie’s life was Ethan. Julia tried not to depend too much on him. Lainey, Ethan and Julia had a long history between them, and Julia didn’t want to push the limits of their relationship.

      Charlie did his best to mimic Sam’s motions as he rolled and threw the ball, and Julia realized how important it was for her son to have a father figure.

      “I knew he’d be great with kids,” Joe said as he handed her a tall glass of water. “Scott is a wild one, but Sam...”

      “Why do you think Sam never married?” Julia asked, tapping one finger against her lips. Annabeth’s story about Sam’s record as a three-dates-and-done serial dater came back to her.

      “It’s not for lack of trying,” Joe answered candidly then amended. “But I can tell you’re a better fit for him than Jenny.”

      Julia tried not to look startled. “Jenny?”

      Joe studied her. “His ex-fiancée. He did tell you about her?”

      “He was really hurt when it ended,” she offered, not an outright lie but enough to cover her lack of knowledge. She and Sam had a lot they needed to get clear about each other if this charade was going to work.

      Joe nodded. “Not that he would have told anyone. He bottled up his emotions just like I’d done when his mom passed. But Jenny’s infidelity was a huge blow to him.”

      “I can understand why.” Julia’s mind reeled at this new information. Sam had been previously engaged and his fiancée had cheated on him. That might explain a little about his commitment issues.

      “She wasn’t a good match even before that. Sure, she was perfect on paper—a schoolteacher, sweet and popular with his friends, but she didn’t get him. They were marrying what they thought they wanted without paying attention to what they needed.”

      Julia understood that line of thinking better than most. It was what had led her to believe her ex-boyfriend could make her happy. She’d thought she loved Jeff but realized what she loved was the image she’d had of him, not who he truly was. Was that what Sam had thought about his ex, as well, or had this Jenny been the love of his life? The thought gave Julia a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

      Sam looked up from where he was currently chasing Charlie across the backyard. “How about those steaks, sweetie?”

      “I’m on it,” she called and headed for the grill.

      Much to Joe’s delight, Charlie insisted on sitting on Sam’s lap during dinner. Sam looked vaguely uncomfortable as the toddler fed him bites of meat but dutifully ate each one.

      In addition to the steak, Sam had roasted vegetables and made a salad. She’d brought a loaf of bread from the bakery next to the salon, along with a bottle of red wine. The dinner was surprisingly fun and Julia found herself relaxing. Joe did most of the talking, regaling her with stories, of his years with the force and more recently of the workshops he facilitated around the region.

      “Someone needs a diaper change,” she said as they finished the meal. At the look of horror on Sam’s face, she laughed. “I’ll take it from here.”

      “Good idea,” he agreed.

      “You’d better get used to stinky bottoms,” his father chided.

      Sam’s eyes widened and Julia laughed again. “All in good time, Joe. For now, I’ll take the poop duty.”

      Sam stood quickly and handed Charlie to her. “I’ll clear the dishes.” To her surprise, he placed a soft kiss on her mouth. Charlie giggled and Julia felt her world tilt the tiniest bit.

      “Right,” she said around a gulp of air. She met Joe’s gaze as she turned for the house and he winked at her. Right. Sam was her fake fiancé. Of course he was going to kiss her sometimes. They’d discussed that it was all part of the act. It didn’t mean anything.

      At least, not to her.

      Right.

      She changed Charlie’s diaper on the floor of Sam’s living room. Unlike her cozy apartment filled with well-worn flea-market finds and hand-me-downs from her mother, the furnishings in this room appeared very new and hardly used.

      A sleek leather couch faced an entertainment center with an enormous flat-screen television and several pieces of stereo equipment. He had a few books scattered on the shelves, mainly fly-fishing manuals and guidebooks for the North Carolina mountains. A couple of pieces of abstract art hung on the walls. Unlike her family room, there wasn’t a single framed photo of any of Sam’s family or friends.

      Julia loved the reminders of each stage in Charlie’s life on display around her house. It was as though Sam didn’t have a personal life. Maybe it was just a guy thing, she thought, but then remembered how Jeff had documented each of his research trips with photos spread around their condo in Columbus.

      Maybe not.

      She pulled on Charlie’s sweatpants and watched as he scrambled to his feet and headed back toward the kitchen.

      “Hey, little man, where are you headed in such a rush?”

      Joe picked him up as Charlie answered, “Ou-side,” and he planted a raspberry on the boy’s belly, making him laugh out loud.

      “I’ll see you later, gator.” Joe put Charlie on the ground and he made a beeline for the back of the house.

      “It was nice to spend time with you.” Julia gave the older man a quick hug.

      “I hope it’s the first of many dinners. I’d love to meet your family while I’m in town. Sammy said your mom is famous around here for the animal shelter she runs.”

      “It was a labor of love after my dad died.” The thought of Joe Callahan and her mother getting together made her want to squirm. Keeping their respective families separate would make the summer much simpler. The complications of this arrangement were almost more than she could handle.

      “I meant what I said at the restaurant,” Joe told her. “Sam will protect you and Charlie. I don’t know the details of your custody arrangement, but I believe that boy is better off with you than anyone else in the world.”

      Julia blinked back sudden tears. “Thank you. I better go track him down.”

      Joe nodded. “Good night, Julia. I’ll see you soon.”

      The front door shut behind him, and Julia thought about Joe’s last words. Charlie was better off with her. She had to believe that. He belonged to her and she to him. Nothing and no one was going to change that.

      She turned for the kitchen just as Charlie’s high-pitched scream came from the backyard.

       Chapter Six

      Julia raced onto the patio, following the sounds of her son’s cries, her heart pounding in her chest.

      Sam stood in the backyard, cradling Charlie against his chest with one arm. With his free hand he waved the tongs she’d used for the meat. A large gray dog hopped up and down in front of him.

      “What happened?” Julia yelled as she sprinted down the back steps. “Is Charlie hurt?”

      At the sound of his mother’s voice, the boy lifted his tear-streaked face from Sam’s shoulder. “Ball, Mama. No doggy.” He pointed a slobbery finger at the Weimaraner running circles in the yard, the deflated bouncy ball clamped in his jaws.

      His eyes never leaving the dog, Sam scooted closer to Julia. “Charlie’s fine. Take him back to the house. I’ve never seen this animal before. He could be rabid.”

      Charlie shook his head. “No doggy,” he repeated. “Charlie ball.”

      Julia looked from her son to Sam to the dog bounding and

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