Page 27 of Summer Fling


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When Lilliana saw Blake, she reached for her, and I let her go.

Blake carried her to the door where I opened it, and went inside. On a day like this, the door was unlocked, and family members were free to come and go. But Mom must have heard the door because she came down the hallway, a smile on her face. When she saw that Blake was holding Lilliana, she asked, "How's my baby?"

"She's doing great. We've been painting a lot lately."

Mom reached for Lilliana, and she went willingly. "I bet she has." Mom cooed to Lilliana for a few seconds and then asked, "How are things? Are you settling in with these two?"

"It's been great."

I was pleased that Blake was happy living with us because I'd become used to her being around. When I needed to cook or jump in the shower, there was someone who could watch Lilliana. I didn't have to wait until she was asleep. It was a nice feeling to rely on someone.

I wanted to do this father thing on my own, but having help was nice too.

"Good. I'm glad it worked out." Mom carried Lilliana into the kitchen where more of my family was eating and talking. "How are things with Oakley?"

"I filed to return to mediation for custody." Everyone was quiet as my pronouncement rang through the space.

Dad slapped my shoulder. "I'm proud of you son."

Shep nodded. "It's about time."

I got the sense that my family wanted me to do more about the situation, but I appreciated that they hadn't expressed their opinions. They were supportive of whatever I wanted to do. They were always there for me. I wondered if Blake had that same support.

I didn't know much about her, other than she was in a doctorate program, and she'd nannied for Cooper and Ivy. I knew more about her prior nannying jobs than anything else. I didn't know anything about her family.

"It's nice to have everyone in one place again," Mom said, nodding toward Axel and Luna.

Luna hugged me, and I said, “It’s nice to have you home.”

“It’s good to see everyone together,” she agreed.

I shook Axel’s hand. “Let us know if we can help you out with any of your projects.”

“Will do,” Axel said as he put his arm around Luna’s shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

They’d met each other when she rented a cabin for a month in Maryland, next to his. They’d managed to live part-time in Maryland and Florida, where they bought and flipped homes for a living.

Recently, my older brother Marshall left the military to spend more time with his teenage daughter, Hayden. She'd come to live with him for the second half of the school year. It was a trial thing, and I wasn't sure if she'd decided to make it permanent or not.

It was nice to give Mom this gift of family. I was pleased that Lilliana could join us too. Whenever Hayden and Lilliana weren’t here, it felt like something vital was missing.

"Does Ashton think the court will rule in your favor?" Dad asked.

Brady grabbed a grape and said, "Surely, they'll see how manipulative Oakley is.”

"I don't know what the court will do. But I've been tracking Oakley's behavior, when she drops off and picks up Lilliana, usually without any prior notice. I also note her excuses, that she wants Lilliana when her friends are around. Almost as if she wants to play the part of mom but not be around for the other stuff."

I couldn't imagine how she just dropped her off, seemingly not caring if she was missing out on anything. I wanted to be there for Lilliana, so it worked out for me. But I was concerned her mother didn’t want her, and it would eventually be apparent to Lilliana as she got older.

Chapter Eight

Blake

I was used to these family get-togethers because I'd been to them before with Cooper and Ivy. They always wanted to include me. But this was different because at any minute Dalton was going to announce that we were dating. We'd already decided that we had to lie to them about the relationship.

His family was so nice, especially his parents; I didn't feel great about it. But I didn't see any way around it. Dalton was a good father and deserved to have a legally binding order declaring him to have joint custody.

Joy set Lilliana on the floor, and Hayden took her hand, leading her into the living room where Henry was already playing with toys.