monopolizing so much of Lauren’s time, and, if he was being honest with himself, he was glad she wasn’t driving home alone late on those nights as well.
He parked in his normal spot between the barn and the main house and shut off the engine. He heard an intake of breath from the back seat, a small, excited gasp before he heard Jessica’s small voice exclaim, “Horsies!”
He grinned when he opened the door to unbuckle her from her car seat and helped her out of the cruiser.
“Do you like horses?” he asked as he set her tiny feet on the ground. This was the first time that she seemed a little happy, and it changed her entire sweet face.
“Yes,” she said seriously.
“Well, after we get you settled in, maybe we can go out to the barn and visit them. What do you say?”
She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and a sweet smile on her delicate face. “Yes please!” she said and did a little hop.
He laughed and took her hand in his. His heart swelled in his chest when her tiny fingers tried to grip onto his large hand as they walked to the mud room. He had to keep his stride small so that her short legs could keep up with his pace.
Though he had grown up here, he still referred to the estate as his parents’ home. The main house was massive. The mud/utility room had more square footage than some living rooms he’d seen and contained more than just a washer and dryer. There were a variety of items, including a vacuum, a broom, an iron, and an ironing board. There were cubbies for shoes, and hooks for coats, and benches to sit on to remove dirty footwear, either from chores or play. There was a large washbasin and cupboards with a myriad of household items.
This room led into the “small” family dining room and kitchen. The house had two, the other being commercial sized. Jarod’s father had constructed it so that his mom could entertain properly for business and social events.
Laughter could be heard in the next room as they approached the doorway. Jessica stopped in her tracks and clutched her blanket to her chest. Gone was her happy smile, replaced with the same wary expression she’d worn since she’d arrived at the station.
He knelt down on one knee in front of her. “It’s okay, Darlin’.”
“I don’t like slumber parties.” She was shaking her head at him, her eyes huge and luminous.
“This isn’t a slumber party, Jessica. This is my family. And guess what? This is your family, too,” he said softly.
“Mommy said family don’t like me.”
He saw red and he growled, “Mommy was wrong.”
“How d’ya know?” she whispered.
He touched her chin, rubbing his thumb across her baby-soft skin. He waited for her to meet his eyes. “Because I’m your family now, and I like you very much.”
She smiled and he scooped her up in his arms. She was feather-light and was almost swallowed up by his big body. She held tight to that blanket as he strode through the doorway and into the dining room.
Everyone stopped and stared when they saw what he held in his arms. His mother recovered first.
“Who do you have there, Jarod?” she asked as she approached them with a big smile on her face.
Jessica tensed up in his arms. He rubbed her back in a circular motion to offer comfort. She was so small that his big hand spanned her entire body.
His mother still wore a smile, but now a puzzled crinkle formed on her brow.
He cleared his throat, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
“This is Jessica Rose King. She’s my daughter.”
Jarod watched their different reactions to the stunning news. Josh’s jaw hung open on its hinges, Lauren gasped, his father’s eyebrows were stuck in his hairline, and his poor mother covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, their shocked expressions morphed into watery smiles.
Jessica sniffled again and her lip began to quiver once more. That’s when his mother remembered herself and slowly approached them, with tears in her emerald green eyes and a
He parked in his normal spot between the barn and the main house and shut off the engine. He heard an intake of breath from the back seat, a small, excited gasp before he heard Jessica’s small voice exclaim, “Horsies!”
He grinned when he opened the door to unbuckle her from her car seat and helped her out of the cruiser.
“Do you like horses?” he asked as he set her tiny feet on the ground. This was the first time that she seemed a little happy, and it changed her entire sweet face.
“Yes,” she said seriously.
“Well, after we get you settled in, maybe we can go out to the barn and visit them. What do you say?”
She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and a sweet smile on her delicate face. “Yes please!” she said and did a little hop.
He laughed and took her hand in his. His heart swelled in his chest when her tiny fingers tried to grip onto his large hand as they walked to the mud room. He had to keep his stride small so that her short legs could keep up with his pace.
Though he had grown up here, he still referred to the estate as his parents’ home. The main house was massive. The mud/utility room had more square footage than some living rooms he’d seen and contained more than just a washer and dryer. There were a variety of items, including a vacuum, a broom, an iron, and an ironing board. There were cubbies for shoes, and hooks for coats, and benches to sit on to remove dirty footwear, either from chores or play. There was a large washbasin and cupboards with a myriad of household items.
This room led into the “small” family dining room and kitchen. The house had two, the other being commercial sized. Jarod’s father had constructed it so that his mom could entertain properly for business and social events.
Laughter could be heard in the next room as they approached the doorway. Jessica stopped in her tracks and clutched her blanket to her chest. Gone was her happy smile, replaced with the same wary expression she’d worn since she’d arrived at the station.
He knelt down on one knee in front of her. “It’s okay, Darlin’.”
“I don’t like slumber parties.” She was shaking her head at him, her eyes huge and luminous.
“This isn’t a slumber party, Jessica. This is my family. And guess what? This is your family, too,” he said softly.
“Mommy said family don’t like me.”
He saw red and he growled, “Mommy was wrong.”
“How d’ya know?” she whispered.
He touched her chin, rubbing his thumb across her baby-soft skin. He waited for her to meet his eyes. “Because I’m your family now, and I like you very much.”
She smiled and he scooped her up in his arms. She was feather-light and was almost swallowed up by his big body. She held tight to that blanket as he strode through the doorway and into the dining room.
Everyone stopped and stared when they saw what he held in his arms. His mother recovered first.
“Who do you have there, Jarod?” she asked as she approached them with a big smile on her face.
Jessica tensed up in his arms. He rubbed her back in a circular motion to offer comfort. She was so small that his big hand spanned her entire body.
His mother still wore a smile, but now a puzzled crinkle formed on her brow.
He cleared his throat, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
“This is Jessica Rose King. She’s my daughter.”
Jarod watched their different reactions to the stunning news. Josh’s jaw hung open on its hinges, Lauren gasped, his father’s eyebrows were stuck in his hairline, and his poor mother covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, their shocked expressions morphed into watery smiles.
Jessica sniffled again and her lip began to quiver once more. That’s when his mother remembered herself and slowly approached them, with tears in her emerald green eyes and a
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