idea how much I want you.
She pulled away. "I should go home before they get back."
"Ah. You don't want him to know we're together."
"No, that's not it. I'm pretty sure he knew when he left last week. I just don't want him to think Alexa's not my first priority while we're here."
He squeezed her hand. "Whatever you need to do. When does he leave?"
She laughed. "Day after tomorrow."
"Good."
* * *
Lucy sat on the couch reading a book, not really following the story as she listened for Mike's return.
Alexa fell asleep on Mike even before their movie ended, and he'd carried her up to bed. If only he'd been around more to do that before the divorce, maybe they'd still be together.
And you never would have met Tate, said a smug voice in her head.
Mike came back down, and sat on the couch next to her. He nudged her with his elbow. "So, you and the TV chef, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's none of your business. I'm sure you've been on plenty of dates."
"And it only made me realize what we had was special."
Her throat tightened. "You didn't want what we had. You were never around."
Mike dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. After a few moments, he looked at her. "I've done a lot of growing up since the divorce, and Alexa really wants us to be a family again." He set his hand on her leg.
She removed it. "You just don't like the idea of someone else having me."
"I'm thinking of Alexa and what's best for everyone."
Lucy said nothing. Alexa would be the happiest girl in the world if her parents got back together, but it was too late. Wasn't it?
"I'm going to bed," Lucy stated as she stood.
Mike closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm taking Alexa to the water park tomorrow, want to come?"
"We'll see."
Why hadn't she just said no?
* * *
Lucy was awakened by car doors slamming. It was ten a.m. Alexa had slept late. No doubt, Mike hadn't been strict with her bedtime during their week together. Stretching, she peeked out the window and saw Tate greeting a gorgeous blonde. Probably his agent. Tate's grin was huge as he hugged her. Was this more than just a meeting about the cookbook? Her heart quickened.
Lucy quickly got dressed and twisted her hair up in a knot. She thought about putting on makeup, but realized that was a dead giveaway that she was worried about this woman.
She'd started making pancakes and bacon when Alexa wandered down from her bedroom. "Where's Daddy?"
"Sleeping in the apartment." Her hand shook as she flipped a pancake, trying to sneak a peek in Tate's backyard.
"I'm going to get him up." Alexa galloped to the stairway that led to the apartment.
Tears welled in Lucy's eyes and she couldn't figure out why.
The smells of breakfast filled the kitchen. It had been a bad idea to let Mike stay here. Spending time together felt too much like the old days. It had to be confusing for Alexa - and for her.
After a few minutes, Alexa ran into the kitchen wearing her bathing suit and snorkeling gear. "We're going to the water park!" She shrieked.
Mike wandered into the room, rubbing his eyes with his fist.
"Staying at the beach isn't as relaxing as you thought, is it?" she asked him.
"No, it's been great being here with you guys."
"Let's eat outside. It's a beautiful morning," Lucy suggested. "Grab your plates."
They filed outside and sat down. Lucy glanced over and saw Tate and his agent on their back deck. Lucy waved, and Tate started walking over.
"Who's that with him?" Mike asked, shading his eyes.
"His agent."
Tate walked up the steps and his agent followed, even more beautiful than Lucy had thought at first glance. "Rebecca, I'd like you to meet my neighbors for the summer. This is Lucy, her ex-husband, Mike, and their daughter Alexa."
"So nice to meet you," Rebecca said.
"You, too," Lucy said, suddenly self-conscious. "My friend Cory is letting me stay here this summer. It's been a joy."
Mike stood up and offered his hand. "I'm just here for a few days visiting Alexa."
"Nice to
She pulled away. "I should go home before they get back."
"Ah. You don't want him to know we're together."
"No, that's not it. I'm pretty sure he knew when he left last week. I just don't want him to think Alexa's not my first priority while we're here."
He squeezed her hand. "Whatever you need to do. When does he leave?"
She laughed. "Day after tomorrow."
"Good."
* * *
Lucy sat on the couch reading a book, not really following the story as she listened for Mike's return.
Alexa fell asleep on Mike even before their movie ended, and he'd carried her up to bed. If only he'd been around more to do that before the divorce, maybe they'd still be together.
And you never would have met Tate, said a smug voice in her head.
Mike came back down, and sat on the couch next to her. He nudged her with his elbow. "So, you and the TV chef, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's none of your business. I'm sure you've been on plenty of dates."
"And it only made me realize what we had was special."
Her throat tightened. "You didn't want what we had. You were never around."
Mike dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. After a few moments, he looked at her. "I've done a lot of growing up since the divorce, and Alexa really wants us to be a family again." He set his hand on her leg.
She removed it. "You just don't like the idea of someone else having me."
"I'm thinking of Alexa and what's best for everyone."
Lucy said nothing. Alexa would be the happiest girl in the world if her parents got back together, but it was too late. Wasn't it?
"I'm going to bed," Lucy stated as she stood.
Mike closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm taking Alexa to the water park tomorrow, want to come?"
"We'll see."
Why hadn't she just said no?
* * *
Lucy was awakened by car doors slamming. It was ten a.m. Alexa had slept late. No doubt, Mike hadn't been strict with her bedtime during their week together. Stretching, she peeked out the window and saw Tate greeting a gorgeous blonde. Probably his agent. Tate's grin was huge as he hugged her. Was this more than just a meeting about the cookbook? Her heart quickened.
Lucy quickly got dressed and twisted her hair up in a knot. She thought about putting on makeup, but realized that was a dead giveaway that she was worried about this woman.
She'd started making pancakes and bacon when Alexa wandered down from her bedroom. "Where's Daddy?"
"Sleeping in the apartment." Her hand shook as she flipped a pancake, trying to sneak a peek in Tate's backyard.
"I'm going to get him up." Alexa galloped to the stairway that led to the apartment.
Tears welled in Lucy's eyes and she couldn't figure out why.
The smells of breakfast filled the kitchen. It had been a bad idea to let Mike stay here. Spending time together felt too much like the old days. It had to be confusing for Alexa - and for her.
After a few minutes, Alexa ran into the kitchen wearing her bathing suit and snorkeling gear. "We're going to the water park!" She shrieked.
Mike wandered into the room, rubbing his eyes with his fist.
"Staying at the beach isn't as relaxing as you thought, is it?" she asked him.
"No, it's been great being here with you guys."
"Let's eat outside. It's a beautiful morning," Lucy suggested. "Grab your plates."
They filed outside and sat down. Lucy glanced over and saw Tate and his agent on their back deck. Lucy waved, and Tate started walking over.
"Who's that with him?" Mike asked, shading his eyes.
"His agent."
Tate walked up the steps and his agent followed, even more beautiful than Lucy had thought at first glance. "Rebecca, I'd like you to meet my neighbors for the summer. This is Lucy, her ex-husband, Mike, and their daughter Alexa."
"So nice to meet you," Rebecca said.
"You, too," Lucy said, suddenly self-conscious. "My friend Cory is letting me stay here this summer. It's been a joy."
Mike stood up and offered his hand. "I'm just here for a few days visiting Alexa."
"Nice to
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