Christyne Butler - A Daddy for Jacoby

A snap sounded and the room flooded with light from twin pendent fixtures that hung from the ceiling directly over a center butcher-block island.

She couldn’t resist looking around, noting that despite the chipped countertops, cabinets sporting faded white paint, some missing their doors entirely, the room was clean and well stocked. A toaster sat on the counter near a dish drainer and a trio of new windows, filled the wall over the sink.

“What were you expecting? A heap of fast-food containers and empty beer bottles?”

It was as if he could read her mind .

Shame filled her. Three steps and she invaded his personal space, laying her hand on his folded arms. “Justin, I’m sorry I misjudged you. I should’ve known the first room you’d have fixed up and in working order would’ve been the kitchen. You’re a chef, after all.”

He straightened and stepped away from her touch. “I’m not a chef. I’m a cook. Plain and simple.”

He was hardly that. The staff had raved over the dishes he’d invented and Racy was smart enough to add many of them to The Blue Creek’s menu. It still amazed Gina he’d learned that skill in prison.

“I hafta go the bathroom.”

Both of them swung around when the small voice came from the living room.

“Okay,” Justin said. “Go.”

Jacoby just stood there, his bear in one hand and the other resting on Jack’s neck as the dog sat next to him.

A pained expression came over Justin’s features, but when he caught her looking at him, he quickly erased it. “You don’t have to ask for permission. You can just go. It’s right through that doorway. The light is on the outside.”

Jacoby headed across the room, the dog on his heels.

“Jack, stay. He doesn’t need your help—” Gina said.

Both stopped, but only Jack looked at them, the corners of his mouth curving upward into the humanlike grin that always seemed to be on the dog’s face.

“I don’t care if he comes with me.”

Gina looked at Justin, who only shrugged.

“Then I guess it’s okay,” she said to the boy, “but be careful, he’s known to drink out of the toilet.”

Jacoby turned, his face screwed up with disgust. “Eww, gross.”

Gina grinned. “Totally gross.”

The boy and dog disappeared through the doorway and the sound of a door closing echoed through the cabin.

Justin moved back to the counter. “Remind me never to let that dog kiss me again. So, what else do you have in here?”

“Ah, sheets and a blanket, which I can now see you don’t need.” She waved at the bedding on the floor near the fireplace as Justin dug into the basket. “A few books, a night-light—”

“What is this?”

Gina gasped.

Swinging from Justin’s index finger was her new black satin bra, complete with lace and a skull-and-crossbones pattern mixed with the word vixen in bold letters over each cup.

“I’m guessing this isn’t for me?”

“Give me that!”

Gina grabbed for the bra, but Justin easily held it out of her reach as he stepped backward into the living room.

“So where are the matching panties?” he asked.

On her. She’d meant to wear the set, but she hadn’t been able to find the matching bra. Now she knew why. Not that she’d tell him that. Then she realized she didn’t have to, her silence gave him his answer. A hot and intense spark flashed in his gaze. No, that couldn’t be right. It had to be the flames from the nearby fire reflecting off those dark eyes, because seconds later it was gone.

A loud creaking preceded the opening of the bathroom door. Justin turned toward it. She grabbed for the bra, but he closed his grip. A quick tug-of-war ensued before she won and stuffed the sexy lingerie into her jean jacket pocket just as Jacoby and the dog came back in the room.

“What ya doing?” Jacoby asked.

“Nothing.”

Justin’s one-word answer matched hers.

“Don’t look like nothing.”

Jacoby moved to stand in front of her, the dog still at his side. He planted his little feet and crossed his arms over his chest, his bear caught in between. Gina’s heart softened as she looked down at her pint-size protector.

She raised her gaze to Justin, praying he understood. The blank look on his face told her he didn’t.

“Jacoby, I didn’t hear any water running while you were in the bathroom,” she asked. “Did you forget to wash your hands?”

He looked at her over his shoulder. “Huh?”

“It’s important to wash your hands every time you go to the bathroom.”

“It is?”

Gina nodded. “Why don’t you go—Or better yet, how about a bath before you head to bed?”

Jacoby shook his head. “He doesn’t have a bathtub.”

She looked back at Justin. “You don’t?”

“It’s a stand-up shower.”

“But it does have two places where the water comes out,” Jacoby added. “And one is just my size.”

“I put in a regular shower head and a handheld,” Justin leveled one hand at his waist. “You know, at hip level?”

She locked down the image of Justin standing naked in his shower, water hitting his skin from both angles, before it even had a chance to spring to life.

Gina turned her attention back to the boy. “Ah, okay. A shower, then?”

“I guess so, if I hafta.”

“Yes, you have to,” Justin said, reaching for the battered pillowcase near the chair. “You got clean clothes in here?”

Jacoby got to it first and grabbed the bag, holding it close to his chest. “I got pajamas.”

Justin backed away, hands held high in surrender. He looked at her and she nodded for him to continue, hoping he saw it as encouragement.

“Why don’t you head into the bathroom and get undressed and I’ll get the water set for you?”

“Okay.” Jacoby headed back toward the doorway.

Jack started for the boy, but Gina grabbed his collar. “You stay here. I think that room is going to be crowded enough.”

“You gonna be here when I’m done?” Jacoby turned back to ask.

She didn’t dare look at Justin or her watch. “If you’d like me to be.”

The boy nodded vigorously.

“Then I’ll—” she patted Jack’s head “—we’ll be here.”

Jacoby headed for the bathroom again.

Justin followed, then stopped and faced her. “What was all that? Him standing between us?”

Gina moved closer and looked around Justin to make sure the boy wasn’t listening. “I think he was protecting me. Maybe something he’s done in the past? For his mom?”

Justin nodded, but remained silent for a long moment. “You don’t have to stay.”

“I told him I would.”

A sharp pain pierced her chest when Justin didn’t reply but walked away. She ignored it, refusing to decide if it was a result of Justin’s or Jacoby’s actions. She turned away, heard a door open, then close, and a few minutes later the rush of running water.

A low whimper from Jack had her reaching out to scratch his head. “Don’t worry, pal. We’ll stick around, at least for a little while.”

She looked around the room. Not the best layout for a little boy who obviously needed a good night’s sleep. Hanging her jean jacket carefully on a hook by the door, she pushed up her sleeves and went to work.

Any bedrooms the cabin had must be down the same hallway that led to the bathroom, but she figured they had to be uninhabitable if Justin was sleeping out here. It took only a few minutes for her to shake out the sleeping bags, thick quilts and pillows on the floor and with the stuff she’d brought, make up twin sleeping pallets in front of the fire.

She moved the power tools to the far wall and stacked leftover pieces of cut wood into an empty box. A broom she found helped clean up the scarred wood floors. The night-light was plugged in and the kitchen lights and floor lamp turned off. Jack circled three times before curling up at the end of one of the pallets, putting his head on his paws.