A Daddy for Jacoby(59)

“Breakfast.” Justin leaned back against the pillows. “Hope you’re hungry.”

Gina sat up, keeping the sheet tucked around her. “Oh, this is beautiful! You didn’t have to do all this.”

Her enthusiasm caused a shiver of pride to course through him. “I wanted to. So, what will it be first? Juice or coffee?”

“Juice, please.”

He handed her a glass and took one of the mugs for himself. Gina reached for a pineapple flower, then stopped.

“You can eat them,” Justin said, smiling. “That’s why they’re on the plate.”

“But they’re too pretty to eat.”

Justin took a sip of coffee and returned the mug to the tray. He cut a piece of crepe with a fork and held it out to her. “Here, try this instead.”

She accepted his offer, a dollop of whipped cream landing on her upper lip as she closed her mouth.

“You missed some.” He swiped away the cream with his fingertip.

Gina swallowed, then her lips turned downward in a pretty pout. “You couldn’t think of a better way to remove that? Here, let me show you.”

She dipped one finger into the whipped cream, then trailed the cream over his chin before she lapped it away. “Hmm, much better.”

And just like that, he wanted her.

Again.

Justin repeated her actions, only his target was a bit lower. Seconds later, he was leaving a damp path over the swell of her breasts until Gina pressed her hand to his cheek and guided his mouth up to hers for a deep kiss. Succumbing for several minutes before finally pulling away, he lunged off the bed and placed the tray on the dresser. Her giggle and the gleam in her eyes had him reaching for the top button on his jeans.

He’d released two when a loud knock came at his front door. “What the—Who could that be?”

Gina shook her head and the knocking came again. “Jacoby?”

“No, he’s with Racy and Gage until after church services this morning. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

She nodded and Justin walked into the living room, quickly redoing the buttons on his jeans. He made it to the door when the knocking started for a third time. Grabbing the handle, he twisted the lock and yanked the door open. Surprise filled him when he found both Leeann Harris and Gage standing on his front porch.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong? Is Jacoby okay?”

At the mention of his son, the stranger Justin noticed standing next to Gage caught his breath.

“Justin, this gentleman is Richard Ellsworth,” Gage said. “Jacoby’s fine, but we need to talk.”

Why did that name sound familiar? Justin gaze flew from the stranger to Gina’s brother to Leeann. “Now?”

Leeann nodded. “Yes, now.”

He pushed open the screen door and stepped back. He saw the sheriff department’s Jeep parked between his ratty pickup and the vintage 1946 candy-apple-red Ford pickup he and Gina had used last night to get to the dance.

Gage’s vintage 1946 candy-apple-red Ford pickup.

Having no idea what was going on or if Gina would stay out of sight, Justin motioned for his surprise guests to have a seat, thankful he’d cleaned up Gina’s first-aid stuff from the coffee table this morning.

Grabbing a clean T-shirt from the laundry stacked on the dining room table and pulling it on, he noticed how interested Richard Ellsworth was in the cabin. His sharp gaze took in everything from the secondhand furniture to the mess Justin had left in the kitchen after fixing breakfast. He guessed the man was in his midsixties by the gray hair, and the tailored suit jacket, dress slacks, leather loafers and shiny gold watch told him he came from money.

Justin had just moved to the couch when the sound of a door opening caught everyone’s attention.

Seconds later, Gina walked into the room.

Dressed in one of his flannel shirts and a baggy pair of sweats, she padded barefoot to Justin’s side. The worry on her face caused him to smile as she placed a hand on his arm before offering a gentle hello to her brother and Leeann. Justin had to give them credit. Leeann’s eyes widened for a moment before she schooled her features, and the good sheriff only offered a raised eyebrow.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Gina said to everyone, “but I heard my brother’s voice and thought something might be wrong.”

Justin made a quick introduction while he tried again to figure out how he knew this man. “This is my— This is Gina Steele. Gina, this is Richard Ellsworth.”