Barefoot in the Sun (Barefoot Bay)(37)

“If I weren’t here…” Pasha tried to lift her shoulder.

“Shhh.” Zoe hushed her by moving closer. “You are here and you are going to be here for a long time. Oliver’s going to see to that.”

“I will,” he promised.

Pasha made a small groan. “I tried to leave.”

“You failed, thank God,” Zoe said.

“No, I mean I tried to leave back in Corpus Christi.”

“You succeeded in that.” Zoe leaned over and kissed her cheek. “And I’m eternally grateful. Go to sleep.”

Pasha closed her eyes and they waited a moment, and then stepped away from the bed. As they reached the door, Pasha called out, “Zoe?”

“I’m going to go out in the hall now, Aunt Pasha. You go to sleep.”

“You believe I’m innocent, don’t you? No matter what they say?”

She gave a look to Oliver, who mouthed, “Strong sedative.”

Zoe nodded. “I believe you, sweetie. Go to sleep.”

“Because it was a mis…”

Zoe waited for her to finish, but the drugs hit home, and Pasha fell asleep.





Chapter Fourteen



Is there anything as sexy as a woman nursing?”

Lacey rolled her eyes and shifted on her pillow, shooting her husband a look. “Yeah, a woman sleeping.”

“Seriously, Lace, I always thought those amazing breasts of yours were for form, not function.”

She smiled and brushed his hair affectionately, sliding a long strand behind his ears. “You’re such an architect, Clay.”

“And I’m a father.” Pride rolled through every word, and even in the darkened bedroom, Lacey could see the moisture in his eyes.

“A darn good one,” she said.

“That remains to be seen.”

She gently elbowed him and he let himself fall to the pillow. “You’re a great stepfather to Ashley.”

“I try, but…”

“Hey, she’s a sixteen-year-old girl who’s never been easy to raise. She totally loves and trusts you. And…” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “So do I.”

He looked up, a sly smile on his face as he twirled a lock of her hair. “I miss you, Strawberry.”

“It’s going to be a few more weeks.”

“Oh, hell, I’m not complaining.” He scooched closer to the baby. “Elijah’s worth every sacrifice, personal, physical, financial, professional.”

“That’s why God makes them so cute, so you’ll give up everything else for them.”

“He sure made this one cute.”

“And asleep,” Lacey whispered. “Can you get him into the cradle without waking him?”

“Of course I can. Unplug the little monster and I’ll toss him in.”

She smiled as she eased the baby’s mouth away from her breast and exhaled with relief and exhaustion as Clay took over. Expertly he lifted Elijah, patting his tiny back until he let out a belch.

“That’s my boy.” Clay slid out of bed to lay the child in the cradle a foot away.

Leaving her pajama top open to let her sore, cracked nipples dry, Lacey fought the first wave of sleep that threatened. She wanted five more minutes to talk to Clay. Just five more minutes to kiss and exchange—

Clay stood straight up from the cradle. “What was that?”

“Shhh. That’s the sound of silence. Enjoy it.”

He shook his head, his whole body on alert as he made his way to the closed door.

“Someone’s walking around.”

Lacey sat up. “Do you think Evan woke up?”

A light knock on the door answered that question. “Mrs. Walker? I can’t sleep.”

“Oh, boy,” Clay said.

“Two of them, in fact,” Lacey replied. “Get one asleep, and another wakes up. Let him in, Clay.” Lacey quickly pulled her top closed and adjusted herself, any possibility of sleep nothing but a sweet dream now.

“Hey, bud.” Clay opened the door, crouching down to Evan’s height, giving Lacey’s heart a little tug of appreciation and love. He really was going to be an amazing dad. “You need water? Trip to the boys’ room? Midnight snack?”

“I’m worried about Aunt Pasha.”

Lacey sat up completely. “We all are, honey, but she’s in really good hands. She’s in your dad’s hands, so what could be better?”

“I really want to go home.”

“Home to…” Chicago? The Ritz? Where was home for him?

“That house we moved into. I want to see my dad. And Zoe.”

The fact that he was already attached to Zoe ignited a little flame of hope in Lacey that maybe something could actually work out for her and the single father.

Clay stood. “If you’re dad’s back, I’ll take you down there, bud. Not a problem. But if he’s still at the hospital, you need to stay here, okay?”

“Let me call and see if I can reach Zoe,” Lacey said quickly, scooting out of bed and reaching for her cell phone. “You guys stay here and if you wake that baby, prepare to die.”

Clay gave Evan a fake scared look, which made him laugh, and again Lacey’s heart swelled with love. “Thanks,” she whispered on her way out, tiptoeing down the hall to shoot a text to Zoe. A few seconds later her phone vibrated a response.

Zoe Tamarin: We’ll come & get him in 10 min…need to talk to you. Tonight. Impt.

Tessa had texted from the hospital that Pasha was better but spending the night there. What was so important that… Lacey sighed. Sleep was nothing but a memory.

In the bedroom, she found Clay at the window with Evan, getting a brief astronomy lesson.

“Actually, that star moves every twenty-five thousand years or so,” Evan said, “but not enough that we can see it.”

Clay looked down at him, shaking his head. “You’re ready for college, you know that?”

“My mom already has me signed up for some special classes at the University of Chicago,” he said, more resignation than pride in his voice.

“You don’t want to go?” Clay asked.

He shrugged. “I just want to be normal.”

“Who doesn’t?” Lacey teased.

He turned around. “You sounded like Zoe when you said that. I like her,” he added wistfully.

“Then I have good news,” Lacey interjected softly. “Your dad and Zoe are on the way. Pasha’s being kept overnight for the doctors to watch her, but she’s doing much better.”

He nodded, then frowned, thinking. “My dad and Zoe really like each other.”

“Well, they’ve known each other a long time.”

“Two or three days.”

“More like ten years, I think.”

“Ten years?” Evan’s voice rose in shock.

“Shhh.” Lacey put her fingers to her lips, but it was too late. Elijah stirred and Lacey’s heart dropped. Still, she was a little relieved for the distraction. She’d clearly gone into not-yet-covered ground for this kid. “Let’s go wait for them by the front door, okay? Clay will stay with the baby.”

A few minutes later, the growl of a sports-car engine and the harsh glare of halogen lights cut through the darkness of Barefoot Bay as Oliver’s Porsche rolled into the driveway. Zoe was out before the engine was off, instinctively reaching for Evan.

“Hey, kid.”

He didn’t run forward but stiffened a little, waiting until his father got out and walked around the car. “Keeping pretty bad hours, Ev.”

He shrugged and walked by Zoe, stiffly enough that she inched back in surprise. “You okay?”

“I’m tired,” he said, whining enough to prove that no matter what their IQ, eight-year-olds can get cranky.

Zoe turned to Oliver. “Take him home and I’ll stay here.”

His disappointment was palpable. “Are you sure? Don’t go to your bungalow alone.”

“You can stay here, Zoe,” Lacey said quickly, stepping forward, getting a grateful look from her and a quick glance from Oliver. “Whatever you want.”

Zoe put her hand on Oliver’s chest. “This has been hard on Evan, too. Take him back and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

His gaze flickered over her face, intense enough that Lacey felt like she should back away, as if the moment was private.

Oliver reached out to brush Zoe’s cheek, making the exchange even more intimate. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

She nodded, and as he walked away they held each other’s gaze. “Thank you,” Zoe mouthed.

Lacey caught his final look, saying nothing until his car pulled out. Then she stepped next to Zoe. “A person’s hair could fry from all the electricity out here,” she whispered.