Chapter 12

Justin growled and rolled his eyes. “I don’t see how racing off with some guy she’s never met constitutes romance. The fact is, I’m concerned for her safety.”

“Oww?”

“Grandmother, she is taking a risk, and I worry. What if—”

Mittie’s brows rose higher. “Is that what it is? Are you worried?”

Justin wasn’t sure what he heard in her query. “Of course. What else?”

“She’s turning your world upside down.”

“You’re right, she is; I mean, I need her, um, the kids need her so badly, I can't do this alone," he agreed, irritation weaving through his chest when he remembered the fact. “The kids need her, and she’s abandoning them.” And me. Yeah. It felt that way too.

“That’s correct,” Mittie said gently. “She is needed here. Although I’m not sure you fully comprehend why,” she smirked at her grandson. “You know why Chase and Tyler are happy with their lives right now?”

“Because?”

“Because they too took the risk, Chase told Amaya about what he felt. Tyler did the same. See, they were happy now.”

“What do you mean by that?” Justin raised a brow.

The old woman rolled her eyes and looked at the window. “I don't know, it's up to you to figure things out, you are an adult.”

Justin gaped at his grandmother. “What does that mean?”

“You’re a smart boy, Justin,” she said, and then paused as Cassie came running into the room. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Justin hugged his daughter and was just about to settle her at the table for breakfast when Allena walked into the room, dressed in yoga pants and a Fuck Me white T-shirt, clearly seeking coffee. When he caught her gaze, she quickly turned towards his grandmother, and she said something about needing sugar.

Was she ignoring him? What the hell did he do now? He thought to himself.

“Not running this morning?” Finally Justin asked.

“Nope!” She shrugged one shoulder. “I wasn’t in the mood,” she said, and she grabbed the sugar bowl Mittie passed to her. “Thank you,” Allena said, ruffling the top of Cassie’s head. “Morning, sweetie.”

His little girl’s face beamed. “Can we play princesses today, pretty please?”

Justin frowned. “It’s Allena’s day off today, remember?” He reminded his daughter, and then he hoped he didn’t get stuck with the princess-playtime gig because he really didn’t look so great in a tiara.

Which was obviously what Allena was thinking, because she glanced at him and grinned. “How about this afternoon?" she said, turning her attention to Cassie.

It was her day off, but Justin knew she rarely said no to his daughter. And she wasn’t likely to do so now, particularly since she was leaving. She looked back his way. “I’m going to the villa this morning to see my sister and the baby. Why don’t I take her with me? Unless you have plans with her and Jayden of your own today?”

Good idea. “Nothing I can’t change,” he replied.

Justin shot a look towards his curiously staring grandmother, then met Allena’s gaze. “Better still, I’ll come with you, since I need to catch up with your sister’s husband about something,” he suggested, shrugging lightly. “And we can bring Jayden, too.”

The tiny line between her brows furrowed a little, but she nodded. “Okay.”

“Tenish work for you?”

“Sure. See you then,” she said, turning on her heel.

Once she was gone, Justin moved behind the counter and grabbed a cereal bowl for his daughter.

He knew Mittie was watching him and felt her scrutiny down to the soles of his feet.

He raised one brow and said, “What?” he said, not looking at her.

“You remember that I have that Asian cruise coming up?” she reminded him. “So I won’t be here for a month and—”

He looked at the calendar on the refrigerator. His grandmother highlighted the days and weeks she vacationed so he could keep track of her movements. As much as he was grateful for the way she helped around the place when she was at the ranch, she wasn’t the sort who would settle for an ordinary life. She loved to travel, and he supported her vacationing and her need to see the world.

“I remember, grandmother.”

She nodded her head and sighed. “You need to fix this,” she said quietly. “Or else this family will be torn apart.”

“I know that,” he said, equally quiet. “The kids adore Allena. I don’t know how I’m supposed to replace her in three weeks.”

“You can’t,” his grandmother said bluntly. “So, think of something to make her stay.”

“I offered her a raise and a paid vacation, and she pretty much told me to go to hell. It’s not money she wants to.”

Mittie raised a quizzical brow. “No, Justin. She wants a husband. And a family.”

Justin stilled instantly. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“A possible solution.”He laughed when he realised what she meant. “Be serious. Allena works for me. Our relationship is strictly professional, and I—”

“If you say so, little one,” she sighed.

“What?” Justin didn’t miss the curious twinkle in his grandmother’s eyes. But her insinuation that he was the solution was way off base. The idea of anything happening with Allena was out of the question. Or was it?

Well? Was she suggesting something?

They didn’t think about each other that way.

Or did they?

Sure, she was beautiful. And yeah, he wasn’t made of stone—he tried to maintain that professional distance, but even he couldn’t help but take notice of her looks occasionally. But anything further was off the table.

So, yes, perhaps when they were at the cottage yesterday, there was something stirring that he couldn’t completely dismiss. Something that had kept him awake for the better part of the night, wondering what if... what if he’d completely missed a moment... But that was yesterday. And today was a different story. Today he had to think of a way to get her to stay that didn’t include some crazy notions his grandmother alluded to.

He spent the next couple of hours with the kids, getting them dressed for their outing. Jayden was quieter than usual, but Justin didn’t press him to talk. When his son was ready, he would open up; that was Jayden’s way. Much like his own, he suspected. They waited for Allena by his SUV, and she came out of the house a minute after ten, her hair down, her jean-clad hips swaying as she walked, her jacket accentuating her curves.

Whoa. What the hell was that?

Justin frowned, shook his head, and concentrated on getting the kids buckled into their seats in the back of the SUV. He refused to spare another thought for the way Allena looked. Until she got into the front seat and her fragrance hit his senses like a freight train.

It was going to be a long ride.

The drive to the villa was a relatively short one—just twenty minutes—and they had done it together countless times, but never with so much thick tension between them. Once he turned the car into the long driveway he could almost feel her sense of relief, as though she couldn’t wait to be away from him. When he pulled up and stopped the car, Jayden was out in a flash, while Cassie waited to be unbuckled from her booster seat.

Justin spotted Mitchael striding across the yard from the stables, his swagger that of the quintessential cowboy. His cousin was also his closest friend. He’d raised his five siblings after their father had run out on them, and Mitchael had been there for him when Jayne and his mom died, even though he’d been going through his divorce from Tess at the time. It was unbelievable, really, that he and Tess had found their way back to one another after so much grief and loss.

He noticed that Allena was out of the car and was walking up to the house with Cassie’s hand clutched in her own, while Jayden headed for his uncle. Well, technically, his son’s second cousin, but they would always regard each other’s kids as nieces and nephews. A couple of dogs raced around the yard and quickly captured Jayden’s attention.

Mitchael grumbled. “Hey buddy, What’s up?” he said and grinned. “Don’t think I need to ask how you are, right?”

Justin glanced in Allena’s direction as she headed up the steps and disappeared into the big house.

“I take it you’ve heard?”

His cousin nodded. “She called Tess yesterday.”

Justin kept one eye on his son, who was still petting the dogs. “Of course. Did Tess tell you about the fireman Allena plans on running off with?”

Mitch laughed and slapped him across the back. “Looks like you’re screwed then. I mean, how do you compete with that?”