She filled the vase at the sink, aware of him watching her.
“Where are the girls?”
“Jo-Jo and Jill are napping, and the other two are in the playroom, no doubt setting up an elaborate scene playing school or god-knows-what.” She placed the flowers one by one in the vase and grinned, admiring each special bloom. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No thanks.”
They were silent for the next minute, awkwardly eyeing each other. Jessica fussed with the arrangement before she was satisfied and placed it on the center of the island. It had been a very long time since a man had given her flowers.
“Thanks again for these. I can’t get over how pretty they are. This whole room smells wonderful.”
“Yeah, Mrs. McDonald sure knows how to grow them.” He tucked his hands into his pants hooking his thumbs over the pockets. “Well, I just wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing.” He paused. “And by the way, you look great. You seem happier. Not as sad as yesterday.”
Jessica felt her cheeks grow hot and couldn’t help but smile. First flowers, now a compliment. She absentmindedly smoothed the front of the long floral maxi-dress she wore.
“Thank you,” she replied uncomfortably, feeling the heat cross her face. Her cheeks weren’t the only part of her composition that was hot.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she blurted, suddenly not wanting him to leave.
His green eyes grew large as a smile spread across his handsome hairy face.
“I mean, I was planning on grilling some burgers and hot dogs for the girls, anyway. I thought Elizabeth was going to be able to hang, but her husband gets back from France tonight. I’ve got more than enough—and I’m sure the girls would love to see you again, that is, if you don’t have any plans later and would even like hanging out with a divorcee and her four daughters…” Tim slowly approached her while she rambled on and on until he was dangerously close and confidently placed two fingers over her lips, making her stop mid-sentence. Her heart flipped in her chest from his touch.
“I’d love to.”
Before she could respond, Jennifer, Jill, and Julia burst into the kitchen, screaming joyfully,“Tim! Tim!”They wrapped their arms around his tree-trunk legs and hugged him fiercely. Jessica bit her lip, feeling all sorts of emotions. If her daughters would have done that to Stephen the minute he walked in from work, he’d scold them, telling them he needed his “down time” after such a long day, retreating to the bar in the basement to sip on his favorite expensive whiskey alone. Tim eagerly hugged them back, kneeling to their level so he could look them in the eye.
“Hey there! You been taking good care of your mama like we talked about?”
“Yes, sir,” Jennifer replied while the other two nodded energetically. “We’ve been picking up our toys, and I even helped take out the garbage.”
“I helped too!” Jilly whined while rubbing her eyes as she tried to wake up from her nap.
Tim turned his attention to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “You did? What did you do, Jilly?” Jessica was shocked he remembered her name. No one ever remembered her daughters’ names, the repetitive J-names confusing most.
“I ated all my cereal.”
“You did?”
The little girl nodded.
“Wow! I’m so proud of you.” He turned to her quiet daughter. “And what about you, Julia? Have you been helping your mama today?”
The shy little girl nodded, and Jessica was moved when Tim brushed the knuckle of his index finger across her cheek. “Good girl.” When he stood, the girls clamored to hold his hands. He seemed pleased by all the attention.
“I think they like you,” Jessica giggled, folding her arms across her chest in awe.
The way he looked back at her while her daughters surrounded him caused a shift in the energy in the room as a surge of happiness washed over her. There was a real man in her house—and he was staying for dinner.
Chapter Five
The heat of the Georgia summer day maxed out in the late afternoon, and the six of them took refuge in the refreshing pool before dinner. Jessica laughed while she watched her daughters splash in the shallow end, having more fun than she’d had in a very long time. Tim was great with them, tossing each child into the air and making them squeal with delight when they came up for air. He told her how impressed he was that they could swim so well. Jessica told him all the girls had had swim lessons when they were just babies. Having a pool in the backyard required a lot of responsibility, her daughters’ safety her number one priority. Even baby Jo-Jo was in the learning process with a private teacher who came to the house once a week, the tiny toddler easily flipping over to her back and floating effortlessly among applause and encouragement from her family.
Tim bobbed up and down in the water and didn’t seem to mind the children hanging all over him. He was a gorgeous specimen of a man. When Jessica suggested they go for a swim, he didn’t hesitate and let her know he always kept an extra set of clothes and a pair of swim trunks in his truck. He changed in the guest bathroom near the kitchen, and when he came out, Jessica felt weak in the knees as she took in the images of his glorious abs and broad shoulders. She thought to herself that hemustwork out all the time to have a body like that. He couldn’t have gotten those kinds of muscles from being a gardener, could he? His was the physique of an athlete or bodybuilder, and she was curious to know what he did to maintain his build. She was also curious to know about the elaborate tattoo on his right arm Julia seemed fascinated with. The little girl traced her fingers over it several times while he held her in his arms in the water.
Dressed in a modest bathing suit, Jessica hesitated before she came outside. Being in front of her kids was one thing, but being in front of a man who had a love for physical conditioning had her nerves on edge. The pink one-piece hid her most vulnerable areas that seemed to highlight the years of being pregnant. Once upon a time, she took pride in wearing the tiniest of bikinis, showing off her former hot body. But that was many years ago, and workouts she used to take pleasure in were hard to come by.
Sitting on the edge of the pool with a towel wrapped around her waist, she lazily kicked her legs back and forth and watched Tim play in the water with her children. Jo-Jo hung out next to her in a baby-floaty with a miniature umbrella shading her face from the late afternoon sun.
