A Daddy for Jacoby

Chapter Four

He was an idiot.

After spending last night thinking about the asinine way he’d reacted to Gina’s list, Justin had come to that simple but honest conclusion beneath the hot spray of his morning shower.

One hundred percent, bona fide numbskull.

He stalked around the kitchen, grabbing the makings for pancakes and piling them on the center island. He wasn’t mad about her list. Heck, not long after he’d stretched out next to the kid he had his own mental tally going. It’d stung that she thought he wouldn’t be able to figure out the basic necessities for the boy, but that’s not what caused his side trip into Boneheadland.

No, it was purely the fact all he’d wanted to do in that one moment on his front porch was pull her into his arms and cover her mouth with his.

One moment? How about many moments?

Like when she’d first arrived, standing at his front door looking up at him, uncertainty in her eyes. Or in his darkened kitchen when embarrassment left a pretty pink blush on her face. Or how that blush deepened when he’d found her bra in the basket and realized she was wearing the matching panties.

Oh, yeah, he’d really wanted to kiss her then.

Hell, he’d wanted to kiss her from practically the first moment they met in his sister’s office on the day he’d convinced Racy to hire him.

Then he found out she was the sheriff’s younger sister.

That really put her out of his league, not that she and him were even in the same ballpark. He was a hundred percent all wrong for Gina Steele. Finding out her family connection should’ve quenched the ever-present fire burning in his gut, but it didn’t. So he’d worked hard to stay away from her. Not the easiest thing to do with their tripping over each other at work. And holding her in his arms yesterday hadn’t helped.

Justin slammed a mental door on his thoughts and focused on his plans for the day. He eyed the clock over the sink. After nine. He was usually up at dawn on weekends, but between trying to get used to the soft buzz of snores from the kid and thinking about a pair of wide blue eyes and soft pink lips—

Back to the plan.

Eating, laundry duty and shopping for a seven-year-old. He had no idea how long the kid was going to be with him, but seeing the ragged child-size toothbrush on the bathroom sink next to his told him there were certain things Jacoby needed right away. He also had to find a quiet moment to call the sheriff’s office to see if Gage had found out anything more about Zoe or her whereabouts.

He grabbed an old-fashioned hand sifter and added flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. While cranking, he wondered if the kid liked anything special in his pancakes, like his personal favorites, bananas and chopped walnuts.

“Can I help?”

Justin looked over his shoulder. The kid stood at the counter on the living room side. His hair stood up in sharp angles, and his eyes were sleepy.

“Sure, but you should get dressed first. You got clean clothes in your bag?” Jacoby nodded.

“Do you need help washing up?”

This time he shook his head but continued to stand there.

“Then go ahead and get changed.”

After a slight hesitation he headed back toward the sleeping bag where Jack still lay, his tail thumping wildly against the fabric. The kid had waited for permission to go to the bathroom last night, too.

It took Justin back to his time behind bars when everything from eating to taking a leak required an okay from someone with a uniform and a gun. Not an easy habit to break in the months since his release, and he still found himself sometimes wavering before making a decision as simple as grabbing a bottle of water while slaving over a hot stove.

That didn’t explain why a little boy would act the same.

He shook his head to dispel the memory and concentrated on the dry batter. Minutes later, the kid walked into the kitchen wearing a stained T-shirt and a pair of jeans that almost reached his bare ankles, a hole ripped in one knee.

“Aren’t your feet cold?” Justin asked.

Jacoby looked at Justin’s own bare feet and shook his head.

“Okay, then. You hungry?”

He nodded.

“Here, hold this.” Justin handed over the sifter and pulled up a step stool to the center island. “Stand up here so you can see what’s going on.”

While climbing to the top step, Jacoby tipped the sifter. A dusting of the dry ingredients floated to the floor. “Oh, no!”

Justin saw what happened, but was more surprised by the alarm on the kid’s face. “Don’t worry, we’ll clean it up later.”

He stepped over the mess and took the sifter away. The boy now stood at waist level to the counter and his eyes grew wide at the assortment of items sitting there.

“Wow, what’s all this for?”

“Pancakes.”

“You don’t have frozen ones?” he asked.

Justin’s chest tightened for a moment and he concentrated on tapping an egg on the counter, then opening it one-handed, its contents dripping into a separate smaller bowl. “Ah, no, this is how you make pancakes from scratch.”

“What’s scratch?”

Smiling, Justin reached toward the egg carton. “It means using fresh ingredients instead of premade. Here, ever crack one of these?”

Jacoby nodded and grabbed for the two brown eggs. Both shells shattered from the boy’s overzealous grip and egg sprayed onto the edge of the counter. Automatic reflexes had Justin reaching out, but the slippery ooze fell through his fingers and the yolks landed on the top of his foot with a one-two splat.

Jacoby let loose with a four-letter curse. Stunned by the boy’s outburst, Justin just stood there. The boy smacked his hand over his mouth and the bright sheen of tears filled his eyes.

“Please don’t be mad,” he pleaded, dropping his hand and clenching a tiny fist to his chest. “I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean to say that and I didn’t mean to drop— I didn’t! I’m sorry!”

“Hey, slow down—”

“I do this all the time. My mom gets so mad when I make a mess. I’ll clean it up, I promise.”

Jacoby started to scramble down from the step stool. It rocked to one side and Justin reached out to stop him from falling, grabbing him by the arm.

The kid cried out. Justin quickly released him, latching on to the stool instead. He had no idea what was going on, but things were going downhill and fast.

“Jacoby, it’s no big deal. I’m not mad.”

The boy froze in place, then looked up at him. He sniffed. “Are you lying?”

Geez, what had this kid lived through? Justin straightened. “No, I’m not lying.”

Huge tears and a wary disbelief filled the boy’s eyes. Justin had to do something before this situation got out of hand. But what?

“You know, you’re the one who should be mad,” he blurted.

The wariness took over full-time in those small eyes. “Me?”

Justin prayed he was doing the right thing as he reached for the almost-empty flour sifter. Seconds later, the leftovers landed in puffs of white on the boy’s head.

“Sure, you’re the one with flour in his hair.”

“Hey!”

He surprised the kid, that’s for sure. Wiping the inside of the sifter with his fingers, he flicked the dust at the boy’s chest. “And now it’s on your shirt.”

The kid looked down, then grinned. “No fair. Mine was an accident.”

Justin smiled and kicked out an egg-covered foot, his aim on target as a plop of egg yolk landed on Jacoby’s toes. “Oops!”

And just like that, a food fight was born.

Everything on the island was up for grabs including the chopped walnuts and mashed bananas. Pancake ingredients were tossed through the air and although Justin had the height advantage, he made sure the kid got a few direct hits.

Little boy laughter filled the air and Justin was surprised to find himself joining in as he alternated between chasing and allowing himself to be chased around the island. They both slipped a few times on the messy floor, but it wasn’t until he spotted Jacoby eyeing the carton of eggs that he called a halt to the fun.

“Don’t even think about it.” He lifted the carton high overhead.

“Aw, come on!”

Justin placed the eggs on top of the refrigerator. “Yeah, like I’m crazy enough to let you nail me with raw eggs…again.”

The kid’s smile slipped a bit. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I know,” Justin interjected. “It was an accident, that’s all. Stuff happens, ya know?” Jacoby nodded.

“How about we get you in the shower and I’ll clean up here? Then we’ll eat and head into town. I have a few errands to run, including a stop at the Suds Bucket.”

“Where?”

“It’s a place to do laundry.” Justin tossed out the pancake mix and reached for a roll of paper towels. “Don’t you have clothes that need washing?”

Jacoby dropped his head but nodded. “Some.”

“You got anything else that’s clean to change into?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Justin mentally added new clothes to his ever-growing list. The kid obviously needed them considering the condition of his current outfit, even before the food fight. He added a backpack to the list, too. If anything needed a good washing it was that pillowcase. Or better yet, it should be tossed in the closest trash can.

He thought again about Gina’s list.

Should he take the boy to the local clinic just to make sure there weren’t any health issues? And at seven years old, Jacoby must be in the first grade. Or was it the second? Justin had no idea how long the kid was going to be with him, but he should be in school.

He ignored the ache in his stomach and quickly cleaned up his feet so as not to track the remains of their food fight through the rest of the cabin.

“You mind if I give you a lift to the bathroom?” he asked, remembering how Jacoby had cried out earlier when he’d touched him. He didn’t even want to think about where that reaction came from. “We need to keep the mess here in the kitchen.”

“You mean like a piggyback ride?”

Justin shrugged. “Sure, if you want.”

The kid smiled and the ache eased a little. Justin refused to think about why as he hoisted Jacoby onto his back.



“And then Gina cleaned up the living room,” Jacoby said before shoving a ketchup-drowned French fry into his mouth. “It needed it, too. The place was a mess.”

“Hey!” Justin protested as his sister grinned.

Racy sat next to the kid and opposite Justin in a window booth at Sherry’s Diner. They’d run into her after stopping in for a late lunch.

It still surprised Justin how easy it’d been to rebuild a relationship with her after his years away. It meant a lot to him that she’d believed him when he vowed he was ready to turn his life around. Unlike their older brother who was back behind bars. Despite being freed along with Justin, Billy had gotten involved with the drug scene again, resulting in a fire that destroyed their childhood home and a failed attempt at extorting money from Racy.

“Was it that bad?” she asked.

“No.” Justin and Jacoby spoke in unison.

“I was kidding.” Jacoby concentrated on his fries again. “It’s a nice place.”

“Gina just moved some boxes and swept up the dust.” Justin continued when Racy raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Then she laid out the pillows and blankets.”

“And she let Jack stay,” Jacoby added.

“I let Jack stay,” Justin countered.

“But it was Gina’s idea.”

“Actually, it was her idea.” Justin pointed at his sister. “Gina said you suggested she bring that mutt along on her little charity visit.”

“You liked sleeping with Jack?” Racy looked down at Jacoby, ignoring Justin’s comment.

The boy nodded, his mouth now busy sucking on the straw in his glass of milk.

“My husband is still getting used to sharing his king-size bed.” Racy smiled. “He tends to sleep all stretched out while laying his head on the nearest pillow. Jack, that is.”

Jacoby laughed as he put his glass back on the table. Seconds later, he pointed at the window. “Look! It’s Gina!”

The boy jumped to his knees and spun around to look over the back of the booth. Seconds later, Gina walked in. Jacoby scooted from his seat and darted across the diner toward the front counter.

“Hey!” Justin called out, but the kid was already at Gina’s side.

“Wow, he’s certainly taken with Gina.” Racy turned back from watching the two of them. “She’s all he’s talked about since we sat down.”

“Tell me about it. She was at the cabin less than an hour last night, but it’s like she’s woven a spell over him.” Justin jabbed at his lunch with a fork. “Was it one of those full moons at twilight last night or something?”

Racy grinned. “I think that’s for vampires and werewolves, not witches.”

“Whatever. She’s got the boy wrapped around her finger.”

“And quite a few older boys, if the attention she’s getting at The Blue Creek means anything,” Racy offered with a wink. “For someone who started out so shy and reserved, she certainly has blossomed in the last few months. Don’t you think?”

Justin didn’t rise to the bait.

He’d expected his sister to warn him off Gina months ago, but that advice never came. And once the news broke about Racy and Gage’s secret wedding in Vegas last year, an event they’d recreated for family and friends here in Destiny on Valentine’s Day, his independent and sassy sister transformed into the picture of love and marital bliss.

Not that he faulted her for her ongoing joy. She deserved to be happy after all she’d dealt with in her life. But lately, she’d been making noises about wanting him to be as happy as she was, no matter how many times Justin told her his life was fine just as it was.

Or it had been. Until the kid showed up and now everything was turned upside down and twisted inside out. He’d been getting his act together, but that didn’t mean he had any plans for falling in love.

Him and happily ever after didn’t mix.

“Don’t look now—” Racy glanced over her shoulder again “—but your witch is heading this way, thanks to a very determined little boy.”

Justin couldn’t stop himself. His eyes locked with Gina’s. He read surprise and annoyance in her gaze, but also an unwillingness to pull free from the small hand tugging her toward their table.

He forced himself to look away, but his gaze caught on her hair, straight and smooth today versus the sexy, curly mess from last night. The pink streak was still there and it matched the bright pink of her fleece jacket. Black jeans hugged her curves and she wore the same cowboy boots from last night.

Not that he’d noticed. Much.

“Look who’s here!” Jacoby announced when they arrived at the table.

“Hi, Gina,” Racy said.

“Hey, boss.”

Justin concentrated on the remains of his lunch until he felt the sharp nudge of Racy’s boot to his shin. He glared at his sister from beneath half-closed eyelids, but she only returned his stare, her mouth flat in a hard line.

He suppressed a sigh and turned to the girl he’d managed to keep out of his head most of the afternoon. Until now.

“Hi.”

Her blue eyes flashed the same sparks they’d held last night on his front porch. “Hi yourself.”

“Gina’s got food coming so I told her she could wait with us,” Jacoby said with a wide grin. Just as quickly as the smile appeared, it vanished. “Oh, shoot, I’ll be right back. Gina, you can sit over there.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Justin asked, overlooking the fact the kid offered the empty spot next to him.

“The bathroom. You said when I had to go I could just go.”

“At the cabin, sure, but out in public—well, you can’t just take off.”

Jacoby tilted his head to one side. “Why?”

Justin didn’t know how to answer that. He looked at his sister, but it was Gina who spoke first.

“Because we’d be worried,” she said. “You need to let Justin, or any adult you’re with, know where you’re going, especially if you plan to go off alone.”

Caution, an emotion Justin had witnessed many times since he met the boy, filled the child’s eyes. He looked from Gina back to him. “You’d be worried about me?”

He could feel Gina’s steady gaze on him, but he kept his focus on the kid. “Ah, yeah, sure.”

“Cool. Can I go to the bathroom now?”

Justin nodded, pointing out the entrance to the restrooms. The kid raced off and a long silence filled the air.

“Oh, Justin, I meant to tell you.” Racy snapped her fingers. “Nikki from the bar said she has a twin bed you can have for free if you can pick it up.”

“A what?”

“A bed. For Jacoby. He can’t camp out on the living room floor forever.”

“Wow, that’s so nice of Nikki,” Gina gushed, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I thought you weren’t interested in anyone’s help?”

He glared at her, trying to ignore how her actions caused a hint of lace and the smooth skin of her cleavage to appear.

“Then again, Jacoby is going to need a decent bed to sleep in,” she continued in a syrupy-sweet voice. “But I’m sure you already thought of that.”

He hadn’t.

Simple things like sneakers and a toothbrush, sure. But a place to sleep? Hell, he still hadn’t gotten the bed he planned to use for himself put together yet.

“No, I haven’t thought about getting the kid a bed.”

“Well, problem solved. You can pick it up on your way home.” Racy wore a quizzical look as her gaze shot between him and Gina. “Aren’t you going to sit?”

“Ah—”

“Here, take my place.” Racy stacked her dishes to one side before sliding out of the booth. “I need to get going. Tell Jacoby I’ll see him later. Bye!”

Gina stepped aside to let Racy get by, but remained standing next to the booth, arms crossed.

“Waiting for an engraved invitation?”

Okay, that wasn’t necessary, but at least it got her to sit. She dropped into the booth, her hands now shoved into the pockets of her jacket. An awkward silence stretched between them, so Justin said the first thing that popped into his head.

“I was an ass.”

That got her attention. “Yes, you were.”

“I’m not talking about just now.” He gave his head a quick shake and reached for his coffee. “Last night, too. On my porch.”

Gina pulled her hands from her jacket and laid them on the table, her silver-tipped nails playing with a stack of unused napkins. “Yes, you were,” she repeated.

The apology he knew he should give stuck in his throat. “Do you think he’s okay in the bathroom alone?” he said instead.

Gina glanced across the crowded diner. “He should be fine. You can see the doorway from here.”

He looked in the direction of the restrooms again, this time noticing their booth seemed to be getting quite a bit of attention from the diner’s other patrons.

“Is it just me,” he said, his voice low as he turned back to her, “or are people staring?”

Without turning her head, her gaze darted to the other tables and booths around them. “Well, it’s not too often a stranger comes to town only to disappear after leaving a child behind. I guess Jacoby is news.”

“And of all people for the kid to be stuck with, it’s me.”

Like he and Gina hadn’t given the town enough to talk about over the last few months? Now he’d have the entire population watching his every move with the kid.

“So, you two went shopping?” Gina asked, filling the silence. “I noticed Jacoby’s new clothes.”

“We hit Wal-Mart after dropping Jack off at Racy’s.” Justin found himself grateful for the change in topic. “Who knew it’d take over two hours to shop for one little kid.”

“I’m guessing he needed quite a few things. Was the rest of his stuff as bad as that outfit he had on when he first showed up?”

“Pretty much. We just finished another couple of hours at the laundromat.” He put the coffee mug down. “I washed everything he had in that ratty pillowcase of his, including the case. I tried to convince him to throw it out, but he wouldn’t.”

Gina’s jaw dropped. “Justin, you didn’t.”

“What?”

“That bag, no matter its condition, and what little he might have inside, is all he has. Of course he’d want to keep it. You should know that better than anyone.”

Geez, the girl was good for a quick swift kick in the butt.

“I didn’t think—” He slumped against the seat cushion and pinched the bridge of his nose. “How stupid can I be?”

Gina was right. He should know better because he’d walked out of prison with his entire life’s possessions in a cardboard box. All he owned now was a growing collection of books, a few power tools, a beat-up truck and some meager household items.

Damn, who knew he and the kid had so much in common?

“You’re not stupid.” Gina pointed at the pillowcase next to Justin. “Did you see if there was anything in there that might help you find his mother?”

“No. I got him a new backpack, too, but he only used it to hold his stuff while the pillowcase was washed. Then he loaded everything back into the case, including his bear, which he refused to allow anywhere near the suds.”

Justin straightened and glanced at the restrooms again. “Hell, I’m surprised he left the table without them, the pillowcase or the bear.”

“Has he talked about his mother much?”

Justin shook his head and found himself leaning forward. With a low voice, he relayed the events with the eggs and the food fight from this morning. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to share the story with Gina, but it just fell from his lips.

“That’s so sad.” Gina inched forward and put her hand over his, giving him a gentle squeeze when he finished speaking. “But Jacoby seems fine now. I think you handled the situation well.”

She did?

Justin didn’t know how to respond, to her compliment or the warmth of her touch. All he wanted was to flip his hand over and capture hers in his grasp.

Damn, he was in trouble here. He really owed her that apology now. Before he had a chance to speak, a waitress came by with her order.

Gina snatched her hand away and reached for the large paper bag. “Well, this is my food. I need to get going.”

“Gina—”

She scooted out of the booth just as Jacoby returned.

“Where ya going?” he asked.

“Ah, I have to leave. My brother and sister are waiting for their food, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Justin saw Jacoby nod as the boy stood there and watched her walk away. Justin found himself doing the same.



There was no way he’d get in that bed.

No way. No how.

Jacoby squeezed Clem tighter and kept his eyes glued on the small television sitting on the floor next to the fireplace. His eyeballs were scratchy. It felt like he was pulling a warm blanket over ’em when they closed, but he fought to keep ’em open.

If he fell asleep he was sure Justin would pick him up and carry him to the small bedroom. He’d put him beneath the covers. Then he’d leave.

And Jacoby would be alone.

He didn’t want to be alone. But he wasn’t going to tell Justin that. He’d probably think Jacoby was a baby or something.

He wasn’t.

It’s just that there were a lot of strange noises and the windows in that room didn’t have anything covering them.

He wished Jack was here. Maybe if the dog slept next to him in that bed he wouldn’t be afraid.

Because he liked it here.

The cabin was nice and warm, there was always food and he liked that he didn’t have to ask first when he wanted something to eat or to go to the bathroom.

His mama used to make him do that sometimes, ask before he could do anything.

And sometimes the answer would be no.

She’d say no over and over until he’d finally stopped asking. Then he’d pray he wouldn’t have an accident or that his tummy would stop growling until she changed her mind.

Which she always did, eventually. Then she’d cry and say she was sorry and she wouldn’t do it again.

But she would.

But for the past two days, Justin had been the one asking him what he wanted. First, the new clothes, including two pairs of sneakers because they were buy one get one half off. Then he got to pick the color of his new toothbrush and finally the backpack that sat empty near the bookcase.

He liked the backpack. It was blue and had a cool swirly design on it and none of those babyish cartoon guys. But except for using it to hold his stuff while Justin insisted on washing his pillowcase, it sat empty.

Jacoby didn’t know how long he was going to be here. His mama had said he was going to stay with Justin and Justin was going to be his dad, but he wasn’t sure he believed her.

So he’d keep using his pillowcase. He wasn’t going to use anything he didn’t really need, like that backpack and the second set of sneakers.

Or that bed.

But he would like to see Gina again.

A sharp pain caused his belly to hurt and he hugged Clem tighter to his chest. Was it because he’d rather see Gina again than his mom?

But Gina was nice. And she smelled good, too, like his favorite cookie, snickerdoodles, and she didn’t talk to him like he was a baby.

Maybe he should ask if she could come over again.

Then again, Justin had gotten a funny look on his face whenever Jacoby asked about her.

Maybe he didn’t like Gina. Naw, Justin would hafta be stupid not to like Gina.

Wouldn’t he?