Dax
She was beautiful.Her looks weren’t exotically beautiful but more like the girl next door. Samantha had medium brown hair that sat just below her shoulders in soft waves. Her soft brown eyes weren’t striking, but they were still beautiful. Her lips, though... her lips were the stuff of male fantasies, and for the first time since I put my ad online looking for a marriage of convenience, I had doubts about this idea.
“Bow,” I called out, walking into the house, still hearing the water in the bathroom going. “Bow, I know you’re playing in the sink again, come on out here.”
I heard my daughter giggle from the bathroom and couldn’t help but smile. She was the one bright light in my life since before Rayne. My memories of Bow’s mother were clouded by the betrayal and humiliation I felt over the things she’d done right under my nose. I never saw it coming until she came into my office holding a gun and remorse in her eyes.
When she told me her story, I felt numb. Once the truth sank in of what she was capable of, I realized how much I didn’t know her. The trial was torture, and I didn’t go when the final verdict was read. For three months, she called from prison, and finally she sent a lawyer to ask me to visit her, saying it was important.
When she’d stood up and showed me the baby bump under her orange jumpsuit, my world tipped over once again. I never knew one woman could change my life so much in such a short amount of time, that was until my daughter was born.
I heard Bow’s giggles as she ran back out of the bathroom. Her clothes were wet, glitter was still stuck to her face, and she had the biggest grin with her little dimples peeking out.
“You’re a mess, baby girl,” I said, catching her as she launched herself into my arms.
“I played in the sink.” She grinned, telling me the obvious.
“I can see that, Bow, but I need to introduce you to someone.” I turned to the side and drew Bow’s attention to Samantha. “Bow, this is Samantha. She’s Daddy’s friend, and she’ll be staying with us for a while.”
Bow smiled at her. “Do you like Barbie’s and princess movies?”
I laughed. Leave it to me being worried about bringing Samantha into the house. If she would watch Princess movies and play Barbie’s with Bow, she’d be her best friend forever.
“Of course. My favorite is The Warrior Princess. Which one do you like?”
Bow pushed against my chest and wiggled, signaling to me that she wanted to get down. I let her down gently and she moved toward Samantha,. “I like the Ice Princess. She can make it snow.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty cool too.” I watched on as Samantha got down on Bow’s level and discussed Princess movies. Maybe I wouldn’t have to watch them so much if Samantha was watching them with her too.
“Bow, why don’t you show Samantha your room while I get dinner started,” I suggested. They needed to get to know each other anyway. “I’ll put your bags in your room. When I get a chance, I’ll get it fixed up better and painted whatever color you want.”
Samantha’s soft brown eyes met mine over Bow’s head and she gave me a sweet smile. There was a tug deep in my gut and the center of my chest, somewhere I hadn’t felt anything in a long time.
Shit. I threaded my fingers through my hair. The last thing I wanted to do was be attracted to her. This was about convenience, nothing more. Bow needed a mom, and I needed someone to be there for her as a mother figure, a constant in her life outside of me.
I watched as my daughter took Samantha’s hand and pulled her up the stairs toward her room, talking the whole way. If this didn’t work out between Samantha and me, Bow was my biggest concern. I didn’t want her heart to get busted in the crossfire.
With that messed up thought, I went in the kitchen to try and distract myself. It’s been five years since Rayne, but the damage she did has reached across the country with me. I don’t trust anyone anymore, and now I have a stranger living in my home. What the hell was I thinking?
I ran my fingers through my hair and leaned against the kitchen counter, staring blankly out the window that had a view of the front yard and the crashing waves beyond. This place became my sanctuary after I left Eagle Wind. Slowly, while raising a kid by myself, I started putting this house back together one room at a time.
This place was starting to feel like home for me, and I didn’t want to lose that again. I let out a deep breath, then flipped on the water to wash my hands before I prepped dinner.
One month. I would give this one month, then I’d tell Samantha it wasn’t going to work. Hopefully, Bow wouldn’t get too attached in that short amount of time. It was going to be one long fucking month.