Hard Love (Hacker #5)(85)
Author: Meredith Wild

Blake stared off into the horizon, and I searched for a way to break the tension that always came between them.

“Are you hungry, Dad?” Food was the cure-all, surely.

“Sure, I could eat in a little bit. No rush though.”

“I’ll go fix us something,” I said quickly.

Blake stood and brushed the sand off his board shorts. “I’ll help you.” He shot Daniel a questioning stare, eyes cold and jaw tight. “You okay with her?”

“We’re fine,” he answered mildly without making eye contact. “Aren’t we, sweetheart?” His voice softened when he spoke to Tricia. Carefully, he pushed a strand of hair back from her sandy face.

Tricia began burying Daniel’s now bare feet in the sand and decorating them with shells. Seemingly content leaving her in Daniel’s care, Blake took me by the hand, and we headed back up to the beach house.

“You should try to be nicer to him, Blake,” I chided softly.

“I’m plenty nice,” he mumbled, the impassive expression on his face communicating just how it pained him.

We’d made so many memories here on the Vineyard. I knew Blake would never forgive Daniel for the things he’d done, but letting myself forgive him, finally, had allowed me to appreciate the memories Tricia was sharing with him now. She’d always have Blake’s family, who so lovingly and regularly spoiled her and her cousins. Alli and Heath had two little boys close in age now, and on the surface I couldn’t ask for anything more than the love they brought to our little family.

Marie, now a year into a new and promising romance, was never far and always eager to dote on Tricia too. But selfishly, with my mother gone and Elliot so far away, seeing Tricia experiencing a small part of my family meant more to me than Blake could realize.

Daniel wasn’t the father I’d always imagined. He was deeply flawed, but he’d come a long way from when we’d first met. Many would claim behind closed doors that he’d fallen from grace, but I knew better. He was better off than he’d ever been.

Not long after losing the governor’s seat, he’d also lost Margo. The death of her son combined with the humiliation of Daniel’s loss had proved too much for her to take. They divorced within the year. Then the controversy around Daniel’s rumored involvement in the botched election had put strain on the law firm he ran. Reluctantly, he let go of it all and opted for an early retirement.

All his lofty aspirations, the grand plan, reduced to a simple life in a quiet coastal town in Maine where he’d started spending most of his time. The political machine of his life had come to a screeching halt, and with that supposed failure, he was able to live the way he’d never been allowed to live before. Finally, he was free of the life that had made all his decisions for him, ever since he’d been my age. Success was only a word, something that meant less next to the promise of some simple happiness. Now he at least had a chance for that.

Tricia seemed to make him happy, happier than I’d ever seen him. His eyes would light up at the sight of her, or glisten with emotion when she nestled up beside him after she’d tired herself out with her boundless energy.

I glanced back. His and Tricia’s outlines were small in the distance now. Maybe he didn’t deserve her, or us. Maybe his transgressions were too great, but I wouldn’t stop believing that he could be worthy of forgiveness, worthy of a second chance.

Blake and I rounded the corner of the wraparound deck. He twisted on the outdoor shower that started a waterfall of cool water cascading down over him. I stared, appreciating the rivulets gliding over his gorgeous body. Five years hadn’t changed an inch of him. He was still mouth-watering, breathtaking in every way.

He paused, catching my stare. He held out his hand. I took it, and he pulled me under with him. I sucked in a quick breath at the shock of cool water. But then Blake’s lips were on me, melding our mouths in a slow, passionate kiss. I lifted on my toes, giving myself over to it.

He groaned, the vibration tingling my lips. “Let’s go inside.”

I couldn’t miss the suggestion in his tone, or his arousal pressed against me. I tensed, recognizing the hesitation I’d never have wrestled with before becoming a mother. “What about Tricia?”

“She’ll keep him busy out there for a while.”

“A while?” I glanced back toward the beach even though they were out of sight where we stood.

A small touch guided my focus back to him, mischief and lust twinkling in his eyes. “Long enough for me to thoroughly devour you.”

I fought a smile. “Tempting.”