The Princess and the Cowboy

The sultry music stirred memories of those unforgettable nights. Justin felt as if Lily’s soft, seductive hands were stroking his bare skin with every pulse of the music.

Abruptly, he left the deck to head inside for bed.

Lily dressed with extra care the next morning, changing her mind a dozen times before she settled on a cream linen business suit with a silk green tank top, three-inch sling-back pumps and a chunky gold watch and earrings.

She’d reached her attorney at 8:30 a.m., and their phone conversation had confirmed her worst fears. Justin had a legal right to be involved in Ava’s life, should he wish to do so. She could choose whether she wanted to fight him in court or voluntarily attempt to work out a reasonable solution. The attorney had strongly advised her to seek an amicable agreement, especially given that the man involved was Justin Hunt.

Despite her resolve to never let Justin into her life again, it seemed she had no choice. But no matter what, she had to protect her little girl.

A little before ten, she left Ava in her nursery just off the workroom, playing happily with one of the seamstresses. Lily opened her umbrella and quickly walked down Ballard Avenue and crossed the wet brick pavement to the restaurant where she’d agreed to meet Justin for coffee. She was determined to remain calm, businesslike and focused on Ava.

She’d purposely chosen to meet him midmorning in hopes the breakfast trade would have left and the lunch crowd wouldn’t start arriving for another hour or more. The restaurant was one where she often met clients for lunch meetings, and she was familiar with its semiprivate seating. While she certainly wanted a measure of privacy, she didn’t want the intimacy of seeing Justin at either of their homes. The restaurant seemed a good compromise.

Justin had arrived before her and he stood as she neared the table.

“Hello, Lily.”

“Good morning.” Unfortunately, her determination to remain distant and unaffected disappeared the moment she saw him. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, the perfect fit obviously custom-tailored. The cuffs were turned back, the white cotton a stark contrast to his tanned skin at his forearms and collar. A silver-buckled black belt was threaded through the loops of his jeans, and polished black cowboy boots covered his feet. Raindrops dampened the shoulders of his shirt and gleamed in his dark hair. Unlike her, he apparently hadn’t bothered with an umbrella.

He held her chair and she caught the subtle hint of his cologne as she took a seat. The familiar male scent brought with it a wash of unwanted memories. Her heart stuttered and she drew in a silent deep breath.

“I spoke with my attorney this morning,” she said, determined to set a brisk tone to the meeting, as he took his own seat across from her.

“Did you?” he said, his face inscrutable as he surveyed her.

“Yes.” She waited until the waiter had filled their cups and left a carafe of coffee before she continued. “Evidently, ours is not an unusual situation.”

“It is to me,” he replied. “I’ve never had a child before Ava.”

“I meant the circumstance of having a child together without being married,” Lily said evenly. “He’s handled a lot of cases for couples with this issue.”

“I see.” Justin sat easily in his chair, his non-commital expression giving no indication as to what he was thinking. “And what advice did your attorney give you?”

“He recommended we focus on Ava and what’s best for her.”

“And you agree with that?”

“Yes, of course.” Lily wished she knew what he was thinking. She lifted her cup and eyed him over the rim. “Do you agree?”

“Absolutely.” His reply was prompt, with no hesitation.

“Good.” She smiled with relief. “I’m delighted to hear that.”

She hesitated, gathered her courage, and cut to the heart of the matter. “Now that you know you have a daughter, Justin, what do you plan to do about it, if anything?”

“I’m not sure, exactly. I think we should start with my getting to know her.”

“You mean, you want to visit?”

“I suppose ‘visit’ is as good a term as any.” He leaned forward. “I want to spend time with her. I’ve missed the first year of her life, Lily. Don’t you think getting acquainted is long overdue?” A faint hint of anger surfaced.

“The night you ended our…affair, you made it very clear you weren’t interested in marriage or children.” She met his gaze without flinching. “Don’t try to make me the bad guy here, Justin. It never occurred to me you’d want to know I was pregnant or that we had a daughter. In fact, just the opposite. Your words were very convincing—I believed you. If you didn’t mean them, you shouldn’t have said them.”

He stared at her for a long moment before he shrugged. “You’re right. I should have made it clear that if you learned you were pregnant, I wanted to know. When did you find out?”

“A few weeks after we broke up. I thought about telling you, but then I remembered your breakup speech. It seemed very clear to me that you had no interest in any commitment, including having a child.”

“I didn’t, then.”

Lily searched his face. “And now?”

His eyes darkened. “Kids were never in my plan, Lily. But seeing Ava with you last night…” He paused, as if searching for words. “Let’s just say she’s changed all the rules. I’m her father. That means something to me, something important. I want to be a part of her life.”

“Just how involved do you want to be?”

“Can’t we start out slow? I’d like to spend time with her. Do you have any objections?”

A million, she thought. Remember what the attorney said, Lily told herself. If you refuse to let him visit Ava, he can sue you for visitation, or custody. “I can live with you getting to know her,” she said, carefully evasive.

“Good.” Justin appeared relieved. “When can we start?”

Lily wanted to name a date weeks away but knew she shouldn’t delay the inevitable. The sooner he’s exposed to toddler-world reality, the faster he’s likely to get bored and bow out of our lives. “How about tomorrow? We’re usually home by four o’clock andAva goes to bed between seven and seven-thirty. If you’d like to come by around four-thirty, you can read to her while I make dinner.”

“I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”

“Just your patience,” she said dryly.

Chapter Three

“I thought you were only bringing your ‘patience’ tonight,” Lily commented when she greeted Justin promptly at four-thirty that afternoon.

“I was downtown earlier and walked by a toy store. I couldn’t resist going in,” he explained. He carried a huge stuffed teddy bear under one arm; its soft plush brushed her arm as he stepped past her and into the small foyer. He handed her a bouquet of summer blooms, wrapped in green florist paper.

“Were these in the toy store, too?” She lowered her face to the flowers, closing her eyes as she inhaled.

“No, I got them at the Gazebo. That’s why I went downtown.” The bouquet was a mixture of lilies, soft pink roses, white baby’s breath and lavender, with feathery green ferns. He’d asked the florist to put together the flowers he remembered she especially liked. And without consciously planning to, he’d gone to the Gazebo because that was where they’d first met.

“Oh. That was, um…” She faltered before visibly gathering herself. “They’re lovely, thank you,” she murmured, her green eyes darkened to jade when she looked up at him.

“You’re welcome,” Justin replied, distracted by the sight of her soft lips and skin next to the lush rose petals. He’d brushed his thumb over one of the pink blooms earlier; he knew her lips and skin were just as velvety soft, just as fragrant.

“Mama!” Ava’s clear voice lifted in demand, ending the brief moment.

“Come in,” Lily said over her shoulder as she moved quickly away. “I can’t leave Ava alone for more than a couple of seconds,” she explained as he followed her. They crossed the living room and entered a family room/dining room/kitchen-combo space. Light and airy, the far end of the open room held counters, sink, stove and fridge arranged in a U-shape around a tiled island. Directly in front of them was the living space with a comfortable sofa, matching club chair with ottoman, and cherry-wood armoire that held a media center.

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