Page 61 of Summer Heat
Derek's gaze seemed to be fixated on my hair. "You're just taking a shower now?"
"We're renovating the bathrooms. It's messy work." Especially when you're sleeping with the contractor.
"Where's my girl?" Shep called from the second floor.
"Shep. Shep. Shep," Maya chanted as she dropped her bag on the wood floor and ran up the steps to find him.
Derek nodded toward the stairs where Maya had just gone. "She seems to be attached to him."
"He's great with her." In other words, he doesn't send her somewhere when he wants to watch TV or hang out with his girlfriend.
"I asked Maya if she wanted to watch the game or go home, and she chose to come home."
I barely restrained myself from rolling my eyes. "Derek, you have her until six. It's your choice to bring her back."
"So…what? Are you living with Shep Kingston now?"
The implication was clear. I was a single mom living with the island's most notorious bachelor.
"He's one of my bosses and offered us a place to stay after our house flooded. Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about regarding Maya?"
"No—"
"Great. Thanks for bringing her back early. We're excited to spend time with her." Then I ushered him out and shut the door. He was a nonentity to me at this point. He saw her for part of his weekends, and he wasn't there for us in any appreciable way.
I didn't need to talk to him about what he thought of Shep or my living situation. Shep was good to Maya, and she was blossoming under his attention in a way she never had with her father. I had a feeling he made her feel like she was an imposition instead of an integral part of his life. I was seeing things more clearly now, and I didn't want to waste a second on Derek.
It was his loss. I headed upstairs, not bothering to check to see if Derek had driven through the gate. I found Maya in the bathroom where Shep was telling her how he framed and tiled the bathroom.
When I appeared in the doorway, Maya asked, "Did you get it on video, Mommy?"
"I sure did. You can watch the clips I edited."
Her lower lip protruded. "You did so much without me."
Shep hung his head. "There's so much more to do. I'm so glad you're home. I couldn't get it done without you."
"I'll go change." She ran into her bedroom and shut the door.
"You're sweet to her."
"She deserves it. Especially after that ass—I mean jerk returned her early. What kind of message does that send to her?" Shep asked, disgust lacing his voice.
"Not a good one."
"She probably thinks he doesn't want her or doesn't want to spend time with her. That's messed up."
My chest tightened. "It is."
"She'll never feel that here," Shep said firmly.
My chest loosened at the conviction in his words.
"Did he say anything to you? I wanted to go down there, but it's not my place. We've only just—" Then he waved his hand, and I wished he'd finish his statement, but he didn't.
"He said something about me just taking a shower. I guess he was insinuating that I was being lazy. I don't know."
Shep nodded. "He knew we were together. Men can sense it."
