His First Choice

“We have to get back,” she said now, spinning around so quickly she almost lost her balance in the sand. “I have to make some calls.”

“I could just be overreacting here. This isn’t my business and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. But it’s been bothering me all day and Jem said Levi’s spending the weekend with his mother.”

She hadn’t heard that. “When did he say that?”

“A couple of nights ago. You were in the bathroom and he and I were talking about timing for the project in relation to when I have to leave.”

Lacey didn’t have time to deal with completely inappropriate jealousy.

She might be overreacting. And Levi might be in danger.

She’d risk one to prevent the other.

Pulling her phone off the clip on her shorts, she dialed Sydney’s private cell.

* * *

FUNNY HOW LIFE could turn on a dime. In twelve hours’ time, Jem had gone from looking forward to the weekend with great anticipation, to dreading the job he had ahead of him.

He could call one of his teams to build the room, but he’d take a loss for all labor costs if he did so. Just to save himself some discomfort.

His comfort wasn’t worth that amount of money to him.

“I love you, Dad.”

Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw the far too serious expression on his son’s face and said, “I love you, too, Levi.”

He’d never been comfortable saying the words, not with anyone, until his son was born. I love you were some of the first words he’d taught the boy.

If there was some good out of the events of the night before, Levi back at home with him would be it.

All of it.

“Are we going to see Kacey and Lacey now?”

“Yep.”

“Can I play with them while you work?”

“We’ll see.” If they didn’t want to watch his son, he wouldn’t be working that day. Even if he’d been able to find a sitter at the last minute, he hadn’t felt inclined to do so.

He was working for free. The least the traitor could do was provide free child care.

As soon as he’d had the thought, Jem gave himself a mental admonishment. Lacey was doing her job, because she cared about Levi.

He knew her well enough to know the truth about that statement. Even if there did exist a social worker who was hooked on his or her own power and got some kind of adrenaline rush out of lording it over a dysfunctional family, she sure didn’t exist in Lacey Hamilton.

The woman was true blue.

She was also dead wrong about Tressa.

As he was going to tell her, the first opportunity he got.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“HE’S GOT LEVI with him.” Kacey turned from the front window to look at Lacey, her expression filled with worry.

“That’s good.” Truth be known, she was relieved.