He’s still too young to fully grasp what happened, but he knows his mother left him. I’m certain he doesn’t actually remember her, but he understands the idea of a mother and asks every now and then if either his mom is coming back or if I’ll get married again. I can usually sidestep those questions with an ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘Mommy is busy,’ but what really gets me is when he asks why his mommy doesn’t love him.
Because I don’t fucking know why.
That kid is my moon and stars. He’s my reason for getting out of bed every morning. He’s everything to me, and the only reason this Scarlet woman is even here is to offer him a sense of stability that I can’t on my own.
Everything I do, I do for him.
“So, you talked to my sister yesterday,” I start, stepping into the living room.
Scarlet’s eyes zero in on me, and she takes a few seconds to study my face. She makes no attempt to hide it either, and her brazen move to check me out throws me.
“Quinn is your sister?” she asks, tipping her head to the side a bit. Why does she sound surprised?
“Yeah, she is.”
Scarlet’s long eyelashes come together as she blinks. “Oh. I thought she was your wife. You, uh, have the same last name.”
I let out a strangled laugh. “No. She’s my baby sister, and she won’t be a Dawson for much longer anyway.”
Scarlet’s lips part but no words leave her mouth. Then she smiles again and looks me over once more. “I can see the similarities.”
I shrug. Dean and I look alike, Logan and Owen are obviously identical, and Quinn holds a resemblance to us all. Only prettier. “I guess. This whole thing is her idea,” I add. I want to keep pretending I can do it all, play the role of perfect father and devoted police officer to our town, but dammit, I can’t. Sticking to a schedule will do Jackson a world of good, especially now that he’s in school.
“Oh.” Scarlet brings her arms in, looking a little unsure of herself. The gesture throws me, and it takes me a few seconds to realize why. Her body language says she’s shy and uncomfortable—expected in this situation, of course. But her face is set with determination and she has a distant look in her eyes that reminds me of a huntress on the prowl.
I hate that I find it so fucking attractive.
“She was supposed to explain everything.”
“Yeah,” Scarlet says without missing a beat. “She did.” She smiles and grabs the remaining bags, bringing them from the foyer and into the living room. I know they’re heavy and she’s struggling under the weight, but she doesn’t let on or ask for help.
“But we can go over it again.” She sets her purse down on the coffee table and looks around. The determination in her eyes gives way to a moment of panic, but she hides it well. I wouldn’t be able to see it if it weren’t something I’ve experienced myself.
“Jackson is watching cartoons in his room. He’s excited to meet you.” I give her another few seconds to look around. The house is historical and has been fully restored and professionally decorated. Buying and fixing up this place was a dream Daisy and I shared back when we first started dating, and we saved for years to have enough to do things right.
“Your house is beautiful,” she says, but almost sounds disappointed.
“It’s haunted,” Jackson quips, appearing at the top of the stairs. “The Tall Man comes into my room at night.”
“Jackson,” I scold, hoping Scarlet doesn’t go running out the door. Though on second thought…nope. This is for Jackson. I can grin and bear anything for that boy. “We talked about this. Ghosts aren’t real.”
“The Tall Man isn’t a ghost. He’s a zombie!”
Scarlet smiles, going over to the base of the stairs. “Well, you’re in luck. I just happen to know that zombies don’t like cinnamon. All we have to do is put a little pinch of it by your door and he won’t be able to come into your room anymore.”
“Really?” Jackson’s face lights up.
“Really.”
Jackson comes down the stairs. “Are you my nanny?”
“I am. My name is Scarlet.”
“I’m Jackson. I’m four years old. Did you know that babies grow inside their mommy’s tummies before they pop out of their belly button?”
Scarlet smiles. “I didn’t, but I do now.”
I close my eyes in a long blink. It’s Dean’s fault Jackson won’t stop talking about where babies come from.
“Want to see my room?” Jackson takes Scarlet’s hand. “I got a new PAW Patrol blanket for my bed. I have a big boy bed!”
“Hang on, buddy,” I tell him. “Let’s show Scarlet around the rest of the house first and give her a chance to get settled.”