Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

Jessie bit her lip when the doleful face stared up at her, showing her the empty cupcake wrapper. “I can be strong if you can, Bliss.”

Bliss raised her hands in surrender. “I’ve tried. He gets me every time.”

“It’s called dimples.”

Kailor gave a heartfelt sigh. “I bet Dustin was adorable when he was that age.”

“Bliss?”

“Yes.”

“If she mentions Dustin one more time, shoot me.”

Jessie began clearing the table as Kailor finally got her message that she was done discussing Dustin. Organizing the children for exercise time, she spaced them out, making sure a stray hand or foot wouldn’t accidentally send the group into chaos. Bliss turned on the music, moving among the jumping students, and Jessie joined in with the energetic children, raising her hands in the air as the music switched to another song.

She was jogging in place, swinging her hands in a downward circle to touch her toes when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kailor stop moving with her mouth dropped open.

Looking between her legs, she jerked herself upright and turned to see Dustin in the doorway. She hadn’t heard him enter the building with the music playing and her back to the door.

Tugging her T-shirt down that had come loose from her pale blue crop pants, she was about to stop the music and ask what he needed when he raised his chin toward Bliss, showing that he wanted to talk to her.

Jessie returned her attention to the children as Bliss went to talk to him. She wanted to go through the floor at the embarrassing position he must have witnessed when he came in the door. At least she had the excuse of bending down for the red she felt in her cheeks. Kailor, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed that she was making an idiot of herself at the attractive man’s appearance.

When Logan had attended her daycare, she had always been on the lookout for him, even though it was Holly who usually picked his son up. Since Logan started school, she loosened her guard, not expecting him to show unexpectedly.

Continuing the exercise routine she did with the children every morning, she pretended Dustin wasn’t there, keeping her expression carefully blank as he talked to Bliss.

Jessie knew he had left when Kailor’s face filled with disappointment.

At the end of the music, the children went to the reading nook to find a book that Bliss would pick to read to them.

“What did Dustin want?” Kailor asked the question that had been burning a hole through Jessie, yet she hadn’t wanted to ask.

“Drake had a meeting with him this morning and didn’t show and didn’t answer his texts. I told Dustin that Darcy was sick last night, and Drake stayed up with her. They were still sleeping when I went to work. I should have woken him, but I knew he was exhausted. He’s been working so hard lately.”

“How’s Darcy? You should have called me. I could have called—”

“Who?” Bliss raised a questioning brow. “I wasn’t going to take the chance that you have to turn some of the parents away because you didn’t have enough workers.” Her friend raised a hand, preventing further arguments. “Besides, it was just a stomachache. She wasn’t running a fever, and Drake would have called if she wasn’t doing better.”

“I’m going to go through the applications again and find someone who is willing to work part-time. None of you are able to get the time off you need.”

“You’ve tried. They always quit when they find a full-time job.”

Jessie’s eyes shifted away from Bliss and Kailor’s sympathetic gazes.

“That isn’t why. It’s because I can’t pay them that much unless I raise my fees.”

“Most of the parents can’t afford you now. A few would have to quit their jobs if you charge more.”

Jessie frowned at Bliss voicing her own concern that weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Bliss had become a true friend to her since she hired her. At first, Bliss kept up a guard against her, but as she had worked with her more, Jessie found the soft spot that Bliss kept hidden. The children put a dent in her armor, and Drake had done the rest.

Bliss waited until Kailor walked away before broaching the subject she attempted earlier. “I have some money saved. I could loan it to you so that you could hire another full-time worker.”

“I’m not going to take money from you.”

“It’s called a loan. The offer is always there if you change your mind.” Bliss started toward the reading group when Jessie reached out, giving her a brief hug.

“Thanks, Bliss.”

“For what? You told me no.”

“For being a friend.”

Her face softened, showing the stunning beauty that had captured Drake’s heart.

Bliss flushed in embarrassment, leaving to help with the reading group, while Jessie worked with another group of children to learn their numbers until lunch. The women didn’t have time to talk again until the children settled down for naptime.