A Daddy for Jacoby. Christyne Butler

uncertainty in his gaze was achingly familiar; she’d seen the same wariness in another set of dark brown eyes.

      Jacoby’s.

      “I figured you might not have stuff a little boy needs.” She pulled a paper bag from the basket and set it on the counter. “I grabbed a half-gallon of milk, some apples and bananas, a box of cereal that my brother Garrett refused to touch. Too healthy, he says—”

      “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks,” Justin interrupted her. “I do have the means to keep from starving.”

      “Oh, well…I didn’t think you’d have real food.”

      He waved a hand toward the refrigerator. “What do you think that is? An oversize beer cooler?”

      “I meant food for a child.”

      He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what kind of food do they eat exactly?”

      Gina opened her mouth, but clamped it shut again when she realized she didn’t have an answer.

      “The appliances might be ancient, but despite their outward appearance, they’re clean and in working order.” He took a step back. “Go ahead, take a look.”

      He should be angry that she’d assumed he lived in a place equivalent to a fraternity house with nothing but beer and junk food, but he wasn’t. He sounded almost amused.

      Gina’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment that probably matched the pink in her hair. She grabbed the bag and made a wide circle around him into the kitchen. She pulled on the refrigerator’s tarnished handle and the door popped open. Light spilled out, highlighting the aged but spotlessly clean interior and its contents. Milk, orange juice, bottled water, eggs and sandwich meats lined the three shelves. Two drawers at the bottom were filled with fruits and vegetables. A half-dozen beer bottles stood in line on the narrow door shelf. It took only a moment to put most of her meager offerings inside.

      “I brought a pack of baloney, but the meat drawer is full.” She didn’t look at him, only tapped a fingernail against the metal door to the inside freezer. “Can I put it in here?”

      “Sure.”

      She opened the door and shoved it inside, noting the frozen chicken and steaks, a few ready-to-eat pizzas and the open end of a bright yellow box. She looked over her shoulder. “You even have popsicles…”

      Her voice faded as he moved into the darkened kitchen, stopping to lean against the counter. The only light in the room came from the open refrigerator, but considering Justin’s height, it only shined on his lower half, emphasizing long legs encased in well-worn jeans.

      “I like the taste of something sweet every now and then,” he said.

      Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask.

      It took pushing her tongue against the roof of her mouth to stop from wondering aloud what his favorite flavor was. It worked, just barely, and she closed the door. She offered a silent prayer the dimness of the room was enough to hide the blush heating her face.

      A snap sounded and the room flooded with light from twin pendent fixtures that hung from the ceiling directly over a center butcher-block island.

      She couldn’t resist looking around, noting that despite the chipped countertops, cabinets sporting faded white paint, some missing their doors entirely, the room was clean and well stocked. A toaster sat on the counter near a dish drainer and a trio of new windows, filled the wall over the sink.

      “What were you expecting? A heap of fast-food containers and empty beer bottles?”

      It was as if he could read her mind.

      Shame filled her. Three steps and she invaded his personal space, laying her hand on his folded arms. “Justin, I’m sorry I misjudged you. I should’ve known the first room you’d have fixed up and in working order would’ve been the kitchen. You’re a chef, after all.”

      He straightened and stepped away from her touch. “I’m not a chef. I’m a cook. Plain and simple.”

      He was hardly that. The staff had raved over the dishes he’d invented and Racy was smart enough to add many of them to The Blue Creek’s menu. It still amazed Gina he’d learned that skill in prison.

      “I hafta go the bathroom.”

      Both of them swung around when the small voice came from the living room.

      “Okay,” Justin said. “Go.”

      Jacoby just stood there, his bear in one hand and the other resting on Jack’s neck as the dog sat next to him.

      A pained expression came over Justin’s features, but when he caught her looking at him, he quickly erased it. “You don’t have to ask for permission. You can just go. It’s right through that doorway. The light is on the outside.”

      Jacoby headed across the room, the dog on his heels.

      “Jack, stay. He doesn’t need your help—” Gina said.

      Both stopped, but only Jack looked at them, the corners of his mouth curving upward into the humanlike grin that always seemed to be on the dog’s face.

      “I don’t care if he comes with me.”

      Gina looked at Justin, who only shrugged.

      “Then I guess it’s okay,” she said to the boy, “but be careful, he’s known to drink out of the toilet.”

      Jacoby turned, his face screwed up with disgust. “Eww, gross.”

      Gina grinned. “Totally gross.”

      The boy and dog disappeared through the doorway and the sound of a door closing echoed through the cabin.

      Justin moved back to the counter. “Remind me never to let that dog kiss me again. So, what else do you have in here?”

      “Ah, sheets and a blanket, which I can now see you don’t need.” She waved at the bedding on the floor near the fireplace as Justin dug into the basket. “A few books, a night-light—”

      “What is this?”

      Gina gasped.

      Swinging from Justin’s index finger was her new black satin bra, complete with lace and a skull-and-crossbones pattern mixed with the word vixen in bold letters over each cup.

      “I’m guessing this isn’t for me?”

      “Give me that!”

      Gina grabbed for the bra, but Justin easily held it out of her reach as he stepped backward into the living room.

      “So where are the matching panties?” he asked.

      On her. She’d meant to wear the set, but she hadn’t been able to find the matching bra. Now she knew why. Not that she’d tell him that. Then she realized she didn’t have to, her silence gave him his answer. A hot and intense spark flashed in his gaze. No, that couldn’t be right. It had to be the flames from the nearby fire reflecting off those dark eyes, because seconds later it was gone.

      A loud creaking preceded the opening of the bathroom door. Justin turned toward it. She grabbed for the bra, but he closed his grip. A quick tug-of-war ensued before she won and stuffed the sexy lingerie into her jean jacket pocket just as Jacoby and the dog came back in the room.

      “What ya doing?” Jacoby asked.

      “Nothing.”

      Justin’s one-word answer matched hers.

      “Don’t look like nothing.”

      Jacoby moved to stand in front of her, the dog still at his side. He planted his little feet and crossed his arms over his chest, his bear caught in between. Gina’s heart softened as she looked down at her pint-size protector.

      She raised her gaze to Justin, praying he understood. The blank