Read Online Under A Harvest Moon by Joleen James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joleen James
Tags: Romance
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Ridiculous.
"Is swimming part of the job?" Peter asked with a smile Danielle knew he didn't feel.
"More like a reward for a job well done," Nico said smoothly. He made eye contact with Danielle. "I'll talk to you later? If you need me sooner, call."
His offer of help warmed her in a way dry clothes couldn't -- from the inside out.
"Okay, thanks." She watched him until he drove away, then turned back to Peter. "I need to change." She moved to pass him, but he caught her arm.
"Is something going on between the two of you?" he asked, his tone low enough that Kaiden couldn't hear him, yet heavy with accusations.
Danielle pulled her arm free. "I've only been here two days, Peter. What do you think is going on?" She left him, and marched up the steps to Whitney House. "Hey, honey," she said to Kaiden when they reached the porch.
"Dad wants to take me to his hotel," Kaiden told her, his eyes shining with happiness. "He says there's a pool and everything. Can I go, Mom, please?"
"I'd like to take him for the night, if that's okay?" Peter said, coming to stand beside Kaiden. He ruffled his son's hair. "We've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm staying at the Howard Johnson in town."
"I don't know," Danielle said, suddenly afraid that Peter would take Kaiden and she'd never see her son again. They didn't have a formal custody agreement. She hadn't gotten that far, and until now, Peter had shown zero interest in Kaiden. "Why can't you just visit here?"
"I want to go to Dad's hotel," Kaiden whined.
"Kaiden, will you go inside for a minute? I want to talk to your dad in private."
"But -- " Kaiden started to protest.
"Go, Kaiden." Danielle pointed to the door.
"It's all right, son," Peter said. "You go on. Your mother and I need to talk."
Grumbling under his breath, Kaiden went inside, letting the screen door smack shut behind him.
Peter sighed. "I'm not going to kidnap him."
"How can I be sure of that?" Danielle asked. "For all I know you've decided to become father of the year." In the eyes of the law Peter had as much right to their son as she did, even if he didn't deserve the right.
He smirked. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."
"I can't." She turned away from him toward Nico's cottage. At this minute she trusted Nico more than her ex-husband. How was that possible? She barely knew Nico. And what did that say about Peter? "I'd prefer it if you visited Kaiden here."
"Fine, but you tell him," Peter said in that petulant tone she'd always hated.
She wasn't going to back down. "Kaiden," she called, "come on out here."
Kaiden appeared in the doorway. "Can I go?" he asked his entire body alive with excitement.
She didn't want to say no, to be the bad guy, but she was scared. "I think it's best if you stay here and visit with your dad."
"Why?" he whined. He stomped his foot. "It's not fair. You never let me have any fun."
"That's not true," Danielle said, his words hurting her.
"What if you drive us into town in the Saab and drop us off?" Peter suggested. "You could pick Kaiden up tomorrow."
Danielle ached for Kaiden. He wanted to go with Peter so badly, but could she trust Peter? Her gut told her no, he was up to something. If she had his car, he couldn't drive off with her son, but there was always the bus. Was she being ridiculous?
"Please, Mom?" Kaiden pleaded.
"All right," she said, giving in. She wanted to make Kaiden happy. She just wished Peter didn't figure so heavily into Kaiden's well-being.
Kaiden's face broke into a huge smile. "I'm going to pack my bag." He bounded for the house, his feet beating a hasty rhythm on the stairs to his bedroom.
"Thanks for the support," Danielle said.
"I promise," Peter said. "I'm not going to take him."
Danielle held out her hand. "Give me your keys and wallet."
"What?" Peter asked with a shake of his head.
"I need collateral. I'll take you into town and pick you up tomorrow. You can leave your car here. After what you put me through this year I need
"Is swimming part of the job?" Peter asked with a smile Danielle knew he didn't feel.
"More like a reward for a job well done," Nico said smoothly. He made eye contact with Danielle. "I'll talk to you later? If you need me sooner, call."
His offer of help warmed her in a way dry clothes couldn't -- from the inside out.
"Okay, thanks." She watched him until he drove away, then turned back to Peter. "I need to change." She moved to pass him, but he caught her arm.
"Is something going on between the two of you?" he asked, his tone low enough that Kaiden couldn't hear him, yet heavy with accusations.
Danielle pulled her arm free. "I've only been here two days, Peter. What do you think is going on?" She left him, and marched up the steps to Whitney House. "Hey, honey," she said to Kaiden when they reached the porch.
"Dad wants to take me to his hotel," Kaiden told her, his eyes shining with happiness. "He says there's a pool and everything. Can I go, Mom, please?"
"I'd like to take him for the night, if that's okay?" Peter said, coming to stand beside Kaiden. He ruffled his son's hair. "We've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm staying at the Howard Johnson in town."
"I don't know," Danielle said, suddenly afraid that Peter would take Kaiden and she'd never see her son again. They didn't have a formal custody agreement. She hadn't gotten that far, and until now, Peter had shown zero interest in Kaiden. "Why can't you just visit here?"
"I want to go to Dad's hotel," Kaiden whined.
"Kaiden, will you go inside for a minute? I want to talk to your dad in private."
"But -- " Kaiden started to protest.
"Go, Kaiden." Danielle pointed to the door.
"It's all right, son," Peter said. "You go on. Your mother and I need to talk."
Grumbling under his breath, Kaiden went inside, letting the screen door smack shut behind him.
Peter sighed. "I'm not going to kidnap him."
"How can I be sure of that?" Danielle asked. "For all I know you've decided to become father of the year." In the eyes of the law Peter had as much right to their son as she did, even if he didn't deserve the right.
He smirked. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."
"I can't." She turned away from him toward Nico's cottage. At this minute she trusted Nico more than her ex-husband. How was that possible? She barely knew Nico. And what did that say about Peter? "I'd prefer it if you visited Kaiden here."
"Fine, but you tell him," Peter said in that petulant tone she'd always hated.
She wasn't going to back down. "Kaiden," she called, "come on out here."
Kaiden appeared in the doorway. "Can I go?" he asked his entire body alive with excitement.
She didn't want to say no, to be the bad guy, but she was scared. "I think it's best if you stay here and visit with your dad."
"Why?" he whined. He stomped his foot. "It's not fair. You never let me have any fun."
"That's not true," Danielle said, his words hurting her.
"What if you drive us into town in the Saab and drop us off?" Peter suggested. "You could pick Kaiden up tomorrow."
Danielle ached for Kaiden. He wanted to go with Peter so badly, but could she trust Peter? Her gut told her no, he was up to something. If she had his car, he couldn't drive off with her son, but there was always the bus. Was she being ridiculous?
"Please, Mom?" Kaiden pleaded.
"All right," she said, giving in. She wanted to make Kaiden happy. She just wished Peter didn't figure so heavily into Kaiden's well-being.
Kaiden's face broke into a huge smile. "I'm going to pack my bag." He bounded for the house, his feet beating a hasty rhythm on the stairs to his bedroom.
"Thanks for the support," Danielle said.
"I promise," Peter said. "I'm not going to take him."
Danielle held out her hand. "Give me your keys and wallet."
"What?" Peter asked with a shake of his head.
"I need collateral. I'll take you into town and pick you up tomorrow. You can leave your car here. After what you put me through this year I need
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