Whatever else Jenna was going to say stuck in her throat as she stepped farther into the room and saw the other guest. “Mom?” she asked again, this time more panicked.
There was a loud tumbling sound and a second later, a small chocolate Lab bounded into the kitchen followed by a young girl who looked barely older than Jenna. “Dad? What’s going on? Who are these people, and why are they in our house?”
“A dog!” Paul shouted and raced forward before she could stop him. Fortunately the dog, whose tail was wagging jauntily, seemed harmless as he met Paul and jumped up on him, barking excitedly.
“Paul.” She tried to raise her voice above the chaos around her. “You should never approach a strange dog. You don’t know what he might do.”
“It’s okay. He won’t hurt him,” Jack Harrison said. “Lily, this is Daisy Sorensen. Remember how Payton got married last year? This is her sister-in-law and her kids—which reminds me.” He turned back to her. “Maybe you should go find your husband and let him know about this…mix-up. I wouldn’t want him to come swinging at me with a bat or anything.”
“My dad is with his girlfriend in England,” Natalie offered so helpfully.
“Yes, thanks, Natalie,” Daisy said, wondering if this could get any more humiliating as Jack looked almost sympathetically at her. She cleared her throat. “It’s just us—oh, and my aunt who is asleep in one of the guest rooms upstairs.” And who, fortunately, slept like the dead.
“Why are they here, Dad?” his daughter repeated.
“There seems to be some kind of mix-up and Payton offered Daisy and her family the place for the week, while her mother did the same for us.”
“So we’re all staying here together?” Jenna asked, looking pensive as she glanced at the strangers.
Daisy met Jack’s gaze and bit her bottom lip. What were they going to do?
“Well, one thing’s for certain, it’s too late to try and decide anything tonight.” Jack smiled warmly at the kids. “Why don’t we all bunker down and get some rest. We can figure everything out in the morning.”
“You’re right.” Daisy placed an arm around Jenna’s frail shoulders and forced a smile. “What with the storm earlier, the kids and I decided to campout together in the master suite upstairs. My aunt’s in the room next door. If it’s okay, we’ll just stay there for now.”
“Of course. I usually prefer the guest room on this floor, near the back of the house, and Lily’s in the room at the other end of the hall of the master suite, so she and Ollie shouldn’t disturb you.”
“You heard him, kids. We’ll get this figured out in the morning, but in the meantime, let’s all get back to bed. Come on,” she said, pulling a reluctant Paul away from the adorable, if slobbery, puppy.
She paused, turning to meet Jack Harrison’s gaze again for the briefest moment. He smiled reassuringly. The effect on her body, however, was anything but.
Dios Mio. Give me strength.
Daisy pulled her gaze from his and herded the kids back upstairs, knowing she could kiss any chance of finding sleep good-bye. And not just because of the mess they found themselves in.
No. This reason had to do with a pair of twinkling blue eyes and the awakening of feelings she’d begun to think she was incapable of.
Until now.
…
Jack kept a steady, yet slower pace as he made his way back to the house with Ollie at his side the next morning. Sleep had been almost impossible under the circumstances and as soon as dawn broke, he rescued Ollie and the two of them had headed to the beach for a run.
He’d needed to clear his head. Get some perspective.
It wasn’t every day he found himself face-to-face with a beautiful woman who made him feel such a range of emotions—shock, curiosity, undeniable lust, and a surge of protectiveness—in such a short amount of time.
All of which in ordinary circumstances might have been a welcome intrusion in his life. But when he was at the precipice of being named the governor of his state, entrusted with the duties necessary in representing the interest of three million constituents—not to mention the duties and responsibilities of raising a bright, headstrong teenage daughter—he didn’t have the time for anything or anyone else.
Not when he’d be spending the next year mounting an active campaign to retain his position as governor in a special election. With contenders climbing out of every hole and burrow to vie for the role, he needed to present a strong, scandal-free first year. The last thing he needed was a charge that he’d acted in any way not befitting a governor.
Which meant, innocent or not, remaining under the same roof as the very single and very attractive Daisy Sorensen might create more problems than he was prepared to handle.
Jack stopped as they reached the bottom of the steps that led up to the Vaughns’ deck, checking his pulse. As he counted, he turned and looked around at the view, impressed as always by its unadorned beauty.
Much like the woman he’d had the pleasure of meeting last night.
It was a shame that the only reasonable move would be for him to leave.