Page 14 of Summer Fling (The Kingston Brothers #5)

"Lilliana deserves to have both parents in her life, and Oakley was thwarting that.

You didn't do anything wrong. You learned a new way to handle the situation, and you're currently exploring that.

I don't think you have anything to feel bad about.

Besides, Lilliana was so young, she didn't know what was going on.

You preserved your time with her as much as possible, and now that she's older, you're pursuing a different path. It's not wrong."

I let out the breath I felt like I'd been holding since Oakley told me she was pregnant. "That's nice to hear."

"It's the truth. You have nothing to feel bad about. You're doing the best you can, and as you learn more, you'll do things differently. There's nothing wrong with that. That's growth."

"I'd do anything for Lilliana. I want to protect her from anyone who would hurt her, including Oakley. But there's only so much I can do; she's her biological mother after all."

"You can limit the effects as much as possible, and you're going to have to do some work when Lilliana's with you. But I think she's going to see the difference in your parenting styles at some point."

"What if she prefers living with Oakley, and the courts let her decide?"

"They will when she's a teenager, but I think by then she'll realize which parent is stable. Kids crave rules and consistency, even if they don't act like it. There's always the possibility that Oakley could grow up and stop playing these games."

"We can hope for that then."

Blake lifted her wine glass. "To Lilliana."

I lifted my glass and clinked it against hers. "To Lilliana."

I sipped the wine, settling into the cushions, listening to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. I was content to sit out here and enjoy the evening, knowing my daughter was safely sleeping in her bed.

"Are you worried about Lilliana going back tomorrow?" Blake asked softly, and I appreciated her concern.

"I worry about when I'll see her again. Will Oakley punish me by keeping her longer? We don't have a court-ordered agreement so technically we have joint custody. She could keep her as long as she wanted. She doesn't have to let me see her. At least not without a visitation agreement."

"You could do the same."

"I'm hoping she doesn't do that." I drank the rest of my wine and set the glass aside. "Now that Lilliana will be at Oakley's, we can focus on our relationship."

Blake angled her body so that she was facing me. "How so?"

"We can spend some time together in public acting like boyfriend and girlfriend." I was more than a little worried about living with Blake without Lilliana as a buffer. Would I be able to keep my hands to myself?

"We'll go on dates," Blake said, and I couldn't read her tone. "Let everyone know we're together."

"Have you had a chance to explore the island?" I asked her.

"I was living in Ft. Myers and commuting here to nanny for Cooper and Ivy, so I didn't have the time to do much more."

I nodded. "We'll rectify that then."

"That would be nice."

I stretched my neck and asked, "When are you going back to school?"

Her forehead wrinkled. "I'm not sure. I've done a lot of interning in various therapy offices. I enjoy it, but we're not always allowed to use whatever methods we want. We're usually stuck with whatever the owner of the practice wants to offer."

"What methods would you want to use?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"I really want to offer art therapy, and I worked in one practice in New England that provided it. It was amazing, but they didn't have any permanent positions. So I returned to Florida to continue the program. But I haven't been able to find anything similar."

"Do you need to finish your doctorate to open an art-therapy office?"

Blake's eyes widened. "I'd have to go back and take more art classes too. I don't have enough."

"You have a lot to consider."

"Right now, I needed a break to think about what I wanted to do, and I love nannying."

"If you need anything, let me know. I'm happy to help."

Her shoulders drew close to her ears. "I've actually thought about offering classes. I have to do more research. And what if no one is interested? What if no one signs up?"

"I guess that's a possibility, but I have a feeling if you wanted to teach an art class, you'd get people who were interested. Were you thinking of offering it to kids or adults?"

"I think I'd start with kids and see how it goes. My main concern is that I don't have an art degree."

"What do you want to do? I've always enjoyed working in the construction business with my family. I can't imagine doing anything else."

She leaned back slightly and said, "I want to reach people with art. I've seen the results with kids I nanny, but I wonder how much I can do."

"Have you thought about where you'd do these classes?"

She shook her head. "I don't have a space, and with these school loans hanging over my head, I won't have money for that. I should go back to school, finish my degree, work for a while, and then think about opening a business. It's just whenever I think about waiting, I die a little inside."

"I think you have your answer about what you want to do."

Blake nodded. "I want to teach art to kids. It's the how I don't know yet."

I felt good that I was able to help her reach that conclusion. I might have been able to see it more easily than her, but I guided her to the right solution. There were logistical issues, but at least she knew what she wanted to do going forward.

"Right now, I'm happy helping you with Lilliana. I feel like it's where I'm supposed to be."

"I'm happy you're here. I don't know if I'd be doing as good without your guidance." The way she handled Oakley when she came to the door was masterful. I was so used to doing everything on my own. My family supported me, but they weren't here when I had to deal with Oakley.

"I'm sure you'd be fine. But it's nice to be here to support you and Lilliana."

"While Lilliana is at Oakley's, we can work on those shelves to hold her canvases and the ones in your room. Then we'll make sure to be seen around town as a couple."

"Everything will work out," Blake said, and I hoped she was right.

I couldn't imagine a life without Lilliana in it. Now that I'd gotten a chance to be her father, I wasn't ready to give it up. I wanted to be the man in her life, the one she could count on.

I was starting to feel the same way about Blake, but she wasn't here to stay. She could leave at any point to continue her education. This situation was temporary, and I'd have to make the most of it.