Page 4 of Summer Fling (The Kingston Brothers #5)

Chapter Three

Dalton

I felt better knowing that Blake was at my house taking care of my daughter. She'd be good for Lilliana. I suspected she'd be a steady presence while Oakley was an unpredictable hurricane.

She'd grounded me last night, giving me time to decompress after Oakley left. I felt steadier and stronger than I had in a long time.

If Blake hadn't stepped in, Oakley would have raged at me much longer, and it would have been harder for me to get her out of my house.

But Blake had taken charge in that quiet way she did where you didn't even know you were being handled.

Oakley barely remembered to threaten me with her attorney. Not that she had much of a case against me. I gave her child support every month based on the state calculation.

I wanted to ensure that Lilliana had everything she needed.

I left a message for Ashton early this morning, and his assistant returned my call, saying I could come by this afternoon. After lunch, I cleaned up as best I could and drove to his office.

When I arrived, his assistant ushered me. Behind his desk, his degrees were framed and hung, flanked by two large picture windows. The furniture was heavy, dark wood.

Ashton stood and shook my hand, then gestured for me to sit across from him. When I was settled, he asked, "What's going on?"

I clasped my hands on my lap. "I hired a live-in nanny to help me with Lilliana since Oakley drops her off whenever she wants."

He raised a brow. "You're still not on any kind of a schedule?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "No, and she doesn't give me any notice as to when she'll drop by."

Ashton pulled out a legal pad and a pen. "I assume you did your due diligence when you hired someone?"

"Blake’s taking a break from getting her doctorate in child psychology at the University of Florida.

She's worked multiple nanny jobs in the past and came highly recommended.

My brother hired her as a part-time nanny for Henry, and that's how I found out about her.

She's been around my family and Lilliana for over a year now. And she's not cheap."

"I assume it's easier to have her living with you since Oakley drops by whenever it's good for her?"

"I can't keep coming into work late or not at all. I want to see Lilliana, but I need to be reliable. My family has been understanding up to this point."

Ashton held up a hand. "I'm not saying you're making wrong choices."

"Oakley has this way of making me feel like everything I do is wrong, and she could go to a judge at any minute and get Lilliana removed from my care."

"I'm starting to wonder if that's even her goal, or it's the threat that's the point," Ashton remarked.

"Blake stepped in last night and was able to get her out of the house before she upset Lilliana. But not before she threatened to go to her attorney. Is there anything she could do about me having a nanny?"

Ashton chuckled. "I assume Oakley is jealous about you living with another woman. She's probably always held out hope that you'd come to your senses and go back to her."

"That's not going to happen." I ground my teeth together. I just wanted to co-parent our daughter.

"She doesn't know that," he said simply.

I sighed. "So what now?"

"Her attorney has already reached out to me to say that you're living with someone inappropriate, and that you should have discussed any babysitting arrangement with her first."

My brow furrowed. "If she had asked me about Blake in a normal tone of voice, I would have told her everything I said to you. I'm lucky to have Blake, and so is Lilliana."

"I imagine Oakley will continue to escalate as long as Blake is living with you."

"I was able to go to work on time for the first time in months today.

I'm not willing to let Blake go." There was another reason I didn't want to admit.

I liked Blake. Not only was she good for Lilliana, but I also suspected she would be good for me.

She was showing me another way to be with Oakley. I was eager to learn from her.

I'd been second-guessing myself for a while now, and Blake had given me peace of mind. I had a feeling if she stuck around, I'd be stronger when it came to Oakley. I wouldn't let her walk all over me, and maybe that was a good thing for me and Lilliana.

Ashton stood and braced his hands on the desk. "If you appear to be the stable option, a court will look favorably on you."

"I don't think I'm ready to go to court yet." Ashton had effectively scared me with his stories about other similar custody cases.

He started to pace. "This situation is untenable for you. Oakley's dropping Lilliana off whenever she wants to and picking her up when it's convenient for her. What if she drops her off at a jobsite?"

"She hasn't done that yet. She usually calls me, and I meet her wherever she is," I said carefully.

He paused and leveled me with a look. "I know you don't want to do this, but you have to set boundaries with her."

I grimaced. "I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize my time with Lilliana."

His secretary knocked and came in with a note. Ashton read it, then set it aside as his assistant closed the door softly behind her. "I get that, but you have to do this. If not now, it's just going to get worse."

I sighed, because on some level I knew he was right. I was delaying the inevitable.

He waved a hand. "The other issue is that you have a woman living with you."

"She's Lilliana's nanny," I said, my jaw tight, not liking him focusing on Blake.

"Oakley's not going to describe her that way."

"So what are you saying?" I asked, dread seeping into my gut.

"It would be better if she was your girlfriend or even your fiancée. Oakley couldn't complain about her living with you then."

"You're saying that I need to be engaged to my nanny?" I asked skeptically.

"I said it would help your situation. Then she's no longer your employee; she's the woman you're dating.

People would expect her to be in Lilliana's life, and her record is impeccable.

She's studying childhood psychology, and she's worked various nannying jobs where her past employers rave about her. "

"She's amazing." I knew that with her only being in my house for a day.

He sat in his chair to type something into the computer. "Why don't you think about it and get back to me? In the meantime, I can file this paperwork for custody and visitation. It will bring stability to your life."

"That sounds good."

Ashton pulled out his legal pad again. "Let's go over a few details about how things are going now. How often is Lilliana with you?"

"Oakley drops her off when she has to work, she's going out with friends, or has an appointment.

Honestly? I've stopped listening to her explanations.

I'm just happy to have my daughter. Oakley usually wants her back if her mother is visiting.

I think she wants the appearance of being a mother, but not any of the work.

" I was a little surprised that Oakley had lost interest in being a mother, but it allowed me to step up and be the father I wanted to be.

Ashton scribbled something on the pad and underlined it several times. "She's banking on you not wanting to go to court."

"What will happen if we go to court? As the mother, will she get full custody, and I'd be relegated to every other weekend? I like having more time with Lilliana."

"There's always a risk when you go to court. But there's a good chance that, before that happens, you could renegotiate a schedule that works for both of you."

"I'll think about it."

"In the meantime, why don't you work on setting boundaries around exchanges? If what she’s doing isn’t convenient for you, then let her know."

"What if she wants to take Lilliana, and it's our time?”

"Tell her it doesn't work for you. It's your time, and you have plans with Lilliana."

I stretched my neck, unsure if I would be able to do that. "You don't think she'll get mad?"

"I've found that people tend to follow boundaries when we set them," Ashton said firmly.

I knew he was frustrated with my hesitation. It was what I admired about him as an attorney. He didn't take shit from anyone, and I needed to do that too. "I hope you're right."

"If she calls and wants you to take Lilliana, your answer is always yes, and when she wants her back, make sure it's a convenient time for you. This will be an adjustment for both of you. Try to remain calm when you're explaining this change to Oakley. Don't let her get to you."

"I'll do my best." For the first time, I was seriously considering taking his advice.

"Keep your head up. This is where we want to be. She's relying on you for the majority of the caretaking. Now you have to emerge as the stable choice for Lilliana. You're building a home with Blake."

"If I convince Blake to be my fiancée, what do we do when the case is over?" I asked, genuinely curious about what he was thinking.

"You break up. Relationships end, but you do it in a mature, calm way. No drama. No mess."

That sounded ominous for some reason. "I'm not saying I can convince Blake of anything?—"

"If she wants to talk to me, I'd be happy to." He stood, and I knew our time was over.

"I appreciate you taking the time to go over this with me." The last few months, Ashton had doubled as my therapist. Was I doing the right thing?

Ashton shook my hand, and I headed out of the office, my head swimming. I could stand to be stronger when it came to Oakley, but how would she react if I said that Blake was my fiancée? She'd lose it, and I was afraid of the fallout.

There was no guarantee that Blake would even agree to my terms. In fact, I had a feeling she wouldn't. She was a psychology student after all. Ashton's plan was a little crazy. Who would go along with it?