Page 9 of Summer Fling (The Kingston Brothers #5)

I was surprised to see Oakley. "Can I help you?"

Her mouth tightened, and she tried to look past me. "I'm here for Lilliana."

That made me pause. "I don't remember Dalton saying that you'd be picking her up tonight."

She rolled her eyes. "She's my daughter. I can have her whenever I want."

"Right now, she's eating her dinner. Then she'll have her bath, and go to bed," I said, trying to rack my brain for what I should do in this situation.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I know her bedtime routine. What do you think I am, stupid?"

"Of course not?—"

I felt Dalton's presence at my back before I turned my head. He was standing close enough that I could smell his shower-fresh scent.

"You didn't say you were coming over tonight." His voice was gruff.

I was a little surprised that he was hesitating because, from what I'd gleaned about the situation, Dalton gave her back whenever Oakley wanted her.

Oakley dropped her arms, straightening. "I'm going out tonight. My friends want to see her."

"Where are you going?"

"Trader's."

"There's a bar there. Are you meeting them for drinks?" He held Lilliana, who watched the situation with interest. I noticed she didn't lean toward her mother like she did when Dalton came home.

"We're eating dinner. Since when do you care what I do with Lilliana during my time?"

"She shouldn't be shuttled back and forth, and she really doesn't need to go out tonight. It's her bedtime."

I held my hands out to Lilliana, who came easily. "I'll let her finish eating while you talk."

It seemed like the best thing to do. Surely, Lilliana could feel the tension between the adults, and it wasn't good for her to be in the middle of it.

I took Lilliana into the kitchen where I tried to listen to their conversation. I kept the baby in my lap and put her food in front of us. She played with the burrito pieces, and I was too distracted to encourage her to eat.

I didn't want her front and center to her parents fighting over her.

I didn't blame Dalton for taking a stand. It was odd that Oakley only wanted Lilliana when her family was around or she was out with her friends.

"I'm not going to let you take her out at this hour. You should have called earlier, and we could have discussed it."

"She's my daughter. You can't tell me what to do with her," Oakley said stubbornly.

"Right now, she's with me, and I want her to stick to a schedule. If you want her, call me later, and we can talk about a good time for you to take her. It would be easier if we had a schedule in place."

"I have sole custody of Lilliana. You can't keep her."

"There's no custody agreement. We both have rights to Lilliana. Right now, she's in my care, and I want to wait to move her until tomorrow. It's not a good idea to take her out late at night with friends," Dalton said carefully.

"You don't tell me what to do." Oakley's voice rose. "I'm going to call the police."

"I have a right to Lilliana. No officer will take her from me when you don't have a court order or a custody agreement."

Oakley screeched, and someone opened the door. I heard it close, and then I didn't hear any more talking. I cleaned up dinner and took Lilliana into the bathroom. I felt shaky after that encounter.

I couldn't believe that Dalton had to go through this all the time. I could see why he let her do what she wanted up until now. It was easier than fighting all the time. At least I was here to occupy Lilliana so they could hash it out.

Lilliana happily played with her toys, and I breathed deeply, trying to calm my nerves. But it seemed impossible. I wouldn't relax until Oakley was gone.

A few minutes later, Dalton appeared in the doorway, looking as harried as I felt.

"Sorry, I thought it would be a good idea to remove her from the situation," I said, lowering my voice.

He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, his gaze on Lilliana. "Oakley's gone now. I'm sure we'll need to schedule a time tomorrow to take Lil back. But I'll handle that. It's not your responsibility to deal with her mom."

"What should I do if she comes and you're not here?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I wouldn't answer the door. But if you can't avoid it, tell her to call me. That no decisions are made without me."

"I can do that. Did she say anything more about me being here?"

"No, but I have a feeling she will. She said she was talking to her lawyer again."

"She's said that before though, right?"

"Yeah, but I've never stood up to her like this. Then again, she never said she was taking Lil out to a restaurant at this time of night. Technically she can do whatever she wants with her when she's in her custody. But right now, she's in mine. And I don't think it's a good idea."

I sighed. "You need a schedule."

He nodded, pushing off the doorframe and coming farther into the room. "I think it's worth the risk to fight for one."

The risk was that a judge would give him less time than he had now. But Oakley shouldn't just show up at his door demanding Lilliana. "I think so too."

"Do you mind if I take over?" Dalton asked, kneeling on the bath mat.

"Of course not," I said, brushing off my legs and standing up.

Dalton didn't say anything more, and I had a feeling he just needed to be with his daughter. He was probably as unsettled as I was.

I sensed that this was a preview of things to come. Oakley wouldn't give up without a fight, and I wasn't sure what that would mean for me.

I was growing more protective of Lilliana and Dalton. It was a dangerous situation because I liked him more each day. I admired how he was with his daughter and how he handled Oakley's demands. I had no right to feel this way though.