Page 10 of Healing Hope

“I love the zoo,” Jess commented, “and the last time I was here there was a pregnant elephant. I wonder if she had her baby...”

“She did,” Hope whispered from the back, barely audible. “A boy. And the baby’s name is Ma-kiya. I can’t say it right.”

Jess turned in her seat. “Really? Oh, maybe we can go see him while I’m here.”

Paul watched in the rearview mirror as Hope shrugged. He could see the excitement in her expression, though.

They drove back to the house, and he tried to point out some landmarks for Jess. Her apartment was out east, and she’d admitted that she wasn’t familiar with this part of the city. “I can smell the sea, though,” she’d said with a charming smile.

She had a very pretty smile.

After he parked the truck, they all helped carry the groceries in. “Hope, I bet Sophie has to go potty,” Paul told her. “Can you take her out?”

Nodding her dark head, Hope took off to retrieve her little dog from the laundry room, where she’d been secured while they’d been at the store. The two ran through the kitchen and out the back patio doors, the little dog yipping playfully and Hope giggling.

“Does she only react like that to the dog?” Jess asked, glancing at him.

He gave her an ironic look. “Yeah, pretty much. As soon as she saw that dog, there was nothing else for her. She was determined to have it, and Erin swears the dog will be good for her.”

Jess shrugged, but somehow the movement was elegant. “It already is, right?”

He made a face. “I suppose,” he sighed. “If you want to get something to drink, we can go out onto the patio and talk about rules.”

Jess widened her eyes theatrically. “Oh, goody!”

Paul wanted to smack her pert ass as she walked in front of him, and he was shocked at the thought. It wasn’t like him to have responses like that.

* * *

Jess settledat the wooden teakwood table, a glass of ice water in front of her. The sun was still creeping up into the sky, so they were sitting in the shade. She could tell that in about an hour it would be full sun and probably hotter than hell back here, even with the pergola overhead. Paul paid for landscapers. Or he had an amazing green thumb. The flowers were lush and beautiful and feminine, but there was nothing out here for a child.

Paul settled across from her, his own glass of water he pulled from the fridge immediately developing condensation on the outside. He took a big swig, Adam’s Apple moving in the column of his throat. Then his head tipped forward, and his gaze met hers.

Jess was a very sensual person. She loved unique fabrics and bright colors, and wasn’t offended to be called Bohemian. Because she kinda was. Nothing rattled her, per se, and she could always find the beauty in everything. Or create her own.

She found certain men incredibly delicious. And though she normally went for the beach boy/ playboy type, there was something about Paul Jameson’s ruggedness that was pegging her dial. He definitely had it in the looks department, big and broad and striking, though he was a little uptight for her. Or maybe that was the appeal. Maybe she wanted to ruffle him up. His hair was slicked back from his face and shorn close to his head, and it had the look of potential curls. His beard was thick and dark, and she wondered if it was as soft as it appeared.

When she took jobs for Carolina, she did the job she was supposed to do, but that didn’t curb her enjoyment of life. Carolina thought she slept with every man Jess came across, which was not correct, but she saw nothing wrong with enjoying what the human body could do occasionally, if both parties were willing.

“That red Jeep is yours out front, correct?”

Jess blinked, focusing on Paul’s face. “It is.”

“Do you have a child-seat?”

Jess gave him a look. “Since I don’t have children, no,” she murmured.

He nodded, like that was the expected answer. “You can use mine out of the truck for now. Although I don’t know how much you’ll be going out.”

Jess glanced at the beautiful, yet barren, yard. “I expect we’ll be going out a lot. You might want to invest in some kind of play set for her. Or a pool. This is California. You should have a pool. I’m surprised the house didn’t come with one.”

Paul frowned. “A play set is more likely than a pool, sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s your daughter. Does she like to read? Color? I know a little about her food preferences now, but does she have any allergies or take prescriptions?”

Shaking his head, he leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table. “No allergies that I know of and no prescriptions. I took her to the doctor and dentist as soon as she moved with me, and we have a follow-up dental appointment in a couple weeks. As for books, well, she likes the pictures, but she doesn’t want me to read to her.”

Jess shifted in her chair. “Hm. That’s a little odd. I’ll see what I can do.”