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Daisy wracked her mind, trying to come up with her own excuse that would save her from accepting his offer. Hiking, camping, or doing anything nature-related, had never been a favorite activity of hers. It was what had sold her on this vacation in the first place—knowing that the Vaughns’ home would be anything but rustic.
Her idea of vacation was sitting by the pool—or lakeside—with a good book and an ice tea, or a margarita, if she was really feeling decadent. A spa trip with a full massage would be the only thing that could top that fantasy.
She sighed. That was why she was here, though. To give the kids a taste of Tahoe to take their minds off what they were missing. She glanced down at her shoes that already had the soles pulling away and a few holes where she could see her toes. Fortunately, the kids all had new, even if off-brand, shoes, since every extra penny went to making sure they had the basics. An occasional coffee from 7-Eleven was the only treat she allowed herself these days.
“Okay. But before we go, I want everyone to run to the house and use the bathroom and add another layer of sunscreen.”
This earned a few squeals of excitement as Natalie and Paul raced back to the house. Jenna followed at a slower pace, but she seemed to be interested in going, if only because she could play with Ollie, who was fast on her heels.
Lily, however, didn’t look as thrilled. “I thought the whole idea of this vacation was for you and me to spend time together, Dad. Why do we have to go with them?”
The girl looked truly hurt and immediately Daisy felt guilty for impinging. She knew that with Jack about to become governor, this alone time was valuable to them.
“I know, honey,” he said. “But they’ve never been here before, they don’t know what to expect. I thought we might make an adventure out of it for everyone. You and I will have some time alone together soon. I promise. In fact, there were a few things I wanted to talk to you about before we go. You don’t mind if Lily and I take a few minutes, do you?” he asked, turning to Daisy.
“Take your time,” she said, swatting at a mosquito that had landed on her arm. “We’ll be up at the house.”
Jack laughed. “You sound like you’re being sent to the gallows. It won’t be that bad, I promise. If you want, I can take them myself.”
Tempting. Seriously tempting, but she was here to spend time with her kids, not foist them on someone else. Plus, who knew what kind of trouble they might get into if she didn’t keep a watchful eye of them. She sighed. “It’s okay. I’ll suck it up. I wouldn’t want to miss the adventure.”
“It will be worth it. I promise,” he said in a softer tone that definitely sent her belly swirling in strange discomfort.
Lord. When she’d agreed to go along with this plan, her focus had been purely on coming up with a solution to the more pressing issue of protecting the kids. She had given little thought to what exactly spending every moment for the next week alongside this man was going to cost her. Or more specifically, what it was going to do to the carefully built wall she’d built around herself since Leo had left her.
Men weren’t supposed to be on her radar, least of all dangerously sexy men who she was expected to publicly call her own.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for her. And her heart.
Chapter Five
Why is there so much mud?
Taking a drink from the water bottle as she sat perched on the edge of a large boulder, Daisy glanced down at the pair of once semi-white shoes that were now hopelessly brown and soggy. Her kids’ shoes looked, not surprisingly, worse, but they didn’t seem worried.
“Keep drinking, kids. I don’t want you to get dehydrated.”
Crap. She was really out of shape. But unlike the other moms, who always were dressed in the trendiest yoga and workout clothes as they dropped off their kids at school and headed to the gym, Daisy was usually heading into work. She didn’t have the luxury of spending the morning taking Rumba or spinning classes.
“How much longer?” Paul asked as he bent down, tapping a rock with a stick.
Daisy glanced over to Jack, whose cell phone had managed to get service and was now speaking in hushed tones several yards away.
“Soon, I’m sure.”
Jenna and Lily actually seemed to be the most impatient of the bunch. Since the moment they’d left the beach, the two had battled silently for the front spot in the line, stopping short of shoving the other one aside—at least so far. Their competitiveness hadn’t eased when Natalie and Paul attached themselves to Lily, who as an older and worldlier thirteen, was something of a rock star in their eyes. And even though ordinarily Jenna wo
uld be relieved not to have her younger siblings hounding her, the opposite had happened, making her resent the teen more.
“We’re not that far from the beginning anyhow,” Lily said, making it clear to everyone her expertise.
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Duh.”
“Okay. We’re set to go,” Jack said, returning to the group.
“Everything okay?”
“Absolutely. However”—he cast a worried look toward his daughter—“it looks as if the officers assigned to our security detail just arrived at the house.”
