I fished out the dang clamoring cell phone, cursing under my breath at the sight of Jerry’s desk phone number displayed on the screen. That man had the worst timing. Well, second to Cooper.
I hit the accept button, swallowing the frustration left over from not getting to finish what Doc started. “Good morning, Jerry.”
A minute later, I disconnected and tossed my phone back into my purse. “I have to go. Jerry is having an early staff meeting over at Bighorn Billy’s and forgot to let me know ahead of time.”
“I heard.” Doc was sitting on the edge of the desk next to where I stood. “We need to talk about your ex some more soon.”
“I’d rather talk about toe fungus in excessive detail.”
He handed me my coffee, which I finished off. “I think you need to make the next move before Rex corners you.”
“I agree.” I set my empty cup down and leaned my hip against his desk, fishing in my purse for my lip gloss. “That’s why I asked you about making a move … as in down to Mexico. Have I told you about my sex on the beach fantasy?”
A hint of a smile crossed his lips. “That’s not very original.”
“Did I mention the Blue Lagoon outfit I’d be wearing? You know, the raggedy, thin white see-through shirt that doesn’t quite cover my ta-tas?”
“You’re going braless in this fantasy?”
I found the lip gloss. “Of course. No underclothes to be found up top or down below.” I twisted up some raspberry gloss. “And there’s a big hammock we’d be sharing while I’m wearing this sexy outfit.”
I stared up into his eyes as I covered my lips with gloss, taking my time to really coat them well.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Damn it, Boots. Quit trying to distract me with thoughts about you, me, and a hammock.”
I wiggled my eyebrows at him. “What are you wearing in your version of this fantasy? In mine, I have you in nothing but a sexy loincloth.”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “A loincloth?”
“Oh, yeah. If I close my eyes, I can see it flapping in the warm ocean breeze.” I tossed my lip gloss back in my purse. “I do worry, though, about you and all of those holes in the hammock macramé. Something could get bent out of shape if we’re not careful.”
He chuckled. “Nothing will bend if you’re wearing that outfit sans underclothing. I’m more concerned about falling out of the hammock from too much rocking and rolling. Those things can flip on you in a blink.”
I glanced southward, admiring his anatomy. “We should test that sometime—first you on top, then me.”
He took a sip of his coffee, heating me up with his stare over the rim. After he swallowed, he set his cup down. “Are you done trying to distract me now?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
He caught my hand, lacing my fingers with his. “I had a thought this morning about your ex.”
“Did it involve my mace and a deep mine shaft?”
He shook his head slowly, his brow tightening. “It involved taking away his trump card.”
“What does that mean?”
He hesitated long enough that my stomach fluttered. “You could tell the kids the truth.”
I stilled. “What truth?”
He held my stare. “The one about him being their father.”
My cheeks flashed hot along with everything below my neck. “That bastard is not their ‘father.’ That word implies love and support.”
“Fine. Their sperm donor.”
“No.” I tried to pull free of his hand, but he held tight.
“It’s just an idea.”
“Absolutely not.” How could he even suggest it?
“It would eliminate the damned threat he keeps holding over your head.”
“No, Doc. I don’t think you understand the upheaval that admission would cause for all involved.” I tried to tug free again, but he wouldn’t have it.
“Stop trying to pull away from me, Violet. We’re just having a discussion.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like the topic, so let’s change it.”
He tugged me closer, cinching his arms around me to hold me still when I struggled. “Do the kids even know if he’s alive or dead?”
“No, and they stopped asking me about that years ago.”
“That might be true, but they still think about him.”
I reared my head, frowning up at him. He sounded very certain. “How do you know that?”
“Because Layne mentioned his father last night when I was helping get the kids settled in bed.”
My heart pounded. “What? Why?” Had Rex already moved forward on his threat to talk to my kids?
“He wanted to know what would happen to me if his dad returned looking for you three.”
I cringed at any discomfort that might have spurred in Doc. Layne and he had only somewhat recently come to a truce on the man-of-the-house issue. “What did you say?”
“I told him that I wasn’t going anywhere as far as I was concerned. That I was there for him and Addy and you, period.”
Doc had said that? My eyes grew a little watery. “And how did he react to that?”
“Fine. He moved on to asking me about Poseidon’s trident.”
Whew! I relaxed in his arms, blinking several times. “Okay, so Rex hasn’t actually reached out to the kids.”
“Not yet.” He tucked a loose curl that had escaped my chignon behind my ear. “But one of these days …”
“I won’t let that day come.”
“You can’t shield them forever.”
“Maybe not, but I can for now, and there’s no way that dickhead gets to be any kind of father to them, even if it’s just a figurehead. He gave up that right when he left us high and dry.”
“Violet …” he began, two vertical lines forming between his dark eyebrows.
“I mean it, Doc. We have to think of some other way to remove Rex as a threat, because sacrificing my children’s hearts is not an option.”
Someone knocked on the front door.
“Your client’s here,” I said more quietly. “And I have to go.” I took Doc’s face
