She barely had a moment to panic before Casey had her in the kitchen standing just inches away from a tense Jake and an obviously angry but beautiful woman who had to be Chris. Of course, the mother of his child would look like a supermodel. Should I have expected anything less? She had the kind of flowing locks that women paid big money to achieve with hair extensions. It was also readily apparent that she spent a lot of time in a gym, no doubt with a personal trainer. Plus, her makeup was flawless and her features would have been beautiful if not for the scowl currently marring her face.

   “Daddy, look what I found in your bedroom!” Casey’s voice seemed to reverberate around the kitchen, causing the adults to stiffen.

   Chris put her hands on her designer jean–clad hips and hissed, “For God’s sake, Jake, really? You’ve just been standing here telling me how important it is to set a good example for our daughter, and you have some tramp in your bedroom the whole time?”

   The word “tramp” registered with Casey almost immediately, and Lydia winced as the little girl began pointing frantically to her feet. “She let me wear her ramps, Mommy! She had them on, but now I got them.” Then she wrinkled her little nose and added, “But I don’t think she got skates.”

   Lydia knew she should be angry at the insult from Chris, but she was so horrified to be stuck in the middle of this train wreck that all she could do was stand stock-still while it played out before her. To her amazement, laughter boomed through the air and Jake bent over, holding his side. “Ramps? What the heck does that mean?”

   Chris sniffed indignantly. “She’s referring to the type of women you’ve dragged into your house. The one who is presently standing beside my impressionable daughter!”

   Jake stood there for a moment as if doing the math in his head before her insult finally got through to him. He seemed to lose all of his mirth as his jaw hardened. “Christina, this conversation is hardly appropriate for Casey. And the fact that you’ve used that word around her before completely boggles the mind.”

   Lydia had no experience with parenting, but still she felt that Jake and Chris should be having this discussion elsewhere. They might not have noticed it, but their daughter was watching them with rapt attention. So Lydia squared her shoulders and cleared her throat uneasily. When she had everyone’s attention, she looked at Casey pointedly before turning back to Jake and Chris. “If you don’t mind, I thought I could go into the other room with Casey and watch television.” Anything loud enough to block the sound of their bickering, she thought, but didn’t verbalize it.

   “Absolutely not!” Chris snapped out. The other woman might be beautiful on the outside, but the sneer on her face and the contempt in her voice made her very ugly to Lydia at that moment. She stalked over to her daughter and gritted out, “Take those shoes off, Casey. We’re leaving now.”

   Obviously, Casey noticed the tone of her mother’s voice and wisely didn’t argue. Instead, she slid her small feet from Lydia’s shoes, and then bent down to pick them up. “Thank you for letting me wear your ramps,” she whispered politely.

   “You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Lydia said softly, feeling anguish for the little girl. This child, like so many, didn’t deserve to be caught in the war that raged between her parents. She shouldn’t have to worry about anything more important than her next tea party or learning new things at school. She glanced quickly at her mother, before bolting across the room and connecting with her father’s leg.

   He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. Lydia was certain she saw moisture in his eyes as he buried his face in his daughter’s soft curls. “Daddy loves you, baba. I’ll see you real soon, okay?”

   “Must you insist on calling her that?” Chris huffed out, before stepping over to Jake and taking a reluctant Casey in her arms for a brief second before putting her on her feet. “Let’s go find your shoes.” The kitchen was dead silent as they each seemed to be waiting for them to either reappear or for the sound of the door closing. A few minutes later, a slam reverberated through the house and Jake slumped around the bar.

   “I’m sorry, Lydia. That should have never happened in front of you or Casey. I didn’t tell her about our marriage today for the very same reason. I figured I’d talk to her while Casey was at school one day this week. But she dropped by unannounced this morning in a foul mood. I tried to hold my tongue to keep it from escalating, but even that pissed her off. When you and Casey walked in the kitchen, she was looking for a reason to blow and she got it. She’s angry over the joint custody papers I filed and she’s in my face at every opportunity about it. I’m not sure what she hopes to gain from these impromptu visits. The only bright spot is getting to see Casey, even though it’s unexpected.”

   Lydia walked toward him and laid a hand on his arm. “It’s all right,” she replied. “I shouldn’t have come into the room when I knew she was here.” Giving him an amused look, she added, “But your daughter doesn’t take no for an answer very easily. She towed and I followed.”

   Jake chuckled then put his other hand over hers. She bit her lip to keep from moaning at the feel of his warm skin beneath her hand. Touching him probably hadn’t been the best idea. “She is a lot like her father in that respect. I also apologize about the whole ramp-tramp thing. It’s beyond my comprehension why Chris would say that in front of her. Trust me, that conversation is far from over.”

   Worried, Lydia asked, “Do you think us being married is really going to help your case? She seemed so . . . hostile today. I’m afraid that it will just make her worse.”

   Looking disgusted, he shook his head. “Oh, undoubtedly it will make Chris more of a bitch than usual. She set all of this into motion, though, with her absurd demands.” When the door slammed once again, they both stared at each other in shock. “What the hell?” Jake retorted as he pulled away from her to see who their visitor was. He’d barely rounded the corner when the reappearance of his now grinning daughter brought him to an abrupt halt.