To his amazement, MacKenzie beckoned him forward. Without conscious thought, Jake moved towards them. When he reached the bed, his attention was snagged by a sound that he would not soon forget. Noelle was looking directly at him, and was emitting a belly laugh that wouldn’t have been out of place on a woman twenty times her age. Looking back at MacKenzie as if for confirmation of what he was hearing, Jake was met by her laughter added to Noelle’s and a shrug.
“I don’t know why you’re looking at me; she’s never done that before.” MacKenzie managed to get out around her fit of giggles.
The sound of their merriment was infectious and his deep laughter soon mingled with theirs. Giving no thought to his actions, Jake kicked off his shoes and joined them on the bed. Resting on his side, a hand supporting his head, Jake stared down at the laughing child.
Noelle’s response to his presence was irresistible to Jake. Before he knew it, he was cooing and making silly noises, all because the baby seemed to enjoy it. Then he was touching her, rubbing a finger against her cheek, over her hair that he could tell was going to be as red as her mother’s. Unconsciously, he also searched for any sign of freckles that were so much a part of MacKenzie’s face.
When MacKenzie’s laughter ceased, Jake didn’t know. At some point during his absorption with Noelle, he had become the center of MacKenzie’s attention. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jake knew he should probably be feeling self-conscious, but nothing could have been further from the truth. He felt wonderful. His girls were safe and where they should be. When he had begun to think of them as his girls, he didn’t know, nor did he question the term. They were his, Noelle already knew it, and now all he had to do was convince her mother.
When MacKenzie’s words drifted towards him, he met them with a dimpled smile. “I think she likes you.”
“Of course she does. I told you before; I’m pretty much irresistible, and Noelle knows it. Once I get her mother to admit it, my work will be done.” Jake’s look was one of fake expectation as though he were waiting for MacKenzie to confirm his words.
The response he received was nothing more than he had expected.
“Get over yourself, Jacob!”
That MacKenzie rolled her eyes didn’t bother him in the slightest. He knew what he wanted, and they were right here beside him on the bed. He also knew that nothing would stop him from having them in his life, for the rest of their lives. All MacKenzie needed was time, and he was prepared to give her as much of it as she felt she needed; she just didn’t need to know that.
All signs of playfulness left Jake’s face as he held MacKenzie’s gaze. He wanted her to know that his next words carried with them a wealth of seriousness. “You’re worth it MacKenzie, so I’ll wait. Just remember that I won’t wait forever.”
Unable to maintain eye contact at the solemnity of his words, MacKenzie seemed to take the easy way out and transferred her attention back to her daughter. That she hadn’t come back at him with a snappy response spoke volumes. To him, her silence suggested that she had heard and understood him. For now, that was enough.
Looking at her bent head for a while longer, Jake also transferred his attention back to the now quiet Noelle. When his gaze alighted on the baby, he found that she was still looking directly at him. If it were possible, Jake’s heart swelled even more in reaction to the look of complete innocent acceptance that was reflected back at him. One last sleepy smile, and Noelle’s eyes began to close as she drifted off to sleep.
Unable to take his eyes from the child, Jake watched her until the flutter of her eyes became still. Only then did he look at MacKenzie. To his surprise she too was fast asleep. It had been an eventful day that seemed to have taken its toll on her. That she was comfortable to relinquish her control to find rest with him lying beside her and her child resonated with him.
Reaching for the comforter that rested at the foot of the bed, Jake pulled it up and covered their bodies. Stretching out his long powerful, yet gentle arm, he first ran his palm over the tuft of hair on Noelle’s head before moving on. Next, his hand rested, on MacKenzie’s cheek with a delicate touch so as not to awaken her; he moved on to her waist where his hand came to rest.
Pulling in a deep breath, Jake slowly inhaled. To his astonishment, as he exhaled with contentment, MacKenzie’s breath exactly matched his own.
**********
MacKenzie wanted to return to her home now that her daughter was once again with her. Jake had tried to talk her out of it. As he was dealing with a strong willed woman, he had allowed her to attempt to leave the Kingdom mansion. Once near the gate and faced with a throng of paparazzi, MacKenzie had retreated back to the house.
In the meantime, he hadn’t been idle, he had been using his time to find out as much as he could about what was currently going on with Carlos. Completely caught up with his investigations, he didn’t give much thought as to why Jason also seemed immersed in his own research.