Free The Great Bedroom War by Laurie Kellogg Page A

have a chance to be alone with Dani.”
    “Ahhh.” Sam nodded. “If she thinks we like him, she’ll decide she doesn’t.”
    “That’s the general idea.” He jerked his thumb toward the kids. “Go invite Ryan to stay for supper while I unpack the SUV.”
    Sam’s posture stiffened again. Evidently, she had no clue that he planned to move back into the house.
    ~*~
    “Unpack?” Sam did a double take at Nick, praying she’d misunderstood. “You don’t actually think you’re staying here ?”
    A nonchalant shrug accompanied his well-duhhh-of-course scowl. “How else am I supposed to spend more time with Dani?”
    “I assumed you’d be renting an apartment in the area.”
    “And how would that improve my relationship with her? Our daughter made it clear this summer she doesn’t want to waste her precious time visiting me. We need to live together.”
    “Absolutely not!” Sam slashed the air with her hand. “You are not moving back in.”
    “You’re the one who insisted our daughter is starved for my affection, and is”—Nick looked pointedly over at Ryan—“about to give it all up to some guy. You can’t have it both ways, Abejita .” He cocked his head and lifted one eyebrow. “Unless....you want to move out and give me custody of Dani.”
    Right. She could imagine how good that would be for a sick child. “And let you feed her doughnuts and pizza for breakfast and dinner? I think not.”
    “Then I guess it boils down to how important our daughter’s welfare is to you. Are you willing to put her needs before your own?”
    Nothing like manipulating her with a little mother’s guilt.
    “And if you recall,” Nick continued, “I have as much right to live here as you, seeing as this place is still half mine, and I’ve been paying the mortgage.”
    “I didn’t ask you—”
    “And I didn’t want to watch the bank foreclose on my daughter’s home,” he added in a patronizing tone, no doubt meant to remind her how dependent she still was on him.
    Dani had been only a baby the first time they’d driven by the house. One look and Sam had fallen in love. The old Victorian reminded her of the dollhouse her dad had built for her. The divorce settlement had left her and Nick co-owners, but it had also mandated she was responsible for any bills aside from major house repairs and improvements.
    “If you recall, I also covered your share of the house’s paint job last spring.”
    Without the money to buy Nick out, all she could do was call his bluff. “Maybe Dani and I should move into an apartment I can afford. Then you can live here.”
    “No way! You’re crazy about this house. And I don’t want my daughter living in some hovel or sitting home every weekend because you can’t afford gas.”
    “Oh, pardon me. I forgot I was dealing with the all powerful hombre , Don Nicolás. Oh, wait!” She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest to underscore her sarcasm. “I just remembered. We’re not married anymore. What you want isn’t a concern to me.”
    “Look, Sammy-Bee, pull in your stinger. I don’t want to argue about the same old crap. Accept the inevitable. You can either reimburse me, or let me move back in.”
    “That’s blackmail.”
    “Call it whatever you like. But any judge would consider it simple quid pro quo . I’m more than happy to continue helping financially, but you need to reciprocate my generosity with some of that neighborly hospitality you claim to enjoy, living in a small town.”
    She could threaten to take her chances in court, but the last thing she needed was to be sued for over a year’s worth of back mortgage payments and taxes. She didn’t have much choice but to agree to let Nick stay. “Okay, but just for now. And I expect you to start looking for your own place, ASAP.”
    As he sauntered toward his SUV, he flashed a self-satisfied grin over his shoulder “Yeah. I’ll get right on that,” he agreed, and then muttered just barely loud enough for