Prodigal Daughter
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 15
Weeks passed, and things set in a comfortable routine. Having Elise around the house was going much smoother than he had imagined. She was a terrible housekeeper, but she and Justin got along extremely well.
Marshall also enjoyed Elise’s company. She was witty and sharp, sometimes achingly vulnerable when he least expected it. There was something about her that made him smile.
Marshall stopped back at the house to see if the lawyer had returned his call. He and Justin had done the DNA test and Marshall had asked his lawyer to fill the necessary paperwork to have his parental rights restored. He wanted things locked up, nice and tight, with all the legalities taken care of.
He didn’t imagine anyone would contest his request, and he was cautiously optimistic, but he’d feel better when everything was said and done, and no one could ever take Justin away from him.
Marshall headed toward the living room to find Elise and confirm the lawyer hadn’t called.
Elise was on the floor, playing with Justin’s stuffed animals. Which was sweet and good and all of that, but Elise hadn’t adjusted her wardrobe for babysitting. She was wearing an incredibly short white skirt. Lying on her stomach, propped on her elbows, she was all long legs. Her backside was barely covered, and he could see the little curve of her ass—tight and tempting as hell.
He was in trouble. He instantly had a woody. He didn’t dare call attention to himself then. She’d turn and be eye level with his tented jeans. Concentrating on relaxing his body from the shoulders on down, Marshall tried not to look at any part of Elise. Especially her ass, which was so firm and curvy, and wiggling a little as she used her arms to maneuver the animals around, and ... and damn, he was staring at it again.
Justin sat up, dropping his lion on the carpet. “I’ll be right back. I have to pee.”
He saw Marshall as he stood up, and said, “Hi,” before heading down the hall.
Elise rolled onto her side and glanced over at him. “Hey, big boy. How was your day in the fields? Are you done for today?”
“My day was fine. And no, I’m not done, yet. I just came in to see if anyone called for me. I’m expecting a call from the lawyer.”
“No one called that I’m aware of. But we’ve been busy with Justin. Maybe I didn’t hear the phone ring.”
She propped her head up, blonde strands spilling over her shoulder and her tight tank-top riding up. Elise was tall, long, and lean, and there was a lot of skin showing right then. It didn’t take much imagination to picture what she’d look like totally naked, lying on the floor like that, a small smile on her face.
Temptation was growing by the second, and he had to stay strong. He could not get involved with Elise. It would be a distraction he didn’t need, when he needed all his brains and emotion focused on his son.
“Having fun with Justin?”
“Yep. He is a great kid. He has a huge imagination.”
“I used to play with GI Joe when I was his age. And a lot of times, I just played in the fields.” His childhood, when he came to the farm, had been one of both utter-wild-outdoor freedom and farming responsibilities.
“GI Joe is sexy. We should get one of those for Justin.”
“Sexy? Really? Isn’t a soldier a bit too rough, uncultivated for a woman like you?”
“Sometimes, a woman wants a real man, one who could protect her from danger with his bare hands. One who could just pick her up off her heels and carry her to his bed,” Elise said, with dreamy eyes.
Marshall would love to be that man for Elise. Before he could think of a reply Justin ran back into the room.
“Have fun with Justin. I need to head back to the field.” Marshall backed up and tried to beat a fast retreat.
“I’ll let you know if the lawyer calls.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll stand in the yard and wave a scarf or something so you can see me. You know, communication would be a lot easier if you’d just get used to take your phone with you.”
Marshall gave Elise a grin. “But then I wouldn’t get to see you standing in the yard waving a scarf.”
Elise gave a healthy snort.
Marshall Tucker was a mystery to Elise. He was happy, in a way that Elise had never been. Doctor Dick had given her everything in the world money could buy, but she hadn’t figured out how to make herself happy. She had faked to be happy just as she had faked everything else. She longed for someone to care about her, love her, in the way that Marshall cared about Justin. Or her father cared about his daughters. Or Bonnie Tucker cared about Marshall.
Maybe her ex-husband had loved her like this, but she never gave him a chance. At that time, she was too wrapped up in herself.
Justin was easy to love. He was quiet, respectful, eager to please, compassionate, and sincere. He had seen too much, heard even more, and known pain that an eight-year-old shouldn’t. Yet his old soul marched side by side with youthful innocence, and Elise was getting attached to him. If she did one useful thing in her life, bringing security to Justin’s world would be it.
Elise grabbed Milo and asked the boy, “Why did you remove the lion’s mane?”
“To make it look like me,” he said.
Elise frowned. “What do you mean?”
Justin looked away, hesitated. Then he locked eyes with Elise. “Can I tell you a secret?” he said in a ragged whisper.
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