Sunset on Moonlight Beach - Sheila Roberts Page 0,12

be over the moon to have you with us. Come on down weekend after this and tell her.”

“All right,” Mel said.

Meanwhile, this weekend would be a quiet one with her daughter gone. Damien would be showing up to haul Sabrina away to spend time with his family.

Jenna could hardly wait until her daughter’s graduation. Seth was fixing up a car Jenna had found through a private seller, and once Sabrina had her own wheels, she’d be able to drive to Seattle to see her dad, and there’d be no shuttling her back and forth, which would give Jenna a break from having to see Damien.

He arrived to pick Sabrina up late Friday afternoon, wearing jeans and a suede jacket over a stylish white shirt, loafers on his feet. No socks, even though it was cold. His hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck in a short ponytail and he looked ready for a photo shoot for GQ. He was still long and lean and beautiful.

Snakes were long and lean, too.

Jenna had been doing some paperwork in her little massage room. She’d heard the knock on the front door and had come out to answer in time to see Aunt Edie opening it.

“Oh, it’s you,” Aunt Edie said, looking him up and down with disgust, as if his arrival was an unpleasant surprise.

Aunt Edie was sweet as caramels, but she did have a feisty side, and she had no problem bearing a grudge against anyone who hurt her family.

“I came to pick up Sabrina,” he said.

“Sabrina, your mother’s ex-husband is here to kidnap you,” Aunt Edie called up the stairs. Then she shut the door in his face.

“Aunt Edie,” Jenna chided.

Even though he didn’t deserve to be invited in, he was Sabrina’s father. For her daughter’s sake she needed to stay civil.

“We can’t leave him standing out there on the porch.” In spite of the fact that the idea of Damien standing in the cold March rain was an appealing one.

“Why not? It’s covered.”

“He is Sabrina’s father, so for her sake?”

Aunt Edie gave a snort of disgust and marched off toward the kitchen. “Don’t let him sit down. He’s all wet.”

Jenna opened the door and let the viper inside. He was, indeed, wet, water dripping off his nose. She didn’t ask him to sit down.

“I don’t like her,” he said, nodding to where Aunt Edie had disappeared down the hall.

“That’s okay. She doesn’t like you, either.”

“She’s got a mean side. I hope you’re still in the will.”

Jenna’s hackles went up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “Only that you ought to get something out of all this.”

Like she was some kind of buzzard, waiting around for her aunt to die. She knew who the buzzard was. If she inherited anything while she was still paying spousal support, Damien would be right there with his beautifully sculpted, greedy hands held out, asking for more.

“I already do get something out of all this. I get a place to stay so I can afford to pay you,” she said, smiling over clenched teeth.

That brought a scowl. “I was within my rights.”

“Legally, but not morally, and you know it.” Yep, being civil. She waved away the resentment. “Never mind.” Only a year to go and he’d have to stop leeching off of her. “Have you sold any more pieces?” The last big commission he’d been promised had fallen through. He was doing art shows and occasionally selling a piece, but so far he wasn’t making any kind of splash in the art world. Not even so much as a drop. Unrecyclable detritus was his medium. Junk to art, made by a man who was human junk.

At least he was making an effort at being a good dad.

Sort of. If not for his parents wanting to see Sabrina, how much would she see him? Really?

“Some,” he said in answer to Jenna’s question.

A nice, evasive answer.

“Hi, Daddy.” Sabrina came bounding down the stairs, her backpack slung over one shoulder, a smile on her face. How quick children were to forgive their parents.

He ditched the frown he’d had for Jenna and gave his daughter an answering smile. “Ready to go?”

“Yep,” she said. Then, to Jenna, “I’ll see you Sunday.” She gave Jenna a quick hug and was out the door.

Damien turned to follow her.

“Don’t forget,” Jenna began.

He held up a hand to stop her. “I know already. Back by early evening. Jeez, Jenna.”

“Just making sure we’re on the same page,” she said in her own