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    Blended Blues
    Blended Blues
    Blended Blues
    Ebook169 pages3 hours

    Blended Blues

    By Tressie Lockwood

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Zakiyyah Watts lives life on her own terms. She loves to have a good time, and she works hard to be able to afford her lifestyle of never letting anything tie her down. Everything changes when she finds herself in court fighting for custody of her late twin sister's son. Kiyyah never wanted to be a mom. She doesn't know what it's like to have a family that's always there.

    In walks Cameron Dean, sheriff of a small town and ranch owner. The rigid and uncompromising single dad can't understand a woman like Kiyyah. She's irresponsible, and she reminds Cam of his ex-wife, who abandoned him and their young daughter. Despite knowing Kiyyah could never make a good mother, Cam decides the best way to care for the baby is to share custody with Kiyyah.

    Cam didn't count on how much of a temptation Kiyyah is. She's wild and beautiful, stubborn and sexy—and she interferes in his life at every turn. He tries to deny what his heart and body is telling him. Then he begins to see the real woman, the person who is just as lonely and vulnerable as he is. When the situation gets desperate, Cam must step up or risk losing the best thing that's ever happened to him.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTressie Lockwood
    Release dateMar 22, 2019
    ISBN9781386458517
    Blended Blues

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    • 5/5
      Good writing keeping you wanting to read the book till the very end!! Was a great book

    Book preview

    Blended Blues - Tressie Lockwood

    Chapter 1

    Y our Honor, you can’t seriously be considering this! Zakiyyah knew she was pushing it, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. My sister wanted me to have custody of her son, not him.

    Why was she even arguing in court in the first place? If she had any sense, she would have let Cameron Dean have her nephew and get back to her life. The fact that she couldn’t shake a sense of guilt, among other confusing feelings, was what put her here, and she resented the man for it.

    She side-eyed Cameron again. Talk about a shock to the system. The woman caring for the baby after her sister’s death didn’t just hand over little Evan. Zakiyyah was dragged into court to fight for custody. Evan’s great uncle wanted the baby.

    Great uncle? She’d imagined an old guy just about to kick the bucket. What would he know of raising a baby? Not that she was any better. She had already determined she didn’t want kids. All romantic prospects knew as much. Regardless, she was twenty-eight. She could make some adjustments and come out fine. But some old guy?

    Ms. Watts?

    Then she arrived in Peterbrook only to find out the great uncle wasn’t old as dirt the way she assumed. He was older than her, but not by a lot. She’d guess he was in his early forties, and he looked to be as healthy as a horse. Better than that.

    Ms. Watts!

    She startled out of her thoughts. Yes, sir?

    The judge frowned at her. God, she hated judges, and lawyers—and cops. Cameron Dean was younger than she expected. He was also a cop. Talk about the worst luck imaginable.

    You are here because I’m determining what’s best for the child’s welfare, the judge droned on.

    Of course, Your Honor.

    Cameron Dean’s offenses didn’t end in the fact that he was younger and that he was a cop, but he had the nerve to be handsome. No. He was sexy as all hell. She could admit the truth in her own head. Why it should be an offense, she couldn’t have said, but it ticked her off.

    Tall, at six foot three or four, he looked strong and wiry. Not overly built up as if he spent his life pumping iron, but she guessed there was defined muscle beneath the clothes. And why the hell did he have to wear his sheriff’s uniform to court—to gain favor? She ground her teeth.

    Your Honor, I have experience raising a child. I’ve been a single dad for several years, Cameron said. We have plenty of room at my house, and Riley will gladly welcome Evan as a little brother. In fact, they’ve spent time together previously and get along great.

    The judge smiled at Cameron, nodding his head. Don’t worry, Cameron. I’m keeping your situation in mind as I make my decision.

    Zakiyyah stared from one to the other of them. So he was Cameron, but she was Ms. Watts. Apparently, the judge knew him. She should have known, him being in law enforcement and the hearing being in his hometown. She began to wonder if this whole thing was just a formality to make it all look legal. The judge had probably already made up his mind to give Evan to Cameron.

    Her stomach knotted, and she fisted her hands at her sides. The last thing she should have done was to come to court with some namby-pamby attorney who she had tossed aside to speak for herself from the first time he opened his mouth. She had better sense than that.

    They stood at the judge’s bench discussing matters, Zakiyyah chewing her bottom lip as she thought about what she could do to improve her case. Cameron stood erect and imposing in his stupid uniform, looking like he was ready to defend Evan against bad guys, including her. She wanted to smack him but refrained.

    A door opened, and a woman walked up to the judge to whisper in his ear. He flushed, listening, and then turned back to them. I’m going to recess for two hours. We will reconvene at two p.m.

    He banged his gavel and hurried out of the courtroom. Zakiyyah had the impression the matter was something personal. This was how they did things over in this hole in the wall town? She suppressed a groan, missing New York.

    Zakiyyah— Cameron began.

    She rolled her eyes at him and spun away on her heel to hurry out of the courtroom. Once she reached the hall, she yanked her cell phone from her purse and dialed her dad’s number. There was no guarantee that he would still be at the number she had saved, but she crossed her fingers, hoping he would.

    Her dad switched phones like some people changed clothes. He either lost the phone or broke it within a short period of activating it. Living in Italy, he wasn’t easy to locate.

    The line rang several times, and she was about to give up when he answered. Pronto!

    Ciao, Papà.

    Kiyyah! He chattered away in Italian, and she had no idea what he was saying. From the moment he moved to Italy, her dad had insisted she and her sister call him Papà and to greet him in Italian. The man thought he was Italian. Never mind that he was black and born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

    And never mind the fact that he moved to Italy when I was just eighteen, leaving me…

    She pulled her thoughts from the past. "Papà, I’m surprised you answered. I thought you would have changed phones again."

    "I did, but I kept the same number this time. I met a woman I wanted to call me back. Oh, she is molto bella. When I think—"

    "I don’t want to hear about what you think of her, sir. Please, this is important. Papà, I want you to come back to America. Just for a little while. I’m dealing with this case with Evan, and I’m starting to think I’m going to lose."

    He went silent for a few moments.

    "Papà?"

    It might be for the best.

    She gasped. "What do you mean? Tae wanted me to look after him if anything happened to her. We’re the only family he has on our side. Papà, I need your help. You always had a way of talking people into giving you what you want. This judge—"

    You are most like me, Kiyyah, wild and free. You love to work hard and play harder. Why would you want to tie yourself down with a baby?

    She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she’d known he wouldn’t say exactly what she hoped he would. The day she found out her sister was dead she tried to contact him. It took two weeks, and even then he wouldn’t come back. When Tae was alive, her sister would be there if she needed her. Now she was gone, and her dad still wouldn’t be a dad to her.

    I can’t just leave him, she said. "Papà, don’t you understand?"

    She knew he didn’t understand. He couldn’t see what it did to her to have him move so far away when she and Tae were just eighteen. Tae had taken it in stride and started her life of endless parties and making money when it was necessary to put food in her belly and a roof over her head.

    Kiyyah was different from her sister in that she hated the insecurities of just making do. She worked like a beast for the money to spend however she liked. But she also saved to be sure she never fell on hard times. When the workday was done, it was party the night away.

    At first getting the news that she might be Evan’s guardian scared the crap out of her—it still did. Then she began to think she had a chance, to do the family thing over again, a different way.

    Are they talking about putting him in the system? her dad asked.

    No, he’s got a great uncle on his dad’s side that wants him.

    All the better. Let it go, Kiyyah.

    "Papà."

    I’m not coming back. He sighed. "Not ever, bella. I’m sorry."

    She started to argue with him, but the line went dead. Her mouth fell open as she pulled the phone away from her face to look at it. He was gone. Her dad had hung up on her and refused to give even his moral support. She should have known, but she had opened her heart and hoped for once he would act like a dad. No such luck.

    Putting her phone away, she turned and almost walked into Cameron’s chest. She teetered on her high heels and glared up at him. Five-inch heels, and she was still shorter. A hand flew to her hip. Are you eavesdropping, or what?

    One of his eyebrows inched toward his hairline, and he looked down his nose at her. Did you have something to say I wanted to hear?

    Her fingernails dug into her palms, and she started around him. He stepped into her path.

    Move.

    I want to propose something.

    She rolled her eyes. "You don’t have anything I want to hear."

    Joint custody.

    No. She began to move on, but he stopped her again, this time grasping her arm in a light hold.

    Unless you want me to scream bloody murder, you better get your hands off me.

    Do you think anyone will believe I’m accosting you?

    I’m well aware it’s a boy’s club in there.

    He frowned. If you’re insinuating Judge Wright isn’t honest and doesn’t take his position seriously, you’re wrong. There’s not a more honorable man I know.

    So you admit you know him?

    I do, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’ll be honest and fair.

    Excuse me if I don’t believe you.

    He shrugged. That’s your choice, but know this. I’m going to suggest joint custody when we go back in there. You can whine and complain that you’re being treated unfairly, or you can start thinking about how we can work this out.

    I live across the country. I have a career and obligations.

    Yet, you want custody.

    I don’t have to stand here and argue with you. Ever since we stepped in there, you’ve done nothing but point out that I’ve never been married, never had a child. My lifestyle doesn’t make room for a baby. You want to make me look like the worst possible candidate for custody, but now I’m supposed to believe you want joint custody? When it looks like Judge Wright is going to hand you the baby? What’s your angle?

    Blue eyes studied her in silence. She had the feeling he was thinking of everything he had found out about her. He didn’t bring a lawyer with him that day, which again made her think he felt sure of his position. She read people in the course of her job, so she knew when a person looked down on her.

    Contrary to what you think, I want what’s best for Evan. I know what it’s like to have a child grow up without a mother. My daughter Riley is dealing with it. You’re not Evan’s mother, but you’re the next best thing. I don’t want to cut you out.

    His words startled her. Oh.

    But you’re going to have to compromise.

    What’s that supposed to mean?

    Think about my suggestion. He turned and strode down the hall.

    All she could do was scowl after him, telling herself she didn’t give a damn about his opinion or what he wanted. Despite her mental assertions, she found herself wondering about the man. Where was his wife, and what kind of man was he at home with his daughter? A single dad—how could she compete against that?

    Chapter 2

    Zakiyyah sniffled and wiped her nose. It can’t be legal, Destiny. It just can’t!

    Her friend wrapped her arms around Zakiyyah before pulling the crumpled T-shirt from Zakiyyah’s hands and folding it into Zakiyyah’s suitcase. I don’t know. I’ve read some crazy rulings online that judges have made.

    But naming the county where the baby can live? That’s wrong.

    "Did you think he was going to say let him live in New York? Girl, please, to tell you the

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