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Scott laughed and plucked down the cigar in the ashtray. "Ha..I got ya." He said laying his cards on the table.
Donny shook his head. "Lucky bastard."
The rest of the guys grumbled, they were playing in the back of the gym, it was well after midnight, they all got together once a week to play. Scott sipped the beer. "You ladies, are no challenge."
Donny laughed "I'm beat guys, I guess we're done for the night.."
They all nodded and helped Donny clean up. Scott and Donny walked out to the parking lot together. "So you still after Bailey?"
Scott smirked. "Yeah, but she's a little reluctant, its going to take some time with her."
Donny unlocked his truck. "So, the kid, Emma, have you seen her, a lot of people around here talk about how they never see the kid, that Bailey wont let her leave the house."
Scott opened his door. "Too many damn nosy ass people around here, her kid is fine and she's a good mother, fuckin bullshit."
Donny raised a brow. "Calm down I just asked a question."
Scott shook his head. Emma was dealing with enough bullshit, without people talking about her and the kidnapping, how could the kid put it behind her , if thats all people talked about. "Everyone needs to lay off Bailey and that baby, find something else to gossip about." He snapped and got in his truck.
Donny shook his head. Scott seemed a little sensitive for someone who was just looking for a one night stand.
Scott sat in his driveway and looked at Bailey's house, he seen a light on. He decided to try and get him a little something, hell the kid had to be asleep, he would rather have Bailey to himself, but he didn't see her leaving Emma with a babysitter.
Scott walked down the beach and reached her deck climbing the stairs, he knocked on the door, it took a minute but Bailey came to the door and rolled her eyes when she seen Scott. "What?"
She hadn't seen him in three days and Emma was driving her crazy wanting to see her friend Scott, but Bailey didn't want her bothering him, and she didn't want Scott getting any ideas about her, she was not going to sleep with him.
Of course her daughter had told Giselle all about her good friend Scott, Giselle had just smirked at her knowingly.
Bailey sighed, she didn't need this tonight. Scott was busy looking her over, she had on a long shirt that hit her knees, he had fun imagining delving beneath it to find no panties. "Hey baby, I thought I would come by and make sweet love to you." He said winking at her.
"Listen dick head, I am not having sex with you." She snapped.
Scott smiled and breezed past her. "Okay, so no sex tonight, maybe we could make out a little, you could see what you're missing." He said seating himself on her sofa.
"Dammit." She shut the door with a long sigh and went in the living room, he was looking at her drawings, of her new dragon, Emma had been right, she used his eyes, it was Scott in a dragon form and it worked, he was perfect.
"For your new book?" He asked looking up at her.
She nodded and sat down across from him. Scott looked back up and grinned. "You used me for your dragon, you do like me huh?"
Bailey blushed and looked away, he had a eye for detail she hadn't expected. "It was Emma's idea."
Scott's grin got even bigger, he liked the little girl, had meant to come by and visit, he would have to make a point tomorrow. "I make a pretty handsome dragon huh?"
Bailey rolled her eyes. "You'r ego is amazing."
Scott grinned. " Thats not the only thing I got thats amazing, why don't you come over here and find out."
Bailey fingered the cup she had in her hand, wanting to throw it at his head. "Stop thinking so loud, the cup might really hurt me." He admonished.
Bailey set the cup down. "Go home, now." She snapped. Scott made no move to leave, he sat back and watched her. "C'mere and give me a kiss." He purred at her. Bailey avoided looking at him, he was a sexy thing, his voice like hot melted butter, God she had been to long without sex, the man was making her crazy, but she didn't even like him. "Please leave." She said hoping her voice didn't sound as weak to him as it did to her.
Scott watched her, he knew she wanted him, but pushing her, was the wrong thing at the moment, Scott Hall was a expert on women, he knew how to get them, he could read them like a book, she was in denial right now. "How about a cup of coffee."
Bailey sighed, he had changed tactics, she gave in for now, she walked back toward the kitchen and made a small pot of coffee. She measured the coffee and poured water in and stood waiting for it to brew.
"How did you start writing kids books?" She jumped when she turned and found him behind her.
She poured two cups of coffee and handed him one and he followed her back in the living room, she sank on the sofa tucking her legs up under her and took a sip of the coffee. "I was trying to write a fairytale in place of the mess my childhood was, I made a fantasy life for myself and it just turned into a career, I was always a story teller.
Most of my foster parents thought I was was a liar, and I guess from their point of view I was, but to me I didn't really runaway, steal food, or talk back, there was always a excuse, aliens took over my body and I didn't remember what I had done, I was kidnapped by a modern day pirate, the list went on and on, some family's didn't care what I did, some tried to change me, straighten me out, but finally I was eighteen and free of the system, I went to collage and got a degree in writing. I always knew I would be a writer, and I love kids, like writing for them."
Scott thought she looked so tough sitting there, yet he could see the vulnerability, that she tried so hard to hide, she was one of the abandoned souls that had healed their self in spite of the crappy beginning she had.
"You're a survivor, thats written all over you, so is Niblet, she's going to be fine you know, she's like you."
Bailey looked down at her coffee. "I know everyone still talks about that, it makes me crazy, I just want to put it behind us, I want Emma to get better and forget it ever happened, thats hard to do when you're fuel for local gossip."
Scott nodded. "Yes I imagine so, but it will die down, people will move on to other gossip soon enough."
Bailey sipped the coffee. "I hope so."
Scott jumped as a terrible scream pierced the air. Bailey jumped up sitting her coffee cup down a raced toward the back of the house and down the hallway.
She ran in Emma's room and picked up the screaming, crying girl and rocked her in her arms. "Emma, mama is here." She crooned trying to calm the hysterical girl, Emma sobbed still caught in the nightmare. "Mamaaaaa." She screamed over and over.
"Baby I'm here." She said wrapping her arms around the crying girl.
Scott had followed and the site of the weeping child broke his heart. She seemed to be locked in a grip of terror as she cried harder and harder, crying for her mother.
"Baby, its okay Mama is here." Bailey crooned over and over. The little girl cried and moved restlessly in her mother's arms, all Bailey could do was hold her till she woke and calmed down, it could take a while.
Scott sat down on the side of the child's bed. "Is she okay?"
Bailey looked at Scott. "It's a nightmare or night terror, its hard to calm her down."
He heard the fear and desperation in her voice. "Let me take her."
Bailey shook her head. "She's scared of men, it will make it worse."
Scott shook his head. "She's not scared of me." Bailey clutched tight to her crying daughter, they didn't need anyone, all they had was each other.
Scott put a hand on her arm and Bailey noticed how warm it was how strong he felt even though his touch was gentle. "Ease up Mama bear, I want to help, you cant do it all, all the time." He said looking at her stress filled eyes.
She nodded slightly and Scott had to about pry her hands from the child. "Bailey, I wont hurt her." he soothed. Bailey released the crying child wanting to snatch her back. Scott lifted the small girl in his lap wrapping his big arms around her. "Niblet, wake up, its Scott, I came to see you baby." He said in a soothing voice.
Bailey had to look away, the man was a candidate for asshole of the year, yet he was so sweet to her daughter, he confused her big time.
Scott rocked the girl and talked to her, it took him a few minutes, but eventually she opened her eyes. "I want my Mama."
Scott smiled and patted the girl's back. "Okay Niblet." He handed her back to her mother and the little girl clung to her. "Its okay baby, it was just a bad dream." She said lifting the girl in her arms. Scott followed them to the kitchen and he poured the little girl some water , so Bailey wouldn't have to put her down. He watched as the child sat in her mother's lap and drank the water.
Finally she lifted her eyes to Scott. "You chased the bad man away."
Scott bent in front of the girl. "Niblet no one is going to hurt you, okay?"
Emma nodded. "Mama, I want to visit with Scott, he came to see me."
"Baby its late, Scott may have other things to do." She said.
Emma looked up at Scott. "I wanted to visit, but Mama said not to bother you."
"Niblet, you're never a bother, anytime you want to visit, your welcome too." he said tugging playfully at her curls. "See Mama, I told you."
Scott held out his arms and Emma went happily to him. "Your Mama is right, its late. I'll tell you one story, then off to bed."
"Okay." She said leaning on the big man, Scott carried her and sat down on the couch with her, Bailey stood in the doorway and watched as he spun her a story about magic dolphins, she smiled as Emma became entranced with the story. When he was done, Emma was almost asleep and Scott carried her down the hall and laid her in her bed. "Night Niblet."
"Night Scott."
Bailey bent and kissed her daughter. "Night Baby."
"Night Mama." The little girl said and yawned and closed her eyes.
Bailey left the door cracked and the two walked down the hall. Bailey sighed and sank down on the sofa. "Scott thank you for helping with Emma."
Scott sat down on the sofa and grinned. "Don't go all soft on me woman, I like the feisty part of you, remember Niblet and and you separate issues.."
Bailey shook her head, the man confused her. "Scott, she likes you, I don't want her hurt when you get bored with her, she has enough problems."
Scott nodded. "Look, I like Niblet, she's a cool little kid, I'm not married, I have no intention of being married, I have lived here ten years, don't plan on going anywhere, I meant what I said, she can visit whenever she wants, I don't have women to my place, so you don't have to worry about me doing nothing stupid around her, I have no intention of blowing her off, I'm retired, I have nothing but time on my hands." He finished.
Bailey sighed, how could she separate her feelings about the man, on one hand he was wonderful to her daughter on the other, he was such a pig when it came to women."Can you stop trying to get me in bed?"
Scott smirked. "Nope, cant do that, I better get going." He stood and pulled her to her feet and pressed a kiss to her lips before she could think, his lips moved sweetly over hers and she sighed into the kiss, but it was over much too fast and he moved away. "Sweet dreams baby."
Bailey glared at him and threw a pillow off the couch at him. "My name is not freakin baby."
He turned and winked at her. "You're so hot when you're pissed, I like that." He opened the door and left and Bailey groaned in frustration. "Damn jerk." She muttered.
She went to her room and stripped her clothes off and stepped in her shower letting the hot water relax her.
Scott had had her throughly confused, she was attracted to him, but she couldn't stand him.
Then there was Emma, she was opening up to him and she seemed to be getting back to normal, what was she supposed to do?
She got out and dried off and pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top and flopped back on the bed.
The best thing she could do was stay as far away from Scott as possible.
Bailey spent the morning finger painting with her daughter, they ended up with more paint on them than they did the paper and they took their finished artwork out to dry on the deck. "Mama that was fun."
Bailey hugged her daughter. "Yeah it was, now we have to get cleaned up, you have a appointment with Dr. Cannon at one."
Emma had never once complained about going to her psychologist . "No Mama, I don't want to go."
"Emma you have too, c'mon honey." She said trying to coax her.
"No." The little girl said and burst into tears.
Bailey hugged the little girl. "Baby, I just want you to feel better, you need to see Dr. Cannon."
Emma leaned against her mother. "I just wanna stay here."
Bailey hugged her daughter close to her, it was a step forward and two back, when would things start to look up.
Bailey settled her daughter in the playroom under the watchful eye of the nurse and went in to talk to DR. Cannon.
The man stood and shook her hand. "Hello Bailey."
"Hi Doctor." She said sitting down.
"Emma threw a fit today, she didn't want to come, thats never happened before." She said.
Dr. Cannon smiled. "Its not that serious, she told me about her new friend Scott, she was hoping to visit with him, instead of me."
Bailey smiled. "Oh okay, I thought it might be a step back for her or something."
Dr. Cannon shook his head. "No, pretty normal four year old stuff, she threw a little fit, its fine, so this Scott fellow, he's your neighbor?"
"Yeah, she seems real taken with him, I don't know how good it is for her, but he's really patient and sweet with her." She said.
"Well she seems happy, she likes him, I wouldn't put a stop to it, seems to be helping her, she still wont talk about her time with Josh she may never talk about it, but hopefully she'll move past it." He said.
"Thanks Doctor, I'll see you next week."
He nodded and she went to get her daughter. "How about we stop and eat out tonight?"
The little girl smiled. "Okay." She said taking her mother's hand.
They got home late in the evening, Bailey was pleased they had stopped at McDonald's and stopped at the toy store on the way home, she was surprised when her daughter had picked out two wrestling figures instead of regular choice of Disney princess's and stuffed animal. "Scott told me he was a wrestler..I want to watch wrestling."
Bailey was taken aback but promised her daughter she would let her watch it on Monday.
They were walking up the steps to her house when Scott walked up, wearing shorts and nothing else, Bailey thought he looked like some pirate, with his long hair and unshaven face, the man was hot. "Well its the two most beautiful women in Tampa, its my lucky day."
Emma giggled and ran over to Scott surprising her mother and Scott both holding her amrs up to be picked up. "Hey Niblet." He said lifting the child in his arms.
Emma hugged him. "Hey Scott, I got two wrestling men and Mama said I can watch wrestling Monday." She said clearly excited.
"Thats great, I came by to see if you wanted to take a walk on the beach, but you look tired." Scott said.
"No, I'm not tired, can I please Mama?" She asked looking at her mother.
Scott looked at Bailey. "Not far, just to the first pier, where you can see us."
Bailey didn't try to fight it, the change in her daughter was too great, she nodded. "Thats fine, baby I'm going to put this stuff up and I'll be on the deck if you need me."
Emma nodded and Scott set the girl to her feet and took her hand. Bailey watched as they made their way down the beach.
Scott was becoming important to her daughter, but he was to her too, and she didn't like it one bit.