Lying Love (Lazy Love Book 3) by Kirsten Osbourne Read Free Book Online Page A

picnic with Nicki and me this evening? We could ride down to the river like we used to.”
    “I have a feeling it will be nothing like it used to be,” Amber said without thinking. She hadn’t meant to be so flirtatious, but the words came out before she could stop them.
    He chuckled. “Probably not with Nicki around, but I could find her a sitter.”
    “No, I want her to be there with us. I want her to know how important she is.” She thought about her schedule for the next day. Her first scene was early, but they wouldn’t stay out too late with Nicki anyway, she was sure. “I have to be in by eight or so. I have a sunrise scene to film in the morning, which means I need to be up by four.”
    “That’s no problem. I’ll pack a picnic. Do you want me to come get you? Or do you want to drive out here?”
    Amber thought about it for a moment. “Come get me if you would. Do you know where the set is?” She had no desire to be alone anywhere close to Jupiter. If she happened to run into her mother and John was there, nothing would be said. If she was alone, she wasn’t sure what would happen.
    “I do. I’ll see you at five. Does that work?”
    “Works fine. See you then.”
    She stared down at her phone for a moment, smiling. She was going on another date with John in a little more than an hour. He had the means to mess up her life, but as her friends had said, he had the means to make her happy too. She was going to let things happen as they would. She couldn’t snub her nose at happiness again.

    * * *
    J ohn looked down at Nicki and gave her a thumbs up. “We’re going to pick Amber up in an hour. Let’s go to the grocery store and get picnic stuff.”
    “Can we use the real picnic basket?” she asked, bouncing up and down excitedly.
    The picnic basket had been a gift from his mother for Christmas one year, and it had never been used for anything but teddy bear picnics. “Yeah, get the picnic basket.”
    She hurried off to grab the basket while he got his car keys. She ran back to him, taking his hand. “Let’s go, Daddy. I want Amber to be my new mama.”
    “I know you do, precious. I want her to be your new mama too.”
    “Do you think we can make it happen?”
    He shrugged. “We can only try.”
    They stopped at the grocery store and got what they needed before making the drive to the set. It was only a fifteen-minute drive from his ranch, and he’d driven past more times than he could count over the last four years, hoping to see her out filming, or doing anything really. He had caught her on horseback a few times, but he’d always just driven on, not feeling like she was ready for him to come back into her life.
    When he arrived at the set, he got out, not sure where to go from there. He saw Jesse Savoy standing beside one of the trailers, so taking Nicki’s hand, he walked over to him. It was a little strange to talk to someone you’d really only seen on television until the day before, but he could do it. “I’m looking for Amber Knight’s trailer.”
    Jesse looked him up and down. “You John?”
    John nodded, surprised the other man knew his name. “I am.”
    “Don’t hurt her.” The words weren’t so much a threat as a command.
    “I won’t.” John wanted to say more, but he was aware that little ears were listening. “Where can I find her?”
    Jesse pointed. “Two trailers down.”
    “Thanks.” John walked with Nicki toward the correct trailer, hoping the little girl wouldn’t ask about the exchange.
    “Why does he think you’re going to hurt Amber?” she asked, not surprising him at all. His little girl was exceptionally bright, and though it was hard at times like this, he wouldn’t have her any other way.
    He sighed. “When Amber and I dated in high school, things between us didn’t end well. We loved each other, and wanted to be together forever, but her parents didn’t like me. So we broke up, and we both ended up getting our hearts hurt.”
    “That’s