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"What are you doing today?"


Lexie looked startled that he had actually spoken to her. "I'm going to visit Dad and then come home. Not much." She shrugged. She didn't ask what he was doing today.


"I'll take CJ to school, will you pick her up?"


"Yes."


"Good."


No please, no thank you, nothing. He turned on his heel and left her alone on the deck with Scotty and breakfast.


"Why is he here?" Scotty asked her innocently.


"He's CJ's Dad."


"He doesn't like you very much."


Lexie looked over at him with a slight smiled, "I know." She agreed, "You finish up and we'll take your mom down to the beach today. How does that sound?"


"Okay." He smiled. "Are we still going to Disney Land?"


"It's Disney World, and you bet you are, buddy. I'm going to book everything today."


Lexie, Christine, Scotty, and the nurse, Eliza, spent the morning on the beach. Scotty and Lexie spent most of their time hunting for sea creatures that they could find. Near noon, Lexie went up to the house to change, make Scotty's Disney arrangements, and head to Orlando to visit her dad and then return to Tampa in time to pick up CJ. She served the children and Christine dinner, but Nick never returned that night. She told CJ he was working, and she called his cell phone to wish him goodnight. He never asked to talk to Lexie, but she tucked CJ into bed that night.


"Lexie?"


"Yes, angel?"


"Can Scotty's mommy tuck him in at night?"


"Yes, she can do that. Sometimes I help."


"Oh, that's good. Night, Lexie."


Lexie leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Night, CJ."


Nick did come home that night, finding Lexie asleep in a chaise out on the back deck by the pool. The wireless handset was cradled in her hand and she was trying to stay warm under a damp towel. She had been doing laps again. He knew if he left her out there, she'd get sick.


"Lex? Lex, wake up?" He called to her softly and she stirred just a bit. He walked over to her and gently shook her shoulder.


"Nick?" His name slipped past groggily lips before she opened her eyes. Those dark orbs opened and sleepily appraised him. She woke with a start.


"It's okay. It's getting cold. You should go inside." He said softly.


"Of course, thanks." She nodded, swung her legs off the chaise away from him. She drew the damp towel around her and headed inside with the phone.


"Did Jake call again?" He asked dryly. She stopped at the sliding door and looked down at the phone in her hand.


"Yeah." She shrugged and continued in, leaving him outside.


"I bet he did." Nick muttered and angrily, he snatched up the remaining towels and glasses she had left poolside.



The next day, Lexie went about her routine of visiting her parents and returning to Tampa to pick up CJ and take her and Scotty to the beach before dinner. Cook told her that Nick was in Orlando and wouldn't be back until the weekend. Thank God, three more days of peace and quiet.


"So, you're not living at the house in Tampa any more?" Kevin asked cautiously as he and Nick leaned over a balcony rail at SDR studios.


"I'm there." Nick sighed.


"It's not going to be better, you staying here and all."


"I've got to finish the album, then I'll head back. AJ thinks it'll be another week and that's it."


"What are you going to do in the meantime?"


"Oh, fuck, I don't know." Nick sighed again. "I still haven't sorted all of this out in my head yet, ya know?"


"She didn't do this to hurt you."


"Doesn't mean it didn't happen." Nick's head dropped to his arm so that Kevin couldn't see his face any more.


"She just did what she thought was best. Granted, she probably did it all wrong, but that little girl is more like AJ that she'll probably ever admit." Kevin chuckled with a shake of his head. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against the rail. "The both of them are stubborn as mules."


"That's true." Nick chuckled lightly.


"Doesn't mean you love them any less."


"I know." Nick straightened himself up and looked over at Kevin. "Enough of my shit. How's your shit?"


Kevin smiled. "Depends on what pile you're talkin' about."


"The new lady friend?"


"Oh, God, that. It's great. I can't believe it, Nick. I never thought I'd ever feel this way." Kevin's voice held an air of awe in it. "After Jake graduates, I'm going to ask Kristen for a divorce. I owe that to her."


"Well, we haven't seen Kristen around you in years."


"I know. I'll offer her a settlement, a joint custody agreement for Dwayne and see what happens. I think she wants out, too." Kevin's eyes dropped down to his worn work boots. "I don't think she'll want much. I'll offer the houses in Dallas and upstate New York, the New York condo, too. I'll keep the house here in Orlando and the ranch in Kentucky."


"Jake's been calling Lexie a lot these days." Nick said suddenly.


"Really? He speaks fondly of her." Kevin began the saw Nick roll his eyes. "Look, Jake thinks of her as a sister or a cousin, I don't think he'd try anything."


"Yeah, but what's to stop him?"


That silenced Kevin. What was stopping Jake from snatching Lexie, right out from under Nick's nose?



Click.


The phone vibrated in her hand as she hung up from one call and then it rang again.


"Hello?" Lexie asked wearily.


"Hey, girl. What's up?" Jake joked on the other end.


"Oh, nothing." She sighed.


"Okay, what's really up?" He asked seriously.


"Nothing. Nick just called. He's sending for CJ for the weekend, and he won't be back until the end of next week when the album is finished."


"Oh."


"I just don't know what to do any more."


"Well, it's crap if you ask me."


"Tell me about it. I'm going to be in this house all alone this weekend."


"Where's everyone going?"


"CJ is going to be with her Dad in Orlando and I bought a weekend at Disney World for Christine, Scotty, and Eliza, her nurse."


"Why aren't you going with them?"


"I thought it would be a chance for me to deal with Nick this weekend, but he's not even going to be here." She groaned. "I'm no fun to be around anyways."


"I don't think that's true." He laughed. "How about this? Why don't I fly out for the weekend and we hang out. We'll hit some clubs or something."


"I don't think so."


"You don't. How come?"


"I don't think it'll look too good hopping around town with a guy other than my husband. As much as we hate to admit it, we're famous and people watch us."


"Hell, it's just me. Okay, okay. We'll stay in and have some fun."


"Really, I don't think I'm good company."


"No, no. It'll be fun. We'll eat ice cream in the pool, jump on the beds and scream our heads off, and no one will ever know." He laughed. "C'mon, just pick me up at the airport."


"Okay, okay." She agreed, not really wanting to be alone this weekend. "Call me back and tell me when your flight is coming in." She laughed.


Lexie's prospects for the weekend not being a total pity party were looking better.



"But I don't want to go!" CJ protested. She threw her school bag down on the floor of her bedroom. "I'm tired of going to Orlando all the time!"


"Your Dad wants you there with him. . ." Lexie tried to explain as she sat on the edge of CJ's pink ruffled bed.


"I don't want to be with him, I want to stay here with you." CJ groaned. "I never get to spend any time here and I don't want to go to Orlando again."


"He's your Dad. . ."


"Well, you're my mom now, why can't I stay with you?!"


"I don't know, honey. . ." Lexie finally just sighed and looked away.


"Lexie?" CJ asked softly. "Why are you and my Dad fighting?" When Lexie didn't answer she continued. "I know you're both mad at each other. I don't like this at all. I don't want you guys to get a divorce."


"We're not going to get a divorce." Lexie declared. "We just have to work out some things, that's all."


"I'm tired of you guys fighting. You have to work it out faster." CJ cuddled up to her, and Lexie wrapped her arms around the little girl.


"I wish we could, too." Lexie whispered into CJ's hair. "Meanwhile, though, we have to make your Dad happy by you going to go visit him in Orlando this weekend."


"Well, I'll go, but I'm going to tell him that I want to stay here with you."


"Okay, if that's what you want to do." Lexie nodded.



Friday came, and Lexie sent CJ to Orlando with a hired driver, then sent Scotty, Christine and Eliza to Disney World. When CJ found out they were going, she wanted to go with them, which made her that much angrier with her Dad.


Slam!


"CJ?" Nick called out from AJ's living room as he heard the front door slam shut, and then she suddenly appeared at the threshold.


"What?!" she snapped at him. Nick's brows shot up.


"What bee is in your bonnet?" He smiled.


"Scotty gets to go to Disney World this weekend and I have to be here with you!" She cried. "I don't want to be in Orlando, I want to go home!"


She turned quickly and ran upstairs to the room AJ kept for her.


"Well, you're popular." AJ chuckled.


"What the hell did Lexie say to her?" Nick snapped getting up and following her upstairs.


Nick came to her door, knocked and then walked in. CJ was thrown across the bed sobbing her eyes out. Nick sat quietly on her bed and tried to stroke her back, but she brushed him off.


"CJ, what did Lexie say to you?"


"Nothing!" she cried. "Don't blame Lexie!" CJ turned and sat up. "Why can't I stay home? Why do I always have to come to Orlando just because you and Lexie are fighting?"


"You're my daughter, that's why you're here." Nick snapped.


"I'm Lexie's daughter, too. I want to go home. . ." CJ cried.


"Well, you can't go home right now. You're spending the weekend with me!" He said getting to his feet.


"I hate you!" She screamed at his exiting back. "I want to go home to Lexie!"