LITMIR.BIZ

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last year. He had no business thinking about being near her in any way other than being a good neighbor.

      “I’m fine. Sorry.”

      “It’s no problem. Will you and Tanner be in for lunch?”

      She was all business, and he should be glad, but he was a little annoyed. Clearly she wasn’t as distracted by him as he was by her.

      “Yes, around noon or a little after. But we can get ourselves something to eat.”

      “Let’s just see how it goes.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, Cole. I’m going to start some laundry before the boys start demanding attention, and I think I’ll run the vacuum over the floors and get some cooking started.”

      “Right.” It was what he’d hired her to do, but he had to admit it felt strange, having her and her babies in the middle of the normally quiet house. And not strange in a bad way, necessarily. Just very, very different.

      While she traded toys for the boys in the playpen, Cole went to the mudroom and put on his jacket and boots. He had his hand on the doorknob when she appeared, heading straight for the two laundry hampers standing in front of the dryer.

      She laughed. “Seriously, Cole. I can run a washing machine.”

      He shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. Of course you can. I’ll see you in a few hours. I’ll be at the barn if you need anything.”

      “If you keep talking, you’ll be here until lunch. And I won’t get any work done.”

      He swallowed against the lump in his throat, annoyed with the route his thoughts had taken. That wasn’t what this was about. It was helping someone who needed a hand. Nothing more.

      He stomped outside and shut the door behind him, then hurried through the snow to the barn. Maybe the fresh air would get his head right. In any case, he’d better get himself together for when he went back to the house at noon.

      * * *

      MADDY BREATHED A sigh of relief as Cole left the house. She could see him walking to the barn, his hands shoved in his jacket pockets and his shoulders hunched against the cold. He’d lingered this morning, and she wasn’t sure what for, but there’d been a moment in the kitchen when his eyes had gone all soft and dazed and little alarm bells had gone off in her head.

      Cole was a nice guy. He was giving her a helping hand and she appreciated it. But oh, my, she was so not in a place for romance. She hoped that wasn’t what he had on his mind. She had her hands full enough just trying to keep her life together.

      It didn’t help that he was so flipping handsome, either. Stupid dark hair that set off his stupid blue eyes so that a girl couldn’t think straight. Well, she was smarter than that now, and her only reason for being here was to make a little extra Christmas cash to give her sons a special holiday.

      Speaking of, she needed to get that load of laundry in the washer if she was going to get two loads done in the time she had left.

      By the time she’d sorted the clothes and gotten the washer started, the boys were getting bored. She took them out of the playpen, and then moved the bulky structure to the stairs, blocking them from doing any climbing—and falling. Then she turned on the television and found the station and programs that they liked. Even at barely over a year old, the sounds and colors were intriguing and Maddy laughed to herself as Liam bobbed on his knees a bit, out of time to the music but dancing, anyway. Luke took one look at his brother and joined in with a big toothy smile.

      “Please, stay this good,” she breathed as she spread out a blanket and added toys, making it a play mat in the middle of the living room.

      In deference to Cole’s professed sweet tooth, she wanted to bake something for them to have on hand, and she figured a cake was as fast as anything. It didn’t take long to find a recipe book and the ingredients in Ellen’s tidy cupboards, and while the boys played and sang away to the program on TV, she whipped up a chocolate cake and had it in the oven. A quick trip to the mudroom showed the laundry on the spin cycle, so she searched the freezer and took out a ham and put it in a slow cooker to bake for the afternoon. By the time she’d changed laundry over, the boys needed diaper changes and then a snack. The cake came out of the oven and she put it to cool, then sat with the boys for a few minutes and read them three stories, including their favorite, Mole in a Hole, twice.

      After settling them again with a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD, she built a casserole of scalloped potatoes, which she put in the oven to bake, and prepared a pot of carrots that Cole and Tanner could simply turn on and cook. She put the second load of laundry in the dryer, made frosting for the cake and checked her watch. It was nearly noon. Where had the morning gone?

      She fixed a plate of sandwiches and put it on the table, along with sliced pickles and a pitcher of water. Coffee was brewing and she was doing the dishes when she heard the mudroom door open and boots stomping on the mat.

      The boys paused in their playing and looked at her as if to say, “What’s that noise?”

      Tanner came in first. Maddy hadn’t seen Tanner in some time, but he looked the same as ever. A bit slighter than Cole, and a bit younger, with crinkles at the corners of his eyes that spoke of a devilish nature. He’d been a bit of a hellion in his younger years, though Maddy hadn’t heard anything remarkable about him lately. Cole followed behind, tall, steady, a grown-up, serious version of his brother. Where Tanner’s eyes had an impish gleam, Cole’s held a certain warmth and steadfastness. Luke wobbled to his feet, tottered over to Tanner and lifted his arms. “Bup! Bup!”

      Maddy laughed, and Cole spoke up. “Tanner, meet Luke.”

      “You got it right!” she praised. “You’re a quick study.”

      Tanner reached down and picked up Luke, unfazed by the sight of kids in his home. “Hey, there.” He settled the boy on his arm and looked at Maddy. “Nice to see you. Let me guess, this is your extrovert?”

      She nodded. “Liam’s my serious one.” A quick glance showed Liam holding back, his eyes troubled. “He’s more...reserved.”

      “Sounds like Cole and me,” Tanner observed. “Here, partner. I’m gonna put you down now. Looks like your mama made lunch, and I need to wash up.”

      “Me, too,” Cole said, a strange look on his face.

      “Mum mum mum mum,” Liam hummed after the men had gone to wash up. “Unh.”

      Maddy was looking forward to actual words. As it was she had to translate, and she knew what Liam wanted—his share of the attention, and something to eat. With a sigh, she put him on her hip, then dug in the diaper bag for a few small covered dishes. When Cole and Tanner returned, she was sitting at one end of the table, a boy on each knee, with a dazzling array of Cheerios, tiny cheese cubes and banana scattered on the surface.

      She raised an eyebrow at Cole. “Now you see why I leave vacuuming for last.”

      He smiled warmly. “They’ll learn table manners in time.”

      “I know. But I’m about to wear a fair bit of that banana. Those cute little hands will have it smeared all over my shirt in seconds.”

      Tanner took a chair. “This is great, Maddy. Thanks for making lunch.”

      “I hope it’s okay. I wasn’t sure how big a meal you ate at noon.”

      “This is fine,” Cole said, reaching for a sandwich. “It’s usually something like this, or some leftovers or something.” He looked over at the counter. “Is that cake?”

      “Yes, chocolate, with peanut butter frosting. For your sweet tooth.” She smiled a little, teasing him.

      “I should never have told you that.”

      “Well, you did. So now I know how to get around you. Just keep you flush with baked goods.”

      He pointed his sandwich at her.

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