LITMIR.BIZ

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winter. Maybe he wasn’t from around here?

      The pleasant hum of conversation faltered as he removed his hat and surveyed the coffee shop. When his gaze landed on Skye and he strode toward her table, she felt the weight of every curious stare in the room. She squirmed, pressing her spine against the rungs of her ladder-back chair, while her legs itched to stand and carry her to the safety of her car outside. If she was quick, she could brush past him. Offer a hasty excuse and cancel their meeting.

      He stopped beside her, his fingers twisting his hat in his hands. She forced herself to meet his gaze. The flicker of uncertainty in his hazel eyes gave her pause. Was he nervous?

      “Skye?”

      She managed to find her voice. “Yes?”

      “Gage Westbrook.”

      Skye clasped his outstretched hand, groaning inwardly as she realized the contrast between his cool skin and her clammy palm. “Nice to meet you,” she mumbled and quickly pulled her hand away.

      “It’s nice to meet you, too.” He gestured toward the counter behind him. “Mind if I grab a cup of coffee?”

      His smooth voice and impeccable manners—not to mention those captivating eyes flecked with hints of gold—derailed her intentions. Any thought of getting up and leaving had vanished.

      “Skye?”

      Warmth heated her skin. “No, I—I don’t mind. The coffee here’s great.”

      “I’ll be right back.”

      While Mr. Handsome-Hazel-Eyes strode to the counter, Skye avoided eye contact with anyone else in the room and pulled her phone from her purse. Her brother Drew had agreed to stay with Connor this afternoon while she met with Gage, and Mom went to church and then to lunch with a friend. Although Drew said he was willing to help, his lack of experience with babies put her on edge. Connor wasn’t easy to care for. Would Drew be able to handle him?

      Sure enough, two text messages waited for her. The first asking if they were out of diapers, and the second requested tips for coping with a fussy baby who refused to nap. She winced. Poor Drew. He wouldn’t volunteer the next time she needed help. She sent a quick response and then set her phone down in front of her so she wouldn’t miss another text.

      A few minutes later, Gage slid into the seat across from her and set a steaming mug of black coffee on the table. He unzipped his jacket and draped it across the empty chair beside him. His aqua-blue sweater emphasized his muscular arms and shoulders, and Skye forced herself to avert her gaze. Gage settled in his chair and quickly smoothed his hand through his close-cropped sandy-blond hair.

      “Thank you for meeting with me.” His smile revealed straight white teeth and Skye’s heart blipped double time. “I’m sure my message seemed odd.”

      Skye cradled her coffee again and strong-armed her thoughts into submission. Handsome or not, Gage was still a stranger, and she was only meeting with him to see if he could help her get what she wanted—a permanent guardian for Connor. “You said you found me because my cousin McKenna Tomlinson posted a picture online of the two of us at Christmas with her baby, Connor. It’s unnerving, although not surprising, since she posted a lot of photos that day. The part I can’t figure out is your connection to McKenna. I’d ask her myself, but she left town right after the holidays.”

      “I was afraid that might be the case.” Gage frowned. “Do you know where she went?”

      “Hard to say. She’s...complicated. Last text I received said she’d made some friends in Wichita.” Skye picked at the cardboard sleeve on her cup. “I was hoping she’d reconnect with her mom, who lives in Kansas City now, but there’s really no way to predict what McKenna might do next.”

      Not that McKenna’s mother would bother to call if McKenna showed up in Kansas City anyway. Aunt Willa stopped speaking to Skye and the rest of their extended family a long time ago. The familiar regret over their long-standing feud made Skye’s heart ache.

      “And her baby?”

      Gage’s question pulled her back to the present. Her scalp prickled with uncertainty. “Before I say more about Connor, I’d like to know why you’re asking. Who are you?”

      “McKenna’s boyfriend, Ryan, is—was—my best friend.” Gage reached inside his jacket pocket and then slid a photograph across the table. “We were stationed in San Diego with the navy, and that’s where he met McKenna.”

      “Oh.” Skye examined the picture of Gage and a blond-haired, blue-eyed man standing on the beach, wearing shorts and T-shirts and grinning at the camera, with the ocean in the background. Ryan. Skye didn’t know much about the guy with Gage, other than McKenna claimed he was Connor’s father. McKenna’s stories had always seemed a bit convoluted, though. It was reassuring to meet someone who could fill in some of the gaps, especially anything about Connor’s father.

      “I’m not sure what happened after San Diego,” Gage said. “Ryan couldn’t stop talking about her, but then we got our orders to transfer to Florida and he asked her to move there.”

      “She didn’t, did she?”

      Gage shook his head. “Ryan said he talked to her all the time and tried to convince her to change her mind, even offered her money to help cover the expenses. Then she told him she was pregnant, and he...” Gage looked away, and a muscle in his jaw knotted.

      “He what?”

      Gage dragged his gaze to meet hers. “He died before he could see her again or meet Connor.”

      “Oh no.” Skye’s stomach plummeted. “I’m so sorry. I—I had no idea. She never told me that part.” No wonder Connor’s father hadn’t come forward to help. Questions pinged in her brain, and she wanted to ask more, but the sheen in Gage’s eyes made her keep quiet.

      “When did she come back to Merritt’s Crossing?” His voice was shaky as he tucked the photo away.

      “First she showed up at my apartment in Denver right before Thanksgiving, with Connor in his car seat, a backpack and five dollars to her name.” Skye shivered at the memory. “I still don’t know how she got to Denver from California with a newborn. Frankly, I was afraid to ask.”

      “So she and Connor lived with you?”

      “I let them stay with me for a couple of days because I knew she didn’t have anywhere else to go. We’d both lost so much, and it was nice to have family around, you know?” She clamped her mouth closed before she revealed details about her family’s struggles. What was it about him that made her want to share information so freely?

      “Where is Connor now?”

      “My mom let McKenna and Connor move in with her in November. He’s been staying with my mother and me since McKenna left in January, although my mom is recovering from knee-replacement surgery, and I’m trying to keep the furniture store open...” She trailed off. Again with too much information. Stop.

      Gage studied her. “Sounds like a lot for one person to handle.”

      “I’ve managed so far, although it’s been really hectic. As long as Connor doesn’t get kicked out of the church’s child care program, then it’s all good.” And given the program director’s recent warning about Connor’s behavior, that was definitely a possibility. She forced a wobbly smile. “I hope.”

      “Here’s the thing. I made a promise to Ryan before he died.” He worked his jaw before continuing.

      A niggling in Skye’s chest forced her to stiffen. “What kind of promise?”

      “I told Ryan that I’d take care of his child, and I intend to keep my word.”

      What did he mean—take care of his child? She clenched her fists in her lap. “I don’t understand. What are you—”

      He held up his palm to silence her. “This sounds

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