LITMIR.BIZ

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for clothes and things for Maggie.” Candace set a roast beef sandwich on the center island and went to the refrigerator for a soda. “The poor girl hasn’t been out of here in days.”

      “She took Maggie with her?”

      “I offered to watch her while she was gone, but the weather is warm, and Hadley thought the outing would do her some good.”

      “How long have they been gone?”

      “About fifteen minutes.” Candace set her hands on her hips and regarded him squarely. “Is there some reason for all the questions?”

      “No.”

      Liam wondered at his edginess. He trusted Maggie was in good hands with Hadley, but for some reason, the thought of both of them leaving the ranch had sparked his anxiety. What was wrong with him? It wasn’t as if they weren’t ever coming back.

      The thought caught him by surprise. Is that what was in the back of his mind? The notion that people he cared about left the ranch and didn’t come back? Ridiculous. Sure, his mother had left him and Kyle. And then Kyle had gone off to join the navy, but people needed to live their lives. It had nothing to do with him or the ranch. Still, the sense of uneasiness lingered.

      * * *

      Royal Diner was humming with lunchtime activity when Hadley pushed through the glass door in search of a tuna melt and a chance to catch up with Kori. To her relief, her best friend had already snagged one of the booths. Hadley crossed the black-and-white checkerboard floor and slid onto the red faux-leather seat with a grateful sigh.

      “I’m so glad you were able to meet me last-minute,” Hadley said, settling Maggie’s carrier beside her and checking on the sleeping infant.

      She’d already fed and changed the baby at Priceless, Raina Patterson’s antiques store and craft studio. Hadley had taken a candle-making class there last month and wanted to see what else Raina might be offering.

      “Thanks for calling. This time of year is both a blessing and a curse.” Kori was a CPA who did a lot of tax work, making January one of her slower months. “I love Scott, but his obsessive need to be busy at all times gets on my nerves.” Kori and her husband had started their accounting company two years ago, and despite what she’d just said, the decision had been perfect for them.

      “You’re the one doing me a favor. I really need your advice.” Hadley trailed off as the waitress brought two Diet Cokes.

      They put in their lunch order and when the waitress departed, Kori leaned her forearms on the table and fixed Hadley with an eager stare.

      “This is fantastic. You never need my help with anything.”

      Her friend’s statement caught Hadley off guard. “That’s not true. I’m always asking for favors.”

      “Little things, sure, like when you asked me to pick up baby stuff for Miss Maggie or help with your taxes, but when it comes to life stuff you’re so self-sufficient.” Kori paused. “And I’m always boring you with the stuff that I’m going through.”

      Hadley considered. “I guess I’ve been focused on finishing my degree and haven’t thought much beyond that. Plus, it’s not like I have a social life to speak of.”

      Kori waved her hands. “Forget all that. Tell me what’s going on.”

      Embarrassment over her early-morning encounter with Liam hadn’t faded one bit. Her skin continued to tingle in the aftermath of his touch while other parts of her pulsed with insistent urgency. The only thing that kept her from quitting on the spot was that he’d been asleep when he’d slid his hand beneath her clothes.

      “Oh my goodness,” Kori exclaimed in awe. “You’re blushing.”

      Hadley clapped her hands over her cheeks. “Am I?”

      “What happened?”

      “Waldo got out of my room last night when I got up for Maggie’s feeding, and when I tracked him down, he was in Liam’s room, curled up right here.” Hadley indicated where her cat had been on Liam’s anatomy.

      “You said he isn’t a cat person. Was he mad?”

      “He was asleep.”

      Kori began to laugh. “So what happened?”

      “I tried to lure him off with a treat, but Waldo being Waldo wouldn’t budge. As I was picking him up...” Swept by mortification, Hadley closed her eyes for a span of two heartbeats.

      “Yes?” Kori’s voice vibrated with anticipation. “You picked him up and what?”

      “I was leaning over the bed and Liam was sleeping. And dreaming.” Hadley shuddered. “About having sex with some woman, I think.”

      “And?” Kori’s delighted tone prompted Hadley to spill the next part of her tale.

      “The next thing I knew, his hand was up my shirt and he—” she mimed a gesture “—my breast.” Her voice trailed off in dismay.

      “No way. And you’re sure he was asleep?”

      “Positive. Unfortunately, I was so shocked that I didn’t keep a good hold of Waldo and he jumped onto Liam’s chest, waking him. I don’t think he knew what hit him.”

      “What did he say?”

      “I honestly don’t remember. I think I mumbled an apology for waking him. He retrieved his hand from beneath my pajama top and I bolted with Waldo.”

      “Did you talk to him later?”

      “He was gone before Maggie woke up again, and then I took off before he came home for lunch.” Hadley glanced at her charge to make sure the baby was sleeping soundly. “What am I supposed to say or do the next time I see him?”

      “You could thank him for giving you the best sex you’ve had in years.”

      “We didn’t have sex.” Hadley lowered her voice and hissed the last word, scowling at her friend.

      “It’s the closest thing you’ve had to a physical encounter in way too long.” Kori fluffed her red hair and gazed in disgust at her friend. “I don’t know how you’ve gone so long without going crazy. If Scott and I go three days without sex we become vile, miserable people.”

      Hadley rolled her eyes at her friend. “I’m not in a committed, monogamous relationship. You and Scott have been together for seven years. You’ve forgotten how challenging being single is. And if you recall, the last time I fell in love it didn’t work out so well.”

      “Noah was an ass. He led you on while he was still working through things with his ex-wife.”

      “She wanted him back,” Hadley reminded her friend. “He’d never stopped loving her even after finding out she’d cheated on him. And he was thinking about his kids.”

      “He still hedged his bets with you. At the very least, he should have told you where things stood between them.”

      On that, Hadley agreed. Five years earlier, she’d been a blind fool to fall in love with Noah. Not only had he been her employer, but also things had moved too fast between them. Almost immediately he’d made her feel like a part of the family. Because it was her first time being a nanny, she hadn’t understood that his behavior had crossed a line. She’d merely felt accepted and loved.

      “That was a long time ago.” Thinking about Noah made her sad and angry. He’d damaged her ability to trust and opened a hole in her heart that had never healed. “Can we get back to my more immediate problem? Do I quit?”

      “Because your boss sleep–felt you up?” Kori shook her head. “Chalk it up to an embarrassing mistake and forget about it.”

      “You’re right.” Only she was having a hard time forgetting how much she enjoyed his hands on her skin. In fact,

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