LITMIR.BIZ

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that had always served him well in the past.

      Was Kim anxious about what lay ahead? He couldn’t blame her for that. He wasn’t nervous, exactly, figuring the next couple of days would be interesting and provide plenty of funny stories for his friends, but he was aware of the challenges they could encounter. He hoped she wasn’t uncomfortable being alone with him now—especially after that unexpectedly volatile kiss.

      Surely she knew she could trust him not to let things get out of hand; just as he knew she wouldn’t read too much into his behavior this weekend, since she had always been adamant that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. He and Kim were friends, and he treasured that friendship. He had no intention of breaking that bond.

      Okay, maybe there’d been times when he’d been tempted to carry their relationship beyond a casual acquaintance. Maybe there had been more than a few occasions when he’d looked at her laughing with her friends across the lunch table and felt a strong urge to have her all to himself. More than once, he’d considered asking her out, but he’d always dissuaded himself with the reasons that would not be a good idea. He didn’t want to ruin their comfortable friendship. He had always been wary of dating single mothers. His sister would never forgive him if he did anything even unintentionally to hurt her friend. And then there was the fact that Kim had never given him any significant sign that she wanted him to ask her out, despite an occasional moment of what he thought of as heightened awareness between them. Even now, after a kiss that had shaken him to his bone marrow, Kim was as reserved and carefully cordial with him as ever.

      Maybe the kiss hadn’t been as stimulating for her as it had been for him. He’d thought he saw some of his own surprise and awareness mirrored in her eyes when she had pulled away, but then she’d turned and planted one on Evan. Which, Tate admitted privately now, had rather annoyed him. Just what purpose had that served in preparing her for the coming weekend?

      A particularly enthusiastic round of tinkling and babbling came from the backseat as Daryn pumped her toy and kicked her feet. “She seems content back there,” he said, figuring talk about the baby would set Kim more at ease.

      She glanced over her shoulder. “She likes riding in the car. She’ll probably fall asleep soon.”

      “She sure likes that monkey.”

      “Mr. Jingles,” Kim informed him with a faint laugh. “A gift from her father.”

      Tate kept his eyes on the road and his tone casual. “Yeah? I thought you said he wasn’t a part of your lives.”

      “Oh, he’s not. He visited me in the hospital when Daryn was born, left the monkey and a generous check, wished us both the best and walked out of our lives. Last I heard, he was living in Alaska where he’s pursuing his dream to be a bush pilot.”

      It was the most he’d heard her say about her child’s father. Perhaps she was simply acknowledging Tate’s inevitable curiosity about the man whose role he was filling this weekend. Maybe she didn’t want those questions to become the elephant in the car with them, so to speak.

      “You don’t sound bitter,” he commented.

      She shrugged. “Chris is a nice, fun guy, but he’d make a terrible husband and father, as he is the first to admit. We were together for a while, but I never expected it to last forever. Granted, Daryn was a surprise, but both Chris and I would have been miserable if we’d tried to stay together for her sake. Especially him, since he didn’t really want a child. As for me, I consider myself blessed to have her, and I’ll always think fondly of Chris because of her.”

      It didn’t sound as though she received any support now from Daryn’s father, but judging from the months Tate had known Kim that didn’t surprise him. He’d always thought of her as very independent and self-sufficient. He admired that about her. Just as he appreciated her calm, quiet demeanor that didn’t quite mask a delightfully dry sense of humor. And her ease with keeping their luncheon conversations flowing and interesting. Not to mention that she was certainly pleasant to look at with her wavy, shoulder-length chestnut hair, brown eyes the color of good whiskey, a cute smattering of freckles across an impishly tilted nose and a slightly crooked smile that always made his pulse jump into overdrive when aimed in his direction.

      Another happy squeal and frantic clinking came from the backseat, reminding him of the main reason why he’d never done anything about that racing pulse. As loath as he was to compare himself to Kim’s ex, Tate was in no better position to take on the massive responsibility of a child—especially now, when his long-planned business was just taking off.

      “Do you mind if I turn on some music? Daryn drifts off to sleep more easily when there’s music playing. She needs her nap.”

      Though he couldn’t help wondering if Kim was trying to ward off any further conversation as much as soothe her baby, Tate shook his head. “Feel free. What does she like? Heavy metal? Acid rock? Please tell me it doesn’t involve purple dinosaurs.”

      Kim laughed softly. “You’re a little dated on kids’ TV, not to mention rock genres, but there are no purple dinosaurs involved. I usually tune in to a pop or country radio station, but we’re not picky.”

      “I’m a country fan, myself.”

      “I knew that,” she reminded him, reaching for the radio buttons.

      Of course she did. Just as he knew her favorite television programs because of their weekly chats over lunch. He hoped whatever happened this weekend didn’t affect those easy conversations he’d always enjoyed so much. He supposed he hadn’t thought that far ahead beyond this impulsive outing. As hard as it would be for him to state exactly why he had agreed in the first place, he knew he had to make certain that he and Kim remained friends afterward. She meant too much to him—on a platonic basis, of course—for him to risk not having her in his life, at least on a once-a-week basis.

      After a brief stop halfway into the trip for a walk break, a diaper change for Daryn and ice-cream cones for Tate and Kim, they were back on the road toward Springfield. Kim had offered to drive the rest of the way, but Tate confided he was a restless passenger and would just as soon drive, if she didn’t mind. Since she would rather ride and sightsee than negotiate the turns and traffic on the road clogged with tourists headed for Branson, Missouri, Kim was happy to agree.

      Daryn fussed a little at being strapped back into her car seat so soon, but she fell asleep again within a few minutes on the road, to Kim’s relief. For the most part, Daryn was an easygoing baby who rarely cried, but she’d thrown a few memorable fits in her time. Kim was glad this wasn’t going to be one of those times.

      A little more than an hour’s drive lay ahead of them when they crossed the Arkansas/Missouri state line. Kim pointed that out to Tate, telling him she would guide him to her mother’s house after they reached Springfield. She’d never been to this house, but she had been given detailed directions. Her mother had moved into a new place since Kim had last been persuaded to come for a visit.

      “You know, it just occurred to me,” Tate said with a sudden frown. “What has your mother been calling me? You said she’s told everyone you’ve been married for more than a year. Did she give your imaginary husband a name?”

      “She said she called him—er, you—Trey. You know, as if you were Somebody the Third. She thought that sounded impressive, I guess.”

      “Hmm. That’s rather a coincidence. Actually, I am the third Tate in my family. My mom’s dad and his dad were both named Tate, though obviously there’s no ‘the third’ in my name.”

      “Don’t worry, I’ll tell everyone you prefer answering to Tate. As to your last name, she said she never mentioned it and no one asked.”

      “Rather odd, isn’t it?”

      “Not in my family,” she replied with a faint sigh. “As competitive as they all are, they wouldn’t want to hear too many details about this perfect life Mom has concocted for me.”

      She saw him slant a look her way, and she could only imagine the thoughts

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