LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter Three

      To distract herself, Maggie grabbed her cell off the nightstand, plopped in one of the chairs and dialed her best friend’s number.

      “Maggie!” Kerry didn’t even bother with hello. “How did it go?”

      Maggie filled her friend in on her day. “He needs to warm up to me still. He misses his old nanny a lot,” she finished.

      “Of course he does,” Kerry agreed. “Poor little guy. He’s been through so much.”

      “I know. It will take some time but he’ll adjust,” Maggie said, echoing what she’d told Josh earlier in the day. “Josh said he’s a little shy.”

      Something in her tone gave her away. “Really,” Kerry said, drawing out the word. “Josh, huh? Tell me about him.”

      Maggie mentally kicked herself for even getting into this. She stood up, walked to the sliding doors, her gaze on the pine trees in the backyard. The faint scent of burning leaves lingered on the breeze as she slid the door open. “There’s not much to tell. As far as I can tell, he works hard and he adores his son.”

      “Sounds perfect,” Kerry teased. “Is he hot?”

      “Kerry! He’s my boss.” She kept her voice low, even though Josh wasn’t likely to overhear.

      Her friend sighed, all signs of teasing gone. “I know. I’m sorry. That didn’t go so well for you last time.”

      “You could say that,” she murmured, thinking of the baby that wasn’t hers. “But I’d never get involved with him,” she added. “It’d be way too weird and anyway, I’m here for Cody.”

      “So he is attractive,” Kerry said.

      An understatement, that. Maggie’s fingers still tingled where they’d touched his. She curled her hand tighter around the phone. “Well, yeah. In a generic kind of way. You know. Not personally. To me.” She rolled her eyes. She sounded a little too casual, even to her own ears.

      Kerry paused and Maggie held her breath. “I see. Well, that’s good. You don’t want a repeat of Tony.”

      She exhaled. “God knows that’s true. I’m here in a professional capacity, period. Cody is my focus.”

      No matter how unexpectedly attractive his father was.

      “Of course he is,” Kerry agreed. “Did you learn anything about Lucy?”

      Kerry’s question caused Maggie’s conscience to give her jab. “No. Not yet. I don’t feel comfortable bringing her up yet.” It seemed like Josh should be the one to start that particular conversation. Maggie wasn’t sure she could bring up Lucy and not blurt out the truth. Soon, but not yet. She wanted to let everything settle first and be sure it wouldn’t be too hard on Josh and Cody to tell them who she was. It wasn’t ideal, but she couldn’t see another way to protect them.

      “It’s early,” Kerry murmured. “I’m sure you’ll get the chance. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for a good guy. Not all men are like Tony.”

      Maggie thought of Brian, her best friend’s husband. “Of course they’re not. You’ve got a good one.”

      Kerry laughed. “Oh, yes, I do. I really do. And we’ll get you a good one, too. Trust me.”

      Maggie made a little humming noise. “We’ll see. I’m sure not going to find him here. Holden’s Crossing seems pretty small. I’m guessing the good ones are taken already. But I’m not in the market anyway.” After her marriage, it seemed prudent to avoid all things commitment-related.

      “Maybe, maybe not. Don’t let Tony win,” Kerry ordered. “Make sure it’s because it’s what you want. If you give up on all this, on ever being happy or a family of your own, you’ve let him win. He doesn’t get to ruin your life.”

      Again. The unspoken word echoed in Maggie’s head. She swiped at her now-moist eyes. “You’re absolutely right. He doesn’t. I’ll keep my options open.”

      They chatted a few more minutes, then hung up. Maggie snapped her phone shut as Cody caught her attention, racing into the backyard with his dad behind him. Cody held a soccer ball, which he dropped on the ground and kicked toward his dad. His little-boy laugh floated in through the door. Josh kicked the ball back, then looked up. He waved. Caught, she couldn’t exactly duck out of sight so she fluttered her fingers back.

      “You play?” he called, and Maggie opened the door farther so she could step out on the balcony into the wood smoke–scented twilight. She crossed over to the railing and leaned on it, the wood cool through her sleeves.

      “Not in years,” she said as Cody gave the ball a solid kick. “Not since college.”

      “You can kick it around with us,” he offered, and Maggie’s chest squeezed at the invitation. “Right, Code?”

      Cody darted a glance up at Maggie, then to his dad. He nodded and zeroed back in on the ball as it flew off Josh’s foot. She was tempted, but she shook her head. “No thanks,” she said to the top of Josh’s head. No topside bald spot for him. “Maybe another time.”

      He executed some fancy footwork with the ball, indicating more than a passing relationship with the game of soccer. “Sounds good. We’ve got to go in soon, anyway. Almost bedtime for someone.”

      Cody’s head came up. “It’s not dark yet,” he protested and Maggie smothered a laugh.

      “Not yet,” Josh agreed. “But it will be soon. Five more minutes, big guy, and it’s time to hit the shower.”

      Maggie turned from the railing and walked back inside. While she could watch the two of them interact for hours, it probably wasn’t a good idea. Keeping a distance was the best option.

      Still, she left the door open to hear their voices and laughter, the thunk of the ball, as the sounds all drifted in on the chilly evening breeze.

      * * *

      Maggie spent the next two weeks doing an admirable job of ignoring the physical attraction she felt for Josh. Part of that had been keeping a bit of an emotional distance, developing a routine that worked for Cody but kept her out of incidental contact with Josh as much as possible. She kept her professionalism front and center.

      Except for today.

      Somehow she’d been roped into a family dinner.

      Still not sure exactly how Ellen had gotten her to accept the invitation, Maggie stared out the window of Josh’s SUV. The trees clipped by as she replayed the conversation in her head.

      Dinner,

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