LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Seventeen

      Last night, this wasn’t the way Brady had planned to wake up with Maggie. He stared across the bed and the tangle of dark hair at Maggie sleeping on the other side of Amber.

      Her light honey hair spread over the pillow. The constant tension in her face had gone soft in sleep. He’d hoped they could ease some of the tension between them last night. The sexual tension had been building since New York and the only way to discharge it was to have sex. It was only natural.

      It didn’t help that she constantly battled him at every turn. Challenged him about his way of life. Stole his phone. Made him someone’s daddy.

      Instead of finally succumbing to the spark that hadn’t died since they were younger, they’d ended up with Amber taking the middle of Maggie’s queen-size bed. He’d never been kicked so much in his life, and he couldn’t help but smile because of it.

      The morning sun drifted in between the curtains and fell across Maggie’s and Amber’s faces. Amber had wanted her daddy to comfort her last night. Her heart had beat like a scared rabbit’s against his. He’d forgotten to ask what her nightmare had been about. Wasn’t even sure if he should ask.

      Now she slept as beautifully as her mom. Even though Amber had his coloring, she had her mother’s features. His heart was going to burst out of his chest. It almost felt as if they were a family.

      What would it be like to have them with him? The thought startled him, but it had been in his mind all day yesterday. He had to return to New York and work. That’s where his life was. But why couldn’t he take them with him? Both of them.

      Not just a week or two in the summer or a weekend a month, but forever. Maggie’s nose crinkled in her sleep. Amber threw her arm across Maggie. Surely Maggie would see that they were better as a family. With Maggie there, he’d know someone was taking care of Amber while he worked.

      It’s not as if there was anything holding them to Tawnee Valley. Maybe the house, but Maggie’s mom was gone. His brother lived there, but Sam wasn’t exactly their favorite person.

      Maggie stretched. Slowly her eyes opened and focused on him.

      “Morning,” he whispered.

      She gave him a sleepy smile and stretched again. His shirt tightened against her body, giving him an image to dream about. If she noticed his interest, she didn’t give it away as she rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Amber.

      Before he had a chance to say anything more, she was out the door.

      “Do you like my mommy?”

      Brady looked into Amber’s wide-awake face. “Yeah, I like your mommy.”

      “Then why did you leave her?” Such a simple question but he didn’t have a good answer to it.

      His mouth opened as he thought of saying one thing, but then he closed it. He’d left because he needed to put his past behind him. He’d left to forget about a little town called Tawnee Valley where his parents had raised him and where they had died, leaving him and his brothers alone. He hadn’t planned on leaving Maggie because she hadn’t been part of the picture.

      “I don’t suppose you’d take an ‘it’s complicated, you’ll understand when you’re older’?” Brady tried.

      From the look in Amber’s eyes, she wasn’t buying it. “Jessica says that when a man and woman don’t like each other anymore, they move away from each other. But since you and Mommy like each other, why don’t you live together?”

      “Because Brady lives all the way in New York and our life is here.”

      Saved by Maggie’s voice, Brady lifted his gaze as Maggie walked through the door in a different shirt. She tossed his T-shirt at him as she sat on the edge of the bed next to Amber.

      Amber’s face bunched up as she tried to work out her next question. Before she could ask anything more, Brady stood.

      “I should go back to the farm.” He tugged his shirt on over his head. Maggie’s scent mingled with his.

      “Sounds like a plan.” Maggie didn’t look as if she was going to offer to walk him to the door or anything.

      “Can I come, too?” Amber bounced on the bed before turning her pleading eyes to Maggie. “Can I, Mommy? Please? I promise to behave. I can be ready. Please?”

      “I don’t mind,” Brady said. “As long as you two don’t have anything planned.”

      “No, we don’t.” Her smile seemed forced. “Go on, Amber. Get dressed so the two of you can go.”

      Amber hopped off the bed and rushed from the room. Doors opened and closed and drawers slammed before the sound of running water filled the silence between him and Maggie. Picking at the blue shirt she wore, Maggie sat on the edge of the bed with her bare feet on the runner board. She didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move or to talk.

      “We should talk.” Brady didn’t know what else to say, but they really did need to talk about many things. He needed to sort through what he wanted on his own before he gave her his plan.

      “About what?” She tried to give him a blank look, but he wasn’t buying it. They hadn’t discussed what type of arrangement they were going to have after this week or the fact that every time he was alone with her he wanted to touch her and kiss her.

      “About a lot of things. Have dinner with me tonight?”

      “We have dinner every night.” Maggie pulled a length of her hair through her fingers. “When you aren’t too busy working.”

      “Not here. Not with Amber. Out.”

      That finally got her attention. Her hands dropped to the bed as she looked at him. “Where?”

      “Well…” Brady hadn’t thought that far ahead. They needed neutral territory to talk things through, for him to have a chance to propose the

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