Braden cleared his throat.“You know—”
“What else did Cody say?”Hayes cut him off.
“Stuff.”Delilah yawned.Her eyelids were getting heavy—a telltale sign it was close to bedtime.“I wiked Cody and his mom.And Daddy wikes them, too.”Delilah picked up her doll, carried it to Braden and climbed up into his lap.She leaned back into his chest and yawned again.“Right, Daddy?”
That was a loaded question.No matter how he answered it, there’d be consequences.He’d rather focus on the wayhis little girl had climbed up and settled into his lap.Like it was the most natural thing in the world.And, in a way, it was.But it was times like this, when she did something that showed him she’d accepted him—that she was comfortable with him—that gave him hope.
“Daddy?”Delilah reached up to pull one of his arms around her and burrowed against his chest.“Wight?”
Dammit all.“Right.”Braden smoothed her hair back from her face and ignored the curious stares of his family.“But I like anyone who’s nice to you, Delilah.”With that, he hoped they’d drop it.The last thing he needed was his mother and sister reading into things, getting excited and planning his wedding.Now that he had Delilah, him being single was a serious concern for his mother in particular.“It was polite conversation.Nothing to get worked up over.”He shot his siblings, then parents a hard look.
From the way Hayes laughed and Rylee rolled her eyes, he could tell they weren’t going to drop this.Thankfully, Delilah saved the day by falling sound asleep in his lap.
“I need to get her to bed.”He scooped her up and stood.“I’ll help clean up in a sec.”He headed out of the living room and down one of the hallways that led to the rooms he and Delilah were staying in.Like Hayes and Chrissy, he was remodeling one of the old houses on the ranch—a place he and Delilah could call home.But until the renovations on the Old Settler’s Cabin were finished, they were living under the same roof as his parents and Miles and Renee.
He tugged off Delilah’s boots and tucked the thick quilt around her.The little thing slept so hard, she didn’t stir.“Happy birthday, Delilah,” he whispered.He stared down at his little girl.His.She was his daughter.There were times that realization still knocked him for a loop—and sent athousand emotions pressing in on him.“Sweet dreams.”He pressed a kiss to her temple and left the room.
Helping with the post-celebration cleanup didn’t require much thought so his mind wandered…to Maggie Cooper.Again.Since the slip of paper with her phone number on it was damn near burning a hole in his pocket, he pulled it out.
“What’s that?”Miles asked.
“Nothing.”He shoved the paper back into his pocket.
“Uh-huh.Right.”His brother chuckled.“What are you thinking about?”
Maggie.He was thinking about Maggie.And not because he was curious, dammit, but because he was interested.And, possibly—no, probably—he was interested in more than just her parenting advice.It was stupid.He knew better.He knew he had nothing to offer a woman like her.Calling her would be a mistake.With a shake of his head, he said, “I’m thinking I’m about to make a big mistake.”
Chapter Four
It was a terrible time for Maggie’s phone to start ringing.She scanned the recipe—again—to make sure everything was right.It certainly didn’t look right.There was a very high likelihood that her first attempt at homemade pudding was going to result in a goopy chocolate mess.She’d been whisking and whisking but the lumps weren’t going anywhere.“Hello?”She hadn’t meant to snap.It was the pudding’s fault.
“Maggie?”The voice was gruff and unfamiliar.
“I’m not interested in whatever it is you are selling.”She eyed the mounting bubbles with concern.
“Um, no, Maggie.I’m not selling anything.This is Braden.”He cleared his throat.“Braden Parker.We met Tuesday at the kids’ school?”
Braden?Heavens to Betsy.He’d called.He’d actually called.She was so startled she dropped the whisk.It spun, end over end, as it fell to the floor, spattering hot, chocolate goop all over the floor—and her feet.“Ouch!”It had been boiling so of course it was hot.Really hot.“Oh, damn.”
“You okay?”There was an edge to his voice.
“Fine.”Except for the sting on the top of her feet, she was alarmingly…giddy.Pull it together, Maggie.She bent, wiping at the chocolate with the kitchen towel she’d drapedover her shoulder.“Sorry.”But bending over had the phone sliding free—and landing in a puddle of pudding.“Dammit.”She grabbed the phone, did her best to de-pudding it and held it up to her ear.“Braden?”
“I’m still here.Is this a bad time?”
“Oh… Well…” She stood, blew at the hair that had fallen into her face and surveyed the damage.“I’m only cooking.”She would much rather talk to Braden than cook.She took a deep breath to steady her nerves.It didn’t work.“Rather, I’m trying to cook.So far, Cody’s birthday cupcakes are my only success—and that had taken several batches.From the looks of the concrete-like concoction simmering on the stove, it appears that edible pudding will also take several attempts.”She froze, horrified by the words that had come pouring out her mouth.“That was way more than you asked for.”
His chuckle warmed her insides.
There was no stopping her smile.She leaned against the kitchen counter, her burned feet and the congealing pudding still bubbling on the stove all but forgotten.“How’s your day going?”Which was such an unoriginal thing to ask she might as well have mentioned the weather.
“It’s looking up.”
“Oh?”She paused.Did he mean…because of her?No, no… She could not read things into everything he said or did.That was the quickest way to disappointment.At the school, he’d made it very clear why he wanted her number.“How are things going with Delilah?”That was why he was calling.
“We had a good morning today so I’ve got no complaints.”
“Boy, do I get that.”She did, too.If she could fast-forward in time enough for Cody to stop pushing and testing her, she’d seriously consider it.
