“Are you sure?”She hesitated in the doorway.If Cody hadn’t knocked, they’d be headed home by now.“I don’t want to impose—”
“You’re not.I’m glad you’re here.”
It was ridiculous how happy his words made her feel.
He cleared his throat and gestured over his shoulder with his spatula.“It’s pretty obvious Delilah is over the moon.”
“Daddy, come on.Time to cook,” Delilah called out.
“That’s my cue.”He pointed with the spatula.“Do you mind closing the door behind you?”He headed for the kitchen, leaving her to follow.
“Sure.”As long as she didn’t let his tight shirt or sweet words turn her to goo, this could be fun.She closed the door and followed the sounds of Cody and Delilah’s animated conversation.In the kitchen, Cody had pulled a chair over beside the step stool Delilah was standing on and was reading the directions off the back of the pancake box.
“We have eggs, Daddy?”Delilah asked.“Cody says we need eggs.”
“We have eggs.”Braden put the carton of eggs on the counter.“Check.”
“And miwk?”
“Milk.”When he pulled the milk carton from the refrigerator, the muscles in his arm clenched.“Check.”
She swallowed.“What can I do to help?”Anything to help her stop ogling Braden’s arms and chest and—him.
“The whisk.”Delilah held it out.“I make messes with it.”
“I can whisk.”She took the whisk and got to work.
Somehow, even with them working together and checking their measurements, they wound up making too much pancake batteranda really big mess.When Braden started flipping pancakes, Maggie began cleaning up.There were eggshells on the counter and the floor, a few puddles of milk, more spoons than she remembered using and piles of paper towels and napkins.Once everything was clean and sparkling, she asked Delilah to help her set the table.She stopped when she heard a woman’s voice call out.
“Hello?Braden?Is Delilah still sick?I’m here to help.”
Maggie wasn’t sure what to do.She and Cody had showed up out of nowhere.She hadn’t considered the possibility that he was already expecting someone, let alone a woman.From the corner of her eyes, it looked like Braden was muttering something under his breath.Had she and Cody ruined some plans Braden had made?
“Hello?”the woman called out again.
“We’re all in the kitchen.”His gaze bounced from Delilah to Cody to her.When his blue eyes locked with hers, he paused.
Maggie had absolutely no reason to feel uneasy or awkward or…jealous.But, deep down, she was feeling all those things—and more.Like the fact that this woman, whoever she was, would also be graced with the staggeringly impressiveview of Braden in the T-shirt that showed off his impressive six-pack.She was surprisingly irked by that.Braden’s crooked grin only added to his overall dizzying gorgeousness.But she couldn’t enjoy the grin too much because the sound of impending footsteps had him turning to the door.
He waved his spatula at the woman.“Mornin’.”
The woman stopped in the doorway.A young, very pretty woman who looked awful comfortable in Braden’s house—like it wasn’t her first time.“Morning?Is it still considered morning?”But she smiled.“It’s almost ten.”She headed straight for Delilah.“Hey, Delly, you don’t look sick.”
“I’m better now.”She smiled up at the woman.“Me an’ Daddy an’ Maggie an’ Cody makin’ breakfast.Want some pancakes?”
“I don’t know, do I?”The woman shot Braden a look Maggie couldn’t decipher.
“I don’t know.”Braden pointed at the two giant stacks of pancakes he was adding to, then smiled at the woman.“We might not have enough.”
Delilah giggled.“Daddy is so siwwy.”
“Oh, I know that, Delly.He’s is super silly.”The woman faced her then.“I’m his sister, Rylee.And you must be Maggie.Pretty sure I’ve seen you before, but I’m not sure we’ve officially met.”
Braden’s sister?“It is so nice to meet you.”She was almost ashamed by how relieved she was.This was Delilah’s aunt, who’d come to check in on her niece, not just some other woman.Not that it should matter—but it did.“That handsome kiddo over there is my son, Cody.”
Cody was already sitting at the table.“Hi.”
“Hello.”Rylee waved at him.
