“You’re no help.”She tore her gaze away from his absurdly handsome face.“I think it’s very sweet, what you’re trying to do but…what if Braden and I don’t want to go on a date with each other?”
Delilah turned to Cody.“You said they wike-wiked each other,” she whispered.
“They do,” Cody whispered back.
Braden managed to choke off his laughter this time.
“Seriously?”Maggie turned to Braden again.Shefrowned, reaching back to give his knee a warning squeeze.“We need a united front.A little help here?”
“I think the kids are on to something.”Braden took her hand in his.“Let’s do it.”
Maggie was staring, open-mouthed, at Braden.He was holding her hand.She stared down at their hands.“You… Wait, what?”Had he really just said that?
He gave her hand a squeeze.“Why not?It can’t hurt.We’ll still be friends either way.Since they’ve figured a few things out already, maybe they’ll be right about this, too.”
Figured what out?But, oh, goodness, the brush of his thumb across the palm of her hand felt so good.Stop.No.She tugged her hand free.“What did they figure out?”She shoved her hands between her knees, wishing her palm would stop tingling.
“I do like-like you, Maggie.”He didn’t shy away from her gaze.“A whole lot.And since I have Cody’s approval and, I’m guessing, your brother’s, too, I can’t think of a reason why we shouldn’t date.”
She swallowed, sinking into his blue-blue eyes.There were plenty of reasons… Any second now, one would spring to mind.Anysecond.Whatever they were, they were alluding her, and her resistance was fading—rapidly.
“Unless you don’t want to?”Braden’s smile faltered.
She felt it in the pit of her stomach.For her, that hint of vulnerability pushed, hard, at her lingering resistance.He wanted to do this?But the longer she studied him, the more she accepted it.He did.He wanted to go on a date with her.
“She does want to.”Cody stood up.“Ma, come on.See, right there, you were just making that foggy face—”
“Okay.”Maggie jumped up, desperate to stop Cody from finishing that sentence.She didn’t want to ever hear her son refer to her foggy face again.“Fine.Let’s go.”
It was Mike’s turn to laugh now.
“I don’t want to hear a peep out of you.”She pointed at her brother.“You are in so much trouble.”
“I’m being a good uncle, Maggie.”He shrugged, then turned to Braden.“Mike Cooper.I know we’ve met before but… I’ve heard a lot about you.Mostly good.”
“Nice to hear.Braden Parker.”Braden smiled.“Nice to officially meet you.”
“If everything goes well, yes.”Mike smiled.
“You are going?”Delilah hugged her around the thighs.“I am so happy.”
Maggie patted her back, awash in too many emotions to name.“Well…have fun.”She glanced at Cody.“And behave for Uncle Mike, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.”Cody flopped onto the couch.“I’m not a kid anymore, Ma.”
“Bye, Daddy.”Delilah held her arms up.“Be nice to Maggie.”Her attempt at a whisper was heard by everyone.“I want her to wove you reaw bad.”
Maggie’s face was on fire, she could feel it.This had been the strangest ten minutes of her life.But watching Braden scoop Delilah into a big hug and kiss both her cheeks was a nice distraction.The way he was so open with his affection for his daughter made him even more appealing.
The man can’t be any more appealing that he already is, can he?She was already in so much trouble.
“Thank you for watching them, Mike.”Braden nodded at Mike.“Have fun.”Braden set her on the couch by Cody.
“Go on.”Mike pointed at the door.“We’ve got a movie to watch.”
Maggie was in a daze.Somehow, she wound up on the front porch with her coat, her purse and Braden.All she knew was it was quiet now.No kids.No Mike.No bloodroaring in her ears.Only cold and silence and… Braden.Once she looked at him, that was all she could see.It wasn’t fair, really.The way he looked—the way he got to her.She’d always prided herself on being levelheaded and deliberate.But he made her want to throw caution to the wind—to give in to her impulses and throw her arms around his neck and—
Whoa.Wait.She wasnotthat person.Calm down.But then Braden stepped in front of her—so close she could feel his warm breath on her face—effectively thwarting every attempt to steady herself.
