Page 2 of Tangled in His Embrace

“Uh-uh.”

“Hmm.” He lifted her in his arms. “What about... a raspberry?”

A loud squeal filled the room as he blew raspberries on her stomach.

Watching the two interact caused Gabby’s heart to ache. It was obvious Jax loved his daughter, but she’d thought that before. The first time he’d held Taylor in the hospital his face lit up with joy. But that hadn’t kept him from taking off two months later.

Taylor was laughing, enjoying the time with her father. As much as Gabby feared what would happen if he left again, she couldn’t keep her little girl from him. Or him from her. It wouldn’t be right.

“Do you have your overnight bag packed for a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa’s?” Jax asked Taylor as her giggling died down. Although Jax had an apartment of his own, he often spent the weekend at his parents’ house whenever he had Taylor for the weekend. Gabby wasn’t sure if this was more for his benefit or his parents’. They’d visited Taylor periodically over the years, even when Jax was gone, but they’d always seemed to keep their distance most of the time. Gabby wondered if they felt guilty about their son taking off, but she’d never asked. Now that he was back, they’d gone out of their way to spend as much time with Taylor as possible.

“Mommy said I could bring Is’bella.”

Jax raised an eyebrow in Gabby’s direction.

“Her Aunt Grace brought her a doll back from Chicago.”

Before Jax could respond, Taylor was wiggling in his arms, letting him know she wanted to get down. He placed her feet on the floor and a second later she was running down the hall toward her bedroom.

He shook his head and chuckled. “She never stops, does she?”

“Only when she’s asleep.”

Jax stood in the center of her living room looking as relaxed as ever, while her insides felt as if she’d ridden one too many roller-coasters. How could he be so composed when she was such a mess inside?

“That reminds me,” he said, “my parents want to take Taylor to a children’s museum in Kansas City. They want to leave Friday and make a weekend of it.”

“Okay.”

“You’re okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture, hinting for the first time that he might not be as calm as he appeared. “I just wanted to make sure. I have to work next Friday, so I can’t go and I didn’t know if you already had plans—”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“It’ll give me some time to catch up on my writing.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

Since he’d been back, Jax had been ultra-polite. With one exception. Last month she’d gone to pick Taylor up from his place, something she’d done several times before, but their daughter had fallen asleep before she’d arrived. Gabby should have listened to her instincts that night, scooped her daughter up, and headed home immediately. Instead, she’d let him corner her in the hallway and kiss her.

That night she did what she’d promised herself she’d never do again: let a guy get past her defenses. And the worst part was that it was the same guy who had crushed her heart the first time around.

They stood in awkward silence for several minutes before Gabby went in search of Taylor. The sooner she got Jax out of her house the better. She didn’t trust herself around him.

“I’m hungry,” Taylor whined as they reentered the living room with her coat, her backpack of clothes, and her new doll.

Jax took the backpack from Gabby and knelt down so he could zip up Taylor’s coat. “Think you can wait until we get to Grandma’s? I’m sure she’ll have something you can snack on.”

“Cookies?”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to see when we get there.”

She scrunched up her little face, considering this, and nodded. “’Kay.”

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