Page 56 of Her Summer Hope

“I’m never difficult,” he finally answered, his smile fading. “I hope you know that you can trust me if you need help. If something is bothering you—or someone,” he said significantly, turning his eyes toward her for a moment.

She looked down at her feet, unsure what to say. “I know. I feel like I can trust you, but everything is just so complicated right now.”

“But you told Murdock,” he said flatly. She noticed something in his voice had changed.

She nodded shyly. “A little.”

“Then tell me.”

His profile was golden and classic and perfect in the sun-washed kitchen. His hair was light gold at the ends where it flipped up slightly, and his jaw was lean and pronounced. Devastatingly handsome was the phrase that came to mind, and it fit.

He could devastate her in one moment if she let him.

The colors of the sunset painted him in their warm, magical hues and made it seem like the easiest thing in the world to sit here and pour her heart out.

She deliberated. Would it really be so bad to just tell him what she told Murdock?

“What’s your baby’s name?” he asked gently.

“Emma…Em or Emmie sometimes,” she said with a small smile. His eyes caressed her face as she spoke about the smallest love of her life. Even talking about Em made her happy.

“She’s three months old, fat, and gorgeous if I do say so myself.”

“Does she look like you?”

She dared to look at him again. “Some. She has his blonde hair and blue eyes. She gets her fat rolls from me, I guess,” she teased.

He snorted and shook his head. “You aren’t fat and I seriously doubt you have rolls.”

She giggled. “Okay, maybe not as many as she does,” she allowed.

He shifted his position and she felt the barest hint of his finger brush hers where it rested on the edge of the counter. Her whole awareness became focused on that one small portion of her body.

He didn’t move away and neither did she.

She felt the most wonderful sensation of well-being and happiness at that moment. It temporarily eclipsed everything else.

“Will you bring her? I’d like to meet her,” he said, clearing his throat.

“I wouldn’t feel right bringing her to work and then getting paid—”

“Stop. I’m your boss, right? Leave that up to me,” he said. “Look, the guys are all excited about it too. You heard them. They weren’t joking.”

She thought about Ellie and Jack and James and how unfair it would be to have to leave them at Helen’s while she brought Em to the barbeque. She had to remind herself that she’d be working though. She wasn’t coming to hang out and eat or have fun.

“Okay. I’ll bring her. What time do you want to eat?”

“Probably a little earlier in the day. Maybe about three?” he asked, squinting as the sun blazed into the room through a gap in the trees.

The kitchen was becoming dimmer by the moment as the hour grew later. She needed to leave soon. Em was bound to be fussing already.

“Sounds good. I’ll be here at noon to start everything. Aiden’s helping me, right?”

“Yep.”

She jumped down and started to walk away when she felt him gently grasp her arm to stop her. His grip was calloused and his hands were large as they slid down to take her hand. He looked at her imploringly and slid from the countertop to stand in front of her.

She looked up at him, wanting so much to lean in and take the comfort he wanted to offer. He thought she was married and she knew his character well enough to know that he wouldn’t take things any farther. He wouldn’t go past the boundaries of an innocent friendship.

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