Page 78 of Her Summer Hope

Finally, as the minutes passed, her eyes got heavy and she slept…and dreamed.

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She gave Helen a wobbly smile as she pulled away. The kids had let her go without a fuss after being promised pizza and a movie for supper. She’d have to buy the ingredients to make it because takeout was much too expensive and they didn’t like the frozen kind.

The day was cloudy and blustery. It was cool, which was a relief after the stretch of late summer heat they’d had recently. She had a backpack with Em’s stuff in it, along with a bottle of water, the baby carrier, and a nursing cover.

She was going to have to feed her at some point during the hike and she wasn’t keen to go flashing Kyle as she did it. She just hoped Em didn’t try to grab the cover as she had started to do now.

The drive was over before she knew it, and she was pulling up to the gate at the chalet.

She saw Murdock in the shadows of the trees off to the side and she waved, stifling the lingering hint of fear that she still felt.

The guy was big and mean and didn’t talk much, but he’d never hurt her or Em. He’d only tried to protect her from what he thought was a bad situation. It wouldn’t be fair for her feelings for him to change based on that, and Madison was an inherently fair person…or tried to be.

Kyle was standing on the porch with a travel mug when she pulled up. She saw his eyes light up before he trained his face into a more moderate greeting. She smiled and flipped her hand up in a wave before turning the car off and unbuckling her belt.

He met her at the bottom of the steps, gaze trailing down her long brown hair before moving back to her face.

“I was just getting ready. You need a bathroom break before we go?” he asked, peering around her to give Emmie a big grin. She was desperately trying to reach her toes.

“She pulled her sock off,” he said as if it were a big accomplishment.

Madison chuckled. “She thinks her feet are toys and I think she hates socks. I don’t blame her.”

“You hate socks too?” he teased.

“Yep. Can’t stand them,” she said.

“I hope you wore some today, or you might get blisters,” he frowned, looking down at her boots.

“Of course I did. I’m out of shape though, so you’ll have to go easy on me. I haven’t hiked in a long time.”

He guided her up the steps to the kitchen where she would leave her purse and Em’s car seat. Jimmy was at the stove, finishing up something that looked like pumpkin soup with sausage. It smelled wonderful.

“I’ll take her while you go to the bathroom,” Kyle said, kneeling to unfasten the baby seat and lift out the baby. Emmie was grinning and cooing her brand new baby language as she reached out for Kyle’s nose.

She turned to go and caught Jimmy with a suspicious frown on his face. He turned away, but not before he gave her a warning glare and shook his head. His meaning was as clear as if he’d dragged a finger across his throat.

He was warning her away from Kyle.

She was a bit shaky as went to the bathroom and washed her hands before checking her hair in the mirror. She usually left it in a braid or a bun because it was more hygienic when cooking, but today she left it long and loose. It was cool enough, and the brown waves drifted down to her waist.

She was wearing her most flattering pair of black leggings—the ones without the holes— with a tee and a long, green flannel shirt on top. The autumn colors flattered her complexion and made her happy, even if they did herald a season that she dreaded.

When she got back to the kitchen, Jimmy was gone and Kyle was jiggling a happy Em with one hand while tapping her nose and cheeks and making bubble-popping noises with the other. The baby was thrilled and kept trying to shove his finger in her mouth.

Kyle, thankfully, didn’t oblige her.

He looked up as she came in. “All ready? Where’s that baby carrier thing?”

She pulled it from the backpack and buckled it while he helped settle Em into the seat. Her little legs kept missing the holes and she was about to transfer the baby’s weight to one arm when Kyle just reached in and guided her into the proper position, brushing the sides of her breasts in the process.

Her face flamed and he cleared his throat as he frowned and looked out the window. “Shit, uh…sorry.”

She licked her lips and pretended to adjust the straps. “That’s okay.”

The accidental touch had made her skin prickle in awareness and she was having a hard time concentrating on what he was saying while the memory of him so close replayed in her head.

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