Page 56 of Vanishing Legacy

Alana intrigued him. And yeah, that kiss at the gym had caught him by surprise, but everything about it had said she’d wanted it too. All the time they spent together was great for getting to know her and Rocco, but it wasn’t helping his heart. Instead of listening to her when she talked, he’d catch himself watching her mouth. What would it be like to kiss her any time he wanted?

Shaking his head, he focused on slicing the tomatoes, not his fingers. He really had to quit daydreaming about kissing her. He’d hired her to protect his daughter, not to get involved with him romantically. But something about the way she moved and looked at him made him want to forget all that and just give in to the attraction between them.

The doorbell rang and Penny sprang to her feet. “Rocco!”

Noelle moved fast and beat Penny to the door. “Hang on, sweets. Remember what I taught you about the door?”

Penny nodded and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Who dere!”

“It’s Rocco and Mom,” came Rocco’s voice through the door.

“Good job, Penny,” Noelle said, opening the door.

After greeting Penny, Rocco ran to the kitchen and threw his arms around Cash’s waist. His elbows went up to allow Rocco’s head to nestle into his chest.

What was this? His eyes shot up across the island to where Alana stood smiling. Cash dropped his arms and squeezed Rocco. The warmth of the little man’s embrace was different than Penny’s. His small arms were strong. Confident.

Rocco looked up. “Thanks for letting us come over, Dr. Cash.” He slipped out of the embrace and hurried to the living room.

Alana strolled over and peered at his handiwork and smiled. “Wow, what’s all this?”

“Thought I’d try my hand at dinner tonight.” Oh, how he wanted to kiss the corners of her beautiful smile. He averted his eyes. “Burrito bowls sound good?”

“Perfect. I’m starved.”

Noelle slipped her purse over her shoulder. “Well, sorry to miss this little experiment, but I’ve got dinner plans with Jonah tonight.”

Cash raised his eyebrows. “Jonah, huh?”

“Please.” Noelle rolled her eyes. “We’re just friends. You good here?”

“Yep. We’re staying a little late since it’s still spring break.”

“Can we have a sleepover?” Rocco pleaded.

Alana put a hand on her hip. “No begging, and no sleepovers. But we can have a movie night if Cash is okay with it.”

“Works for me.” There might have been a twinge of disappointment at Alana’s declaration. A sleepover meant they could stay up all night talking. Every night he learned a little more about Alana, and there never seemed to be enough time.

“Juliette will check in at eleven,” Noelle said on her way out the door. “And I’m always a call or text away.”

Dinner wasn’t half bad if Cash did say so himself. They ate over a game of Uno that he was sure Rocco helped Penny win by playing cards she needed. Their close bond reminded him of growing up with Bailey.

Funny, this was the first time it’d occurred to him how much it meant to have a sister to share life with. Penny needed a brother like Rocco. One who loved her and protected her at all costs. And Penny would so benefit from a sibling to lean on as adults. Same way Cash and Bailey leaned on each other now.

After dinner, Cash settled onto the couch beside Rocco. “Oh, that popcorn smells good. What’re we watching?”

“I picked this one.” Rocco had picked an action-packed superhero flick.

“Nice pick.” Cash grinned. Having a boy in the house had the additional benefit of fewer princess movies.

The movie started, and Rocco leaned over and whispered something to Alana, making her laugh. Alana stroked Penny’s hair as Penny laid her head in Alana’s lap. He’d been so focused on his work for the past few years that he’d forgotten how much he was missing in life.

As the movie went on, Penny and Rocco drifted off to sleep, and by the end, both kids were zonked out.

“Let’s make a break for it,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I think my leg is asleep.” Alana lifted herself from under the weight of a sleeping Penny and covered her with a warm blanket.

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