Page 40 of The Bachelor's Dilemma

She could use the time until Myles arrived to line up a babysitter for a couple of days.

It was mid afternoon by the time Myles rang the doorbell.

“We made cookies,” Zack announced, beaming up at him.

“So you did. Chocolate chip, my favorite.”

“Come on,” Zack said, racing for the kitchen.

Anna laughed, bubbling with happiness. She was glad he’d come.

“Let me take your jacket, then follow the enthusiastic kid for cookies.”

Myles reached over and brushed his lips against hers. His were cool. The kiss was too brief, but still caused Anna to catch her breath. Her gaze dropped to his jacket. When he took it off, she hung it up, feeling the warmth from his body.

“Here you go,” Zack said, coming out of the kitchen carefully holding a plate of cookies. It tipped dangerously.

“Hey, thanks, buddy.”

Myles moved swiftly to get the plate from the little boy before all the cookies landed on the floor.

“These look great. You made them?” he asked Zack.

The child smiled widely and nodded his head.

“Mommy said I could help.”

“Good for mommy. How are they?”

Myles took one and bit into it.

“Delicious,” he declared, turning to look at Anna.

Anna walked past him, catching a hint of his after-shave. It kicked up her pulse rate. She was glad she’d brushed her hair, put on fresh lipstick and made sure all traces of flour were gone from her dark sweater.

“Zack loves to make cookies so any rainy day, that’s often a project,” she said, feeling suddenly shy and as awkward as a schoolgirl. “Want some milk or coffee to go with that?”

“Do you have hot chocolate?”

“Yes. That’d be good for all of us on such a day,” she said, heading for the kitchen.

Making the hot chocolate would give her something to do until her nerves calmed down.

Myles followed her and put the plate of cookies on the counter.

Zack rushed in and looked around.

“Aren’t you going to eat the cookies?” he asked.

“I had one. I’ll have another when your mom has the hot chocolate ready.”

“I like marshmallows in mine,” Zack said.

In a moment, bored, he left.

Myles leaned against the doorjamb and watched as Anna prepared their hot drinks.

“If I didn’t have to act like an adult,” Myles began, “I’d gobble up all those cookies. But I had better be a good example to an impressionable kid.”

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