Page 3 of Stolen Kisses

His eyes wander downward, catching on to his niece. She’s half hiding behind my leg, her head tilted down as though she’s preparing to get into trouble. I’m not sure what their story is,butshe seems a little scared of him.

“Kennedy, I told you to stay in the house.”Ahhh, that name makes a little more sense. He steps forward and she tucks herself further behind me, wrapping her arms around my thigh.

“Kenny,” she whispers, poking her little head around my thigh.

“What?” He pauses mid-step, eyebrows drawn low.

“I told you, Iwannabe called Kenny.”

He looks up to me, raising his eyebrows, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “Sorry, I forgot.” Holding out his hand to his niece, he coaxes. “I’ll try to remember. Come on. It’s time to come home.”

Home?Soshemustbe staying with him. She didn’t mention an aunty. Is there a woman around to help him? Because he seems pretty clueless about caring for a young child. Her little arms tighten further around my thigh, and she’s really digging in. I try to step to the sidebut she steps with me.

Huffing out a sigh, my neighbor looks up to me and all I can offer is a shrug.Some words would be helpful right about now.

“Come on. I need to get back to work.” He wriggles his fingers in her direction, his patience clearly wearing thin.

What?“You’re not going to abandon her again, are you?”

His gorgeous blue eyes, which match his niece’s,snap tomine. “No. She’ll be in the houseand I’ll bein the workshopout back.” He points his thumb over his shoulder toward the back of his house.

“You can’t leave a four-year-old to her own devices while you do whatever it is you’re doing out back,” I snap, waving my arm in the direction of the workshop.

“Look, lady—”

“Emma. My name’s Emma,” I snap.

“Okay, Emma. Thanks for finding her, but she’ll be fine. She can unpack her stuff while I try to get her bed sorted.”

A four-year-old unpacking her ‘stuff’. That’s freaking laughable. “You can’t expect a four-year-old to unpack their ‘stuff’,while you’re not there to supervise. How much experience have you had with children?” I huff out, incredulous.

He raises his arm to scrub his fingers through his short bristles and my eyes are drawn—without permission, I might add—to the masculine bulge of his muscles. He looks at his watch. “Uh, about six and a half hours. Give or take.”

What the hell?I’m pretty sure my chin’s hit my paved driveway. I look down at Kenny. She said hermom’sin heaven; surely it didn’t just happen. He must read the confusion on my face because I’m terrible at hiding my reactions. Unfortunately for me, everything I think or feel is displayed clearly on my face for all the world to see.

“Today’s the first time we’ve spent any time together since, her uh, her … mother, my sister, passed. Before that, I saw …” He tilts his head down toward his niece. “Kenny.” He raises his eyebrows in a mannerthatsays,‘see, I remembered’. “When she was born.”

I don’t understand how that can be. Max and Sarah see my boys regularly. They want to be part of their lives growing up and the boys’ lives are richer for it. Their relationship with my boys is an extension of our relationship as siblings. It’s not my business though. I don’t even know this guy’s name and it’s incredibly rude to ask him all sorts of personal and invasive questions, even if I want to.

I place my hand on Kenny’s back in reassurance. “She can hang out here while you get organized. I don’t mind. She was helping me pull out the weeds before.” I look down at Kenny. “She was doing a great job.” I smile at her.

“Look. Thanks for the offer, but she needs to take some responsibility for her ownthings.” He steps forward and attempts to pry her hands away from my thigh. His large hand is incredibly close to my lady parts as he peels her fingers away one by one. Isuckin a breath at the tingles his touch elicits. “Come on, Kenny. Say bye to Emma. Let’s go.”

“IwannastaywivEmma. She’s nice.” She drops her bottom lip in a pout,as her eyebrows scrunch down over her eyes in defiance.

My neighbor pulls back as though he’s been burned. “I’mnice.”

“You’regwumpyand you won’t playwivme.” I can’t hold back my smile but manage to stifle my giggle at her statement.

Hescratches his fingersthrough his beard again. “Because I’ve got ash— a lot to do. I don’t have time to play with you,” he huffs out.

“You know, Kenny. If you help your uncle …” I look up to him, hinting that he hasn’t told me his name yet, but he’s too caught upwithhis own agenda to notice my clue. “You’ll get the work done quicker and then he might have some time to play with you. There’s a great park at the end of the street.” I point in the direction of the park. I hope he takes the hint I’m putting down for him.

“I don’twannaunpack a million things. Iwannaplay.” She stomps her little foot, dropping her bottom lip in a full-on pout. Anyone with a heart wouldn’t be able to resist that little face. I’m certain he’s going to cave, but he surprises me.

“You know that cookie dough ice cream I got just for you?”

“Yeah.” A broad smilespreadsquickly. She looks up at me. “It’s Mommy’sfavowiteflavor.”

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