Page 21 of Every Bit As Perfect
“Well,” he amended quietly.“You’re particularly beautiful with him.”
My smile faded as I stared at him with wide eyes.
Did he feel sorry for me?
“It’s customary when someone pays you a compliment to say thank you.”
Before I could respond, he continued, “It’s easy to see you’ll be a wonderful mother one day.”
My laugh held a hint of bitterness.“I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
He looked down at his beer then took a swig.“On the contrary, you’re closer than you’ve ever been since losing that deadweight.”
I took a deep breath and met his eyes.“She told you.”
He looked up at the ceiling and then nodded.“She did, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”
“Yes, well, I think I’ve given up on men.I’ll just focus on my work.”
“We’re useful for some things,” he teased, a smile playing on his lips.
I smiled back evilly.“I’ve got a fantastic toy collection.And all of them have backup batteries.I’m good.”
His eyes danced with mischief.“I’m sure some men might be intimidated by that.”He paused and appraised me in a way that made me want to suck in my stomach.“I’m not one of them.”
“What are you two talking about?”Hawk asked suspiciously.
Daire swallowed another swig of beer without taking his eyes off me.“What a good mother Harley will be one day and the importance of toys.”
“Toys?”Hawk’s eyebrows rose.
Daire winked at me then turned to Max and Hawkley.“Yeah, toys.Some parents are over the top.I see it in my work all the time.The children who are given everything don’t like to share, tap into their imagination less, and have more difficulty filling their free time.”
I tuned them out and focused on calming the racehorse taking my heart for a ride.
What the hell was that?Was he flirting with me?
Realization dawned.He was trying to make me feel better.My shoulders relaxed.That was sweet.
If I was a different kind of woman, it would have been misleading.He was the Pied Piper of single women.
Noelle came in and cuddled into Hawk’s lap.
He wasn’t like that with his first wife.Based on the way he reacted, putting his arm around Noelle, and cuddling her close without missing a beat in the conversation, this was normal for them.
Their story was difficult and littered with debris from both of their hearts.Thank God they found their way home to each other.I couldn’t imagine either of them with anybody else.
I wanted a great love story like theirs.
Well, I’d take a hard pass on the angst, pain, and lost years, but I wanted something just as vivid and powerful.Deep.Rich.So full of light you could bask in it.
I sighed.All too aware of Daire sitting one seat away, his long body angled toward mine, I concentrated on keeping my eyes to myself.
Hunter woke and peered up at me, his little mouth a perfect ‘o’.
I gave him my baby finger, and he squeezed it tight.“It’s just you and me, bud.”
Noelle’s psychotic cat, Bruce, prowled across the floor, his one eye regarding us with disdain.
