Page 104 of Delinquent Daddy (Banks/Kincaid Family 2)

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

blamed you or accused you of trying to trick me into getting back together. I...I was a complete asshole."

"Oh, I knew that then."

He grinned and lifted his face. When she returned the smile, they shared a soft moment. For once, neither of them thought of the bitter ending of their relationship. But they both reminisced about happier moments, times when erotic discovery had been the most important thing between them.

Suddenly, Boston grew solemn. He stared down at his hands. "I don't want to be your enemy, Ellie."

She swallowed. "I don't want to be yours either."

"But there's so much history and pain between us. I can't... Right now, I can't see how we'll ever move past this."

"There are good memories too," she heard herself say, as if arguing with the hopelessness behind his words.

When Boston lifted his face and seared her with a hot gaze, all those good memories struck her at once.

"Yeah," he murmured. "There are. And they're making all this that much more difficult to deal with. I can't look at you without wanting...without wondering..."

When he stopped talking, the silence between them felt as thick and tense as pea soup.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it," Ellie said in a small voice.

He laughed harshly. "What? You think that's going to make it go away?"

"No, of course not," she agreed, looking down at her hands. "But, we've come to a...a kind of alliance. And I just 243

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

don't want to do anything to hurt that. For Cassidy's sake, I think we should just stay as we are right now."

Boston looked like he was going to rebel, so she quickly added, "It might not be very comfortable for either of us, but at least it's peaceful. And that's what our daughter needs. We need to be cordial yet distant...for Cassie's sake."

The obstinate gleam left his eyes, but she could still tell he didn't agree. However, he still nodded and said, "You're probably right." Then, glancing away, he blew out a slow breath and turned to quietly leave the room.

Evening had fallen when Ellie decided she needed to find her daughter and see how Cassie was faring. In an attempt to avoid Boston and forget how close they'd come to...what, she wasn't sure—getting back together, maybe...she spent a few hours chatting with Boston's sisters and sister-in-law.

It was a shock to realize Shannon March—er, Shannon Kincaid—was nice. She even blushed when Ellie told the model she was a fan. Ellie couldn't believe how normal and down-to-earth all of Boston's family was. She hadn't met one person she didn't like. Cassidy was blessed to have such an amazing foundation. That was something Ellie had never been able to give her. But now her baby girl had roots and relatives and a base on which to make her life full and happy.

The sound of children in the backyard had Ellie heading that way. She spotted her daughter immediately among the racing children who were playing a heated game of tag.

Cassie's long black hair, held up in a ponytail, swayed behind her as she dodged out of the way of some boy whose name 244

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Ellie couldn't remember. She smiled and watched, grateful her daughter could experience this day.

She was thinking back to every holiday in their past, when it had just been the two of them, when laughter to her right caught her attention. Boston's laugh—she'd know it anywhere. Drawn to his chuckle, she glanced over. And there he was, sitting in a wooden outdoor recliner with his feet kicked up and a glass of iced tea in his hand. A few feet away, Cameron sat likewise with a drowsy Olivia curled on his lap and resting her face on his shoulder. He stroked her hair slowly as he said something else to make Boston laugh.

Then Boston glanced across the lawn to check on Cassie, and Ellie's heart wrenched in painful longing. Who would've thought he'd be such a good father?

"They couldn't stand each other when they were kids, you know?"

---