Page 18 of Carly's Heart

“Oh, you’re supposed to use a fork,” she chided, sounding a bit awed.

“To heck with that. Let’s use our fingers.”

Her laugh filled him with joy. Gosh, he loved this girl. She was as amazing as her mother who completely ignored him. “Eat with your fingers, I won’t tell anyone. Just don’t wipe them on that pretty dress.”

She stared at him wide-eyed. “Can I?” she gasped.

“Yup.” He finished his first piece and snagged a second. “Quick, eat up before someone catches us.” Laughing together, they ate the entire plate. He could have eaten more as he had barely managed to eat any of his dinner. The asparagus would hold him until later. For certain there would be leftovers, even with his two ravenous younger brothers at the table. His mother always cooked with leftovers for their lunches in mind.

“Can I play in the park?” Last summer, when Layla was just two, he’d helped his parents put in a large play structure. It had a climbing wall, swings, a slide, monkey bars, and the works. Since her divorce, Carly had been spending a lot of time at the ranch with Tanya. Layla often got bored. He and his father came up with the idea for the play structure. His mother had quipped, “Besides, maybe it will inspire my own children to start giving me more grandbabies.”

“How about we head down to the creek? We’ll leave our shoes here in case we want to get our feet wet. I think your mom is down there.” Tanya always went to the bench when she needed to think and he wanted to check on her, but he also wanted to see more of Carly in her lovely dress. He was certain she’d created the matching outfits herself. Sewing was just one of her many talents.

“Okay.” She kicked off her shoes and socks and was halfway across the lawn before he had one shoe off.

“Hold up. You’re too fast for me.” He ditched his footwear, and with a growl chased her toward the creek.

Screaming in delight, she fled.

“Hi,” Carly greeted them when they reached the creek. “Did we miss the rest of dinner?”

“No, there was an accident,” Birch said. “Entirely my fault. I put Layla’s milk too far out of her reach, and she accidentally spilled red wine on Mrs.Romero’s dress.”

“Oh no!”

“I’m sorry, Mama.” Layla’s lip trembled.

He knelt in front of Layla who had climbed onto Carly’s lap and buried her head in her mother’s shoulder. “Not your fault. Completely my fault. I’m not a mommy and I didn’t know to put your glass closer. Besides, her glass was in your way. You did not do anything wrong.” Layla perked right up.

He smiled at Carly over Layla’s head. She mouthed, “Thank you.”

“Mom’s serving us dessert on the deck later, perhaps you ladies would like to join us,” he suggested, trying to keep his desire to be with Carly hidden.

“No,” Tanya sighed. “I have to go back inside and face the music. I mean, finish my dinner. You guys hide out. I’ll join you when the Romeros have gone home.”

“I’ll go in with you,” Carly said. “If Birch doesn’t mind watching Layla a bit longer.”

Her hopeful smile stole his breath.

“Anything for you, Carly. Anything at all. Layla and I will be fine. Does she have play clothes? It would be a shame to get her dress dirty. We’re lucky it’s stayed clean so far.”

“There’s a bag in the back seat. Thanks, Birch. I appreciate this.” She placed a hand on his arm. The warmth of her touch jolted his heart and soul. He sucked in a breath and was assaulted by her light scent. He’d never be able to smell lemon or vanilla without thinking of her. Oh, who was he kidding? He’d had that problem since the day he met her. He’d been hooked from first sight, and that hadn’t changed despite learning she was married. Or through her pregnancy and divorce. Something about her soothed his soul.

It took everything he had to stay away. At one point, he’d considered taking a job at a ranch outside of town, just to keep his distance. He would have, except for the ranch and the horses his grandfather was raising with him. Instead, he buried himself in his ranch and building his house. Before his death last year, his grandfather’s last words had been to tell Birch to stop being a coward and to pursue Carly.

He was working on it. He didn’t want to rush her.

He silenced the voice in the back of his head that said she’d been divorced long enough to be ready for a new relationship. The time to act was now. Before someone else snatched her up.

Carly walked between Tanya and Layla holding their hands as they walked back. He grasped Layla’s other hand in his and, for a moment, it felt like they were a real family and his heart smiled.

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