Chapter 5 #2
Daniel releases him, but is right there to catch the tire when it comes barreling back to him.
“Hold on tight, Roman.” He spins the black rubber and stands back, his watchful gaze full of both joy and caution.
I’m so stuck on staring at this man, amazed to see how he shifted into daddy-mode with such ease from the flirtatious playboy he’s been with me.
Daddy-mode. Daddy . . . Good Lord, do me in right now, why don’t ya?
I didn’t know I had a kink until I met this man and watched those broad shoulders flex under the thin material of the T-shirt, his biceps pop out when catching the tire, and lengthen when pushing it into the air.
He is fit, more in shape than most businessmen who rent the cottage for their families.
They sit around on laptops pretending to participate in the family activities.
Daniel is digging in right now and being present.
There wasn’t a laptop in sight earlier on the deck or inside the house when I come to think about it.
I stand back, watching them. Listening to the laughter is sweeter than birds singing the first of spring after a long winter.
When he steps back, he crosses his arms over his chest with attentive eyes on Roman. “Pink is a bold choice. Unique like your names.”
“It is. It had needed to be painted for years. We all chose pink and painted it ourselves. It was therapeutic, something we had together that kept our minds off . . .” My heart beats hard in my chest as the pain returns, still so eagerly it feels fresh all over again.
I take a steadying breath before I add, “It was what we needed at the time. It felt like ours, like a new beginning.”
I glance over at Daniel to find his eyes already on me. His eyebrows are knitted, and brown eyes hold questions that aren’t asked. I’ve already shared more than I should have with a practical stranger, so I’m glad. I’m good leaving the past out of the present.
His gaze pivots over my shoulder, and he says, “Convenient.”
The word tumbles around my brain as I try to figure out what he’s referring to but comes up empty. Ah, we’re back to the games again. I’m grateful for the change in subject. “Convenient for you?”
A laugh launches out of him as he moves in to catch the tire. “I meant it was convenient for managing the other house. You know, with it being so close to your own.”
“Right.” I don’t have it in me to even feign I caught that. Thinking about the past always weighs me down, and it takes time to shake it off again. “I thought you were implying something else.”
“What would that be?”
“I’m not falling for it this time, Sutton.”
He laughs again. “Close proximity is good, too,” he concedes.
Daniel Sutton is too handsome for his own good.
He drops innuendos like bombs at my feet and seems to know just how to rile me up and make me smile.
The last time someone was able to do even half of those, I got my heart broken.
I need to be careful with him. He’s dangerous in more ways than just my willpower. “For emergencies, of course.”
My smile returns so easily that it’s there before I realize my mood has shifted again. “Of course.”
Holding the ropes, he helps Roman jump off into the grass. His son is cute with the same hair and eye color as his dad. But freckles sprinkle across his nose, and his smile must favor his mom more. It’s not smirky like his dad’s. I sneak a peek at Daniel to confirm.
Yep, the smirkiest of the smirky.
It’s even worse when he busts me looking. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I reply as nonchalantly as I can, which sounds suspiciously chalant to my ears. “You?” I squeak, wishing I would have kept my mouth shut.
His grin splits his smile wide open for me. It’s the most genuine I’ve seen out of him. And does quite a doozy of a job of weakening my knees. I don’t fall for him—literally and figuratively. Though it’s darn tempting, almost like he was put in my path by Aphrodite herself.
“I’m doing good. Considering.”
We follow Roman toward the house, and he asks, “What are we considering?”
“The broken pipes.”
Fell right into that trap. “Ah. Right. That.”
That wide smile of his is gentler like it’s just the two of us. “I’m not married.”
I stumble forward when my toe catches a lump in the yard, and his words catch me off balance. Just before I fall on my face, strong arms wrap around my middle, keeping me suspended in the air. Still . . . just floating here . . . “I think I’m good.”
“You sure?”
Laughing, I reply, “I’m sure.” When I land on solid ground again, I look at him. “Thanks for saving me.”
He almost looks shy, like the spotlight is too much for him. Unexpected. Charming. “You’re welcome.”
My heart is racing to a finish line that he’s waiting on like knowing he’s single changes things. Does it? I know I can’t be the only one feeling this connection. Can I?
It’s a beautiful day, with temperatures in the lower eighties. A little hot when stuck in the sun for too long but cool enough in the shade. But standing under his gaze is bright, hot, and making me sweat. I pluck the front of my dress, and say, “We should go in. I need to change.”
“Not one thing.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Roman’s already waiting on the front porch when we walk up the steps. Grabbing hold of the doorknob, I don’t twist. I turn back and say, “Remember what I said earlier about my sisters?”
He shifts until his feet are planted on the porch as if bracing himself. “Yes.”
“They’re nosy. Not nosier than I am, but as a collective, we’re all pretty nosy, and they will ask you a million questions if they even get a hint of fresh meat.”
“What’s fresh meat?” Roman asks with worry in his tone.
Daniel reaches down to gently squeeze his shoulder. “There’s someone new to talk to. That's all.”
Roman looks up at his dad. “That’s us. We’re the new people?”
“Yes. It means they’ll be interested in learning more about you.”
I open the door. “The bathroom is the first door on the left.” Roman runs in, and as soon as I hear the door close, I catch Daniel’s gaze again. “Just a word of warning about what you might be walking into.”
“A warning, huh?” He peers into the house and then glances back at me. “Should I be nervous?”
I shouldn’t laugh, but I know what he’s walking into. He was a hot topic before he even arrived, so when my sisters and Dolly see him, they'll eat him right up. “We don’t have many guests, so you might be overwhelmed by the attention. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m used to an inordinate amount of attention, from women especially, though, guys have been known to crowd them out to get to me.”
My head jerks. “What are we talking about?”
“I don’t get overwhelmed easily is all I’m saying.”
Patting his shoulder, I say, “That’s good because I forgot to mention Dolly.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle, giving me a glimpse into the one thing that apparently strikes fear into the giant of a man. “What’s a Dolly?”
“Who’s here?” a voice from the family room reaches us.
I smile. “That’s a Dolly.” Coming closer to him, I whisper, “My grandmother.” I can only assume he wasn’t prepared to meet my entire family, but here we are. “It will be okay.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart.”