CHAPTER EIGHT
MADDIE
“T wisty Monkey! Twisty Monkey!”
Grace’s excited pleas for Twisty Monkey had been ping-ponging off the walls since she woke up. I managed to stave her off long enough to get dressed, brush teeth, and do our hair before she barreled out of the bedroom, looking for Troy.
Excited giggles moments later told me she found him.
I followed behind her tentatively, still feeling some of the awkwardness from the way I’d left things last night.
Pulling myself off a hulking, hard-bodied bodyguard snack like Troy wasn’t easy. But I needed to think long-term. Big picture. Even if it meant saying no to the one man I fantasized about.
“Look who it is!”
I came into the kitchen to find Troy already doing the spin-and-bicep-curl move that Grace was obsessed with. They were both grinning like crazy, his husky laugh and her shrieking giggles filling the warm cabin. Through the big bay windows at the front of the cabin, fresh snow sparkled on the bare tree limbs and all across the yard.
“Good morning,” I called over the fray. I went to go make a pot of coffee with our newfound coffee grounds but I found the coffeepot already full. An empty mug sat beside the coffeemaker with a spoon inside, along with a jar of sugar and some creamer set out.
My eyes watered as I beheld the careful preparation. When I turned to look at Troy, he was spinning underneath the buckhorn chandelier, practically guffawing with laughter as he spun Grace around and around.
This man is perfect. The thought hung uncomfortably inside me as I poured myself a mug of coffee, added sugar, and topped it off with a few drops of creamer. Perfection. It was still early, so I figured I’d return the favor by getting breakfast started while they played. To the chorus of happy shrieks, I whipped together my and Grace’s favorite breakfast: my mom’s French Toast recipe.
“Okay, Gracie, Troy needs a break.” Troy sighed heavily and plopped onto the couch in the great room. Grace curled up next to him on the couch, grinning over at me with ruddy cheeks.
“Mommy did you see?”
“Oh, I saw!” I smiled brightly at her as I beat the eggs in a small bowl. “You have so much fun with Troy, don’t you?”
“I wub Toy.”
That was her way of saying ‘love’. It made my heart break—I figured they’d become fast friends, but now she loved him on day three. This was just going to make things harder when it came time for Troy to go to Ecuador and for us to resume our regular lives.
My stomach twisted. What would my regular life look like now? Constantly thinking about this handsome, thoughtful, protective man while he gallivanted the world? I fought to ignore that train of thought.
After taking a rest on the couch, Troy finally joined me in the kitchen, his limp still noticeable only if I stared long enough. He brushed past me, peering over my shoulder at what I was doing. Electricity sparked beneath my skin.
“You get your coffee?” His voice was a low rumble. My thighs tensed, wanting to pick up right where we’d left off last night. The solid heat of him between my legs was a memory that wouldn’t let me fall asleep last night.
“I did. Thank you. Did you sleep well?”
“Fine and dandy.” I heard mugs clinking behind me as I continued prepping. A moment later, he was at my side, pouring more coffee in my mug. “You need to be topped off.”
I set down the spoon and bowl, lifting my mug to clink against his. “Thanks for the coffee. You made it perfectly. Which leads me to wonder: do you have any flaws?”
He tipped his head in thought as he leaned against the countertop beside me. “I don’t think I do.”
“And so humble too.”
He winked at me over his steaming mug of coffee before he took a sip. “All right, fine, maybe I have a few flaws. But I won’t admit them because if I ignore them they don’t exist, right?”
“I think that’s how that works.”
We shared a laugh, but it faded once Troy’s phone started ringing. He fished it out of the pocket of his gray sweatpants, frowning at the screen. “I should take this.”
“Do what you need to do. I’m going to make us French toast.”
He answered the phone call and drifted toward the other side of the cabin, where I could see him and only sort of hear him. I tried not to act too interested in his call, even though I was dying to know who it was and what they wanted. Everything about Troy interested me.
I checked on Grace once the toast was ready to pop onto the warmed griddle, and found her happily coloring in her coloring book in the great room. I returned to the kitchen, ready to start cooking the egg-slathered toast, but couldn’t prevent myself from tuning into Troy’s conversation.
“Mm-hmm…a few weeks there sounds good…though I haven’t taken Spanish lessons in a long time.”
I focused on the pop-sizzle of the toast.
“Right…” Troy went on, only bits and pieces of his conversation making it over to me. “…but it’s best to be prepared with rum.” His rich chuckle filled the cabin a moment later.
Once the French toast was golden, I piled them on a plate and called Grace over. She dropped the crayons and bolted into the kitchen just as Troy wrapped up his phone call.
“Toy! Time to eat!” she called in her sing-song voice.
“This looks awesome.” Troy ruffled her hair as he eased onto one of the stools at the island. He helped her pop up onto her own stool and she beamed at him, her blonde topknot already slightly askew from the endless rounds of Twisty Monkey.
“My favorite,” she stated proudly, reaching for her fork. “My mommy’s favorite too.”
“Your mommy’s a good cook, huh?” Troy winked at me as he cut into the French toast. After a big bite, he nodded and groaned. “Wow. What’s the secret ingredient, Maddie?” He tucked into more, and I could tell he wasn’t just feeding me a line. “This is so dang good.”
“I can’t spill my chef secrets,” I teased, enjoying the view I had of him inhaling my family recipe. He finished the plate in record time. “You must have worked out extra hard this morning. Hungry boy.”
“Hungry is an understatement.” He met my gaze, something challenging there. Better not to dive into that. I wanted to move to lighter conversation but couldn’t think past what I’d overheard him say on his phone call.
“So who were you talking to before? Sounded interesting.” I focused on my food so that maybe he wouldn’t be able to read any accidental emotions that might come through on my face.
“That was my newest employer. His name is Nash Nightingale, he called to square away some details for my first assignment. He and his twin brother run a massive real estate empire that’s only been growing over the past few years.”
“Is that why they’re taking you to Ecuador? To expand business or something?”
“It sounds like it, but to be honest with you, I have no idea.” Troy took a sip of his coffee. “Not my job to ask. I just need to be where they tell me.”
“You’re a good man to have around.” I finally dared to meet his gaze. His warm brown eyes pierced my heart. “Let me know if you ever need a recommendation, I’ll leave you a good Yelp review.”
He cracked a grin. “That’s sweet of you.”
Pleasant silence settled between us as I helped Grace cut some pieces of her toast and get them into her mouth. “So how long will you be gone?” This time, I made sure not to look his way at all, because I knew he’d see the real question behind my words: will I ever see you again?
“I don’t have a return ticket,” he said slowly, then took a sip of his coffee. “So, I guess that means—I have no idea.”
The corners of my mouth trembled as I struggled to keep an easygoing look on my face. I did not want him to see how crestfallen I felt on the inside. I didn’t even want to admit to myself how crestfallen I truly was. It just didn’t seem right to want a man so deeply, especially in these circumstances. No, it just sounded crazy .
“Send me a postcard, okay?” I ventured a small smile. “I can show the kids at school, they’d think that was so cool.”
“Maybe I can come by with some stuff for Ecuador for a show-and-tell.”
“That would be cute.” The idea was genuinely touching. “But Louisville is so far out of your way. What a silly detour to make.”
“Not a silly detour if I get to see you.”
His words thudded between us, causing me to jerk my gaze up to meet his. His eyes looked hungry again. I took a quick bite of food, eager to distract myself with something. Anything.
“Besides, I need to see how Miss Maddie keeps her classroom,” Troy went on. He grinned down at Grace, ruffling her hair. “Have you seen your mommy’s classroom? Does she keep it as cute as she is?”
I couldn’t fight the grin.
“I bet you decorate for all the holidays.”
“You make it sound like an accusation,” I teased.
“It sort of is.”
“Well, you’re right.” I scrunched up my face at him. “I’m legally required to decorate for every holiday as an elementary teacher.”
He watched me with an easy grin, the kind that made it impossible not to sit there and drink him in.
“Toy, can we play outside today?” Grace’s innocent question cut through the desire building in the air between me and Troy.
Troy ripped his gaze off me, looking down at Grace. He pretended to think about it, then he said, “Yeah. I don’t think there’s anything I’d rather do.”
Once we were all finished with breakfast, Troy offered to clean up but I waved him off. “You have important things to do. Like playing outside and possibly a few bonus rounds of Twisty Monkey.”
“Shh.” He glanced back at Grace to see if she’d overheard. “That game makes me dizzy.”
“Three-year-olds only want to do the dizziest, most puke-inducing thing possible,” I informed him. “You’re gonna have to buck up. Surely your bodyguard training prepared you for this.”
“Nothing at boot camp prepared me for Twisty Monkey,” he said with a severe look.
Grace gasped loudly. “Did you say Twisty Monkey?”
Troy groaned softly, but when he turned to Grace, he had the biggest grin. “I absolutely did.”
The rest of the morning disappeared like that: warm, homey, sun-dappled moments that burrowed straight into my long-term memories. For lunch, Troy made lunch meat sandwiches that provided yet another chance for him and Grace to connect. And after lunch, they finally got suited up to head outside.
“You coming with?” Troy asked.
“I think I’m going to curl up by the fireplace and read.” I bit my bottom lip, almost embarrassed to admit it. I knew how much of an introverted homebody I was, which was why fall and winter were my favorite months of the year. Not that I didn’t love spring and summer for their own strengths, but I was a supreme fan of coziness, books, and everything seasonally appropriate. Add in a totally unnecessary throw blanket and I was a happy woman.
Troy looked like he was fighting a smile as he nodded. “Yeah. That’s exactly what a cute ass elementary teacher would say.”
I scrunched up my face. “You said the A-word.”
Troy looked down at Grace but she didn’t seem to notice. “Okay, got a free pass on that one. Let’s go outside, Gracie-bell!”
He had a nickname for her now. Be still my heart. I watched them through the window as they stepped tentatively into the snow. Troy had her hand in his as they ventured into the side yard, right near the firepit where I’d straddled the steel of Troy’s legs just last night. My eyes fluttered shut as the memories returned. Was there really such a problem with just getting one taste of him?
I sank onto the couch nearest the fireplace, determined to forget about all things Troy. Once I’d found my place in my paperback, I quickly got lost in reading. Time melted away in a blissful state. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I heard the muffled sounds of crying.
My skin prickled and I sat up. That had to be Grace—unless I was imagining it. I set down the book and hurried to find my boots and coat. As soon as I opened the side door a moment later, the crying grew louder.
Outside, Grace sat in an Adirondack chair at the firepit. Troy knelt in front of her, cradling her ankle in his big hand as he inspected her leg. I hurried over to them, kneeling down to eye-level with Grace.
“Are you okay honey?” I asked her. Looking at Troy, I said, “What happened?”
She drew a ragged breath, her eyes rimmed with redness.
“We were playing hide and seek,” he said. “She hid by the wood pile and hurt her leg.”
I stroked Grace’s head and she looked up at me. “I got a boo boo.”
“Do you think your leg is okay?” I asked her.
She nodded emphatically, but Troy looked concerned. He gingerly tested bending her knee followed by extending it.
“Nothing hurts, right?” he asked her.
“I think she was just scared,” I said softly. The way she’d been crying, paired with her lack of reaction as Troy inspected her, told me that. I could identify Grace’s cries in a line-up at this point. Each one meant a slightly different thing.
“Those logs tried to get you, didn’t they?” Troy asked, coming to standing. He helped her to her feet, and within a few moments, she was beaming up at both of us, wisps of her blonde hair escaping her knit cap.
“Mommy, can we take Toy home with us?”
The question knocked the wind out of me. I had no idea how to answer that. My gaze snapped up to find Troy’s, and he had a mischievous grin waiting for me.
“I, uh…well, Troy has things he needs to do after we’re done at the cabin,” I started to explain. Sometimes, I was glad my daughter was three. She didn’t have any idea how bad I was fumbling over the question.
But Troy, on the other hand, could see and understand it all.
When her face started to fall, I hurried to add, “I’m sure he’ll come visit someday.”
Grace’s brows furrowed together as she wiped a hair from her face. “But Toy will be good, right Toy?”
His brows shot up and he nodded, the start of a smirk on his lips. “Oh yes. I’ll be good.” He stepped closer, adding in a low voice for only me to hear, “Unless you don’t want me to be.”
Heat shuddered through me. He held my gaze, his arm brushing against mine as he followed Grace toward the house. A waft of his cedar cologne reached me, and I almost needed the sturdiness of his arm to ensure my knees didn’t buckle.
Between his thoughtfulness, the safety he provided, and his level ten handsomeness…I was a goner. The man slept thirty feet from my room and each night that I went to bed without more of those hot kisses seemed like a wasted opportunity.
Maybe that needed to change.
The longer we whiled away our days at the cabin, the harder it was to remember why getting a taste of Troy was a bad idea.