Читать книгу Special Deliveries Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 62

“A no-show, huh?” Penny snatched a carrot from the plate Maggie was setting on the table.

“He said Sam needed his help.” Maggie avoided meeting Penny’s gaze, afraid she’d catch on to the disappointment Maggie had felt when Brady called an hour ago.

“Want me to beat him up for you?” Penny straddled a chair and held her fists like a boxer. “I could hit him right where it counts.”

“That won’t be necessary.” When Penny sagged in defeat, Maggie added, “Yet.”

“What’s for dinner?” Amber came in and sat next to Penny.

“Chicken.” Maggie hurried to the kitchen. What she wanted to do was go outside and have a good scream, but she needed to keep it together until Penny went home and Amber went to bed. She hoped this didn’t become a habit with Brady.

“Is Brady coming over?” Amber called to her. Maggie took in a deep breath and forced a smile before returning to the dining room with the platter of chicken. “No, honey, he has work to do.”

“Can’t he do it over here?” Just a hint of a whine had entered Amber’s voice.

“Nope.”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Penny tickled Amber’s side until Amber giggled and batted her hand away.

Amber leaned in close to Penny’s ear and said in a loud whisper, “I think Mommy likes Brady.”

Penny raised an eyebrow at Maggie, but turned and whispered, “I think Brady likes your Mommy, too.”

Amber nodded and giggled.

Maggie could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “I do not like Brady.”

“They looked like they were going to kiss on the porch,” Amber told Penny.

Maggie groaned and refused to look at Penny. “Eat your dinner.”

She passed around the food until everyone had a full plate. Penny kept trying to catch her eye, which Maggie avoided at all costs. She didn’t want to go into details with Penny until Maggie knew how she felt about Brady.

Amber chatted away about school. Maggie forced herself to participate in the conversation. Ever since last night, though, only one thing had occupied her mind—that kiss. It had been one thing to kiss him in New York. Different place, right mood, old lover, that type of thing. But here? On her front porch?

She’d been on edge since she got home from work, waiting. Waiting for Brady to come over and finish what he’d started. Even though she’d told him it would be better if they didn’t. Even though she could almost feel every touch, the slide of his skin against hers, his mouth against hers and traveling lower. God, how she’d wanted him and what she wouldn’t give to feel that way. Complete abandon.

Which would be a mistake. Huge mistake.

“Earth to Maggie.” Penny waved her hand in front of Maggie’s face.

Maggie snapped to attention. “What?”

“Amber asked you a question.” Penny gave her an expectant look.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Maggie shook off the lingering images from her past. “What was your question?”

“Why don’t you ask Brady out on a date? Penny would watch me, wouldn’t you?” Amber’s blue eyes were huge and innocent and hopeful.

Maggie snapped her gaze to Penny to see if she had put Amber up to this, but Penny held up her hands as if to say, “Don’t look at me.” She sighed and turned to Amber.

“It isn’t that easy.” Maggie tried to think of excuses and reasons and anything but Brady’s hand on the back of her neck. An involuntary shudder raced along her spine.

“Why not?”

“Yeah, Maggie, why not?” Penny leaned her elbows on the table and added her questioning look to Amber’s.

“Because…” Oh, hell, what was she supposed to say? That she didn’t like him? Then the question would be why he was hanging around. Until Brady was ready to come forward to Amber about being her father, her hands were tied.

“Go on.” Penny was enjoying this way too much.

If things were different, she might have jumped at the chance to ask Brady out. “He lives in New York and we live in Tawnee Valley. It would never work out. Besides, we’re just friends.”

She took her dishes to the kitchen. Logically, that was true. Brady didn’t have a burning desire to move back to Tawnee Valley anytime soon. In fact, it seemed he couldn’t wait to get away from it.

She turned to find both Amber and Penny looking at her from the doorway.

“What now?” she said.

“I like Brady,” Amber said. Plain and simple as if that were the cure-all to the world.

Sensing a trap, Maggie hesitated before saying, “I like him, too.”

Penny covered her mouth to hide her chuckle. Maggie glared at her, but she waited patiently for Amber to get out what she wanted to say.

“You should date.” Amber disappeared into the dining room. The clatter of dishes being stacked filled the room.

“Did you put her up to this?” Maggie whispered and pointed toward the dining room.

“No, but the look on your face is priceless.” Penny’s grin infuriated Maggie more.

Amber reappeared with the dishes and took them to the sink. “Are you waiting for my father to come back?”

Maggie’s mouth dropped open and she honestly couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Even if Amber knew Brady was her father, she would probably be wondering the same thing. Maggie hadn’t dated because the available men in Tawnee Valley greatly dwindled after high school age. And the ones that were available weren’t what she wanted.

Penny gave her a phony serious look. “Yeah, Maggie. What are you waiting for?”

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Penny before squatting in front of Amber. “What’s bringing all of this up now?”

Amber scrunched her face as if she were trying to keep the truth from coming out, before bursting out with, “Jessica said that her mom thinks you should get back with Brady.”

Maggie closed her eyes. Damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. What was she going to say to that? That she and Brady had never really been together? Then when Amber found out about Brady being her father, Maggie would have to explain that sometimes people don’t have to love each other to have a child.

“Do you love Brady, Mommy?” That one struck her right in the heart.

“You know what, runt?” Penny said and held out her hand to Amber. “Maybe we should lay off Mommy for a little while. Let’s go find that book we were reading the other night.”

Maggie mouthed “Thank you” to Penny as Penny led Amber out of the kitchen. Already almost on the floor, she dropped on the old linoleum and sagged against the dark oak cabinets.

Did she love Brady? In high school, she believed she was in love with him, but how could you love someone who barely acknowledged your existence? Okay, she had loved him in that first-crush, puppy-love kind of way, completely unrequited.

But now…he’d changed so much that he didn’t seem like the same guy. She saw hints of the guy she’d crushed on in high school, but that wasn’t the only thing that drew her. When they’d walked the streets in New York surrounded by people, she’d been the only one that had mattered to him. Or when he maneuvered them though the airport, always careful to make sure she didn’t fall behind or get lost. Or when he touched her face to wipe away the tear when she’d confessed about her own father.

To say that she had a crush on Brady was putting it mildly. The way he was with Amber when he was in the moment and focused was amazing. He’d even caved to her request about work. Even if he missed coming over, he’d respected her wishes.

“You okay?” Penny stepped into the kitchen and slid down the cabinets to sit next to Maggie.

“I don’t know.”

“You know I love to tease you, right?” Penny bumped her shoulder against Maggie’s.

“Yeah.” Maggie leaned her head against the cabinet and rolled it until she faced Penny. “What am I going to do?”

“First, you are going to thank me for distracting your daughter.”

“Thank you.” Maggie reached out and took Penny’s hand. “Really. Thank you for being here for me. You don’t know how much I rely on you.”

“What are best friends for?” Penny shrugged but squeezed Maggie’s hand. “As for Brady…”

“Yeah. Brady.” Maggie thudded her head against the cabinets.

“You’ve got a great daughter, Maggie. And maybe Brady won’t be that bad of a dad for her, but you have to look at the big picture.”

“What’s the big picture?” Maggie desperately wanted to know.

Penny clasped her hands around Maggie’s. “Amber is putting this together faster than either of you expected. Brady needs to come clean and you need to figure out what type of relationship you are going to have with each other and with Amber.”

“I already told him that I didn’t want to get involved with him because of Amber.”

“Why not?”

Maggie struggled to find words, but finally pulled it together. “Because—”

“Brady isn’t your dad. He’s not going to leave Amber. At his worst, Brady’s a workaholic. He earns good money and has kept fit unlike most of the men around here. You could do a lot worse than Brady Ward.”

“But—”

“Don’t give me the whole New York-versus-here thing. What are you really worried about?”

Maggie took a deep, shaky breath. “That the only reason he wants me is because he loves Amber.”

Brady pocketed his phone as he got out of the car. He’d made sure to set the ringer to vibrate in case Jules needed to reach him. All day they’d worked with a contractor who was refusing to listen to anyone but Brady, which was frustrating for both Jules and him. Something he hoped Peterson didn’t get wind about.

When Brady hadn’t been on the phone or the computer, Sam had kept him busy working the farm.

He wasn’t about to let another day go by where he didn’t see Amber, though. A sharp high-pitched bark met him as he opened the rear car door.

“Are you ready?” Brady said to the puppy in the cardboard box.

The puppy wagged his tail and barked in response. Brady hooked on the leash to the new collar he’d bought and set the puppy on the ground. Barnabus, Sam’s dog, was a pretty big dog and this “puppy” was going to be large like his daddy. He was already the size of a small dog.

Maybe Brady should have checked with Maggie before bringing the gift, but he remembered Amber saying that she’d always wanted one. When Sam had begrudgingly brought home a couple of the pups to pawn off to other people, he’d happily given one to Brady.

The puppy took off toward the house with Brady in tow. Brady knocked on the side of the screen door.

“Just a second.” Maggie. The sound of her voice rushed through him.

He tried to stop the direction his thoughts were headed, but when Maggie appeared at the door with her hair wet in a pair of cut-offs and a green T-shirt that made the green in her hazel eyes stand out, his brain stopped altogether.

“Hey, Brady, Amber’s bus gets here in about ten minutes.” She met his eyes and smiled.

The puppy whined and her smile faded as her eyes dropped to see the white fuzz ball. “You brought a dog?”

“He’s a puppy.” Brady’s brain was occupied with mentally peeling off every layer of her clothing and imagining what they could do in ten minutes.

“That is a puppy?”

His gaze lingered a moment longer at her breasts before finally arriving at her not-pleased-at-all face. His brain shifted into gear. Definitely should have checked. “Yeah. Sam’s dog got out in the spring and this little guy is the end result.”

“There is nothing little about that puppy.” Her eyes rounded in horror. “Please don’t tell me you brought that for Amber.”

“Why? She was saying how much she wanted a dog the other day and how she couldn’t have one…” Realization settled in his stomach like a lump of Sam’s burned eggs. “And you were the one who didn’t want a dog, right?”

“Do you know how much work a dog is? Let alone a puppy?”

He hated hearing the disappointment in her voice. Hated it even more because he was the one she was disappointed with. “I can say he’s come for a visit?”

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “You know the minute she sees that fur ball she’s going to love it.”

“I guess he doesn’t have that effect on you?” Brady said curtly.

“Who do you think gets stuck with the feeding and cleaning and taking him out at three in the morning in the snow? Not to mention housetraining.”

“Like I said—”

“You got me a dog!” Amber’s squeal of delight was met by little excited puppy barks.

Maggie gave him the see-I-told-you look. But Amber’s eyes glowed with happiness as she shrugged off her backpack and knelt before the puppy. When the puppy proceeded to bathe her face with his tongue, her giggles made Brady feel as if he’d brought her the moon and not a mutt.

“You are such a licker. I’ll name you Flicker,” Amber proclaimed. “Licker would be weird.”

Brady cleared his throat to get Amber’s attention. “I brought him for a visit.”

Her fingers tightened into the puppy’s fur and her face fell with disappointment. His heart tightened. He almost said she could keep the dog, but Maggie had already made it clear she didn’t want it.

“But I’ll see if Sam wants to keep him out at the farm, so you can visit Flicker.” Brady knew Sam hadn’t been pleased with the idea of more dogs, but in the grand scheme of things, Sam owed Brady more than Brady owed Sam. At least, Brady wanted to think that, but looking at the girl nuzzling this fur ball, he wondered what Sam had given up to take care of Mom, Luke and him.

“Do you have homework?” Maggie opened the screen door. Flicker immediately burst into the house, causing Maggie to scowl at Brady.

“I’ll get him.” Brady brushed past her. His side pressed against hers for the briefest moment, but it sent electricity coursing through his veins.

Amber was hot on his heels. He managed to grab the leash before Flicker got to the trash can.

“Can we take him for a walk?” Amber looked to her mother for approval. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Can we? Please?”

“The dog can stay for dinner, but he has to go home with Brady.” Maggie crossed her arms over her chest and met Brady’s gaze. “You are responsible for any damage that dog does.”

Obviously, Brady wasn’t the only one Amber could wrap around her finger. “That’s fine.”

“The walk, Mom?” Amber struck a similar pose to her mother.

“Go ahead, but then it’s straight to homework. And Brady has to go with you.”

Amber raced to the front door. The puppy followed on her heels, jumping on her when she stopped.

Maggie grabbed his arm as he passed. When he stopped, she pulled her hand away as if he were burning her. Maybe he had because his skin felt singed from her touch.

“He’s too big for her to handle,” she said.

“We’ll be fine, Maggie.” He resisted the urge to kiss her scowl away and pulled on Flicker’s leash.

The screen door slammed behind them as Flicker and Amber raced down the stairs. The puppy kept trying to grab the end of Amber’s shirt, but she kept it away from him with a little shriek of joy.

Brady jerked on the leash and the puppy came rushing to him. “Maybe if we walk together, Flicker will learn his manners.”

“Okay.” Amber fell into step with Brady. The warmth of the day had settled with a gentle breeze. The puppy darted from tree to tree and jerked slightly on Brady’s hold.

“Are you dating anyone?” Amber walked beside him.

“No.”

“Have you had many girlfriends?” Brady wasn’t used to anyone being so direct with him, but he found Amber refreshing. He already had one lie he had to come clean on. He figured the least he could do was honestly answer her questions. “A few.”

“Did you have any girlfriends in London?” Amber watched the puppy as he burrowed underneath some leaves.

“I had a few dates, but no one I’d call a girlfriend.” Brady pulled on the leash as Flicker tried to veer off into someone’s yard.

“Why not? Don’t you like girls?” Amber stopped and cocked her head to the side.

Brady stopped his mouth from gaping. “I do but I didn’t have time because of work.”

Amber nodded as if she understood completely. He couldn’t help but wonder if she did. He had no idea what a seven-year-old thought about or even knew. Apparently, more than he thought.

“Is New York big?” Amber asked.

“Millions of people live there.” Brady felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, notifying him of a text.

“How did Mom find you in all those people?”

Brady looped the leash around his wrist and grabbed his phone. Now that they’d settled into a slower pace, Flicker walked beautifully as if he’d been raised on a leash. “The same way you find anyone. She had an address and a phone number.”

He flipped on the screen and saw the text from Jules. Nine-one-one. Crap.

“Amber?” Brady stopped. Flicker came bounding back to see what the holdup was.

“Yes?” She had squatted next to Flicker and petted him to keep him calm.

“Do you think you could take the leash for a few minutes? I need to make a quick phone call.”

“You want me to walk Flicker?” Amber held out her hands and bounced slightly in place.

Brady glanced at the dog who had decided to chew on his own leg. Flicker hadn’t tugged on the leash recently and seemed fairly calm. Amber could handle the puppy. He handed the leash to her. “Wrap it around your wrist and be careful not to let go, otherwise, we’ll have to chase Flicker.”

“I promise.” Amber wrapped the leash around her wrist. “Come on, Flicker.”

They all started forward again as Brady called Jules. “Hey, Jules, I can’t talk long. What’s going on?”

“The contractor wants to charge us double for the most recent change order. I tried to reason with him, but he says that you and he had a deal.” Jules sounded exhausted.

Brady stopped, but Amber kept going. “Jules, tell him that you are in charge and you know every deal that I’ve made. If he’s not going to work with you, we’ll have to find someone else.”

“Flicker, no!”

Brady’s heart stopped as he looked up. Amber was tangled in Flicker’s leash. Before Brady could even move, Flicker jerked on the leash, and Amber crashed to the sidewalk, landing in a heap. Flicker bounded to Amber’s side as Brady rushed to her.

Amber’s cries filled the air and made Brady’s heart ache, even as his pulse raced. Flicker whimpered and started licking the back of Amber’s head.

“Are you okay?” Brady knelt on the ground and pulled the leash away from Amber’s legs. He shoved Flicker’s nose away from Amber’s face as he helped her into a sitting position.

Her dirt-smudged face didn’t seem to have any cuts on it. Her tears tore at something deep inside him. He should have caught her. That’s what daddies did.

She held up her bleeding hands that she must have used to stop her fall. “My knee.”

Her knee was a mess of blood and dirt.

Her eyes welled with more tears. Her cries changed into soft sobs. “I didn’t know Flicker would pull. Don’t tell Mommy. She’ll blame Flicker.”

“No, she won’t.” Brady slipped his arms under her and lifted her from the ground. He grabbed the leash. Maggie wouldn’t blame Flicker for Amber getting hurt.

No, Maggie would blame Brady.