her like that, whenever she was the sole focus of his attention, it made her nervous and weak-kneed.
Deliberately averting his gaze, Em glanced back at the store entrance. “Anyway, she said since her children are all grown, and she has no family left, she’d like someone to be able to put it to good use.”
Touched and delighted by the joy and excitement in her eyes, Josh stroked a hand down Em’s nose. “So she’s going to give it to you?” he said, pleased.
“No,” Em corrected firmly. “She’s not going to give it to me, although she offered.”
Josh sighed. “Wait, let me guess, you’re going to pay her for it?” he asked, his voice etching upward in surprise. Em could take this independent streak a tad too far, he decided, but thought better of saying that aloud.
She grinned. “Well, I’m actually not paying money, Josh, what we agreed to is a sort of…barter.”
“A barter?” Cocking his head, he looked at her carefully. “And exactly what did you barter, Em?”
“Well,” she began carefully, knowing he was probably just going to start worrying again. “Mrs. O’Connor’s going to lend the cradle to me for Baby Cakes, and what I’m going to do in exchange is take over the daily luncheon special to her for a few months.”
“A few months?” he repeated, wondering how she thought she was going to manage this new chore along with everything else she was doing. He wanted to shake his head in frustration. He’d been trying to get Em to slow down and not do so much work, not add to her workload.
He had to admit that he did admire her ingenuity. Cocking his head, Josh looked at her thoughtfully. “And of course the fact that Mrs. O’Connor is all alone now and has a hard time getting around, and everyone in town worries about her has nothing to do with this deal you made with her, right, Em?” he asked, his eyes twinkling knowingly.
“Well, it’s a fair deal, don’t you think?” Em declared indignantly, flushing and furious that he’d seen right through her. “I mean, I need a cradle for the baby, Josh, and Mrs. O’Connor needs someone to look in on her, to make sure she’s eating properly…and… What, Josh Ryan?” She wanted to whack him as she planted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “What are you grinning about?”
Touched, without thought, he bent down and brushed his lips over hers, sliding his arm around her waist to pull her close. “You, Em, are something else.” He kissed her again, setting off warning bells in his own ears. He was beginning to crave the taste of Em. Her scent. Her touch. Her…everything.
He was no longer certain that his feelings for her were all that friendly right now, but seemed to be edging toward something far deeper and definitely more dangerous. And it scared the hell out of him.
He’d been so busy protecting himself and his heart from other women for so long, that with Em, whom he considered merely a friend, he hadn’t considered the fact that one day his feelings of friendship might grow into something more. He hadn’t considered it, so he obviously hadn’t protected himself from it.
Which might just have been a mistake, Josh realized now, watching Em and feeling something deep inside him stir.
Something he was certain he wasn’t ready to acknowledge or handle. But still, it didn’t take away this ache he had to hold Em, to touch her, to protect her.
Unable to resist, he bent his head and kissed her again, needing to taste her, to hold her close, to feel her pressed against him.
When had this need to touch her, to hold her, to protect her surface? he wondered.
And the baby, he thought absently touching the breast pocket of his T-shirt where he’d put the ultrasound picture Doc Haggerty had given him this morning. Baby Cakes, he thought again, wondering how one tiny little unborn child could have stolen his heart already.
Annoyed at himself and his own thoughts, Josh shook his head, took a step back and let his
Deliberately averting his gaze, Em glanced back at the store entrance. “Anyway, she said since her children are all grown, and she has no family left, she’d like someone to be able to put it to good use.”
Touched and delighted by the joy and excitement in her eyes, Josh stroked a hand down Em’s nose. “So she’s going to give it to you?” he said, pleased.
“No,” Em corrected firmly. “She’s not going to give it to me, although she offered.”
Josh sighed. “Wait, let me guess, you’re going to pay her for it?” he asked, his voice etching upward in surprise. Em could take this independent streak a tad too far, he decided, but thought better of saying that aloud.
She grinned. “Well, I’m actually not paying money, Josh, what we agreed to is a sort of…barter.”
“A barter?” Cocking his head, he looked at her carefully. “And exactly what did you barter, Em?”
“Well,” she began carefully, knowing he was probably just going to start worrying again. “Mrs. O’Connor’s going to lend the cradle to me for Baby Cakes, and what I’m going to do in exchange is take over the daily luncheon special to her for a few months.”
“A few months?” he repeated, wondering how she thought she was going to manage this new chore along with everything else she was doing. He wanted to shake his head in frustration. He’d been trying to get Em to slow down and not do so much work, not add to her workload.
He had to admit that he did admire her ingenuity. Cocking his head, Josh looked at her thoughtfully. “And of course the fact that Mrs. O’Connor is all alone now and has a hard time getting around, and everyone in town worries about her has nothing to do with this deal you made with her, right, Em?” he asked, his eyes twinkling knowingly.
“Well, it’s a fair deal, don’t you think?” Em declared indignantly, flushing and furious that he’d seen right through her. “I mean, I need a cradle for the baby, Josh, and Mrs. O’Connor needs someone to look in on her, to make sure she’s eating properly…and… What, Josh Ryan?” She wanted to whack him as she planted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “What are you grinning about?”
Touched, without thought, he bent down and brushed his lips over hers, sliding his arm around her waist to pull her close. “You, Em, are something else.” He kissed her again, setting off warning bells in his own ears. He was beginning to crave the taste of Em. Her scent. Her touch. Her…everything.
He was no longer certain that his feelings for her were all that friendly right now, but seemed to be edging toward something far deeper and definitely more dangerous. And it scared the hell out of him.
He’d been so busy protecting himself and his heart from other women for so long, that with Em, whom he considered merely a friend, he hadn’t considered the fact that one day his feelings of friendship might grow into something more. He hadn’t considered it, so he obviously hadn’t protected himself from it.
Which might just have been a mistake, Josh realized now, watching Em and feeling something deep inside him stir.
Something he was certain he wasn’t ready to acknowledge or handle. But still, it didn’t take away this ache he had to hold Em, to touch her, to protect her.
Unable to resist, he bent his head and kissed her again, needing to taste her, to hold her close, to feel her pressed against him.
When had this need to touch her, to hold her, to protect her surface? he wondered.
And the baby, he thought absently touching the breast pocket of his T-shirt where he’d put the ultrasound picture Doc Haggerty had given him this morning. Baby Cakes, he thought again, wondering how one tiny little unborn child could have stolen his heart already.
Annoyed at himself and his own thoughts, Josh shook his head, took a step back and let his
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