she carried the little girl to her crib, covered her with her baby-sized comforter, then retraced her steps.
Joe hadn’t budged an inch. Neither did he notice when she covered him with the same throw he’d used earlier. Clearly, he was exhausted, and after the busy shift they’d had at the station, he needed this nap as much as Breanna did.
Reassured, she decided it was time to slip out as quietly as she’d entered. Before she’d taken two steps, Joe shifted position, then suddenly bolted upright.
“Breanna?” he asked, his voice rusty.
“She’s in her crib,” she answered softly.
His tension visibly eased as he sank back into the recliner, looking dangerously handsome with his hair spiked in disarray and a dark shadow on his face. “For a second there I thought I’d dropped her.”
“You didn’t. I thought you’d both be more comfortable if she was in her own bed, so I moved her there.”
“Thanks.” Then, apparently gaining more of his wits, he stared at her in surprise. “Maggie?”
“In the flesh,” she said cheerfully. “Trista found what shewas looking for sooner than I’d expected—” she purposely glossed over the reason behind their decision “—so we decided to call it a day. I thought I’d check on you and when you didn’t the answer the door, I used your spare key. I hope you don’t mind.”
His suddenly wide smile transformed his face. “No, I don’t. In fact, I’m glad you did.”
Under his appreciative gaze, a frisson of excitement skittered along her spine. “Then you missed me?” she teased.
“More than you know. I was counting the hours until tomorrow morning when I’d see you again.”
Words to warm a woman’s heart…“Rough day?” she commiserated.
A pained expression crossed his face. “We had our moments.”
“You should have told me—” she began.
“I didn’t want to call you away unless we had an emergency, so we muddled through. Fortunately, there were no bumps, bruises or…”
“Or blood,” she finished.
“Exactly.”
“So everything really went well? No crying sprees?”
“No major ones,” he said. “She missed you, though.”
For a woman who’d vowed to remain detached, Joe’s words brought her far more satisfaction than they should have. “Don’t be silly,” she said lightly. “She doesn’t know me well enough.”
“I think you’d be surprised.”
After being on her feet all day, she perched on the sofa’s edge. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that issue. What exactly did you two do to occupy yourselves?”
“Nancy said Breanna liked to play in the sandbox, so we went to the store and bought one. Then we spent the rest of the morning outside getting more sand in our clothes than weleft in the box. After that came lunch. By the way, she hates peas.”
Maggie grinned. “I guessed as much.”
“She wanted to go out again after she ate, but it was nap time. I spent most of the afternoon trying to convince her that her droopy eyelids meant she was tired, but she wasn’t buying it. Finally, I realized she wasn’t paying attention to anything I said, so I let her do her own thing while I watched cable news.”
“And once you did, she crawled into your lap.”
He looked surprised. “How did you know? The minute she settled down, she was out. I couldn’t risk waking her, so I caught forty winks of my own.”
“You’re definitely learning the tricks of the trade.”
His disbelief was obvious in his glance. “What I want to know is why is she so docile for you and Nancy, but completely uncooperative when I’m in the picture?”
“She probably senses your own uneasiness and uncertainty and takes advantage of it. It’ll get better, for both of you.”
He didn’t answer. He just stared at her, his gaze intent, his eyes filled with disbelief. “You’re watching too many movies. Most situations don’t have a happy ending.”
“Sometimes we have to make our own.”
“I suppose.” He rubbed
Joe hadn’t budged an inch. Neither did he notice when she covered him with the same throw he’d used earlier. Clearly, he was exhausted, and after the busy shift they’d had at the station, he needed this nap as much as Breanna did.
Reassured, she decided it was time to slip out as quietly as she’d entered. Before she’d taken two steps, Joe shifted position, then suddenly bolted upright.
“Breanna?” he asked, his voice rusty.
“She’s in her crib,” she answered softly.
His tension visibly eased as he sank back into the recliner, looking dangerously handsome with his hair spiked in disarray and a dark shadow on his face. “For a second there I thought I’d dropped her.”
“You didn’t. I thought you’d both be more comfortable if she was in her own bed, so I moved her there.”
“Thanks.” Then, apparently gaining more of his wits, he stared at her in surprise. “Maggie?”
“In the flesh,” she said cheerfully. “Trista found what shewas looking for sooner than I’d expected—” she purposely glossed over the reason behind their decision “—so we decided to call it a day. I thought I’d check on you and when you didn’t the answer the door, I used your spare key. I hope you don’t mind.”
His suddenly wide smile transformed his face. “No, I don’t. In fact, I’m glad you did.”
Under his appreciative gaze, a frisson of excitement skittered along her spine. “Then you missed me?” she teased.
“More than you know. I was counting the hours until tomorrow morning when I’d see you again.”
Words to warm a woman’s heart…“Rough day?” she commiserated.
A pained expression crossed his face. “We had our moments.”
“You should have told me—” she began.
“I didn’t want to call you away unless we had an emergency, so we muddled through. Fortunately, there were no bumps, bruises or…”
“Or blood,” she finished.
“Exactly.”
“So everything really went well? No crying sprees?”
“No major ones,” he said. “She missed you, though.”
For a woman who’d vowed to remain detached, Joe’s words brought her far more satisfaction than they should have. “Don’t be silly,” she said lightly. “She doesn’t know me well enough.”
“I think you’d be surprised.”
After being on her feet all day, she perched on the sofa’s edge. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that issue. What exactly did you two do to occupy yourselves?”
“Nancy said Breanna liked to play in the sandbox, so we went to the store and bought one. Then we spent the rest of the morning outside getting more sand in our clothes than weleft in the box. After that came lunch. By the way, she hates peas.”
Maggie grinned. “I guessed as much.”
“She wanted to go out again after she ate, but it was nap time. I spent most of the afternoon trying to convince her that her droopy eyelids meant she was tired, but she wasn’t buying it. Finally, I realized she wasn’t paying attention to anything I said, so I let her do her own thing while I watched cable news.”
“And once you did, she crawled into your lap.”
He looked surprised. “How did you know? The minute she settled down, she was out. I couldn’t risk waking her, so I caught forty winks of my own.”
“You’re definitely learning the tricks of the trade.”
His disbelief was obvious in his glance. “What I want to know is why is she so docile for you and Nancy, but completely uncooperative when I’m in the picture?”
“She probably senses your own uneasiness and uncertainty and takes advantage of it. It’ll get better, for both of you.”
He didn’t answer. He just stared at her, his gaze intent, his eyes filled with disbelief. “You’re watching too many movies. Most situations don’t have a happy ending.”
“Sometimes we have to make our own.”
“I suppose.” He rubbed
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