Falling For A Redneck by Eve Langlais Page A

of white particles lifted, making him cough then giggle.
    She must have made some sound because Dirk glanced over and saw her. He gave her such a sweet smile and looked so goddamned adorable surrounded by his boys that she felt her tummy do a whole routine of gymnastic somersaults, and even more surprising, her heart did some too.
    He mistook her sudden shiver for one of weakness and hurried over to her , perching her on a stool, which thankfully had a half-back for her to lean into.
    His concerned eyes gazed into hers. “You were supposed to stay put.”
    “I got bored.”
    “You should have called me. I would have carried you.”
    “My legs are working fine.”
    “You’re sure you’re okay?”
    “Yes,” said Marissa , unable to help the sound coming out soft at his evident concern.
    “Mari , look,” said Mason, grinning with a powdery face. “I make pancakes.”
    “I see that , Mason.”
    “You gunna eat them?” he asked, cocking his head at her.
    Marissa’s germaphobic side screamed, “No!”, but she found herself forcing a smile and saying, “Of course I will.”
    Dirk nodded approvingly at her , and she felt warm inside. She really must have whacked her head hard.
    The making of pancakes with small children proved quite educational , not to mention entertaining. Marissa watched them, wistfully thinking of her own childhood. Her parents had loved their only daughter in their own fashion, but they worked long hours, and when she did see them, their expectation of her was that she should comport herself like a miniature adult. Mother and Father certainly never behaved as raucously as these guys, and Marissa felt a pang at yet another example of how a family could act … and love.
    After they all ate the surprisingly tasty, if oddly shaped, pancakes smothered in syrup—a sin she’d have to make up for—Dirk carried her back to the living room, under protest, for another round of sit-in-the-boring-chair.
    “I can walk , you know,” she retorted once he set her down.
    “Are you arguing?” Dirk asked , his eyes fixated on her lips.
    Marissa felt a flash of heat and thought about saying “Yes!” just to feel those lips again, but true to form, she instead clamped them tight and glared at him.
    He chuckled and turned to ask the boys what they’d like to do. T hus did Marissa spend the strangest afternoon of her life playing board games like Sorry!, Snakes and Ladders, and more. The strangest part? She enjoyed it. She found herself smiling more than she had in years, even giggling a few times at the antics of the children.
    Talk about surreal . Marissa felt as though she’d left the world she knew and entered some kind of twilight dimension where, instead of being an aloof bitch, she was actually a part of a family that teased, talked, and enjoyed themselves. And I don’t want it to stop , she thought wistfully.
    Dinner comprised of delivery —pizza, wings, and wedges. Marissa stopped listening to the healthy voice in her head screaming about the junk she was eating. Yes, there was a lot of fat, calories and other ingredients on her giant no-no list. Screw her list. For once she indulged, and damn did it taste good!
    Once they finished dinner, Dirk let her walk up the stairs to help put the boys to bed, hovering close behind her in case she got dizzy. At their request, she read the boys several stories. The first, Goldilocks and the Three Bears , started out stiff. But when Mason said she needed to do the voices of the bears, she relaxed, and soon had them in stitches with her rendition of the three bears, who, as she told the children, should have locked their door in the first place.
    After allowing herself to be hugged and given sloppy kisses —which she managed not to shudder at—she followed Dirk out into the hall.
    “I think the boys really like you,” he said , leading the way back down the stairs.
    “Yeah , there’s no accounting for some people’s taste,” she joked, still feeling