Johnson Family 1: Unforgettable by Delaney Diamond Page A

moment.
    The silence between them lengthened and as he watched her, she shifted to the other foot and cleared her throat. “So…um…”
    “Guess I better head out,” he said. Finally, he turned and walked to the front door.
    Still shaken, Ivy stumbled along behind him. “Coming by early wasn’t a problem,” she said. “You’re welcome any time. It’s good for you and Katie to spend as much time together as possible so you can bond before you leave to go back to Atlanta.”
    “Agreed.” He paused outside the open door. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow if I plan to come by earlier.”
    “Sounds good.”
    His eyes ran down her body one more time, as if imprinting the image in his mind. Her fingers tightened on the doorknob as she fought the flush of heat that covered her skin.
    “Good night, princess,” he said softly.
    She opened her mouth to remind him not to call her that and stopped. Knowing Lucas, he hadn’t forgotten. The pet name didn’t annoy her, it was just too intimate, reminding her of what they’d shared in the past.
    Ivy stuck her head out the door to watch him walk down the hallway, as sexy as ever and moving with panther-like grace. He had a wide, bow-legged stride like he was hung between the legs. Which, she knew, he was.
    She slammed the door shut and rested her head against it. “Breathe.”
    She should be over him. Sure, there had been times when she’d thought about him and reminisced about their months together. It was only natural when each day she stared into a pair of eyes heart-achingly similar to his.
    She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart.
    The last thing she needed was to develop feelings for Lucas again. She couldn’t let the wall of civility erected between them crumble under the weight of something as simple as attraction. He couldn’t give her what she wanted. She knew that from first-hand experience.

Chapter Thirteen
    It was nachos night, and Lucas had received strict instructions to bring his appetite. Once a month Katie could have whatever meal she chose, and this month she’d chosen nachos. Ivy had called to let him know Katie had invited him to dinner, and how could he possibly refuse the invitation?
    He followed Ivy back to the spacious kitchen, from which they had a view of the living room. It contained top grade appliances—a Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine cooler, Miele dishwasher, microwave, and gas stove. It was also large enough to comfortably accommodate several people working there at the same time.
    “Anything I can do to help?” he asked.
    A pan of ground beef and beans simmered on one of the burners, and he smelled the distinctive aroma of cumin and onions. Ivy looked up from the cutting board where she was back to chopping fresh cilantro for the pico de gallo. “You can get the glasses and beer. I thought we’d try a new winter brew one of our brewmasters blended, if you’re interested?”
    “Sounds good to me,” Lucas said. “I’ll be your beer guinea pig.”
    “No beer for me, thank you,” Katie piped up. She burst into giggles.
    “That’s right.” Ivy bumped hips with her daughter and joined in the laugh. “There’s juice in the fridge for the little one.”
    Watching them, Lucas couldn’t help but smile. Mother and daughter worked side by side in the kitchen, and although Katie’s task was minor in comparison, it was clear having some responsibility in the meal preparation was important to her.
    “When did you learn to cook?” he asked Ivy. He grabbed two bottles of Winter Lager and held them up.
    “Mommy’s a great cook,” Katie announced.
    Ivy nodded her approval at the beer in his hands. “That’s them. They flopped last year, so we’re trying a new formula. So far it’s tested well in the pubs, but this is the first time I’m trying it out.” She sprinkled salt from her fingertips into the pot and gave the meat mixture a stir. “I’ve learned a lot about cooking in the past eight years or so,” she