Safe in His Arms by Dana Corbit

her, which he’d already learned had its own electrical charge, but knowing she trusted him was exhilarating.
    Joe nabbed one of Emma’s feet and squeezed a plump little toe. He shook his head. “Oh, this is much worse than I thought. We have some serious pruning here.”
    The worried look on Emma’s face as she pulled her foot away made him laugh. He ruffled her hair. “I think they’ll be fine, that is, if you spend some time out of the water.”
    â€œBut the sprinkler park…”
    Joe shook his head. “Nope. That can’t happen today. Those toes need a rest. And let me get a look at those fingers.” He reached for her tiny hand and turned it palm up before lifting it to show Lindsay. “Did you see these? I think a break from swimming is called for here.”
    Lindsay shook her head sadly. “I have to agree.”
    â€œWe’ll have to do that another day,” he said, as Emma’s lips formed a pout.
    â€œIt’s time for us to be getting home anyway,” Lindsay said.
    â€œI don’t want to—”
    Lindsay held her index finger to her lips until the child stopped. “Remember, I told you we could get ice cream on the way home, but only if you could leave without complaining.”
    â€œChocolate-and-vanilla twist? And not a baby cone.”
    The side of Lindsay’s mouth lifted. “A small.”
    â€œSmall is big.”
    The idea of a frozen treat winning over the tantrum, Emma stood up from the towel and started gathering her sand toys. As the child moved over to her deserted castle to collect her shovel and pail, Joe leaned in toward Lindsay.
    â€œWhat were you saying about bribes?” He couldn’t help grinning as he said it.
    â€œThey work sometimes. Anyway, this is an incentive program.”
    He nodded, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. “You see? I did teach you something about kids.”
    â€œNow you’ve created a monster,” Lindsay said with a frown as she struggled to stand up and then started shaking out the beach towels. “Two, if you’re including Emma in that. Before long, I’ll be bribing her with a sports car just to keep a C average on her report card.”
    â€œIf you’re handing out sports cars, would you mind adopting me? I’ll just go back to college. I’m sure I can find something else to study.”
    â€œI’ll get right on it.”
    Emma raced back to them, her toys already in the mesh bag with sand trailing out through the holes. “Can Trooper Joe come with us to get ice cream?”
    Lindsay glanced sidelong at him, as if waiting for hisnod. When he gave it, Lindsay turned back to Emma. “If he wants to come, fine.”
    â€œWant to get ice cream, Trooper Joe?” Emma asked.
    â€œI like ice cream.”
    Why was it that he suddenly wished Lindsay had invited him herself? It was just ice cream. But what he needed to admit to himself, even if he wouldn’t confess it to anyone else under direct questioning, was that he wasn’t ready to leave Lindsay Collins and her young niece just yet.
    He didn’t know how he’d gotten to this place. He’d been a mess at work, even after Brett had spoken to him, and he’d come here wound so tightly that even Lindsay had pointed it out. Yet, after a few minutes here with the two of them, all of his stress had melted away. That truth alone should have set off more bells in his mind than a four-alarm fire, but he didn’t even have the good sense to be on high alert.
    Didn’t he realize that at any time she might start asking questions again? Spending time with them, it was easy for him to blank out the memory of the accident that had brought them together in the first place, but it was wrong to keep the truth from Lindsay.
    She had every right to know the whole truth, but he still didn’t know how to tell her that he’d not only played God by choosing