begun several years ago. Mari, the Reyes family, and all of the Kavanaugh children were intimately involved in the funding and workings of The Family Center, since all of them were direct survivors of substance abuse. Members of all three families had lost family members following a car wreck caused by Derry Kavanaugh when he’d been driving drunk seventeen years ago.
“Yeah, I wanted to double check with Deidre that she’s all squared away with Scott to fly to Tahoe tomorrow, anyway,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at twelve-thirty,” Ryan said before he bid her goodbye and hung up the phone.
He finished dressing, intent on going to the airport and finalizing the details for his purchase of the new plane for Eagle Air.
He only hoped Faith hadn’t changed her mind about agreeing to come tomorrow.
* * *
Faith stood in her backyard the following morning watching Topsy poke her nose into every possible crevice she could. She soaked up the warm sunshine, glorying in the first bona fide springlike day of the year.
“Faith?”
She spun around at the sound of the deep voice calling from the front of the house. “Ryan, I’m back here!”
He came around the side of the house a moment later. She waited, appreciating the sight of him while he approached. He wore a pair of canvas pants along with a button-down blue-and-white twill shirt. Both items of clothing fitted him perfectly, highlighting long legs, narrow hips and the appealing slant of his torso from a lean waist to a powerful chest and shoulders.
He looked good enough to eat.
Recognizing her errant thought, she plastered a smile on her face as he opened the fence gate and approached her.
“You got here quicker than I’d expected. I thought I better let Topsy out before we left.”
“There wasn’t any traffic in town. I got here fast,” he said, his dark eyes moving over her. She felt her cheeks warming beneath what appeared to be an appreciative male appraisal. “Isn’t this weather amazing? The first real day of spring,” she said breathlessly.
“You look like springtime,” he murmured, his stare sweeping over her floral-colored skirt and lingering on the front of her lightweight peach-colored sweater.
“Thanks,” she managed. Something about his low, gruff voice made her already warm cheeks burn. She’d purchased some springtime items for her wardrobe, well aware that her breasts were growing past the confines of her prepregnancy blouses. Even this new sweater seemed to highlight her growing curves, however. Ryan’s appreciative glance didn’t offend her like it would have if another man had perused her in such a manner.
In fact, his warm glance made her feel downright...desirable...
...aroused.
“Topsy!” she called, eager to derail her potentially dangerous train of thought. The puppy glanced around at her call and suddenly tore through the yard. She immediately went to Ryan, wiggling and hopping around his ankles. Ryan grinned and bent to pet the caramel-colored fluff ball, scratching Topsy behind the ears until she literally vibrated with pleasure.
“You’ve made a friend for life,” Faith said, enjoying watching Ryan’s long fingers stroke the puppy. No wonder Topsy appeared to be in a state of bliss. What was it about seeing a big, masculine man with something so tiny and adorable that appealed so much to a woman? A strange, powerful feeling tightened her chest.
What would it be like to see him hold their child?
“You think so?” Ryan asked, picking up Topsy and holding her in front of his face, examining the canine soberly. Faith burst out in laughter at the comical sound he made when Topsy lapped at his nose with a pink tongue.
* * *
“Why are you so quiet?” Ryan asked her several minutes later when they were on the road to Harbor Town.
“I’m worried about meeting your sister,” Faith admitted, staring at the sun-gilded, blooming trees and meadows zooming past the car window.
“She’ll love you. There’s
“Yeah, I wanted to double check with Deidre that she’s all squared away with Scott to fly to Tahoe tomorrow, anyway,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at twelve-thirty,” Ryan said before he bid her goodbye and hung up the phone.
He finished dressing, intent on going to the airport and finalizing the details for his purchase of the new plane for Eagle Air.
He only hoped Faith hadn’t changed her mind about agreeing to come tomorrow.
* * *
Faith stood in her backyard the following morning watching Topsy poke her nose into every possible crevice she could. She soaked up the warm sunshine, glorying in the first bona fide springlike day of the year.
“Faith?”
She spun around at the sound of the deep voice calling from the front of the house. “Ryan, I’m back here!”
He came around the side of the house a moment later. She waited, appreciating the sight of him while he approached. He wore a pair of canvas pants along with a button-down blue-and-white twill shirt. Both items of clothing fitted him perfectly, highlighting long legs, narrow hips and the appealing slant of his torso from a lean waist to a powerful chest and shoulders.
He looked good enough to eat.
Recognizing her errant thought, she plastered a smile on her face as he opened the fence gate and approached her.
“You got here quicker than I’d expected. I thought I better let Topsy out before we left.”
“There wasn’t any traffic in town. I got here fast,” he said, his dark eyes moving over her. She felt her cheeks warming beneath what appeared to be an appreciative male appraisal. “Isn’t this weather amazing? The first real day of spring,” she said breathlessly.
“You look like springtime,” he murmured, his stare sweeping over her floral-colored skirt and lingering on the front of her lightweight peach-colored sweater.
“Thanks,” she managed. Something about his low, gruff voice made her already warm cheeks burn. She’d purchased some springtime items for her wardrobe, well aware that her breasts were growing past the confines of her prepregnancy blouses. Even this new sweater seemed to highlight her growing curves, however. Ryan’s appreciative glance didn’t offend her like it would have if another man had perused her in such a manner.
In fact, his warm glance made her feel downright...desirable...
...aroused.
“Topsy!” she called, eager to derail her potentially dangerous train of thought. The puppy glanced around at her call and suddenly tore through the yard. She immediately went to Ryan, wiggling and hopping around his ankles. Ryan grinned and bent to pet the caramel-colored fluff ball, scratching Topsy behind the ears until she literally vibrated with pleasure.
“You’ve made a friend for life,” Faith said, enjoying watching Ryan’s long fingers stroke the puppy. No wonder Topsy appeared to be in a state of bliss. What was it about seeing a big, masculine man with something so tiny and adorable that appealed so much to a woman? A strange, powerful feeling tightened her chest.
What would it be like to see him hold their child?
“You think so?” Ryan asked, picking up Topsy and holding her in front of his face, examining the canine soberly. Faith burst out in laughter at the comical sound he made when Topsy lapped at his nose with a pink tongue.
* * *
“Why are you so quiet?” Ryan asked her several minutes later when they were on the road to Harbor Town.
“I’m worried about meeting your sister,” Faith admitted, staring at the sun-gilded, blooming trees and meadows zooming past the car window.
“She’ll love you. There’s
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