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As he listened, he thought to himself that it would have been better if his affection for Diane was the real draw because caring about a child was relatively safe. Unfortunately, he was far more interested in her mother. He wanted Heather in ways he hadn’t let himself want anyone in a long time.

Maybe it was the way they’d met. They’d formed an intimate bond before he’d had a chance to close himself off to her. He was paying the price now, allowing himself to stay in this too-small room, to be close enough to smell the scent of her body. It would have been safer and smarter to go out into the main office where an interested audience would force them to talk about business and nothing else.

“I should get started on that paperwork on my desk,” he said. “Do you want me to set up the playpen for Diane?”

“No, she was up most of the morning, so she needs another nap. I’ll settle her down. You go on.”

But it was surprisingly difficult to leave the room, and even after he returned to his desk and stared at the work in front of him, he couldn’t stop thinking about Heather and how dangerous it would be for her if they were ever to get involved.

* * *

Friday morning, Heather showed up with doughnuts. She took two dozen out to the hangar and left them there for the guys, then brought half a dozen inside to share with Flo and Jim.

Flo had just finished brewing coffee, and when she saw the pink box she made a low moan in her throat. “Oh, God, and I was doing so good on my diet, too.”

“I’m sorry,” Heather said quickly. “Let me take them outside to the guys. Just pretend you never saw them.”

Flo took the box from her and clutched it to her chest. “Take these away from me and I’ll be forced to kill you.” She sighed again, then lifted the lid. “Oh, chocolate and jelly doughnuts.” She winked at Heather. “I might need a few minutes alone with these two. If it gets too embarrassing for you, feel free to step into the other room.”

Heather laughed. “Go on and have your fun. I’ll take Diane back to her room.”

Her baby had been up since five so she was content to relax in the now familiar crib. Heather wound up a music box, pulled up the blanket and patted Diane’s tummy.

“Just squawk if you need anything, sweetie,” she said as she turned on the baby monitor. “Auntie Flo will be in here before you can draw a second breath.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Flo called from the other room.

“I thought you were busy ingesting sugar.”

“I am. Grab a cup of coffee on your way out and join me.”

Heather did as she suggested and took the chair next to Flo’s desk and sipped her coffee. Flo was still in raptures over the doughnuts.

“I’m only going to eat two,” she promised. “If you see me lurking near the box, you have permission to drag me away, by the hair if necessary. You’ll have to protect me from myself.”

“Why are you on a diet?” Heather asked. “You look terrific.”

Flo rolled her eyes. “This from a perfect size two.”

“I’m not a size two.” But she was a size four, which she figured Flo didn’t want to know. “You do look great,” she insisted. “I wish I were more like you and had some curves. I’ve been skinny my whole life. I have no muscle tone, my arms and legs look like sticks. I hate wearing a bathing suit because I don’t have much on top. What I have now is because I’m breast-feeding, and that’ll be gone before I know it.”

Flo wore her usual tight clothing. Today it was a magenta blouse tucked into black slacks. She licked the sugar off her fingers. “I’m not feeling the least bit sympathetic, but it does my heart good to hear you complain about your body. The same body I consider amazing.”

“Do you know what it’s like to have trouble filling an A-cup bra, let alone spilling out of it?”

“That’s nothing.” Flo dismissed her with a wave. “I can gain ten pounds in less than two weeks. I’ve never had a flat stomach in my life, and if my breasts were any bigger, they would start showing up on county maps.”

Heather laughed. “I once slept with a man who told me my hip bones were so sharp he was afraid I might impale him.”

“Really?” Flo leaned toward her. “I could beat that one a hundred times over, but it would make me feel good to have you win this little contest of ours, so that’s just what I’m going to do.”

Heather looked at the woman who was quickly becoming her friend. “Thank you, Flo.”

“For what?”

“Everything. You’ve been very kind to me.”

“I like having you around. It’s been lonely being the only girl in the place.”