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His kiss had felt more than friendly. Way more. Yet she agreed that a relationship between them would never work. She didn’t have time for a relationship. Particularly not with a man who had no plans to stick around. That would be asking to get hurt and wasn’t that Oz’s reputation with women anyway? To leave them brokenhearted?
They were better off as friends. Besides, being his friend was nice.
She rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton of his T-shirt, breathed in his spicy scent, liked that his arm went around her, cradling her against him, his hand resting low on her back.
Lately, everything came back to Oz in one way or another.
She couldn’t escape him at work. She couldn’t escape him at home as Addy chatted about him incessantly. She couldn’t escape him at Dr Talbot’s.
Maybe they could just be friends.
And, if they couldn’t, Lord, protect her heart.
“I’m glad you came to visit tonight.”
They stood next to Blair’s car with Oz holding a sleeping Addy in his arms. Dr Talbot had stirred, and they’d gone into the house so Blair could bid him good-night. Addy had still been asleep curled next to him and hadn’t wakened when Oz scooped her up to take her to the car for Blair.
“I enjoyed tonight, too.” Blair glanced up at the sky, at the brilliant stars sparkling down at her. She marveled at the world around her. At how tiny she was in the grand scheme of the universe. Yet, in that moment, standing so near Oz with her daughter safely tucked into his arms, she could believe the world evolved around this moment. That they were meant to be. That Oz was the missing link to connect the broken lines of her heart and make her whole.
She’d obviously lost her mind.
“Dr T enjoyed seeing you.” Oz smiled down at her. “He always perks up when you and Addy visit.”
“We love him,” Blair answered simply, wondering if she was imagining that Oz was procrastinating saying good-night. Did friends do that?
“I’ll see you in the morning? At the Heart Association center to help Stephanie?” He shifted Addy’s sleeping body in his arms.
“We’ll be there by nine.”
“I’ll bring coffee and donuts.”
“Sounds good, but better add orange juice for Addy. She has enough energy without coffee.”
“Right.” Grinning, Oz’s gaze dropped to the little girl he held. “She’s something else, isn’t she? You’re blessed, Blair. Addy is a special little girl. Just like her mother.”
Why did his compliment settle in her belly and blossom outward, spreading warmth throughout her entire being?
“Thank you.” Blair stared at him in the starlight.
Silence stretched.
“I guess you should put her in her seat so I can take her home.”
“Yes.”
Blair turned, opened her car door and moved aside to let him deposit her sleeping daughter into the car. The interior light shone bright and the open door dinged. Addy stirred, looked at Blair with bleary eyes, then dozed off again while Oz struggled to get the safety straps properly latched.
“Let me.” She stepped close and popped the pieces together with the ease of having done so a thousand times.
“Right,” Oz said self-derisively at how easily she’d done what he’d struggled with.
She shut the car door, but made no move to go around to the driver’s side. She and Oz stood close. Close enough to feel his body heat. Close enough that she fought filling her lungs with his wonderfully male scent.
Friends, she reminded herself again. They were going to be friends.
“I should go.”
“You should.” He cupped her face, tracing his thumb along her cheek.
