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“Oh, Sam,” she said, laughing with him.
After their shared chuckle ended, he exhaled, long and slow. “You were right.”
“About what?”
“About how different life is with a baby. About the huge amount of time and energy it takes. I thought you were exaggerating, but I understand now that you weren’t.” He yawned again, this one more drawn out than the first. “I need to get going, grab some sleep while I can.”
“Always a good idea with a newborn around.”
“It was good to talk to you.” His acquiescence, his at-peace-with-it tone, it all rang of closure.
The closure she thought she’d wanted. Now that she was staring that possibility in the face, saying goodbye to Sam in a permanent sense was not the road she wanted to take. “Hey, are you busy this weekend?”
He chuckled. “Every minute, yeah.”
“Of course you are.” She laughed lightly. “Can I help? I mean, if you want help from me. Lennox and the puppy are away at the cottage, so I’m available from the time I close the bakery Saturday until I have to go back in on Monday morning. For anything, it’s a wide-open offer. If you need or even want anything from me, that is. I understand if you don’t after—”
“Leigh,” he said, cutting off her rambling stream. “I accept.”
“You’re sure? I don’t want to pressure you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable.”
“Babe, I think we’ve proven that’s not going to happen.” The subtle reminder of their sexual adventures sent a ripple of awareness straight to her clit.
God, she’d missed him. In the bedroom, yes, but out of it too. Missing him was over. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For picking me up from the side of the road,” she said, smiling as she leaned back in her chair.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I know.” But she did. So would Brian. Depending how the weekend went, maybe she’d explain the coded comment to Sam. “Go and get some sleep with your little girl. Text me later and we’ll firm up plans for tomorrow.”
“Will do. Looking forward to seeing you.”
“Me too. See you soon.” She ended the call and leaned forward to place her phone on the desk. The sight of her toes tapping on the ceramic floor drew her attention.
The phone call had put her behind schedule. Her feet couldn’t care less about her planner or her productivity level, they wanted to dance. So did her heart.
* * *
SAM
The diaper bagslid down Sam’s arm as he reached forward to press the doorbell button. The last couple times he’d been at Leigh’s house, he hadn’t used the button. Hadn’t knocked. He’d turned the handle and let himself in. They’d gotten to that point pretty quickly in their relationship, but it hadn’t felt like they’d moved too fast. Everything about them had been an easy fit.
He shifted the bag higher onto his shoulder and waited for the door to open. A lot had changed since his last time here. Whether it was too much or not remained to be seen.
The door swung inward, its frame filled immediately with Leigh. He hadn’t forgotten how beautiful, sexy and radiant she was, those things had simply been pushed off to make room for the onslaught of new information he’d had to absorb. Staring at her now, his attraction to all things Leigh came rushing back to the forefront.
“Come in,” she said, waving him through the opening. “You didn’t have to wait at the door like a stranger.”
“You offered to help for a weekend, not—” He set Sachi’s car carrier on the floor gently, careful not to wake her, then met Leigh’s gaze again. “I didn’t want to assume anything.”
“That’s very considerate.”
And this conversation was very polite. Too polite. Moving closer, he caught her hand. Opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t get the chance. Sachi beat him to the punch with her awakening cry.
“Shit.”
