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They stood that way for a while, both of them embarrassed, but neither of them willing to let the other go. When they finally parted, she looked vulnerable and scared. “You’re not going to try to take us away from her, are you?”
“I’d never do anything like that! Thanks a lot.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief. “I had to make sure.”
“No, you didn’t. The fact is, I need some help, and you’re the only one who can give it to me.”
She instantly responded. “What do you want?”
Now he was the one who had to look away. “I saw Nealy this morning, but I got nervous and screwed everything up.”
“For only the millionth time.”
“You don’t need to rub it in. Anyway, she’s even madder at me now than she was before. Sooner or later, she might talk to me again, but I can’t stand to wait. That’s why I need help.”
He explained what he wanted, and when he was done, a cagey smile curled her mouth. He congratulated himself on his strategy. There was nothing a good woman liked more than meddling in other people’s business, and this daughter of his heart was definitely a good woman.
Some of Nealy’s tension eased as she sat on the floor cuddling Button and listening to Lucy chatter about her day. The scents of roasted chicken and garlic coming from the kitchen reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
It had been an awful day. Instead of concentrating on her meetings, she’d kept thinking about Mat and wondering what was going on in his head.
Her housekeeper stepped into the family room. “If your hands aren’t clean, wash up. Dinner’ll be on the table in five minutes.”
“Thanks, Tina.”
The doorbell rang and Lucy leaped up. “I’ll get it! I told Cliff it was okay.”
Cliff was on duty monitoring the gate, which explained why the intercom hadn’t buzzed.
Lucy raced for the hallway. “I invited a friend for dinner. Tina said I could.”
Nealy regarded her curiously. It wasn’t the first time Lucy had invited someone over, but she’d always let Nealy know in advance. Still, Nealy was so grateful she was making new friends that she didn’t object.
She straightened the cuff on Button’s lavender jeans. “Okay, messy bessy, let’s pick up some of these toys before we eat.?
??
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Nealy froze as Mat’s voice boomed from the entrance hall.
Button’s eyes widened, and she dropped the plastic turtle she’d been carrying around. “DA!” Moving as fast as her chubby legs would carry her, she scurried toward the sound of that familiar voice.
In the hallway Mat was giving Lucy her second hug of the day when he heard Button’s high-pitched squeal followed by the thud of tiny sneakers. He looked up just as his pint-sized beauty queen came waddling around the corner.
“Daaaaa!”
At her shriek of joy, he dashed forward, swept her up into his arms, and started planting kisses on those rosy little cheeks. She was already taller, he noticed. Her hair was longer and didn’t look as much like dandelion fuzz. Someone had tied a piece of ribbon around a lock on top and it stuck straight up in a little fountain. She was wearing purple sneakers, lavender jeans, and a bright red T-shirt that said HOT STUFF.
The fact that she hadn’t forgotten him made his eyes sting for the third time that day. She wriggled and caught him in the stomach with one of her sneakers, but he didn’t care. She smelled of baby shampoo, orange juice, and Nealy.
“Da!” Button drew back her head, puckered her lips, and gave him her familiar mulish look. It was a new trick, but he caught on right away and planted a kiss on the exact middle of that rosebud mouth. “Hey, stinker.”
“Tink! Tink!”
“That’s right.” With one arm around the baby and his other around Lucy, he prayed he was two-thirds of the way home.
The final third appeared at the back of the hallway, and the accusation in her beautiful eyes told him he wasn’t even close.
