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He slapped my back. “You might want to wait until after the sex part. If Nolan gets upset, you might miss out on a good time, and now that you are off the celibacy wagon, you’re going to miss it.”
I snickered. “Maybe you are right.”
I said goodbye to him and got back on the road. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost seven. I grabbed something from a drive-thru on my way and then began to contemplate what I would say to Nolan tonight.
Talking to Wes had helped me make a decision. I wanted Nolan in my life, and I wanted to get to know her kids. I had visions of a blended family, and I hoped like hell that she was up for seeing that through. If not, I knew that what we had started to build needed to go on hold.
I couldn’t keep seeing her, especially as my feelings were growing by leaps and bounds, if she couldn’t see a future. It wasn’t fair to either of us.
Man, please let there be a future.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nolan
It had been another long week, and I was glad it was Friday. I was ready to unwind with a glass of wine and maybe a foot rub if I could talk Brad into it. He had sent me a message a little while ago and asked if he could stop by to see me.
I knew that his kids were gone again tonight, and I had big plans for him. I thought about my sleeping bag upstairs. Tonight was supposed to be my first night in my house now that I had water and electricity, but I could pass on it one more night if I could sleep beside Brad.
I was on video chat with the girls, and Emmy was once again telling me about the new stuffed animal that she had added to her collection. She had shown it to me six times, but that’s what she did. When she was happy about something, she was complexly focused on that one thing and talked incessantly about it. Sometimes it was animals, other times weather, and tonight it was her stuffed toys.
I heard the front door open and close, and I tensed. Emmy was in the middle of talking, and I couldn’t cut her off, so I made a quick decision to stay on the call as Brad peeked around the corner.
I smiled at him and lifted my phone. He nodded, and instead of coming closer to me, he started looking around at the work completed this week. A few things he looked contemplative about, others he merely noticed and then moved on.
“Mom, what are you looking at?” Lauren asked as she pushed Emmy out of the way.
“Nothing,” I said almost guiltily. In all honesty, I had been stalking Brad’s every move.
“Yes, you are.” She laughed.
Well, I might as well introduce them. Brad was a friend, and they would eventually meet him in person. “My friend just showed up.”
“Kayley?”
“No, Brad. He is Kayley’s older brother. He’s been helping me with some things here at the house.” I waved Brad over as he heard his name.
He stepped behind me. “Brad, that is Lauren on the right and Emmy on the left.”
“Hey, ladies. How are you tonight?”
Emmy immediately clammed up, but Lauren was checking him out.
“Hi, we’re okay. How are you?”
“Pretty good.”
“What are you doing to help my mom?” she asked, and as Brad was standing slightly behind me, he rested his hand on my lower back. It made me somewhat nervous, but I knew the girls couldn’t see it.
“I’m in construction and build houses. I’ve been helping your mom with a few things and lending her some of my employees.”
I turned to Brad and laughed. “Lending? If you were lending them to me, then wouldn’t the work be done for free?”
He shrugged as he grinned at me. “Not necessarily.”
I almost leaned forward and kissed him but remembered that the girls were watching. “Okay, young ladies. I need to get going so we can get to work.”
“Mom, it’s after eight. Are you going to work tonight?”
