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Richard chuckles, a warm, rich sound that makes me smile happily. “Who doesn’t love baseball? I’m actually coaching the team this year. I did last year too.”
Gavin stops in his tracks, his big blue eyes widening comically. “I was going to try and talk to the coach about getting on the team!”
“Well, now you have and I think it’s a fine idea.”
“Yay!” He runs off, obviously forgetting all about the room in his excitement.
“He used to play at his old home. I think he misses it,” I laugh brightly, still trying to get my racing heart under control. There’s just something about the big, gentle man that makes me feel so happy and safe.
“How about you show me that room, Miracle?” he asks the tiny child dancing impatiently beside him.
She grabs his hand and drags him out of the room. “We’ll go look at my room first. It’s much nicer than Gavin’s.” Her little button nose wrinkles. “He’s got dirty baseballs and wooden bats and stuff in there. He doesn’t even have one little fairy sparkle or pink birdie,” she huffs in a disgusted tone.
Richard throws back his head and laughs and I swallow nervously, gaze locked on the tanned column of his throat. He looks so masculine and I feel so tiny next to him.
“I understand, princess. But you have to remember that little boys don’t like the same thing as little girls and that’s alright. Leaves all the pink sparkly fairies and fluffy birdies for you.”
Miracle’s blue eyes narrow and she studies him cautiously then a big smile brightens her pale face. “You’re right, big man. I think I like that. I get all the sparkles!”
Richard and I glance up at each other at the same time and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to break free from the cage it’s been locked up in for most of my life.
“There’s an upside to everything, princess.”
Then he lets Miracle drag him out of the room and back to the bedrooms, giving me a second to wipe at my heated cheeks and try to push down that crazy longing to have this man hold me.
He’s just being nice to a couple of lost little kids and their inept new mother.
We’re just another of his lost causes and that thought makes my chest hurt so bad that my hand creeps up to rub at it gently before pushing all those negative thoughts aside.
They’ll be back to try to kneecap all those good feelings I get every now and then when it feels like everything’s finally settling into a semblance of sanity.
But for now I just focus on the happy laughter coming from the bedroom and let myself smile and relax.
For now I’m safe and warm and the kids are good. And the most handsome man I’ve ever seen is in my place smiling at me. For now I can ignore the other shoe that I know is going to drop.
It always does for me.
CHAPTER4
Richard
Isit back in the chair at my desk, groaning. The week has been especially quiet and I should be happy about that. I am, in fact. But at the same time I need something to distract myself from thoughts of Jessica.
My mouth lifts when I picture how bad she looked making cookies with her niece and nephew. The only way to describe it was lost. It was obvious that she had no idea what she was doing in the kitchen.
I pulled out my phone and looked up an easy recipe that the kids would be able to throw themselves into making. Before too long the kitchen was a mess of flour and laughter. My eyes danced as I watched Jessica with the kids. She laughed as she rolled the cookie up into a ball and then plopped it onto the greased cookie sheet. Gavin attempted to throw his onto the pan like he was dunking a basketball. Of course it ended up on the floor.
Instead of getting mad like some women might have, Jessica threw her head back, her long, blond hair falling down her back in soft waves that begged for my touch.
Gavin flushed and before I knew what happened, the whole thing devolved into a snowball fight with cookie dough.
Jessica dashed around the kitchen launching missiles just like the young children in her care. Laughing and slipping on cookie dough I growled and chased the children around the kitchen.
It was the best time I’d had in a long time but then I noticed that Miracle’s face was turning red and blotchy. Holding up a hand, I called a time out.
Jessica’s head popped up from behind the little counter and her blue eyes widened in fear.
“Oh no!” she cried and then she ran over to Miracle to hold her body close. Panting, both of them struggled to settle down.
