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I feel myself being jostled, and my eyes flutter open. It takes me a moment to realize I’m being lifted off the couch.
“Lucas . . . ,” I whisper, wrapping one arm around his shoulder to hang on.
“Putting you to bed, locking up, and heading home,” he says, carrying me across the room.
“I can walk.” I try to wiggle out of his grasp, but his hold on me tightens.
“I like carrying you.” He kisses my forehead, then lays me in my bed.
The spot where his lips touched me tingles. I try to focus on his face in the dark. “Thank you for coming over. Sorry I was kind of lame.”
“I like spending time with you, and you’re not lame.” He sits on the side of my bed and places his hands on the bed on opposite sides of my hips, caging me in. “I’ll be over tomorrow after I get Maddi settled with my brother.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I know, but I still will.”
He leans forward, and I swear he’s going to kiss me. I wait for it, my heart beating hard, but instead I feel his lips against the tip of my nose. “Sleep good, baby.”
“Thanks,” I whisper.
I watch him disappear out my bedroom door only to come back a moment later with my pillow and blanket. After he tucks me in, he leaves again.
I hold my breath until I hear the front door close.
Before I fall back asleep, I try to remind myself that it’s way too soon for me to be thinking about starting a relationship with another man. But there is no denying that I really want to get to know Lucas Fremont—a guy whose cheeks turn pink when he says something that could be misconstrued, a guy who talks about his daughter with a softness in his eyes that is beautiful, a guy who takes care of his baby girl like there is nothing else that he would rather do, and a guy who shows up to take care of a woman he hardly knows, giving me something I’ve never before had in my life.
Yes, it’s probably way too soon for me to like someone as much as I like Lucas, but there is no denying that I do like him and that I’m really looking forward to seeing him again.
Chapter 6
A NEW DREAM
LUCAS
“Are you sure you’re good to keep an eye on her for a little while this afternoon?” I ask my brother’s wife as Maddi heads straight for Muffin, Fawn’s Irish wolfhound, who is sprawled out on the couch.
“I told you I was sure when you texted this morning. Levi told you I was sure when you called to ask him if I was really sure. I’m telling you once again—I’m sure. You know I love Maddi. It’s not a hardship to spend time with her.”
I run my hand across my jaw. I always feel guilty whenever I ask anyone in my family to watch Madeline for me. Since my divorce, they have all stepped in to help whenever I’ve needed it, but I hate feeling like I’m taking advantage of them.
“And you’re going to Courtney’s, right?” Fawn asks, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“Yeah. She caught Maddi’s bug, so . . .”
“So you’re taking care of her because it’s the nice thing to do.” She rolls her eyes, and I laugh. “Maddi says she’s pretty.”
“She is pretty.”
“I’m happy for you.” She grins.
“I don’t know that there is anything to be happy about yet,” I admit.
She shakes her head, a knowing look in her eyes. “Even if nothing comes of this, I’m happy that you’re willing to try again. You deserve to find a good woman, Lucas. I have no doubt that you will find someone worth your time. Someone who will love you and Maddi.”
I haven’t dated at all since my divorce. I haven’t been willing to put myself out there, because I know that with me comes my daughter—that’s more than a lot of women are looking for. I also refuse to have another woman come into her life who will only disappoint her.
“Thanks again for this. I’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“Don’t rush.” She winks, and I fight back a smile. I love Fawn. She is perfect for my brother, the hard to his soft and the crazy to his sane. She makes him happy—happier than I have ever seen him. It gives me hope that I might still find a woman to spend the rest of my life with.
“Come give me a kiss, honey. I’m gonna take off,” I call across the room to Maddi.
She’s sprawled out on top of Muffin, who is loving the attention. She skips across the room to me. Once she’s close, I pick her up and wrap my arms around her in a hug.
