Page 44 of One Kind Goal

“Yes. We’ll use Nia as a distraction.”

“I’m sure she’s up for the challenge.” He kissed Morgan’s hand again before lowering it, but he didn’t let her go.

Morgan Rayhill wasn’t the type of woman a smart man let go. Sawyer liked to think he was a smart man.

****

Watching Sawyer carry a sleeping Nia into the cottage was something Morgan wanted to rewind and see over and over again. She’d never paid much attention to guys who had kids. All her past hookups had been with men who had senses of adventure but little real responsibility.

Like her.

She’d generally sought out guys who were up for a good time and not much more. Sawyer was of course down with having fun, but he was also a . . . a grown-up with a job he excelled at and a daughter he absolutely adored. He was a man of substance, making Morgan wonder if she had enough substance to have earned his attention. Sawyer could probably do a lot better than some chick who lived off someone else’s money.

“Can you grab the door?” Sawyer asked, pulling Morgan from her thoughts. Thoughts she wanted to leave outside in the snow. They had pizza to chow down on and sex to have. She didn’t need doubts about her worthiness mucking up the otherwise perfect day they’d all had together.

She scooted around Sawyer and unlocked the cottage door. After swinging the door open, she stepped out of the way to let him pass with Nia. She followed them inside, closing the door. Morgan set the food on the kitchen island and when she turned around, Sawyer was right behind her.

“Oh, hey.” She backed up a step, but Sawyer took a step forward so little space existed between them.

“Hey.” He lowered his head and caught her lips in a quick kiss. “I’m going to give her a quick bath and get her in her pajamas. Hopefully she’ll wake enough to eat, but not enough to stay up for too long.” He arched a dark eyebrow, his hazel gaze settling on her mouth for a moment before he stole another kiss. “I have plans I’d like to get to.”

“I second that idea.” She pulled off his baseball hat and put it on her own head. “Maybe I’ll wear the disguise this time.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Sawyer said. “I’d recognize you anywhere, baby.” He turned toward the hallway when Nia mumbled a soft Daddy.

Morgan stayed frozen in her spot, again watching Sawyer walk away with his daughter and feeling all squishy inside at the vision. Her phone buzzing in her purse snapped her out of her trance. Taking off the hat, she fished her phone out to see a text from Claire.

Claire: How’s it going? Have you died from too much sex yet?

Laughing, Morgan tapped out a reply.

Morgan: Sex is the next activity.

Claire: Next? What the hell have you been doing all day? Antiquing in the quaint little town? 

Morgan: Uhh . . . yeah, actually.

Her phone vibrated with an incoming call so she swiped to answer.

“You’re doing this hookup rendezvous all wrong, Morgan,” Claire said. “You should have had sex like ten times by now. This trip is supposed to be fun.”

“It is fun,” Morgan said, taking a seat on the couch.

“Clearly you’ve forgotten the definition of the word fun.”

“It’s different fun.” She peeked down the hallway, hearing faint voices as Sawyer and Nia talked. “Listen, I’m going to tell you something and you can tell Brooke, but that’s it.”

“Okay.” The anticipation over a potential secret was tangible in her sister’s voice.

“I told Austin because he invited us to his Maplehaven house tomorrow,” she began. “Sawyer and I have an additional guest at the cottages.”

“Like a third wheel? Bummer,” Claire said. “Oh! Or is it like a threesome sitch?”

“No, not a third wheel or a threesome,” Morgan said. “Sawyer brought his four-year-old daughter, Nia.”

Claire was a quiet for a moment. “Hot hockey player has a kid?”

“Yes, and she’s the sweetest little girl. We spent the day building snowmen, going to some shops in town, riding a sleigh . . . God, Claire, things I never dreamed could be so fun, but they were. And Sawyer is amazing with Nia. Her mother doesn’t let him see her often because she doesn’t want Nia to be adversely affected by Sawyer’s fame.”