Page 62 of A Tempting Seduction

“Me too. More than you know.”

After we hung up, I pressed the accelerator a little harder. Jasper Creek couldn't come fast enough. Two weeks away from home, from Ruby, from the life I was building felt like two years.

Tomorrow I'd deal with Fiona's kids and stolen moments with Ruby. Tomorrow I'd figure out how to pry more secrets from the woman who was becoming more important to me than air.

But tonight, I just wanted to sleep in my own bed and dream about green eyes and red hair and the sound of Ruby's laughter that had kept me sane through fourteen nights of exile.

The woman who was worth coming home to.

Chapter Thirteen

I heard the sound of a car pulling up at exactly six o'clock. I smoothed down my emerald-green sweater and checked my reflection one more time in the hallway mirror. The v-neck showed just enough skin to be interesting without being obvious, and the soft cashmere felt like a luxury against my skin. I'd paired it with dark jeans that actually fit my curves thanks to Zoe's shopping intervention.

I opened the door and burst out laughing.

Ford stood in my driveway beside Fiona's little sedan, lifting JR out of his car seat. A diaper bag was already slung over his shoulder like he'd been doing this for years. On the other side of the car, Fiona was unbuckling Suzy from her seat, JR was chattering excitedly about his adventure at Miss Ruby's house.

“This is fortuitous,” I said, stepping onto the porch.

“This is good planning.” Ford straightened up with JR in his arms, then put him down and reached back into the car for what looked like a portable playpen.

His cobalt blue sweater stretched across his broad shoulders as he maneuvered the playpen out of the backseat. The deep color made his skin look golden in the evening light, and I found myself staring at the way the fabric molded to his chest.

My heart did that annoying flutter thing it always did when I saw him after any separation longer than twelve hours.

Fiona appeared with Suzy on her hip, looking radiant in a way I hadn't seen since she'd moved back to Jasper Creek. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was perfectly applied. The little black dress she wore was definitely not mom-appropriate, but it looked amazing on her.

“Unca Ford!” Suzy threw her arms toward Ford the moment she spotted him.

Ford's face lit up with triumph as he carefully balanced the playpen under one arm and reached for the squirming toddler with the other.

“Did you win?” I asked, remembering the ongoing competition between Ford and Walker for first place in Suzy's affections.

“You bet I won.” Ford bounced Suzy gently, making her giggle. “Didn't I, sweetheart?”

JR tugged on my sweater to get my attention.

“He didn't win,” the four-year-old announced with the brutal honesty that only small children possessed. “Suzy said Unca Walker first.”

Ford's expression shifted to mock betrayal as he stared down at his nephew.

“I thought I paid you ten dollars not to tell.”

JR's eyes lit up with mischief.

“You paid me ten dollars not to tell Uncle Walker.”

Fiona and I dissolved into laughter. Ford shook his head in defeat while Suzy clapped her hands, delighted by all the attention.

“You've been outmaneuvered by a preschooler,” I told Ford, wiping tears from my eyes.

“Story of my life.” Ford shifted Suzy to one arm and ruffled JR's hair with his free hand. “Next time I'm hiring a lawyer to write the contract.”

We made our way inside, Ford carrying both the playpen and Suzy while JR held my hand. I watched Ford disappear into my bedroom to set up the portable crib, then returned to find Fiona checking her reflection in my hallway mirror.

“I can't remember the last time I went out without the kids,” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Sarah and Michelle promised to show me all the good places in Pigeon Forge.”

I could see Ford's protective instincts kicking in as his jaw tightened as he took in the length of Fiona's dress, the way it hugged her curves and showed off her legs.