Page 64 of A Tempting Seduction

“Your mommy's different. She's special.”

“Is Suzy gonna be trouble when she grows up?”

“Probably.” Ford grinned and tickled JR's ribs, making him squeal with laughter. “But the good kind of trouble.”

I watched the easy affection between uncle and nephew, feeling that dangerous warmth in my chest again. Ford would be an incredible father. Patient, protective, funny, completely devoted to his children's happiness.

Stop it, I warned myself. You're getting way ahead of yourself.

But the image wouldn't leave my mind. Ford teaching a little boy to throw a baseball. Ford braiding a little girl's hair. Ford reading bedtime stories in that deep voice that made me feel safe and cherished.

“Can we order pizza now?” JR asked, bringing me back to reality.

“Absolutely.” I pulled out my phone and called in an order for two large pizzas with enough toppings to satisfy everyone's preferences and enough for Ford to take some home.

While we waited for dinner, we got down to the serious business of fort construction. Ford proved to be an expert architect, helping JR arrange couch cushions at strategic angles against the furniture. They created slides, tunnels, and hiding spots that turned my living room into an adventure playground.

Suzy discovered the cushion slide immediately. She climbed to the top with determined concentration, then slid down on her belly, giggling with pure joy.

“Again!” she demanded the moment she reached the bottom.

“Again!” she repeated after her second trip down.

“Again!” she insisted for the fifteenth time.

Ford lifted her back to the top of the slide with infinite patience, never showing any sign of boredom with the repetitive game. The sight of his large hands carefully supporting her tiny body made my chest tight with emotion.

JR grew restless after twenty minutes of watching his sister's one-woman slide show.

“Can we pick tomatoes from your garden, Miss Ruby?” I gotta say, I loved the Southern tradition of people calling me ‘Miss’ Ruby. It tickled the heck out of me.

“Of course.” I led him out to the small vegetable garden behind my duplex, where late summer tomatoes hung heavy on the vine.

JR approached the plants with reverent excitement, carefully selecting the reddest specimens and handling them like precious jewels. He filled my smallest basket with three tomatoes that he deemed acceptable.

“These are gonna taste so good,” he announced with satisfaction. “Can we cut ‘em up and put them on the pizza?”

“I don’t see why not.”

He followed me into the kitchen and watched while I diced one of the tomatoes so I could add it to the margarita pizza.

The pizza arrived just as we came back inside, the delivery driver grinning at the sight of my living room transformed into a fort wonderland. We spread blankets on the floor and had an indoor picnic, eating pizza surrounded by cushion mountains and pillow valleys. JR concluded it was the best pizza ever because of the ripe tomato he had picked.

After dinner, we settled in to watch a movie. JR had strong opinions about our entertainment options, finally selecting an animated film with two girls and a snowman.

The story captivated both kids completely. JR was particularly fascinated by the talking snowman, watching with wide-eyed wonder as the character did silly things to make him laugh.

“I want to be a snowman when I grow up,” JR announced during a quiet moment.

“That's a good career choice,” Ford said seriously. “Snowmen are very important.”

“What do snowmen do?”

“They make people happy. They help children have fun in the winter. They guard snow forts and protect snow angels.”

JR nodded solemnly, apparently satisfied with this job description.

Suzy had been unusually quiet during the movie, but as the credits rolled, she suddenly pointed at the screen and spoke loudly.