notice him as more than a friend. Though she hadn’t personally experienced any of these situations, she’d known her fair share of grief and found that approaching her replies with empathy and compassion went a long way toward helping the people who wrote to her. That the column had been picked up for national syndication thanks to her hard work countedas her greatest professional accomplishment since she left law school.
Erin loved the work, the challenge of sinking her teeth into meaty dilemmas, and she appreciated the distraction of helping other people deal with their problems. By the time she crafted her fifth reply, she looked up to notice the sky getting darker. It was time to make her dip for tonight, along with an extra batchfor Alex to eat with a spoon.
She checked her phone to see if Slim had texted, but there was nothing new. Thinking about Sydney and hoping for a positive outcome, she got busy in the kitchen while also continuing to ruminate over the idea of whether taking one flight with Slim would help her over the hurdle that was keeping her grounded.
Chapter 6
F or Mac McCarthy Junior , the day after his parents’ anniversary party had been long and trying. He’d awoken far too early and was tired, cranky, hungover and sexually frustrated. Somehow, a night that was supposed to be kid-free thanks to Maddie’s parents had turned into two kids with fevers in bedbetween him and his wife. He’d been kicked in the head and the gut—twice each—and Hailey’s foot had just missed the family jewels.
Enough was enough.
He’d dragged himself out of bed, taking his feverish little girl with him. Better to hold her while she slept than to risk being unmanned by a sharp elbow or foot. And Maddie had suggested getting the kids a dog for Christmas. As if! That would be just what he needed—two kids and a dog in his bed.
Thomas had woken up feeling worse and had clung to Maddie, while Hailey was all about Daddy. Usually, that was more than fine with Mac, but after a restless night, he was tired and expecting more of the same tonight.
“I guess we should call Jenny and tell her we’re out for tonight,” Maddie said late in the afternoon.
Thomas was asleep in her arms, and Mac worried about her catching whatever the kids had. She was still in her first trimester of pregnancy, and he didn’t want anything going wrong this time. They’d bounced back from losing their last pregnancy, but thinking of the baby they’d lost could still bring tears to his eyes—and hers.
“I suppose so.” Though he was disappointed about missingthe night out with friends, their children came first. “You want me to put him to bed?”
“You can try.”
“Let me put her down first. I’ll come back for him.” Mac went upstairs and got Hailey settled in her crib, watching as she popped her thumb into her mouth. Her cheeks were red from the fever, but it was lower now than it had been earlier. He went down to collect Thomas and got himtucked into bed, too, returning to Maddie, who was stretched out on the sofa. “You feel okay, hon?”
“Yeah, just tired. Been a long day.” Only yesterday, she’d confessed to feeling unattractive to him as her pregnancy had progressed. He’d shown her just how attractive she would always be to him, but he’d looked forward to showing her again last night.
It worried him that she couldthink he would ever fall out of love—or lust—with her. That would never happen, and he wanted to be sure she knew how much she meant to him. She held out a hand to invite him to lie with her on the sofa.
He gladly accepted the invite, snuggling up to her. “Whatever shall we do with this night we now get to spend at home?”
“We could sleep like sane people would after the day we’vehad.”
“We could, but what fun would that be?” He ran a hand down her back to cup her ass, tugging her in tight against him.
“Is there ever a time you’re not interested in sex, Mac?”
He pretended
Erin loved the work, the challenge of sinking her teeth into meaty dilemmas, and she appreciated the distraction of helping other people deal with their problems. By the time she crafted her fifth reply, she looked up to notice the sky getting darker. It was time to make her dip for tonight, along with an extra batchfor Alex to eat with a spoon.
She checked her phone to see if Slim had texted, but there was nothing new. Thinking about Sydney and hoping for a positive outcome, she got busy in the kitchen while also continuing to ruminate over the idea of whether taking one flight with Slim would help her over the hurdle that was keeping her grounded.
Chapter 6
F or Mac McCarthy Junior , the day after his parents’ anniversary party had been long and trying. He’d awoken far too early and was tired, cranky, hungover and sexually frustrated. Somehow, a night that was supposed to be kid-free thanks to Maddie’s parents had turned into two kids with fevers in bedbetween him and his wife. He’d been kicked in the head and the gut—twice each—and Hailey’s foot had just missed the family jewels.
Enough was enough.
He’d dragged himself out of bed, taking his feverish little girl with him. Better to hold her while she slept than to risk being unmanned by a sharp elbow or foot. And Maddie had suggested getting the kids a dog for Christmas. As if! That would be just what he needed—two kids and a dog in his bed.
Thomas had woken up feeling worse and had clung to Maddie, while Hailey was all about Daddy. Usually, that was more than fine with Mac, but after a restless night, he was tired and expecting more of the same tonight.
“I guess we should call Jenny and tell her we’re out for tonight,” Maddie said late in the afternoon.
Thomas was asleep in her arms, and Mac worried about her catching whatever the kids had. She was still in her first trimester of pregnancy, and he didn’t want anything going wrong this time. They’d bounced back from losing their last pregnancy, but thinking of the baby they’d lost could still bring tears to his eyes—and hers.
“I suppose so.” Though he was disappointed about missingthe night out with friends, their children came first. “You want me to put him to bed?”
“You can try.”
“Let me put her down first. I’ll come back for him.” Mac went upstairs and got Hailey settled in her crib, watching as she popped her thumb into her mouth. Her cheeks were red from the fever, but it was lower now than it had been earlier. He went down to collect Thomas and got himtucked into bed, too, returning to Maddie, who was stretched out on the sofa. “You feel okay, hon?”
“Yeah, just tired. Been a long day.” Only yesterday, she’d confessed to feeling unattractive to him as her pregnancy had progressed. He’d shown her just how attractive she would always be to him, but he’d looked forward to showing her again last night.
It worried him that she couldthink he would ever fall out of love—or lust—with her. That would never happen, and he wanted to be sure she knew how much she meant to him. She held out a hand to invite him to lie with her on the sofa.
He gladly accepted the invite, snuggling up to her. “Whatever shall we do with this night we now get to spend at home?”
“We could sleep like sane people would after the day we’vehad.”
“We could, but what fun would that be?” He ran a hand down her back to cup her ass, tugging her in tight against him.
“Is there ever a time you’re not interested in sex, Mac?”
He pretended
Similar Books
