heartily, he slipped his arms around her. Then suddenly the laughter died and Hank became fully aware of how intimately he was holding her and how still she'd become.
He looked down into her eyes at the exact moment she lifted her face and stared up at him. All he could see was the yearning in those beautiful blue eyes and the temptation of those soft, pink lips.
She wanted him to kiss her, didn't she? If she didn't, why was she looking at him that way?
It would be the easiest thing in the world to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom. But a man didn't take a woman like Susan to bed unless he intended to make a commitment to her. A lifetime commitment
He brushed a light kiss on her forehead, released his hold on her, then pushed her away. "Guess I'd better get my suitcase and garment bag. And I've got a couple of boxes with odds and ends in them."
"Do you need any help?"
"I don't want you lifting anything," he said. "You might not be showing yet, but you're still pregnant."
"Dr. Farr says that I'm as healthy as a horse."
"Who's Dr. Farr?"
"My obstetrician in Marshallton," she said. "The clinic in Nashville recommended that I choose a local OB-GYN to oversee my pregnancy."
"When do you see this Dr. Farr?"
"Today was the first time. I have another appointment in a month. And somewhere around five months, they'll do a sonogram and I can find out if the baby's a girl or boy then."
"So this Dr. Farr said you're okay. You and the baby."
"Perfectly fine."
"What do you want, a boy or a girl?" Hank asked.
"I don't really care. Lowell and I … We were just so happy that I was pregnant."
Silence hung heavily between them for several minutes, then Susan smiled at Hank and said, "Any time you'd like to go with me to one of my doctor's appointments, you're welcome to come. Maybe when I have the sonogram done, you'd like to be there."
Go with her to the OB-GYN's office when she had the sonogram done? Did he want to do that? Was that something a doting uncle or a godfather would do?
"Yeah, maybe. We'll see."
"Well, I'll let you get moved in. I've had a long day and I'm tired, so I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll walk you back—"
"No need. I do know the way."
He stood at the top of the stairs and watched her until she disappeared through the back door. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He had put his life on hold to come back home as a final payment on the debt he owed his best friend. He had known it wasn't going to be easy filling Lowell's shoes, even temporarily, but he had obligations and responsibilities he couldn't ignore. He was prepared to hunt down the man who had murdered Lowell and bring him to justice. He was prepared to keep an eye on Susan and make sure she and the baby were all right before he resumed his career. But he hadn't been prepared for the way Susan made him feel—for the way he wanted her.
One of the first things he needed to do, after he got settled in to the new job and the new apartment, was find himself a willing woman. The only way he was going to be able to keep his hands off Lowell's widow was by taking the edge off his desire—with someone else.
Four
He'd been living in the garage apartment two weeks now and had begun to settle into a routine at work. He stopped by every morning and every night to check on Susan, and they'd eaten a couple of meals together. Other than that, he kept his distance. Everyone in town expected him to step into Lowell's shoes, both personally and professionally. God knew he wanted to apprehend Lowell's murderer. And he was willing to complete his old friend's term as sheriff. But taking care of Lowell's wife was a complicated matter. If he didn't want her so damn bad … But he did. And that was the problem.
Tracking down Lowell's killer was the number one priority of the sheriff's department. Carl Bates seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, but Hank knew it was only a matter of time until one of their leads would
He looked down into her eyes at the exact moment she lifted her face and stared up at him. All he could see was the yearning in those beautiful blue eyes and the temptation of those soft, pink lips.
She wanted him to kiss her, didn't she? If she didn't, why was she looking at him that way?
It would be the easiest thing in the world to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom. But a man didn't take a woman like Susan to bed unless he intended to make a commitment to her. A lifetime commitment
He brushed a light kiss on her forehead, released his hold on her, then pushed her away. "Guess I'd better get my suitcase and garment bag. And I've got a couple of boxes with odds and ends in them."
"Do you need any help?"
"I don't want you lifting anything," he said. "You might not be showing yet, but you're still pregnant."
"Dr. Farr says that I'm as healthy as a horse."
"Who's Dr. Farr?"
"My obstetrician in Marshallton," she said. "The clinic in Nashville recommended that I choose a local OB-GYN to oversee my pregnancy."
"When do you see this Dr. Farr?"
"Today was the first time. I have another appointment in a month. And somewhere around five months, they'll do a sonogram and I can find out if the baby's a girl or boy then."
"So this Dr. Farr said you're okay. You and the baby."
"Perfectly fine."
"What do you want, a boy or a girl?" Hank asked.
"I don't really care. Lowell and I … We were just so happy that I was pregnant."
Silence hung heavily between them for several minutes, then Susan smiled at Hank and said, "Any time you'd like to go with me to one of my doctor's appointments, you're welcome to come. Maybe when I have the sonogram done, you'd like to be there."
Go with her to the OB-GYN's office when she had the sonogram done? Did he want to do that? Was that something a doting uncle or a godfather would do?
"Yeah, maybe. We'll see."
"Well, I'll let you get moved in. I've had a long day and I'm tired, so I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll walk you back—"
"No need. I do know the way."
He stood at the top of the stairs and watched her until she disappeared through the back door. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He had put his life on hold to come back home as a final payment on the debt he owed his best friend. He had known it wasn't going to be easy filling Lowell's shoes, even temporarily, but he had obligations and responsibilities he couldn't ignore. He was prepared to hunt down the man who had murdered Lowell and bring him to justice. He was prepared to keep an eye on Susan and make sure she and the baby were all right before he resumed his career. But he hadn't been prepared for the way Susan made him feel—for the way he wanted her.
One of the first things he needed to do, after he got settled in to the new job and the new apartment, was find himself a willing woman. The only way he was going to be able to keep his hands off Lowell's widow was by taking the edge off his desire—with someone else.
Four
He'd been living in the garage apartment two weeks now and had begun to settle into a routine at work. He stopped by every morning and every night to check on Susan, and they'd eaten a couple of meals together. Other than that, he kept his distance. Everyone in town expected him to step into Lowell's shoes, both personally and professionally. God knew he wanted to apprehend Lowell's murderer. And he was willing to complete his old friend's term as sheriff. But taking care of Lowell's wife was a complicated matter. If he didn't want her so damn bad … But he did. And that was the problem.
Tracking down Lowell's killer was the number one priority of the sheriff's department. Carl Bates seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, but Hank knew it was only a matter of time until one of their leads would
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