expanse of hard muscle sprinkled with crinkly black hair.
“Sheri. Play with Kitty.”
Cat sucked in a breath. Of the million things the child could have said, why did she have to pick that?
“Sure,” Brock said, with an enigmatic look in her direction. He lowered Tammy to the lawn and picked up the beach ball, tossing it to Cat.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, frantically trying to control the fiery surge of blood to her face. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Brock tucked his chin down as he buttoned up his shirt. “I sometimes come by on Saturdays. Practice, in case one day I have kids of my own.” He smiled at her and flicked his hand, inviting her to toss the ball back.
She hurled it at him with all her might. Why did he have that predatory glint in his eagle eyes? Wasn’t rejecting her enough for his masculine ego? Why did he have to taunt her, oozing sex appeal and tugging at her heartstrings with the display of the little girl in his arms?
“Whoa. You sure pack a punch.” He caught the brightly colored ball with ease. “But I guess I already knew that.”
“Sheri, Sheri.” Tammy wrapped herself around Brock’s leg and stared up at him in worship. He flung the ball to the ground and picked up the child. Tammy threw her arms around his neck and smacked a kiss on his freshly shaven cheek.
“Kitty kiss Sheri,” Tammy said, shifting in Brock’s lap to point at Cat.
Cat backed up a step, but to her utter confusion Brock settled Tammy in the crook of his arm and came after her. He draped his other arm across her shoulders and folded her close, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Don’t worry about it,” he told her quietly. “She is just trying to create a family for herself for a brief moment, the way she sees families getting together in television commercials.”
Her head snapped straight and she stared at Brock. The tenderness in his expression knifed right through her heart. Her own troubles, the year in a loveless marriage and the loneliness of her responsibility for Dalton paled in comparison to the yearning of a child without a family. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she couldn’t keep them in, couldn’t stop them from falling. Warm and wet, they rolled down her cheeks.
“Kitty is sad,” Tammy said, her mouth trembling.
“No, sweetheart.” Cat leaned over and kissed the child’s satiny cheek. “Kitty is happy because today she has met you.”
“Why don’t you go and get cro-cro ?” Brock withdrew his arm from Cat’s shoulders and settled Tammy on her feet. “We can teach Kitty to play.”
Tammy scampered away. Brock turned around. He reached out and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her mouth with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry about the other night. I knew you’d be here. I rang up to check how Dalton is doing and heard you were with him today. I sought you out to apologize.”
“There’s no need to apologize for anything.”
“I’m apologizing anyway. Perhaps, when you’re in town next, I could take you out to dinner.”
The sounds around the yard seemed to fade. His warmth and strength enveloped her, not a sexual heat, but something deeper, real and lasting.
“I…I’d like that,” Cat answered in a low murmur.
Tammy trundled back across the lawn, dragging behind her two small croquet mallets.
“Sheri teach Kitty,” she said and dumped the mallets down.
“Come along, girls,” Brock collected the mallets and pointed to the playing field behind the low red brick building. “Let’s go and play happy families.”
****
Tammy squealed with joy as Brock gripped her around the waist and flew her like a plane. The sun baked overhead and coated his body with perspiration. He felt edgy, itchy, and the sensation crawled inside him, just as it did on his skin.
He should have left long ago, he’d only intended to drop by, but it felt as if an invisible string tied him to the playground.
“Okay, here goes,” Cat said and lined the
“Sheri. Play with Kitty.”
Cat sucked in a breath. Of the million things the child could have said, why did she have to pick that?
“Sure,” Brock said, with an enigmatic look in her direction. He lowered Tammy to the lawn and picked up the beach ball, tossing it to Cat.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, frantically trying to control the fiery surge of blood to her face. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Brock tucked his chin down as he buttoned up his shirt. “I sometimes come by on Saturdays. Practice, in case one day I have kids of my own.” He smiled at her and flicked his hand, inviting her to toss the ball back.
She hurled it at him with all her might. Why did he have that predatory glint in his eagle eyes? Wasn’t rejecting her enough for his masculine ego? Why did he have to taunt her, oozing sex appeal and tugging at her heartstrings with the display of the little girl in his arms?
“Whoa. You sure pack a punch.” He caught the brightly colored ball with ease. “But I guess I already knew that.”
“Sheri, Sheri.” Tammy wrapped herself around Brock’s leg and stared up at him in worship. He flung the ball to the ground and picked up the child. Tammy threw her arms around his neck and smacked a kiss on his freshly shaven cheek.
“Kitty kiss Sheri,” Tammy said, shifting in Brock’s lap to point at Cat.
Cat backed up a step, but to her utter confusion Brock settled Tammy in the crook of his arm and came after her. He draped his other arm across her shoulders and folded her close, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Don’t worry about it,” he told her quietly. “She is just trying to create a family for herself for a brief moment, the way she sees families getting together in television commercials.”
Her head snapped straight and she stared at Brock. The tenderness in his expression knifed right through her heart. Her own troubles, the year in a loveless marriage and the loneliness of her responsibility for Dalton paled in comparison to the yearning of a child without a family. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she couldn’t keep them in, couldn’t stop them from falling. Warm and wet, they rolled down her cheeks.
“Kitty is sad,” Tammy said, her mouth trembling.
“No, sweetheart.” Cat leaned over and kissed the child’s satiny cheek. “Kitty is happy because today she has met you.”
“Why don’t you go and get cro-cro ?” Brock withdrew his arm from Cat’s shoulders and settled Tammy on her feet. “We can teach Kitty to play.”
Tammy scampered away. Brock turned around. He reached out and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her mouth with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry about the other night. I knew you’d be here. I rang up to check how Dalton is doing and heard you were with him today. I sought you out to apologize.”
“There’s no need to apologize for anything.”
“I’m apologizing anyway. Perhaps, when you’re in town next, I could take you out to dinner.”
The sounds around the yard seemed to fade. His warmth and strength enveloped her, not a sexual heat, but something deeper, real and lasting.
“I…I’d like that,” Cat answered in a low murmur.
Tammy trundled back across the lawn, dragging behind her two small croquet mallets.
“Sheri teach Kitty,” she said and dumped the mallets down.
“Come along, girls,” Brock collected the mallets and pointed to the playing field behind the low red brick building. “Let’s go and play happy families.”
****
Tammy squealed with joy as Brock gripped her around the waist and flew her like a plane. The sun baked overhead and coated his body with perspiration. He felt edgy, itchy, and the sensation crawled inside him, just as it did on his skin.
He should have left long ago, he’d only intended to drop by, but it felt as if an invisible string tied him to the playground.
“Okay, here goes,” Cat said and lined the
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