is for your uncle. Would you mind giving it to him?”
Gabby giggled, looking at her little friend, before biting her lip. “Sure.”
Caitlin tried to give her a stern look back but their smiles were infectious. “Tell Tom that he’s not to write notes anymore, do you hear me?”
But the girls were already laughing again, schoolwork forgotten.
Caitlin could hardly tell them off. She was more than a little distracted herself.
CHAPTER SIX
“ T HANKS so much for looking after her.”
Tom leaned into his sister-in-law as she hugged him. Penny wrapped her arms tight around him and squeezed.
“I see where Gabby gets it from,” he said drily.
Penny swatted him before getting into the car. “She said she had a great time. I really appreciate it.”
Tom leaned into the open window, pulling a face at Gabby as she sat beside her mom and angling his head to make sure he could hear his sister-in-law properly. It was strange how quickly he was becoming used to it. “She’s a pretty good kid, Pen. You know I love having her, even if she is a rascal.”
Gabby poked her tongue out and Penny scolded her.
“Do you want to come around for dinner tonight?” Penny asked, putting the car in gear.
Tom shook his head. “No, I’m heading out for a few drinks.” He fingered the carefully folded piece of paper in his pocket, eager to open it. Gabby had given it to him with a big grin on her face, but he’d managed to bribe her with chocolate promises not to tell her mom.
“Hot date?” Penny waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“I wish.” He thrust his other hand into his pocket, too, and stepped back onto the pavement. “Just Friday-night drinks with the guys from work.”
Penny threw a smile his way before waving. “If things change, come on over. You’re always welcome.”
Tom waved to Gabby as she turned in her seat, watching until they disappeared around the corner. He sighed and walked back into the house.
He wasn’t even in the front door yet and he knew how it would feel. Empty . He’d get use to it, but there was something nice about sharing his home with someone else. Even if that someone else was a pint-sized kid.
But at least he had something to read.
Tom opened the paper, smiling as he paused to look at the big red love heart Gabby had drawn on one side. Damn it, that kid was making him way too soft.
Tom
You’re forgiven, but only just. I appreciate your apology and I’m not one to hold a grudge. Hiking sounds like fun, but you’ll have to be easy on me, okay? I’m dance-fit, not outdoors-fit!
See you Saturday, and stop encouraging Gabby to write notes.
Caitlin xxoo
Tom dropped the note, stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on hot. He would have a quick rinse off, get dressed and head to the bar. If there was one thing he needed, it was a drink. Or maybe a cold shower before he started worrying over whether he’d done the right thing asking Caitlin to join him tomorrow. He usually trained hard on the weekends. Ran fast and long, went to the gym, ran some more. But instead he was volunteering to spend his time with a woman.
Hiking wasn’t new to him, but it sure wasn’t something he usually did with company. It was another way he liked to push himself to make sure he spent more time forgetting than remembering.
Tom stepped under the water and let it blast him.
He couldn’t help but smile, no matter how he fought it. She said yes. Yes.
If he’d had a buddy beside him he’d definitely have had his hand up for a high-five. Because that was the effect Caitlin was having on him and he didn’t know how to stop it.
Or maybe he didn’t want to stop it.
Tom turned the water to cold and steeled himself for the sudden change in temperature. The icy blast chilled every inch of his skin, but he stood, not moving a muscle. This was nothing compared to his Navy SEAL training, but right now it felt like torture .
He had no idea what he was going to say to her, why he’d
Gabby giggled, looking at her little friend, before biting her lip. “Sure.”
Caitlin tried to give her a stern look back but their smiles were infectious. “Tell Tom that he’s not to write notes anymore, do you hear me?”
But the girls were already laughing again, schoolwork forgotten.
Caitlin could hardly tell them off. She was more than a little distracted herself.
CHAPTER SIX
“ T HANKS so much for looking after her.”
Tom leaned into his sister-in-law as she hugged him. Penny wrapped her arms tight around him and squeezed.
“I see where Gabby gets it from,” he said drily.
Penny swatted him before getting into the car. “She said she had a great time. I really appreciate it.”
Tom leaned into the open window, pulling a face at Gabby as she sat beside her mom and angling his head to make sure he could hear his sister-in-law properly. It was strange how quickly he was becoming used to it. “She’s a pretty good kid, Pen. You know I love having her, even if she is a rascal.”
Gabby poked her tongue out and Penny scolded her.
“Do you want to come around for dinner tonight?” Penny asked, putting the car in gear.
Tom shook his head. “No, I’m heading out for a few drinks.” He fingered the carefully folded piece of paper in his pocket, eager to open it. Gabby had given it to him with a big grin on her face, but he’d managed to bribe her with chocolate promises not to tell her mom.
“Hot date?” Penny waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“I wish.” He thrust his other hand into his pocket, too, and stepped back onto the pavement. “Just Friday-night drinks with the guys from work.”
Penny threw a smile his way before waving. “If things change, come on over. You’re always welcome.”
Tom waved to Gabby as she turned in her seat, watching until they disappeared around the corner. He sighed and walked back into the house.
He wasn’t even in the front door yet and he knew how it would feel. Empty . He’d get use to it, but there was something nice about sharing his home with someone else. Even if that someone else was a pint-sized kid.
But at least he had something to read.
Tom opened the paper, smiling as he paused to look at the big red love heart Gabby had drawn on one side. Damn it, that kid was making him way too soft.
Tom
You’re forgiven, but only just. I appreciate your apology and I’m not one to hold a grudge. Hiking sounds like fun, but you’ll have to be easy on me, okay? I’m dance-fit, not outdoors-fit!
See you Saturday, and stop encouraging Gabby to write notes.
Caitlin xxoo
Tom dropped the note, stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on hot. He would have a quick rinse off, get dressed and head to the bar. If there was one thing he needed, it was a drink. Or maybe a cold shower before he started worrying over whether he’d done the right thing asking Caitlin to join him tomorrow. He usually trained hard on the weekends. Ran fast and long, went to the gym, ran some more. But instead he was volunteering to spend his time with a woman.
Hiking wasn’t new to him, but it sure wasn’t something he usually did with company. It was another way he liked to push himself to make sure he spent more time forgetting than remembering.
Tom stepped under the water and let it blast him.
He couldn’t help but smile, no matter how he fought it. She said yes. Yes.
If he’d had a buddy beside him he’d definitely have had his hand up for a high-five. Because that was the effect Caitlin was having on him and he didn’t know how to stop it.
Or maybe he didn’t want to stop it.
Tom turned the water to cold and steeled himself for the sudden change in temperature. The icy blast chilled every inch of his skin, but he stood, not moving a muscle. This was nothing compared to his Navy SEAL training, but right now it felt like torture .
He had no idea what he was going to say to her, why he’d
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