gave him a thin look and deliberately stepped behind his daughter, neatly cutting off his exit. Then she bent her knees until she was on Shelbyâs level. âIâm Lucy.â She stuck out her hand as if she were meeting an adult. âAnd itâs very nice to meet you, Shelby.â
Shelby blinked a little, then shyly extended her ownhand. Lucyâs smile widened, revealing that dimple again, as they shook. Then she tugged on the rabbitâs fabric ear. âAnd who is this?â
âGertrude,â Shelby answered so promptly that Beck nearly did a double take.
âHello, Gertrude,â Lucy greeted the rabbit and shook one of the faded paws. âIâll bet you and Shelby are the very best of friends.â
Beckâs gut tightened again. âCome on, Shelby. Iâve still got some work to do before Grandpa gets back with Nick.â He held out his hand and his daughter obediently tucked her narrow fingers into his. He sidestepped around Lucy.
âYouâre here to work?â Lucy straightened again, somehow managing yet again to block his exit.
âWhat else would I be here for?â
Her gaze flickered, and his head filled again with the way sheâd felt the night before when heâd carried her to the couch.
The way sheâd felt.
The way sheâd looked.
And the fact that he had looked, just as he did now.
His hand tightened around Shelbyâs. âCome on, peanut.â
âWait.â Again Lucy stopped him. âWhatâs Shelby going to do?â
His jaw was so tight that it felt like his molars were grinding to dust. âShe has her books and toys.â
âShe could stay here with me,â Lucy suggested, clearly not swayed by his abruptness. Her gaze slipped away from his to look at his daughter. âWe could get to know each other.â She smiled at Shelby.
âSheâll be fine with me.â He took another step, but the resistance tugging at his hand was so unexpected that itpenetrated even his urgent desire to put some distance between him and the disturbing woman.
He looked at his daughter. She was clutching the rabbit with her other hand and her lashes lifted enough to peep up at him. âI wanna stay.â
His molars were definitely grinding together.
It was a wonder all three of them couldnât hear it.
âLucyâs doing her ownâ¦work,â he said. âAnd she doesnât need to be playing babysitter.â
Shelbyâs lashes swept down again. The corners of her lips turned down. â Lucy can say well enough what she wants to do,â Lucy countered smoothly. âIâve already offered.â She swept her hand above her head, then down to her side as she lowered into a smallâand definitely goadingâplié. âAnd my work, as you say, is pretty much done for the day.â
He didnât want to agree.
It wasnât particularly logical. He didnât begrudge Shelby spending time away from him. She went to school. She went to her summer day camp. She had evenâon a few rare occasionsâspent the night at Annie Popeâs house.
But he didnât want her spending time with Lucy Buchanan.
He looked from the glint in Lucyâs eyes to the disappointment in Shelbyâs. And felt, too, the resistance in Shelbyâs hand.
How often did his daughter actually express what she wanted?
He let go of her little hand. âFine.â He didnât let himself look back at Lucy. It was obvious that the woman wasnât in danger of physically collapsing and he would be within shouting distance no matter what. âFor an hour,â he warned his daughter, cutting short the time heâd planned to workand not caring one whit. âAnd then weâll go home and see Nick.â
Shelbyâs eyes widened and looked up at him again. She nodded wordlessly.
He turned away, only to stop dead when Lucyâs hand closed over his bare forearm.
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