The Switched Baby Scandal (A Scandals of San Sebastian Novel) (Entangled Bliss) by Theresa Meyers Page A

Reece was probably the only person she could share that with and the thought was unsettling and appealing all at the same time. She was wary about giving up too much to this man, afraid of what she might lose if he turned out to be less stellar than he appeared to be.
    “About those albums, perhaps we could share some more stories and pictures of when they were babies, sometime. Over dinner maybe,” she volunteered and looked up.
    He stared at her, then ran a tapered finger along the inside edge of his starched collar and swallowed. Her skin warmed and her stomach tightened.
    “Sure. Does Emily have a favorite restaurant?”
    Her heart sank a little.
    She suddenly realized she’d been hoping for something more personal and intimate. A place where they could carefully dole out memories to one another and maybe build something new. Ultimately it would be for Emily’s benefit if they became better acquainted, she reassured herself. “I was thinking more along the lines of a family dinner for three.”
    A smile lifted the edges of his well-defined mouth, and hunger smoldered in the depth of his gaze. “Okay, then. How about dinner at my house?”
    Before she could answer, Emily’s huffing and puffing distracted them both, banishing the palpable energy building between them.
    “Mommy, I’m thirsty,” she said with drama, placing her hand to her throat and massaging it as though she had spent weeks in the Sahara.
    Taylor heard the rustle of a paper bag and glanced in Reece’s direction. He was bent over the arm of the bench, fishing in a grocery sack. He pulled out three pints of chocolate milk and straws, quickly offering a set to Emily and another to her.
    “How about this?”
    Emily looked at her mother, and when Taylor nodded her approval, the child quickly snatched at the small carton and straw, then smiled wide enough to nearly reach her ears on either side. “Yum!”
    “What do you say to Mr. Wallace, Emily?”
    Emily gave her mother a slightly petulant glance, then turned back to Reece.
    “Thank you for the chocolate milk, Reece.”
    The easy familiarity between them clawed at her like a patch of wicked brambles, tearing at her confidence and shredding her security. She raised her chin and examined Emily. Her daughter was fixated on Reece and seemed perfectly content to suck greedily at the straw and gulp down her milk. She was a child, Taylor reminded herself. She meant no harm by it.
    Even so, it still hurt to see Emily so easily accept him into her world, when she’d been Emily’s parent the last four years. It hurt bad enough that she resolved not to let herself become any friendlier with Reece Wallace than was necessary. Her unusual response to him was nothing more than sheer lack of any male company for the past four years, she assured herself. She’d already slipped, but could easily put some distance between them. Next time she’d be ready for the unwanted feelings and push them away. Like everything else in her life, this had to be about Emily.
    “When you finish your milk, Emily, you need to go get Eddie so we can go home .”
    Emily stopped drinking. “Why?”
    “Because we still have a lot to do today.”
    “Like what?”
    Taylor’s patience was wearing thin. “Like painting a picture to send to Grandma for her birthday and feeding your fish after we run some errands.”
    Emily looked longingly at Reece. “Can he come, too?”
    It was the last dip in an already emotional roller coaster. Taylor nibbled at her lip and stifled back angry tears. Why did Emily seem so drawn to him when she’d only just met him? Hadn’t she been the one there when Emily was sick in the middle of the night? Or there when she was hungry or tired or sad? Somehow it just didn’t seem fair, and while Taylor knew logically she was being irrational about her daughter’s reactions to Reece, it still stung.
    “Maybe we can see each other again another day, Emily,” Reece said quietly. “I really had fun meeting