them.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “So she caught us kissing. We’re adults. Next time I’ll make sure we’re inside.”
Her eyes widened. “There can’t be a next time.”
His heart sank for a moment, but he wouldn’t give in to despair. She was scared, that’s all. Instinctively, he caressed her cheek to soothe her. She closed her eyes and he leaned in close. “You feel something, too. I know it. Why are you fighting it?”
She jerked away. “It’s complicated. Please don’t ask.”
“Bridget, I’m not giving up on you.”
Her eyes glistened. “I wish you would.” She lowered her head. “Do you have any more work to do in the house tonight?”
He could make up something to stick around, but he couldn’t very well convince her to change her mind with her mother in the house. There would be other days. “No. I’ll be back tomorrow and finish the bathroom.”
“Good night, then.” She limped her way inside.
Well, he certainly had work to do. Maybe the road to Bridget was through her mother, which meant he needed to mend fences with her. Flowers had always worked with his mother. They certainly couldn’t hurt with Mona.
He left in higher spirits, with the memory of Bridget’s lips against his. An act he planned on repeating in the near future and often.
* * * *
Bridget leaned against the door as she closed it. Her heart raced with excitement. She still couldn’t believe Rob wanted to date her, not Tori. No one had ever picked her over her cousin.
She could still feel his lips against hers. How wonderful would it have been to feel his arms around her, too? She so badly wanted to give in, and almost had, but once he got a look at the real her and knew the truth… It would hurt less to end it now. Before she got in too deep.
“Are you okay?” Mom pulled the measuring tape across the bottom of the window sill.
That little action caused Bridget to burn with anger, a welcome change from the sexual frustration. “I’m fine.” She limped to the kitchen and placed her backpack on the counter. Her knee had swollen tight. “I told you I couldn’t go shopping until the weekend.”
Her mother reeled in the tape with a snap and wrote on a small notebook. “I assumed that meant you didn’t have any money until then. But since I planned on giving them to you as a house-warming gift, I didn’t think you’d mind. I didn’t realize you were dating the landlord.”
“I’m not dating him.”
“So, you’re only having sex?”
“What? No! Oh God. We’re so not having this conversation.”
“Then tell me what I should assume when I catch you kissing in the driveway?”
Her mother still had the power to transport her back to high school after she’d been caught kissing the boy next door. “Assume whatever you want. It’s none of your business.”
“Bridget! Is that any way to talk to your mother?”
“And how should I talk to you? I’ll be thirty this year and you treat me like a child.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that since the accident…”
“You were hoping I’d need you more? You want me to stay being your little girl?”
Mom put the notebook on the sill and placed the tape on top. “I suppose there might be a little truth in that. I almost lost you, Bridget. It was the worst time of my life. And now you’ve moved out.”
“I wasn’t living with you before the accident.” Bridget couldn’t stand on her leg any longer and sat on one of the dinette’s chairs. A warm bath called for her, but would have to wait.
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t happy then, either.” Mom sat in the chair beside Bridget. “What’s the matter? You’re hurting.”
Oh great. A lecture from Kate was bad enough. Now she would have to get one from her mother. “Muscles have tightened up a bit. I’m fine.”
“I told you not to ride that bike.”
“I know, but you don’t have to worry any more. I can walk to work now.” She looked at the worry lines across her mother’s
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “So she caught us kissing. We’re adults. Next time I’ll make sure we’re inside.”
Her eyes widened. “There can’t be a next time.”
His heart sank for a moment, but he wouldn’t give in to despair. She was scared, that’s all. Instinctively, he caressed her cheek to soothe her. She closed her eyes and he leaned in close. “You feel something, too. I know it. Why are you fighting it?”
She jerked away. “It’s complicated. Please don’t ask.”
“Bridget, I’m not giving up on you.”
Her eyes glistened. “I wish you would.” She lowered her head. “Do you have any more work to do in the house tonight?”
He could make up something to stick around, but he couldn’t very well convince her to change her mind with her mother in the house. There would be other days. “No. I’ll be back tomorrow and finish the bathroom.”
“Good night, then.” She limped her way inside.
Well, he certainly had work to do. Maybe the road to Bridget was through her mother, which meant he needed to mend fences with her. Flowers had always worked with his mother. They certainly couldn’t hurt with Mona.
He left in higher spirits, with the memory of Bridget’s lips against his. An act he planned on repeating in the near future and often.
* * * *
Bridget leaned against the door as she closed it. Her heart raced with excitement. She still couldn’t believe Rob wanted to date her, not Tori. No one had ever picked her over her cousin.
She could still feel his lips against hers. How wonderful would it have been to feel his arms around her, too? She so badly wanted to give in, and almost had, but once he got a look at the real her and knew the truth… It would hurt less to end it now. Before she got in too deep.
“Are you okay?” Mom pulled the measuring tape across the bottom of the window sill.
That little action caused Bridget to burn with anger, a welcome change from the sexual frustration. “I’m fine.” She limped to the kitchen and placed her backpack on the counter. Her knee had swollen tight. “I told you I couldn’t go shopping until the weekend.”
Her mother reeled in the tape with a snap and wrote on a small notebook. “I assumed that meant you didn’t have any money until then. But since I planned on giving them to you as a house-warming gift, I didn’t think you’d mind. I didn’t realize you were dating the landlord.”
“I’m not dating him.”
“So, you’re only having sex?”
“What? No! Oh God. We’re so not having this conversation.”
“Then tell me what I should assume when I catch you kissing in the driveway?”
Her mother still had the power to transport her back to high school after she’d been caught kissing the boy next door. “Assume whatever you want. It’s none of your business.”
“Bridget! Is that any way to talk to your mother?”
“And how should I talk to you? I’ll be thirty this year and you treat me like a child.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that since the accident…”
“You were hoping I’d need you more? You want me to stay being your little girl?”
Mom put the notebook on the sill and placed the tape on top. “I suppose there might be a little truth in that. I almost lost you, Bridget. It was the worst time of my life. And now you’ve moved out.”
“I wasn’t living with you before the accident.” Bridget couldn’t stand on her leg any longer and sat on one of the dinette’s chairs. A warm bath called for her, but would have to wait.
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t happy then, either.” Mom sat in the chair beside Bridget. “What’s the matter? You’re hurting.”
Oh great. A lecture from Kate was bad enough. Now she would have to get one from her mother. “Muscles have tightened up a bit. I’m fine.”
“I told you not to ride that bike.”
“I know, but you don’t have to worry any more. I can walk to work now.” She looked at the worry lines across her mother’s
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