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Authors: Rachel Harris
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he was a man. Pretty much anything he said right now would be considered embarrassing.
“That works, then,” Colby said, continuing with her plan. “Sherry has to work tonight,
and I hate eating chocolate alone.”
Besides, Colby wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive her sister yet for leaving out
the vital detail that Jason had a child. Sherry swore she hadn’t mentioned Emma because
she didn’t think it would make a difference…but Colby had caught the glint in her
eye. Her cupid-sister knew— or had a decent-sized hunch—that a kid could’ve been a deal-breaker, and Sherry was
nothing if not determined.
Returning her full attention to the present situation, Colby gave Emma a very serious
look. “Don’t get me wrong; I don’t share my chocolate.” She winked and the preteen
grinned. “Anyone who hangs with me has to have her own stash. But consuming copious
amounts of calories doesn’t feel so pathetic when you have company.” She glanced at
Jason, who gave a subtle nod, and then transferred her gaze back to Emma. “Any chance
you’d like to join me?”
The exhale of relief, from both Landrys, was audible. Emma turned to her father with
a pleading look, and Jason bit off a smile. “I think that could be arranged,” he said,
chuckling as his daughter’s shoulders sagged in dramatic relief. “But you still have
to finish your math assignment,” he added. “And be home by seven.”
“Totally,” she answered, slinging her arms around his waist in a tight hug. Over his
daughter’s head, Jason slid Colby the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.
Her insides turned to molten lava. For the better part of the last thirty years, she
had lusted after the man in front of her. She’d seen him at the breakfast table with
adorable bedhead. She’d seen him dressed up and smelling good, heading to a party.
Colby had seen Jason at all ages and stages of his life—heck, she even saw him in
his hero getup a few days ago. But without question, he had never looked more attractive
than he did in that moment. Standing in the middle of a drug store aisle, surrounded
by tampons, and holding his daughter after trying so hard to help her.
Colby wasn’t interested in dating a dad or becoming a surrogate mother; heck, the
thought of being responsible for molding a young mind gave her hives. But even she could admit that Jason made fatherhood look good.
And that was cosmically unfair.
Seeing Jason again had sparked all her childhood feelings, feelings that her sister
had kicked into overdrive with her unhelpful suggestion of a fling. Now Colby was
afraid a simple roll in the hay wouldn’t be enough. And it would have to be. At the
end of the summer, she was moving back to Vegas. But the two of them could be friends.
All three of them, actually. And it was even possible that hanging around Jason with
his daughter in tow would help the desire to tackle the man and drag him to her bed
subside.
It was unlikely, but it was definitely worth a shot.
Later that night, after an afternoon filled with culinary television, the best batch
of chocolate chip cookies the world had ever seen, and endless advice on feminine
supplies, Colby drove Emma back home. It was storming, and water pounded the windshield
as she pulled into their circular driveway. Rivulets of rain cascaded down the gables
on the sloped roof and gushed out the downspout of the gutter in front of them. It
was so not the right weather for a white shirt.
Grabbing an umbrella, Colby jogged around the front of the car, her feet splashing
in the instant puddles. Emma grabbed her enormous backpack and together they sloshed
up the paved drive.
Before they’d made it to the red brick steps, Jason threw open the door. “Come in,”
he said, his voice muffled by the rain beating against the roof. Wrapping a hand around
Colby’s elbow, he dragged her inside, Emma squeezing in behind her.
“That works, then,” Colby said, continuing with her plan. “Sherry has to work tonight,
and I hate eating chocolate alone.”
Besides, Colby wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive her sister yet for leaving out
the vital detail that Jason had a child. Sherry swore she hadn’t mentioned Emma because
she didn’t think it would make a difference…but Colby had caught the glint in her
eye. Her cupid-sister knew— or had a decent-sized hunch—that a kid could’ve been a deal-breaker, and Sherry was
nothing if not determined.
Returning her full attention to the present situation, Colby gave Emma a very serious
look. “Don’t get me wrong; I don’t share my chocolate.” She winked and the preteen
grinned. “Anyone who hangs with me has to have her own stash. But consuming copious
amounts of calories doesn’t feel so pathetic when you have company.” She glanced at
Jason, who gave a subtle nod, and then transferred her gaze back to Emma. “Any chance
you’d like to join me?”
The exhale of relief, from both Landrys, was audible. Emma turned to her father with
a pleading look, and Jason bit off a smile. “I think that could be arranged,” he said,
chuckling as his daughter’s shoulders sagged in dramatic relief. “But you still have
to finish your math assignment,” he added. “And be home by seven.”
“Totally,” she answered, slinging her arms around his waist in a tight hug. Over his
daughter’s head, Jason slid Colby the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.
Her insides turned to molten lava. For the better part of the last thirty years, she
had lusted after the man in front of her. She’d seen him at the breakfast table with
adorable bedhead. She’d seen him dressed up and smelling good, heading to a party.
Colby had seen Jason at all ages and stages of his life—heck, she even saw him in
his hero getup a few days ago. But without question, he had never looked more attractive
than he did in that moment. Standing in the middle of a drug store aisle, surrounded
by tampons, and holding his daughter after trying so hard to help her.
Colby wasn’t interested in dating a dad or becoming a surrogate mother; heck, the
thought of being responsible for molding a young mind gave her hives. But even she could admit that Jason made fatherhood look good.
And that was cosmically unfair.
Seeing Jason again had sparked all her childhood feelings, feelings that her sister
had kicked into overdrive with her unhelpful suggestion of a fling. Now Colby was
afraid a simple roll in the hay wouldn’t be enough. And it would have to be. At the
end of the summer, she was moving back to Vegas. But the two of them could be friends.
All three of them, actually. And it was even possible that hanging around Jason with
his daughter in tow would help the desire to tackle the man and drag him to her bed
subside.
It was unlikely, but it was definitely worth a shot.
Later that night, after an afternoon filled with culinary television, the best batch
of chocolate chip cookies the world had ever seen, and endless advice on feminine
supplies, Colby drove Emma back home. It was storming, and water pounded the windshield
as she pulled into their circular driveway. Rivulets of rain cascaded down the gables
on the sloped roof and gushed out the downspout of the gutter in front of them. It
was so not the right weather for a white shirt.
Grabbing an umbrella, Colby jogged around the front of the car, her feet splashing
in the instant puddles. Emma grabbed her enormous backpack and together they sloshed
up the paved drive.
Before they’d made it to the red brick steps, Jason threw open the door. “Come in,”
he said, his voice muffled by the rain beating against the roof. Wrapping a hand around
Colby’s elbow, he dragged her inside, Emma squeezing in behind her.
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