almost-thirteen-year-old, thirty-two was undoubtedly ancient. “I just haven’t found the right woman.” He wasn’t about to tell her he didn’t believe there was a right woman for him.
“Mom says she wonders if you’ll ever settle down. She says you’re good with Will and that you’re trying real hard with him, though. She said it kinda surprised her at first since you’re such a stud with the women and all.”
At a loss for words, Brian stared at her. “Your mother told you that?”
Guilt washed over her face. “Well, she didn’t exactly tell me …. She and Aunt Cat were talking and they didn’t know I could hear them.”
It didn’t surprise him to know his sisters-in-law had been discussing him. They were women, after all. Brian curbed an impulse to ask what else they’d said. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I think I hear a car,” he said, thankful for the distraction. “I bet that’s Faith.”
A few minutes later, she walked in. He’d been with Will before she left so he hadn’t seen her go out. She wore a light pink sweater that hugged her curves and a short black skirt that showed off long, shapely legs. Her hair was down, feathered around her face and she’d done something to her eyes to make them appear even darker and larger. She looked pretty and, more than that, hot, which annoyed the hell out of him for reasons he didn’t care to analyze.
Roxy had bounded up the minute she’d heard Faith. “Lily was fussy earlier, but she’s fine now,” she began telling her as they walked toward the hall.
“I’m sure she is. Why don’t we go check on her again, though? Just to be sure.”
“I’ll take Roxy home when she’s ready,” Brian said. He was tempted to ask Faith about her date, but restrained himself. How lame was that? It was none of his business how her date had gone.
She looked at him for the first time since she’d come in, and smiled. “Thanks, but you don’t need to do that. I’ll do it if you’ll stay with the kids.”
“It’s not a problem.”
“Well, if you’re sure. Let me pay her first. Thanks.”
“So did you have fun?” he heard Roxy ask as they left the room. But despite straining his ears to hear, he didn’t catch Faith’s answer.
T HERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING good to eat in here, Faith thought as she rummaged through the refrigerator. What happened to the grapes? She’d just bought them the day before. Surely Brian and Roxy hadn’t eaten all of them. After an exhaustive search, she found them, lodged behind an extralarge jar of applesauce.
“What are you doing?” Brian said.
She jumped and turned around, hugging the bowl of grapes to her breast. “You scared me to death.” How long had he been standing there, staring at her butt? She tugged at her skirt, took the grapes to the table and sat down.
“What does it look like? I’m eating.” She knew she sounded cranky but hunger did that to her.
He took a seat, too, and plucked some grapes from the bowl. “I thought you had a dinner date.”
“I did. I’m…still hungry.” She moved the bowl closer to her. He’d had all evening to eat them. They were hers now.
“Didn’t you like the restaurant?”
“It was fine. I just didn’t eat a lot.”
“Why?” He popped a grape into his mouth while he waited for her answer.
Tapping her fingers on the table, she frowned at him. “Because I was nervous, okay? I can’t eat very much when I’m nervous.”
“Why were you nervous?”
How dense could a man be? “Because it was my first date since I had Lily.” Actually, her first date since long before that. Her first date since Lily’s no-good father had hightailed it out of town.
He reached for another grape, grinning when she snatched the bowl out of his way. “Where did you go to dinner?”
“Pinero’s. It’s in Corpus Christi. Do you know it?” Italian. Her favorite. Too bad she had barely touched her entreé.
“Yeah, I know it. It’s where a guy takes a woman
“Mom says she wonders if you’ll ever settle down. She says you’re good with Will and that you’re trying real hard with him, though. She said it kinda surprised her at first since you’re such a stud with the women and all.”
At a loss for words, Brian stared at her. “Your mother told you that?”
Guilt washed over her face. “Well, she didn’t exactly tell me …. She and Aunt Cat were talking and they didn’t know I could hear them.”
It didn’t surprise him to know his sisters-in-law had been discussing him. They were women, after all. Brian curbed an impulse to ask what else they’d said. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I think I hear a car,” he said, thankful for the distraction. “I bet that’s Faith.”
A few minutes later, she walked in. He’d been with Will before she left so he hadn’t seen her go out. She wore a light pink sweater that hugged her curves and a short black skirt that showed off long, shapely legs. Her hair was down, feathered around her face and she’d done something to her eyes to make them appear even darker and larger. She looked pretty and, more than that, hot, which annoyed the hell out of him for reasons he didn’t care to analyze.
Roxy had bounded up the minute she’d heard Faith. “Lily was fussy earlier, but she’s fine now,” she began telling her as they walked toward the hall.
“I’m sure she is. Why don’t we go check on her again, though? Just to be sure.”
“I’ll take Roxy home when she’s ready,” Brian said. He was tempted to ask Faith about her date, but restrained himself. How lame was that? It was none of his business how her date had gone.
She looked at him for the first time since she’d come in, and smiled. “Thanks, but you don’t need to do that. I’ll do it if you’ll stay with the kids.”
“It’s not a problem.”
“Well, if you’re sure. Let me pay her first. Thanks.”
“So did you have fun?” he heard Roxy ask as they left the room. But despite straining his ears to hear, he didn’t catch Faith’s answer.
T HERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING good to eat in here, Faith thought as she rummaged through the refrigerator. What happened to the grapes? She’d just bought them the day before. Surely Brian and Roxy hadn’t eaten all of them. After an exhaustive search, she found them, lodged behind an extralarge jar of applesauce.
“What are you doing?” Brian said.
She jumped and turned around, hugging the bowl of grapes to her breast. “You scared me to death.” How long had he been standing there, staring at her butt? She tugged at her skirt, took the grapes to the table and sat down.
“What does it look like? I’m eating.” She knew she sounded cranky but hunger did that to her.
He took a seat, too, and plucked some grapes from the bowl. “I thought you had a dinner date.”
“I did. I’m…still hungry.” She moved the bowl closer to her. He’d had all evening to eat them. They were hers now.
“Didn’t you like the restaurant?”
“It was fine. I just didn’t eat a lot.”
“Why?” He popped a grape into his mouth while he waited for her answer.
Tapping her fingers on the table, she frowned at him. “Because I was nervous, okay? I can’t eat very much when I’m nervous.”
“Why were you nervous?”
How dense could a man be? “Because it was my first date since I had Lily.” Actually, her first date since long before that. Her first date since Lily’s no-good father had hightailed it out of town.
He reached for another grape, grinning when she snatched the bowl out of his way. “Where did you go to dinner?”
“Pinero’s. It’s in Corpus Christi. Do you know it?” Italian. Her favorite. Too bad she had barely touched her entreé.
“Yeah, I know it. It’s where a guy takes a woman
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