Harlequin Superromance September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: This Good Man\Promises Under the Peach Tree\Husband by Choice (36 page)

“I can run you home, Daisy, if you want to stay a bit longer,” the man in suspenders offered, tugging on the brim of his cap like he was straightening it. “Your place is on my way home, anyhow.”

Who was this guy? And was it wrong to want to interview her grandmother's potential suitors? Nina held out her hand to introduce herself.

“I'm Nina, her granddaughter.”

“Er. Sorry about that, Nina. Harlan Brady.” He got to his feet to shake her hand. Behind him, Gram gave Nina a warning glare, clearly wanting her to be on her best behavior. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“You must be Ethan's grandfather.” Nina had never known her grandmother to flirt casually, so this was...interesting. As much as she didn't want to leave Gram in a stranger's care, Gram didn't look like she wanted to go home with Nina. “He does a great job on Gram's lawn.”

“I'm pleased to hear it.” Harlan tugged on his cap again and then smoothed a suspender, smiling. “Very pleased. The boy doesn't always apply himself, but he's a good kid. Just need to keep them busy at that age.”

He winked at Gram and she laughed. “Busy and out of trouble.”

“Well...” Nina felt like a third wheel as Gram nodded in time to the music and her friend took a seat again. “If you're sure you don't mind, Mr. Brady, I'll get going.”

“It's Harlan. And no trouble at all.” He turned to Gram suddenly. “Now there's an old tune.” He pointed toward the band as they launched into the next song. “You remember this one, Daisy?”

Nina straightened Gram's walker so it would be close by and then she waved good-night. She walked across the grassy park around the gazebo, hoping she didn't ruin her shoes since the grass was already damp with dew. The town square was quiet except for the noise from the street. A bunch of teens gathered around an open tailgate near the tennis courts. A couple of kids slow danced while a few others tossed around a glow-in-the-dark football. She recognized Ethan Brady sitting in the back of the truck next to a girl that wasn't Ally.

Was that the reason for Ally's quick departure when she'd seen her earlier? After hearing Mack say how rough things were in his brother's house, Nina promised herself to make a better effort to talk to Scott's daughter. It might not help, but having weathered a particularly bitter family split herself, she knew Ally must be hurting.

Nina neared the playground on her way to her old pickup. The young families must have left for the night since there were no more kids playing tag or running around the equipment. Just a man sitting on a swing...

“Mack?” She stopped, certain she recognized the shape of those shoulders.

His back was to her, but as he turned around, she was certain. The dark shadows from an overhanging live oak couldn't hide the way he moved. Or the electric current that reached out through the night, a predictable tug in her chest that told her it was Mack.

“Calling it a night?” he asked, his swing drifting gently from side to side, his feet on the ground. The chains overhead clanked together as he pivoted around to see her.

Her heart rate kicked up. Another predictable side effect of Mack. How had she ever thought she was over him?

“I'm glad you're here.” She started toward him, knowing she needed to do something about this strained awkwardness between them. “I wanted to apologize for sounding like Miss Marriage Know-It-All back there. I was shooting off at the mouth and not thinking about how it sounded. I was speaking from my own shadows—with my parents, I mean. Sounds stupid, doesn't it, me offering marriage advice when I've never come close to tying the knot.”

“No?”

Something about the cool reserve in his tone told her that her earlier words still stung. She'd have to dig deeper if they were really going to have a chance at some kind of peace between them. Closure.

“Actually...” She fidgeted with the leather strap of her purse. “That's not entirely true, I guess. There was one guy.”

She leaned against the cold metal pole of the swing support while Mack waited. “I thought we were close—that he might propose. But while he was shopping for engagement rings and asking about big, splashy vacations for our honeymoon, I was already decorating a baby nursery in my head.”

Some girls dreamed of huge weddings and fancy dresses, but she cared more about the happily-ever-after part. The picket fence. The kids.

“You rushed him,” Mack observed quietly. Accurately.

Just like she had rushed Mack.

“It's hard to wait for a dream you want so much.”

Mack grabbed one of the chains on the swing beside him and hauled it closer, holding it out to her.

“Sit for a minute, Nina.” The rough edge of his voice, the masculine timbre of it, went right through her and warmed her from the inside out.

Stepping closer, she took the swing and lowered herself into the seat beside him. The canvas twirled a little beneath her, pivoting her back and forth. Mack leaned over and steadied it, his hand brushing her thigh as he held the chain for a long minute.

Heart in her throat, Nina felt her whole world close in on this moment, sitting in Heartache, the bluegrass band playing, white lights twinkling, stars overhead. And most of all, Mack Finley beside her.

“It wasn't just what you said,” Mack admitted, his face in shadow from the trees overhead. “I've wondered the same thing myself—why I gave up on my marriage when I'm not the kind of guy to walk away from a commitment, even when I see the train wreck coming. So what you said earlier... You just articulated a thought that doesn't sit well with me.”

He let go of the chain slowly, setting her loose to swing free. Except that she kept her feet planted on the ground, cheating to stay closer to him.

“I have a way of blurting things out.” The urge to touch him was strong, so she tucked her fingers under her thighs to keep them to herself.

“But at least you say what you're thinking.” He gave her a slow smile. “I always know where I stand with you, Nina. No guesswork there.”

Actually, he might be surprised to discover how much she'd been thinking about him since she'd returned home. She didn't say anything, though, sensing he had more on his mind.

“I never knew with Jenny.” His expression became serious and Nina braced herself, not sure she was ready to hear more about his marriage. His jaw flexed, as if he were weighing words before he continued. “So it surprised the hell out of me when—right before she left—she accused me of never getting over you.”

His words stunned her. They rang through her with a dull hum.

“That's—that's ridiculous,” she said finally, her mouth too dry for words. “Did you tell her we hadn't even spoken since that summer?”

When she'd begged him to come to New York and start a new life with her. When she'd given him ultimatums and he'd gone more and more silent with every phone call until there was no reason to call again.

“She was out the door before I thought of a comeback. And considering it took me that long to form a response, I had to wonder if she had a point.”

It was as if she was listening to someone speak to her through water. She could hear what he was saying, but she felt far away. Like all of this was unreal.

“You can't be serious.” She didn't want to think about what it meant if he still had feelings for her. She'd gotten use to hers—the healed over hurt that left a long scar. But if he still cared about her... “I thought we were going to try to be friends.”

“Is that even possible, Nina, when the air damn near crackles every time I get near you?” He stared at her in the moonlight, searching for answers. His shoulder pressed into the swing chain, the sleeve of his polo shirt riding up high enough to reveal some ink from a tattoo that hadn't been there before.

Maybe she chose now to notice the tattoo because meeting his gaze meant she had to be honest with him. She swallowed hard.

“I don't know.” Her voice was rough in her throat.

He reached toward her and her heartbeat went wild. His hand wrapped around the chain over her head and he dragged her closer. Closer. Her knees brushed his. Her thigh bumped his hip and the warmth of his body next to hers teased over her senses.

“Does this feel like friendship to you?” He tucked his hands behind her knees and swiveled her to face him. He palmed her calves through her jeans, pinning her knees to his.

They stared at each other for a long, breathless moment, suspended beside one another and close enough to share each breath. Old emotions rose up inside her like living things, combining with new ones she hadn't expected. She breathed deeper to take in the scent of his aftershave—bay rum and spices.

Her mouth went dry as chalk and she couldn't answer. She shook her head. Licked her lips to try and speak...

But Mack was already leaning closer, his head tilting. She closed her eyes at the last second, savoring the press of his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and sure against hers, the pressure light but definite, just enough to warn her of his intent before he took more.

Her skin tingled everywhere, hyperaware of him. This was Mack, the man who'd inspired her teenage fantasies—and some adult ones, if she was honest—the one who'd shown her everything from how to kiss to...so much more. Her hands found his cheeks and smoothed over the rough texture of his five o'clock shadow, cradling his face as he took a deeper taste.

The stroke of his tongue along hers just about undid her, the slick, subtle pressure unleashing a tide of feelings she'd kept locked up tight for a long, long time. She closed her eyes tighter, trying to hold herself back even as she wanted the kiss to go on and on.

“Mack.” She broke contact by some minor miracle, though she didn't pull away. “This is crazy.”

He was slow to open his eyes, a fact that soothed some old wounds just a little bit. With an effort, she let go of his face, her fingers gliding down his cheek to the straight edge of his jaw and then...back into her lap.

“Agreed.” His voice was for-her-ears-only soft, but the scratchy note in it told her he struggled for control as much as she did. “But it's not going away. And we're sure as hell not going to fix it by some lame attempt at friendship when all this heat blazes beneath the surface.”

Her thoughts swam fuzzily after the kiss, so she didn't understand what he was saying. With a cool breeze rippling across her sheer blouse, she could only think about how good it would feel to close the distance between them again. To have Mack's hands tucked beneath her knees to keep her anchored to him on the swings.

“So what should we do about it?” She hadn't touched a sip of alcohol tonight but she suspected she might sway on her feet when she stood.

“I'm not sure. But we could talk about it. Maybe have dinner and hash it out.”

“Dinner?”

The dimple in his left cheek made an appearance, his hands sliding down the swing chains until he gripped the seat on either side of her. Behind them, a couple of teens raced past, chasing each other and laughing.

“Not now. Tomorrow, maybe, if you're free.”

“You're asking me to share a meal with you.” She went over the details, making sure she understood.

“Yes. We did a damned good job at breaking each other's hearts once. We both know there can't be anything long-term between us. But we're both here now, and the attraction is so strong I can't get you off my mind.”

She gasped. “You don't mean—?”

“I mean we're adults now. If we want to spend time together, we don't have to sneak off into the orchard anymore. We can enjoy each other without getting all wound up about some big commitment neither of us wants.” He made it sound so simple when it was anything but.

Her eyes slid over him, his square shoulders and thick, masculine chest. His long arms flexing with lean muscle as he held her swing still. Denim-clad legs that stretched between them, his feet anchoring them in the sand to keep them both from spinning.

Any woman would be thrilled to go on a date with this man. He was handsome. Considerate. And he kissed like a sexy fantasy come to life. Too bad she wasn't the kind of woman who could just enjoy that aspect of a relationship and not want more. She knew what they could have together. Toe-curling kisses were never going to be enough.

“Mack, I'm not going to lie. I'm so spun up from that kiss I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.” Her heart raced harder than after her most challenging workout. It would take her hours just to cool down after this. “But I just barely held myself together the last time my heart was broken. Between you and me, I'm not strong enough to do that again.”

She waited a moment, but when he didn't say anything, she twisted sideways to stand.

“Caring about people is always a risk, Nina. No one can guarantee there won't be fallout if you take a chance.” He got to his feet slowly, jamming his hands in his pockets.

“I know.” She also understood that it had cost him to ask her out after the way they'd split. If only there wasn't so much painful baggage they couldn't ignore. “But it's one thing to take that risk with someone new. With you, the potential for hurt is about ten times higher.”

He nodded, his jaw flexing. “Keeping that math in mind, did it ever occur to you what the potential payoff might be if things actually worked out, even just in the short-term?”

She let that one roll over her, that tiny slice of incredible possibility calling to her as fiercely as his kiss.

“You don't have to answer yet. Just think on it. For now, let me walk you to the truck.” He put a hand on her waist, the briefest of touches, to lead her in the right direction. “I saw that you're parked over here.”

Her legs felt wooden as they made their way across the playground and to the street. She hadn't locked the truck, so he held the door for her while she stepped inside.