The Maverick's Ready-Made Family. Brenda Harlen

but my parents insisted on taking Bennett and me to the Mountain Bluebell Bakery for breakfast this morning.”

      “There’s no need to apologize,” Antonia assured him. “If someone offered to take me there for breakfast, I’d go, too. Lizzie’s pastries are to die for.”

      “Then I should take you sometime, if only to make sure you aren’t eating ice cream for your morning meal.”

      “I had breakfast,” she told him. “This is a snack.” She scooped up another spoonful. “What did you have?”

      “A breakfast sandwich—and then a sticky bun,” he admitted. “And somehow Bennett ended up stickier than me.”

      She smiled at that. “Where is the little guy?”

      “Still with my parents. My mom has been suffering from serious baby withdrawal since we came to Thunder Canyon, so she asked if she could keep him for the afternoon.”

      “Lucky you.”

      “Except that I’m so used to organizing my time around Bennett, I don’t have the first clue what to do without him,” he admitted.

      “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

      “Well, when we were at the bakery this morning, someone mentioned there’s a movie theater in New Town.”

      She nodded. “New Town Cinema, behind the mall. There are some pretty good movies playing now, too.”

      “Anything you’d be interested in seeing?”

      “Sure,” she said, scraping the bottom of the bowl. “But I rarely find the time—”

      “Toni,” he interrupted.

      She looked up.

      “I’m asking you to go see a movie with me this afternoon.”

      “Oh.” She honestly didn’t know what else to say. It was as if her mind had gone completely blank.

      Amusement glinted in his deep brown eyes. “Is that a yes or a no?”

      “Um … yes?”

      He reached for The Thunder Canyon Nugget that was on the table, found the Arts & Entertainment page of the newspaper and offered it to her. “Check the listings and let me know what you want to see.”

      Screen number one was showing a new romantic comedy that had been getting good reviews, but Antonia didn’t want to send Clay the wrong message by immediately choosing that one. Unfortunately, the only other option was a horror movie that she had less than zero interest in seeing.

      She wrinkled her nose. “I really hate slasher films.”

      “Then we’ll see something else,” he said agreeably.

      “There’s nothing with car chases or nuclear explosions,” she warned.

      “I’ll chance it if you will. Are you in?”

      There was just a hint of a challenge in his voice. Just enough to entice her to throw caution to the wind.

      “I’m in.”

      There were a lot of things Clay could have done with a free afternoon. He could have saddled up one of the horses and gone for a ride, or he could have curled up in his bed and indulged in a long uninterrupted nap, and both of those options held a certain amount of appeal. But when he sat down and tried to figure out what he wanted to do, only one thing was clear—he wanted to see Toni.

      Maybe the answer had surprised him, but he didn’t let it worry him. He didn’t think there was any need to overanalyze the impulse. He liked Toni. She was smart and funny; she had her own opinions and wasn’t afraid to share them. She was also beautiful and sexy—so beautiful and sexy that he frequently forgot that she was seven months pregnant.

      But he wasn’t going to forget that anymore. He wasn’t going to make the mistake of thinking that today was about anything more than two adults spending a few hours together because they both had time on their hands.

      They chatted easily on the drive into New Town, moving from one topic of conversation to the next without any awkward silences between them. Clay thought it was interesting that he’d seen this woman every day for the past month and a half and they still hadn’t run out of things to talk about.

      Of course, a lot of their discussion centered on Bennett, with Clay sharing anecdotes of his son’s adventures and Toni marveling over his talents. And throughout their conversation, neither one pressed for information that the other wasn’t willing to confide. It was as if, by unspoken agreement, they each respected the other’s established boundaries, for which he was extremely grateful.

      Toni pulled out her wallet at the ticket window, but he shook his head. “I invited you to come, so this is my treat.”

      “Then I’ll get the popcorn,” she told him. “Right after I make a quick trip to the ladies’ room.”

      He didn’t know if her determination to pay her share was a way of proving her independence or intended to assert—loudly and clearly—that this was not a date. Just in case he might have any illusions to the contrary.

      And he was just perverse enough to want to make an issue of it, which he did by purchasing their snacks while he was waiting for her to return.

      Toni scowled when she saw the armload of boxes and cups he carried. “I said I was going to get the popcorn.”

      “Go ahead,” he said. “This is for me.”

      She stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out if he was serious. Then she shrugged and started toward the counter.

      He stepped in front of her. “I was kidding.”

      “Oh.”

      He handed her a cup. “I figured you’re probably trying to limit your caffeine intake so I got you an uncola.”

      “I am. Thanks.”

      “But I went for butter on the popcorn,” he confessed. “Because it was actual butter and not that fake topping stuff you get in some of the chain movie theaters.”

      “Did you get extra napkins, too?”

      “I did,” he concurred. “And Milk Duds.”

      Her eyes actually lit up. “Milk Duds?”

      Clay chuckled. “I guessed that you’d want some sweet to balance the salty.”

      “Good guess,” she said.

      They’d started toward the doors for screen number one when a female voice called out, “Antonia?”

      The easy smile on Toni’s face slipped, just a little, before she secured it back in place and turned to face the speaker.

      “Hello, Vanessa.”

      “I almost didn’t recognize you. Oh, my god, you look like you’re about ready to burst.”

      Toni shrugged casually, unfazed by the insensitive remark. “Not quite. I’ve still got several weeks to go.”

      “Really? Wow. I couldn’t imagine letting my body expand like that for a baby.”

      “No, I don’t imagine you could,” Toni replied.

      It was a subtle zing, and Clay had to fight a smile as he watched the comment fly right over Vanessa’s shallow head.

      “So,” the other woman said, her cool, blue gaze giving Clay a leisurely once-over, “who’s your friend?”

      “Clayton Traub,” Toni said, making the introductions with obvious reluctance. “Clay, this is Vanessa Wallace, a … friend from high school.”

      Vanessa blinded him with a smile. “Hel-lo, Clay-ton.”

      “It’s a pleasure to meet you,”