Fool's Gold Collection Part 2. Susan Mallery

      “Did you sleep well, pumpkin cheeks? Your mama is getting some rest right now. So we’re going to be very quiet.”

      He walked over to the changing table. After taking care of her diaper, he carried her into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator. Knowing Dakota as he did, he wasn’t surprised to see several bottles already prepared.

      “You have to admire a woman who knows how to take care of business,” he told the baby.

      A pan of water sat on the stove. He turned on the burner and waited for the water to heat. He briefly glanced at the microwave. A pan of water might be old-fashioned, but it was more reliable.

      While they waited, he rocked the baby in his arms. She kept eye contact with him and offered a tentative smile.

      “You are going to be a heartbreaker one day,” he told her. “Just like your mother.”

      Dakota was more than that, he thought, remembering the taste of her, the feel of her skin. She was a temptation. Not just because of how she got to him in bed, but because he enjoyed her company. She was the kind of woman a man looked forward to coming home to. Under other circumstances…

      No, he told himself firmly. She was not for him. He had a life, and it didn’t include a woman and a baby. He’d been the responsible guy for the past eight years. Now that his brothers were nearly grown, he was going to be free. And he had plans. A new business to build. The last thing he wanted was to be tied down.

      When the bottle was heated, he tested the milk. Assured that the temperature was correct, he returned to Hannah’s room and settled in the rocking chair.

      The little girl latched on to the bottle eagerly. As she ate, he watched her watch him. There was something about her big brown eyes. He smiled at her. She raised her hand and grabbed on to his little finger, holding tight. Deep inside, he felt something shift, almost as if making room.

      Ridiculous, he told himself.

      When she’d finished eating, he grabbed a towel from the pile by the rocker, put it on his shoulder and burped her. She snuggled close. He held her as he rocked, humming tunelessly.

      “Your mom said that she reads to you now. I saw the book about the bunny. I guess that’s more appropriate than Car and Driver. Although you might be into cars. It’s probably too soon to tell. And we should check on your mom. Last I saw, she was naked.” He grinned. “She looks good naked.”

      “I’ll have to take your word on that.”

      Finn looked up and saw Dakota’s mother standing in the doorway. He stood, then wondered if that was a mistake. He was wearing jeans and nothing else, holding Dakota’s baby in his arms. Dakota was in her room, probably still asleep. And naked, as he’d so helpfully pointed out.

      Although he was usually good on his feet, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

      Denise approached and took the baby. “I suppose I should have called first. Dakota’s asleep?”

      He nodded.

      He felt like a seventeen-year-old caught making out with his girlfriend. Except he wasn’t seventeen, and they’d done a whole lot more than kiss.

      Getting dressed seemed to be the first priority, he thought, wondering how he could get around Denise without being obvious. Then he heard a sound in the hall.

      “Did you take care of Hannah?” a very sleepy Dakota asked, walking into the room.

      She’d pulled on a robe and nothing else. Her hair was mussed, her mouth swollen from his kisses. She looked rumpled and satisfied, and then completely shocked when she spotted her mother.

      “Mom?”

      “Hello. I was telling Finn that I should have called first.”

      “I, ah…” Dakota grinned. “At least you didn’t show up two hours ago. That would have been awkward.”

      Her mother laughed. “For all of us.” She stepped out of the way. “I think Finn was trying to get past me without being obvious.”

      “I thought I’d get dressed,” he murmured.

      “Don’t put on a shirt on my account,” Dakota’s mother told him and winked.

      “Mom, you’re going to frighten him.”

      “I can handle it,” he said, wondering if he was telling the truth.

      He excused himself and escaped into Dakota’s bedroom. Once there, he dressed quickly. He was stepping into his boots when Dakota showed up.

      “Sorry about that,” she said. “She didn’t have a habit of stopping by before I had Hannah. I didn’t think she would today.”

      “It’s okay.”

      She shrugged. “It’s embarrassing.”

      “I’ll survive.” He pulled on his boots, then straightened and kissed her. “You okay?”

      “Uh-huh. Thanks for letting me sleep.”

      “You needed it. Hannah is fed.”

      “I could tell. She has that look of happy contentment.”

      He touched her cheek. “So do you.”

      He was a good man, Dakota thought, as she walked Finn to the door.

      Her mother was hiding out in the kitchen, which Dakota appreciated. Saying goodbye in private would be a lot easier. Of course, she still had to face her mother and explain what was going on.

      “I’ll see you soon,” Finn said.

      She nodded and hoped he was telling the truth.

      Dakota returned to the kitchen where she found her mother playing with Hannah.

      “I’m glad you got some rest,” her mother told her. “I know how tired you’ve been.”

      Dakota waited, but her mother didn’t say any more. “You have to want to know about Finn.”

      “I think I know enough already. He’s the kind of man who looks good holding a baby. Should I worry about you?”

      “No. I’m protecting my heart.” For a moment, she allowed herself to wish that she didn’t have to. That, in addition to looking good holding a baby, Finn was the kind of man who stayed. But she knew the truth.

      “Are you sure you’re not already in love with him?”

      Talk about a crazy question. “Of course I’m sure. I would never let that happen.”

      AURELIA STOOD awkwardly on the sidewalk. Karen, one of the production assistants, had emailed her the time of her next date with Stephen. Aurelia had hoped everyone would just forget about her and Stephen, but that was too much to ask. Now she had to not only go on a date with him, but she had to do it in front of the camera crew and who knew how many people watching on television.

      If only they’d been voted off sooner, she thought, shifting her weight from foot to foot. But that was the coward’s way out.

      In truth, she owed Stephen an apology. Not that they would ever be right for each other, but that didn’t excuse how she’d handled the situation. She hadn’t been very nice. Probably because there was a part of her that didn’t want to give him up. There was a part of her that didn’t care about the age difference or the fact that he deserved someone who was where he was in life.

      Somehow everything had gotten so complicated, and she didn’t know how to make it simple again.

      “Aurelia?”

      She turned toward the voice and found Stephen standing behind her. Despite her best attempt, he’d still managed to sneak up on her. For a single heartbeat, she felt only happiness at the sight of him. So tall and strong, so handsome. She smiled and knew he could read everything she was thinking.