Taking a Chance on the Single Dad

‘I’m George.’

Hunter shut his door and turned to the back. ‘Everyone ready?’

Shrieks of ‘Yes!’ and ‘Hurry up!’ answered him.

‘Shouldn’t have asked,’ he muttered to Brenna. ‘Hope you brought your earplugs.’

‘They’re in my purse.’ She grinned.

That grin was dangerous. It tightened parts of his anatomy that he needed to stay quiet for the rest of the day. And night. Concentrating on driving was the only way to go for his passengers and his libido. ‘Thanks for agreeing to be my partner.’

‘I’m not sure why you needed me when you’ve got three escorts right here.’

He glanced sideways, got whacked with another, bigger grin. ‘They’re not coming with us. I’m dropping them off at a friend of Jess’s who’s bravely volunteered to look after them until the morning, when Jess will take over again.’ Tomorrow he’d be busy moving into his house.

‘It seems Dylan’s making lots of friends fast.’ There was a worried glint in her eyes that he was sure had nothing to do with how his son was fitting into life in Vancouver. Wondering how their night might pan out?

‘The last legal requirements for the house purchase went through yesterday.’ A surge of pride had him saying, ‘We’ll be living close to the preschool he’s attending, and the primary school is only another street away, so I’m hoping the friendships he makes will roll over from one school to the next. Friends are so important.’

‘Good ones, yes.’ Her gaze was fixed beyond the four-wheel drive.

Was she having a crack at him about being friends, not lovers? ‘Brenna, I am really grateful you’re coming to this wedding with me. It means a lot. I know it’s not easy for you.’

Her sigh resonated between them. Then her hand was on his arm, squeezing hard. ‘You want me to sit at another table?’

He laughed, as he was sure he was meant to. ‘We’ll see.’ How had he ever managed to leave her? They were so attuned to each other, surely they should’ve been able to make it work. There’d been long dark days at the time. Days when he’d had to restrain himself from driving back here and snatching her away from her study and work and family. Days when he’d come close to tossing the towel in with his parents and leaving them to sort out their own problems. ‘Family first’ had been his mother’s mantra all his life, especially when his father was in his dark space threatening to end it all. Now Dylan was his number one priority, but he’d managed to accommodate his parents as well since his son’s birth. Could he add Brenna to the mix? Safely? For both of their sakes. He wanted more, the whole picture. A wife, more kids maybe.

‘Brenna, can we play I Spy?’ Dylan piped from behind.

‘Good idea.’ Another squeeze and her hand left him. ‘I’m going first. I spy something green.’

‘How’d you know not to use letters?’

‘Grass.’

‘Tree.’

‘Dog.’

‘I do have some contact with kids.’ Her eye roll was a five out of five. ‘Who said dog?’

‘Me,’ shouted Joshua.

‘You need your eyes tested, buster.’ Brenna laughed. ‘I don’t see any green dogs out there.’

‘Yes, there is. On that letter box.’

‘Now who needs their eyesight checked?’ Hunter pulled away from the traffic lights and turned into the street where the kids were going to spend the night. Unless he kept them with him as chaperones. Every time he glanced across to Bren his heart stuttered. She was so beautiful.

But more than that, she came with so much good from the past that he was beginning to believe he could make the move to Vancouver work in more ways than he’d anticipated. In ways he hadn’t dared hope for. Heading back over the Rockies the next time his parents really needed him wasn’t happening, yet he still had to prove to himself more than anybody how determined he was to stay here.

* * *

Brenna sat at the white cloth–covered table with a glass vase of daffodils in the centre and tried to relax. Hard when Hunter sat right beside her, looking good enough to eat. Just as well they’d already consumed the banquet. She glanced around the room at the other tall, good-looking men. None were a patch on her date.

‘Here.’ Hunter passed her another glass of champagne. ‘Get that into you.’

‘Looking dehydrated, am I?’

He gave her the once over before those intense steely eyes locked on the curves of her breasts peeking above the top of her dress. ‘There’s nothing dry or shrivelled about you.’

Corny, but cute. Deep inside the tension was weaving tighter. Time for a change of subject to something less intoxicating. She tapped the rim of her glass against Hunter’s. ‘I like Jess.’

‘She likes you too.’

Brenna choked on her mouthful of champagne. ‘You’ve been discussing me?’

‘No one discusses with Jess. She says what she thinks and we mere mortals learn to deal with it.’

Just then the band struck up and Hunter leaned close to say, ‘I should never have introduced the two of you. My life is going to be hell from now on.’ He breathed deeply, savouring the heady scent of summer that was her perfume.

‘You’d better believe it.’

As they watched the newlyweds take their first married dance Brenna relaxed further. Despite all her misgivings about coming here, she was having fun. Hunter was good company, when he wasn’t being sexy just by breathing. He didn’t leave her to her own devices while going off to talk to the people he knew. The only time he’d wandered away was when she and Jess had been talking. If he’d known they’d get into a push, prod, what do you know about Hunter, what do I know you don’t, kind of conversation he’d have stuck to her like glue. Or taken her out to his car and clipped her into one of the children’s seats for the rest of the night.

‘Shall we dance?’ Hunter asked, a hesitancy in his voice she hadn’t heard all evening.

Looking directly at him, she said, ‘Yes, I’d love to.’ There hadn’t been a lot of dancing going on in her life lately. A few outings to bars and nightclubs had been it since she and Shane had parted ways. There hadn’t been a lot going on with Shane either. He reckoned he had two left feet when it came to moving to music. She might as well make the most of what was on offer and deal with any consequences later.

‘As long as the band doesn’t play music where I have to hold you and direct you around the floor without mashing your toes,’ Hunter quipped as he led her onto the floor amongst everyone else flocking to dance too.

Mashed toes might be easier to deal with than his hand on her waist where heat shot in all directions. ‘You’re not into doing a two-step, then?’ She certainly wasn’t.

‘Lucky if I can move one without getting out of rhythm.’ He still held her hand, his fingers threaded through hers.

Standing before Hunter, looking up into that handsome face, seeing his mouth twitch with laughter and his eyes rest on her without demanding anything from her, Brenna felt as though she’d finally come home. Of all the places, surrounded by strangers, holding Hunter’s hand, doubting they were going anywhere with this, everything still felt right, and she wanted more.

Suddenly, she wanted it all. Tugging her hand free, she began moving her hips, her feet, tipping her head back so her hair brushed across her shoulders in time to her movements. She wasn’t getting it, even if it happened to be on offer. But, hell, she was going have a great time. Tomorrow could bring what it liked. She was tough, she’d survive.

* * *

Hunter pulled into the kerb outside Brenna’s house and switched the ignition off. ‘Thanks for coming with me. I had the best time in ages.’ He meant it. They’d been easy together, the

most relaxed since he’d arrived in town.

‘Me too.’ Brenna tipped her head back against the headrest and smiled a beguiling, private little smile that pushed under his ribs and rattled his usually quiet heart.

Picking up her hand, Hunter engulfed it in his to rub his thumb back and forth across her wrist; he sat quietly, staring out at the street, thinking about Brenna’s body pressed against his as they’d attempted the two-step that the band had inevitably played for the grandparents. They’d both been hopeless but having her that close had meant he’d been loath to stop pretending he had everything under control. Everything except his libido, and that had raised its head far too often to be comfortable. ‘I should be going. After I walk you to your door, that is,’ he added in a hurry.

‘Yeah, right,’ she sighed through those lips that he’d been eying up all night.

Lips that could tease, tantalise, torment. He wanted to be teased, tantalised, tormented. Right now. Withdrawing his hand, he reached for the door handle. ‘Come on.’ Finishing the night in her bed was foremost in his brain but having Bren rebuke him for suggesting it would be hard to stomach.

Who the hell am I trying to fool?

He’d take what he could get, as long as she wanted the same. ‘Come on,’ he growled again.

Brenna was silent as they walked up the path, balancing on those ridiculous, sexy heels like it was normal to walk on stalks thinner than his mother’s knitting needles. At the door she slid her key into the lock.

The sound of it opening was heavy, loud, and reminded him this was as far as he went. Hands on hips so he didn’t reach for her, Hunter stared down into the face of his dreams. ‘Goodnight, Brenna. Thanks again for helping me out.’ If his feet hadn’t been made of concrete that’s when he’d have left.