Southern Seducer (North Carolina Highlands 1)

That’s the one she’s wearing.

Kissing her cheek, I take in a lungful of it, my pulse kicking up a notch. Heat gathers between my legs.

“Aw yeah,” I murmur, pulling back.

Bel gives me this hot little smirk. “Knew you’d like the perfume.”

“You’ve never worn it for me before.” I keep my voice low, so I don’t wake the baby.

“I showered and everything. You’re welcome.”

“You sure do know how to make a man feel special.” I lean down to gently kiss Maisie’s head. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s had an all right day. I’m hoping she’ll stay asleep for a bit so I can eat.” Annabel steps back with one hand on the door and the other on Maisie. “Come on in.”

I step inside and head for the kitchen. “Don’t you worry about eating. If she gets fussy, I’ll take her so you can sit.”

“When you say things like that,” Annabel replies, “I wonder if we’ll even need the lube. You should write a book on how to woo single moms, because you’re really fucking good at it.”

I smile, setting everything I brought on the kitchen island. A basket of food from Chef Katie. A couple of bottles of sparkling water and a gallon of mocktails from Emma.

A plastic Walgreen’s bag filled with condoms and every kind of water-based lube I could find.

I thought about bringing an extra change of clothes, but it felt wrong. Presumptuous. Bel’s request for lube doesn’t automatically translate into an invitation to spend the night.

“Wanna do this indoor picnic style?” I ask, gesturing at the basket.

“Love it,” Annabel replies.

Bel and I make small talk—is she as nervous as I am?—as we set out the spread. Chef Katie sent over her famous bacon and pimiento cheeseburgers on these perfect, fluffy brioche rolls with sides of a spinach-and-candied-pecan salad and sweet potato fries.

I open the container of mocktail and pour one for each of us.

It’s fancy picnic food at its best, and I can’t help but feel a swell of pride. I got this right. The resort. The food.

The fact that I get to share it all with Annabel and her daughter.

Above all, I want Blue Mountain Resort to be a place where people gather with their loved ones. That’s how it was for me growing up, at least until my dad got really sick, and that’s how I want to remember it.

A place of refuge. Of wide lawns and laughter and meals shared around the table.

We drink the mocktails and eat our food. The baby stirs, cooing into Annabel’s chest. She looks down and smiles, then kisses the tip of Maisie’s tiny baby nose.

Bel is a great mom. She may be having a hard time, but right now, she seems to be getting the hang of it.

Enjoying it even.

Watching them together, there’s this ache just inside my breastbone.

I’m missing out.

Not on the baby thing, necessarily.

But I’m suddenly getting strong Sunday supper vibes. Except it’s Thursday, and this isn’t my family.

Could be.

“Hey, ladybug. You waking up to say hello to Uncle Beau?”

Annabel loops her finger into the wrap and pulls it aside, revealing Maisie’s sweet little face. Her big blue-green eyes immediately find mine. My heart dips, and she coos again, this happy, gurgling sound. Annabel laughs around a mouthful of fries.

“I think she likes you.”

“Who doesn’t?” Sipping my mocktail, I deflect with my usual cockiness.

I need to fight this ache, but I’m so tired of pushing.

Maisie starts to fuss. Annabel puts down her fries and stands up, reaching for a pacifier with a stuffed unicorn attached to it. Maisie takes it hungrily, her eyes still on me.

She’s so fucking cute, with those baby blues and her white and pink unicorn.

The pull of this baby, the time I get to spend with Bel—it’s strong enough to sink me if I let it.

I breathe. Focus my gaze on my glass. Maisie keeps fussing. I should offer to help.

I should go.

“Oh, Lord, here she goes,” Annabel murmurs when Maisie lets out a howl. “I’m gonna try to put her to bed. I fed her right before you came, so hopefully she’ll go down okay.”

I stand. My heart is thumping. “I’ll do it.”

Annabel glances at me, brows curved upward. “You sure? This time of day she’s tough to handle. A bit like wrangling a tiger.”

“I had a mullet once. I have more Joe Exotic in me than you think.”

“If you say so.” Annabel grins. “I have the monitor right over there, so if you need me just wave and I’ll come up.”

She hands me the baby, and I carefully scoop her into the crook of my arm. She cries harder. I start to bounce. Rhett had colic when he was a baby. It was smack dab in the middle of Daddy’s season, so Mama was pretty much left to care for us on her own. I helped a lot. We all did.