But what they had all failed to take into consideration was the fact that women not only had the right to enjoy recreational activities the same as men, but that some women didn’t have a choice but to be out in the workforce. They had to hold a job to help their families make ends meet or, as was Kiley’s case, be her family’s only support.
Determined to be more open-minded in the future, he turned into the entrance of a subdivision and started watching street signs for Cottonwood Lane. It seemed to be a nice enough neighborhood, but he could tell that it was older and some of the houses were in desperate need of repairs, if not a complete renovation.
When he turned onto Kiley’s street, he hadn’t gone far when he spotted her older Ford sedan parked in the driveway of a small bungalow. He pulled his Mercedes in behind her car. The lights were on inside the house and he would bet that she and Emmie were probably getting ready for dinner.
“Right on time,” he said, grabbing the pizza box and getting out of his car.
Walking up to the front door, he rang the bell and waited. When Kiley opened the door, his heart stalled and he couldn’t believe how hard it was to take in his next breath. Dressed in a pink T-shirt that gave him a pretty fair idea of the size and shape of her breasts, and black leggings that hugged her slender legs like a second skin, she could easily tempt a saint to sin.
He forced himself to give her what he hoped was an innocent smile as he presented the pizza. “Dinner is served.”
She looked confused. “Josh, what are you doing here?”
“I thought you’d be tired after today’s outing and might not feel like cooking,” he said suddenly, wondering if he’d lost his mind. It was clear Kiley was trying to keep him at arm’s length. Why couldn’t he accept that?
Emmie peeked out from behind her mother’s legs. As soon as she recognized him, she started looking around the yard. “Ponies. Wanna wide ponies.”
“I’m sorry, Emmie. The horses were tired and I left them at my ranch to rest,” he said, hoping it was a good enough explanation for a two-year-old. He held out the box for her to see. “But I brought pizza for dinner.”
The temptation of pizza worked its magic and, grinning, the little girl clapped her tiny hands. “Petza.”
Kiley didn’t look happy. “I normally make sure she has a more healthy dinner.”
“I thought of that,” he said, rocking back on his heels. “That’s why I ordered the vegetable pizza with real cheese on a hand-tossed, whole-grain crust.”
He was actually pretty proud of himself for thinking of the nutritional value for a change. Normally, when he had pizza it was loaded with meat, there wasn’t the hint of a vegetable on it and the crust was as thick as a slice of Texas toast.
“Petza, Mommy,” Emmie said, tugging on the tail of Kiley’s T-shirt.
“Oh, all right,” she finally said, stepping back.
When he entered the house, Josh looked around. It was exactly as he thought it would be—very warm and homey. The furniture was older and a bit worn, but everything was neat and clean, and looked very comfortable.
Noticing a couple of place mats on the coffee table, he raised an eyebrow. “Dinner in front of the TV?”
“Saturday is movie night for Emmie and me,” Kiley explained. “I was just about to make tuna sandwiches.” Walking into the kitchen, she returned to put another place mat down on the coffee table along with three small plates. “Would you like a glass of iced tea? I’m sorry I don’t have anything stronger.”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” he said, placing the pizza box on the table with the plates. He waited until she returned with two glasses of iced tea and a small cup of milk with a straw built into the lid. “What are we watching this evening?”
“A classic cartoon about a mermaid princess who wants to be a real girl,” Kiley said, dishing up slices of pizza. “It’s one of Emmie’s favorites.”
Their fingers brushed when she handed him his plate, and it felt like a jolt of electric current traveled up his arm and exploded somewhere around his solar plexus. As quickly as she jerked her hand back, Josh knew beyond a shadow of doubt that she had felt it, too.
“Me pincess,” Emmie said, nodding as Kiley fastened a bib around her neck to protect her pink footed pajamas with fairy-tale princesses on them. It was obvious the toddler was ready for bed and Josh would bet his last dollar that she fell asleep well before the movie was over.
While her mother cut the slice of pizza on her plate into little pieces, Emmie suddenly took off running down the hall.