Can't Walk Away

by Sandy James

  “Mine sure does,” she said with a lopsided smile. “She has two speeds: all out or asleep. As much as she’s run around here tonight, my guess is she’ll conk out in the car on the way home.”

  So many questions crowded his mind, but he bit them back. Even coaxing Savannah into going on a date had been difficult, and she’d been so hesitant to accept that he wanted to see how well they worked together. If he started tossing her queries about her daughter and her ex, she’d balk.

  Brad would bide his time and wait to see when her guard dropped.

  * * *

  Savannah found herself brushed aside when she tried to retrieve her slumbering daughter from the backseat of Brad’s SUV.

  He gently unbuckled her booster seat strap and lifted Caroline into his arms. “You want her put in her bed?”

  “Please.” Quickly hurrying up the porch steps, she got the door open and held it as he carried Caroline inside. Then she rushed ahead to pull back the comforter and remove Caroline’s shoes so Brad could set her down.

  “Should you put her in her pajamas or something?” he asked as he laid Caroline down.

  “I’ll do that if she gets up to go to the bathroom later,” Savannah replied, a bit surprised that he so tenderly covered the little girl up before she could do so. “C’mon, let’s go downstairs. I’ll make us some coffee or something.”

  Brad followed her to the kitchen, and she was grateful she’d found the time to get the dirty dishes done before he’d arrived. She wasn’t much of a housekeeper, but she didn’t want him to think she was a slob. The town house was usually in a state of orderly disorder, the type she was sure most parents understood. When a person had a four-year-old to chase around, priorities had to be set, and dirty dishes weren’t at the top of the list.

  “Coffee?” She held up the empty pot. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Tea? Soda?”

  He shook his head.

  From the perplexed look on his face, he had to have a million things he wanted to say—or perhaps ask.

  So why was he holding back?

  Savannah broached the topic she was most sure bothered him. “Michael is her dad.”

  “No, he’s not,” Brad announced.

  “He is. He’s—”

  “He’s her sperm donor, but he’s sure not a dad, ’cause Caroline didn’t mention him once tonight.”

  He had her there. “Point taken. He’s never even met her.”

  “Have you seen him at all since he…um…”

  While she appreciated his tact, it wasn’t necessary. “Ran out on me and stole all my money?”

  Brad nodded.

  “Nope. But I let him know about her when I found out I was expecting, and I even tried calling when I went into labor.”

  “Why? The guy deserted you.”

  Savannah shrugged. “I guess I thought knowing about her might change things? That he might come back?”

  “And return the money?”

  “I don’t know. I was pregnant and emotional. Once I saw Caroline, I realized the best thing for her was to keep Michael out of her life.”

  “Did you ever hear from him about Caroline…or the money?”

  She shook her head. “And I’m glad for that. Caroline is happy. My dad is sorta like a father figure to her.” Then she remembered exactly how clingy Caroline had been and worried that Brad had gotten the wrong impression. “I’m not looking to find her a stepdad or anything…”

  He cocked his head. “Where’d that come from?”

  “She was sorta glued to your side tonight. I was afraid you might think…”

  “I thought she was having a good time with a new friend, Savannah. That’s all I thought.”

  A sigh of relief slipped out.

  “Seriously, don’t overthink this,” Brad suggested. “She’s a great kid, and I like her.”

  “I think she’s great, too. Thanks for tonight.”

  “Want to do something on your day off? Take her to the zoo or something? I’ve never even been there,” he said.

  “You mean tonight didn’t scare you off?”

  He was in front of her before she could blink. Arm around her waist, he tugged her against him. “Not one bit.”

  Then Brad was kissing her, and Savannah smiled against his mouth. All her fears vanished in the wake of his passion—passion that she met and matched as he deepened the kiss.

  The most terrifying step was past. He’d accepted her role as a mother and had forged a tentative bond with Caroline.

  Maybe this relationship stuff wouldn’t be so damn tough this time around.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Another burger?” Brad asked Savannah’s friend, Joslynn.

  “God, no,” she replied. “But thanks. I’m absolutely stuffed.” She set her now empty plate on the stack that had piled up next to the sink.

  He’d never used the outdoor kitchen much. Katie had thrown a few pool parties, but she’d always insisted they be catered, always wanting the best. Such a shame considering how great the grill was and that there was a refrigerator and a sink, all under an enormous thatched roof that protected guests from the midday sun.

  A glance around showed Savannah sitting next to the pool with Caroline, smearing sunscreen on her daughter’s arms before applying a liberal amount to her own. Since the summer day was warm and sunny, they’d both need some protection—especially as fair as their skin was. The last thing Savannah needed was to get a nasty sunburn when she was going on a date with him that evening.

  She looked amazing in her red bikini, and he caught her taking a few long looks at him in his blue trunks. Those heated glances were almost enough to make him want to steal her away from the group.

  Joslynn grabbed a soda from the fridge, popped the tab, and then leaned a hip against the counter. “It was nice of you to invite us out for lunch and a swim.”

  “No problem.” He inclined his head at Caroline, who was pulling blown-up floaties up her arms. “I want to get to know Caroline better.”

  “And her best friend,” Joslynn said with a wry smile.

  “Yeah, you, too.”

  “Ethan’s a lot different than I expected.”

  “Most people say that when they meet him.”

  A loud whoop drew Brad’s gaze to the pool. Ethan was running toward the small diving board. He launched himself at it, sprang in the air, and cannonballed into the water. The splash was big enough to hit Savannah and Caroline. First they squealed; then they laughed.

  Turning his attention back to Joslynn, Brad couldn’t help but ask, “Have I passed whatever test you had for me?”

  “You’re blunt,” she retorted, wiping some of the condensation off the side of her bottle.

  “Let’s just say I hate playing games. You’re her best friend. Your opinion means a lot to her—and to me.”

  At least she didn’t lose her smile. “So far, so good. This was a nice gesture. Shows you care about more than…Well, that you care.”

  “About more than getting in her pants. That’s what you were going to say, right?”

  “As I said, you’re blunt. I appreciate that. So, yes. You care for her more than a fling.”

  He killed the gas on the grill and then flipped the last couple of hamburgers onto the serving platter. “I’m going to be eating leftovers for a month.”

  “You cooked enough to feed an army.” Joslynn glanced around. “Didn’t you invite your other partner? What’s his name… Ross?”

  “Russ—Russell Green. He’s got the late shift tonight, so he’s probably sound asleep right now. I’m sure you’ll meet him sometime.”

  “I’m sure.” She started to walk toward the pool but stopped after a few steps. “I like you, Brad. Try to keep it that way.”

  The woman was the epitome of honesty, and he couldn’t help but admire the trait. Trust was something he was reticent to give, especially to someone new. But Joslynn seemed to have only one true mo
tive—Savannah’s happiness. The women’s bond was evidently as tight as his was with Ethan and Russ.

  Caroline came skipping toward him. “Wanna swim?”

  After sliding the platter onto a shelf in the refrigerator, he smiled down at her. She was the spitting image of her mother, minus the blond hair. Caroline’s was dark, but everything else was pure Savannah. The pert nose. The blue eyes. Even the high cheekbones. No doubt the little girl would be a heartbreaker when she grew up. “Sure thing, kiddo.”

  As though she’d known him forever, she took his hand and led him to the pool. He whipped his polo shirt over his head and tossed it on one of the deck chairs. Then he picked Caroline up in his arms and said, “Hold your breath.” A moment later, he jumped in the pool.

  * * *

  Savannah laughed when Caroline surfaced, giggling and splashing. She’d let Brad know that Caroline was a strong swimmer and that her daughter loved to play in the water. He’d obviously taken that advice to heart.

  Tonight was their first “official couple” date, as Brad had called it. But he’d insisted on the lunch cookout as a way to let Caroline know she was important to him. He’d also suggested that inviting their friends would be a nice gesture and would make the atmosphere more relaxed. Perhaps he was worried that Savannah would think he was trying too hard to win over Caroline, or perhaps he really wanted Joslynn to see he was genuine in his feelings.

  Whatever the reason, things were going swimmingly.

  She chuckled at herself. The puns were getting to be a bad habit.

  Brad swam over to the edge of the pool, Caroline at his side. They rested their crossed arms on the tile and stared at her.

  “You coming in?” Brad asked.

  “Yeah, Mama! Come swim with us!” Caroline insisted.

  Before she could reply, Joslynn took the seat next to Savannah. The intent look on Jos’s face meant there was something she wanted to say. So Savannah waved Brad and Caroline away. “In a little bit. You two go have fun.”

  Without a backward glance, Caroline swam off, joining Ethan in a game of Marco Polo.

  Brad’s eyes searched hers.

  “Go. Swim. Have fun,” Savannah insisted.

  “Caroline made me promise we’d take her to the zoo next week,” he said.

  “I’m not surprised.”

  A splash from behind him made him whirl around to a giggling Caroline. “Come play, Brad!”

  Ethan, eyes closed, yelled, “Marco!”

  Brad growled and lunged after Caroline, making her let out a squeal and try to swim away.

  “They’re cute together,” Joslynn said.

  “I know, right?” Savannah tried not to read too much into the easy way Brad and Caroline seemed to accept each other.

  “Aren’t you worried about Caroline getting too attached?”

  “Of course I am,” Savannah replied. “But what am I supposed to do? I like the man. I can’t keep my daughter at a distance. She’s too important to me to ever act like my time with him is separate from my life with her.”

  “Things just seem to be moving awfully fast,” Joslynn pointed out.

  As if Savannah wasn’t aware of that fact. She simply didn’t know how to slow things down. Brad hadn’t drawn close to her life, he’d plowed right into it—almost like he’d always been a part of it.

  “I know, I know,” she said. “I can’t…Things are going well. Okay?”

  “I can see that,” Joslynn said. Caroline’s happy shouts brought a smile to her face. “It’s going very well. For both of you. But you know me…I just worry about you. You’d do the same for me.”

  “I would.” Savannah let out a sigh. “I wish I knew how to keep my distance. He seems to know how to break through any wall I try to build.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “It’s too soon, Jos.”

  “I know that. But do you love him?”

  Savannah didn’t bother to reply to the absurd question.

  Probably because she didn’t know how to define the whirlwind of feelings she was having.

  * * *

  “This place is lovely,” Savannah said as Brad helped her take a seat at the table. “I didn’t realize you liked Vietnamese food.”

  “I enjoy all kinds of food,” Brad replied as he sat opposite her. “Not many people know about this place.”

  A waitress came over to the table, and before she could say anything, Brad ordered something called nem cuon and a couple of sweet teas.

  “You’ve been here before,” she said.

  He nodded. “Russ and I like to try new foods. Once we found this place, we had a new favorite restaurant. The spices are so different than anything you can get anywhere else. I hope you like things hot.”

  “And if I don’t?” she asked.

  “Then I chose the wrong restaurant,” he said with a crooked smile.

  “Don’t worry. I do. The spicier the better.”

  Nem cuon turned out to be a version of vegetable egg rolls. Since Brad knew his way around the menu, Savannah let him order for her and was treated to a soup full of spaghetti that brought enough heat to her mouth to make her nibble on the flat bread he’d insisted upon.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “The entrée is less intense.”

  “That’s a relief. That soup has turned me into a fire-breather,” she quipped.

  His eyes showed his concern. “I shouldn’t have—”

  “Stop it. I told you. I love heat,” she insisted.

  “You don’t have to lie to me.”

  The sentence gave her pause, making her wonder why he’d think such a thing. “I’m not lying.”

  He shrugged, and she could almost feel him withdrawing.

  Reaching across the small table, she put her hand on his. “I’m not lying, Brad. Why would I?”

  All he did was shrug again.

  The waitress broke the tension, setting the entrée on the table and refilling their drinks. Little was said as they ate, although Savannah had lost her appetite. Brad barely touched his food as well.

  As they walked back to his SUV, she stopped him when he was opening the door for her. “You need to talk to me,” she insisted. “Why are you so distant?”

  His hands slid into the back pockets of his jeans. “Why’d you lie to me, Savannah?”

  “I didn’t lie. Why would you assume I did?” When he didn’t reply, she pressed the point. “This isn’t about me at all, is it?”

  “What?”

  “Was it your wife? Or some other woman?”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “Someone lied to you. Someone you cared about. So now you’re assuming that’s what I was doing—lying to spare your feelings.”

  Brad took a few moments to think things through. Then he gave her a curt nod.

  “We agreed on honesty, right?” she asked. “I wouldn’t tell you something I didn’t mean. Look, I know about people being dishonest. Trust me, I do.”

  “I imagine you do.”

  “You’ve got to learn to trust me.”

  He nodded, and then silence settled over them. They simply stood in the dim parking lot lights and stared at each other.

  Then he spoke. “It was Katie.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No.” A few seconds passed. “Not…not yet. Sometime.”

  “I’d like to hear about it,” Savannah insisted. “And I think it might do you good to talk about it.”

  * * *

  She was right, but Brad wasn’t ready to let Savannah know exactly how foolish he’d been.

  He’d been every bit as stupid jumping to the conclusion she’d been lying when she said she enjoyed the soup. Such a petty thing to be angry about, and he realized exactly how sensitive he was to the prospect of her being less than truthful.

  Which meant his feelings for her were growing—at a rapid pace. What other reason could account for his overreaction?

  The woman was owed an ex
planation, but other ideas crowded his thoughts.

  She looked so damned beautiful tonight that he couldn’t fight the urge to kiss her a moment longer. Taking her hand, he pulled her into his arms. A smile blossomed on her lips before his mouth settled on hers.

  Brad loved how she was the first to heighten the kiss, her tongue tickling his lips until he opened to her. She put her arms around his waist and then pressed her palms against his ass. Had they been somewhere more private, the kiss would have easily gotten out of hand quickly, which was why he’d chosen to take her out to eat instead of cook for her at his home. After the way the recording session ended, he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with only kissing her. He’d take her to his bed.

  If he was going to convince Savannah that she truly meant something to him, that she wasn’t only another notch on his bedpost, then he needed to take things slow. That didn’t mean he was going to end their kiss.

  Her tongue glided over his. He grasped it between his teeth and tugged gently, loving how she pressed herself harder against him in response.

  Reluctantly, Brad eased back. At least she appeared as rattled as he felt.

  “I should take you home now.” There was no way she’d miss the hesitancy in his voice.

  “You should. My parents are probably exhausted.”

  “It was nice of them to babysit.”

  “Yeah. They’re great with Caroline.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “So are you. Thanks for the cookout today.”

  “You’re welcome. I want her to know that since she matters to you, she matters to me, too.”

  Savannah rose on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “Take me home, Brad, before I demand we go to your place.”

  So her hunger was as deep as his…“One day soon, I’ll give in to that demand,” he promised.

  “I sure as hell hope so.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I’m what?” Savannah shifted her cell phone to her other ear, hardly believing what Joslynn was telling her. “On where?”

  “YouTube!” Joslynn said. The sounds of her fingertips clacking on a keyboard were easy to hear. “I’m sending you the link now.”