Egan tousled Finley’s shoulder-length, wild curls. “Is my girl as peachy as a plump peach?”
“Peachy as a plump peach,” she repeated then burst into laughter. “Did you spend the night? You don’t have a shirt on.” Finley asked innocently.
For a mere second his gaze met Novah’s and the room heated. Finley was a curious child. “It was hot in here,” he said easily and swiped up the shirt off the floor where it had dropped. He dragged the cotton over his head and down his toned abs, finally zipping his jeans.
“Guess what, Daddy? Guess what?” Finley jumped up and down in excitement.
“Tell me before you fly away,” he teased.
“I kicked the ball at soccer. Like this.” She acted out kicking the ball. “You should have seen me play! I did good didn’t I, Mommy?”
“Coach Bill said you did excellent.”
“Coach Bill, huh?” Egan smirked, giving Novah a questioning glare. “Is he still stopping by the house for sugar?”
“Stop!” Novah mouthed, flushing at the suggestive undercurrent in his words. Although Bill Harlow, who was a single neighbor, did make it obvious that he was attracted to Novah she didn’t reflect the feelings.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, sweetie.”
“Finley’s bottom lip puckered.
Novah gave him an “I told you so” glower. “You have many more. The season has just started so maybe the next one.”
“Are you staying, Daddy?” Finley jumped up and down, clapping her hands, quickly forgetting about the game. “Grammy can make waffles. She’s going to put chocolate chips in them.”
Novah blinked back tears and turned away long enough to get her emotions under control.
“I love Grammy’s waffles,” Egan laid on the sarcasm.
“Well, look what the cat drug in,” Rita, Novah’s mom, muttered as she stepped into the kitchen that suddenly felt like a tomb.
“Morning, Rita. Looking as lovely as ever, I see.” There was a distinct tone to Egan’s voice. They had never gotten along. Her mother had warned Novah from the start that she wasn’t cut out for the lifestyle of a wife whose husband was gone more than he was at home. She hated to admit that her mother had been right.
“I didn’t expect to see you this morning, or year for that matter,” Rita said stiffly and poured herself coffee as she gave Novah a curious glance.
If only Egan would have left during the night, she would have saved herself all the pain of explaining this to her mother later. Last year when they’d mutually decided a break was needed, she’d spent a month walking around like a zombie, crying in her wine while watching chick flicks. She’d slept in one of his old T-shirts because it smelled like him. Many nights she’d given in to temptation, dialed his number, only to hang up before she could ask him to come back home.
Reaching for her coffee, she caught Rita’s sober glare.
Novah lifted her chin stubbornly. She had no reason to feel guilty for Egan being there. Although separated, they were still married. Rita should understand Novah’s tug of war. There was a strong magnetism, and an ease of conversation when they weren’t discussing their problems. He made her laugh, and feel sexy, but she needed to shut that part of herself off if she ever wanted to move forward—whatever moving forward meant.
“I didn’t expect to see you either,” Egan said to Rita then winked at Finley who was thankfully oblivious to the tension in the air.
“Good thing neither of you have to see each other any longer because Egan was just leaving. Right?” She gave him a warning eye not to argue.
“I don’t want Daddy to leave.” Finley huffed and crossed her arms stubbornly. “Can he stay? Grammy’s fixing waffles.”
“Yes,” Egan said.
“No,” Novah said at the same time.
“I mean, no I can’t, Fin. I have somewhere I need to be.” Egan shrugged. Novah felt a sliver of disappointment…and sadness. But why should she? Pretending they didn’t have issues didn’t do anyone any favors. She couldn’t ask him to give up his special forces career and she couldn’t give up on the things that she craved and wished for—a family that she could sit down with at dinner each night. He didn’t like when she compared him to her father who had been in the military too, was gone most holidays and special occasions, until he passed away when she was fifteen. Novah had sworn things would be different for her family and instead she found herself loving a man who was terribly like her father.
Egan smiled, showing off the deep dimples that made him look ten years younger. “I’ll see you later.” He gave Finley a tight squeeze then stole a glance at Novah, saying, “Thanks for a good night.”
That bastard! He enjoyed driving her mad.
He left a distraught Finley and took a step toward the door. “What about your shoes, Daddy? You’re barefoot.” She giggled.
“Oh, right. Where did I put my boots?”
Wishing to make this a quick departure, Novah picked them up from next to the door and shoved them into his chest, along with the envelope that she was certain he would have forgotten. “Don’t forget to read and sign them.”
He offered her a crooked smile that tweaked her nipples. “Sure.” He slipped on his boots, not bothering to tie them and gave her one last heated glance. Then he was gone with a soft click of the door, but the warmth he planted between her legs remained and probably would for a long time to come.
Feeling her mother’s cool stare, Novah swallowed the tension building in her tight throat. “Finley, go and wash up for breakfast.”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes. Run along.” Watching
