“Alright, waffles it is. Come on, let’s go plug in the toaster.”
“Yay!”
Jamie climbed out of the bed nearly as fast as she’d climbed in, but Beth followed at a more leisurely pace. She had a lot to get done today, including another call with her attorney, trying to straighten out the debacle of her finances with the courts. Next on her list was updating her almost non-existent resumé. Though she’d worked while attending college, mostly part-time jobs, she hadn’t worked much after marrying Evan. She crossed her fingers, hoping lack of experience didn’t come back to bite her in the butt.
She paused in the hall, glancing toward the living room on her left. The warm colors, the soft leather, the darker wood pieces were all things she might have chosen herself, and she couldn’t help the surge of warmth thinking about sharing similar taste with the man who seemed to occupy her thoughts more and more frequently.
“Mommy, are you coming?” Jamie’s voice from the kitchen pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned right, heading through the opening. Boxes still lined the floor, pushed back against the walls so they wouldn’t be tripped over. Another thing on her ever-growing list of things to do today. Finish unpacking.
“If you’ll get the waffles out of the freezer, I’ll get the plates and silverware, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Within a few minutes, they had breakfast on the table, and Beth had a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. She pulled the belt of her robe tighter and leaned against the counter, adding a spoonful of sugar to her cup. Her brow creased at the trilling sound coming from her pocket, indicating a text. It was from Brody.
Hope you’re settling in. I have to head to Austin this morning. You need anything, contact Rafe or Momma.
Well, that was unexpected. Warmth spread through her, and as much as she wanted to blame it on the coffee, she knew that would be a lie. Thinking about Brody almost made her feel like a schoolgirl again with her first crush. Which was ridiculous. She was a grown woman. A mother, not some adolescent teen, yearning for her first boyfriend.
Really, what’s wrong with me thinking about another man? I’m not married. Not anymore. And things weren’t all sunshine and roses when I was. Is it really so bad, thinking about wanting to be with Brody? I wonder if he’s as curious as I am about this heat between us, or am I just imaging it? Or am I a fool for thinking there’s something there and it’s all in my head?
“Mommy, your faffles are getting all mushy from the syrup.”
“Eww, yucky. I’m gonna eat them anyway.” Beth smiled at her daughter, her empty plate in front of her. “Unless you want them.” At Jamie’s enthusiastic nod, she passed her plate across the table, then slid into the seat across from her and watched Jamie demolish the soggy mess, eating them so fast she wondered if her daughter had inhaled them without chewing.
“All done.”
“I see. Go wash your face and brush your teeth. And wash your face good because you’ve got syrup all over your chin.”
Her daughter raced from the room, and Beth realized she still held her cell phone in her hand. Touching the screen, Brody’s text appeared, and she read it through again, not sure what she was looking for. Some secret subliminal message, or underlying declaration of desire. Ugh, she was being ridiculous, reading something into a kind gesture.
Except, maybe she wasn’t. Maybe this was the universe sending her a sign she needed to get off her keister and make the first move. Because frankly she was tired of being alone. She adored her baby girl, but sometimes she craved, she needed, somebody to hold her. To wrap their arms around her and let her simply lay her head on their shoulder and be.
Taking a deep breath, she punched in Brody’s number, and hit call.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brody had arrived just outside the Austin city limits when his phone rang. Without bothering to check the caller ID, he hit the answer button. He’d connected the Bluetooth to his truck, so he’d have handsfree calls, one of the features he liked about his truck. A quick tap of a button on the steering wheel, and he could talk to anybody.
“Hello.”
“Brody? Um, hi, it’s Beth. I hope I’m not calling too early.”
His gut tightened at the breathy quality in her voice. The sexy whispery rasp did something to his insides. An image of her, disheveled from sleep, eyes half-closed, and her hair tousled flashed through his mind, and he swallowed at the thought of her lying in bed talking to him.
“No, I’ve been up a couple of hours. Is anything wrong?”
“Everything’s fine. Jamie and I have been up a while, too. She’s already had her breakfast, and I’m on my second cup of coffee.”
Brody smiled. “Lemme guess. Frozen waffles?”
“Not too much of a stretch there, Brody. Yes, she got frozen waffles. Again.”
“Nothing wrong with knowing what she likes and asking for it.”
He heard Beth’s sigh. “She definitely isn’t shy about making her preferences known. I’ve promised her she can pick up the colors she wants for her new bedroom. I checked with Ms. Patti, and she said it would be okay to paint any of the rooms. Jamie and I are going to head to the paint store later this morning, so she can pick out exactly what she wants. I hope she doesn’t pick some outlandish color. Heaven help me if she wants sparkles on her walls.”
He could tell from her voice Beth was smiling, the happiness in her tone evident even over the miles separating them. “If you pick the color, I’d be happy to help you paint Jamie’s room. Whenever you’re ready, that is. Except today. I’m on my way to Austin.”
There was a beat of silence and then another before she answered. “Brody, you’ve done so
