She leaned into his touch before her common sense told her to step away. "You're in my bed, and sleep is all that happens there." She walked back to the door. "Sleep well, Alex."
Easing out of her room, she pulled the door closed behind her and clutched her chest.
Alex Cruz was in her bed. What would her mother think now?
Chapter Ten
Yesterday afternoon was the best few hours of sleep Alex had in a long time. Was it because Mercy's bed was so comfortable? Maybe it was her floral scent on the pillow that lulled him into a peaceful slumber.
"I put a couple of cookies in too," Maisey said, handing him a picnic basket. She glanced over the counter to see Maddie, who stood hugging her bear. "I'm sure Maddie will love them."
"I wuv cookies."
"That she does." He ruffled her hair. Hair that he braided poorly but should get an A for effort.
"Is Mercy going with you?" She opened one end of the basket, and the savory scent of fried chicken wafted past him. "There's far too much here for one man and a child."
He peeked inside to see chicken, fries, drinks, and cookies. Maisey added paper plates, cutlery, and napkins too.
He didn't want to start any rumors about Mercy and him. They weren't a thing, but there was no use lying to anyone.
"Yep, it appears I have a lot to learn about kids, and today is tutoring day. What better person to teach me than a teacher?"
"She's a sweet thing and pretty too."
He thought about yesterday when he asked if Mercy was inviting him into her bed. Her cheeks bloomed as red as the roses in her garden. "She seems like a good person." He refused to comment on her disposition or beauty. That would only cement the fact that he liked her, and no one needed to know that.
"Thanks for putting this together."
"No problem. You know the motto in town is 'Aspen Cove takes care of their own,' which means picnic baskets to funeral casseroles. If you're here, then you're family."
"Happy to be here." He picked up the food. "Are you ready to picnic, Maddie?"
She smiled, and it warmed his heart. Usually, her smiles were saved for Mercy, but she'd been letting them break loose here and there for him too.
They left the diner with ideas for ways to make Maddie happy dancing through his head. After placing her and the basket safely in the SUV, his thoughts then drifted to Aspen Cove.
Weeks ago, apathy was all he could muster toward the town his boss Samantha loved so much. It didn't offer much but scenery, and there weren't any nightclubs, golf courses, or big-name grocery stores. It had the bare necessities like a diner, a bar, and a corner store. Despite his age, Doc seemed competent, and his nurse was pregnant enough to pop, even though she wasn't due for months. Aspen Cove wasn't someplace he would have sought out, but it was a place he'd like to stay—for now. What it didn't offer in amenities, it offered in charm.
They drove to Mercy's cottage and found her sitting on the steps in front. She looked downright delectable in her shorts and tank top. Why was it that he found her attractive? She was nothing like the women he took to his bed. Her hair color was natural. Her small breasts were undoubtedly nature made. The corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. Maybe that's what drew him to her. She was real, and if he was honest with himself, she didn't care that he was famous and didn't seem to give a damn about his money, even though she fleeced him when it came to childcare. Most importantly, she wasn't afraid to challenge him.
Then again, they weren't romantically involved. While this seemed like a date because he invited her and she accepted, it wasn't.
He climbed out of the car and looked over the hood. "Are you ready?"
She popped up like a spring-loaded toy. A toy he'd love to play with.
"Yep." She picked up a canvas bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I packed up some toys for Maddie to play with."
She always thought ahead. He hadn't considered toys. They were going to a park where there was grass and a swing set. Who needed toys?
He walked around and opened her door so she could sit. Lavender filled his nostrils, and he immediately felt at ease. Nope, this wasn't a date.
At the park, they spread out a blanket and served the meal. Maddie held a chicken leg in one hand and a cookie in the other. Food was the only reason she'd willingly let go of her bear.
She was thin but healthy. Had she ever gone without a meal? He knew what that was like. He learned to cook at an early age because his mom could hardly take care of herself; she didn't have the mind to pay attention to him.
"You look deep in thought." Mercy touched his arm with her fingers. "Anything I can help with?"
He shook his head. "Just remembering my childhood."
Mercy perked up. "Did you have picnics with your parents?"
"Noooo," he drew out. "My father was absent, and my mother was a drunk. There weren't family anythings." He looked at Maddie. "That's why I'm so bad at all of this. The best way to learn is through emulation. My role models were poorly suited for parenthood."
She stared at him for a moment. "Oprah once said when you know better, then you do better. At least you recognize what you had wasn't acceptable. That makes you well suited for the parenting job because what you don't know, you'll figure out." She reached into the bag and took out a book on raising a child in the twenty-first century. "Knowledge is key."
"Is this yours?" He thumbed through the book.
"No, I bought it for
