It was an interesting idea. A mobile repair shop.
“Come to the ranch with me. Meet Claire.”
He’d switched topics, probably because I wasn’t going to decide to start a new business sitting on his lap in my kitchen.
But meet his child? The one that was supposed to be ours? I wasn’t ready to share that secret. I couldn’t. I hadn’t told anyone. But if I wanted to be with Huck, it included Claire.
I nodded. “Okay.”
He leaned in, brushed his nose with mine. He smelled of my rose soap and himself. “First, I’m going to fuck you again. Make sure you know you’re mine.” He spread his knees wider, which parted my legs even more. He reached between my thighs and cupped me. “That you know this pussy’s mine.”
I let my eyes fall closed as his touch became more deliberate. Urgent. When he slipped a finger into me and found me wet, who was I to complain?
15
HUCK
I pulled up in front of the main house and parked. Sitting there, I counted to ten in my head. Sarah glanced at me from the passenger seat, wondering why I hadn’t gotten out of the car. I only made it to seven before the screen door flew open and Claire ran out, jumping the last two steps off the front porch. She had on her usual jeans and sneakers and a blue T-shirt.
A grin was impossible to avoid as I took in her exuberance to see me. This was our routine, as I usually texted Alice to let her know I was leaving the station. I knew her eagerness to see me wasn’t going to last forever, so I was enjoying it while I could.
“Ready?” I asked, taking Sarah’s hand and giving it a squeeze.
She didn’t look my way, but at the approaching five-year-old.
I climbed from the police SUV and rounded the back, ready for my little girl’s hug, which was often more like a body tackle. But she wasn’t there. She’d gone to Sarah’s side and wiggled about as Sarah shut the door behind her.
“You bought my daddy?” Claire asked, looking up at Sarah with such eagerness and glee. On Saturday, when Kelsey had come to visit Sawyer, Claire had been ecstatic thinking her preschool teacher was going to be her new mother. Kelsey’d been sweet and deflected, but it made me realize how eager Claire was for a mother.
Sarah leaned down and gave Claire a kind smile. Her eyes were watery with tears, and she was blinking hard to will them back. This moment would be a mental picture for me. The woman I loved—yeah, Sarah had my fucking heart—and my little girl. Together. Finally.
“I did buy him.”
Claire clapped her small hands, then gave Sarah the body-tackle hug I’d expected. Sarah looked to me as she wrapped her arms around Claire. “Yay, then you’re my new mommy!”
“Claire,” I warned. My heart skipped a beat at the possibility.
The night before, after we’d talked over the omelette, I’d checked in with Alice and let her know I was staying the night with Sarah. I didn’t usually share that I was spending the night with a woman to the Manning housekeeper/mother hen/grandmother. Hell, I’d never spent the night with a woman before. Sex, yes, but I’d never lingered.
And I sure as hell had never brought one home. Until now.
Alice must have told Claire I would be bringing someone to the ranch with me this morning.
“Claire Manning, please use your big girl manners,” I said. While I gave my words a slight bite of warning, the smile on my lips indicated I was pleased with her eagerness.
I was. I had no idea how crucial it was for Claire to like—no, love—Sarah as much as me.
Claire stepped back and tipped her chin up to look Sarah in the eye. Even though Sarah was five-foot-nothing, she had some height over my daughter.
“Hello. I’m Claire Manning. It’s nice to meet you.”
Pride swelled my chest at her good manners, even if they were a little late.
The slap of the screen door had me looking to the porch and Alice. She knew Sarah. Hell, she knew everyone in town. She put a hand on the porch rail and looked very happy by our arrival. Or at least Sarah’s.
“I’m pleased to meet you, too. I’m Sarah.”
“Are you my new mommy?” Claire asked again.
“Claire, is that a proper thing to ask someone you just met?” I asked, going over to her and ruffling her blonde hair, which this morning was pulled back into two pigtails.
“You said you were working on it, and now she’s here,” Claire said, scrunching up her face.
I blushed because those were the words I’d used on Saturday morning. I actually fucking blushed at that, but a quick glance at Sarah and I knew she was enchanted.
“I’m your new friend. How about that?” Sarah offered instead.
Claire smiled and nodded. Then her eyes widened as if she’d remembered something important. “I have puppies! I show all my friends the puppies!”
“Claire, a hostess offers her friends a drink when they come to visit,” Alice reminded from the porch.
“Would you like a drink to carry while we go see the puppies in the stable?” Claire wiggled and bounced with her usual excitement and took Sarah’s hand and began to tug.
I shook my head, amused. “I’m going to go get changed,” I told Sarah, tipping my head toward the house. I had on the same clothes from the fire and rollover calls on Saturday night. “I’ll catch up with you both in a few. And I’ll bring drinks.”
“All right,” Sarah said. She looked to Alice, offered her a wave as she finally let Claire lead her. Hand in hand.
I watched them for a minute, two blonde-haired beauties, heading down the drive to the stable, then went up onto the porch.
“I’m glad she’s here, Huck,” Alice said, setting her hand on my shoulder.
Looking down at the older woman, I placed my hand
