Dylan stood at the playground gate, a Little on each hand, and Beth on his shoulders clinging to his hair. Rae’s heart swelled, making her chest feel as though it might burst open. She loved them allsomuch.
“Mama,” Preston and Jayden cried when they noticed her and came running. She squatted down and pulled them into her arms, loving the group hug. Dylan’s nephew had taken to calling her Mama, and it warmed her heart while making her feel guilty. After kissing each boy on the temple, she stood.
“I’ve got sandwich makings,” Dylan said, coming to stand beside her.
“And I’ve got those cookies we made last night.”
“Cookies!” the Littles cried.
Beth had rested her cheek on the top of Dylan’s head, eyes drooping, a thumb in her mouth, and her other hand clinging to his ear. It wouldn’t be long before she was asleep.
“I think we might need to have the picnic in the living room—” Rae held up her hands at the protests from the boys. “And then maybe we can do bumper cars after her nap.” She glanced at Dylan, and he nodded, so she said, “Let’s go then.” She took the Littles’ hands, and they headed for their building.
“How bad was it?” he asked, keeping his voice pitched low for her ears only.
“You’re going to laugh when I tell you,” she said with a soft chuckle. “Seriously, we should start a webpage that talks about our forays into the world of online dating and theinterestingpeople who populate it.”
“Maybe.” Dylan grinned. “I’d rather laugh about it than have bad dreams.”
* * *
“Well,she’s out for the night,” Rae said as she came down the stairs that evening. She looked tired but happy, and Dylan hoped it’d been as good a day for her as it had been for him.
He closed the book he’d been reading to the Littles who sat on each side of him. Dylan met her gaze, smiling softly. Even after a long day, with strands of hair escaping from her ponytail, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he knew. Her expression softened as she looked at him.
“Can we watch our movie now?” Preston asked.
“Yeah. Yeah,” Jayden said, jumping up and down.
“Yes, you may.” Dylan rose to turn it on for them, and the boys shifted to their giant bean bags.
Rae retrieved the bowls of popcorn from the kitchen.
“Have you and Mr. G. finished working out the details?” she asked, settling on the couch beside Dylan.
“Yes. I can’t believe how easy he’s being about this. It seems his wife’s in more of a hurry for him to retire than he is, so I’m going to be a kind of owner-in-training. He said we can spend a while with me still doing my route part-time, and then the other time shadowing him, eventually taking on some of the responsibilities. The second year will be one where he gradually backs off, and I take on more until I’m running things by the time he retires.” Dylan rubbed his face. “He’s even made some suggestions about which classes I should take over the next two years.”
“How do you feel about that?” she asked.
“I can’t think of a better way to get on-the-job training.” He shrugged. “I’m kind of excited.”
“Good. That’s what’s important.” Rae yawned before leaning closer to whisper in Dylan’s ear, “Now if I could get excited about this online dating. I wonder how long we’ll have to do it before Amelia is satisfied.”
The feel of her warm breath on his neck made him want to pull her into his arms and tell her he loved her and then kiss her senseless. Instead, he breathed her in, the fragrance of her shampoo and the aroma of fresh popcorn filling his senses.
“I know, but we’ll both have to do it until Amelia is satisfied, or she’ll never give us any peace.”
“You’re probably right.”
“It’ll have been a year next month,” she said, her voice tight.
Yes. The one-year anniversary of her husband’s death. Dylan shifted his arm to her shoulders, and she rested her head against his chest. He brought his other arm around her and brushed away a strand of hair from her cheek. This time last year, it would have been another man who held her, who loved her. Would she ever be able to move on from Mike?
Dylan had thought he’d seen something in her eyes when she’d looked at him tonight, something beyond the friendship he’d gotten used to seeing there. He glanced at the boys who were laughing at something in the movie. For the first time since Dylan’s mother had died when he was a kid, he had a family again. But it was nebulous. At any time, some other man could swoop in and steal Rae’s heart and take her from him. Take all three of them from him. He had to keep that from happening until he could capture them for himself.
She didn’t move away, so he kept his arm around her. When her breathing slowed, he took a chance and kissed her temple. The motion made her stir, and she shifted, lifting her face to tilt back her head, her eyes still closed. Rae looked exactly like she was waiting for a kiss.
His heart pounding so hard it hurt his chest, Dylan touched his lips softly to hers. Rae pressed hers more firmly against his and, with a soft sigh, settled back against his chest.
