The Borrowed Groom

Now he was really worried.

He knew he was right when Terri brought out half a chocolate cake.

“You baked half a cake?” he teased.

“No, silly. Melissa said she was glad to have someone to share a cake with. It would ruin before they could eat all of it, and that would be wasteful.”

“That was kind of her,” he muttered, and decided if he heard the fateful words “Melissa said” one more time, he’d throw the cake against the wall.

At least he would’ve until he tasted it.

He’d find something else to throw.

“Melissa said—”

“Terri!”

His unaccustomed snapping stopped his daughter in midsentence. “What, Dad? Don’t you like the cake?”

With a sigh he said, “The cake is delicious. But could you possibly start a sentence with something other than ‘Melissa said’?”

Her eyes rounded in surprise. Then hurt. “Sorry,” she muttered. And said nothing else.

The change from constant chatter to absolute silence was unnerving. Rob tried several topics of conversation, but Terri didn’t respond.

Finally he gave up and stood to clear the table. Terri carried her own dishes to the sink. “I’ll clean up,” he said. “After all, you did the cooking tonight. It’s only fair.”

“Melissa—I mean, I didn’t do much.”

He put an arm around his daughter and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I was an old grump, baby. I’m glad you enjoyed your day.”

His apology released a flood of words. While he washed the dishes, Terri told him again about her day, and how much she’d enjoyed being with the other females.

He frowned, feeling a little rejection.

As if sensing his feelings, Terri quickly added, “I didn’t mean I don’t like being with you, Dad. But Melissa—she knows so much about girl things.”

“Yeah.” Terri was right about that. Melissa Kennedy knew how to make a man ache. To make a man want. And he didn’t want to do either of those things.

A knock on the door disturbed them.

Terri hurried to answer it and reappeared in the kitchen a couple of minutes later with the one person he didn’t want to see.

Melissa Kennedy, accompanied by the two little girls.

“Good evening. I hope you don’t mind our visit,” she said with a smile as she entered.

“After that dinner, I could hardly object, now, could I?”

He’d meant to sound like he was teasing her and thanking her at the same time. Unfortunately, his voice had come out harsh.

She stiffened, apparently not fooled by the awkward smile he attached to the end of his words. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but the girls wanted to see where Terri lived.”

Terri looked from him to Melissa and back again. Damn, he was going to be in trouble with his daughter if he didn’t do a better job. “No problem. Have a seat. I’ll be finished here in a minute.”

“Dad, can I show the girls my bedroom?” Terri asked. “I told them about my dolls and they want to see them.”

“Sure.”

He stubbornly continued to wash the dishes as the children left the room, reluctant to acknowledge that he was alone with Melissa.

But she didn’t sit down at the table. Instead he suddenly found her beside him, the cup towel Terri had been using in her hands.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I’m more comfortable when I’m busy.” She picked up a plate and dried it. “Where do they go?”

He nodded to the cabinet in front of her. “Up there.”

She put the plate inside and picked up the other one. He scrubbed extra hard on the almost-clean Pyrex dish that had held the casserole.

“I have something to tell you.”

His head whipped around to stare at the beautiful woman beside him. Tonight her dress was mint-green, almost the color of her eyes. It fit snugly from the waist up, and he hurriedly looked away. “Yeah?”

“You’re a good father.”

He dropped the dish. Fortunately, the water cushioned its landing so it didn’t break. It only splashed him with water. Melissa took the cup towel and began blotting his shirt. He thought he’d die.

Melissa felt the hard muscles of his chest and stomach beneath the cup towel. Her mouth went dry. The man was like a rock. Visions of what he’d look like without the shirt filled her head, and she found herself staring into his blue eyes.

“Why did you say that?” he demanded harshly.

She took a step back. He sounded like a lion. “I—when I met you yesterday, I thought…you seemed hard.” Her face turned bright red. She had ample proof that he was hard, but that wasn’t what she had meant. “I wanted you to know that Terri is a special little girl. And since you’re the one who raised her, it’s obvious you did a good job.”

Seemingly reluctantly, he muttered, “Thanks.”

“Do you want me to dry your shirt more?” she asked, her breathing getting more shallow as she both feared and wanted to help him.

“No! No, it doesn’t matter.” He took the cup towel from her hands, however, and rubbed it against his shirt.

Her gaze was fixed on the motion of his hand. When it stopped moving, she looked up to find his blue eyes fixed on her face. More specifically, on her lips.

As if he intended to kiss her.

She thought she stopped breathing altogether.

The girls tumbling back into the room, happiness exuding from them, broke the tension of the moment.