Clearly embarrassed, he frowned. “Well, I’ve had enough. See you around, kid.”
“Bye.”
Zeke walked away as loud cheers rang out. As predicted, Randy and Heather were victorious. Haley and Josh were bringing up the rear and just crossing the finish line, but you’d never know it from the smile on Haley’s face.
When Josh held out his fist for a knuckle bump, Haley gave it all she had and then splayed her fingers in a move that matched Josh’s perfectly, just the way they’d practiced before the race. Then they both turned and beamed their identical smiles at her.
The concrete wall around her heart cracked a little as she smiled back.
Josh untied them, then lifted Haley onto his shoulders and jogged toward Meg.
Her father had never done anything like that. Made her feel so special. It chipped away another layer of that wall.
Josh flipped a laughing Haley to the ground at Meg’s feet and then whispered in her ear, “That guy who won cheated big-time. Who does that in a kid’s three-legged race?”
That explained where Haley got her rule following from. She sometimes forgot Haley had two parents. “Randy does. He’s married to the piece of work with a guesthouse you met earlier.”
“Ah, Amber. Speaking of that, where is my new home, exactly?”
She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake by offering up her house in the heat of the moment. “The other side of the lake. Number sixteen. I’ll need to get your room ready so maybe you could move your things in tomorrow?”
“If you’re sure about your father.”
She was done being bullied by her father. “I’m sure.” She juggled all the loot and then took Haley’s hand. “Well, we’d better get going. Nap time.”
Clearly exhausted, Haley lifted her arms to be picked up, but Meg didn’t have enough hands.
Josh said, “How about I carry you?”
Haley turned to him without hesitation. After he picked her up, she snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. Just as Meg had when he’d carried her home. With a smile on her face, Haley fluttered her eyes closed, sending another pinch to Meg’s heart.
Heading for Gram’s guesthouse, she whispered, “Thanks for playing Pluck the Duck with Haley twelve times until she won the dog.”
He whispered back, “That’s a stupid game. All based on chance. There’s no real winning involved unless it takes some skill.”
Such a guy thing to say. “She’s two and a half, Josh. Standing in line, waiting for her turn, and then getting her to pick just one duck when she has two perfectly good hands is an accomplishment. Believe me.”
“If you say so.” He shifted Haley to his other arm and leaned closer. “We probably need to talk about my rent.” He quirked his eyebrows. “Amber offered some pretty hot terms. What are you offering?”
She swatted his arm. “This is a business deal, pal. Nothing more. Do you know how to hammer nails and strip wood floors? If not, I’ll just charge you money and then use it to hire Toby to help me.”
That wasn’t nice to throw Toby’s name out there, but a part of her needed to test Josh some more. She hated how her defenses against him were slipping. Besides, it wasn’t easy to rile him, making it that much more fun to try. That she’d slept with Toby clearly bothered him.
He pulled her against his side. “I’ll bet I’m a lot better with my hands than Toby.” He drove his point home by sliding a big hand down to her rear end and giving it a quick squeeze.
“I don’t know. Toby’s pretty good.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Literally, because Josh’s hand was still on her butt.
He gave her bottom a sharp pat before he opened the door to the guesthouse. “After you.”
Smiling because she’d almost forgotten how fun Josh was to flirt with, she dumped the new toys onto a chair and then led the way to the bedroom and pulled the covers back.
Josh laid Haley down and gently tucked the sheet under her chin before he whispered, “She’s great, Meg. Thanks for today.”
Moved by the tenderness in his eyes as he looked at Haley, she could only nod before she turned to show him out.
They walked side by side in silence. Outside on the porch, he wrapped his arms around her and slowly pulled her against his chest. As he stared into her eyes, Josh maneuvered them until her back pressed against the wooden front door. The desire in his gaze made her heart skip a beat just before he whispered, “I think I’d like my kiss now. And while we’re at it, how about I remind you just how skilled my hands are?”
Before she could protest—like she would have anyway—he laid his mouth on hers.