Forever Hers Read online

  “Damn straight.” He stared at the crispy bacon with longing. “Please tell me that’s real.”

  Amy bristled. “You are unbelievable. Real is subjective.”

  “You aren’t vegetarian, are you?” he asked, helping himself to more eggs and ignoring the bacon.

  “Nope, but we are adventurous when it comes to food.”

  “Adventurous how?”

  “We eat a lot of tofu and veggie burgers.”

  He made a face as though he’d swallowed something rotten.

  She couldn’t help teasing him. “You must try my tofu lasagna, spaghetti sauce, tofu soups, stir-fried with crisp vegetables or smothered in oyster sauce. Yummy.” She closed her eyes, licked her lips and sighed.

  ***

  His eyes locked on her lips, the soft, intimate sighs hit him to the core and Eddie shifted in his seat as blood rushed to his groin. He tried to tune her out, which was impossible. Amy was not the kind of woman a man ignored. Everything about her stirred his senses.

  That he couldn’t control the strong attraction he felt toward her irritated him. She wasn’t even his type. He dated tall women. The more quiet and reflective the better. Amy spoke her mind without thought and most of the things she said were outrageous. She was short, curvy with lush breasts and hips. Worse, her tank top emphasized her cleavage and every time she moved, it took all his will power not to stare at her chest.

  In the kitchen, she’d mesmerized him as she hummed and danced, her tank top showing a thin line of soft, golden skin around her waist. Every time he looked at her skimpy cut-off jeans, fantasies zipped through his head. They hugged her ass and hips, and bared most of her smooth, tanned legs.

  “No, thanks,” he said. “I’m a meat man. Give me steak, roasts and burgers and I’m good.”

  She winced. “Every day?”

  “With an occasional chicken thrown in.”

  She let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, even though the thought of slabs of red meat…” She shuddered and pursed her lips, then added, “but if I want to mow the lawn, I will mow the lawn. You go ahead and beat your chest and pretend to be King Kong.”

  “I’m not a Neanderthal. I just believe that you should go into a relationship knowing exactly what is expected of you, so you shoulder your share of responsibility. It makes everything run smoother.”

  “What happened to spontaneity?”

  “Leads to chaos.”

  Her eyes narrowed, dark clouds adrift in their blue depth. Her lips parted as though she was about to speak then she snapped them shut. Silence followed. He ate while she chewed on her lower lip and studied him. He was tempted to say, “What?” but that would only encourage her to ask more personal questions and make him focus on her.

  “Do we have a deal?” he asked instead.

  “You must lead a very boring life.”

  Once again, she was going off on a tangent. “My life has nothing to do with our present living arrangement. Do we have a deal?”

  “That depends. How long is your vacation?”

  “Three weeks.”

  An odd expression crossed Amy’s face. “Okay, we have a deal. However, I like to do things on the spur of the moment and would appreciate it if you don’t complain about it and walk around with a sour face.”

  Eddie laughed, the sound of his voice surprising him. If she thought she could dictate how he reacted, she had another thing coming. Or maybe he’d be better off keeping to himself and eating his meals alone after she was done with hers.

  He poured a liberal amount of syrup on his pancakes and started to eat. The tartness of the blueberries exploded in his mouth with each bite, adding to the sweet.

  “These are really good,” he said.

  “Try the bacon.” She picked one and slipped it between her lush lips and took a bite.

  Ah hell! She also made eating sensual. Once again, Eddie fought the tightness in his pants. “No, thanks.”

  “Chicken.”

  “Only grilled, roasted or fried.”

  She gave a derisive snort, but that unladylike sound and the glint in her eyes did it for him. She already thought his life was boring just because he wasn’t spontaneous. In his line of work, being spontaneous could get you killed. Only fools dove into situations without evaluating their odds of winning.

  He wrapped his hand around her wrist and directed the piece of bacon she’d bitten to his mouth. He took a bite, his lips touching the tips of her fingers, and chewed, his gaze not leaving hers. His lips tingled and he licked them. Her cheeks grew red.

  Score.

  He went back to his breakfast. He was relieved when she served herself and focused on her food. But his relief was short-lived. His eyes were drawn to her mouth again. She closed her eyes as she chewed and hummed under her breath.

  Once again, he redirected his thoughts and forced himself to finish his breakfast quickly, needing to put some space between them. He wasn’t looking for a holiday fling and he’d have to be an idiot to start something he couldn’t finish.

  The buzz of his cell phone came to his rescue. He pulled it out and saw the number. His cousin. Eddie started to get up. “Excuse me. I must take this.”

  Amy jumped up. “No. Stay. I need to check on Raelynn anyway. If you need more orange juice, there is a larger pitcher in the fridge.” She reached for her plate and glass.

  “Thanks for breakfast, Amy.”

  “No problem.” She disappeared inside the house.

  Eddie brought the phone to his ear. “Chase?”

  “Did you get lost in the woods or something?”

  He was supposed to call his cousin as soon as he arrived. After facing a gun-wielding Amy, his thoughts had been elsewhere. “I got here all right.”

  “So what does she look like?”

  “What?”

  “The housekeeper? Is she as hot as Baron described her?”

  “Baron is married,” Eddie snapped.

  “Doesn’t mean he’s blind. They were out there last month and brought home pictures. Mom took particular interest in the housekeeper. She even flew out there a few weeks ago with her friends, Barbs and Sissy.”

  Eddie was in the process of draining his orange juice and choked on it. His aunt, Chase and Baron’s mother, was the one who had suggested Eddie visit East Hope and help the local PD catch the burglar breaking into homes. She never mentioned Amy.

  “What are you saying?” Eddie asked warily.

  “I’m saying that Mom played you like a fine-tuned guitar, detective. The more she heard about the housekeeper and her little girl, the more she got that gleam in her eyes.”

  Yeah, the same calculating gleam she’d worn for weeks as she plotted on bringing Baron and Kara together, then more recently, Faith and Ken.

  “She must have decided that you and the housekeeper are her next project.”

  “I have absolutely nothing in common with this woman.”

  “Actually you do. A lot. Do you know what she does for a living?”

  “No. What?”

  “That is for you to find out, detective.” Chase laughed. “Happy courting.”

  “You’re an ass.” His cousin’s mocking laugh rang in Eddie’s ears even after he hung up. He was still contemplating his predicament and searching for quick exit strategy when the patio door slid open and Amy stepped out. She wore a tight smile, which set off warning bells in his head. Had she heard the conversation between him and Chase? Even if she had, she wouldn’t have known they were discussing her.

  “Raelynn is up. She’s eating breakfast inside,” she said, wiping her hands on her shorts repeatedly, a sign of nervousness.

  Eddie nodded then got up and picked up his plate and utensils. “I’m done here too.”

  “I’ll take those inside,” she offered quickly.

  “Amy, I don’t expect you to pick up after me or wait on me.”

  “Okay. Just, let me do it this once.”

  She didn’t want him to go inside the house. He cou
ldn’t see the child, but he somehow knew Amy’s twitchiness had something to do with her. “Okay. Thank you.”

  “Where are you going?” she asked when he stepped away from the table.

  His cocked a brow. “To the garage. Unless you object.”

  “Uh, no. What is in the garage?”

  “A toolbox. I plan to fix the boat.”

  “Oh, that’s great. There’s a side door that opens into the garage.” She pointed toward the east side of the house, which meant he wouldn’t have to go inside the house.

  Irritated, Eddie paused before passing her. “You know, eventually I’ll have to meet her,” he said, lowering his voice.

  She gave him a shaky smile. “Uh, how did you know?”

  “I know kids. Some are great with strangers, others are not.”

  “If only it were that simple,” she said then a panicked look crossed her pretty face. “Thanks for understanding.”

  Eddie nodded. He’d met chronically shy children in his line of work but he had no idea what caused them to be so insecure or how to deal with them. His plan to keep to himself seemed even more attractive than before.

  CHAPTER 3

  Amy watched Eddie walk away. Behind his tough guy act beat the heart of an intuitive, nice guy. Rigid and anal, but nice. She collected the plates from the table and reentered the house.

  “Is he gone, Mommy?” Raelynn asked.

  “No, sweetheart. Do you remember the last time Mr. Baron and Ms. Kara were here?”

  “Yeah, we went to Eagle Island.” Raelynn shoved pieces of pancake into her tiny mouth. Every day, she looked more and more like her father. The little reminders—the blonde hair, the arched eyebrows, the stubborn tilt of her head—were bittersweet.

  “Remember the boat stopped working?”

  Raelynn nodded, forking more pancake.

  “Well, Mr. Fitzgerald is going to fix it.”

  Her daughter’s eyes sparkled with interest. “I miss the boat. Is he really Mr. Baron’s cousin?”

  “Yes. He’s going to stay with us for a few weeks.”

  Shadows appeared in her blue eyes and her lower lip stuck out. She swiped syrup from her plate with her chubby fingers and licked them. “Why?”

  “Because this is his summer home too and he’s here on vacation.”

  “Why?”

  “People work hard, sweetie, but once in a while they take a break and rest. So they travel somewhere nice, like here, and rest.”

  “Where’s he from?” Raelynn lifted the plate and brought it to her face.

  “Los Angeles, just like Mr. Baron and Ms. Kara.” Amy stared at her daughter and shook her head. “Raelynn Kincaid. What did I say about licking syrup off your plate?”

  Her daughter peeked from behind the plate and giggled. “The bad manners goonies will glue my tongue to the plate.”

  “That’s right. So what are you supposed to do when you are done eating?”

  “Put my plate in the sink and wash it with water, not my tongue,” she recited it like a poem then gave Amy a lost puppy look. “Sorry I forgot, Mommy.”

  Oh, she didn’t play fair. Amy walked to her side and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Put it in the sink.”

  Her daughter slid down the stool and walked to the sink. “Can I help with the dishes, Mommy? Please? I promise not to make a mess.”

  Empty promise.

  “Sure, sweetheart,” Amy said. She looked outside and caught Eddie walking down the dock. He was graceful for such a big man, his loose hipped swagger mesmerizing. He stepped off the dock and onto the boat, which was still on its lift.

  “Mommy?”

  She dragged her gaze away from Eddie to her daughter. Raelynn had stepped up on the stool by the sink and her short, chubby arms were elbow deep in the soapy water.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  “You have a funny look on your face. Is it because of Mr. Fiss…Fiss?”

  “Just call him Mr. Eddie.” Yes, Amy. Why are you staring at your houseguest? She didn’t understand why she always gravitated toward serious, quiet guys. They were nothing but trouble. Emotionally unavailable. Married to their jobs. “I’m looking at the boat and hoping we can take it out soon. I’ve missed it.”

  “Me too. Do you really think Mr. Eddie will fix it?”

  “Absolutely.” He looked like the unstoppable type.

  “Does he fix boats in Los Angeles? Mr. Baron and Ms. Kara clean pictures, you write books, Aunt Lauren sells houses, Grampa and Granma teach. When I grow up I’m going to be a writer just like you, so I never ever leave the house.”

  Amy’s heart squeezed. She hoped Raelynn would become more secure and confident, that the ugliness she’d been exposed to in her young life would be replaced by beautiful memories. Her daughter had made so much progress the last few months, but from her refusal to meet Eddie, they still had a long way to go.

  “I don’t know what Mr. Eddie does for a living, sweetie, but I’m sure whatever it is, he’s very good at it. Hey, how about we make him some fresh lemonade so he can work faster on the boat? We haven’t checked on the eagles in weeks.”

  “Yeah!”

  They finished with the dishes and were in the middle of making lemonade when the doorbell dinged. Leaving Raelynn stirring the pitcher, Amy went to answer the door.

  “Lauren.” They hugged. “Since when do you ring the doorbell?”

  “Since you have a guest,” Lauren whispered, then glanced past Amy and looked around. “Where is he? Did you two work things out?”

  “Oh yes. Come on in. He won’t bite. He’s actually in the back working on the boat.” Amy led the way to the kitchen.

  “Aunt Lauren!” Raelynn yelled, almost tripping as she stepped down from the stool and ran to give Lauren a hug.

  “Whoa, munchkin.” Lauren squatted to give the little girl a hug, a major feat in her high-heels and pencil skirt suit. “You’ve grown since I last saw you.”

  “I have?”

  “Of course you have. See?” She touched Raelynn’s head then hers. “You’re almost as tall as me.”

  “You’re silly.” Raelynn grabbed Lauren’s hand and tugged. “We’re making lemonade for Mr. Eddie. Mom said it’s the best we’ve ever made. We added fresh mint leaves from our mint bush.”

  “Mr. Eddie?” Lauren asked, glancing over her shoulder at Amy.

  Amy shrugged. “Fitzgerald is a bit mouthy.”

  Raelynn climbed back on the stool and the three of them looked outside. Eddie was removing his shirt, muscles moving in perfect motion. He threw the shirt on the seat and looked toward the house as though he knew he was being watched. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a pair of sunglasses, and put them on.

  “Holy crap on a cracker,” Lauren murmured then she made eye contact with Amy and fanned herself.

  Amy shrugged and faked indifference.

  “I guess the Fitzgeralds are blessed with some amazing genes,” Lauren added in a breathless voice. “I thought Baron was something, but this…”

  Amy grinned. “So are you going to introduce yourself or just stand here and ogle?”

  Lauren touched her hair. “How do I look?”

  The combination of her pitch black, waist-length hair, porcelain skin and gray-blue eyes was striking. Suddenly, Amy was aware her unflattering cut-offs and tank top. She tugged at the top.

  “You look amazing, Lauren.”

  She glanced outside and a feral smile curled her dark-red lips. “Sometimes a girl has to pack a lot more than looks, Amy. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Amy watched Lauren pick her way down the stone path to the pier. The sound of her heels on the wooden surface must have alerted Eddie because he looked up. He stepped off the boat, wiped his hand on a rag and shook Lauren’s hand. Within minutes, their laughter reached the house. What were they talking about? If only she could eavesdrop on their conversation. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Amy stepped away from the window. She was being ridiculous. Their conversation was n
one of her business.

  Amy put the pitcher of lemonade in the fridge then turned to her daughter with a broad grin. “Well, sweetie. Where do you want to visit this morning? Sand-o-ville?”

  The previous owners had grandchildren and had gone a little overboard creating a sandpit by the pier. It was Raelynn’s favorite play place, but her daughter shook her head this morning, her thumb slipping into her mouth.

  Amy frowned. Raelynn had stopped sucking her thumb weeks ago. Her pediatrician had said it calmed her down, but it was bad for her growing teeth. Amy gently tugged the hand away from Raelynn’s mouth.

  “How about a brief visit to the Crayon-a-castle?” Her tiny coloring desk, shaped like a castle, sat a few feet away from Amy’s workstation in the living room.

  Raelynn shook her head again, blonde curls whipping around her tiny ears.

  Maybe they could read together. She had turned the corner of Raelynn’s room into a reading and play area with a large bean bag, stuffed animals, toys and cute racks for books. Whenever her daughter was indoors, that was where she disappeared to.

  Amy placed a hand on her ear and pretended she was hearing sounds from a distance. “I think I hear the citizens of Read-a-kingdom calling for their princess?”

  “No. TV-land.”

  “TV-land? That’s so boring.”

  A mutinous expression settled on Raelynn’s face. “I want to watch TV.”

  It was going to be one of those days. “Okay. One episode of Sesame Street.”

  Raelynn ran to the study, leaving Amy in the kitchen. The weather was too beautiful for her daughter to be indoors, but short of forcing her to go outside and play, there was nothing Amy could do. Somehow, she must find a way to convince her Eddie was not Nolan. Otherwise she’d be running two households, one for their guest and the other for her and her daughter. She’d tried it with Baron and Kara and it didn’t work.

  Outside, Lauren and Eddie were still talking and laughing. Ignoring them, Amy finished the dishes and pans, wiped down the surfaces then went to clean the patio table. She noticed a few shards of glass she’d missed earlier when she’d swept the broken light bulbs. Raelynn and the neighbors’ kids walked around the patio in their bare feet and the last thing she wanted was a trip to the ER.