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  “He’s a cool old bird so I didn’t think he’d give you any troubles where Bean is concerned,” Jake says.

  I turn back around and re-enter the conversation. “Jake mentioned that you got a new job a few months back. What are you doing?” I ask even though I already know, making eye contact with her for the first time since the whole conversation started.

  “I’m working at Andrews and Levine Law Office in town. I’m the administrative assistant to Mr. Andrews making his coffee, answering the phones, managing his schedule, and plenty of typing. Unfortunately, since he’s so close to retirement and will be turning the entire business over to his son-in-law, he’s not taking any new clients these days so the days tend to be long.”

  “Sounds kinda boring,” I reply after taking the last swig from my beer bottle.

  “Oh, it is,” she says with a laugh. “But he pays me really well and lets me leave if I need to take care of Brooklyn. Plus, he hired me with no experience what so ever. He’s a sweet ol’ man.”

  “I’m glad he’s taking care of you,” Jake chimes in. Jake’s always been the protective big brother. He goes ape-shit if anyone hurts his baby sister, physically or emotionally. I smile a little as I recall the last douchebag who hurt her. Seeing Drake bleeding on the ground and gasping for air after the punch Jake landed to his stomach is one of my favorite memories.

  Jake helped Avery get the job at the law firm a couple of months back. She had been working as a waitress in the diner on Main Street and was struggling with the schedule to take care of Brooklyn. All her brothers and parents pitched in, but her hours were sometimes unpredictable and made it difficult when she was called in last minute. Jake and I went to school with the oldest Andrews boy so when he heard that Mr. Andrews’ secretary quit, he called him up. Avery was pissed for weeks. Once she realized she had a fixed income and set hours though, she finally let her anger go a little. But, man, did she give Jake hell for interfering again.

  Just then Mrs. Stevens comes into the family room with Brooklyn’s hand in hers and announces that dinner is ready. As all of the other guys start filing out of the room and heading towards the dining room for dinner, I take the opportunity to excuse myself from Jake and Avery and head to the bathroom to wash my hands. Maybe a little cold water splashed on my face wouldn’t hurt either.

  There is something about those intoxicating chocolate brown eyes. Every time I come face to face with Maddox Jackson, I want to confess all my secrets. His eyes are his best feature. And that’s saying a lot considering the rest of him is perfection. Maddox is almost as tall as Jake, I’d guess six foot two. His coal black hair is just long enough on the top to run your fingers through it. His shoulders are broad, his body is hard and chiseled, and his smile is panty-wetting sinful. As he walks away towards the restroom, I glance down at his perfect rear fit snugly into a pair of worn Levi’s. I almost audibly sigh until I remember I’m standing with Jake.

  I glance at him and plaster on my best smile. He watches me with his eyebrow slightly raised and I can tell his wheels are turning as if he’s onto me and my big secret. Not-so-subtly changing the subject and steering him towards the dining room, I ask, “How’s the job?”

  “Good. We busted a meth lab on Friday. Stupid kids could have blown themselves and all their neighbors sky high.”

  Jake and Maddox are local deputies and have been best friends for as long as I can remember. Following their high school graduation, both enlisted in the Marines for four years, excelling in shooting and becoming snipers. It was no surprise when they returned home after their tour of duty and entered the police academy. Jake and Maddox were teammates on the football field, brothers in the military, and now partners in the squad car.

  We walk into the dining room as Mom is placing Brooklyn in her booster seat to the right of my chair. As my brothers start to sit, I realize that the only seat left open is the chair to my left. Maddox walks into the dining room, looks around, and locks eyes with me as it dawns on him that the only seat is smack dab between the kid sister and Jake. But in true Maddox fashion, I can’t read his facial expressions, and his face remains neutral as he walks towards me.

  “This one must be mine,” he says as he sits down between me and Jake.

  I give a nod and serve a little mashed potatoes and gravy on Brooklyn’s plate. I add a little corn and a small slice of homemade meatloaf handing her a small plastic toddler fork with a Disney princess on it. She’s independent as all get out and has gotten to the age where she won’t allow anyone to help her eat anymore. More food will probably be on her face, in her lap, and smeared on her booster seat than in her little belly, but she’ll be happy and content, and honestly, that’s all that matters.

  I load my plate with Mom’s meatloaf and all the trimmings and realize Maddox has yet to help himself to any food. “Aren’t you eating?” I ask.

  “Ladies first,” he replies and hands me a homemade yeast roll.

  I swoon inside at his manners and start handing him bowls. After he’s piled on the food, he starts politely talking to Jake and my dad at the end of the table. I take the opportunity to check out his features from the side. Strong jaw, nose with a slight bump left over from defending his little sister, Jessica, at his senior prom when her date got a little handsy, and that jet black hair slightly curling around his ears as if to confirm he’s overdue for a haircut. I realize I’m practically staring and glance away before I get caught. I look up across the table straight into the questioning eyes of Nate. Busted. He raises his eyebrow as if daring me to deny the fact that I was just ogling my brother’s best friend behind his back. I quickly look away and tend to Brooklyn who is happily smearing mashed potatoes across her face in an attempt at shoveling them into her mouth. A smile creeps across my face as I watch her eat her dinner. Mom is at the end of the table on the other side of Brooklyn, so I strike up a conversation with her to keep my focus on that end of the table and away from Maddox.

  The conversations around the table are light and happy like most Sunday night dinners at my parent’s house. We’ve been getting together every Sunday since my brothers all graduated from school and started living on their own. When mom started this, we were off to a rocky start to the tradition. They would constantly groan about Sunday night family dinners, but I know they secretly loved it because nothing beats mom’s home cooked food. Not to mention they always leave with leftovers, and for a bachelor, that’s a heck of a lot better than take out or microwave meals every night. This is one of the rare times when all four of my brothers are here together. Being a deputy means Jake works every other weekend, though even when he’s on duty, he sometimes manages to swing by and grab a plate of food to go.

  As dinner winds down, everyone begins to head into the family room for more Sunday Night Football. After I scrub the remains of her dinner off her face, Brooklyn heads into the family room on Nate’s back. Her absence gives me the chance to stay behind to help mom with the clean-up and dishes. Lord knows my brothers aren’t going to do it.

  “How are things going, honey?” she asks as she hands me another bowl to place in the dishwasher.

  “Good,” I respond.

  “Have you seen any of your old classmates or school friends lately?”

  “Not really. Most of them are still off finishing college or starting their lives somewhere else.” I can already tell where she’s going with this entire line of questioning. She’s beating around the bush about discussing the latest in what I like to call ‘The Drake Saga’. A few weeks back during our Sunday dinner she informed me that she ran into Drake’s mother at the bakery. His mom was ordering cookies for a dinner party she was hosting later in the week to meet Drake’s latest girlfriend, Kelsey. Kelsey is a college junior and a fashion major to boot. It doesn’t surprise me that Drake is dating a college girl. In fact, each time he cheated it was with a younger girl. Drake is three years older than me which makes him twenty-five now. I hope for Kelsey’s sake, she wises up before she finds he
rself pregnant and alone like I did.

  My mom watches me as I finish stacking the plates in the dishwasher. “You know, Mom, I’m over him. It took a while, but I got there. It’s his loss that he’ll never know how wonderful his daughter is, but that was his choice, not mine. And I’ve made peace with that. I don’t need him or his money in our lives. He made his choice to leave me and our unborn child four years ago and it looks like he hasn’t lost any sleep over it.”

  I finish loading the dishwasher and turn to look at my mom. She watches me with that motherly look that leaves no question in my mind that she supports me in the difficult decisions I have had to make. “I’m okay with being alone right now, Mom. As bad as it hurt, at least I found out before we got married. That’s the important part. Plus, I got the best out of that relationship the day I had Brooklyn. I don’t need anything else.”

  A throat clears and we both look over at Jake and Maddox standing in the doorway.

  “Sorry to interrupt but I think Bean is getting sleepy,” Jake says sheepishly after walking into what he would define as an “uncomfortable conversation”. Any time there’s “girl talk”, Jake takes off faster than a race horse heading towards the finish line.

  I look over at my daughter curled up on Maddox’s chest doing everything she can to fight closing her eyes. Seeing my daughter curled up against his big, broad chest causes my stomach to flutter and my insides give a little quiver. My heart stops and then speeds up again like I just finished running a half marathon.

  “It’s getting close to bedtime. We better head out,” I say glancing down at my wristwatch, hoping no one notices my words were slightly breathless.

  “I’ll help you gather her stuff,” Jake says and turns to go collect Bean’s belongings most likely strewn from one end of the house to the other.

  “I’ve got your leftovers bagged up for you too, honey.” Mom reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bag of delicious goodies.

  Maddox strolls through the front door still holding my baby girl in his arms. Jake already walked through the door a few moments before and has started piling the travel bag and leftovers in the seat of the Wrangler. As I lean forward with my hands extended to take Brooklyn from Maddox, I breathe in an intoxicating whiff of his cologne. It’s a combination of the outdoors and a wild musk that makes me want to wrap myself around his body and run my nose down his neck inhaling his deliciousness. I feel an uncontrollable shiver rake through my body at the intense reaction I have to him, to his scent. “I’ll put her in her car seat,” Maddox’s voice breaks into my naughty little daydream.

  “Okay. Thank you,” I say and it comes out a little squeaky.

  As Maddox buckles Brooklyn into her seat, the rest of the family starts filing out of the house and approaches my Jeep. I offer a round of hugs to my parents, Will, Nate, Travis, and even Clint.

  “See you next week, baby girl,” Dad says giving me another big, all-consuming hug.

  “I’ll see you soon, honey,” Mom chimes in as she kisses my cheek. I join her at the bakery during my lunch hour almost every day. I enjoy spending that little bit of time with her without too many customer or family interruptions.

  I climb into my Wrangler and give everyone a wave goodbye. The family drifts back into the house as I start up my vehicle and shift into reverse. I glance back up to the front door one more time and see Maddox standing there watching me go. He gives me a small, sexy half smile before he turns to head back into the house.

  That smile. “Well damn,” I say out loud with a sigh. I pull out of the driveway and head back towards Rivers Edge, picturing the beautiful smile and chocolate brown eyes that will surely be filling my dreams tonight.

  *****

  I decide since Brooklyn is trying to sleep in the backseat, I’ll take a little detour and drive past my favorite house in Rivers Edge. I am drawn to this house like a moth to a flame. It’s a beautiful two story home with a tan colored brick on the bottom level and tan siding on the top. Bay windows frame the front door and overlook the large front porch. There’s a hand paved stone walkway with a beautiful flower border that blooms in the spring and early summer and a privacy fence around the large backyard. A two car attached garage with a shop area on the back sits towards the back of the lot. This house is my dream home.

  I park at the curb and stare into the darkened house. When I close my eyes, I can see the kids running up and down the front steps, riding bikes in the driveway, and swinging on the swing set in the backyard. I picture the barbeques in the backyard and quiet nights on the back patio.

  I have no idea what the inside looks like because I’ve never actually been inside the house. It’s a fairly newer home, built within the past ten years. The couple who built it relocated somewhere north for work, but didn’t sell the house. Rumor has it they kept it exactly as is so that when they are ready to move back, it’ll be here waiting. A shame for such a beautiful house to sit empty.

  I sit in my Jeep in front of the house, lost in my daydream, for a little bit longer. Finally, I sigh and put the Jeep in gear heading home. Someday. Someday, I’ll be able to give Brooklyn this kind of home with plenty of room to play and run. Maybe I’ll even fill it with the sounds and laughter of a larger family. Someday.

  “You wanna hit Jack’s Pub tonight?” Jake asks as we walk towards his older pick-up truck. I throw the leftovers up on the dash as we head out of the drive back towards town.

  “Better take a rain check. You know we have that early staff meeting before our shift starts.”

  “You’re just avoiding the place because you don’t want to run into Vanessa again,” Jake smarts off with a cocky smirk on his face. Vanessa, AKA “the clinger”, was a girl I dated a handful of times. We had a great time, a few dates that turned into a few nights back in her bed, but I realized real quick that she was the clinging, husband hunting type. If there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s long-term. No commitments. I’m not husband material. Even after breaking it off, she has continued to call and text me. She has dropped by the precinct on several occasions going so far as to stop at my house at all hours of the night. Now she’s started frequenting my favorite hang-out which is precisely why I have been avoiding Jack’s on the weekends for the past several weeks.

  I don’t bring girls to my house as a rule. They start getting ideas about staying the night. After we’ve had our fun, I just want to head out and go back to my own place. I don’t want to snuggle or spoon or any of that other mushy shit that girls want to do. I want to fuck. Show a girl a great time for a little while and then leave. I learned in high school that there are plenty of girls out there looking for a little fun. Hell, Jake and I are sort of pros at it. We head to our favorite pub, have a few drinks, buy a couple of drinks for the like minded ladies, and then pair off with our choices back at their place. But I always wake up in my own bed the next morning, and I’m always alone. That’s the way I like it.

  I realize Jake is watching me, waiting on me to confirm what he already knows. “You’re right. I want to avoid all that Vanessa shit tonight. I think I’m gonna go for a run and just relax. Maybe have a few more beers.”

  “You could always hit the Pub and find another date for the evening. Have you seen Kim since she got back to town? Rumor has it she ditched her husband and is looking for fun. Lots of fun,” he says with a sly grin.

  Divorcees are favorites of ours. Most of the time, they’re only interested in some no-strings sex, and they’re usually still man-hating so I don’t have to worry about any husband hunting. The one type I avoid at all costs is clingy. Divorcees are fun and maybe that’s what I need tonight. Maybe I should head up to the Pub with Jake and take Kim home for the night.

  But as quickly as that thought enters my mind, so does an image of crystal blue eyes and long blond hair. I can’t think about sex without thinking of Avery. For some reason, the thought of going to Jack’s and picking up Kim, or any other chick, isn’t settling right with me. What the hell is wrong with me?r />
  Jake pulls up in front of my house, and I climb out. I throw my oldest friend a little wave and head into my quiet house. I quickly change my clothes and throw on my favorite worn running shoes. I grab my mp3 player from the kitchen counter before I head out the door. After a few quick stretches in the quiet of my front yard, I contemplate which route I’m taking tonight. As I head towards the park, my mind is filled with those endless blue eyes and a gorgeous smile. Blond hair that begs for me to dive my hands into as I hold her head still and devour her mouth. I wonder if she makes little noises when she’s being kissed like she does when she’s concentrating on something? Those little noises from the back of her throat turn me on like nothing I’ve ever heard.

  I crank up the AC/DC as I turn into the park and head towards the walking path. The mid-October air is very cool and stings my cheeks. My mind is racing and even some classic 80’s rock isn’t cutting it tonight. I don’t know what it is about Avery, but she scrambles my damn brain cells. One minute I’m thinking about joining someone in bed and the next I’m wishing that someone was Avery. If Jake could read my mind, I’m pretty sure I’d be dead by now.

  There are a million reasons why I shouldn’t be thinking about her at all. One, there’s Jake. He’s my best friend, and I’d be breaking the unwritten guy code if I so much as thought about her naked. And now I’m thinking about her naked. With her long, lean legs and curves in all the right places, I bet she’s fucking hot naked.

  Then there’s the ten year age gap. That doesn’t help. And that brings me to my next hang-up; she has a kid. A kid! I don’t know anything about kids, nor do I really want to. But, I have to admit, that kid is pretty cool. I don’t mind being around her. Jake watches Brooklyn for Avery every once in awhile on our days off, and I have discovered that I actually don’t mind hanging out with him while she’s there. Now, other kids? Hell no. Just the sound of a screaming, crying kid in the grocery store is enough for me to abandon my cart and run straight back out the front door.