“I’d like to have an affair with you.”

Dedicated kindergarten teacher Erin MacDonald isn’t the type to make the first move on a man—especially gorgeous David McCay, her secret crush. But when a crisis involving one of her pupils offers a chance to help the pro baseballer turned local brewery owner, Erin goes way out of her comfort zone. So way out she makes a shocking suggestion!

David moved to the Colorado mountain town to look after his sister and her son. Now he’s a stand-in parent to his nephew, trying to fight his attraction to Erin...who just propositioned him. David is nobody’s hero. So why can’t he convince the sweet, kindhearted beauty that she deserves better than him? Is it because they’re the perfect imperfect match?

“I wanted to check on Rhett.”

He moved closer, crowding her a little. But she didn’t step back. She stood her ground. “That’s not all you want,” he whispered.

There weren’t enough words in the English language to cover all the things she wanted from David. From life. From this moment.

“Ask me again,” he told her, threading his fingers through her hair. The desire she saw in his blue eyes mesmerized her. A longing that matched her own, making her need grow that much more intense. “Ask me to have an affair with you.”

“Kiss me,” she said instead. Those two words were the only ones she could force her mouth to form at the moment.

He lowered his mouth to hers, claiming her lips with a force she felt all the way to her toes. How could the way he touched her feel both infinitely gentle and demanding at the same time? She wound her arms around his neck and gave herself over to the sensation. It was too much and not enough, and she whispered the one word that pounded through her whole body, “More.”

* * *

Crimson, Colorado: Finding home—and forever—in the West

Romancing the Wallflower

Michelle Major

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MICHELLE MAJOR grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

To all my favorite Broadmoor Elementary teachers.

Thanks for everything you do for our kids.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“Stop staring at the hottie brewmaster’s butt.”

Erin MacDonald choked on the gulp of strawberry daiquiri she’d just swallowed. “I’m not staring at anyone’s butt,” she said as she grabbed a wad of napkins and dabbed at her chin and shirtfront. “And don’t talk so loud.”

Melody Cross, one of the second-grade teachers at Crimson Elementary, snorted. “It’s a crowded bar on a busy Thursday night. No one can hear me.”

But Melody had the kind of booming voice that could quiet a room full of squirming eight-year-olds the afternoon before summer break. The tall table they stood at was a good five feet from the bar, but Erin swore she saw the man’s broad shoulders stiffen.

“Want me to take a picture of him?” Suzie Vitale, her fellow kindergarten teacher, offered with a tipsy smile. “It lasts longer.”

Before Erin could stop her, the curvy blonde aimed her phone at the backside of the gorgeous guy who not only worked the bar but also owned Elevation Brewery. The brewpub had opened a little over a year ago and had become a popular hangout for both locals and tourists in the quaint mountain town of Crimson, Colorado.

Erin had noticed David McCay, the brewery’s owner, the first time she’d stepped into the nouveau rustic—and very on-trend for Colorado—space. He was tall and lean, with dark blond hair that curled around the collars of the flannel shirts he favored. David McCay was as handsome as a movie star and built like he spent endless hours tossing huge sacks of barley—or whatever it was beer brewers did.

Erin, who was built like she spent her days sitting cross-legged on a reading rug, had surreptitiously watched him each time she came into the bar with friends or coworkers for a random happy hour or birthday celebration. He was often tending bar or sometimes she’d spot him coming out from the back, wearing the heavy rubber boots and backward ball cap that she’d quickly learned were his uniform when actually brewing beer.

Colorado was known for its craft brews, and the fact that Elevation had made a name for itself so quickly was a testament to his hard work and talent at running a business.

At least that’s what Erin wanted to believe. Her mother liked to remind Erin that she too often assumed the best about people, which allowed them to regularly take advantage of her.

But David McCay hadn’t taken advantage of her, even though it was the stuff of her fantasies. Even though his nephew, Rhett, was now in her kindergarten class and David had been with the boy and his mother for back-to-school night. Erin had barely been able to put a sentence together with David towering over the other adults in the back of her classroom, but he hadn’t bothered to acknowledge her. Heck, it was doubtful he even knew she existed.

Except when she blinked and looked up, he was staring straight at her. Sparks of awareness flamed through her body, setting every inch of her skin on fire. He lifted one thick brow as if he could read her thoughts. Which might be impossible since it felt like all of her brain cells had spontaneously combusted under the weight of his stare.

She heard Melody giggle behind her, and Suzie gave her a little shove forward. David now stood at the edge of the bar, only a short distance from her, with movement all around him. Customers in groups laughed and talked. A waitress set her tray on the rich wood bar top. A group of women near the edge of the bar vied for his attention. But his focus remained on Erin.

Then something—someone—suddenly blocked her vision. Cole Bennett, Crimson’s recently elected sheriff, was talking to David. Cole was also tall and broad, and to use one of her mom’s favorite expressions, made a better door than a window.

Erin shifted to the right as she overheard Cole mention Rhett, David’s nephew. David’s gaze hardened and his jaw clenched. Unable to stop herself, she moved forward, sidestepping a couple heading toward the back of the bar and a group of twentysomething guys who looked like they’d just come off a hiking trail, until she stood directly behind the sheriff.

She was five feet four inches tall in the clogs she favored for work, so both men towered over her and were completely unaware she was listening to their conversation. Invisibility was Erin’s unintentional superpower. She knew much more than she should about her coworkers and neighbors, simply because people didn’t notice she was there.

“Rhett is safe,” Cole told David. “But they can’t get him to come out.”

“What the hell was Jenna thinking?” David asked, then scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “No, don’t answer that.”

“She’s in trouble, David. The crowd she’s running with—”

“I’ll handle it.” He pulled a set of keys out of one of the pockets in his tan cargo pants. “I just need to tell Tracie I’m leaving for the night. I’ll be over for Rhett.”

“I have to call Social Services,” Cole said softly, and Erin felt the tension ratchet up a notch.

“Give me some time with him first, okay?”

“Can you—”

“I’ll handle it,” David repeated. He moved behind the bar and spoke to the woman filling two pint glasses from the tap.

The sheriff walked out of the bar, patrons instinctively clearing a path for him although he wasn’t in uniform tonight.

When she looked up, David McCay stood toe-to-toe with her. She realized she’d moved forward to block his path from behind the bar.

In her daydreams, she’d compared his eyes to the brilliant summer sky above the ragged peak of Crimson Mountain or the iridescent cobalt of a tropical lagoon. But now his frosty stare was more like the ice blue of a glacier, so cold a shiver passed through her.

“I don’t have time for this, sweetheart. You and your friends are going to have to play your liquid courage bar games with someone else.”

“It’s not a game,” Erin said.

“Darlin’, you ordered a froofy drink in my bar. It’s either a game or a joke.”

This close to David, the heat and frustration radiating off him made her feel different from the woman she knew herself to be. She was aware of her body in a way that was new and exhilarating. She wanted more. She wanted...something she couldn’t name. Still, the promise of it made her weak with longing.

Also braver than she’d ever been. Or maybe crazy was a better word, because when he moved to step around her, she placed a hand on his arm.

“I can help with your nephew.”

His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. His skin burned hers, and the rough hair on his forearm tickled her fingers. A current passed through him, the force jolting Erin like she’d been struck by lightning. He stilled and the power it took to rein in all the things she imagined he was feeling right now made an answering strength bubble up inside her.

“Let me help, David.” It was the first time she’d spoken his name out loud. To her friends, he was simply “the hottie brewmaster.”

“You’re drunk,” he said, his gaze focused on where her fingers wrapped around his arm.

“No. I only had one drink. I’m fine now. Promise.” She lifted her hand. “Rhett is in my class,” she said, in case this enormous, angry man truly had no idea who she was.

“I know.” One side of his mouth almost quirked. “I came to back-to-school night.”

So she wasn’t quite invisible to David McCay. A little thrill tickled down her spine. “I’ve connected with him. He responds to me.”

David’s cool blue gaze met hers again, and he gave a brief nod. “Let’s go then.”

Erin swallowed. This was really happening. “I just need to tell my friends I’m leaving.”

“My truck is out front,” he said, his voice a low rumble. Then he turned and walked away. Erin had the distinct impression if she didn’t get her butt in gear, he’d readily leave her behind.

No chance she was letting that happen.

“I’ve got to go,” she said as she rushed to where Melody and Suzie stood gawking. She grabbed her purse from the tabletop.

“With the hottie brewmaster?” Melody asked, her voice a high squeak.

Suzie pumped a fist. “No beating around the bush tonight.”

“It’s not like that.” Erin glanced over her shoulder but David was already out the door. “I can’t explain now. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Before her friends could respond, she hurried toward the brewpub’s entrance. The young, flawlessly mountain-chic brunette at the hostess stand gave her the once-over and arched a brow, wordlessly communicating that a woman like Erin had no business following David McCay out into the night.

Normally Erin would agree, but this was more than her hidden crush on the man. It was about helping a troubled five-year-old boy. Erin’s students were family to her, and she took her responsibility to heart. She had a Spidey sense for the ones who needed a little extra; whether it was the child or their family circumstances, Erin made it her mission to connect with every student in her care.

From the moment Rhett McCay had slunk into her classroom clutching his beautiful mother’s arm, Erin’s radar had been on high alert. Jenna McCay clearly loved her son, yet the woman seemed high-strung and flighty. Erin had the impression Rhett’s home life was anything but stable.

She might not have the guts to talk to David on her own, but she was fearless when it came to one of her kids.

A huge black Chevy truck idled near the curb, and she knew David was behind the wheel. Not that she was a stalker or anything, but Crimson was a small town and she’d seen him drop off and pick up Rhett at school several times.

“I’m fearless,” she whispered to herself when her legs wanted to stop on the sidewalk. It was late September and the evening air was crisp, the changing season scenting the breeze.

If Erin were an ice cream flavor, she would be straight-up vanilla. Everything about her life was ordinary, ordered and infinitely normal. Somehow she knew getting into David’s truck was going to add a whole slew of strange toppings to the mix. She might long for adventure, but this wasn’t what she had in mind.

She conjured up Rhett’s sweet face, with his shaggy blond bowl cut and mischievous blue eyes. With a calming breath she moved forward, opened the passenger-side door and climbed in.

“You ready?” David asked in that deep, hot-caramel-syrup voice of his.

Absolutely not, Erin thought.

“I’m ready,” she answered.

* * *

David was going to kill his little sister, if she didn’t manage the task on her own first.

He concentrated on navigating the route from the bar to Jenna’s small apartment complex on the outskirts of Crimson as fast as he could without breaking any laws. He took slow breaths in and out to calm himself. Of course any thoughts of doing her harm were a joke, although she seemed hell-bent on getting into as much trouble as she could find.

Which had been one thing when they were teenagers, but Jenna had Rhett now. The constant stream of dead-end jobs, loser boyfriends and wild partying wasn’t only hurting her. The thought that Rhett would end up somehow irreparably scarred kept David up more nights than he cared to admit.

He’d moved to Crimson from Pittsburgh almost two years ago to watch out for them. But between the hours he’d put in opening the brewery and Jenna’s resentment over what she saw as his attempts to control her life, he hadn’t spent nearly as much time with them as he wanted.

His greatest fear was that he would fail his nephew the same way he’d failed Jenna.

“I’m guessing you and your sister are pretty close?”

David blinked and glanced at the woman sitting next to him in the truck’s cab. Lost in his own thoughts, he’d almost forgotten about his uninvited passenger. What the hell had possessed him to allow Rhett’s kindergarten teacher to come along on this mission anyway?

David was a master at keeping everyone in his life at arm’s length, even Jenna and Rhett. How had this tiny woman with the thick ponytail the color of maple syrup and big eyes to match managed to slip through his defenses?

“We’re Irish twins,” he offered as an answer. “Ten months apart.”

“That must have been fun growing up,” she said, her voice gentle. The exact kind of voice that could lull a classroom of restless kids into sitting in a quiet circle to learn. Most kids anyway. He still had trouble believing Rhett could calm his squirmy body enough to sit still.

“Not for our mom.”

She gave a small laugh. “If Rhett takes after the two of you, your mother had her hands full.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, and felt the knot in his chest loosen slightly at the affection in her voice. David had no problem with his nephew’s rambunctious personality, but he was normally in the minority.

He didn’t say anything more, and Erin didn’t speak for a few minutes. David liked quiet, but other than Tracie at the bar, most women he knew couldn’t tolerate it. The silence that filled his truck now was strangely comforting, like an extra blanket thrown over the bed on a cold winter night. Like all good things, it didn’t last.

“What happened tonight? Is your sister in trouble? Is Rhett okay?”

David sighed. He knew the questions were coming, and he owed the soft-spoken teacher an explanation before they reached the apartment. “How much did you overhear from Cole?”

“No details. Just that there was a problem and Rhett wasn’t cooperating.”

“He’s hiding,” he said, trying in vain to stop the anger and frustration from trickling into his voice. He could feel it seeping through his pores, making his blood run hot and raging. “Apparently he’s wedged under the kitchen sink. Jenna had a party, and things got out of hand. The cops busted it up and found drugs.”

Erin gave a sharp intake of breath, rousing his temper even further, like a backdraft making a fire blaze out of control. “Jenna loves that boy with all her heart, but she’s in a bad way. It’s why I moved to Crimson in the first place.”

“To help your sister?”

To save her, he wanted to answer, but he only nodded. David knew his limitations better than anyone, and he was nobody’s hero.

“She’s been clean for almost two years,” he said without emotion. “It’s been tough, but I thought she had her demons under control. Cole took everyone to the station. They didn’t realize Rhett was there until the place was empty and he made a noise. The deputies tried to get him out, but he freaked and scratched one of the officers. I know Cole so he called me before the social worker.”

He bit the inside of his cheek and waited for the recrimination he deserved. He should have seen the signs that Jenna was teetering on the edge. He knew her better than anyone. Why the hell couldn’t he keep her safe?

He pulled into the parking lot of the shabby apartment complex. There were two buildings, both with faded siding and balconies that looked like they wouldn’t hold the weight of a litter of kittens. He’d begged Jenna to let him help her move to a better place, but his sister was stubborn and resented any time he tried to “take control” of her life.

“We’ll make sure he’s safe,” Erin said as he turned off the truck’s engine.

Safe. The word had haunted him—and tainted every relationship in his life—for over a decade. Now this too-sweet-for-her-own-good woman offered it to his nephew like she had that kind of power. Damn if David didn’t want to believe it was true.

He shifted to face her, the dim light of the parking lot illuminating her face so that her creamy skin looked like something out of a dream. Unable to resist, he ran the pad of his thumb over the ridge of her cheekbone, marveling at how soft her skin felt.

The inherent goodness radiating from her drew him in at the same time he knew he should push her away. Someone like Erin MacDonald had no business knowing the ugly details of his sister’s struggles. She was Rhett’s teacher and nothing more. But he couldn’t let her go quite yet. Tonight she was his talisman. He had to believe having her close would keep the darkness always skirting the edges of his life at bay.

He dropped his hand and they got out of the truck and started toward Jenna’s apartment. Toward the little boy David was determined to keep safe, by any means necessary.

Chapter Two

“Come on, buddy. You’ve got to come out.”

The muscles bunched in David’s broad shoulders as he shifted his weight to one arm and leaned closer, reaching into the open cabinet under the kitchen sink.

A high-pitched scream split the air and several bottles of household cleaners tumbled out onto the scuffed linoleum floor.

David sat back on his knees with a muttered curse. “He bit me,” he said, examining the back of his hand where a semicircle of angry red teeth marks was clearly visible.

“Same thing happened to me,” Cole Bennett whispered. Cole had been waiting at Jenna McCay’s cramped apartment, clearing out the other officers when David and Erin arrived. “I didn’t want to force him out because I was worried he’d get hurt banging his head on the pipes if he struggled.”

The two men, both so strong, looked absolutely baffled at how to lure the young boy from his hiding spot. Erin glanced around the apartment and suppressed a shudder. On every surface, abandoned beer bottles and red plastic cups competed for space with fast-food wrappers and empty chip bags. It looked like a college fraternity house the morning after a huge party. The colorful drawings stuck to the front of the refrigerator were the only hint that a kindergartner lived here.

One of the crayoned pieces of art gave Erin an idea. She moved toward the narrow hallway, stepping over trash until she got to a half-open bedroom door. The space was neat and clean, untouched by the mess in the rest of the apartment. Toys lined one wall and the small bed was covered with a football-themed comforter. She grabbed the stuffed blue dog sitting on top of the pillow and hurried back to the kitchen.

David was once again on all fours in front of the cabinet, speaking so softly she couldn’t make out his words, only the rough yet surprisingly gentle timbre of his voice.

She crouched low next to him and tilted her head until she could see Rhett’s eyes, wide and still terrified. “Rhett,” she said, “It’s Ms. MacDonald. I found your stuffed dog and wanted to let you know he’s okay.”

A faint whimper came from the cabinet. “Ruffie,” the boy whispered.

“Ruffie is safe,” Erin said, using the same tone she would when soothing a child scared of letting go of his mother’s leg on the first day of school. “You’re safe, too. Your uncle David is going to take care of you. But we need you to come out now.”

The boy wedged himself farther into the corner, as if he could make himself invisible. God, Erin did not want this child to feel like he needed to be invisible. David’s large hand settled on the small of her back, and the steady pressure and warmth of his skin were more of a comfort than she would have guessed.

“Ruffie needs you.” She placed the small dog in front of her, just on the edge of the cabinet. “He’s scared and needs a hug. Can you do that for him?”

She held her breath for what felt like an eternity, then released it as the boy slowly unfolded his body and climbed out. Her fingers remained wrapped around the stuffed animal’s back leg to make sure Rhett wouldn’t try to grab it and retreat again.

Once he was in the light, she could see the smudge of dirt on his chin and the tearstains on his ruddy cheeks. Her heart broke for what this young boy had already seen in his life. David made a sound low in his throat and scooped up his nephew and the raggedy blue dog. It was as if a dam broke in Rhett and his whole body began to shake as he burrowed into David’s embrace.

She straightened and stepped away, closer to the sheriff. Somehow it felt wrong to bear witness to the moment between David and Rhett, both tender and raw. It was obvious David was trying to keep his emotions hidden, but pain and guilt were bright on his handsome features, like a stoplight in the dark.

“Nice work,” Cole Bennett said and put a hand on her elbow to lead her to the apartment door. “You’re like a kindergartner whisperer.” She started to turn but stopped at the sound of David’s voice.

“Stay.”

One word, but the intensity of it rocked her to her core.

She glanced up at Cole, who arched a brow.

“I’ll stay,” she told him.

He nodded. “Someone from Social Services will be here soon. I can let them in. They’ll want to talk to David and the boy.”

“We’ll be ready,” she said with more confidence than she felt.

She turned back and followed David to the couch, quickly cleaning off the coffee table and dumping everything into the trash before lowering herself next to him.

Rhett still clung to him, chubby fingers holding fistfuls of flannel shirt in a death grip. “Where’s Mommy?” he asked in a tiny voice.

“She’s...” David paused and his gaze slammed into hers. The pain in his eyes made her want to wrap her arms around both him and Rhett and make this whole night go away. “She’s safe. Sheriff Bennett is taking care of her.”

Erin wondered exactly how Jenna McCay was being cared for, and she hoped that whatever was happening Jenna was coherent enough to feel horrible about the situation she’d created for her son.

“It was loud,” Rhett said. “Mommy’s friends woke me up. I came out to tell her, but there were so many grown-ups and I couldn’t find her. Then everyone started yelling and I got scared and hid under the sink.”

“That was real smart of you,” David told the boy, his hand smoothing Rhett’s sleep-tousled hair.

After a moment Rhett tipped up his head to look at David. “When is Mommy coming home?”

“I’m not sure, buddy. But I’ll stay with you until she does, okay?”

Rhett chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds, then nodded. After a knock at the door, Cole let in a gray-haired woman who appeared to be in her midfifties. She wore a plain white button-down shirt and dark pants and looked about as no-nonsense as they came.

The woman spoke to Cole in hushed tones for a few minutes, then they both approached.

“This is Becky Cramer from the county Human Services department,” Cole said.

Becky gave David a small nod, then bent to look at Rhett. “You’ve had quite a night,” she said gently.

“It was loud,” Rhett said, turning in David’s lap but not releasing his shirtfront.

“I’m David McCay.” David offered the woman his hand. “Rhett’s uncle. He’ll stay with me while we sort out things with Jenna.”

Becky shook his hand, then glanced at Erin.

“I’m Rhett’s kindergarten teacher, Erin MacDonald.” She saw a flash of surprise pass over Becky’s sharp features.

Right. How was she supposed to explain why she’d ended up on the couch with David and Rhett, caught up in the middle of family drama that had started long past regular school hours?

“Erin is a friend of mine,” David answered. Becky seemed to have no issue with that response, whereas Erin had trouble keeping her jaw from hitting the floor. Friends with David McCay? In what lifetime?

Men like David didn’t have boring kindergarten teachers as friends. Before he came to Crimson, he’d been a major-league baseball pitcher. He must be used to drop-dead gorgeous women who were exciting and sexy.

Erin knew she was boring. And ordinary. Not at all David’s type. She’d had a boyfriend last year—an accountant at a firm in town. He was quiet, average and exactly her type. Greg had broken up with her to date someone who was better than average, but that didn’t mean Erin could change the person she was on the inside. No matter how much she wanted to try.

David had been her unrequited crush since the moment she’d first seen him. It was a harmless fantasy with no chance of rejection. Never had she expected to get to know him, let alone be part of his life in this kind of personal way.

Her mind drifted to that moment in the car when he’d traced his thumb over her cheekbone. The simple touch had sent shock waves rippling through her and ignited a kind of flash-point desire Erin hadn’t realized she was capable of feeling.

“It’s important the school and the family work together,” Becky said, bringing Erin back to the current conversation with a jolt, “to keep the boy’s life as stable as possible during this time.”

She looked at Rhett, who had fallen asleep in David’s arms. “Let me put him to bed,” she whispered, “while you two finish talking.”

David relaxed his grip, allowing her to lift the boy into her arms. She made sure to take the stuffed dog, too. Rhett remained asleep as she tucked him back into bed, sighing when his head hit the pillow. Erin sat on the mattress for several minutes, rubbing the boy’s back to make sure he didn’t wake again. She couldn’t imagine how scared he must have been earlier, unable to find his mother and with the wild party in full swing.

She made a silent vow. She would keep him safe, no matter how far out of her comfort zone—and tangled up with David McCay—that led her.

* * *

It was almost two in the morning before David let himself into the apartment, exhausted and emotionally drained. Erin had agreed to stay while he went to see Jenna. Cole was keeping her overnight on possession charges but had agreed to drop them if she entered a rehab program.

David had helped his sister get clean once before, and it was a rough road. She swore that tonight’s tumble off the wagon was a onetime occurrence. David wanted to believe her, yet he’d heard so many excuses over the years. All he knew was he had to protect his nephew. There could be no repeats of what Rhett had gone through tonight.

It never should have happened in the first place, and he couldn’t stop blaming himself.

The apartment was quiet when he entered, and he found Erin asleep on the couch, curled on her side as if she didn’t want to take up too much space. It blew his mind that the buttoned-up schoolteacher had so willingly pitched in to help with his hot mess of a life. He understood that Rhett was her student. But David had never encountered a teacher like her.

Hell, he would have paid a lot more attention in school if he’d had someone like Erin MacDonald in his corner.

If possible, she looked more luminously beautiful asleep than she did awake. She was like a damn fairy-tale princess with her creamy skin, straight nose, rosy cheeks and the long, dark hair that fell over her face. It was easier to study her now than when those too-knowing bourbon-colored eyes were staring back at him.

He covered her with a blanket and went to check on Rhett. Unlike Erin, the boy was sprawled across the bed, arms and legs reaching out like a starfish. Jenna claimed she’d meant to have only her new boyfriend and a few of his buddies to the house to watch the Broncos play, but things had gotten out of hand. According to Cole, the boyfriend was serious bad news, having had more than a few run-ins with law enforcement over the years.

How the hell did Jenna manage to attract the biggest scumbags on the planet every time she found a new man? He would have asked her, wanted to rail and shout, but she’d looked so defeated sitting alone in the holding cell. She understood she’d messed up and he knew from experience that heaping on more condemnation would only put her on the defensive.

Fear and guilt had warred in his sister’s pale blue eyes, along with the remnants of a long-ago pain that she could hide from most of the world, but not from him. She’d agreed to check into a treatment program, so finding a place for her would be the first thing on his to-do list after getting Rhett to school in a few hours.

He lowered himself into the recliner next to the couch. Erin had cleaned the messy apartment, another debt of thanks he owed her. David hated owing people anything, had learned the hard way to only depend on himself. Yet he couldn’t help but be grateful for the chance to simply sit and rest for a few minutes.

His eyes drifted shut, although he didn’t intend to fall asleep. The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him awake. He blinked and found himself staring into Erin’s huge brown eyes.

“I have to go,” she whispered. “I need to shower and change before school.”

David blinked and tried to look more with-it than he felt. “What time is it?”

“Almost six in the morning.” She moved away and he had the ridiculous urge to pull her down against him. These past few hours had been the soundest he’d slept in years. Something about having this woman close soothed the demons that waited for him in the dark.

“I’ll give you a ride,” he told her, rising from the chair. His lower back ached, and as he looked around the small apartment, reality came crashing over him like a tidal wave. Today was going to be awful. “I’ll need to wake Rhett and—”

“One of my girlfriends is on her way.” Erin shoved a thick lock of hair behind one ear. “Rhett needs all the sleep he can get. He’s coming to school today, right?”

“Yes,” David answered, mentally listing all the things he had to get done. “He needs a routine now more than ever.”

“How’s your sister?”

“She feels terrible and says she’s committed to straightening out her life once and for all. I need to pick her up this morning and then make arrangements to get her to a treatment facility.”

“So Rhett will be staying with you while she’s in rehab?”

“Yes. Not here. I live in a loft above the brewery.”

“How long is the program?”

He sighed. “A month. Rhett doesn’t know she’ll be gone. I’ll tell him when he wakes up, but she won’t leave until tomorrow afternoon. I want him to spend time with her—to know that she’s okay.”

“It could be traumatic,” Erin said with a nod. “But we’ll get him through.”

He didn’t want to admit how much her words resonated with him. When had he suddenly become afraid of dealing with things on his own? David prided himself on never being dependent on anyone, let alone a woman who’d been a stranger only twelve hours ago.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous habit he’d seen her do several times since they’d left the bar. That moment when he’d caught her staring at his ass felt like a lifetime ago.

He ran a finger across the seam of her lips. “You need to give that lip a break. It’s too pretty to take so much abuse.”

“Oh,” she breathed, pink rushing into her cheeks. He wasn’t sure what had surprised her more—his touch or the fact that he thought her mouth was pretty. Pretty and far too kissable to be good for either of them.

“I appreciate your help,” he said, the words rusty and unfamiliar on his tongue. “I’m going to make sure Rhett has a stable home life, but having a teacher who understands what he’s going through will be important.”

She inclined her head to study him. After everything she’d witnessed and what she’d clearly inferred about the dysfunctional McCay family, it must seem odd for him to suddenly be speaking so formally.

“Of course.” Her brows knit together, causing a small crease to appear on her forehead. He resisted the urge to smooth it away...barely. “I should go. Melody doesn’t live far from here. She’ll be waiting.”

She moved across the small space, and he didn’t say anything until the door to the apartment had almost closed.

“Erin.”

She turned, one hand on the doorknob. “Yes?”

“I’d like to repay you for last night.” The thought of remaining in debt to her—to anyone—chafed his skin like an itch he couldn’t quite reach.

“There’s no need—”

“There is a need.” The need pounding through him to claim her. He tried to convince himself the longing would be quenched if he could do a favor to repay her for—in large part—rescuing him last night. “I could make a donation to your class or host the school’s Christmas party at the bar, free of charge. What do you want?”

She stared at him for several long moments, the air between them growing thick and hot. She cleared her throat and said clearly, “I’d like to have an affair with you.”

Then she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

And David was left staring after her, wondering if the whole thing had been some kind of bizarre dream.

Chapter Three

“You asked him to hit the sheets?” Melody let out a hoot of laughter. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend Erin?”

Erin kept her palms pressed tight against her cheeks, willing her face to stop burning. “Oh my gosh,” she repeated for the tenth time since she’d climbed in Melody’s minivan and told her friend how she’d left things with David. “I’m nobody. I’m delusional. He’s going to think I’m crazy. Maybe I am crazy.”

“You’re not crazy.” Melody reached out and gently pulled Erin’s hands away from her face. “But did you ever think of asking him out on a date?”

“Clearly I wasn’t thinking at all.” Erin shook her head. “And of course I didn’t ask him for a date. David McCay would never go out with someone like me.”

“Bargaining for sex seemed like a better idea?”

Erin groaned. “Oh my gosh.”

“Why wouldn’t he go out with you? You’re cute. You’re nice. You have decent teeth.”

“Decent teeth? My best friend thinks one of my top three selling points is decent teeth? This is even worse than I thought.”

Melody laughed softly. “Suzie and I saw the way he looked at you at the bar last night. It was kind of hot.”

“The way he looks at a parking meter is hot. That’s David. He’s not for me. We both know he’s not for me.”

Her friend didn’t deny it, and Erin wasn’t sure whether to feel justified or hurt by the silent validation.

“Then why make your little request?”

Erin thought about how she’d felt with David watching her across the small apartment. The way she’d seemed to come alive when he’d placed his hand on the small of her back. The longing for something more in her life.

“He asked me what I wanted and my mouth formed the words before my brain could catch up. He is what I want. Not forever. Not for real. But the chance to be with him...”

Melody sighed. “Can you imagine?”

For Erin, fantasizing about David was akin to fangirling over a comic book superhero played by some hot Australian actor on the big screen—larger than life. He was so handsome he took her breath away, but was a whole galaxy out of her league.

He’d probably even look darn good in tights. Erin giggled at the thought, and the fact that she had asked him for an affair. What had she been thinking?

“I want to be seen,” she said softly. “I’m tired of being invisible.”

“We see you,” Melody answered. “The kids see you.”

“They see Ms. MacDonald. For a school year. Then we have kindergarten graduation and they move on. They grow up. They aren’t mine.” She took another breath. “It’s the same reason I’m working with Olivia Travers at the community center on the Crimson Kidzone project.”

“You’re comparing starting an after-school program for at-risk kids to sleeping with the town hottie?”

“Yes.” Erin shook her head. “No. I mean, not when you put it like that. But Kidzone will belong to me. I can make a lasting difference in this community.”

“You do that already. That’s what being a good teacher is all about. Elaina loves you.”

“She’s a great kid, but you know that already.” Melody’s daughter, Elaina, was in Erin’s class this year and was the same mix of sweet and spunky as her mother.

“Takes after her dad,” Melody said with a wink. Melody had two young kids and a husband who worked long hours as one of Cole Bennett’s deputies to provide for his family.

She pulled to a stop at the curb in front of Erin’s apartment building. Erin had lived in her apartment in the converted redbrick Victorian since she’d moved back to Crimson after college. All of her furniture was hand-me-downs from her mother. She had white walls and a shower that never got hot enough and it was all...adequate.

“I want to do more, Mel. I want to be more. Average has always been enough for me, but sometimes I want more than an ordinary life.”

“David McCay sure isn’t average.”

Erin smiled. “It was a stupid request, and I’ll have to apologize. Or maybe he’ll pretend it never happened and save us both a lot of embarrassment.”

“Is that what you want?”

“It’s what I should want. I didn’t help him last night because I expected anything in return. Rhett’s a special kid, but it’s clear his life hasn’t been easy. He definitely has some behavioral issues, but we were making progress in class. He was responding to me. I don’t want him to slip through the cracks.”

“Don’t take it back, Erin. How many women like us get a chance with someone who looks like that?”

“Says the woman with a ridiculously handsome husband.”

“I love Grant to distraction, but we’re already a boring married couple. Let me live vicariously through you and your little adventure. I vaguely remember what it was like to be single and playing the field.”

“You and Grant started dating when we were juniors in high school.”

Melody rolled her eyes. “I said vaguely.”

“I need to shower and get ready.” Erin opened the car door, the morning breeze tickling the hair that had come loose from the ponytail she wore almost every day. “It’s going to be a long one. I’m meeting Olivia at the community center after school to finalize the details on the outreach program.”

Melody leaned over the console as Erin hopped out of the car. “At least reassure me that this business with your hottie brewer has nothing to do with the jerk ex-boyfriend.”

“Nothing at all,” Erin confirmed, and shut the door behind her, never revealing that the fingers of her other hand were tightly crossed behind her back.

* * *

Erin parked around the corner from the Crimson Community Center later that afternoon and kept her head down as she moved along the bustling sidewalk. Growing up, Crimson had been nothing more than a sleepy mountain town, always in the shadow of nearby Aspen, which felt to Erin like the more glamorous and showy older sister.

But in recent years, Crimson had come into its own, attracting new residents and an influx of visitors who appreciated the town’s laid-back vibe and the myriad outdoor fun available in the mountains surrounding it.

Now the town was busy most weekends, even though the summer crowds had dispersed and they had a good two months before ski season kicked off.

She’d managed to avoid David at both drop-off and pickup today, although she’d pulled Rhett aside during reading groups after she’d watched the boy purposely knock a bin of markers to the floor, then blame the mess on Elaina Cross, who sat next to him. At first he’d refused to speak or even make eye contact when she’d brought him into the hallway. Eventually he blinked away tears and told her his mommy was going away to a place that would make her better and he had to stay with his uncle David.

Wrapping Rhett in a tight hug, Erin had reassured him that both his mother and his uncle loved him. She’d cautiously brought up the previous night and they’d talked a little about his fears and how important it was for him to feel safe.

While she couldn’t avoid David forever, a little distance might work to Erin’s advantage. A fierce war was raging between her brain, which wanted the whole embarrassing situation to disappear, and the rest of her body, which was singing the “Hallelujah” chorus at the mere thought that David might agree to her outrageous request.

Erin had been with one and a half men in her lifetime. Well, two men to be exact, but she only counted the first as a half because he’d gotten so drunk during their date that he’d fallen asleep kissing her. Talk about a blow to the ego, and her ego hadn’t been much of a force in the first place. But the jerk ex-boyfriend Melody had referred to was the final nail in Erin’s confidence coffin.

She and Greg Dellinger had dated for six months, and their relationship was fine. Fine. That should have been her clue to run away as fast as she could. She’d watched enough rom-coms to know that falling in love was supposed to be better than fine.

It had been Greg who’d broken up with her, blissfully explaining that he’d fallen in love with a woman who was beautiful, sexy and exciting. Tacitly implying that Erin was none of those things. Not a big shock, but it stung.

Maybe she owed Greg a thank-you, though, because it had been while reevaluating her life—halfway through a carton of Chunky Monkey—that Erin decided she wanted more.

Deserved more.

Changing up her love life was a daunting project, so she’d started her be-more-than-ordinary makeover by contacting Olivia Travers. Ever since she was a girl, Erin had wanted to be a teacher—to help kids learn but also give them a chance to discover all their potential and coax it out.

The same way she’d wished for someone in her life to notice her. With Crimson’s ever-expanding population and changing demographics, she was afraid that the neediest kids in the community were getting overlooked. Lost in the shuffle or with families that didn’t want the stigma of coming forward for assistance.

Olivia, who’d founded the community center two years ago, had the best of intentions but funding was often difficult to come by for free programming. Erin had outlined her plan for Crimson Kidzone, scheduled a meeting and pitched her idea, offering to volunteer her time to start the program and also work on grant writing to gain additional support.

Her friends at school had encouraged her, while her mom wondered why she’d want to spend more time with children than she already had to for her job. Maureen MacDonald was a quiet, keep-to-herself type of woman. She loved Erin and had done her best after Erin’s father died of a sudden heart attack when she was in kindergarten. But Maureen dedicated more of her time to her psychology practice than she did to motherhood, and she and Erin had little other than genetics in common. Her mother was content to remain in her introverted bubble and that’s how she’d raised her only daughter.

Erin was stepping out of that bubble, even if the encounter with David made her want to jump right back into it.

Her nerves disappeared as soon as she walked into the community center. Her personal life might be a hot mess, but she knew in her heart that the after-school project would be a success. She wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Olivia was waiting at the reception desk for her, a chubby-cheeked baby cradled in her arms.

“I hope you don’t mind an audience for our meeting,” she said apologetically. “The babysitter called in sick.”

“Any opportunity to get my dose of snuggles.” Erin shifted her backpack so she could reach for baby Molly, who was the most scrumptious five-month-old she’d ever seen.

The little girl was a perfect mix of her mom and dad. She had eyes the same striking green as her mother’s. But instead of Olivia’s dark hair, she was a towheaded baby with wispy blond hair the same color as Logan Travers’s, Molly’s doting daddy. Erin wasn’t part of the Traverses’ wide social circle, but she’d seen the group of friends around town enough to know that Logan, while big and brawny on the outside, was absolute putty in his daughter’s hands.

“You’re a natural with kindergartners and babies,” Olivia said as she transferred her daughter to Erin. Coming from Olivia, who was naturally beautiful and had the gentle spirit to match, Erin was grateful to receive the compliment. “Did you grow up in a big family?”

A little pang of disappointment passed through Erin as she shook her head and pressed a kiss to the baby’s soft forehead. “I’m an only child, but I always thought it would be fun to have a big family. I love babies.”

“You were meant to be a mother.”

The other woman’s words made something go soft and melty in Erin’s heart. She wanted to be a mother, to have someone—or even better, multiple someones—to call her own. The thought of a baby with David McCay’s big blue eyes made her chest flutter.

“I have a gut feeling,” Olivia continued, “just like I did when you contacted me about the after-school program.” She leaned in closer. “Any potential suitors or shall I put the word out? I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”

“Praise the Lord for your instincts,” a deep voice said, “or you never would have taken a chance on me.” Erin glanced over her shoulder to see Olivia’s husband, Logan, standing right behind her. And next to him...David McCay.

Molly let out a little squeak as Erin squeezed a bit too tightly. She rocked the baby and Molly immediately grinned and tugged on the ends of Erin’s hair.

“That’s right,” Olivia said, leaning into her husband when he moved around Erin and draped an arm across her shoulders. “Can you blame me for wanting everyone to be as happy?”

“I’m happy,” Erin whispered, even though it wasn’t quite the truth. She could feel David’s eyes on her, and although she didn’t meet his gaze, the intensity of his stare made the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

“How about you, David?” Olivia lifted a brow. “You’re single, right?”

“Yep,” came the rumbly answer.

Olivia smiled. “Crimson is the perfect place to find true love.”

“David is here to talk about the beer for Oktoberfest,” Logan said, dropping a kiss on the top of Olivia’s head. “Although I’m sure he appreciates your matchmaking efforts.”

Erin risked a glance at David, who shrugged. Suddenly she was terrified he might reveal what she’d asked him. It was crazy, but she couldn’t stop the fear coursing through her. He opened his mouth but before he could answer, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, even though it was an obvious lie. “I’ve got a boyfriend.”

Olivia looked disappointed. “Well, I guess I wasn’t meant to be a matchmaker after all.”

“We’ll have to find other ways to keep you busy,” Logan said.

“Right now, Erin and I need to go over the last-minute details for her after-school outreach project. The program starts Monday.” She scooped the baby out of Erin’s arms and handed her to Logan. Molly gurgled happily, curling a fist in the soft denim of her daddy’s shirt.

Olivia moved toward the hallway that led to the community center’s classrooms. “You coming, Erin?”

Erin realized she was staring at the baby, her arms strangely empty without the lotion-scented bundle. “Right.” She darted a glance at David, who arched a brow in response.

One small brow arch she felt all the way to her toes.

An imaginary boyfriend. That should end things before they even got started.

Forcing a smile, she looked from David to Logan. “See you both later,” she called, and hurried after Olivia, ignoring the regret that surged through her as she walked away.

Chapter Four

David waited outside the community center’s front door, watching groups of people take to the streets of Crimson on this beautiful fall Friday night. The temperature was quickly cooling, typical at altitude once the sun dipped behind the majestic peak of Crimson Mountain to the town’s west.

He imagined the crowds heading toward Elevation for a drink with friends, a reminder that he should be tending bar tonight. He’d been lucky with the brewery, opening just as the picturesque mountain town was hitting a resurgence and having a knack with brewing the ever-popular craft beers.

But he didn’t take his success for granted. After destroying his baseball career thanks to one night of reckless stupidity, he’d learned to work hard for what he wanted. He should be working now. Or checking in with Jenna, who was spending the night with Rhett in his loft before they drove to Denver tomorrow to put her on the plane headed for the rehab center in Arizona.

He should be a dozen places that didn’t involve standing in the shadows waiting for Erin. David was long past the days of making stupid choices when it came to women, and he’d never had any interest in the type who looked as wholesome as a tall glass of milk.

The door opened and Erin walked out, and all the reasons David shouldn’t be waiting for her disappeared under the relentless drumming of need pulsing through his body. He might not understand his reaction to the beautiful schoolteacher, but neither could he ignore it.

“Tell me about the boyfriend,” he said, stepping out to block her path.

She stumbled back a step, pressing her hand to her cheek. “Holy cow! You scared the pants off me.”

David felt his mouth curve at that. If only.

“No one says holy cow in real life,” he muttered, reaching out a hand to steady her.

She shrugged off his touch. “Clearly people do say holy cow,” she countered. “Because I just did.” She crossed her arms over a chest that could benefit from a low-cut blouse. Oh, yes. David would definitely like to see this woman in something far more revealing than the conservative pastel-colored shirts she seemed to favor.

The thought of undoing a few of her buttons made his blood run alarmingly hot.

“Why are you skulking around out here?”

“I’m not skulking,” he told her. “I’m waiting for you. You were just about to explain why you asked me for sex when you have a boyfriend.”

Her delicate brows winged up. “No, I wasn’t.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want anyone to hear...” Even in the waning light he could see color flood her cheeks. When was the last time he’d been around a woman who actually blushed?

“That you propositioned me?” he supplied.

“Stop,” she said on a hiss of breath. “It wasn’t like that.”

“It sure sounded like that to me. But I guess you need to keep me your dirty little secret since there’s a boyfriend in the picture.” He tapped a finger on his chin, as if pondering the concept. “I’ve never been a kept man before. I’ll admit it has a certain appeal.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re teasing me.”

He didn’t bother to hide his grin. “You seem unfamiliar with the concept.”

She stared at him a moment longer, then gave a small sigh. He could almost feel on his skin the puff of breath that left her lips. Damn, but he wanted to feel it. He wanted to taste her to gauge for himself whether she was as sweet as she looked. He eased closer to her, slowly, as if she might spook if he moved too fast.

He’d meant to confront her, demand what the hell she’d been thinking when she’d made that shocking request. But he liked the easy banter they fell into far too much. His life had never been easy, and a bit of innocent flirting with Erin gave him a few minutes’ reprieve from all the things he couldn’t control.

She bit down on her lip but didn’t shy away. He liked that, too. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she mumbled.

“Really?” he asked, even though he’d guessed as much.

“Olivia was intent on playing matchmaker, and I didn’t want you to be forced into asking me out or anything. That’s a horrible feeling and I’m not...”

“Interested?” He chuckled. “We both know that’s not true.”

A shadow clouded her gaze, and he wasn’t sure what he’d said wrong, but he wanted to kick himself for it.

“I’m not your type,” she said through clenched teeth, coming up on her toes and tipping back her head so that he got his wish and felt her breath tickle his chin. Her scent was a mix of cinnamon and sugar, like he imagined a kitchen might smell with a batch of cookies baking in the oven. Warm, inviting and the exact opposite of the cramped galley kitchen in the apartment where he’d grown up.

He was so caught up in his reaction that he almost missed the words she spoke. As it was, by the time he opened his mouth to correct her, she’d brushed past him and was around the corner of the building.

“Erin, wait,” he called, but instead of slowing she moved faster. It only took a few strides to catch up to her.

“I need to go,” she said, keeping her gaze on the ground in front of her when he blocked her path.

“Why do you think you’re not my type?” He was curious to know whether her reasons matched his.

She gave a little shake of her head.

“Erin.”

“Am I your type?” she asked suddenly, her honey-colored gaze slamming into his.

He opened his mouth, shut it again. How was he supposed to answer that? When she made to move around him again, he settled for the truth.

“You’re way too good for me.”

The comment earned him an eye roll. “If you say the words it’s me, not you, I’m going to punch you.”

“I’m guessing you don’t go around punching people.”

“You make me want to start.”

He laughed again. “How is it that I’m the bad guy right now?”

“You’re not,” she whispered. “I should never have made the request. I was tired, and it was stupid and embarrassing. Can we just forget about it?”

He wished he could. Getting involved with this woman—in any capacity other than as his nephew’s teacher—was sure to be trouble for both of them. Why couldn’t he make himself walk away?

“No one,” he said softly, unable to resist stepping into her space again, “would have to force a man to ask you out.”

It was her turn to laugh, but there was no humor in it. All the light was gone from her golden eyes, and he wanted nothing more in life at that moment than to reignite it. “I know who I am, David.”

He lifted his hands to cup her cheeks and felt a slight shiver pass through her. It drove him crazy with need. “Take another look,” he said, and touched his lips to hers.

* * *

Erin’s eyes drifted closed even as her body opened like the petals of a flower unfurling in the warm sunshine. Take another look? She’d planned to hold on to this moment like a priceless piece of art. If she could she’d frame it and hang it on her wall so she could always remember.

David McCay was kissing her, and quite thoroughly at that. His lips were soft but firm as they glided over hers and she couldn’t resist darting her tongue into his mouth. He rewarded that bit of bravery with a small groan, which made sparks dance across her skin. She leaned into him, her breath hitching when his fingers laced through her hair and tugged gently.

A whistle from a passing car made her wrest away from his embrace. She squeezed her hands into fists and pressed them to her sides when all she wanted was to wrap herself around him and hang on for dear life.

“Women like you don’t do PDAs on the sidewalk,” he said, his voice rougher than normal.

She bit down on the inside of her cheek and looked up at him through her lashes. “I don’t make it a habit,” she admitted. The truth was she’d never before had the opportunity. But it was Friday night and it wouldn’t be good for one of her students or another teacher to catch her in a full-blown make-out session on a public sidewalk.

“Too good for me,” David repeated, and Erin realized he’d actually meant the words when he’d said them earlier.

Her ex had said something similar when he’d broken up with her, but the insinuation behind the comment had been quite different. Good had been another way of saying boring. But if the heat in David’s gaze was any indication, he didn’t find her the least bit boring.

Erin’s long-suffering ego broke out into a little happy dance, but she quickly pulled the plug on the music. “That isn’t true,” she said, pressing a hand to lips still tingling from his kiss.

“You asked me for an affair, sweetheart.” He smoothed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “Not a date. We both know what that means.”

“Would you have gone out on a date if I’d asked?”

He shook his head, and she tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that snaked through her.

“You’re a white-picket-fence girl. America and apple pie. What you saw at my sister’s apartment pretty much sums up how I was raised. I come from that world. It’s what I know.”

Right now that didn’t matter. This man had flirted with her, then kissed her senseless. Twenty minutes with David had been more exciting than the sum total of the rest of her life. Heck no, she couldn’t have an affair with him, even if he was willing. She was liable to spontaneously combust. It was time to get the subject back to safer ground.

“How’s Rhett doing?” she asked, reaching into her purse for her keys. She moved to the edge of the sidewalk where her Subaru hatchback was parked at the curb.

“He’s with his mom tonight. They’re staying at my loft.”

“Is your sister okay with going into treatment?”

He nodded. “Deep in her heart she doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes our mother made. I have to believe last night was a wake-up call for her.”

“Then maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I hope she gets the help she needs.” She hit the remote start on her key fob.

“I hope Rhett and I survive the next month together.” He ran a hand over his jaw and the scratching sound made her want to whimper. She was truly pathetic.

“He’s welcome at Crimson Kidzone in the afternoon. It starts Monday at four. Sign him up if you need a break.”

When he stared at her, she held out a hand. “No strings attached or indecent proposals from me. Promise.”

He took her hand but instead of shaking it, pressed a lingering kiss on her knuckles. “That would be a huge disappointment.”

Erin sighed. Cue the weak knees. “You don’t mean that,” she whispered.

“I might have enough willpower to leave you alone, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking about how good we could be together.”

He released her hand and she clutched it against her stomach, feeling ridiculously like a teenage girl who wanted to hold on to the imprint of that kiss. “Good to know,” she told him.

He winked at her. “Night, Erin. Sweet dreams.”

* * *

“Seriously, McCay? Your nephew’s kindergarten teacher?”

David blew out a breath at the annoyance in the feminine voice behind him.

He hoisted a bushel of hops over his shoulder and turned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tracie, but I promised Rhett I’d take him fishing after thirty minutes of screen time so I need to make the most of my electronic babysitter.”

It was early Sunday morning—too early considering David hadn’t gotten to sleep until after 3:00 a.m. He’d paid one of the waitresses to babysit his nephew last night, which had left him short-staffed since his best—if mouthiest—bartender Tracie Sheldon had taken the evening off for a date with the local orthopedic surgeon who’d been asking her out for months.

Tracie stood behind him now, wearing running shorts and a long-sleeved athletic shirt. Her short blond hair stuck out from under a bright pink headband and he guessed she’d stopped into the bar in the middle of her daily five-mile run.

“Besides, shouldn’t you be busy basking in post-date glow or doing the walk of shame or something?”

“I’m not that kind of girl,” she shot back, then added softly, “anymore. Besides, it wasn’t a good match.”

With a quiet sigh, David dropped the heavy bag to the floor. “Why not? Your doctor has bellied up to the bar several nights a week for the past month, even when he’s on call and drinking root beer. We might serve up a helluva plate of chicken wings and some crazy good nachos, but there’s only so much bar food a man can take.”

He leaned in closer. “Unless he has another compelling reason for becoming a regular.”

“Compelling.” Tracie snorted. “Right. He’s a surgeon, Davey, my boy. I’m a high-school dropout bartender. We have nothing in common.”

“I’ve spent some time talking to Luke Baylor. He’s a decent guy, Tracie. Worked his way through med school. You work hard, and you’re not a high-school dropout anymore. It won’t be long until you graduate nursing school. You should hold your head high.”

“So tell me about the schoolteacher,” she countered, placing her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but there’s nothing to tell.”

“Do you like her?”

“Do you like Doc Luke?”

She arched a brow. “We had dinner at Carlo’s Bistro last night. Remember Lance who washed dishes here for a while?”

“Yeah.” David nodded. “Punk kid.”

“That’s the one. He’s a busboy at Carlo’s and was all too happy to stop me on the way to the restroom and report he saw you and a dark-haired librarian type sucking face on the street.”

David felt a headache begin to pulse behind one temple. “No one was sucking face.”

“I figured it was the teacher after seeing the way she looked at you Thursday night. Like she was a kid in a candy store and you were her favorite flavor.”

He didn’t want to admit how much he liked the idea of that. “You’re changing the subject.”

“You started it.”

“We’re quite a pair.” He wrapped an arm around the tiny blonde’s shoulders—she barely came to his chest—and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m not going to stop trying to make you believe you deserve some happiness.”

“Goes both ways,” she said, and gently elbowed him in the ribs.

He grunted and squeezed her shoulders. “Rhett’s happiness is what matters to me now.”

At that moment, Rhett gave a small shout. “Ms. MacDonald,” he yelled, and scrambled out of the booth, his iPad forgotten on the table.

Tracie took a step away from him as David turned to see Erin, backlit in the doorway of the bar by the morning sunlight. Her dark jeans hugged her curves and a cranberry-colored sweater with a scooped neckline made her skin look even more luminous. It was difficult to read her expression, but her gaze was bouncing between him and Tracie in a way David didn’t like one bit.

“Don’t just stand there staring,” Tracie muttered. “Go to her. I’m going to slip out through the kitchen.”

“Tracie, you don’t need to...” David started, but he was talking to her back.

“Ms. MacDonald, I live in a bar now.” David cringed as Rhett’s voice carried across the empty space.

“We don’t live in the bar,” David corrected as he moved forward. Go to her, Tracie had said. What he wanted to do was swing her into his arms and bury his nose against the crook of her neck. Her thick hair was pulled back into another ponytail.

Did she ever wear it down? Right now he would give just about anything to see it falling in waves over her shoulders. He’d been too long without a woman if he was now obsessing over Erin’s hair.

“I know,” she answered. “You have a loft upstairs. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Her gaze traveled past him to where Tracie had disappeared. “I was heading to the bakery and your door was open...”

“You’re not interrupting,” he said quickly, coming to stand behind his nephew. “Tracie works here, and she stopped by after her run. She had a date last night.” She bit down on her lip and he quickly added, “With someone else. Not me. We’re not...” He raked a hand through his hair. “She’s a friend. The guy she went out with is a doctor. A surgeon. He—”

“Uncle David, why are you talking so fast?” He glanced down to find Rhett staring up at him, then raised his gaze to Erin’s. He was babbling. He’d never babbled in his entire life.

She flashed a shy smile. “I’m going to grab breakfast at Life Is Sweet, then head over to the community center to set up a few things for tomorrow. I thought Rhett might like to help me if it’s okay with you.”

He felt Rhett fidget against his legs. “What do you think, buddy? We can head to the river a little later if you want to help Ms. MacDonald.”

“I might mess things up,” Rhett said, kicking the toe of one ratty sneaker against the scuffed wood floor. “I have to stay out of the way around here.”

David sighed. He’d said those words this morning—pre-coffee—when he’d set up Rhett with the iPad.

“You won’t mess up anything.” Erin crouched down in front of the boy. “In fact, some of the supplies I’m using are way back in a closet and I need someone small enough to crawl in and push them out to me.”

Rhett nodded. “I can do that.”

“Then we’ve got a deal.” She straightened, and David expected to see censure in her big eyes, but instead they were gentle in a way that made his heart hammer in his chest.

“Can I go in my pj’s?” Rhett asked.

Erin smiled. “This might be a good time to get dressed for the day. Can you do that?”

“Me and Ruffie have a bedroom upstairs.” He pointed to the raggedy blue dog sitting on the booth where he’d been playing a video game. “He gets nervous when we’re not together.”

“He’s welcome to come with us,” Erin offered.

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed. “He’d like that.”

He ran to the table, grabbed the dog and then headed for the hallway leading to the staircase that accessed the upper floor. There was also an entrance off the street, but David used the one that led directly into his office in the back of the bar when things weren’t busy.

“I suck at this,” he mumbled when Rhett was out of sight. “Jenna hasn’t even been gone twenty-four hours and Rhett feels like he’s in the way.”

“It’s a big change for both of you. How did it go yesterday?”

“Jenna cried. Rhett cried. He was sullen all day yesterday, and the first thing he asked this morning is when she’s coming home. I felt like a total ass for arranging her stay in rehab. Maybe she could get clean and still be here, you know?”

“It’s not long in the grand scheme of things and could make a real difference. That would make everything worth it. A kid deserves to grow up feeling safe. Your sister is lucky to have you to step in and help her. You’re giving both of them another chance.”

He blew out a breath. “How did you know exactly what I needed to hear this morning?”

Color rose to her cheeks. “It’s the truth.”

It wasn’t just the words she spoke that made him feel better. It was the fact that she’d come to check on him. Okay, maybe she’d come to check on Rhett, but David still reaped the benefit. She was exactly what he needed. “Thank you.”

They stared at each other for several long moments, and the spark of awareness that connected them seemed to shimmer and thrum in the air. It made him want to pull her in and kiss her again, but then he thought of Tracie and the kid who’d reported him Friday night. Normally, David didn’t care who saw him doing what, but Erin was different. She was too good to be dragged through any sort of gossip mill, especially when she was starting her new program at the community center.

He crossed his arms over his chest to resist the urge to touch her. “Rhett won’t be long.” He made his tone purposefully chilly.

Disappointment flashed in her brown eyes before she cocked her head and studied him, as if she was trying to riddle out secrets. “This place is different during the day,” she said, moving away from him and trailing her long fingers over the polished mahogany of the bar. He could imagine a lot of other places those fingers should be traveling. Namely all over his damn body.

“The architecture is beautiful.” She pointed to the vaulted ceiling, where rough-hewn beams stretched across the open space.

“Logan helped me design it,” David said, following her as she moved through the high tables. Following her like a puppy on a leash. Never had he felt so under a woman’s spell as he did with Erin. The crazy part was she had no idea the power she had over him.

“Did he do the renovations, too? When I was growing up, this place was a grocery store, then it stood vacant for a number of years.”

He’d forgotten that she was a Crimson native. The town was a tight-knit community and everyone seemed to know their neighbors and their neighbors’ business. But before Rhett started school, David had never heard of Erin MacDonald. “The building was bank-owned when I bought it. I got a great deal.”

She smiled at him over her shoulder. “You must have had a clear vision.”

“I went to college on a baseball scholarship, but only lasted a couple of years. It sounds crazy now, but I took a brewing lab sciences class freshman year and got hooked on the process. I was good at it, but baseball came first. When I got drafted, the beer brewing moved to the back burner for a few years. I stopped playing ball, but then Jenna needed me out here. I needed a job and had enough money to make the business work.”

“Why did you give up baseball?”

He gave a harsh laugh. “Not exactly my choice. I screwed things up pretty good. Not worth rehashing the details, but suffice it to say it was totally my fault.”

“You do that too much,” she said, moving toward him until she was directly in front of him. “You take the blame for anything that goes bad.”

David felt his eyes narrow. “Only when I deserve it.”

She poked him in the chest. “It seems like you’re of the opinion that you always deserve it.”

He clamped his mouth shut and stared down at her. There was no right way to respond to that. He didn’t always do the wrong thing, but the times he’d messed up in his life had resulted in grim consequences for the people around him.

“You can’t control everything. Sometimes bad stuff happens no matter what you do to prevent it.”

He wrapped his hand around her finger and lowered it. “Other times it can be prevented, and I’ve often failed at that.”

He expected her to wrench out of his grasp, but she surprised him by gently squeezing his hand. “I wish you saw yourself the way I see you.”

David felt her words like a vise clamping around his heart. The ways this woman could wreck him boggled his mind. Pulling away from her, he took several long steps toward the back hallway. “Rhett, you almost ready?” he called up the stairs.

“Coming,” the boy shouted as his small feet pounded down the steps. He bounded into the hallway, the ever-present blue dog tucked against his side.

“Shoes, buddy,” David said softly. His nephew had a habit of putting his shoes on the wrong feet.

With a sigh, Rhett dropped to the floor and undid the Velcro straps of his superhero sneakers and switched them to the correct feet. David’s heart squeezed even harder as Rhett’s tongue darted out the corner of his mouth. It meant he was concentrating hard and was the same quirk Jenna’d had as a girl.

David ruffled Rhett’s hair as he stood. “Listen to Ms. MacDonald and do what she says,” he told the boy. “No trouble.”

“Okay.”

He turned and looked at Erin, but her attention was focused on Rhett. “I’m glad you’re coming with me this morning,” she said.

Rhett gave a sharp nod and inched forward.

“I need another hour or so to get things settled here,” David told her. “I’ll pick him up after that.”

“No rush,” she answered, but still didn’t look at him. “We’ll stay busy.”

He’d been the one to pull away a few minutes ago, but now the distance separating them seemed wider than simply physical space. It felt like he was losing something that had never belonged to him in the first place. The sensation made him want to throw a tantrum, like a baby whose favorite toy was taken away.

Erin held out her hand to Rhett, and the boy placed his smaller one in it. They walked out the open door and disappeared into the cool autumn morning.

David stood in his empty bar, staring at the dust motes that floated through the rays of sun shining in from the bar’s front windows. He’d never minded being alone before. Why did it feel so damn uncomfortable now?

Chapter Five

“I owe you for this morning.”

Erin almost stumbled off the end of the fishing dock at the sound of David’s voice directly behind her.

He reached out a hand to steady her, but as much as she wanted to lean into his touch, she shrugged it off. Not going there, she reminded herself.

“You don’t owe me. I told you I wanted to help with Rhett.”

One side of his mouth quirked as he stared at her from behind dark sunglasses. “You also told me—”

“Don’t say it.” She held up a hand. “We’ve agreed that request was a moment of sleep-deprived stupidity on my part.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything.” His deep voice once again set off tremors inside her.

“I thought you and Rhett were going to look for rocks to skip.”

David gestured to where the boy was busily digging in the sand and gravel that made up the shoreline of Crimson Reservoir. “He got distracted.”

She smiled as she watched Rhett, crouched low and with his too-long hair hanging over one eye, his attention completely focused on his task. “This is good for him, David. He needs some time to just be a kid in nature.”

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