Project: Parenthood
Project: Parenthood
Trish Wylie
She hid from love, but it found her anyway…Teagan Delaney has made sure that she's too busy for love…too busy to get hurt! But when she has to become stand-in mom to her sister's tiny kids and enlists the help of her gorgeous neighbor, Brendan McNamara, the rules Teagan has lived by begin to crumble…Brendan has already proved with ease that he's perfect father material, and, as his newfound family quickly nestles its way into his heart, he has to show Teagan that they can be the perfect family, too.
She wanted to be kissed.
Just that simple. Nothing more. Just kissed. By Brendan, in a makeshift tent on her living room floor.
One afternoon of messing about with three kids and Brendan in a faux family scene and the part of her that was so commitmentphobic seemed to have taken a momentary hike.
She knew there would be consequences to a kiss. But it didn’t stop her from wanting it….
Dear Reader,
One of the nicest experiences a writer can have while working on a story is when characters take you by the hand and lead you through their journey. In Project: Parenthood Teagan and Brendan did exactly that.
These two could be any of us—people who live their everyday lives on a learning curve that can often be steep. Something I’ve learned myself as I’ve got older and supposedly more “mature.” Brendan is one of the lucky few who knows what he wants from his life fairly early on, but takes a longer road than planned to get there. I know how that goes. And Teagan is convinced she knows what she wants from life when she’s really not being honest with herself. I know how that one goes, too.
In this story it just takes one little twist of fate to lead them to a place where they can see things clearly and end up where they’re supposed to be. I know I love it when things like that happen, and I hope you’ll love taking the journey with them as much as I did. All I’ve done is tell the story they told me to tell you.
Hugs and kisses,
Trish
Project: Parenthood
Trish Wylie
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Trish Wylie tried various careers before eventually fulfilling her dream of writing. Years spent working in the music industry, in promotions and teaching little kids about ponies gave her plenty of opportunity to study life and the people around her. Which, in Trish’s opinion, is a pretty good study course for writing! Living in Ireland, Trish balances her time between writing and horses. If you get to spend your days doing things you love, then she thinks that’s not doing too badly. You can contact Trish at www.trishwylie.com (http://www.trishwylie.com)
For J.H. my editor.
For encouragement and belief in me above
and beyond the call of duty….
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE (#ue8c7abf4-c82d-5e9f-9318-a1368537ddb9)
CHAPTER ONE (#u9e0668bb-f8eb-5a6e-a5c7-942a16d271e7)
CHAPTER TWO (#uf6f57c2f-9324-518f-92e6-1a7e71546111)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub2149277-1994-554f-bcd2-44968bcc7552)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE
‘YOU look amazing. Wow. Almost like a princess.’
Teagan Delaney smiled at her younger sister’s gasp of awe from the bedroom doorway. ‘Why, thank you. It’s amazing what you can do with three hours’ preparation time. Did you get Dad’s dinner done?’
Eimear nodded, her ponytail bobbing furiously before she sprawled across the cover of Teagan’s bed. ‘Uh-huh. I’m going to do some course revision in my room ’til you come home, though.’
It was a pretty normal thing for a seventeen-year-old to do. But Teagan knew it was also a way of hiding, ‘You could watch some TV downstairs with Dad for a little while when you take a break. I’m sure he won’t mind.’
Eyes the same shade of green as her own rolled towards the ceiling. ‘He’ll make me watch some dumb documentary. I’ll just wait in my room and then you can tell me everything later.’ She propped her head on an elbow. ‘And you’d better. Even if I’m asleep you have to promise to wake me up.’
‘I can tell you in the morning.’
‘I won’t sleep ‘til I hear tonight!’ She pouted.
Teagan raised a dark eyebrow. ‘I thought you just said to wake you up?’
‘I won’t sleep proper.’
‘Properly.’
She scowled. ‘Well, I won’t. You have to come tell me. I never get to go to proper dress-up parties.’
Teagan turned back to the mirror and examined her reflection. It was perfect, thanks to Eimear. Without her fashion-conscious sister she wouldn’t have looked half so glamorous. Nicer jeans than normal and possibly a tad more make-up would have done the tomboy Teagan just fine. But Eimear had been more ambitious. And it had certainly paid off.
Stopping to hand out a hug of appreciation before she left the room, she felt her heart beat a little louder in her chest at the thought of what other people might think of the transformation. Hell. There was only one person she would like to impress. One person whose opinion really mattered.
She’d been spending more and more time with Brendan McNamara since he’d split up with his girlfriend at the start of the new university year.
He was the most amazing person she knew. It would be nice if he could look at her and think she was amazing too. Even if it was just for the one night.
With a promise thrown to Eimear that she would wake her, no matter how late it was, she lifted her wrap and made her way towards the stairs. As she balanced carefully on her highest ever heels, her mind turned to the only other male in her life. Who would be in the living room with his dinner on a tray and a documentary of some kind on the television.
She felt hope bubble in her chest. Surely, dressed like she was, he would take the time to tell her she looked beautiful? Just a couple of minutes to look her way and notice how much she’d grown up. That she was a woman now, and not the tomboy she’d been for most of her life.
Words of love or even a hug would be too much to hope for. But something, even a small something, would do.
He didn’t even look up from his food when she made her entrance.
‘I’m off now, Dad.’
‘Right, then. Back by twelve.’
‘Dad, it’s a ball. I’ll not be back ’til after one.’ She tried to keep a note of pleading from her voice. ‘But I’ll come straight home. I promise.’
‘Make sure you do.’
She waited. Willed him to look at her, just for a moment. But he kept on eating. ‘You got money?’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t spend it all well.’
‘I won’t.’ With a small sigh she scowled down at her feet and then turned to leave the room. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘None of that bran nonsense at breakfast.’
‘Fine.’
Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she turned and walked away from him. She should have known better than to even hope, shouldn’t she? Years of disappointment should have taught her not to believe in any form of magic from her father. Or even from the mother who was gone.
It was just a shame she wasn’t as thick-skinned as the years should have taught her to be.
Thank heavens she had a friend like Brendan. He gave her hope in the rest of the world.
Within a few hours he had put the smile back onto her face, with his easy banter, teasing tones and quiet confidence.
He was truly amazing. Around him she actually found herself feeling happy and carefree, even if reality was always in the background to remind her that life wasn’t carefree and happy.
Brendan had been her flatmate’s boyfriend when she’d met him. Which had technically made him ‘safe’ to get to know. There had been no danger in being friends with him because the three young women who shared the flat had had an unwritten rule about stealing guys. Not that Teagan would even have thought about it. She had more important goals than some guy’s arm to dangle from.
So they’d become friends. Had almost been forced to during the times when Shannon had been late back from her part-time job, or spending longer than usual getting ready to go out for the night.
Teagan knew everything about Brendan McNamara. She knew he was determined about what he wanted from life, that one day it would definitely involve a home, with a wife and a family. He was warm and open, enthusiastic and optimistic, successful in everything he ever put his hand to. And to add to all that he was disgustingly good-looking.
Truly amazing. If almost a little too perfect.
He was not what Teagan would ever allow herself to fall for. Because he was a long-term, serious commitment.
And, truth be told, she had no intention of looking for anyone that serious. Not anyone who was seeking a happily ever after anyway. She’d seen up close and personal what a deep and ‘meaningful’ relationship could do to two people. Especially when along the line they got married, had kids and discovered that they really weren’t that suited after all. Then things fell apart at the seams. And the children were the ones who paid for the mistake.
Teagan had sworn she would never allow that to happen to her. She never wanted any child to go through the upbringing she had.
Being friends with Brendan was absolutely the safest option. And their friendship mattered to her. She trusted him. Felt that he knew her well enough not to cross any line. And she needed to know the latter most of all, because he was testing her theories for life more than anyone else ever had.
The thing was, being with Brendan made her forget a lot of the things she had her future focused around. He made her wish she could believe in things like happily ever after.
So now, for one night, she was allowing herself to walk in a fairy tale. Dressed as a princess, dancing in the arms of a handsome prince. At Christmas. It really didn’t get any better than that.
‘You having fun?’
She smiled up at him. ‘Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun.’
He grinned a grin that made his dark blue eyes sparkle. ‘You really need to get out more, you know. Too much studying makes Teagan a dull girl.’
‘Oooh, go on—compliment me some more. I can take it.’
‘I already told you twice that you look stunning tonight.’ He swung her around in a circle that swooshed her long skirts against her ankles. ‘I don’t want to swell your head too much.’
She felt herself glow beneath his underhanded praise. Though the look on his face when he had first set eyes on her had been compliment enough already.
Looking down on her face, a low grumble of laughter escaped his lips as they swung closer to the edge of the dance-floor. ‘I know. I’m a keeper, really.’
Yes, he was. For a brief moment she allowed herself to wonder at the kind of girl who would be lucky enough to keep him. And the slice of jealousy that tore through her made her feet falter for a second.
Oh, no. He was a friend. He could only ever be a friend.
‘Watch the toes, kiddo.’
‘Mmm, ’cos they’re hard to miss.’ Teagan quirked a brow at him, her eyes shining. ‘You know what they say about men with large feet…’
His dark eyes widened slightly and then he leaned his head closer, dropping his voice so only she could hear. ‘Large shoes?’
Laughing, they swung closer to the edge, and stopped below an archway. Then, as their gentle swaying stilled, something in Brendan’s eyes changed. He examined her face for a long moment, his gaze seeming to memorise her before he spoke in the same low tone. ‘You really are stunning tonight, Teagan.’
Looking back years later, Teagan would see what happened next as being one of those ‘oh, no’ moments. Everyone, at some point in their life, experienced at least one. She would find that out herself with time.
It was a kind of mental danger alert. The moment when a person knew that they shouldn’t have allowed a particular thing to happen. It was a voice in the back of the mind yelling Uh-oh—this could be trouble moment. And for Teagan it came seconds too late.
While he looked at her with so much warmth in his eyes she temporarily forgot the small matter of all the goals she had set for herself in the not too distant future. And the pledge she’d made to avoid guys like him, who might touch her heart where it had never been touched before.
She just allowed herself to get caught up in the magic of the moment.
And as he smiled down at her with every spark of charm at his disposal, then let an upward glance direct her eyes to the mistletoe above them, she even forgot to breathe.
What she should have done was crack a joke or step away. She most certainly shouldn’t have stood rooted to the one spot and watched while his head descended.
She knew how big a mistake it was the minute his mouth touched hers.
Oh, no.
In that first touch of lips it was as if something she hadn’t even known existed inside her woke up. It started with warmth where their mouths met, a sensual awareness of connecting with another person. Then the warmth moved from her mouth to her chest, causing her breath to catch and her heart to beat louder. Then there was the spiralling, tightening sensation low in her abdomen. All in one kiss. All in the space of a few minutes.
It frightened the life clean out of her. This was exactly what she had sworn she would never allow to happen to her. For a few brief moments she was losing control, was stepping into the abyss. But, unlike so many people who had no idea of what there could be at the bottom of that abyss, Teagan knew. She knew.
Heartbreak, agony, self-doubt, sacrifice. Pain.
She was twenty-one years old, with no experience of physical attraction on such a level. But she knew what the emotional cost was. And she wouldn’t do that to either of them.
‘No.’ The word came out on a tortured whisper. ‘You shouldn’t have done that. We can’t—’
‘Yes, we can.’ He squeezed his arms tighter around her waist. ‘You had to know this was going to happen.’
She tugged back against his arms. ‘I knew no such thing! We’re supposed to be friends.’
‘That’s a good place to start.’
‘No, it’s a good way of gaining ammunition, is what it is. You have no idea what you’d be getting into.’
He obviously had no idea what she meant. The look on his face told her that. And in that second she knew she was right to do what she was doing. He didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. That wasn’t his fault. Because with Brendan she’d had her first chance to live in a land of make-believe. Someone who had led as charmed a life as he had could only believe that everyone else’s life had been as easy. So it had been simple to play along.
But the very fact that it was hurting her so much to reject him only proved that she was right to do it. If she got any more involved than she already was then she might not survive. She might end up exactly like her parents.
‘I can’t believe you did this.’ She finally managed to get free from his hold, her eyes flashing up at him as she did her best not to cry. ‘You’ve ruined everything.’
‘With one wee kiss? How have I ruined everything?’ He shook his head and stepped towards her again, his eyes flickering around to see who could hear their argument, ‘You’re acting like some hysterical female, Teagan. Stop it.’
The condescending tone was like a slap in the face, ‘How dare you?’
‘Teagan—’ His tone became more warning.
‘Don’t you Teagan me! Try finding someone who wants you to kiss them, Brendan. There are loads of women here who might want that from you. But I’m not one of them.’ She raised her chin a very visibly stubborn inch and glared at him. ‘Get over yourself.’
Without waiting for a response she turned and, like Cinderella running from the ball, fled across the room, the sound of her name in his deep voice echoing behind her.
She swore there and then that she would never see him again. Ever. He could think that was immature or stupid if he wanted to. In fact he could think whatever the hell he liked.
All he had done was show her that the path she’d chosen for herself was the right one. She would never let anyone get to her like he just had. She would only ever have herself to look out for, pure and simple.
And they’d be selling ice cream in hell before she changed her mind again.
CHAPTER ONE
‘YOU can’t do this to me now!’
Eimear lowered her voice and blinked shimmering eyes at her. ‘Teagan, I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t really important. It could be make or break for us. I need this time with Mac to sort it out or we could be through.’
‘I get that, Eimear. I do. But I can’t look after them now.’ She glanced over at the three small faces blinking at her from the doorway, guilt rising up in her throat like bile that they were having to hear her turn them away, rejecting them. ‘Maybe next weekend some time. I have this massive deal in work and—’
‘This is my life we’re talking about! I can’t lose him, Teagan. I really can’t.’
And now she was crying. Teagan couldn’t take it when Eimear cried. And she especially couldn’t take it when it was happening in front of her nephew and nieces. Even though technically their mother’s back was to them. Teagan really couldn’t put them through any of the stuff she remembered from her own childhood. It would be too cruel.
But surely it wasn’t unreasonable to have asked for a little warning? A phone call to discuss it? A text message to say they were on their way over? Not a carload of them outside of her house when she got home from work…
‘Eimear—’
‘Please. I’m begging you.’
It had been a long time since Teagan had really felt that Eimear needed her. Things just hadn’t been the same between them over the years since Eimear’s first marriage. A marriage that Teagan had felt never should have happened to begin with. She’d said so. Loudly and at length, in fact. And Eimear had never really forgiven her for it, so their relationship had changed.
But seeing Eimear so desperate now was like looking back in time. And it brought out Teagan’s old need to soothe and to make things better.
Her eyes moved again to the three children. The eldest, Johnnie, was looking at her with eyes the same colour as his mother’s. He almost looked as if he was examining her, sizing her up. And even while she stood contemplating how to get out of looking after them she felt as if she was falling short of his expectations.
She took a long breath. ‘How long for?’
‘Thank you!’ Eimear engulfed her in a swift, tight hug, her tears gone. ‘I knew I could rely on you.’
Teagan scowled, suddenly feeling she’d just been hoodwinked. ‘They’ll need—’
‘They have everything they need right there. It’s all pretty self-explanatory. And Meggie is potty trained now, so she just needs a nappy on at night. It’s a pull-on, so you’ll be grand.’
She was still scowling while her sister became a hurricane around the room, hugging and kissing the children and moving towards the door. ‘We’ll only be a few days. Mac has booked some lovely country hideaway for us.’
‘How will I—?’
‘Thanks, Teagan. You really are a star.’
And she was gone.
Teagan blinked at the closed door. What had just happened? Not half an hour ago she’d had a bubble bath, scented candles and a glass of good Chardonnay planned for her evening. Now she was staring at three small faces that looked as bewildered as she felt.
She pinned a bright smile on her face as she approached them. But it took about thirty seconds for the smallest one to crumple.
‘Oh, no, honey. Don’t do that.’
And then the second one began to sniffle. Only Johnnie remained impassive.
It was Teagan’s worst nightmare.
Brendan hated moving days. This time would definitely be the last one for a few dozen years if he had his way.
He lugged a box from his rental van and made his sixth trip into the house before rolling up his sleeves and heading out to repeat the trip.
At least his life wasn’t as chaotic as it looked for the poor woman across the street.
She was making her third trip from the house to the car. This time with a screaming toddler in her arms. And from the way she was moving he could tell she wasn’t having much fun. No sign of a dad to help out either. Maybe he’d had sense enough to head out for work earlier, before the chaos kicked in.
If it had been Brendan, he’d have relished that kind of chaos.
He shook his head. He should have bought a damn apartment in some new complex filled with single people. People who didn’t make up perfect little family units in a hive of houses filled with similar perfect family units.
Hell, he’d have been better off with a paper cut and some nice lemon juice to pour on it.
But the house was a good investment.
The woman leaned in through the car door and soothed the screaming child until there was silence. Then, running her hands back through her dark hair to tame it, she closed the door and started around to the driver’s side. But halfway around the car she stopped, and there was a frustrated scream and a stamp of one high heel. Her hands rose for a moment and then dropped to her sides. ‘No, not this morning! Don’t do this to me!’
He stepped away from the van and looked where she was looking. A flat tyre. That sucked.
Well, he shrugged to himself, that was one way to get to meet the neighbours. And Lord knew she looked as if she could do with being rescued.
So he did the decent thing and jogged across the street. ‘Hi. Do you need a hand?’
She jumped when he spoke, and swung to face him, her hair swinging across her face. ‘I have a flat tyre.’
Brendan looked down at the offending object and nodded wisely. ‘Yep, I’d say you do, all right.’
‘I can’t fix a flat tyre in this outfit.’ There was a brief pause while she joined him in looking at the tyre. Then she took a breath and her voice changed. ‘I don’t suppose I could possibly ask you—?’
The male in him noted the shift in her vocal tone immediately. How it had changed from annoyed to beguiling in the space of one sentence. She was trying to flirt with him to get him to change the tyre. Typical woman. Obviously some ditzy housewife who had never learned how to change a tyre because her husband always did it for her.
He smiled and looked at her as she brushed her hair back from her face. And his breath caught.
‘Teagan.’
Her eyes flickered up to meet his, then widened. ‘Brendan.’
Blond brows quirked at the guarded way she said his name. He tried a wider smile. ‘Well, this is a surprise.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m moving in across the road.’
‘You bought the house across from me?’ Her eyes moved to look at the half-unloaded van. ‘When did that happen?’
‘Got the keys the day before yesterday. I have to say if I’d been given a list of people I might bump into when I got here—’
‘Mine would have been the last?’ Her chin rose as she looked back at him, a small, tight smile on her lips. ‘That’s nice.’
Her cool stare brought his back up. Okay, so she was having a bad morning—obviously—but that really was no excuse to be rude. After all, he’d come over to help.
‘Well, it’s been a while.’ He folded his arms across his broad chest and nodded.
‘Yes, it has.’
He made another attempt at lightening the mood. Not that she really deserved it. One long finger pointed towards the car, where at least the crying hadn’t started up again. ‘About three of those ago, apparently.’
Teagan snorted out a brief laugh. ‘Oh, they’re not mine. They’re my sister’s kids.’
‘You stole them?’
The smile she gave him was a little more relaxed. ‘Nope. Why would a person do that, exactly?’
‘Well, they’re cute.’ He waved through the window.
‘Yes, they are that.’ She waved herself, and was rewarded by three smiles. ‘But they’re also really hard work.’
‘I’d heard that rumour.’
She glanced at him in the reflection of the glass, seemed to take a moment or two to think and then asked, ‘Look, I’m sorry to ask you this, but is there any chance you could give me a hand with the tyre? I’m going to be really late to work at this rate.’
‘You’re taking them with you to work?’
‘No.’ She laughed again. ‘There’s a daycare centre nearby, and they’ve said they can take them today for me to help out. After that I’m on my own.’
Brendan took a breath as he turned to look at her. He blinked as he thought, his eyes moving over her profile while his mind remembered what she’d looked like the last time he had seen her. Nine years hadn’t done her any harm. She looked great, if a little on the harassed side.
When she turned her face to his she blinked up at him with her large green eyes and he remembered more about the last time he had seen her. The night he had kissed her and she’d told him to get over himself before she ran. He’d never had a chance to see her again, to talk it out. She’d given him no choice.
And now she was his neighbour. Well…
He cleared his throat. ‘I’ll help with the tyre. No problem. It’s what I came over here to do.’
There was a brief pause, then, ‘Thanks.’
Another smile was attempted. ‘You’re welcome.’
Teagan hesitated for a brief moment. Then she answered the smile with one of her own. After all, he was being helpful.
She followed him around as he pulled the spare wheel from the boot and gathered the tools he needed. It gave her a few moments to think of some conversation to make. After all, a big part of her work every day was talking to people. It shouldn’t be so difficult.
But all she could think of was, Well, hell—of all the people!
‘So.’ His voice sounded out from her knee height. ‘No kids of your own, then?’
‘No, no kids of my own.’ For some completely unknown reason she felt she had to justify that. ‘I’m too busy with my career.’
‘Not for as long as you have these three, you’re not.’
Well, thank you, Brendan, for stating the obvious. She scowled at his back as he finished jacking up the car and reached for the wrench. ‘No, the busy part is still there. This wasn’t a booked visit.’
His voice came out with a slight grunt as he worked on the first wheelnut. ‘How are you going to manage, then? Will your husband help?’
Subtle one.
‘I’m too busy with my career for a husband.’
‘You must be doing great in work, then.’
‘As a matter of fact I am. Thanks.’ Her scowl promoted itself to a frown.
He nodded as he freed the last nut and wrenched the tyre off. ‘Well, good for you.’
If she’d been a dog she’d have growled at him. In the space of a few sentences he’d made her feel as if the years since she’d parted company with him had been achievement-free. Just because his goals were different from hers, it didn’t mean hers were any less fulfilling!
After all, she owned her house—along with the bank. She almost completely owned her car. Her bank balance was healthy enough to allow a shopping spree at least once a month, and she paid every one of her bills before the ink turned red. She thought she was doing pretty well for someone her age.
Who was he to waltz in and criticise?
‘I suppose you’re moving a nice wee wife and twelve kids in across the road, then?’
He rose and turned round, lifting the spare tyre with one hand as he grinned at her. ‘Nope. Just me.’
Damn it, he’d caught her, hadn’t he? He hadn’t been trying to criticise her life; he’d been fishing for information. And he’d got it. And now he was grinning at her with a sparkle in his eyes that said, Gotcha.
Teagan shook her head with a small smile of resignation. She should have remembered how smart he was. Lord alone knew she was remembering plenty of other things while he kept on looking at her like that.
Still grinning, he turned round and popped the tyre into place, then reached a large hand out for the nuts. ‘I could help if you’re stuck.’
Like hell. ‘I can manage. Thanks.’
‘Well, if you’re stuck.’ He tightened the last nuts and then stood up, wiping his hands carelessly along the sides of his jeans before he lifted the flat. As he walked past her he glanced from the corner of his eye. ‘I’m great with kids. I have dozens of nieces and nephews, so I’ve had loads of practice.’
Well, bully for him. Though for the briefest moment she allowed herself to wonder why he hadn’t had any of his own. What had happened to his great plan for life? But she couldn’t wonder about that kind of thing. Because wondering would lead to questioning. And questioning would lead to a friendship of some kind. Which would be a massive mistake.
She was mature enough to know that now.
‘Thanks.’ She straightened her hair again, then glanced at her watch as he stowed away the tyre. ‘But, really, we’ll be fine.’
Brendan closed the boot and studied her for a long time, his dark blond lashes blinking slowly. Then he merely shrugged his broad shoulders and pushed his hands into his pockets. ‘Well, you know where I am.’
Indeed she did. But she would need to be in critical condition before she’d follow the broad shoulders that swayed as he walked back across the road.
C-r-i-t-i-c-a-l.
CHAPTER TWO
CRITICAL didn’t kick in until just before she was due to leave the office to collect the children. That was when she got word that the meeting with potentially her biggest ever clients had been brought up a few days, and she had a presentation that wasn’t even halfway done.
The headache started then.
At the daycare centre no amount of pleading or bribery would get the children booked in again. They were full to the gills as it was, and it was only because one family had been on holiday that they’d had space for one day.
Her head was pounding by the time she got to the local supermarket.
‘I want fish fingers!’
‘No, chicken nuggets!
‘Fish fingers!’
‘Nuggets!’
‘If you two don’t stop this minute you’re both getting cauliflower and nothing else.’ She negotiated her way around an end-of-aisle display, missing toppling a pyramid of washing powder boxes by inches.
She’d had dozens of trollies to pick from, and had still managed to pick the one with the dodgy wheel. Someone somewhere really had it in for her.
Katie pulled a face. Teagan stopped the trolley at the top of the cereal aisle and raised an eyebrow at her. ‘You don’t love cauliflower, Katie?’
The five-year-old held her arms around her waist and pretended to gag. Which made Teagan laugh. She was better laughing, she guessed. Otherwise she would have to stand and weep in public.
‘Fish fingers.’ Katie nodded furiously, then took a moment to think and added, ‘Please?’
‘Please certainly helps.’ Teagan began to push the trolley again. ‘Tell you what, let’s do cereal first, and then we can decide what we’re having for dinner.’
It was after nearly fifteen minutes of debate on nutritional value versus free gift in box when Brendan appeared around the corner with a basket.
‘Aw, hell.’ Teagan looked down at Meghan’s smiling face.
‘You said a bad thing!’
‘I’m sorry, Katie.’ She pinned a smile on her face as Brendan approached. ‘Hello, again.’
‘I’m not stalking you, if that’s what you think.’
The thought had occurred. ‘It’s the closest supermarket.’
Katie tugged on his arm. ‘You fixed the wheel, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, that was me.’ He hunkered down and smiled broadly at her. ‘You getting cereal? I like those ones too.’
‘You get a book with them.’ Katie hugged the box.
‘And about a zillion preservatives,’ Teagan cut in.
‘They’ll help her live longer.’
‘No, they won’t.’ Teagan scowled down at him. ‘Something with bran in it would be much healthier.’
Brendan made a similar gagging face to the one Katie had made during the cauliflower discussion and Katie giggled at him. ‘Yuck.’
Leaning down towards his ear, Teagan snapped, ‘Not helping.’
She stood up abruptly as he rose to his feet, felt herself get shy as he examined her face. ‘You look wrecked. Tough day?’
‘You have no idea.’ She caved on the cereal with the book, soothing her conscience by at least believing that reading was educational, and vowing to balance it up by adding in some porridge oats. She’d worry about negotiations later. ‘And it’s only getting worse.’
Falling into step beside her, he reached a hand out and grabbed a box. ‘Worse how?’
With no idea whatsoever why she was doing it, Teagan started to spill her problems. ‘The deal I’m working on has been moved up, and I have this huge presentation to do in two days.’
Brendan nodded, adding more to his basket as they rounded the corner. ‘And you have the kids at the same time?’
‘Yes. And the daycare centre can’t take them.’
‘So, you’d say you were stuck, then?’
She stopped her trolley by the low refrigerators and glared at him. ‘I have a list of childminders to call when I get home.’
‘And if they can’t take them at short notice?’
Then she was in big trouble. Blinking at his calm face, she felt the headache thump harder at her temples. If it had been anyone else on the entire planet…
‘Then I’ll have to see if the meeting can be put back a couple of days.’ She just about managed to hide a grimace as she reached for frozen fish fingers and chicken nuggets.
Brendan stood silently until she looked back at him. ‘Did your sister understand how busy you are in work right now?’
She kept her face hidden as she examined the contents of the fridge. ‘She has some stuff that she has to deal with right now. It’s important.’
He watched as she aimed a brief smile at him.
‘Not cauliflower, Auntie Teagan.’
‘It’s good for us, Katie.’
‘But it tastes yucky.’
‘We’ll put cheese sauce on it and it’ll be grand.’ She ruffled Katie’s hair and then glanced at Brendan from beneath her lashes. ‘I better go get this lot fed.’
‘Sure.’ He nodded, then waited to speak again as she started to force her wobbly trolley away from him. ‘But remember the offer of help is still there if you need it, Teagan. Really.’
They couldn’t change the meeting. And none of the child-minders she’d been given numbers for had space for all three children. Which would mean splitting them up. Which Teagan couldn’t do. She had accepted responsibility for them and that was that.
So she had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask for help. From Brendan. Just for one day.
And he didn’t even take a second to be smug about it when he came to the house the next day. Which made her feel worse. She so didn’t want him to be around. Seriously.
Then and there Teagan decided it was time to track her sister down. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her nephew and nieces to stay. She did. It would be nice to spend more time with them. Really.
Just not right smack-bang in the middle of a big work deal.
When she got home Brendan had the world under control. Nothing appeared to have got stained, smeared or smashed since she’d left. And that in itself was a miracle she hadn’t managed in the last forty-eight hours.
She sighed as she sat down at the counter in the kitchen, and smiled at the coffee he handed her.
‘It’s official, just so you know. I’m going to kill her when I get her.’
Harsh words. But for a split second Teagan honestly meant them. Her responsibility for her younger sister’s problems should long since have ended. Somewhere around the time they both grew up and left the small hell they’d called home.
Brendan smiled from the other side of the room, ‘Couldn’t get through to your sister, I take it?’
‘Good guess.’ She managed a small smile in return, ‘It’s not that I don’t want them. It’s just that I can’t manage this right now.’
‘Yes, you can.’ His all too familiar deeply male voice sounded firm. ‘You don’t have a choice.’
‘Of course I have a choice. I can track her down and she can take them home!’
‘But that’s just it. You can’t, can you?’ His fair eyebrow raised a notch as he stared at her with eyes so dark a blue that from across the room they were almost black. ‘Where else can they go ’til you find her?’
She glared across at him. To add to her sister’s list of transgressions she now had the fact that she was being forced to spend time with the one man she’d spent nine years avoiding.
Up until he’d reappeared she’d managed to live by the ‘out of sight out of mind’ rule. Hadn’t ever bumped into him at a party, or made the mistake of attending any reunion-type thing he might have been at.
Now, thanks to her sister, she had no choice but to accept his help. Which had brought him into her house and directly into her line of vision. Up close and personal.
The best-laid plans…
‘Teagan?’ His voice sounded again when she went silent.
‘Sorry.’ She scowled down into her coffee mug and tried to find answers there. ‘I can’t keep looking after three little kids under ten. Not right now. And I can’t keep imposing on you either. I was only supposed to have them for a few days, and this contract in work wasn’t due to finalise ’til next week.’
‘It’s no big deal. I don’t mind.’
When she looked up again he was studying her, his eyes as warm as his voice was reassuring.
It was unnerving as all hell. ‘You may not, but I do.’
‘You can’t want to see them in the care of someone you don’t know? Not really.’
She scowled at his statement, admitting inwardly that that was probably the reason she got a headache every time she spoke to someone about childcare or daycare. It just didn’t sit well on her.
What she wanted was for her sister to get herself home so that Teagan herself could have her life back. She would even offer to babysit a night or two, so that Eimear and Mac could have time alone, and she’d reschedule for them to stay. That would be fair, wouldn’t it? And it would ease her guilt at not being able to help somewhat. Well, a little anyway.
It was kind of a moot point right that minute, though. She sighed. ‘I can’t bring them with me to the office. If I mess up this contract…’ The words trailed off.
Despite the serious tone of her statement, Brendan’s eyes sparkled with amusement. With her scowl as a response, he cleared his throat and forced a calm look on his face. ‘You’re right. Having seen what they can do to a living room in one afternoon, I guess the office is probably not a good idea mid-presentation.’
‘Cream was a practical colour for a suite when I lived here alone.’ She thought nostalgically of the days when all the creams and beiges of her modern interior had looked pristine. They couldn’t have spilt something on something darker, where it wouldn’t have shown, could they?
A small chuckle escaped. ‘Thank the Lord for cushions, though. They can cover any flavour fruit juice. Even blackcurrant.’
Teagan glared. ‘I’m glad you find this so amusing.’
‘Aw, c’mon—you can barely see the stains when the cushions are in the right places. I always knew there had to be some use for throw cushions.’ He continued to smile, adding with a shrug, ‘They’re such a girl thing.’
‘I still know the stains are there.’ She did her best to hide a smile of amusement. Though at the time it had happened she hadn’t been so amused. She’d worked damn hard to have her lovely home lovely, spent hours poring over catalogues and wandering around furniture stores. Making things kid-proof had never once been a consideration in any of her purchases.
Pushing his large frame away from the edge of a granite counter-top, Brendan walked the two paces necessary to stand right in front of her, his voice silken. ‘They need you.’
‘I’m not their mother, though. Their mother should be here.’ She tried really hard not to notice how close he was, or how he made words sound so seductive. Her eyes flickered up to his face. Was it possible for someone to look better under close inspection than they did from a distance? Even after nine years? Lord alone knew if she stood that close to her own reflection she’d find flaws. Plenty of them. And every blasted one of them a reminder that she wasn’t twenty-one any more.
With a swallow she forced herself to stare at a dark button on the front of his shirt. Buttons were nice, safe things to look at. She would just focus on the button while she forced herself to find some miraculous solution to her dilemma. Reasoning to herself that while focusing on the button she wouldn’t get distracted by looking into deeply blue eyes. Even when she knew they were still looking at her.
‘No, you’re not their mother.’ He waited patiently until his silence, and his close proximity, forced her eyes to tilt up to meet his again. ‘But they need you to be a substitute for them right now. You don’t really have a choice, do you?’
‘I’m aware of that, thank you.’
‘Then you just have to manage. You’ll be grand.’
He made it sound so simple. How could he know? It wasn’t as if she’d ever explained to him the life choice she’d made such a long time ago. A choice that most certainly didn’t involve three children running around to shatter her solitude. It didn’t involve responsibility for any other life. Even one as small as a cat or a goldfish. No baggage. Eimear was supposed to have grown up enough so that she wasn’t Teagan’s responsibility any more. So that Teagan just had herself to look out for. And there were times when that was tough enough on its own.
She shouldn’t have to do this kind of thing any more. It just wasn’t fair. The petulant thought brought a frown to her face. Damn it. Now she was going to huff like a teenager too? That was great—just fabulous.
He watched her scowl for a few seconds, then turned his face from hers as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. ‘I’ve told you I’ll help out where I can.’ He glanced back at her face. ‘And I mean that. I’ll not see you stuck.’
‘I know. You’ve said.’ She swallowed down a bubble of frustration. He just always had been such a nice guy, hadn’t he? And the simple truth was he was better with the children than she was—which made her even more resentful of his presence than she already was. ‘But this really isn’t your problem. It’s mine. I really don’t need you to feel you have to hop over here to rescue me every time there’s a crisis.’
‘Every guy likes to play the knight in shining armour now and again.’ He flashed a grin at her while ignoring her petulant tone. ‘You just happen to be the nearest damsel, is all.’
Teagan hated the idea of being seen as a damsel in distress. So much for all her years trying to be a strong and independent career girl. Capable and self-sufficient. All it took was something really heavy round her house, or her nemesis of something electrical, and she was as much use as a chocolate kettle.
But Brendan had to have work of his own to do—things that took up his time. She swallowed as she thought, Dates to occupy him.
She watched with slightly narrowed eyes as he turned, removed a hand from his pocket to rescue his mug and walked the two paces it took for him to get to the sink to rinse it out. Somewhere in her mind it occurred to her that everyone else took a lot longer to walk around her open-plan kitchen. But Brendan was so damned tall that he seemed to get everywhere in two long, confident steps. She’d forgotten over the years just how tall he was.
He certainly was way head and shoulders above her shoeless five foot seven. When he was around she had always had moments where she felt feminine. Maybe even a little small and damselish.
‘So, what are you going to do if you won’t accept some help?’
Good question.
‘I don’t know.’ She frowned again as the words came out all small and helpless. This really had to stop. ‘But I’m going to have to think of something until I can track down Eimear.’
‘And you’ve definitely tried everywhere?’
She’d told him as much when she’d rung to check on the children during the day, so the question brought her back up again.
‘No, I only rang the once and then gave up.’ Raising her hands to her hips, she tilted her head and stared at his back with a deadpan expression.
The sarcasm rolled right over him. ‘What about her friends?’
She sighed a resigned sigh. What was the point in being stroppy with him after all? It was hardly his fault. ‘No help. They only know that Mac took her on a romantic break somewhere on the Ring of Kerry.’
‘Somewhere that doesn’t have a phone so she could check on her kids?’
Which, had Teagan had her wits about her, she could have cured by taking the damn hotel details. Not that she’d thought about it while she was being so deftly hoodwinked. ‘They need some time alone.’
Brendan shook his head. ‘I don’t understand people like that.’
He wouldn’t, would he? Not this guy who had the kind of simple, easy, charmed existence that Teagan herself had only ever seen at the movies. He couldn’t possibly understand why Eimear would be so desperate to save her second marriage if it was in trouble. If he ever got round to getting married it would no doubt be roses and violins the whole damn time.
A bubble of anger grew in her stomach. He knew nothing. She’d bet that nothing more troublesome than running out of milk had ever happened in his life. Not that she’d taken the time to ask since they’d been thrown into each other’s paths again. It was really none of her business after all.
With his cup rinsed and set on the drainer, he turned and looked back at her face. He went silent for a moment when he saw the spark of anger in her eyes. Even after their years apart he still knew the warning signs of an impending argument. She was obviously as angry at her sister as he would have been, given the same circumstances, but she refused to hear a bad word spoken about her.
With a shrug, he let it drop. ‘Well, you know where I am if you need a hand.’
Oh, she knew, all right. Right across the street. Right under her nose. To remind her every day of all the reasons she had to stay well away from him. Especially if there was ever any mistletoe in sight. Teagan had the memory of an elephant.
‘Thanks for looking after them today.’
‘No problem.’ He frowned for a second, deep in thought, poised on the balls of his feet as if he might step forward again. Then he simply smiled a small smile and walked the two paces it took for him to get to her back door. ‘I have some work to clear up at home tomorrow, so I’ll be around if you need a hand.’
‘Okay. Thanks again.’ Though even as she said the words she knew she would do everything in her power to make sure she didn’t have to make that call.
After the door closed behind him, she stood in the same place for a long while. The house was silent, bar the background noise from the television in her front room. If it hadn’t been for that noise to remind her she wasn’t alone she might have allowed herself to wallow in the moment of loneliness she felt.
But it wasn’t because of him, she reminded herself. It was just the way she’d probably always felt but had never really allowed herself to acknowledge. It was an emptiness inside that she’d taken years to control and to bury—even from herself, it seemed.
Part of her truly hated him for the fact that he had reminded her it was there. That it might have been well hidden but it hadn’t gone away. Maybe never would.
She wasn’t the only one who fought it, though, she guessed.
Although right at that moment she may have wanted to kill her sister for taking this trip of hers, and inconvenient timing as it was, she couldn’t hate her for it. Because she understood.
Eimear was probably fighting her own version of that hollowness, and having her children obviously wasn’t enough on its own. She wanted the whole shebang—wanted a man by her side, to be made to feel loved and safe. While Teagan had chosen to find the solution in her career and a modicum of financial security.
Teagan didn’t doubt for a second that she would be back soon. Eimear hadn’t abandoned her children; she’d just set them to one side while she tried to fix her second attempt at marriage.
Teagan herself would never have set her own children to one side for a man, moot point though that was. She’d made her choices. She was the stronger one of the two of them—the one who got on with it, alone. As she’d just have to get on with it this time.
She’d just have to find a way to do it without Brendan McNamara’s help. She didn’t need a constant reminder of how close she could have come to being like her sister in seeking happiness through some guy. Even when that guy’s presence still stirred up a memory in her that she’d never really been able to shift.
No, she would never allow herself to rely on someone else for her own happiness. Could never expect to find love as it was described in the movies. Because it just didn’t exist. Teagan knew that, even if Eimear didn’t.
But then Teagan remembered more than her little sister. She’d made sure of that. It was her job to do everything she could to ensure Eimear was happy.
If that meant playing at being Mummy then that was what she would do. Other women coped, balancing careers with families.
Teagan was a mature, capable woman. She could deal with problems when they arose. Could manage her time.
It was only for a couple more days. Eimear had said a few days. And she’d survived two already.
She’d just have to find a way to survive another two. Without Brendan McNamara.
CHAPTER THREE
BRENDAN smiled through his window as he watched her bundle the children out through her door and into her car.
She looked harassed again. Sleek, shoulder-length dark hair flying into her face as she moved from car door to car door. Even the movements of her slight figure were jerky, hurried, while she brushed at her hair with an irritated hand.
His smile grew. Thing was, even from across the street he could see that that ruffled-round-the-edges look suited her. It was sexy. It reminded him of how sexy she’d been at twenty-one. Though he’d bet serious money she wouldn’t believe him if he told her.
Not that he was likely to.
He wasn’t going to even allow himself to touch on the subject of how she’d looked back then. Even Shannon, with her cover-girl blonde looks, hadn’t affected him the way that Teagan could with one flick of her long dark hair or a flash of dimples when she smiled. She’d been tough to forget.
But she was determined to do without his help. Something he should have been happy about. If only from a work point of view. And it wasn’t as if she’d shown any real enthusiasm to spend a great amount of time in his company since he’d moved in across the road from her.
That should have been enough of a hint for him to leave it alone. But somehow all it did was make her more interesting to him.
Maybe it was just the thrill of the chase? After all, he hadn’t had to do that much chasing until he’d met Teagan Delaney. And when he’d finally made his move on her all those years ago she’d run. Literally miles away. As if her pretty little behind was on fire.
He swung back and forth on the leather chair in his home office while he let the memory of that one kiss seep into his mind. Not for the first time either. It was almost as if seeing her had opened a well of memories he’d shut away.
It had been one hell of a kiss—one he’d gladly have repeated. And he’d thought about repeating it way, way too much, for months afterwards.
But alongside the memory of that one kiss was the memory of when she’d opened her eyes and looked at him with such an expression of anguish that it had literally knocked him back on his heels.
It had been as if that one sweet, softly warm kiss had torn her heart from her chest.
Some guy somewhere had done a real number on her, hadn’t he? How come he hadn’t known that?
He sighed. It wasn’t his problem now. Well, that was what he kept on telling himself. Women with baggage just weren’t his style. They were too much work for someone who’d just got out of one big mistake and had baggage enough of his own, thanks very much.
He really should have been backpedalling like crazy to keep away from Ms Teagan Delaney.
But he wasn’t. Instead he was volunteering every five minutes to help her out, when she would quite obviously rather chew off her own arm.
It was quite pathetic, really. And enough was enough.
What he should be doing was going straight out to pursue someone less complicated. Or a string of someone elses—with less history involved, of course. A series of flings to fill in the time; that was what was needed to take his mind off his new neighbour. Nothing else.
His focus was drawn back to the window as her car pulled out into the street and disappeared. He then watched with widening eyes as a second later her front door opened and a small figure appeared.
She’d left one behind?
With a shake of his head he got up from his chair, grabbed his keys and jogged across the street. Again.
This time definitely had to be the last time.
‘Hey there, Johnnie.’
Johnnie looked up at him, blinked a couple of times and then answered, ‘Hey.’ As if nothing in the world was wrong.
‘Your Aunt Teagan was in a bit of a hurry this morning, I take it?’ He smiled.
‘S’pose.’
‘I bet she’ll be back in a minute.’
Johnnie shrugged.
Brendan glanced up the street and then looked back at the house. ‘I don’t suppose you left the door open?’
The boy shook his head.
‘Didn’t think so.’ They both stood silently, and then Brendan turned round and sat down on the stone step, ‘Well, I guess we better wait for her, then. I’m sure she’ll be right back.’
The boy thought for a moment, and then sat down beside him. And they sat. And then they sat some more. In silence.
Brendan told himself he was okay with that. Being quiet was fine with him. But after a couple of minutes he glanced sidewards. ‘So, how you doing?’
‘Okay.’
‘Aunt Teagan looking after you?’
‘She’s tryin’.’
Brendan nodded. ‘That’s good, then.’
He honestly thought he was going to have to discuss the weather with an eight-year-old when Johnnie announced, ‘She doesn’t have no kids of her own.’
‘No, she doesn’t.’
‘I don’t think she likes kids much.’
‘Don’t you?’ He turned his body towards the child, curious to hear his thought process. ‘How come?’
‘She puts us to bed awful early.’ Another shrug and he continued staring forwards. ‘I think it’s so she don’t have to play with us.’
Brendan frowned, his mind trying to translate the reasoning of a child into the reasoning of an adult. ‘How early is early?’
‘Eight o’clock.’
He didn’t think that was all that early. ‘What time does your mum let you stay up ’til?’
Another shrug. ‘I sometimes get to stay up ’til ten when there’s no school.’
Which seemed late to Brendan. ‘Don’t you get tired?’
‘We sleep in.’
‘What about when you have school?’
The question was greeted with yet another shrug, and Brendan shook his head a barely perceptible amount. The thing was he already knew that Johnnie was the talkative one of the three.
There was the sound of an approaching car in the distance, and then Teagan reappeared.
‘See—there she is.’
They stood up in unison as the car parked in the driveway.
‘I thought I told you to get in the car.’
‘Whoa, one minute.’ Brendan frowned at her tone. ‘Don’t take it out on the kid ’cos you can’t count heads.’
Teagan’s eye’s sparked angrily at him. ‘This is none of your business.’
His height seemed to grow, if that was at all possible. ‘And you have no business being mad at an eight-year-old for a mistake you made. Grow up.’
The words stung. How could he possibly understand the complete heart-stopping fear of looking in her rearview mirror and realising a child wasn’t there? It was if she’d forgotten how to breathe until she turned the corner and saw his small figure on the doorstep. ‘He frightened the life out of me!’
‘Then giving out to him is hardly the best way of showing that, is it?’
After his dangerously calm statement, her mouth opened—but nothing came out. So she closed it again. Then she looked down at Johnnie’s bent head and a wave of guilt washed over her. What was she doing?
She stepped forward, her tone softening. ‘I really did think you’d got into the car, Johnnie.’
The boy raised his chin, blinked at her and then mumbled, ‘Sorry.’
Teagan’s throat went tight. It wasn’t her nephew’s fault that she’d been so harassed that morning. It wasn’t his fault that it had taken for ever to get everyone dressed, or that his five-year-old sister had then spilt cereal all over herself. Which had led to yet another change of clothes. It wasn’t his fault that his aunt really couldn’t juggle her work with three children. No matter how much it killed her that she couldn’t. She should have been so much better at this. Women all over the world did it, so why couldn’t she? She’d never felt so inferior.
Hunkering down in front of him and looking him straight in the eye, she tried to explain. ‘No, I’m sorry. I should have seen you weren’t in the car. When I realised you weren’t there I was scared silly.’ She took a breath, her voice wobbling. ‘I pretty much suck at being an aunt, don’t I?’
Johnnie smiled a small smile. ‘You’re doin’ all right.’ Then he glanced up at Brendan. ‘See ya.’
Just like that, he had forgotten all about it.
‘See ya.’ Brendan watched as he walked to the car, pulled open the door and hauled himself in, all the while aware that Teagan had stood up next to him and was glaring in his direction.
But the sight of her obvious guilt had backed him down. She was obviously finding this tough. He tried a smile, his eyes moving from her ruffled hair to the shadows she hadn’t quite managed to disguise beneath her eyes. ‘Rough morning?’
‘None of your damn business.’
So much for trying to be nice. One large hand caught her arm as she turned to go back to the car. ‘I did offer help.’
‘I’m doing just fine.’ She yanked her arm away.
‘Obviously not, or you wouldn’t have just abandoned a child.’ If this was going to be his last trip across the street then he was damn well going to point out a few home truths while he was there. ‘You’re not used to kids. I get that. But you’re so stubborn and determined to be Wonder Woman that when it comes to accepting help you’re prepared to cut off your nose to spite your face. What have I ever done that makes my help such an awful proposition?’
Her face flamed while she searched for words.
Brendan shook his head, his voice dropping. ‘All this because of one kiss a million years ago?’
It was the tone of his voice as much as the question. If she’d found him less of an all-round great guy to begin with she might have found it easier to tell him to go to hell after that long-ago kiss. Might have just fobbed him off with something about dating her flatmate’s ex not being a good idea. It was what she should have done. But it had been easier to just let things slide, never encouraging him to talk to her again or allowing herself to be left alone in his company. Until their separate uni courses had ended and life had taken them in different directions.
It had been a lifetime ago. And yet, with him standing right in front of her, in the here and now, it felt as if it had been yesterday.
Thing was, her life seemed to be falling apart at the seams now. All of her precious control taken away from her by the presence of three small, demanding individuals.
And if she’d found the unwanted attraction she’d had for Brendan difficult to deal with when she had been young, and believed herself to be in control of the rest of her life, then it had to follow that now, when the rest of her life was falling apart, she would take some of her frustrations out on the only other person who had ever made her lose control. Even if that loss of control had only been for a few brief moments.
It was unfair of her, though, when all he’d done was steal one kiss, as he’d put it, ‘a million years ago’. The thought increased her frustration. And in turn she got even angrier with him.
How dared he go being all reasonable with her, in that deep, sensual voice of his?
‘Why can’t you just mind your own business like everyone else in this world?’
Damned if he knew. ‘Why can’t you just accept a simple offer of help when it’s offered?’
‘I’ve got to where I am now without any help from anyone. I’m not about to start looking for it now.’
A small frown creased Brendan’s brow at the statement she’d accompanied with a stubborn set of her slight shoulders. He searched her eyes with his, and for the briefest of moments he saw a flash of pain there. Before she blinked long lashes and hid herself behind the carefully controlled mask she wore so well. And he wanted to know why. Why was she on her own? Why had there never been anyone there to help her before?
‘Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.’
She blinked in confusion. ‘What?’
‘No man is an island. Everyone needs a friend. How many of these clichés do you need me to quote at you before you admit they’re true?’ He took a breath, glanced past her to the three small figures in her car, and then back again into her emerald eyes. ‘You’re doing this to help out your sister because she needed help. I was just offering some of the same thing to an old friend.’
‘What’s in it for you?’
He ran a hand back through his hair in frustration, ‘For crying out loud, Teagan. Can’t I just be neighbourly?’
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Trish Wylie
She hid from love, but it found her anyway…Teagan Delaney has made sure that she's too busy for love…too busy to get hurt! But when she has to become stand-in mom to her sister's tiny kids and enlists the help of her gorgeous neighbor, Brendan McNamara, the rules Teagan has lived by begin to crumble…Brendan has already proved with ease that he's perfect father material, and, as his newfound family quickly nestles its way into his heart, he has to show Teagan that they can be the perfect family, too.
She wanted to be kissed.
Just that simple. Nothing more. Just kissed. By Brendan, in a makeshift tent on her living room floor.
One afternoon of messing about with three kids and Brendan in a faux family scene and the part of her that was so commitmentphobic seemed to have taken a momentary hike.
She knew there would be consequences to a kiss. But it didn’t stop her from wanting it….
Dear Reader,
One of the nicest experiences a writer can have while working on a story is when characters take you by the hand and lead you through their journey. In Project: Parenthood Teagan and Brendan did exactly that.
These two could be any of us—people who live their everyday lives on a learning curve that can often be steep. Something I’ve learned myself as I’ve got older and supposedly more “mature.” Brendan is one of the lucky few who knows what he wants from his life fairly early on, but takes a longer road than planned to get there. I know how that goes. And Teagan is convinced she knows what she wants from life when she’s really not being honest with herself. I know how that one goes, too.
In this story it just takes one little twist of fate to lead them to a place where they can see things clearly and end up where they’re supposed to be. I know I love it when things like that happen, and I hope you’ll love taking the journey with them as much as I did. All I’ve done is tell the story they told me to tell you.
Hugs and kisses,
Trish
Project: Parenthood
Trish Wylie
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Trish Wylie tried various careers before eventually fulfilling her dream of writing. Years spent working in the music industry, in promotions and teaching little kids about ponies gave her plenty of opportunity to study life and the people around her. Which, in Trish’s opinion, is a pretty good study course for writing! Living in Ireland, Trish balances her time between writing and horses. If you get to spend your days doing things you love, then she thinks that’s not doing too badly. You can contact Trish at www.trishwylie.com (http://www.trishwylie.com)
For J.H. my editor.
For encouragement and belief in me above
and beyond the call of duty….
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE (#ue8c7abf4-c82d-5e9f-9318-a1368537ddb9)
CHAPTER ONE (#u9e0668bb-f8eb-5a6e-a5c7-942a16d271e7)
CHAPTER TWO (#uf6f57c2f-9324-518f-92e6-1a7e71546111)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub2149277-1994-554f-bcd2-44968bcc7552)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE
‘YOU look amazing. Wow. Almost like a princess.’
Teagan Delaney smiled at her younger sister’s gasp of awe from the bedroom doorway. ‘Why, thank you. It’s amazing what you can do with three hours’ preparation time. Did you get Dad’s dinner done?’
Eimear nodded, her ponytail bobbing furiously before she sprawled across the cover of Teagan’s bed. ‘Uh-huh. I’m going to do some course revision in my room ’til you come home, though.’
It was a pretty normal thing for a seventeen-year-old to do. But Teagan knew it was also a way of hiding, ‘You could watch some TV downstairs with Dad for a little while when you take a break. I’m sure he won’t mind.’
Eyes the same shade of green as her own rolled towards the ceiling. ‘He’ll make me watch some dumb documentary. I’ll just wait in my room and then you can tell me everything later.’ She propped her head on an elbow. ‘And you’d better. Even if I’m asleep you have to promise to wake me up.’
‘I can tell you in the morning.’
‘I won’t sleep ‘til I hear tonight!’ She pouted.
Teagan raised a dark eyebrow. ‘I thought you just said to wake you up?’
‘I won’t sleep proper.’
‘Properly.’
She scowled. ‘Well, I won’t. You have to come tell me. I never get to go to proper dress-up parties.’
Teagan turned back to the mirror and examined her reflection. It was perfect, thanks to Eimear. Without her fashion-conscious sister she wouldn’t have looked half so glamorous. Nicer jeans than normal and possibly a tad more make-up would have done the tomboy Teagan just fine. But Eimear had been more ambitious. And it had certainly paid off.
Stopping to hand out a hug of appreciation before she left the room, she felt her heart beat a little louder in her chest at the thought of what other people might think of the transformation. Hell. There was only one person she would like to impress. One person whose opinion really mattered.
She’d been spending more and more time with Brendan McNamara since he’d split up with his girlfriend at the start of the new university year.
He was the most amazing person she knew. It would be nice if he could look at her and think she was amazing too. Even if it was just for the one night.
With a promise thrown to Eimear that she would wake her, no matter how late it was, she lifted her wrap and made her way towards the stairs. As she balanced carefully on her highest ever heels, her mind turned to the only other male in her life. Who would be in the living room with his dinner on a tray and a documentary of some kind on the television.
She felt hope bubble in her chest. Surely, dressed like she was, he would take the time to tell her she looked beautiful? Just a couple of minutes to look her way and notice how much she’d grown up. That she was a woman now, and not the tomboy she’d been for most of her life.
Words of love or even a hug would be too much to hope for. But something, even a small something, would do.
He didn’t even look up from his food when she made her entrance.
‘I’m off now, Dad.’
‘Right, then. Back by twelve.’
‘Dad, it’s a ball. I’ll not be back ’til after one.’ She tried to keep a note of pleading from her voice. ‘But I’ll come straight home. I promise.’
‘Make sure you do.’
She waited. Willed him to look at her, just for a moment. But he kept on eating. ‘You got money?’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t spend it all well.’
‘I won’t.’ With a small sigh she scowled down at her feet and then turned to leave the room. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘None of that bran nonsense at breakfast.’
‘Fine.’
Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she turned and walked away from him. She should have known better than to even hope, shouldn’t she? Years of disappointment should have taught her not to believe in any form of magic from her father. Or even from the mother who was gone.
It was just a shame she wasn’t as thick-skinned as the years should have taught her to be.
Thank heavens she had a friend like Brendan. He gave her hope in the rest of the world.
Within a few hours he had put the smile back onto her face, with his easy banter, teasing tones and quiet confidence.
He was truly amazing. Around him she actually found herself feeling happy and carefree, even if reality was always in the background to remind her that life wasn’t carefree and happy.
Brendan had been her flatmate’s boyfriend when she’d met him. Which had technically made him ‘safe’ to get to know. There had been no danger in being friends with him because the three young women who shared the flat had had an unwritten rule about stealing guys. Not that Teagan would even have thought about it. She had more important goals than some guy’s arm to dangle from.
So they’d become friends. Had almost been forced to during the times when Shannon had been late back from her part-time job, or spending longer than usual getting ready to go out for the night.
Teagan knew everything about Brendan McNamara. She knew he was determined about what he wanted from life, that one day it would definitely involve a home, with a wife and a family. He was warm and open, enthusiastic and optimistic, successful in everything he ever put his hand to. And to add to all that he was disgustingly good-looking.
Truly amazing. If almost a little too perfect.
He was not what Teagan would ever allow herself to fall for. Because he was a long-term, serious commitment.
And, truth be told, she had no intention of looking for anyone that serious. Not anyone who was seeking a happily ever after anyway. She’d seen up close and personal what a deep and ‘meaningful’ relationship could do to two people. Especially when along the line they got married, had kids and discovered that they really weren’t that suited after all. Then things fell apart at the seams. And the children were the ones who paid for the mistake.
Teagan had sworn she would never allow that to happen to her. She never wanted any child to go through the upbringing she had.
Being friends with Brendan was absolutely the safest option. And their friendship mattered to her. She trusted him. Felt that he knew her well enough not to cross any line. And she needed to know the latter most of all, because he was testing her theories for life more than anyone else ever had.
The thing was, being with Brendan made her forget a lot of the things she had her future focused around. He made her wish she could believe in things like happily ever after.
So now, for one night, she was allowing herself to walk in a fairy tale. Dressed as a princess, dancing in the arms of a handsome prince. At Christmas. It really didn’t get any better than that.
‘You having fun?’
She smiled up at him. ‘Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun.’
He grinned a grin that made his dark blue eyes sparkle. ‘You really need to get out more, you know. Too much studying makes Teagan a dull girl.’
‘Oooh, go on—compliment me some more. I can take it.’
‘I already told you twice that you look stunning tonight.’ He swung her around in a circle that swooshed her long skirts against her ankles. ‘I don’t want to swell your head too much.’
She felt herself glow beneath his underhanded praise. Though the look on his face when he had first set eyes on her had been compliment enough already.
Looking down on her face, a low grumble of laughter escaped his lips as they swung closer to the edge of the dance-floor. ‘I know. I’m a keeper, really.’
Yes, he was. For a brief moment she allowed herself to wonder at the kind of girl who would be lucky enough to keep him. And the slice of jealousy that tore through her made her feet falter for a second.
Oh, no. He was a friend. He could only ever be a friend.
‘Watch the toes, kiddo.’
‘Mmm, ’cos they’re hard to miss.’ Teagan quirked a brow at him, her eyes shining. ‘You know what they say about men with large feet…’
His dark eyes widened slightly and then he leaned his head closer, dropping his voice so only she could hear. ‘Large shoes?’
Laughing, they swung closer to the edge, and stopped below an archway. Then, as their gentle swaying stilled, something in Brendan’s eyes changed. He examined her face for a long moment, his gaze seeming to memorise her before he spoke in the same low tone. ‘You really are stunning tonight, Teagan.’
Looking back years later, Teagan would see what happened next as being one of those ‘oh, no’ moments. Everyone, at some point in their life, experienced at least one. She would find that out herself with time.
It was a kind of mental danger alert. The moment when a person knew that they shouldn’t have allowed a particular thing to happen. It was a voice in the back of the mind yelling Uh-oh—this could be trouble moment. And for Teagan it came seconds too late.
While he looked at her with so much warmth in his eyes she temporarily forgot the small matter of all the goals she had set for herself in the not too distant future. And the pledge she’d made to avoid guys like him, who might touch her heart where it had never been touched before.
She just allowed herself to get caught up in the magic of the moment.
And as he smiled down at her with every spark of charm at his disposal, then let an upward glance direct her eyes to the mistletoe above them, she even forgot to breathe.
What she should have done was crack a joke or step away. She most certainly shouldn’t have stood rooted to the one spot and watched while his head descended.
She knew how big a mistake it was the minute his mouth touched hers.
Oh, no.
In that first touch of lips it was as if something she hadn’t even known existed inside her woke up. It started with warmth where their mouths met, a sensual awareness of connecting with another person. Then the warmth moved from her mouth to her chest, causing her breath to catch and her heart to beat louder. Then there was the spiralling, tightening sensation low in her abdomen. All in one kiss. All in the space of a few minutes.
It frightened the life clean out of her. This was exactly what she had sworn she would never allow to happen to her. For a few brief moments she was losing control, was stepping into the abyss. But, unlike so many people who had no idea of what there could be at the bottom of that abyss, Teagan knew. She knew.
Heartbreak, agony, self-doubt, sacrifice. Pain.
She was twenty-one years old, with no experience of physical attraction on such a level. But she knew what the emotional cost was. And she wouldn’t do that to either of them.
‘No.’ The word came out on a tortured whisper. ‘You shouldn’t have done that. We can’t—’
‘Yes, we can.’ He squeezed his arms tighter around her waist. ‘You had to know this was going to happen.’
She tugged back against his arms. ‘I knew no such thing! We’re supposed to be friends.’
‘That’s a good place to start.’
‘No, it’s a good way of gaining ammunition, is what it is. You have no idea what you’d be getting into.’
He obviously had no idea what she meant. The look on his face told her that. And in that second she knew she was right to do what she was doing. He didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. That wasn’t his fault. Because with Brendan she’d had her first chance to live in a land of make-believe. Someone who had led as charmed a life as he had could only believe that everyone else’s life had been as easy. So it had been simple to play along.
But the very fact that it was hurting her so much to reject him only proved that she was right to do it. If she got any more involved than she already was then she might not survive. She might end up exactly like her parents.
‘I can’t believe you did this.’ She finally managed to get free from his hold, her eyes flashing up at him as she did her best not to cry. ‘You’ve ruined everything.’
‘With one wee kiss? How have I ruined everything?’ He shook his head and stepped towards her again, his eyes flickering around to see who could hear their argument, ‘You’re acting like some hysterical female, Teagan. Stop it.’
The condescending tone was like a slap in the face, ‘How dare you?’
‘Teagan—’ His tone became more warning.
‘Don’t you Teagan me! Try finding someone who wants you to kiss them, Brendan. There are loads of women here who might want that from you. But I’m not one of them.’ She raised her chin a very visibly stubborn inch and glared at him. ‘Get over yourself.’
Without waiting for a response she turned and, like Cinderella running from the ball, fled across the room, the sound of her name in his deep voice echoing behind her.
She swore there and then that she would never see him again. Ever. He could think that was immature or stupid if he wanted to. In fact he could think whatever the hell he liked.
All he had done was show her that the path she’d chosen for herself was the right one. She would never let anyone get to her like he just had. She would only ever have herself to look out for, pure and simple.
And they’d be selling ice cream in hell before she changed her mind again.
CHAPTER ONE
‘YOU can’t do this to me now!’
Eimear lowered her voice and blinked shimmering eyes at her. ‘Teagan, I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t really important. It could be make or break for us. I need this time with Mac to sort it out or we could be through.’
‘I get that, Eimear. I do. But I can’t look after them now.’ She glanced over at the three small faces blinking at her from the doorway, guilt rising up in her throat like bile that they were having to hear her turn them away, rejecting them. ‘Maybe next weekend some time. I have this massive deal in work and—’
‘This is my life we’re talking about! I can’t lose him, Teagan. I really can’t.’
And now she was crying. Teagan couldn’t take it when Eimear cried. And she especially couldn’t take it when it was happening in front of her nephew and nieces. Even though technically their mother’s back was to them. Teagan really couldn’t put them through any of the stuff she remembered from her own childhood. It would be too cruel.
But surely it wasn’t unreasonable to have asked for a little warning? A phone call to discuss it? A text message to say they were on their way over? Not a carload of them outside of her house when she got home from work…
‘Eimear—’
‘Please. I’m begging you.’
It had been a long time since Teagan had really felt that Eimear needed her. Things just hadn’t been the same between them over the years since Eimear’s first marriage. A marriage that Teagan had felt never should have happened to begin with. She’d said so. Loudly and at length, in fact. And Eimear had never really forgiven her for it, so their relationship had changed.
But seeing Eimear so desperate now was like looking back in time. And it brought out Teagan’s old need to soothe and to make things better.
Her eyes moved again to the three children. The eldest, Johnnie, was looking at her with eyes the same colour as his mother’s. He almost looked as if he was examining her, sizing her up. And even while she stood contemplating how to get out of looking after them she felt as if she was falling short of his expectations.
She took a long breath. ‘How long for?’
‘Thank you!’ Eimear engulfed her in a swift, tight hug, her tears gone. ‘I knew I could rely on you.’
Teagan scowled, suddenly feeling she’d just been hoodwinked. ‘They’ll need—’
‘They have everything they need right there. It’s all pretty self-explanatory. And Meggie is potty trained now, so she just needs a nappy on at night. It’s a pull-on, so you’ll be grand.’
She was still scowling while her sister became a hurricane around the room, hugging and kissing the children and moving towards the door. ‘We’ll only be a few days. Mac has booked some lovely country hideaway for us.’
‘How will I—?’
‘Thanks, Teagan. You really are a star.’
And she was gone.
Teagan blinked at the closed door. What had just happened? Not half an hour ago she’d had a bubble bath, scented candles and a glass of good Chardonnay planned for her evening. Now she was staring at three small faces that looked as bewildered as she felt.
She pinned a bright smile on her face as she approached them. But it took about thirty seconds for the smallest one to crumple.
‘Oh, no, honey. Don’t do that.’
And then the second one began to sniffle. Only Johnnie remained impassive.
It was Teagan’s worst nightmare.
Brendan hated moving days. This time would definitely be the last one for a few dozen years if he had his way.
He lugged a box from his rental van and made his sixth trip into the house before rolling up his sleeves and heading out to repeat the trip.
At least his life wasn’t as chaotic as it looked for the poor woman across the street.
She was making her third trip from the house to the car. This time with a screaming toddler in her arms. And from the way she was moving he could tell she wasn’t having much fun. No sign of a dad to help out either. Maybe he’d had sense enough to head out for work earlier, before the chaos kicked in.
If it had been Brendan, he’d have relished that kind of chaos.
He shook his head. He should have bought a damn apartment in some new complex filled with single people. People who didn’t make up perfect little family units in a hive of houses filled with similar perfect family units.
Hell, he’d have been better off with a paper cut and some nice lemon juice to pour on it.
But the house was a good investment.
The woman leaned in through the car door and soothed the screaming child until there was silence. Then, running her hands back through her dark hair to tame it, she closed the door and started around to the driver’s side. But halfway around the car she stopped, and there was a frustrated scream and a stamp of one high heel. Her hands rose for a moment and then dropped to her sides. ‘No, not this morning! Don’t do this to me!’
He stepped away from the van and looked where she was looking. A flat tyre. That sucked.
Well, he shrugged to himself, that was one way to get to meet the neighbours. And Lord knew she looked as if she could do with being rescued.
So he did the decent thing and jogged across the street. ‘Hi. Do you need a hand?’
She jumped when he spoke, and swung to face him, her hair swinging across her face. ‘I have a flat tyre.’
Brendan looked down at the offending object and nodded wisely. ‘Yep, I’d say you do, all right.’
‘I can’t fix a flat tyre in this outfit.’ There was a brief pause while she joined him in looking at the tyre. Then she took a breath and her voice changed. ‘I don’t suppose I could possibly ask you—?’
The male in him noted the shift in her vocal tone immediately. How it had changed from annoyed to beguiling in the space of one sentence. She was trying to flirt with him to get him to change the tyre. Typical woman. Obviously some ditzy housewife who had never learned how to change a tyre because her husband always did it for her.
He smiled and looked at her as she brushed her hair back from her face. And his breath caught.
‘Teagan.’
Her eyes flickered up to meet his, then widened. ‘Brendan.’
Blond brows quirked at the guarded way she said his name. He tried a wider smile. ‘Well, this is a surprise.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m moving in across the road.’
‘You bought the house across from me?’ Her eyes moved to look at the half-unloaded van. ‘When did that happen?’
‘Got the keys the day before yesterday. I have to say if I’d been given a list of people I might bump into when I got here—’
‘Mine would have been the last?’ Her chin rose as she looked back at him, a small, tight smile on her lips. ‘That’s nice.’
Her cool stare brought his back up. Okay, so she was having a bad morning—obviously—but that really was no excuse to be rude. After all, he’d come over to help.
‘Well, it’s been a while.’ He folded his arms across his broad chest and nodded.
‘Yes, it has.’
He made another attempt at lightening the mood. Not that she really deserved it. One long finger pointed towards the car, where at least the crying hadn’t started up again. ‘About three of those ago, apparently.’
Teagan snorted out a brief laugh. ‘Oh, they’re not mine. They’re my sister’s kids.’
‘You stole them?’
The smile she gave him was a little more relaxed. ‘Nope. Why would a person do that, exactly?’
‘Well, they’re cute.’ He waved through the window.
‘Yes, they are that.’ She waved herself, and was rewarded by three smiles. ‘But they’re also really hard work.’
‘I’d heard that rumour.’
She glanced at him in the reflection of the glass, seemed to take a moment or two to think and then asked, ‘Look, I’m sorry to ask you this, but is there any chance you could give me a hand with the tyre? I’m going to be really late to work at this rate.’
‘You’re taking them with you to work?’
‘No.’ She laughed again. ‘There’s a daycare centre nearby, and they’ve said they can take them today for me to help out. After that I’m on my own.’
Brendan took a breath as he turned to look at her. He blinked as he thought, his eyes moving over her profile while his mind remembered what she’d looked like the last time he had seen her. Nine years hadn’t done her any harm. She looked great, if a little on the harassed side.
When she turned her face to his she blinked up at him with her large green eyes and he remembered more about the last time he had seen her. The night he had kissed her and she’d told him to get over himself before she ran. He’d never had a chance to see her again, to talk it out. She’d given him no choice.
And now she was his neighbour. Well…
He cleared his throat. ‘I’ll help with the tyre. No problem. It’s what I came over here to do.’
There was a brief pause, then, ‘Thanks.’
Another smile was attempted. ‘You’re welcome.’
Teagan hesitated for a brief moment. Then she answered the smile with one of her own. After all, he was being helpful.
She followed him around as he pulled the spare wheel from the boot and gathered the tools he needed. It gave her a few moments to think of some conversation to make. After all, a big part of her work every day was talking to people. It shouldn’t be so difficult.
But all she could think of was, Well, hell—of all the people!
‘So.’ His voice sounded out from her knee height. ‘No kids of your own, then?’
‘No, no kids of my own.’ For some completely unknown reason she felt she had to justify that. ‘I’m too busy with my career.’
‘Not for as long as you have these three, you’re not.’
Well, thank you, Brendan, for stating the obvious. She scowled at his back as he finished jacking up the car and reached for the wrench. ‘No, the busy part is still there. This wasn’t a booked visit.’
His voice came out with a slight grunt as he worked on the first wheelnut. ‘How are you going to manage, then? Will your husband help?’
Subtle one.
‘I’m too busy with my career for a husband.’
‘You must be doing great in work, then.’
‘As a matter of fact I am. Thanks.’ Her scowl promoted itself to a frown.
He nodded as he freed the last nut and wrenched the tyre off. ‘Well, good for you.’
If she’d been a dog she’d have growled at him. In the space of a few sentences he’d made her feel as if the years since she’d parted company with him had been achievement-free. Just because his goals were different from hers, it didn’t mean hers were any less fulfilling!
After all, she owned her house—along with the bank. She almost completely owned her car. Her bank balance was healthy enough to allow a shopping spree at least once a month, and she paid every one of her bills before the ink turned red. She thought she was doing pretty well for someone her age.
Who was he to waltz in and criticise?
‘I suppose you’re moving a nice wee wife and twelve kids in across the road, then?’
He rose and turned round, lifting the spare tyre with one hand as he grinned at her. ‘Nope. Just me.’
Damn it, he’d caught her, hadn’t he? He hadn’t been trying to criticise her life; he’d been fishing for information. And he’d got it. And now he was grinning at her with a sparkle in his eyes that said, Gotcha.
Teagan shook her head with a small smile of resignation. She should have remembered how smart he was. Lord alone knew she was remembering plenty of other things while he kept on looking at her like that.
Still grinning, he turned round and popped the tyre into place, then reached a large hand out for the nuts. ‘I could help if you’re stuck.’
Like hell. ‘I can manage. Thanks.’
‘Well, if you’re stuck.’ He tightened the last nuts and then stood up, wiping his hands carelessly along the sides of his jeans before he lifted the flat. As he walked past her he glanced from the corner of his eye. ‘I’m great with kids. I have dozens of nieces and nephews, so I’ve had loads of practice.’
Well, bully for him. Though for the briefest moment she allowed herself to wonder why he hadn’t had any of his own. What had happened to his great plan for life? But she couldn’t wonder about that kind of thing. Because wondering would lead to questioning. And questioning would lead to a friendship of some kind. Which would be a massive mistake.
She was mature enough to know that now.
‘Thanks.’ She straightened her hair again, then glanced at her watch as he stowed away the tyre. ‘But, really, we’ll be fine.’
Brendan closed the boot and studied her for a long time, his dark blond lashes blinking slowly. Then he merely shrugged his broad shoulders and pushed his hands into his pockets. ‘Well, you know where I am.’
Indeed she did. But she would need to be in critical condition before she’d follow the broad shoulders that swayed as he walked back across the road.
C-r-i-t-i-c-a-l.
CHAPTER TWO
CRITICAL didn’t kick in until just before she was due to leave the office to collect the children. That was when she got word that the meeting with potentially her biggest ever clients had been brought up a few days, and she had a presentation that wasn’t even halfway done.
The headache started then.
At the daycare centre no amount of pleading or bribery would get the children booked in again. They were full to the gills as it was, and it was only because one family had been on holiday that they’d had space for one day.
Her head was pounding by the time she got to the local supermarket.
‘I want fish fingers!’
‘No, chicken nuggets!
‘Fish fingers!’
‘Nuggets!’
‘If you two don’t stop this minute you’re both getting cauliflower and nothing else.’ She negotiated her way around an end-of-aisle display, missing toppling a pyramid of washing powder boxes by inches.
She’d had dozens of trollies to pick from, and had still managed to pick the one with the dodgy wheel. Someone somewhere really had it in for her.
Katie pulled a face. Teagan stopped the trolley at the top of the cereal aisle and raised an eyebrow at her. ‘You don’t love cauliflower, Katie?’
The five-year-old held her arms around her waist and pretended to gag. Which made Teagan laugh. She was better laughing, she guessed. Otherwise she would have to stand and weep in public.
‘Fish fingers.’ Katie nodded furiously, then took a moment to think and added, ‘Please?’
‘Please certainly helps.’ Teagan began to push the trolley again. ‘Tell you what, let’s do cereal first, and then we can decide what we’re having for dinner.’
It was after nearly fifteen minutes of debate on nutritional value versus free gift in box when Brendan appeared around the corner with a basket.
‘Aw, hell.’ Teagan looked down at Meghan’s smiling face.
‘You said a bad thing!’
‘I’m sorry, Katie.’ She pinned a smile on her face as Brendan approached. ‘Hello, again.’
‘I’m not stalking you, if that’s what you think.’
The thought had occurred. ‘It’s the closest supermarket.’
Katie tugged on his arm. ‘You fixed the wheel, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, that was me.’ He hunkered down and smiled broadly at her. ‘You getting cereal? I like those ones too.’
‘You get a book with them.’ Katie hugged the box.
‘And about a zillion preservatives,’ Teagan cut in.
‘They’ll help her live longer.’
‘No, they won’t.’ Teagan scowled down at him. ‘Something with bran in it would be much healthier.’
Brendan made a similar gagging face to the one Katie had made during the cauliflower discussion and Katie giggled at him. ‘Yuck.’
Leaning down towards his ear, Teagan snapped, ‘Not helping.’
She stood up abruptly as he rose to his feet, felt herself get shy as he examined her face. ‘You look wrecked. Tough day?’
‘You have no idea.’ She caved on the cereal with the book, soothing her conscience by at least believing that reading was educational, and vowing to balance it up by adding in some porridge oats. She’d worry about negotiations later. ‘And it’s only getting worse.’
Falling into step beside her, he reached a hand out and grabbed a box. ‘Worse how?’
With no idea whatsoever why she was doing it, Teagan started to spill her problems. ‘The deal I’m working on has been moved up, and I have this huge presentation to do in two days.’
Brendan nodded, adding more to his basket as they rounded the corner. ‘And you have the kids at the same time?’
‘Yes. And the daycare centre can’t take them.’
‘So, you’d say you were stuck, then?’
She stopped her trolley by the low refrigerators and glared at him. ‘I have a list of childminders to call when I get home.’
‘And if they can’t take them at short notice?’
Then she was in big trouble. Blinking at his calm face, she felt the headache thump harder at her temples. If it had been anyone else on the entire planet…
‘Then I’ll have to see if the meeting can be put back a couple of days.’ She just about managed to hide a grimace as she reached for frozen fish fingers and chicken nuggets.
Brendan stood silently until she looked back at him. ‘Did your sister understand how busy you are in work right now?’
She kept her face hidden as she examined the contents of the fridge. ‘She has some stuff that she has to deal with right now. It’s important.’
He watched as she aimed a brief smile at him.
‘Not cauliflower, Auntie Teagan.’
‘It’s good for us, Katie.’
‘But it tastes yucky.’
‘We’ll put cheese sauce on it and it’ll be grand.’ She ruffled Katie’s hair and then glanced at Brendan from beneath her lashes. ‘I better go get this lot fed.’
‘Sure.’ He nodded, then waited to speak again as she started to force her wobbly trolley away from him. ‘But remember the offer of help is still there if you need it, Teagan. Really.’
They couldn’t change the meeting. And none of the child-minders she’d been given numbers for had space for all three children. Which would mean splitting them up. Which Teagan couldn’t do. She had accepted responsibility for them and that was that.
So she had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask for help. From Brendan. Just for one day.
And he didn’t even take a second to be smug about it when he came to the house the next day. Which made her feel worse. She so didn’t want him to be around. Seriously.
Then and there Teagan decided it was time to track her sister down. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her nephew and nieces to stay. She did. It would be nice to spend more time with them. Really.
Just not right smack-bang in the middle of a big work deal.
When she got home Brendan had the world under control. Nothing appeared to have got stained, smeared or smashed since she’d left. And that in itself was a miracle she hadn’t managed in the last forty-eight hours.
She sighed as she sat down at the counter in the kitchen, and smiled at the coffee he handed her.
‘It’s official, just so you know. I’m going to kill her when I get her.’
Harsh words. But for a split second Teagan honestly meant them. Her responsibility for her younger sister’s problems should long since have ended. Somewhere around the time they both grew up and left the small hell they’d called home.
Brendan smiled from the other side of the room, ‘Couldn’t get through to your sister, I take it?’
‘Good guess.’ She managed a small smile in return, ‘It’s not that I don’t want them. It’s just that I can’t manage this right now.’
‘Yes, you can.’ His all too familiar deeply male voice sounded firm. ‘You don’t have a choice.’
‘Of course I have a choice. I can track her down and she can take them home!’
‘But that’s just it. You can’t, can you?’ His fair eyebrow raised a notch as he stared at her with eyes so dark a blue that from across the room they were almost black. ‘Where else can they go ’til you find her?’
She glared across at him. To add to her sister’s list of transgressions she now had the fact that she was being forced to spend time with the one man she’d spent nine years avoiding.
Up until he’d reappeared she’d managed to live by the ‘out of sight out of mind’ rule. Hadn’t ever bumped into him at a party, or made the mistake of attending any reunion-type thing he might have been at.
Now, thanks to her sister, she had no choice but to accept his help. Which had brought him into her house and directly into her line of vision. Up close and personal.
The best-laid plans…
‘Teagan?’ His voice sounded again when she went silent.
‘Sorry.’ She scowled down into her coffee mug and tried to find answers there. ‘I can’t keep looking after three little kids under ten. Not right now. And I can’t keep imposing on you either. I was only supposed to have them for a few days, and this contract in work wasn’t due to finalise ’til next week.’
‘It’s no big deal. I don’t mind.’
When she looked up again he was studying her, his eyes as warm as his voice was reassuring.
It was unnerving as all hell. ‘You may not, but I do.’
‘You can’t want to see them in the care of someone you don’t know? Not really.’
She scowled at his statement, admitting inwardly that that was probably the reason she got a headache every time she spoke to someone about childcare or daycare. It just didn’t sit well on her.
What she wanted was for her sister to get herself home so that Teagan herself could have her life back. She would even offer to babysit a night or two, so that Eimear and Mac could have time alone, and she’d reschedule for them to stay. That would be fair, wouldn’t it? And it would ease her guilt at not being able to help somewhat. Well, a little anyway.
It was kind of a moot point right that minute, though. She sighed. ‘I can’t bring them with me to the office. If I mess up this contract…’ The words trailed off.
Despite the serious tone of her statement, Brendan’s eyes sparkled with amusement. With her scowl as a response, he cleared his throat and forced a calm look on his face. ‘You’re right. Having seen what they can do to a living room in one afternoon, I guess the office is probably not a good idea mid-presentation.’
‘Cream was a practical colour for a suite when I lived here alone.’ She thought nostalgically of the days when all the creams and beiges of her modern interior had looked pristine. They couldn’t have spilt something on something darker, where it wouldn’t have shown, could they?
A small chuckle escaped. ‘Thank the Lord for cushions, though. They can cover any flavour fruit juice. Even blackcurrant.’
Teagan glared. ‘I’m glad you find this so amusing.’
‘Aw, c’mon—you can barely see the stains when the cushions are in the right places. I always knew there had to be some use for throw cushions.’ He continued to smile, adding with a shrug, ‘They’re such a girl thing.’
‘I still know the stains are there.’ She did her best to hide a smile of amusement. Though at the time it had happened she hadn’t been so amused. She’d worked damn hard to have her lovely home lovely, spent hours poring over catalogues and wandering around furniture stores. Making things kid-proof had never once been a consideration in any of her purchases.
Pushing his large frame away from the edge of a granite counter-top, Brendan walked the two paces necessary to stand right in front of her, his voice silken. ‘They need you.’
‘I’m not their mother, though. Their mother should be here.’ She tried really hard not to notice how close he was, or how he made words sound so seductive. Her eyes flickered up to his face. Was it possible for someone to look better under close inspection than they did from a distance? Even after nine years? Lord alone knew if she stood that close to her own reflection she’d find flaws. Plenty of them. And every blasted one of them a reminder that she wasn’t twenty-one any more.
With a swallow she forced herself to stare at a dark button on the front of his shirt. Buttons were nice, safe things to look at. She would just focus on the button while she forced herself to find some miraculous solution to her dilemma. Reasoning to herself that while focusing on the button she wouldn’t get distracted by looking into deeply blue eyes. Even when she knew they were still looking at her.
‘No, you’re not their mother.’ He waited patiently until his silence, and his close proximity, forced her eyes to tilt up to meet his again. ‘But they need you to be a substitute for them right now. You don’t really have a choice, do you?’
‘I’m aware of that, thank you.’
‘Then you just have to manage. You’ll be grand.’
He made it sound so simple. How could he know? It wasn’t as if she’d ever explained to him the life choice she’d made such a long time ago. A choice that most certainly didn’t involve three children running around to shatter her solitude. It didn’t involve responsibility for any other life. Even one as small as a cat or a goldfish. No baggage. Eimear was supposed to have grown up enough so that she wasn’t Teagan’s responsibility any more. So that Teagan just had herself to look out for. And there were times when that was tough enough on its own.
She shouldn’t have to do this kind of thing any more. It just wasn’t fair. The petulant thought brought a frown to her face. Damn it. Now she was going to huff like a teenager too? That was great—just fabulous.
He watched her scowl for a few seconds, then turned his face from hers as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. ‘I’ve told you I’ll help out where I can.’ He glanced back at her face. ‘And I mean that. I’ll not see you stuck.’
‘I know. You’ve said.’ She swallowed down a bubble of frustration. He just always had been such a nice guy, hadn’t he? And the simple truth was he was better with the children than she was—which made her even more resentful of his presence than she already was. ‘But this really isn’t your problem. It’s mine. I really don’t need you to feel you have to hop over here to rescue me every time there’s a crisis.’
‘Every guy likes to play the knight in shining armour now and again.’ He flashed a grin at her while ignoring her petulant tone. ‘You just happen to be the nearest damsel, is all.’
Teagan hated the idea of being seen as a damsel in distress. So much for all her years trying to be a strong and independent career girl. Capable and self-sufficient. All it took was something really heavy round her house, or her nemesis of something electrical, and she was as much use as a chocolate kettle.
But Brendan had to have work of his own to do—things that took up his time. She swallowed as she thought, Dates to occupy him.
She watched with slightly narrowed eyes as he turned, removed a hand from his pocket to rescue his mug and walked the two paces it took for him to get to the sink to rinse it out. Somewhere in her mind it occurred to her that everyone else took a lot longer to walk around her open-plan kitchen. But Brendan was so damned tall that he seemed to get everywhere in two long, confident steps. She’d forgotten over the years just how tall he was.
He certainly was way head and shoulders above her shoeless five foot seven. When he was around she had always had moments where she felt feminine. Maybe even a little small and damselish.
‘So, what are you going to do if you won’t accept some help?’
Good question.
‘I don’t know.’ She frowned again as the words came out all small and helpless. This really had to stop. ‘But I’m going to have to think of something until I can track down Eimear.’
‘And you’ve definitely tried everywhere?’
She’d told him as much when she’d rung to check on the children during the day, so the question brought her back up again.
‘No, I only rang the once and then gave up.’ Raising her hands to her hips, she tilted her head and stared at his back with a deadpan expression.
The sarcasm rolled right over him. ‘What about her friends?’
She sighed a resigned sigh. What was the point in being stroppy with him after all? It was hardly his fault. ‘No help. They only know that Mac took her on a romantic break somewhere on the Ring of Kerry.’
‘Somewhere that doesn’t have a phone so she could check on her kids?’
Which, had Teagan had her wits about her, she could have cured by taking the damn hotel details. Not that she’d thought about it while she was being so deftly hoodwinked. ‘They need some time alone.’
Brendan shook his head. ‘I don’t understand people like that.’
He wouldn’t, would he? Not this guy who had the kind of simple, easy, charmed existence that Teagan herself had only ever seen at the movies. He couldn’t possibly understand why Eimear would be so desperate to save her second marriage if it was in trouble. If he ever got round to getting married it would no doubt be roses and violins the whole damn time.
A bubble of anger grew in her stomach. He knew nothing. She’d bet that nothing more troublesome than running out of milk had ever happened in his life. Not that she’d taken the time to ask since they’d been thrown into each other’s paths again. It was really none of her business after all.
With his cup rinsed and set on the drainer, he turned and looked back at her face. He went silent for a moment when he saw the spark of anger in her eyes. Even after their years apart he still knew the warning signs of an impending argument. She was obviously as angry at her sister as he would have been, given the same circumstances, but she refused to hear a bad word spoken about her.
With a shrug, he let it drop. ‘Well, you know where I am if you need a hand.’
Oh, she knew, all right. Right across the street. Right under her nose. To remind her every day of all the reasons she had to stay well away from him. Especially if there was ever any mistletoe in sight. Teagan had the memory of an elephant.
‘Thanks for looking after them today.’
‘No problem.’ He frowned for a second, deep in thought, poised on the balls of his feet as if he might step forward again. Then he simply smiled a small smile and walked the two paces it took for him to get to her back door. ‘I have some work to clear up at home tomorrow, so I’ll be around if you need a hand.’
‘Okay. Thanks again.’ Though even as she said the words she knew she would do everything in her power to make sure she didn’t have to make that call.
After the door closed behind him, she stood in the same place for a long while. The house was silent, bar the background noise from the television in her front room. If it hadn’t been for that noise to remind her she wasn’t alone she might have allowed herself to wallow in the moment of loneliness she felt.
But it wasn’t because of him, she reminded herself. It was just the way she’d probably always felt but had never really allowed herself to acknowledge. It was an emptiness inside that she’d taken years to control and to bury—even from herself, it seemed.
Part of her truly hated him for the fact that he had reminded her it was there. That it might have been well hidden but it hadn’t gone away. Maybe never would.
She wasn’t the only one who fought it, though, she guessed.
Although right at that moment she may have wanted to kill her sister for taking this trip of hers, and inconvenient timing as it was, she couldn’t hate her for it. Because she understood.
Eimear was probably fighting her own version of that hollowness, and having her children obviously wasn’t enough on its own. She wanted the whole shebang—wanted a man by her side, to be made to feel loved and safe. While Teagan had chosen to find the solution in her career and a modicum of financial security.
Teagan didn’t doubt for a second that she would be back soon. Eimear hadn’t abandoned her children; she’d just set them to one side while she tried to fix her second attempt at marriage.
Teagan herself would never have set her own children to one side for a man, moot point though that was. She’d made her choices. She was the stronger one of the two of them—the one who got on with it, alone. As she’d just have to get on with it this time.
She’d just have to find a way to do it without Brendan McNamara’s help. She didn’t need a constant reminder of how close she could have come to being like her sister in seeking happiness through some guy. Even when that guy’s presence still stirred up a memory in her that she’d never really been able to shift.
No, she would never allow herself to rely on someone else for her own happiness. Could never expect to find love as it was described in the movies. Because it just didn’t exist. Teagan knew that, even if Eimear didn’t.
But then Teagan remembered more than her little sister. She’d made sure of that. It was her job to do everything she could to ensure Eimear was happy.
If that meant playing at being Mummy then that was what she would do. Other women coped, balancing careers with families.
Teagan was a mature, capable woman. She could deal with problems when they arose. Could manage her time.
It was only for a couple more days. Eimear had said a few days. And she’d survived two already.
She’d just have to find a way to survive another two. Without Brendan McNamara.
CHAPTER THREE
BRENDAN smiled through his window as he watched her bundle the children out through her door and into her car.
She looked harassed again. Sleek, shoulder-length dark hair flying into her face as she moved from car door to car door. Even the movements of her slight figure were jerky, hurried, while she brushed at her hair with an irritated hand.
His smile grew. Thing was, even from across the street he could see that that ruffled-round-the-edges look suited her. It was sexy. It reminded him of how sexy she’d been at twenty-one. Though he’d bet serious money she wouldn’t believe him if he told her.
Not that he was likely to.
He wasn’t going to even allow himself to touch on the subject of how she’d looked back then. Even Shannon, with her cover-girl blonde looks, hadn’t affected him the way that Teagan could with one flick of her long dark hair or a flash of dimples when she smiled. She’d been tough to forget.
But she was determined to do without his help. Something he should have been happy about. If only from a work point of view. And it wasn’t as if she’d shown any real enthusiasm to spend a great amount of time in his company since he’d moved in across the road from her.
That should have been enough of a hint for him to leave it alone. But somehow all it did was make her more interesting to him.
Maybe it was just the thrill of the chase? After all, he hadn’t had to do that much chasing until he’d met Teagan Delaney. And when he’d finally made his move on her all those years ago she’d run. Literally miles away. As if her pretty little behind was on fire.
He swung back and forth on the leather chair in his home office while he let the memory of that one kiss seep into his mind. Not for the first time either. It was almost as if seeing her had opened a well of memories he’d shut away.
It had been one hell of a kiss—one he’d gladly have repeated. And he’d thought about repeating it way, way too much, for months afterwards.
But alongside the memory of that one kiss was the memory of when she’d opened her eyes and looked at him with such an expression of anguish that it had literally knocked him back on his heels.
It had been as if that one sweet, softly warm kiss had torn her heart from her chest.
Some guy somewhere had done a real number on her, hadn’t he? How come he hadn’t known that?
He sighed. It wasn’t his problem now. Well, that was what he kept on telling himself. Women with baggage just weren’t his style. They were too much work for someone who’d just got out of one big mistake and had baggage enough of his own, thanks very much.
He really should have been backpedalling like crazy to keep away from Ms Teagan Delaney.
But he wasn’t. Instead he was volunteering every five minutes to help her out, when she would quite obviously rather chew off her own arm.
It was quite pathetic, really. And enough was enough.
What he should be doing was going straight out to pursue someone less complicated. Or a string of someone elses—with less history involved, of course. A series of flings to fill in the time; that was what was needed to take his mind off his new neighbour. Nothing else.
His focus was drawn back to the window as her car pulled out into the street and disappeared. He then watched with widening eyes as a second later her front door opened and a small figure appeared.
She’d left one behind?
With a shake of his head he got up from his chair, grabbed his keys and jogged across the street. Again.
This time definitely had to be the last time.
‘Hey there, Johnnie.’
Johnnie looked up at him, blinked a couple of times and then answered, ‘Hey.’ As if nothing in the world was wrong.
‘Your Aunt Teagan was in a bit of a hurry this morning, I take it?’ He smiled.
‘S’pose.’
‘I bet she’ll be back in a minute.’
Johnnie shrugged.
Brendan glanced up the street and then looked back at the house. ‘I don’t suppose you left the door open?’
The boy shook his head.
‘Didn’t think so.’ They both stood silently, and then Brendan turned round and sat down on the stone step, ‘Well, I guess we better wait for her, then. I’m sure she’ll be right back.’
The boy thought for a moment, and then sat down beside him. And they sat. And then they sat some more. In silence.
Brendan told himself he was okay with that. Being quiet was fine with him. But after a couple of minutes he glanced sidewards. ‘So, how you doing?’
‘Okay.’
‘Aunt Teagan looking after you?’
‘She’s tryin’.’
Brendan nodded. ‘That’s good, then.’
He honestly thought he was going to have to discuss the weather with an eight-year-old when Johnnie announced, ‘She doesn’t have no kids of her own.’
‘No, she doesn’t.’
‘I don’t think she likes kids much.’
‘Don’t you?’ He turned his body towards the child, curious to hear his thought process. ‘How come?’
‘She puts us to bed awful early.’ Another shrug and he continued staring forwards. ‘I think it’s so she don’t have to play with us.’
Brendan frowned, his mind trying to translate the reasoning of a child into the reasoning of an adult. ‘How early is early?’
‘Eight o’clock.’
He didn’t think that was all that early. ‘What time does your mum let you stay up ’til?’
Another shrug. ‘I sometimes get to stay up ’til ten when there’s no school.’
Which seemed late to Brendan. ‘Don’t you get tired?’
‘We sleep in.’
‘What about when you have school?’
The question was greeted with yet another shrug, and Brendan shook his head a barely perceptible amount. The thing was he already knew that Johnnie was the talkative one of the three.
There was the sound of an approaching car in the distance, and then Teagan reappeared.
‘See—there she is.’
They stood up in unison as the car parked in the driveway.
‘I thought I told you to get in the car.’
‘Whoa, one minute.’ Brendan frowned at her tone. ‘Don’t take it out on the kid ’cos you can’t count heads.’
Teagan’s eye’s sparked angrily at him. ‘This is none of your business.’
His height seemed to grow, if that was at all possible. ‘And you have no business being mad at an eight-year-old for a mistake you made. Grow up.’
The words stung. How could he possibly understand the complete heart-stopping fear of looking in her rearview mirror and realising a child wasn’t there? It was if she’d forgotten how to breathe until she turned the corner and saw his small figure on the doorstep. ‘He frightened the life out of me!’
‘Then giving out to him is hardly the best way of showing that, is it?’
After his dangerously calm statement, her mouth opened—but nothing came out. So she closed it again. Then she looked down at Johnnie’s bent head and a wave of guilt washed over her. What was she doing?
She stepped forward, her tone softening. ‘I really did think you’d got into the car, Johnnie.’
The boy raised his chin, blinked at her and then mumbled, ‘Sorry.’
Teagan’s throat went tight. It wasn’t her nephew’s fault that she’d been so harassed that morning. It wasn’t his fault that it had taken for ever to get everyone dressed, or that his five-year-old sister had then spilt cereal all over herself. Which had led to yet another change of clothes. It wasn’t his fault that his aunt really couldn’t juggle her work with three children. No matter how much it killed her that she couldn’t. She should have been so much better at this. Women all over the world did it, so why couldn’t she? She’d never felt so inferior.
Hunkering down in front of him and looking him straight in the eye, she tried to explain. ‘No, I’m sorry. I should have seen you weren’t in the car. When I realised you weren’t there I was scared silly.’ She took a breath, her voice wobbling. ‘I pretty much suck at being an aunt, don’t I?’
Johnnie smiled a small smile. ‘You’re doin’ all right.’ Then he glanced up at Brendan. ‘See ya.’
Just like that, he had forgotten all about it.
‘See ya.’ Brendan watched as he walked to the car, pulled open the door and hauled himself in, all the while aware that Teagan had stood up next to him and was glaring in his direction.
But the sight of her obvious guilt had backed him down. She was obviously finding this tough. He tried a smile, his eyes moving from her ruffled hair to the shadows she hadn’t quite managed to disguise beneath her eyes. ‘Rough morning?’
‘None of your damn business.’
So much for trying to be nice. One large hand caught her arm as she turned to go back to the car. ‘I did offer help.’
‘I’m doing just fine.’ She yanked her arm away.
‘Obviously not, or you wouldn’t have just abandoned a child.’ If this was going to be his last trip across the street then he was damn well going to point out a few home truths while he was there. ‘You’re not used to kids. I get that. But you’re so stubborn and determined to be Wonder Woman that when it comes to accepting help you’re prepared to cut off your nose to spite your face. What have I ever done that makes my help such an awful proposition?’
Her face flamed while she searched for words.
Brendan shook his head, his voice dropping. ‘All this because of one kiss a million years ago?’
It was the tone of his voice as much as the question. If she’d found him less of an all-round great guy to begin with she might have found it easier to tell him to go to hell after that long-ago kiss. Might have just fobbed him off with something about dating her flatmate’s ex not being a good idea. It was what she should have done. But it had been easier to just let things slide, never encouraging him to talk to her again or allowing herself to be left alone in his company. Until their separate uni courses had ended and life had taken them in different directions.
It had been a lifetime ago. And yet, with him standing right in front of her, in the here and now, it felt as if it had been yesterday.
Thing was, her life seemed to be falling apart at the seams now. All of her precious control taken away from her by the presence of three small, demanding individuals.
And if she’d found the unwanted attraction she’d had for Brendan difficult to deal with when she had been young, and believed herself to be in control of the rest of her life, then it had to follow that now, when the rest of her life was falling apart, she would take some of her frustrations out on the only other person who had ever made her lose control. Even if that loss of control had only been for a few brief moments.
It was unfair of her, though, when all he’d done was steal one kiss, as he’d put it, ‘a million years ago’. The thought increased her frustration. And in turn she got even angrier with him.
How dared he go being all reasonable with her, in that deep, sensual voice of his?
‘Why can’t you just mind your own business like everyone else in this world?’
Damned if he knew. ‘Why can’t you just accept a simple offer of help when it’s offered?’
‘I’ve got to where I am now without any help from anyone. I’m not about to start looking for it now.’
A small frown creased Brendan’s brow at the statement she’d accompanied with a stubborn set of her slight shoulders. He searched her eyes with his, and for the briefest of moments he saw a flash of pain there. Before she blinked long lashes and hid herself behind the carefully controlled mask she wore so well. And he wanted to know why. Why was she on her own? Why had there never been anyone there to help her before?
‘Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.’
She blinked in confusion. ‘What?’
‘No man is an island. Everyone needs a friend. How many of these clichés do you need me to quote at you before you admit they’re true?’ He took a breath, glanced past her to the three small figures in her car, and then back again into her emerald eyes. ‘You’re doing this to help out your sister because she needed help. I was just offering some of the same thing to an old friend.’
‘What’s in it for you?’
He ran a hand back through his hair in frustration, ‘For crying out loud, Teagan. Can’t I just be neighbourly?’
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Trish Wylie
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: She hid from love, but it found her anyway…Teagan Delaney has made sure that she′s too busy for love…too busy to get hurt! But when she has to become stand-in mom to her sister′s tiny kids and enlists the help of her gorgeous neighbor, Brendan McNamara, the rules Teagan has lived by begin to crumble…Brendan has already proved with ease that he′s perfect father material, and, as his newfound family quickly nestles its way into his heart, he has to show Teagan that they can be the perfect family, too.