The Super Mum. Karen Rose Smith

kids pile on is another.”

      “You’ve got great kids. I’m a novelty right now. Hopefully Anthony and I can form a friendship that will help him. But if your other two kids want to be part of that, I don’t mind. I intend to give Anthony alone time, though, because I think that’s what he needs.”

      “You’re right about that. He and Jerome never spent a lot of time together, but whenever he could, Anthony tagged along with his dad.”

      “We could just stop for a pizza on the way home,” David suggested, not wanting to put her to any bother.

      “Pizza’s okay once in a while, but I try to get them to eat wholesome food whenever I can. I have leftover roast beef in the fridge. I’m thinking of hot roast beef sandwiches, if that’s okay.”

      “That sounds fine. You really do try to be Super mom, don’t you?”

      She bristled a bit. “Is there something wrong with that?”

      “No. Not if it doesn’t wear you out.”

      Her shoulders relaxed. “It does. But as long as I can do it, I’m going to try.”

      They could hear the kids chattering as they trudged down the trail. They could see them. But David knew the trees blocked the kids’ view of them. No one else had followed them into these rows of trees, and it almost felt as if they were alone in the middle of nowhere.

      Angela was looking up at him with those big, blue eyes. He’d taken off his gloves after he’d cut down the tree so he could rope it to the sled. Now he was glad he had. Her swingy hair brushed against her cheek, and he pushed it back, letting his thumb linger on the softness of her skin. Her eyes grew bluer and wider, and he saw the same desire there that he was feeling. They were both wondering—wondering what a kiss would be like…wondering if a fire would start…wondering if the earth would move.

      He rarely acted on impulse anymore. But now, desire drove him to seize the moment, answer some of his questions, discover if the chemistry he was feeling was real. When he bent his head, she raised her chin. His lips covered hers.

      Did the kiss last for an instant? Or maybe an hour?

      There was no time as heat exploded in his body…as he pushed his tongue into her mouth…as she responded quickly and fiercely.

      When her children’s laughter soared up the hill to them, he broke away and stepped back, feeling turned inside out.

      That was impossible. The kiss had begun and was over in a few seconds. How could he be so fully aroused? How could he want to lay her down in the pine needles and the patches of snow and take the passion she seemed willing to give?

      He’d thought his questions would be answered after a kiss, but there were only more of them. “I shouldn’t have done that. The way Anthony is feeling right now, if he senses anything going on between us, he’d never let me become his friend.”

      “You’re right,” she murmured. “And I’m not looking for…for…for an involvement. I don’t have time. I don’t have the energy. Men cause me nothing but disappointment.” She brought her hand to her lips when she realized she’d said out loud what she was thinking.

      “I’ll try not to disappoint you where Anthony’s concerned,” he vowed solemnly. “Come on. We’d better catch up.”

      She didn’t argue, and he knew she didn’t want to linger, either. She’d obviously been hurt, maybe by someone other than her ex-husband. They both had scars that would keep anything from developing except a hot affair.

      And it would be hot. That sample kiss had told him that.

      But he had to put Anthony first.

      He’d make sure he stayed away from Angela Schumacher. That was the only reasonable thing to do.