on six-year-olds. She dimpled delightfully, then buried her head in Travis’s arm. Travis glanced over at Elizabeth and saw she had noticed the exchange. She gave him a little smile. Better, he thought, remembering how she’d avoided his gaze for the first part of the meal. Every time she looked at Austin, his gut clenched as he waited for her to figure out his friend was handsome as sin and richer than God. So far she seemed singularly unimpressed.
“Kyle is leading the pack this month,” Travis said, stroking Mandy’s hair. “Giving out the most tickets.”
“That must make him popular with the locals,” Elizabeth said.
Kyle shrugged. “At least I’m not like you, big brother. Always parking in the same place. He’s got the worst record in tickets.”
Elizabeth began cutting the cherry cheesecake in front of her and placing the slices on plates. “If you’re the sheriff, why do you give out tickets at all? I wouldn’t have thought that was part of your job.”
He made the mistake of looking at Kyle, who was making cow eyes at him, mocking him before he’d even started to answer the questions.
He balled up his napkin and tossed it across the table. Kyle burst out laughing, Elizabeth remained calm, Louise muttered about boys being boys and Austin stayed out of it. As always, his friend was on the fringe of the group, watching but never actually belonging.
“I don’t ask my men to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That’s fair,” Elizabeth said, as Kyle clutched his hands over his heart and pretended to swoon. “If you don’t behave, Kyle,” she said, her voice staying even and friendly, “I’m going to make you stand in the corner and not give you any dessert.”
Travis burst out laughing. Kyle looked suitably chastised. Even Austin smiled.
“He also parks his car in one place,” Austin said, taking the plate she offered. “By the main highway. Whenever he’s out looking for speeders, we all know where to find him.”
Elizabeth glanced at him. “I’m glad you were there,” she said. “If you hadn’t been, who knows what would have happened.”
“Travis took Mommy to the hospital,” Mandy said, taking her serving of cake and picking up her fork. “I was scared, but he used the siren and made sure Mommy was all better.”
“Just doing my job,” he said, slightly embarrassed.
Elizabeth saved him by changing the subject. She cut the last piece of cake and started to hand it to Kyle. His baby brother was her age, but she treated him as if he were several years younger. Travis couldn’t help being pleased by that.
“Are you going to behave?” she asked, holding out the plate.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. No more trouble from you, young man.” Her voice was stern, but her eyes danced.
Travis watched her tease Kyle and felt a warmth burning deep in his chest. He glanced around the table, at the people he loved most in the world. It felt right to have Elizabeth share in this part of his life. Louise chatted with Austin. Mandy scraped her plate clean. For the first time in years, he felt content.
Elizabeth looked up at him and their eyes met. The sadness and wariness from that morning was gone. In their place something soft and lovely flared to life. He wanted to make love to her. Instantly heat boiled through him, burning in his blood and engorging his groin. An answering passion made her lean forward slightly and lick her lower lip.
He wanted to feel her and taste her, loving her until she writhed with need. The room faded and all he saw was her. The V neck of her sweater had slipped slightly, allowing him to see the valley between her breasts and the hint of a curve. He wanted her naked, next to him. Under him. As much as he’d loved the feel of her mouth on him, this time he wanted to be inside, claiming her. He figured that line of thinking meant he was pretty primitive, but that didn’t make his erection go away.
Louise stood up and asked if anyone would like coffee. Her prosaic question broke the spell between them, and Elizabeth looked away. After a few minutes, Travis managed to quench his desires. The conversation moved from speeding tickets to the local high school football team and the chance they had at the local championship.
Mandy climbed onto his lap. He put his arm around her back to support her. She leaned against his chest.
“You’ve got gravy on your shirt,” he said, pointing to the spot on her sweatshirt.
She glanced down and held the shirt out so she could see it. “I always spill, huh?”
“Yeah, but I like it.”
“You like it?” She grinned. “That’s silly. You’re not supposed to like it.”
“Well, I do.”
He bent over and tickled her under her arms. She squirmed and laughed. When he stopped, she sagged against him and sighed. “You’re nice, Travis.”
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
“There’s a boy in my class. He said he lost his parents, but then he found new ones. I guess his mommy and daddy were too lost to ever find their way home.”
He didn’t know whether or not he should explain what the boy had meant by “lost.” Before he could decide, she continued.
“He loves his new mommy and daddy, but he misses the old ones. He says new parents are fun. I lost my daddy. Mommy says he’s not ever coming back. Could you be my new daddy?”
He felt as if he’d been hit by a speeding train. All the air rushed out of him and his chest ached. He tried to speak, but couldn’t. His throat was too dry.
Mandy stared up at him, her wide blue eyes trusting him with her heart. He glanced around the table. Everyone else was busy with their own conversation. No one had overheard Mandy’s question.
“I’m flattered you would ask me,” he said at last, touching her soft cheek, then tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But I don’t know how to be a daddy. I don’t have any children of my own. Why don’t I just be your friend instead?”
She frowned. “Do you have to learn how to be a daddy?”
“I think so.”
She raised her shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Okay. You can be my friend, and then when you learn how to be my daddy, you can be that, too, okay?”
He hadn’t cried in about twenty years, but suddenly he felt a burning behind his eyes. He pulled Mandy close and hugged her tight. “It’s better than okay, Mandy. It’ll be great.”
* * *
The house was still. Elizabeth stood by the door and listened to the creak creak of the swing on the front porch. She balled her hands into fists, then consciously relaxed them. The company had gone home, Mandy was asleep in her bed. Elizabeth couldn’t avoid Travis forever, even if she wanted to. But what was she going to say?
She shook her head. The problem wasn’t what to say, it was where to start the conversation. They had many things to discuss, not the least of which was what had happened between them last night.
She walked toward the front door, placed her hand on the handle and paused. All of this would be a lot easier if she knew what she wanted. She knew what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to make another mistake like the one she’d made with Sam. She didn’t want to be a fool again for a man. The easiest and safest way to ensure that was to never get involved again. Especially with someone even worse than Sam. Travis was too good-looking by far. He was kind, tender, sweet with her daughter and hot in bed. By comparison, Sam was an amateur, his smooth-talking ways falling far short of Travis’s charm. Logically, she had to steer clear of Travis Haynes. If not, she would be risking herself all over again, and she would have learned nothing from her false marriage.
False.