Holding Out: Returning Home Book 4
Page 25
“Um, so, overnight bag—” She points to where it’s sitting on my stoop. “He’s been tough to get to bed lately. I have to read him a lot of stories.”
A flare of panic goes up in my chest. Usually when I have Gabe, my mom and sister are around. They’ll do anything to score time with him, which means that the tough stuff, like bedtime, is pretty much always their job. I just get to handle the Fun Uncle stuff. Tossing around the ball, teaching Gabe how to ride a bike (it’s a work in progress), buying his affections with ice cream.
But whatever, I’ll handle it. It’s one night, right? What can go wrong?
“He’s really liking Frog and Toad right now . . .” She looks worried.
She’d probably be even more worried if she had any idea how much I depend on my female relatives to deal with Gabe. I try to keep that under the hat. “We’re gonna be fine,” I assure her.
She bites her lower lip. That lower lip is a work of fucking art, and when she gets her teeth into it like that, I forget about the muddy waters and just want to soothe the spot she’s bitten with my thumb. Or my tongue.
Curtain on that, too.
“Don’t let him eat too much sugar.”
She says that every time.
“And don’t let him stay up too late.”
Ditto on that one. I give her a look, and she raises her chin obstinately. “I’m his mom. I gotta say it.”
I don’t say, And I’m his dad. Because although I am—never doubted Maddie’s word on that for a second, and if I had, one look at Gabe would have cleared it right up—I don’t often feel like I’ve earned that title. That’s why I always go with “fun uncle.” Although Gabe does call me Daddy. Even though I told Maddie I didn’t think it was a good idea . . . because what if, someday, she wants Gabe to call some other guy, like Harris, Daddy?
This is not a thought I want to spend any time with, so I change the subject. “Where are you going?” I ask her. The heaped-up curves at the scoop of her shirt are distracting. Eyes up.
“My boss is retiring and we’re throwing him a party.”
“Is Big Dick going with you?”
“Don’t call him that.”
I’ve never actually told her this, but I call Harris that because I can’t think of any reason she’d be with him other than that he must have a big dick. Otherwise, he has no redeeming features. Well, maybe money. He’s a product marketing manager at a biotech company and he’s older than we are—thirty-three, I think—and they live together in a condo that’s, like, three times as big as my house. But he’s one of those guys that just annoys you right away, always knowing everything and having to explain it all, and he interrupts her, which I fucking hate.
“Harris is working.”
“Did he see you in that shirt?”
That slips out before I can think better of it. My better self, in general, fails me around Maddie, which is why I usually keep these meetings as short and sweet as possible.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” she demands. Which I know means he did.
This is another reason Harris is a Big Dick. What kind of guy could take even one look at Maddie—especially in that shirt, which is all over her curves like a second skin—and decide he’d rather be working? But if I say that to her she’ll just get pissed at me. I know from past experience. Harris the Big Dick is a nice guy, Maddie says. If I would just get to know him I’d see that.
Yeah, that’s going to happen. When the Cougs win the Pac-12.
Gabe comes back with the football. The small one. He can’t even really hold onto the full-sized one yet.
“Right here,” I tell him.
He throws it to me. For a guy who’s just barely four years old, he has a great arm. We really have to work on his spiral, though. It’s a wobble at best.
“So—I should go,” Maddie says.
“Yeah.”
We don’t hug, because, muddy waters. Still, I feel like I want to say something, do something, to make it less awkward.
“Tell your mama goodbye,” I say to Gabe. “Tell her she looks pretty.”
She has just started to crouch over him to hug him goodbye, and she looks up at me, startled.
She has green eyes and high-arched eyebrows that make her look like she’s always about to ask a question. Her mouth is a wide bow and her bottom lip—yeah. You already know that drill.
I shrug. “Teaching him how to get the ladies.”
She glares at me.
I grin back.
She sighs, and I can tell she’s trying not to smile.
There. Tension broken.
“Be a good boy,” she tells Gabe, crouching down to hug him, giving me a quick mouthwatering glimpse down her shirt.
“’Bye, Mama,” he says. “You pitty!”
I can’t read the look on her face when she glances up at me. But that’s nothing new. Maddie’s been a closed book to me for so long now I almost forget that it wasn’t always that way.
She straightens up, gives me a little wave, and takes off across the lawn.
Her dark hair swings, her hips sway, her jeans hug her. She looks just as good going as coming.
IF YOU WANT to read more, you can find Do Over here.
* * *
FIND DO OVER HERE.
* * *
THE BOOKS in the Sexy Single Dads series are standalones with happily-ever-after endings, so you can also read them in any order.
* * *
YOU CAN ENJOY the sparks that fly when Chase—an outdoorsy hero with no patience for frills—asks his best friend, Libby—who always tries to make the world a prettier place—to be his temporary nanny, in Head Over Heels.
* * *
FIND HEAD OVER HEELS HERE.
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OR, you can discover why readers adore RITA Finalist Sleepover, which Smart Bitches, Trashy Books called “one of the best, most emotionally satisfying contemporary romances I’ve read this year.” A widowed hero moves in next door to a heartbroken heroine, only to discover that they know each other—from a super-sexy one night stand. That wouldn’t be soooo bad, except that now their kids are best friends…
* * *
FIND SLEEPOVER HERE.
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AND DON’T FORGET to join my newsletter list so you never miss a new release, sale, or giveaway!
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JOIN MY NEWSLETTER HERE.
ALSO BY SERENA BELL
Returning Home
Hold On Tight
Can’t Hold Back
To Have and to Hold
Holding Out
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Sexy Single Dads
Do Over
Head Over Heels
Sleepover
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New York Glitz
Still So Hot!
Hot & Bothered
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Seattle Grizzlies
Getting Inside
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is the first one I have written “on my own” since first becoming traditionally published in 2012, but I never, ever felt alone.
My family has been unfalteringly supportive of me, even (or, especially) when I ruin dinner because I’m writing or making teaser graphics. My husband is basically a saint. In addition to loving and supporting me in everything I’ve ever done writing-wise, he has been lending his skills overtime in his tech support and business analyst roles. And my kiddos are so full of faith in me—may you both be rewarded with your loved ones’ faith, in turn. I love you guys.
I have had the pleasure of working, for the first time since To Have and to Hold was published in 2016, with the fabulous Sarah Murphy, an incredibly talented developmental editor. She has the rare talent for seeing what a book is trying to be before it’s there, and the even rarer talent of communicating to the frazzled author what that is. Sarah, I love you, and I couldn’t have done this without you.
One of the great joys of this project has been meeting new experts, including my copyedit
or, Jaime Green, whose keen eye and wry wit made the final stages of editing this book a delight. Also, Jaime shares my affection for Jean Auel’s The Valley of Horses, and any fan of Jondalar is a friend of mine . . .
The very best professionals are experts at both hands-on and hands-off, and Emily Sylvan Kim, my beloved agent, has been a superhero of both in the time we’ve worked together. Thank you, Emily, for supporting me on this project—it means so, so much to me.
Once again, Jessica Scott contributed insight into army matters—in this case, invaluable perspective. Any factual errors in the book are strictly my own.
I want to particularly thank Melissa McCulloch for her wisdom on design issues—she was abundantly generous with her time and knowledge, and I learned so much from her. Plus, I had a blast doing it—Melissa, I adore you.
Because this book is part of my indie launch of this series, I also have quite a few additional people to thank, people who have been instrumental in helping me find the courage and learn the resources necessary to get this whole series back out in the world: Amber Belldene, Karen Booth, Sarina Bowen, Cheryl Cain, Dylann Crush, Kate Davies, Christine D’Abo (with sugar and post-its on top), Gretchen Douma, Nicole French, Rachel Grant (see, again, my dedication!), Molly Hays, Gwen Hayes, Gwen Hernandez, Sierra Hill, Christy Hovland, Mira Lyn Kelly, Kris Kennedy, Claire Kingsley, Jaycee Lee, Tamara Lush, Kathy McGowan, Alexa Rowan, Reese Ryan, Ellen Schroer, Jessica Scott (again), Lauren Seilnacht, Sierra Simone, Darya Swingle, Skye Warren, the attendees of Seattle Unconference 2018, the members of The Corner of Smart and Sexy, the members of Emerald City Author Chicks, the members of Living the Dream Mastermind, the members of LS Author Coup, and about a bajillion other people. I hope I’m not forgetting anyone, but I might be, because there are so, so many generous authors out there willing to buoy each other up, and everyone I turned to during this process gave their time and support generously.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes richly emotional stories about big-hearted characters with real troubles and the people who are strong and generous enough to love them. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and she adores scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
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Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
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When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also her enormous collection of constantly changing and passionately embraced hobbies, ranging from needlepoint to board games to meditation.
Copyright © 2019 by Serena Bell
All rights reserved.
Jelsba Media Group
ISBN 978-1-7328948-3-9
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Archery bow icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com and licensed by CC BY 3.0.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Letter to the Reader
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Epilogue
Do Over Excerpt
Also by Serena Bell
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright