His Lullaby Baby

by Airicka Phoenix

  “What’s going on here?”

  She peered from Hanna to him and their gazes locked in the familiar dance of fire that never seemed to end. It crackled between them, the tempo fierce and demanding. He knew she felt it too, knew she was as hot and needy as he was. It was all there in the subtle parting of her lips, the savage flare of desire in her eyes and in the way her breasts always swelled just a little more the longer he held her attention. Too often he’d caught her watching him with a flush in her cheeks and a plea in her eyes only to have her turn away. It was a maddening tease he didn’t know how to deal with short of just fucking her where she stood.

  Hanna leaped to her feet, startling the link into breaking. “Mommy, we need a communicating tea! I’ll tell Nancy and Margi!”

  She was out of the room in a streak of pink pajamas.

  Addy looked to Toby, eyebrow raised in question.

  “Nancy’s feeling a little threatened right now,” he explained as he gripped the edge of the counter and heaved himself up with a grunt. “She thinks Margi’s taking her friend. So, we decided that everyone needs to have a sit down and talk about what they’re feeling over tea.”

  She stared at him with a mixture of amazement and confusion. There was something else beneath all that, apprehension maybe. Maybe even suspicion. But it was buried deep. Too deep for him to be certain.

  “You have grease on your face,” she told him softly.

  Toby snorted. “Baby, I got grease and crap everywhere right now.”

  Her lashes lowered with the downward tilt of her chin. She studied the bucket of goop that had been accumulating in the bend of her compost. The letters were set aside and she took a careful step closer to get a better look.

  “I can’t believe all that was clogged in there.”

  “I’ve almost got it cleaned out,” he said. “Should be running like new when I’m done.”

  Her face lifted. “Thank you.”

  It had been two weeks since he started working around the inn, two weeks of being near her and stubbornly keeping his hands to himself when all they wanted to do was stray. Each day seemed to get harder. He could feel himself losing the battle every time she was within grabbing distance. Everything about her was a siren’s song beckoning him to crash into the rocks and let her take him under. God help him, but he was ready to surrender.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Innocent, the question shouldn’t have affected him the way it did. It shouldn’t have torn through him with the reckless abandonment of a wild beast ravenous for flesh, yet it did. It made his entire body hum with an inner vibration that tightened the coils in the pit of his stomach. He wondered what she would do if he kissed her. He wondered if she would kiss him back. Every primal instinct in his body hungered to find out. It drove him forward with every intention to fulfil that need. His hand extended from his side, fingers reaching, aching to touch the object of his obsession.

  “Toby…” She made a sound between a gasp and a sob and jerked away. “No … I can’t! I’m sorry.”

  Chest heaving with the shock of being slammed headlong into a metaphorical brick wall with an abruptness that left him ragged and reeling, Toby staggered back from her. It was only a foot, yet the gap seemed infinite straining between them. Tremors of restraint pitched through him in pulses thumping between his ears. It was a task not to growl in frustration, but that too was bottled back when he saw the anguish in her eyes, the guilt, need, and regret. It was all there, bared for him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again, voice broken.

  Fire successfully tapered, he shushed her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

  Her luminous gaze met his, bright with unshed tears and a level of pain he couldn’t even stand seeing without wanting to kill the bastard responsible for causing it.

  “I want you, but I can’t…” Her head dropped forward. “I just can’t.”

  “No.” He struggled to contain his hands when all they wanted to do was reach for her. “Don’t. I can wait. I will wait, for as long as you need.”

  His words only seemed to increase her grief. Her bottom lip trembled before she stiffened her chin and lifted her eyes.

  “You shouldn’t. I might never be ready.”

  He considered that. He knew it was a very real possibility that he was chasing a rainbow, but it didn’t seem to matter. Like the men who obsessed over capturing hurricanes and leprechauns, he was dangerously addicted to her. Tasting her had become his only source of comfort.

  “I want you, Addy. Christ knows how badly I fucking want you, but I’ll wait, because I know it’ll be damn worth it when you’re ready.”

  A weak sound escaped her. “Toby…”

  He cut her off. “Don’t answer right now. I may never be the man you deserve, but I’m going to try. Just let me try, Addy.”

  “I was thinking about starting on the porch today.”

  In the process of smoothing out a lump of dough with a rolling pin, Addy’s head jerked up. “The porch?”

  Cradling his steaming mug of coffee between both palms, Toby nodded. “I think one of the boards might be rotted. It gives too easily when you step on it. Eventually, it’ll break and you’ll have a broken ankle on your hands.”

  “Oh!” Thin brows pulled together. “All right. How much work do you think it’ll need?”

  “I’d have to take a closer look, but shouldn’t be too much.”

  She nodded slowly as she went back to making the bottom lining for a pie. She tackled the task with the same unhurried insistence she showed everything, but there was tightness in her shoulders and along the length of her spine that didn’t go unnoticed by him. Plus she was too silent.

  “Addy?”

  “It’s just that it was a very slow summer this year,” she explained, not meeting his gaze. “The inn didn’t make as much money as it normally does and I don’t want to make too many repairs if I can help it.” She wiped her hands down her thighs, leaving a streak of flour in their wake. “I realize the porch is important so just let me know what it’ll all cost.”

  He’d helped rebuild the porch on his Aunt and Uncle’s house a few years back and roughly estimated it would cost the same, if not a little higher, depending on wood and size.

  “Hundred bucks?” he guessed off the top of his head. “Maybe one fifty with supplies. That’s only if I redo your entire porch, including the railings and posts.”

  The disbelief on her face was almost comical. “How is that possible? Wood alone—”

  “I helped Mr. Holloway build a sunroom for his wife a few summers back. In return, I get a lot of my hardware material for dirt cheap. So I could probably redo the whole porch for practically nothing.”

  “Jesus, Toby, I…” The oven beeped, signaling it was done preheating. She hurried over with her first set of pies and stuffed them on the racks. Pies in place, she set the timer and turned to him once more. “I don’t know…”

  “Don’t know what?”

  “I can’t ask you to use your favor for me,” she said evenly.

  “It’s not a favor.”

  She shook her head. “Still. I don’t feel right taking advantage of Mr. Holloway like that, especially when I had nothing to do with his sunroom.”

  Toby sighed. “How about this? Why don’t you come with me and talk to Mr. Holloway yourself and he’ll give you a better estimate?”

  The lines continued to furrow along her brow, but she nodded reluctantly. “All right. Just let me get Hanna ready.”

  The girl stumbled into the kitchen as though she’d spent the entire night partying. For being one of the most adorable little people Toby had ever known, she was also one of the most miserable first thing in the morning.

  She staggered to the stool and sat. “Why is it morning already?” she whined.

  Toby chuckled. “You are going to be a basket of fun once school starts.”

  Hanna shot him a dirty glower from amongst the fuzzy curtain of hair draped over her face.

&
nbsp; “None of that.” Addy set waffles onto a plate and slid it over to her daughter with a pitcher of warm maple syrup.

  While the girl ate, Toby left to get her booster fitted in the backseat of his truck. The thing was pink with giant flowers stamped all over it. Toby couldn’t recall the last time he willingly brought anything pink and floral into his truck, except maybe a woman. But he positioned the thing right in the middle.

  Hanna and Addy were in the foyer when he returned. Hanna was grumbling about still being tired while Addy shoved the girl into her sweater and zipped it up. She made no comment about Hanna’s complaining as she hurried around the desk and did something with the computer and phone.

  Leaving her to it, Toby stalked into the kitchen and wrapped two muffins into a paper napkin and returned just as Addy hung up the phone.

  “What are those for?” she asked.

  “Incentive.” He pressed the treats into her hands. “Just hang on to them.”

  Looking bemused, she eyed him, but didn’t ask. She slipped the muffins into her purse.

  Holloway’s Hardware was the only place in town to get lumber, nails, and anything else one needed for household repairs. Growing up with his uncle, Toby had spent a great deal of time learning how to use his hands. Unlike his dad, Uncle Sloan actually enjoyed manual labor. He used to take Toby and Damon with him when he did repairs around town. At one point, Toby had even worked in his uncle’s moving company, but that had been short lived. It took three months for him to realize he wasn’t a fan of furniture moving. His uncle hadn’t minded. He’d had Damon, but occasionally, Toby would help when he’d been off duty. Now, he was just useless. He couldn’t help his uncle. He couldn’t return to duty. He couldn’t even walk down the block without needing to catch his breath.

  He parked just outside and circled around to open Addy’s door. He offered her his hand before moving to get Hanna out. Together, they stepped into the hardware store and the sharp stench of metal and grease.

  Ben Holloway looked up from behind the front counter when the bell jingled. Blue eyes ringed with deep crow feet widened. Full lips beneath a thick mustache curled. He closed the register and made his way around to greet them.

  He was a big man, not just tall, but round in the shoulders and wide in the gut. He had always reminded Toby of Santa Claus without the beard. Him in white and maroon didn’t help the image. But he was one of the most decent men Toby had ever known.

  “Toby! How have you been, son?”

  Toby accepted the other man’s hand in a hearty shake. “Good, sir. How are you and Mrs. Holloway?”

  “Good. Good.” He dropped Toby’s hand and turned his attention to Addy and Hanna. “What brings you to my shop today?”

  “This is Addy Nixon,” Toby introduced. “She’s the owner of Macy’s Bed and Breakfast.”

  Mr. Holloway’s eyes widened with interest. “Yes, of course. We were all very sad to see Macy leave our town.”

  Addy nodded. “She’s not really gone. She will return, but she’s just doing what she loves right now.”

  With a reluctant sigh, Mr. Holloway ambled back to his place behind the counter. His bulky frame filled the cramped little strip of space.

  “That is the thing, isn’t it? You grow up in this town and the next thing you know, you’re pushing seventy and have never left. It’s good that she got out for a while.” He offered them a broad smile and clapped his hands together once. “But that’s not why you’re here. Tell me what I can do for you.”

  Addy stepped forward, her smile sweet. “I would like to know what you would charge for some wood and the required items to rebuild a porch. That includes the porch itself, four steps, railings, and twin posts to hold up the short porch roof.”

  Mr. Holloway’s brow creased as he considered her request. “Is this for the inn?”

  Addy nodded. “The current wood is rotting.”

  “I would imagine so,” Mr. Holloway deduced. “The inn has been an inn since I was a boy and that was a long time ago. I can only imagine the sort of repairs it would require.”

  “Right now, we’re focusing on the porch,” Addy said not unkindly.

  “But before we get to that.” Toby stepped forward. “Have you tried Addy’s baked goods?”

  Taking that as her cue, Addy pulled out the muffins and held them out. Mr. Holloway’s eyebrows lifted with interest before he accepted.

  “They are incredible!” Toby went on as the man set the desserts down on the counter between them and tore off a piece. “I’ve gained twenty pounds since I’ve met Ms. Nixon.”

  Addy blushed and shot him a teasing frown. But there was a glimmer of nerves beneath the slight smile, a shine of uncertainty that he understood quickly when her gaze flicked just as quickly back to Mr. Holloway. Her teeth caught the corner of her lip as she watched the man tear off a piece. The expression deepened when Mr. Holloway furrowed his brows and stared at the muffin like he couldn’t figure out what he’d put into his mouth.

  “Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?” he demanded at last. “These taste just like my mother’s muffins, but better!”

  Addy’s shoulders sagged beneath her brown, wool coat. The muscles of her face relaxed and she smiled.

  “I added cinnamon to the batter.”

  Mr. Holloway stuffed a bigger piece into his mouth and chewed. “Whatever it is, best I’ve had in ages.” He wiped his fingers on his apron. “You know, Martha and I had our honeymoon at the inn near forty-two years ago. We were young and it was the only place we could afford at the time.”

  Addy nodded. “I’ve gone through a few of the guest books Macy kept and I remember seeing that.”

  Mr. Holloway frowned a moment longer before coming to some inner conclusion. “You know, our anniversary is coming up next month. I think a weekend at the inn might actually be a nice treat, don’t you think?”

  Addy’s mouth opened. Then closed. But no words came out.

  “That is a fantastic idea,” Toby said for her. “I highly recommend the Sea Room. It’s my personal favorite.” Those sweet, brown eyes shot to him. The surprise in them made him grin. “But they’re all real nice.”

  Her cheeks pinkened and she looked away to focus on Mr. Holloway once more.

  “We would love to have you,” she said. “Just let me know when.”

  Mr. Holloway nodded. “I most certainly will!” He took a last bite of the muffin before stuffing them under the counter. “Not supposed to be eating on the job,” he explained in a hushed whisper. “I’d have to fire myself.”

  Addy laughed.

  Mr. Holloway grinned. “All right, so let’s talk about your porch problem, shall we? We of course have all the wood you could possibly want or need in the back. Toby knows the way around the shop, but if there’s something specific you want, I can definitely order it in.”

  Addy nodded. “That’s very kind. Thank you. But I’d also like to discuss payment.”

  “Right.” Mr. Holloway dug under the counter and unearthed a clipboard. He set it on the counter along with a pen and turned them to face her. “I have three different options here for you to go over. Most people with large projects such as this go for store tab. That one is good if you’re not sure how much you’ll need. Anything you don’t use, you are welcome to return within sixty days. There is also the full payment up front, but, like I said, if you’re not sure just how much you’ll need, that one might be tricky and time consuming.”

  “I like the store tab,” Addy murmured. “I think I’d like that one.”

  “All right.” Mr. Holloway dragged the clipboard back to him and quickly filled out the information. He returned it once he was done. “Just fill in the bottom.”

  The bottom consisted mostly of her name, address, and credit card information, which she had to dig out of her purse.

  “Mommy?” Hanna tugged the corner of Addy’s coat. “Can I get a hammer?”

  Addy never looked up from the form. “A hammer? What do
you need a hammer for?”

  Finished, she set the clipboard down and passed it to Mr. Holloway.

  “It’s shiny,” the girl explained.

  Addy touched the top of her daughter’s head. “Not today.”

  “This all looks in order,” Mr. Holloway stated. He looked up and smiled. “Do you have someone to help you with the remodeling?”

  Addy gestured to Toby. “Mr. McClain has generously offered his services.”

  Mr. Holloway beamed. “Then you are in very capable hands. Toby helped build Martha’s sunroom. She loves it. Absolutely superb job. All right.” He skirted around the counter once more. “I keep all the wood in the back. Toby, you know where everything is, don’t you? Take this with you.” He dug out a pen and notepad from the pocket of his apron and passed them over to Toby. “Let me know if there’s anything you can’t find. I’m putting an order in this afternoon so I’ll make sure to add it on the list.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Holloway.”

  Setting a hand on Hanna’s shoulder, Addy guided the girl towards the back with Toby taking the rear.

  The shop was the biggest one in town, a solid force of concrete and iron. It had the feel of a warehouse with metal rods overhead and steel shelving bolting in long, neat rows to the double doors at the back. The doors opened to a flat, open stretch of space with three dock doors along the far wall. More shelves lined the space, holding rows of wood in various shapes, shapes and sizes.

  Hanna skipped on ahead, running her small hand over the planks as Addy and Toby followed at a much less hurried pace. Toby was relieved. His leg was beginning to throb and he had no pain killers on him.

  “Hanna, you’re going to get a splinter if you keep doing that,” Addy called after the girl.

  “Can we build a treehouse?” the girl asked in response.

  “Maybe next year,” Addy said.

  “A treehouse?” Toby asked over Hanna’s groan of protest.

  Addy nodded. “She’s been asking for one since Kari got one. What?” she asked when Toby grinned.