She crossed the foyer to the entrance and let Sean into the house. In the middle of the entry hall he pivoted. Anger carved deep lines into his face.
He took several steps toward her. “What were you thinking, bringing Penny here?”
“That she needed help.”
“By putting your own life in danger?”
“I have a plan.”
He rolled his eyes. “A plan?”
Irritated at his high-handedness, she shoved her hands to her hips. “Yes. I talked to my in-laws who live in Tulsa. They’re going to help Penny. I’m taking her there this afternoon. They’ll give her a job, and she’ll live in their guesthouse until she gets on her feet. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Yes.” He covered the rest of the space between them. “I’m not going to let you drive to Tulsa by yourself. I’m coming along. In fact, I’ll drive.”
Just like a man to try to take charge. Maddy bit the inside of her mouth to keep her retort to herself. She wanted to tell him no, but him coming along wasn’t a bad idea. She couldn’t help feeling safer with him around.
“Were you gonna bother to tell me about your plan?”
Maddy drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “Yes, Penny’s decided to press charges against her husband. She also has information concerning some of his illegal activities that should help your case. I was going to bring her to the station before we left, then right after that get out of Dodge.”
His mouth dropped open. “You talked her into helping us?”
Maddy nodded. “Once I gave her a way out she wanted to help. He’s been abusing her for several years, and she’s felt locked into her situation. She hasn’t known what to do. Now she has a goal.”
“Then let’s get Penny and her son and take her to the station. The sooner she’s away from here the better I’ll feel.”
“Fine.” Maddy started forward.
Sean clasped her arm and stopped her. “Thanks for talking Penny into helping us.”
Her breath caught at the feel of his fingers on her. Warm. Tingling. “You’re welcome.” Her throat closed at the sensations bombarding her—his touch, his male scent of musk, his dark melting look that roamed over her face.
* * *
Sean hadn’t bargained for being in a car for two hours with two toddlers—one at the moment crying at the top of his lungs. Finally only twenty minutes from Tulsa, Penny managed to calm Tyler and the boy fell asleep. She rested her head on the back cushion and closed her eyes.
In the front seat Maddy glanced at the woman sitting between the two child seats behind her, then gave Sean a grin. “Tyler’s routine has been disrupted. I know how Carrie can be when hers is.”
“Sure.” He eyed the two children through the rearview mirror. His gaze lingered on Maddy’s daughter who was asleep and had been for the past hour. A beautiful two-year-old. He saw a lot of Maddy in her—blond, blue eyes with a killer smile.
He’d held her while Maddy and Penny had put the extra car seat into Maddy’s SUV. He and Carrie had taken a tour of the garden near the garage and the little girl had pointed at the various plants, telling him that she’d helped her mom put them in. Or at least that was what he thought. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he’d caught a couple of familiar words interspersed among ones he hadn’t understood.
“I don’t know much about you other than you’re a detective and work with David Russell. Kelli told me you weren’t married.” The second that last sentence came out of Maddy’s mouth she snapped it closed. “I guess I shouldn’t have admitted I asked her about you.” Her cheeks flushed a nice shade of red.
He pressed his lips together to keep his chuckle to himself. She was cute when she was flustered. “I was once but not anymore.”
“Any kids?”
“No, the timing never seemed right.”
“That’s a shame. Carrie has been such a blessing.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” But as he said that a memory of the little girl throwing her arms around his neck as they had walked and talked in the garden swamped him.
Fifteen minutes later Sean pulled through the gates of an estate that put Maddy’s large home to disgrace.
“The security here is top-notch. Penny and Tyler will be safe.” Maddy pointed toward a road that led behind the mansion. “We can park back here.”
As Sean climbed from Maddy’s SUV, an attractive older woman came out the four-car garage, heading straight for them.
“I was getting worried. You’re an hour late.” The lady hugged Maddy.
“It took longer at the police station. Betty, this is Detective Sean O’Neal. He offered to drive us.”
Sean approached and shook the woman’s hand.
“I’ll have my housekeeper make up another room. Any friend of Maddy’s is welcome.”
“For the night?” Sean peered at Maddy, then Mrs. Greene.
“You can’t go right back. I haven’t seen my granddaughter in several weeks.”
Chapter Five
Maddy mounted the stairs to the terrace at her in-laws’ home and spied Sean standing at the stone wall, scanning the sprawling lawn and numerous gardens. Crickets sounded. A bird chirped in an elm nearby. The hint of late-blooming roses laced the air.
In the fading light of dusk his features were shadowed, but the strength and command she sensed in him reached out and touched her even from several yards away. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch.
He turned toward her. “Is Penny settled into the guesthouse?”
“Yes. Tyler went back to sleep, and Penny is taking the time to unpack and get used to her new digs.” Stopping near him at the terrace wall, she leaned into it, facing the lawn. “Thanks for staying. I should have realized my in-laws would insist. They’re very involved in Carrie’s life.”
“It worked out. I’m off duty tomorrow, so I’m all yours.”
His casually worded sentence snatched the breath from her. The memory of him brushing his fingers across her cheek where Bart had slapped her inundated her with feelings she’d thought she’d buried with her husband. “Then we wouldn’t have to drive back until late tomorrow?”
“Nope.” He rotated toward her, only inches away. “You have a beautiful little girl. She looks just like you.”
His compliment heated her cheeks. Since her husband’s death two and a half years ago, she hadn’t been involved with anyone. She’d concentrated on piecing her life back together and being a single mom. Now Sean made her think beyond that—to what a future in a relationship could be like. He made her feel safe.
“Everything I do, I do for her,” Maddy finally murmured, her breathing shallow at Sean’s nearness.
“Nothing for yourself?”
“Volunteering at the shelter is for myself.”
“Not quite what I was thinking. Have you dated since your husband’s death?” He moved closer, reaching up and hooking her hair behind her ear.
The touch thawed any resistance to the idea of dating again. She forced herself to remain upright when all she wanted to do was to melt into his embrace. “No. I haven’t had a reason to.” Until now.
“Since my divorce I haven’t dated much. I’ve thrown myself into my job.”
“And has that worked for you?”
“There are a few things missing from my life. But with my job I’ve found people tend to let others down. It’s hard seeing the ugly side all the time and not be affected.”
“You don’t see good things being done?” She ran her hand along her neck, feeling the pounding beat of her pulse.
“Yeah, what you’ve done for Penny is one of them. Most people wouldn’t bother.”
“They would in the world I live. Christ taught us to help one another.”
“In my work, I’ve tried and had it flung back in my face many times.”
“I’m sorry.” She cupped his face. His jaw tensed beneath her fingers for a few seconds then relaxed.
He covered her hand with his. “
Are you real?” he whispered, almost as though he were thinking out loud and hadn’t wanted her to hear.
“Yes, very real. And because of you, I’m here unharmed. You can’t tell me there aren’t others like me that you’ve helped.”
He shrugged. “It’s my job.”
“Don’t belittle what you do because you get paid for it. Being a police officer isn’t easy and not a job for most. I’m betting you went into it because you wanted to help others.”
Averting his gaze, he stepped back.
Her hand fell to her side. “It’s actually the same thing I’m doing by volunteering at the shelter. Helping people is helping people, whether you get paid or not.”
“Don’t make me out as a knight in shining armor. I’m not. Ask my ex-wife.”
“And what would she tell me?”
“That I’m lousy at relationships, spend a lot of time at work, keep my feelings inside. I stopped going to church when I kept seeing all the evil things people did to each other. How can God allow that? Do I need to say more?”
“No, you’re doing a good job expressing your feelings.” She grinned and leaned back against the wall. “And people have free will. God is here to guide us and be there for us when we need Him. When you’re troubled, ask Him for help. He’s a great listener.”
“He stopped listening to me when I yelled at him after I processed a crime scene where there was a double murder—mother and child.” He lounged against the wall next to her, his arm brushing hers. “I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this.”
“Did you find the murderer?”
“Yes. He’s serving life as we speak.”
“Then you did what you could. He can’t harm anyone else.” She pivoted, standing in front of him, his legs caging hers. “Next time, instead of turning away from the Lord, turn toward Him and ask Him to help you through the situation.”
“How will that help?”
“You’ll see you aren’t alone.”
He blinked, surprise flickering across his features. Swallowing hard, he looked away. “I have been most of my life.”
“But you don’t have to be.” There was a part of Maddy that referred to the Lord’s presence, but there was a part of her that meant something else—something that spoke to the loneliness in her.
The dim light surrounded them in a cocoon as though they were the only two people around for miles. Sean straightened, clasping her elbows and pulling her slightly toward him.
Her throat tightened. His intense gaze captured hers and drew her even closer. Inches separated them.
“Mama.”
She heard her daughter’s voice through the haze of heady sensations assailing her from all sides. Suddenly the real world rushed back into focus, and she jerked away, swinging around to see Carrie racing across the terrace. Her daughter launched herself into her arms.
“Carrie, where are you?” Maddy’s mother-in-law called out, exiting the house through the French doors. “Ah, there you are. We’ve been playing hide-and-seek.”
“We were just waiting for the sun to set.” Maddy peered at Sean who distanced himself even more. “This is the perfect place to watch from.” What had she been thinking? She’d wanted Sean to kiss her. Brushing her finger across her lips, she desperately wished she could erase the sear of his gaze as he’d leaned closer.
* * *
Early the next evening after parking near Maddy’s garage, Sean climbed from the SUV and rounded the front to help her with Carrie. He’d been with Maddy and her daughter almost nonstop for the past thirty hours and couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed himself more. Which scared him. He had no business getting involved with someone like Maddy—the marrying kind, a single mom with a toddler. All red flags that usually sent him running the other way.
He removed the diaper bag from the back floor while Maddy unsnapped Carrie and swung her to the ground. The little girl ran toward the side door where her grandmother had emerged.
Maddy started to pick up the bag when Sean stilled her movements.
His hand lingered on her arm as he asked, “Would it be all right if I stopped by from time to time? You know, just to see how you and Carrie are doing?”
Chapter Six
In the middle of Maddy’s driveway, Sean tugged her to him. “Or maybe sometime you and I could grab something to eat?”
Nestled in Sean’s arms, Maddy heard his invitation, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Asking her out on a date totally took her by surprise, and from the slight widening of his eyes, she suspected he had surprised himself, too.
“Are you sure?” Maddy prepared herself for him saying no.
One of his eyebrows rose. “Honestly?”
“Always.” She moved back several steps, immediately missing his embrace.
“Sure, yes. Ready, no.”
“Why?”
“You aren’t like any other woman I’ve gone out with. Frankly, you’re too trusting, too accepting. Not jaded.”
She tilted her head to the side, trying to make out his features as dusk settled around them and immersed his face in shadows. “Maybe it’s time for someone different.”
“That you are,” he said with a chuckle. “So how about going out with me?”
“Instead, let me propose something first. Come in and have dinner with us. See what I’m like in my own environment. Then if you still want to go out, I’d be glad to.”
“A home-cooked dinner?”
“Yep.”
“How can a guy who hates to cook turn down an offer like that?” Sean picked up her diaper bag.
As Maddy strolled toward the house, she wondered why she hadn’t just accepted the date. Was she afraid to get involved? No. Not that so much as she was afraid she would fall hard once they started dating. He appealed to her, and she wanted to make sure he really wanted this. Because he could easily break her heart.
* * *
Later that evening after a home-cooked dinner, Sean held Carrie in his arms as he walked down the long hallway upstairs. “Where’s your room?”
“Carrie’s room.” The little girl pointed to the door on his left.
Just inside, he started to put Carrie on the floor, but she clamped her arms around his neck and wouldn’t let go.
Maddy came through the entrance. “I’m afraid you’ve captured my daughter’s heart. I think the horsey ride around the den clinched it.”
“You mean that’s all I have to do to win a lady’s heart?” He grinned over his shoulder. “If only I had known, I could have saved a lot of time over the years.”
“Probably doesn’t work on females past the age of three.” Maddy crossed to the bed and turned down the covers.
“No bed.” Carrie clung to Sean even more.
He tried to dislodge her from around his neck but wanted to be careful. Finally he looked desperately at Maddy.
“Carrie Ann, no arguments.”
Sean gently placed the toddler on her bed. The child kissed him on the cheek while Maddy pried her fingers apart and Carrie’s arms fell to her sides. The kiss stunned Sean as he pulled back. While he watched mother and daughter interact, panic nibbled at his defenses. She was the marrying kind. Could he do this?
Ten minutes later Sean sat next to Maddy in the den, having an after-dinner coffee. The ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner was the only thing that cut through the silence.
He lifted his mug and took a sip, the coffee aroma teasing his senses. There were days he lived on coffee. “This is delicious, as was the meal.”
“I love to cook and especially like to try new dishes.”
His gut clenched. He loved good food and rarely had time for it. What would it be like to have a delicious, home-cooked meal every night? “Well, I’ll be a guinea pig.” He was getting great at spurting out the first thing that came to his mind without really thinking it through. What was Maddy doing to him?
“I’ll remember that when I experiment next time.” She angled on the couch
toward him, cradling her mug between her hands.
The open, caring look Maddy presented sent a warning through him that screamed run as fast as you can. Although the top button on his shirt was undone, he felt as though the material around his neck had tightened. “About that date...”
“I understand if you don’t—”
He put his finger over her mouth to still her words. “How about dinner and a movie this Friday?” He wanted to slide his finger across her cheek to her earlobe. Wanted his lips to follow that trek. He snatched his hand away and shot to his feet.
She placed her mug on a coaster on the table then rose—in one fluid, graceful movement that held him captive. Smiling, she peered at him, her eyes gleaming as though a light shone through a dark surface.
“I’d love to,” she said, moistening that kissable mouth.
He nodded and pivoted away. “I’d better go. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow we’ll be going after Bart Nelson’s car ring.”
He couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Before he did something that he couldn’t take back.
Remember, O’Neal, you’re lousy at relationships.
Yeah, but for once he didn’t want that to be true.
* * *
Friday night, Maddy emerged from the movie theater with Sean next to her. He took her hand, and instead of walking toward the parking lot, he started across the street.
“I’m still trying to work off that huge dinner,” he said, following the path to the gazebo in the center of a small park.
“It’s going to take more than this short distance to work off the meal I had. Thank you for such a lovely dinner, and the movie was great. Funny.”
Sean sat on a wooden bench and tugged Maddy down beside him, the glow from a nearby lamp offering minimal illumination. “I needed a good laugh after the day I had.”
“What happened?”
“Went to arrest Bart today for stealing cars and he’s disappeared.”
Maddy straightened. “Think he’s skipped town?”
He shrugged and slipped his arm along the back of the bench. “If he was smart, he’d be in Mexico by now. There’s an APB out on him. If he’s here, it’s only a matter of time before he’s caught, and when he is, he won’t get out on bail this time.”
A Mom's New Start (Love Inspired) Page 20