The ground began to move beneath Willow. No, not ground. Mattress. It was bouncing and shaking, robbing her of the last remnants of her dream. The dream of Blake. Of his hands against her skin. His mouth moving against her lips.
“Mama! Wake…up!”
Argh. Okay, the little sleep thief officially cut her dream short.
Groaning, Willow rolled over onto her stomach. Maybe if she covered her head with a—
The pillow was snatched from her fingers, a small weight dropping onto her back, pressing her into the mattress.
“Mama, come on, we need to get ready for school!”
Another groan, but this one fused with a laugh. “Okay, okay, I’m getting up. Just give me a minute.” Or ten.
A little face pressed against her cheek, hot breath touching her skin. What was it about the breath of your own child always being so intoxicating? Like a hit of oxytocin.
“Mama, every time you say a minute, you take sooooo much longer than that.”
The kid was onto her. A long sigh released from her chest as she rolled onto her back. Wrapping her arms around Mila, she kept rolling, pressing the kid into the mattress. Then she tickled her little stomach.
Mila cackled below her, face scrunching with pure joy.
A similar joy shot into Willow’s chest at hearing her daughter’s laugh. This kid…she made all the hard worth it.
“Mama, stop! I need to get dressed for school. It’s still my first week.”
Willow pulled her hands back, sighing. “Okay, I guess I’ll allow it, seeing as you’re a big school kid now.”
Mila pushed up to stand on the mattress. “Yep. And next week I’m gonna be a big five-year-old.”
Good Lord, Willow didn’t need reminding. How was her baby already in school? Hadn’t she been a toddler just yesterday?
Mila dropped down again, this time placing her hands on Willow’s cheeks. “Don’t be sad, Mama. I’ll always be your baby.”
Christ, she was only four, but the kid saw way more than she should. And right now, she was going to make her cry. “Good. Because I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Mila leaned over, kissing Willow’s cheek. It had her entire chest filling with love.
A second later, her daughter jumped to the floor. “Now, get up!”
Okay, the tiny tyrant was back.
“How come I’m not at Daddy’s house?”
Willow was surprised the question had taken so long. She’d expected those to be the first words out of Mila’s mouth.
She climbed out of bed. “I had some car problems last night and Daddy picked me up. He carried you to your bed.”
Her brows pulled together. “Is Gigi okay?”
Willow smiled. Mila had named their car Gigi so long ago that she couldn’t even remember where it had come from. “No, baby, not yet.”
She paused. Wait, if she didn’t have a car, how would she get Mila to school? Crap. She’d been so distracted with all that was Blake, that little detail had slipped her mind.
“I’ll call Daddy and see if he can take you to school today.” Even though the very idea had both heat and icy shards running through her veins after what they’d shared last night. Pushing it down, she slipped her fingers through Mila’s. “Now, let’s get dressed quickly so we have time to make pancakes before we go.”
Mila’s excited squeal bounced off the walls.
Once they’d showered and dressed, they stepped into the kitchen. Willow was just about to lift her phone to call Blake when the doorbell rang. Mila’s feet were moving across the living room to the door before Willow had a chance to look up.
“Mama, it’s Daddy!”
Of course it was. Unlike her, he realized Mila needed a ride, so here he was. Because all he’d been since he’d returned to her and Mila was perfect.
She drew in a long, deep breath, steeling herself before moving toward the door. Blake had a key, but he never used it. Another perfect thing. He gave her the privacy he knew she needed right now.
She’d barely gotten the door open before Mila flung herself into his arms. His ridiculously muscled arms that looked like they belonged on the Terminator.
“How’s your morning been, munchkin?”
Mila pressed her head into his neck, and her voice muffled. “I had to jump on Mama to get her out of bed.”
Oh, jeez.
Blake chuckled, his gaze sliding up to hers. “She sometimes needs some help to get out of bed, doesn’t she?”
His gray eyes darkened, and her heart gave a little thump. Memories bombarded her of how Blake used to wake her. With light touches. Kisses. Sometimes he’d even—
She spun around before she could finish the thought, walking back to the kitchen. Or running. Whatever you wanted to call it. “Would you like some pancakes?” she asked over her shoulder.
Opening the fridge, she grabbed the milk and eggs, taking a moment longer than needed to cool her hot cheeks. When she closed the door, Blake was at the island, Mila by his feet.
“I didn’t say good morning to you.” Before she realized what he was doing, he stepped forward and leaned into her space, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
The lingering of his lips was something she should be used to by now. She wasn’t. Each and every time, a thousand little goose bumps rose across her skin.
“Morning.” Christ, did her throat just croak?
A knowing smile touched his lips as he turned to their daughter.
Willow spent the next twenty minutes busying herself making pancakes while listening to Mila and Blake’s chatter. They were sitting at the island slicing strawberries and bananas, both looking entirely too perfect together.
“Why does Courtney spend so much time with Jason?” Mila asked as Willow placed the last pancake on the plate.
Willow lifted the platter and almost immediately, Blake was there, leaning across, taking the plate from her fingers and winking at her.
“Because they’re dating,” he said.
Mila’s brows pulled together. “Dating? Like you and that man, Mama?”
Willow froze midway through placing cutlery on the island. She didn’t look Blake’s way. She didn’t dare. But she could feel his eyes on her, questioning.
She swallowed. “We weren’t dating, baby. We just went out for dinner one time.” She tried to put emphasis on “one” because that’s exactly what it was.
The date had been just before Blake was rescued, so two years after he’d gone missing. She’d been lonely, and her accountant had asked her to dinner. Leon had been kind and funny, and his life was put together. So she’d said yes. She hadn’t been out to dinner with another person since Blake. That’s how sad and lonely her two years without him had been.
The entire evening had been awkward. Which wasn’t a surprise. Blake was the only man she’d ever dated. Heck, she’d met the man when she was only thirteen. He was her first and only love. She didn’t know how to date or love anyone else.
Mila frowned. “Sandra said you went on a date.”
Yeah, well, their former neighbor had an overactive imagination. She’d been Willow’s friend. Pretty much her only friend, and had looked after Mila on the odd occasion.
“Okay, are we ready to eat?” Because Willow was pretty dang keen to switch the focus.
Once everything was on the island and she finally sat down, she snuck a peek at Blake. The air finally eased out of her lungs. He wasn’t looking at her. Not staring holes into her head.
Mila forked a large piece of pancake from her plate. “Mama said I can’t get a dog for my birthday this year, but maybe next year when she’s finished studying.”
Blake nodded, cutting his own pancake. “Sounds fair. Big dog or small dog?”
“Big!” Mila stretched her arms wide, and Willow groaned out loud. Great. This time next year, Willow would be caring for an Irish Wolfhound.
Blake chuckled. “Maybe I can help out.”
Maybe? Definitely. And maybe the man could foster the dog at his place each and every night.
“Yeah, I think Mama will need some help. She killed the fish we got for Christmas the other year.”
The fork paused midway to Willow’s lips. “Hey! That was your fish, kid.”
“Mama.” Mila gave her a look that made her seem ten years older. One that said come on now. “I was three.”
Well, the kid had her there.
Blake cleared his throat. She knew that throat clearing. It was the trying-to-hold-his-laugh-in one. “So, who have we invited to this big birthday party?”
Mila frowned, eyes squinting as she thought. The party was going to be at Blake’s house. He’d already organized a bouncy castle and a face painter.
“All my friends from my class are coming. And can I invite your friends too, Daddy? And Courtney? And Logan’s friend?”
“Grace,” Willow said quietly.
“Grace,” Mila repeated, nodding.
“Definitely,” Blake said. “I think they’d all love to come.”
“Do they like Frozen? Do you think they’ll like my Olaf cake?”
Mila continued to talk about her birthday throughout the rest of breakfast. And Willow spent way too much time watching Blake from beneath her lashes. The way the muscles moved as he lifted his arm. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed.
Gah. She needed to stop.
When she was finished eating, Willow rinsed her plate before popping it in the dishwasher.
“I’ll get my bag ready, Daddy.”
Mila ran from the room. And the second it was just the two of them, Blake’s gaze clashed with hers. And she knew, before a single word was spoken, that he was going to bring up the date thing again.
Grabbing the other plates, Willow quickly turned toward the sink, running water over them. Blake’s heat pressed into her side as he took the plates from her fingers, placing them in the dishwasher.
“So you dated while I was away?”
She wet her dry lips, scrambling for an answer. “No. I went out with one man for dinner, one time.”
“And…?”
She looked up. His face was so blank, she had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. “And what?”
“How was it?”
She turned so that she was facing him. “You’re asking how my date was?”
His head tilted to the side. “You just said it wasn’t a date.”
Ah, hell. “It wasn’t.” The man was entirely too close, and he smelled too good. He was sucking up her ability to think. “And it wasn’t good. Our conversation was stilted. And he took me to a steak house.”
Blake’s lips quirked. Yeah, he knew. She hated steak. She didn’t eat red meat at all. Something she’d told the accountant once in a conversation, but he’d clearly forgotten.
A mistake Blake would never make.
“Did you kiss?”
His hand lifted, cupping her cheek, the pad of his thumb grazing over her bottom lip. Almost involuntarily, her lips parted, but no words left her mouth.
“Willow…” he prompted.
Memories from that night rushed back to her. Of Leon walking her to her door. Of his gaze hitting her mouth. And of an overwhelming hollowness filling her chest that he wasn’t the man she wanted him to be.
“No.” One word. Barely a whisper.
She expected a smile. What she got was fire. Like she’d just admitted that she was still his. Had always been his.
She wet her lips. “I didn’t kiss any other man while you were gone.”
The glint of his eyes almost turned predatory. Because she’d just confirmed that Blake was still the only man she’d ever kissed. Their first kiss had been when she was fourteen years old. The day he’d ruined her for any other man.
“Good.” The word was low, vibrating down her spine to her abdomen.
Tiny footsteps pounded down the hall.
Willow took a large step back, and Blake’s hand dropped. She felt the loss immediately. It was so much more than just the loss of touch. It was warmth. It was connection. All of that left with his hand.
“Ready!”
At Mila’s excited voice, Willow walked over, giving her a tight hug. “Have a good day at school, darling.”
Mila hugged her back. “I will, Mama.”
When Willow stood, she felt the heat of Blake’s hand on the small of her back, escorting her to the door, then the press of a kiss to her cheek. “Have a good day. I’ll sort out the car.”
Then he was gone, and Willow was left standing there, watching the two people who owned her heart drive away.
