An Accidental Mom by Loree Lough

Author:Loree Lough [Lough, Loree]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2003-10-22T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The kitchen was warm with the scents and sounds of festive Thanksgiving preparation. On the stove, lids danced atop steaming pots, while on the counter, loaves of home-baked bread, rolls and biscuits, blanketed with blue-striped towels, sat in orderly rows. The timer dinged, and Lily put down the potato peeler to grab an oven mitt.

Max had intended to join her here, and offer to help if he could. But in the minute or so since he’d rounded the corner, he’d stood, mesmerized. It surprised him to see Lily alone in the room, handling each womanly chore with deft precision; he’d expected to find all three of the London girls in there with her, laughing and talking as they put the finishing touches on the Thanksgiving banquet. Surprised, but relieved, because this way, he could watch her unnoticed.

She’d piled her long, thick hair atop her head with a green plastic band that matched her shirt. Wisps of hair that had escaped the upsweep curled in the hollow at the back of her neck; a few more formed bouncy ringlets beside her ears. He’d give anything to press a gentle kiss to those lovely lobes.

After painting the turkey with a thick coat of melted butter, she covered it with a tent made of aluminum foil and closed the oven door. The bracelet he’d given her caught a beam of light, forcing his attention to her slender wrist. Max wouldn’t mind placing a soft kiss there, either.

Suddenly, she began humming a tune he hadn’t heard since boyhood. Smiling, he pocketed his hands and leaned on the door frame. He’d forgotten what a beautiful voice she had. Crossing one booted ankle in front of the other, he listened, captivated by her voice, her movements. She was a vision, a dream come to life.

“’Over the river and through the woods,’” she sang. Then, without looking up, she said, “You remember the words, Max, feel free to sing along.”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “How long have you known I was here?”

When she met his eyes, his heart thumped and his stomach lurched. She was ravishing, what with her heat-pinked cheeks and big green eyes. And that smile… She could charm the leaves from the trees with that smile, Max thought.

“Not long,” she said.

Something told him she’d seen him the instant he’d appeared in the doorway, and she’d only said “not long” to spare him any embarrassment. Even as a kid, Lily had gone out of her way to make others feel good, even if it meant taking it on the chin herself. And he’d always loved her for that.

Loved? No, Max admitted. Nothing past tense about it.

He took a few steps closer. “Anything I can do to help?”

She cocked her head, gave it a moment’s thought. “As a matter of fact, there is.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said. He bowed, more to keep her from reading his emotions than to emulate a gentleman. Because there was no getting around it: Max didn’t think he could deny her anything, ever.

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