Is he the real deal, or just another regret waiting to happen?
The Braddock Brotherhood, Book 2
First on Hayley Christopher’s list to get her train-wreck life back on track: stay away from men. Especially the ones who cause a ripple effect of bad decisions.
Still reeling from a high-profile divorce, the college dropout and former pro cheerleader is stumbling through yet another challenge—temporary custody of her nephew, Fletcher. No one knows better than Hayley that she’s not mother material. When she opens the door to her new landlord and old flame, she wonders just how many more past mistakes she is destined to pay for.
After the death of his wife, Ray Braddock is still putting the pieces back together. Hayley—and the silent little boy at her side—both bristle with emotional barriers so high, it appears no one but him can see that together, three broken people just might make a whole family.
As she watches Fletcher respond to Ray’s patient care, Hayley’s determination to hold on to her heart begins to soften. But just when she begins to think that Ray is one opportunity she shouldn’t let slip by, Fletcher’s gang-connected father threatens to make her pay for the one good choice she ever made…
Product Warnings
Touches on issues of death, child abandonment, neglectful parenting. Sensuous love scenes. Copyright © 2011 Barbara Meyers
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication
Ray rolled his grocery cart around the corner to the frozen food aisle and came to an abrupt halt. There, about halfway down, was Hayley, studying a frozen food package. Fletcher perched in the kiddie seat of her cart, a beat-up stuffed animal clutched to his chest with one hand and a small race car in the other. Fletcher saw him first. He didn’t smile or wave. His expression changed only subtly. His features softened slightly while his gaze warmed and welcomed.
Hayley turned away. She opened the freezer compartment, replaced the package she’d been looking at and picked up a different one. She wore a blue skirt and a blue-and-white-striped top with low-heeled strappy sandals. The crutches were nowhere in sight even though her ankle was still wrapped. She looked tanned and toned and sexy as hell.
Ray pushed his cart slowly toward them, half of him wishing she didn’t turn him on and the other half looking forward to being in close proximity to her. He hadn’t seen her in days, except in passing or from his window sometimes when she left or came home. He’d been busy, getting his shop, his house, and he hoped, his life back in order.
He gently bumped his cart into hers. “Hey, buddy,” he said to Fletcher, making eye contact with the boy. Fletcher stared back at him. He flexed his grip on the stuffed animal a couple of times, almost like an acknowledgment of Ray’s greeting.
Hayley looked up. Their gazes crossed. And just like that, Ray felt as if he’d been hit with a one-two punch. His stomach clenched. His palms got sweaty. He’d felt exactly the same way at age thirteen when he was about to ask Megan Cole to the Valentine’s Day dance.
When Hayley didn’t say anything either, Ray didn’t feel too badly about not acknowledging her presence right away. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. That must be telling her something. The moment seemed to drag on, both of them standing there staring, a silent Fletcher caught in the middle.
“Excuse me.” An overweight, middle-aged woman elbowed her way past Hayley to get to the frozen French fries. She picked up three packages, added them to her already overflowing cart and waddled away.
Ray coughed. He seemed to do that a lot around Hayley. Maybe he was allergic to her. Maybe it would help him bring a few words up. They all seemed to be stuck in the back of his throat.
“Stocking up on pizza?” Clever, clever line, Ray congratulated himself.
Hayley showed him the box she still held. “Pizza? That’s for amateurs. I’m branching out. I’ve moved on to chicken pot pie.”
She set the box in her cart and straightened, waiting for him to hold up his end of the conversation. Was he always this awkward with women? Or was it only with her? It’d been such a long time since he’d tried, he couldn’t remember. Surely when he was younger he hadn’t had this much difficulty speaking to a member of the opposite sex.
“I see you found your way to the grocery store,” she went on when he did not. “Congratulations.” She gazed at the items he’d tossed haphazardly into his cart. Hot dogs and buns, condiments, Oreos and milk, potato chips. “Looks like you’ve got all the basic food groups there.” She grinned at him and Ray’s tongue tied itself into another knot. The same thing had happened when Megan Cole smiled at him. Great, Ray thought. I’m almost thirty-three going on thirteen.
He gave himself a mental slap upside the head and dislodged his tongue from the roof of his mouth. His gaze flickered to his cart, which indicated he also had the appetite of a thirteen-year-old. “Yeah, well. I’ve still got to get some ice cream and Gummi Bears.”
Fletcher’s gaze shifted and he made a slight noise at the back of his throat. Ray could have sworn the kid’s ears perked up at the mention of Gummi Bears. “Hey, um, actually, my niece Molly is coming over tonight. She’s almost eight. We’re going to have dinner, watch a movie. Hang out, you know. I haven’t seen her in a while. You guys want to join us? She’s a cool kid. She’ll like Fletcher.”
Again Ray had the sense that Fletcher was straining toward him, though it didn’t appear as though he’d moved a muscle.
“I don’t know,” Hayley replied. “I kind of had my heart set on an over-baked chicken pot pie. I’m not sure a hot dog’s going to satisfy me.”
Ray stared at her hard, wondering if that was some kind of sexual play on words. Was she flirting with him? No. It was the same kind of dumb banter they’d started that night with the pizza. The kind of conversation they could both manage and be comfortable with. Nothing deep. Nothing meaningful. Ray shied away from the very possibility.
“How about a steak?”
“Steak?” she echoed.
“Baked potato. Salad. Bread.”
She licked her lips. “Dessert?”
“You can have your choice. Oreos or Gummi Bears.”
“Yum.”
“So is it a date?”
Hayley tensed. Her smile disappeared. “No. It’s neighbors eating food together with a couple of kids.” Her gaze challenged him. “Right?”
Wow. And he thought he had his defense mechanisms in place. Hayley threw hers out there for the world to see and made no bones about it. Heck, it was kind of refreshing, Ray supposed. He’d never have to wonder where he stood with her. She sent him a message loud and clear—he didn’t have a chance with her. And that was good, he reminded himself. Because he was in no condition to get involved in a relationship with a woman. Especially not someone like Hayley.
“Right. Neighbors. Kids. Food. Around six work for you?”
“Six is fine. What can I bring? Liquid refreshment? Salad?”
Ray relaxed. They were back at the starting gate no worse for wear. “Both?”
“No problem. I’m good with lettuce and liquids. We’ll be there. Tell Ray goodbye, Fletch.” Hayley wheeled her cart past him and he watched her go, anticipating the evening ahead, which looked like a date and felt like a date.
But was definitely not a date.
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[4 of 5 Stars!]