thought sometimes that it was having an effect on Michelle. The baby seemed to be easily disturbed and fussy, but then he knew so little about babies, maybe it was just the way they were.
Still, he knew he needed to get them settled into a more permanent arrangement. Some voice in his mind fussed at him, challenging him about what that “permanent arrangement” would mean for him. He’d never intended to stay with Hope. Their friendship ran deep; she had been there for him in his darkest times. He knew he would never meet anyone like her again in his life, but that didn’t mean he wanted to give up everything for her.
His life was his, wasn’t it? Even Jenny, though he’d been considering marrying her, understood that. The only restraints she tried to place on him were about his diet and even that never took. Maybe he just wasn’t marriage material.
The curved shape of Hope’s body in the bed drew his eyes again, and he imagined running his hands along her hip to her legs. Childhood sweethearts, casual dating during adolescence and constant friendship had never equated into complete physical intimacy. The timing for one or both of them never seemed right, though he could recall moments when she’d made his blood run hot with the desire to make love to her.
Right now was one of those moments. They’d been together for weeks, and he knew she slept in just a t-shirt and shorts. Things were easy between them after their “talk,” but that didn’t mean he still didn’t catch himself eying her legs when she slinked out of bed. Maybe it was just the fact that he’d never had her, but he wanted her more now than he could ever remember wanting her or anyone else before.
They stayed put for a few days to make sure Michelle was over her cold. She ran a fever another time, though not as high as the first. Before long she was back to normal, and Brennan insisted they should take her out for some fresh air to a park nearby.
Hope didn’t think it was a good idea, but feeling cabin fever too, she decided not to argue.
When she got out of the bathroom, she found Brennan on the floor in front of the television with Michelle propped up on his bent knee. The baby was looking at the screen and slapping her hands up and down against her legs.
“ So what you need to know is that good always wins against evil. I mean, that dude is a real son-of a—uhm, bleep! Sorry, kid.”
Hope barely suppressed the giggle welling in her throat. It was difficult for Bren to reign in his penchant for strong language, so he’d taken to “bleeping” himself out when he started to say a word he shouldn’t.
“ So anyway, Liberty Valance is a real bad guy. And Ranse is just good as gold, ya’ know. He believes in law, in right and wrong. He’s noble.” Bren nodded as if to reinforce his opinion. “The problem is that he falls in love with Hallie, and he needs to stick around even though Liberty is all over him.”
Michelle gurgled and tried to leap forward in his arms.
He pulled her back close to his chest and grinned. “Yep, you said it. So Ranse can’t leave. So here we are, he’s stuck and Liberty is gunning for him. I mean, literally. Lucky for Ranse and Hallie, there’s someone else who loves her. Enter the Duke: John Wayne.”
He turned the baby around in his arms so that he could nuzzle her chubby belly. “Now we’ve got a lot, I mean a lot, of catching up to do as far as the Duke goes. I mean, it will take at least the first few years of your life to get you caught up on John Wayne movies, but they are a necessary part of any American kid’s repertoire. Oh, look, here’s the most important part.”
Hope leaned against the wall and tilted her head to the side to continue watching them. He rotated the baby around again so that she could see the television.
“ Did you see that?” He motioned his finger like a pistol at the screen. “It was Doniphan’s shot that took out Liberty, but he kept it a secret. The
Still, he knew he needed to get them settled into a more permanent arrangement. Some voice in his mind fussed at him, challenging him about what that “permanent arrangement” would mean for him. He’d never intended to stay with Hope. Their friendship ran deep; she had been there for him in his darkest times. He knew he would never meet anyone like her again in his life, but that didn’t mean he wanted to give up everything for her.
His life was his, wasn’t it? Even Jenny, though he’d been considering marrying her, understood that. The only restraints she tried to place on him were about his diet and even that never took. Maybe he just wasn’t marriage material.
The curved shape of Hope’s body in the bed drew his eyes again, and he imagined running his hands along her hip to her legs. Childhood sweethearts, casual dating during adolescence and constant friendship had never equated into complete physical intimacy. The timing for one or both of them never seemed right, though he could recall moments when she’d made his blood run hot with the desire to make love to her.
Right now was one of those moments. They’d been together for weeks, and he knew she slept in just a t-shirt and shorts. Things were easy between them after their “talk,” but that didn’t mean he still didn’t catch himself eying her legs when she slinked out of bed. Maybe it was just the fact that he’d never had her, but he wanted her more now than he could ever remember wanting her or anyone else before.
They stayed put for a few days to make sure Michelle was over her cold. She ran a fever another time, though not as high as the first. Before long she was back to normal, and Brennan insisted they should take her out for some fresh air to a park nearby.
Hope didn’t think it was a good idea, but feeling cabin fever too, she decided not to argue.
When she got out of the bathroom, she found Brennan on the floor in front of the television with Michelle propped up on his bent knee. The baby was looking at the screen and slapping her hands up and down against her legs.
“ So what you need to know is that good always wins against evil. I mean, that dude is a real son-of a—uhm, bleep! Sorry, kid.”
Hope barely suppressed the giggle welling in her throat. It was difficult for Bren to reign in his penchant for strong language, so he’d taken to “bleeping” himself out when he started to say a word he shouldn’t.
“ So anyway, Liberty Valance is a real bad guy. And Ranse is just good as gold, ya’ know. He believes in law, in right and wrong. He’s noble.” Bren nodded as if to reinforce his opinion. “The problem is that he falls in love with Hallie, and he needs to stick around even though Liberty is all over him.”
Michelle gurgled and tried to leap forward in his arms.
He pulled her back close to his chest and grinned. “Yep, you said it. So Ranse can’t leave. So here we are, he’s stuck and Liberty is gunning for him. I mean, literally. Lucky for Ranse and Hallie, there’s someone else who loves her. Enter the Duke: John Wayne.”
He turned the baby around in his arms so that he could nuzzle her chubby belly. “Now we’ve got a lot, I mean a lot, of catching up to do as far as the Duke goes. I mean, it will take at least the first few years of your life to get you caught up on John Wayne movies, but they are a necessary part of any American kid’s repertoire. Oh, look, here’s the most important part.”
Hope leaned against the wall and tilted her head to the side to continue watching them. He rotated the baby around again so that she could see the television.
“ Did you see that?” He motioned his finger like a pistol at the screen. “It was Doniphan’s shot that took out Liberty, but he kept it a secret. The
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