Only Mine (Fool's Gold #4)(84)

Dakota laughed. “I’m sorry, Buddy. I was teasing.” She picked up Hannah and pulled her close. “How’s my girl?”

Montana straightened. “She was great. She’s eating much better. I swear I can see her growing. I can’t say I love poopy diapers, but I’m getting good at them.”

“I really appreciate you looking after her,” Dakota said. “Now that I’m back here, I should be able to bring her to work with me at least three days a week. So I’m not going to need as much day care. Mom’s going to take her one of those days and I’ve had about five calls from different women in town wanting her the other day.”

“It must be nice to be popular.”

“It’s not me. It’s Hannah. She’s more popular than any of us.”

Montana sat on the edge of the desk. “I don’t think I could do what you do.”

“Plan curriculum?”

“Have a baby by myself.” Montana’s gaze dropped to her sister’s stomach. “Make that two babies.”

“It wasn’t planned,” Dakota admitted, telling herself not to panic at the thought of being a single mom to two young children. “I’ll admit I’m scared, but I’m not going to think about that. Both children are a blessing.”

“What is Finn?”

A good question and one she couldn’t answer.

“I love him,” Dakota said quietly and shrugged. “I know it’s stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. I just…” She smiled. “He’s the one.”

“Wow. You found him.”

“I’m not saying it was an intelligent choice.”

“It could work out,” Montana told her.

“I appreciate your loyalty, but do you really believe that?”

“He could surprise you.”

Dakota gave her a skeptical look. “He’s made it clear that he wants his old life back. With his brothers moving on, he’s finally free. I know he cares about me, but that’s not the same as love or taking on more responsibility.”

“So you’re not going to ask?”

“I’m not going to make myself crazy wishing for something that might never happen.”

Montana started to speak, then stopped. “Tell me what I can do to help.”

“What were you going to say?”

Her sister shifted. “That you’re giving up without trying. If you love him, if he’s the one, shouldn’t you at least try to make things work? Fight for him? Only he hasn’t said no yet, because you haven’t told him. So there’s no fight to be had.”

“I’ll tell him. I’m waiting because I know what’s going to happen and I don’t want to ruin what we have. Trust me. When Finn finds out I’m pregnant, there will be burning skid marks on the road.”

“If you say so.”

The conversation wasn’t going the way Dakota had intended, and she found herself annoyed. She told herself that this wasn’t Montana’s fault. She didn’t understand. Wanting something didn’t make it happen.

“You need to give him the chance to surprise you,” Montana murmured. “Maybe he will.”

Dakota nodded because she didn’t want to fight, but she knew the truth was very different.

THAT NIGHT Dakota felt restless. She couldn’t forget her argument with her sister, and she couldn’t ignore the voice in her head saying that she was hiding rather than being honest. That both she and Finn deserved better.

When she let him in that night, she had a marinara sauce simmering and soft music playing. Hannah had already drifted off for her dinnertime nap.

“Hey,” Finn said, as he walked into her small house. “How was your first day away from TV? Do you miss the excitement of working in the entertainment industry?”

He smiled as he spoke, his blue eyes crinkling slightly. He was tall and handsome and strong. He was someone she could lean on.

Maybe she’d never fallen in love before because she hadn’t found the right guy. There had always been a nagging sense of something missing. With Finn, she felt full…complete.

If only.

She waited until he closed the front door, then stepped into his arms. As she wrapped her arms around him, she drew his head down so she could kiss him. Telling him how she felt was a one-way road to disaster, but showing him… That might be different.

She pressed her mouth against his, letting all the frustration, the love, the worry, spill into her kiss. He held on tight, as if sensing she needed to be close. He kissed her back, his tongue tangling with hers, his body surging close.

Hunger flared to life, but it was about so much more than sex. It was about him and what they could have together.

Wordlessly, she reached for his hand and tugged him through the living room, down the hall and into her bedroom. With the door open, they could easily hear Hannah if she cried.

Once in the dimness of her bedroom, she turned to him. There were questions in his eyes, but he didn’t ask anything. Apparently he knew she needed more than conversation.

He put his hands on the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. She unfastened her bra. When she was naked to the waist, he bent down and drew her already tight nipple into his mouth. He used his hand to tease her other breast.