fists. It might be a mistake, but she wanted him to know.
“Sure. Your secrets are always safe with me.” He glanced her way, his brow furrowing. “You’re all right, aren’t you? No serious health issues, I hope?”
She laughed. “No. Nothing like that. I’m fine. I just…” Was it right to tell him before she even tried? “If things don’t work out with BODS,” she said, “I’m thinking of having a baby on my own.”
Tag’s foot stomped on the brake. “What?”
“Oh, dear.” She pitched forward, grabbed the “oh-shit” handle by the door and righted herself. “I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. Especially while you’re driving.”
“No. No. I’m glad you did. Something like having a baby is a big deal. Talking about it helps with the decision.” He shook his head. “How will you do that without a father?”
She looked down at her hands. “When Randy found out he was terminal, I insisted he save his sperm. We always wanted children. We tried to get pregnant, but,” she shrugged, “it never happened.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” He caught her hand and held it in his. “We both have regrets. But we can’t keep looking back. We have to look forward. Just because things didn’t turn out the way we thought it should doesn’t mean it won’t turn out the way it was supposed to be all along.”
Leslie nodded. “You’re right. Maybe I was supposed to be a single mom, raising a child on my own.” A tear slipped from the corner off her eye. She quickly wiped it away. “No matter what, we have to see this through. I made a promise to give BODS a try. If all else fails, I have a Plan B.”
“Promise me you’ll give dating a shot. You deserve to have all the happiness. That means someone to love, who loves you, and four rambunctious kids to raise the rooftop with noise.”
Leslie chuckled, the sound catching a little. “You’re right. I need to be open to the possibilities.”
“You never know…the person you were meant to be with could be right there waiting for you. You have to keep your eyes open and recognize love for what it is.”
She nodded. “You’re right.” Leslie smiled at him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Tag. You’re the best friend a girl could ever have.”
His lips twisted. “Here we are,” he said, pulling into the driveway of the home she and Randy had built together the year before he was diagnosed.
“Wow, we got here fast,” she said, reaching for the buckle of her seatbelt.
Tag dropped down out of the pickup and hurried around to open her door for her.
Once again, he gripped her waist in his strong hands and lifted her down to the ground.
Now that she knew those muscles were real and he worked for them, she could appreciate how hard they were against her palms. Her heartbeat stuttered, and her insides heated.
Any woman would be excited this close to Tag. He was one hundred percent male, tough enough to take care of a redneck and gentle enough to hold doors for the ladies. Some lucky woman was going to be thrilled to be matched with Taggert Bronson.
Why she wasn’t thrilled with that idea had her stumped.
Tag walked her to the door of her house and held out his hand for her keys. After he unlocked her door and opened it, he handed back the keys, his fingers holding onto the keyring a little longer than necessary.
His touch caused a rush of electricity to radiate from her fingers up her arm and throughout her body.
He stood so close she could feel the heat from his body against hers. If she leaned up on her toes, she could brush her lips across his. How would that feel?
Tag cupped her cheek in his palm and lowered his head.
Her gaze on his mouth, Leslie watched as he grew closer.
Instead of his mouth claiming hers, he altered course and lightly touched his lips to her forehead. “Goodnight, Leslie.”
Then he stepped away, leaving her feeing like she’d missed something very important.
“Do you want to come in for a drink?” she blurted out.
“I’d like nothing better,” he said. “But I actually have to go to a meeting first thing in the morning.” He gave her a quick smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
She nodded. “Tomorrow.” Leslie entered her house, closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Had he almost kissed her? And if he had, would she have liked it as much as she