Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood #3) - Kathy Ivan Page 0,10

that had been missing for far too long. Things were finally looking up.

CHAPTER THREE

Jamie raced through the front door of the cottage, her trilling laughter filling the air. Beth stood behind on the front porch and watched her daughter spin in circles on the hardwood floor, her excitement matching Jamie’s, but she reined it in, knowing she had to keep Jamie calm during the move. The rest of the Boudreau clan would be along any minute with the remainder of her things, and she needed that time to simply breathe. Though she loved Shiloh Springs, the whole ordeal with Evan, the move, and then finding out she was broker than broke—well, that tended to put a damper on everything. But she wasn’t about to spoil Jamie’s excitement. Maybe some of her infectious enthusiasm would rub off.

“Sweetheart, what you think of the new place?”

“Mommy,” Jamie raced up and flung her arms around her mother’s waist, “do we really get to live here?”

“Yes, honey, we really get to live here. Your Aunt Tessa is going to live at the Boudreau house with Douglas and Ms. Patti until she marries Uncle Rafe, and she’s going to let us stay here. Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” Beth was pretty sure Jamie’s excited shouts could be heard down the entire block, but before she could shush her, the sound of a car pulling into the drive had her spinning around, her heartbeat ticking up. Brody’s pickup stopped behind her small sedan, dwarfing it on the gravel driveway. She crossed her arms over her chest, and drew in a deep breath. Something about Brody Boudreau pulled to her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever. She shoved the feeling down deep, unwilling to even entertain the thought of exploring any attraction to Brody. The ink was barely dry on her divorce decree, because Evan had fought tooth and nail to keep the divorce from happening, even from behind bars. She’d yet to figure out why he’d fought so hard to stay married, because the idiot had to realize once she knew the truth about his despicable actions, there wasn’t a chance in hades she’d stay married to him. He’d planned to kill her. Murder her for money. A chill raced down her spine at the thought. How could she have been so wrong about the man she thought she loved?

Giving a mental shake, she started down the steps, headed for Brody’s truck. She watched his tall frame unfold from the driver’s seat, and her breath caught at the sight of sunlight glinting off his sandy-brown hair before he placed his black Stetson atop his head. His quick grin caused a fluttering in her stomach, and she placed her hand against it, silently willing the feeling to go away.

Not going there, nu-uh. Brody Boudreau is off the menu, no matter how delicious he looks.

“Uncle Brody!” A whirling dervish of skinny legs and flying ponytails raced past Beth, and dove straight at Brody. Her daughter’s giggles increased when Brody swung her up in the air and caught her, spinning her around. The breath caught in her throat with the realization Jamie’s father had never done that with their little girl. Then again, there were a lot of things Evan had never done. In hindsight, the marriage she’d thought picture perfect turned out to be little more than paper posies, easily tossed aside when the lure of something new and shiny came along.

“Hey, honey bear.” Brody’s deep voice yanked Beth back to the present. “Think you can carry this box for me?” He pointed to one of the biggest boxes in the back of his truck.

Jamie laughed again. “Uncle Brody, that one’s too big. Mommy can carry it. Give me a littler one.”

“You sure? Let me see your muscles.” He made a big show of examining her arm when Jamie flexed. “Well, you seem pretty strong, but let’s give you one a little bit smaller.” Her daughter held her arms up and Brody handed her a much smaller box, one holding kitchen towels and pot holders.

“Be careful, sweetheart,” Beth called out.

“I’ve got it, Mommy.” Jamie took deliberately slow steps up to the porch and then turned to look at her. “Where should I put this box, Mommy?”

“That one goes in the kitchen, baby.”

Beth drew in a deep breath, watching her little girl head through the front door with her precious cargo. Jaime had been through so much in the last months, being uprooted from

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