of Holly’s ringlets. Because the far wall, which earlier that evening had been white and bleak, now had the most beautiful display Regan had ever seen.
Brown construction paper hung in a grid, forming a mock window frame. Each of the four panes hosted part of a Sharpie sketch that, when viewed together, appeared to be a giant kitten peering in the window with a full moon in the background, all accented with glitter.
“Gabe and me made it,” Holly said. Then she held up her hands, which were covered in glitter and fast-acting glue. “And he supervised. Did you know he’s an artist?”
“No,” Regan said, still staring at the detail he’d put into making a dismal room into a special place for Holly. She rested a soft hand on Holly’s head. “Go wash up, dinner’s ready.”
“But it’s dark.” Holly looked down the small hallway, her eyes huge. Besides the candlelit kitchen and the makeshift flashlight lamp in the bedroom, the rest of the apartment was pitch black.
“Here.” Gabe walked over and handed her a flashlight. “And make it speedy. I have to wash up too.” He held up his sparkly hands. When Holly disappeared he turned to Regan. “Since we couldn’t find kitty sheets, we figured a kitty wall was just as good. When you move out I can paint over the glitter and Sharpie. I also told Holly that next weekend I could come over and with more time—”
“It’s perfect,” Regan said, and she meant it.
Gabe stood at the counter, scrubbing the last of the dinner dishes, when he heard bare feet slapping the linoleum. Soap to his elbows, he turned with just enough time to brace himself and catch a freshly pink and mostly naked Holly as she launched herself into his arms. Wearing nothing but Hello Kitty underwear and bath water, she soaked through his shirt and crawled inside his heart in under three seconds flat.
“How was bath time, kiddo?” he asked.
“Shhhh,” she sprayed. “I’m hiding from Mommy.”
“Then we need to find a better hiding spot.”
He looked around, knowing he didn’t have a chance of fitting in Regan’s pantry by himself, let alone with a squirming partner in crime. Then he spotted the table. Shifting Holly to his other hip, he crouched down and slid both of them underneath, careful to be quiet when scooting the chairs back in.
“Hey, Gabe, have you seen Holly?” Regan called out from the other room, her voice high and animated.
Holly smothered a giggle. Gabe put a finger to his lips and Holly went serious, into hide mode, giving him a firm nod.
All day long he’d struggled to keep himself in check. Sleeping with a woman was one thing, but getting involved with her kid was something he wasn’t ready for. Especially when that kid looked up at him with hero worship in her pretty little eyes. Yet there he was, hiding under the damn table, soaked from neck to thigh, wondering if he could be her champion. But if there was anything that the past six years had taught him, it was that being one person’s champion meant breaking someone else’s heart.
“Holly?” The hall closet opened and clicked shut. Then Regan’s legs came into view, the same legs that Gabe had touched under the table all throughout dinner. Her knees, upper thigh, he’d covered every inch. Even clad in denim they drove him crazy. Not as crazy as her cute bare feet, which were small and feminine and tipped in red polish with little white snowmen on each big toe—and standing right in front of him, a bath towel dangling at their side.
Dramatically, Regan tapped her foot, giving the pretense of being stumped. Suddenly, she dropped to a squat and, eyes full of mischief, cried, “Gotcha!”
Holly squealed and tried to scramble out from under the table. Regan caught her and wrapped her in the towel, poking and tickling her sides, making the squeals erupt into fits of giggles.
It took Gabe a lot more than just scrambling to wedge his massive frame out from under the table. And the wet jeans plastered to his thighs weren’t helping any. Neither was Regan laughing at him. Or the fact that he wasn’t the only one who’d been drenched by the dripping nudist. Regan’s tank was translucent, her bra was green, and Gabe was suddenly hard.
“Need any help?” Regan asked when he knocked his head against the table’s corner.
“Nope, I got it.”
“You sure? Wouldn’t want you to break a hip.”
“I’m sure.” But it still took him