his cage a quick spray of water before departing. The animal stared at her, his eyes unmoving. “To see Finn.” More staring. “At the park.”
Even more staring.
“Okay, yes…to see Cole, too.” The staring was really freaking her out now. “Give me a break, Carl. I’m only twenty-six. I need some loving, too. It’s not hurting anyone.” She squirted the mister in his direction, and the damn animal’s eyes still didn’t move. “I don’t need your permission, Carl.”
Which was just as well, because clearly she wasn’t going to get it. “Why am I even talking to you?” Jane put down the mister and fled the bathroom.
Ignoring the urge to change into something more…girly than her shorts, T-shirt, and work boots, she grabbed her bag and keys, tromping down the stairs and heading out the front door to her car. It took less than ten minutes to get to the park, during which time she tried to mentally justify her decision.
It wasn’t weird she was going. She’d told Finn she’d try and stop by the clinic this afternoon, and it was exactly what she was doing.
Exactly as any mother would do.
And Finn was thrilled to see her, running toward her as he spotted her, a grin so big on his face her heart swelled just as big in her chest. But it also gave a funny thump that had nothing to do with Finn as Cole greeted her with a nod and a “Jane” that might’ve sounded perfectly normal and innocent to anyone else observing but, when combined with the way his gaze brushed her body and lingered on her mouth, was pure, unadulterated anticipation.
He’d greeted her the same way this morning in the kitchen right in front of Finn with absolutely no sign of the exacerbation of his injury from last night. Just those eyes roving over her like he had X-ray vision and he knew exactly the color of her bra and panties.
No wonder she hadn’t been able to concentrate all damn day.
“Mommy, we’re going to play a game now. Aren’t we, Cole?”
Cole hadn’t taken his eyes off her. “Uh-huh.”
“Cole says playing is the best part. Isn’t that right, Cole?” Finn continued innocently, totally unaware of the vibe going on between his mother and the man he clearly adored.
A small smile hitched up one side of his mouth. “I like playing best of all.”
Jane swallowed. The fact the man was probably a player in more ways than one didn’t even penetrate right now. She just wanted to play so freaking bad. “That sounds like fun.” How long had it been since she’d had fun?
He grinned. “Oh, it will be.”
Then he lifted a whistle to his lips and turned away, giving it a hard, sharp blow and motioning to everyone to gather together. Jane stood aside, finding a shady tree to watch Cole from a distance as he organized the clinic participants efficiently, dividing players up into age groups and giving instructions to both the players and the helpers, who were also hanging on his every word. He may need a stick to help him walk, but his masculinity, his authority, was undeniable.
Everyone was looking to him, and he was leading. Hell, if that didn’t make Jane another degree hotter.
“He’s quite commanding, isn’t he?”
Jane dragged her eyes off Cole to find Della from next door standing on her right. They’d met the day Jane had moved in and had indulged in several neighborly conversations since. Betty, her Cavalier King Charles—apparently named after Betty White—had collapsed at Della’s feet, also watching Cole with her tongue hanging out.
The dog sure had a good eye.
“I’ll say,” agreed the woman to her left. Jane had met Winona Crane one day at Annie’s diner when she’d stop to buy pie because Annie’s pies were legendary. Della, who’d also been at Annie’s, had introduced Jane to the erotic romance author who had moved to Credence the previous summer.
“I think it’s the accent,” Della said.
Cole sounded very Australian among all the American accents. The kids certainly looked at him like he was Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee rolled into one. The mothers were looking at him like he was the three Hemsworth brothers morphed into one delicious package.
Winona laughed. “Yeah…I don’t think it’s that.”
Jane didn’t, either. In fact, she knew it wasn’t. Clearly, Winona also had a pretty good eye, too. “You ladies rugby fans?” she asked because she knew neither of them had children.
“Nope.” Della shook her head. “I’m just here to ogle Tucker.”
“Okay.” Jane laughed. She