Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,23

all the work he’s done. She’s renting an apartment only a few blocks away. Ford is tied forever to Sunnyville with this old house, but Maggie Monroe can pick up stakes and move whenever.

Another reason to admire Maggie. What she went through was so much worse than me, but we’re both carving our own path.

I open the screen door and knock, then clench my hands together. This is Ford. I shouldn’t be so nervous about visiting him. It’s just a talk. All I have to ask is Hey, are we cool?

A shriek sounds from the other side of the door. Oh, crap. Jayden’s still over. I assumed that Cass wouldn’t let Ford have him for more than a couple of hours, and since this is when he’d normally be off work, now she’d conveniently not need him to watch Jayden.

Crap, crap, crap. Maybe he didn’t hear the knock. Can I leave without him knowing I was here?

The door flies open. Concern fills Ford’s gaze. “Lia. Is something wrong?”

Because I’m not usually here unless his car is broken down. That’s still coworker status. I don’t just drop by.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. I can come back another time.” A phone call is going to be more awkward after this, but I’ll have time to think of something. Something work-related. Something definitely not about that kiss.

Gah! I feel wrong even thinking about it when his son is right behind him.

“No, no. Actually, this works really well. Cass is supposed to be here in a few minutes to pick him up and I told her we were dating.”

That answers the “are we okay” question. He’s still on board with the fake dating.

Which means that he really only took off work to watch his son and our kiss didn’t affect him a bit.

Well, I’ve got my answer.

“Are you sure you want me around when she comes?”

A crash goes up behind him and he whips around. “Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll put the Legos back together.” He focuses back on me, his gaze dipping down my outfit and lingering on my legs. His look is as good as a caress. Shivers cascade down my back.

“We’ve been playing this game for the last half hour,” Ford says, not missing a beat. “It’s one where I build up a tower of those big Legos, or Duplos—whatever—and he knocks it down. Why don’t you come inside?”

Crossing the threshold feels too much like I’m entering the ring, missing all the preparation I need for battle. Hearing that we’re dating is different than seeing me in Ford’s house.

The plus side is that Cass never deigned this place worthy enough for her. Too small. Too old. She was house hunting before Ford even graduated, only the houses she liked were for a pediatrician who’d already paid off his school loans, not a new grad going into residency.

“What’s up?” Ford stands on the welcome mat just inside his door, a tiny pair of athletic shoes next to his big, bare feet.

I jerk my gaze up before I can contemplate how nice his feet are, long and strong, so much like the rest of him. They’re just feet. Oops. Guess I wasn’t fast enough. “You weren’t at work today.”

He gestures toward Jayden. The boy’s fisting giant red Duplo bricks in each hand. “Cass called at the last minute. Mitch saved me.”

I ducked my head. “He mentioned that you were spending the day with Jayden.”

His brow crinkles, a question in his eyes. If Mitch told me why Ford was missing work, then why am I here?

I blow out a gusty breath. “I was just worried things were awkward between us, you know, after…”

Understanding dawns in his blue gaze. “No. No, it’s not awkward. I should’ve called. It’s just that I don’t usually when I take a day off.”

Absolutely. Because we aren’t dating.

Feeling more foolish by the minute, I shuffle my feet and peek at the kid. Jayden’s too young to follow our conversation, but it still feels weird talking like this around him.

“I just wanted to make sure we’re cool. Are you sure I should stick around for Cass? I don’t want to ruin any progress you’ve made.”

“She’s the one that wanted this.”

He lifts his gaze to monitor what Jayden’s doing. The loose T-shirt and basketball shorts are so much different than Ford’s normal look. Our uniforms are barriers, and not just for bodily fluids. When we’re each dressed in our polo and tactical pants, it’s a clear signal to our brains