His for the Taking - By Ann Major Page 0,42

but seeing Maddie sooner rather than later had taken precedence over his business concerns. Noah’s future was at stake.

The two-bedroom houses were a scramble of crumbling fixer-uppers and newly gentrified dwellings. Guilt swamped him as he realized she and Noah had probably struggled to survive in far less pleasant neighborhoods before she’d been able to afford even this. If only he’d taken her calls or read her letters when she’d tried to contact him…but he couldn’t change the past. All he could do was the right thing now, and he would do it.

A silver SUV with heavily tinted windows and an aluminum canoe on the rooftop luggage rack swung in front of him and parked in front of a charming white house with a wide front porch. He read the numbers and realized it was Maddie’s house.

Damn, he thought as a tall man with broad shoulders, enviable posture and thick, disheveled blond hair jumped out of the SUV and raced up her sidewalk.

Greg? If so, Cole’s timing was lousy.

Cole parked on the opposite side of the street and watched a slender, dark-haired boy throw open the door and grin. Rocking back on his bare feet, Noah eagerly grabbed Greg’s hand and tugged him inside.

The sight of his son welcoming another man filled Cole with longing, causing his mood to worsen. Nor did his mood improve as he sat outside for another ten minutes studying her sparkling windowpanes and counting, and then recounting, her roses.

Her bright red porch swing made it easy to imagine her sitting outside while Noah played on a nice afternoon. A white picket fence enclosed the backyard. Obviously, she’d made sure Noah had a safe place to play when she couldn’t watch him out front, more evidence of her determination to give her son a better childhood than she’d known.

Impatience began to gnaw at him. What the hell was Greg doing inside Maddie’s house for so long?

Just when Cole was about to get out of his truck and stomp up the sidewalk and pound on her door, it opened. Maddie, who wore a tight red T-shirt, white shorts and high, strappy sandals, stepped outside clasping Noah’s hand. Greg shut the door and then quickly followed behind them.

Cole willed her to glance his way, but she was concentrating too intently on whatever Noah was saying. When she finally saw Cole, she froze.

A wellspring of desire tinged with anger swept through him. Her gorgeous violet-blue eyes framed by thick inky spikes captivated him. She was so lovely, he ached. Somehow he forced himself to wave casually.

Maddie gripped Noah’s hand and all but dragged the poor boy to Greg’s SUV.

Greg unlocked the doors and everybody climbed inside. When the SUV lurched away from the curb, Cole shifted into Drive and followed.

His mobile phone pinged almost immediately.

Hell, she’d texted him.

On way to Town Lake. Will call u when we get home. Don’t follow!

Since he didn’t text when he was behind the wheel, he called her back. When her phone went to voice mail, his only option was to leave a message.

“Sorry I didn’t call first.” Feeling jealous as hell, he hung up.

What was wrong with him? He felt as out of control as a wildly infatuated teenager.

He should go to a hotel, check in, chill, wait for her call. He should call Juan and check in with a few of his engineers.

Since he wasn’t feeling all that rational, he stayed glued to Greg’s tail.

The threesome parked near the water. From a distance, Cole watched Greg and Maddie unload the canoe and carry it down to the lake while Noah tagged along happily. To get the life jackets, paddles, thermos and cooler, the three of them trooped back and forth, making several trips. Once or twice Maddie glanced toward Cole and flushed angrily.

While they loaded the canoe, Noah knelt on the limestone bank and sifted through the rocks, stuffing his pockets until they bulged. As a kid, Cole had been equally fascinated by rocks and had spent hours looking for fossils and arrowheads. In college he’d taken several geology courses, a study that had proved useful when he’d gone into the oil and gas business.

He didn’t even know his son, but already the boy reminded him of himself.

There was a wide gravel jogging trail along the water’s edge, so Cole followed the canoe on foot as far as he could. They didn’t stay out long, maybe because Noah’s constant squirming caused the canoe to rock back and forth precariously. Not that Greg