Page 15 of The Runaway Bride's Vow

“It’s got to be tough to be a single parent.” Brooke’s voice had him pausing and turning back.

He shrugged, not sure what she was getting at.

“Well, you must be doing a good job because your daughter is very happy.”

Kaylie ran over to them. “I’m hungary.”

Logan smiled at his daughter’s mispronunciation. “Then let’s get going.”

Kaylie looked over at Brooke. “Coming?”

Brooke sent him a hesitant look.

He turned to Kaylie. “Sweetie, I’m sure Brooke has other things she has to do.”

The hopeful look fell from his daughter’s face. She looked so disappointed. And it made him feel bad, but it was best that she not get attached to Brooke. She wouldn’t be in their lives for long.

Brooke knelt down to speak to his daughter. “Go with your daddy. Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Come. Pretty please.” Kaylie’s bottom lip stuck out. Then his daughter looked at him. “Tell her to come.”

He didn’t want to. Being around Brooke unnerved him. He had no idea what to say to the woman. His ex-wife, Margie, used to tell him he wasn’t the most social person. He supposed she was right.

Still, with Kaylie sending him that pleading look, he felt his resistance caving. His gaze moved to Brooke’s. “You’re welcome to join us. We’re just going up the road a bit to grab a sandwich.”

Brooke hesitated. Her gaze moved between him and his daughter. “I don’t know.”

She’s going to make an excuse and leave. Oh good. A sense of relief came over him. The added bonus was that Kaylie wouldn’t be mad at him when Brooke left.

“Please.” Kaylie pulled at Brooke’s arm.

Brooke smiled at his daughter, causing a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest. He cleared his throat, willing the feeling to go away. Because this accident-prone woman was not going to get to him. He liked anyone who was nice to his little girl. That was all. He didn’t have to worry, because Brooke was about to leave.

“Okay,” Brooke said. “Let’s go.”

Wait. What? Surely he hadn’t heard correctly. She was supposed to make up some excuse and leave. But when he looked at the pleased smile on his daughter’s face, it was the only confirmation he needed.

He had a total mix of emotions, knowing that Brooke was having lunch with them. He smothered a frustrated groan. What were they supposed to discuss over lunch? And then a thought came to him. He hadn’t responded to Brooke’s request to discuss the project, perhaps they could do that over lunch. Even though he’d already sorted it all out with the owner, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to discuss it with Brooke so she was onboard with the whole concept. With his goal for the lunch in mind, he escorted the ladies to his pickup, which he now wished he’d taken time to clean out.

Chapter Five

Lunch had been okay.

The food was delicious. The company was so-so.

The next morning, Brooke couldn’t stop replaying the events of yesterday in her mind. Kaylie had been chatty and easy to be around. She certainly didn’t get her friendly demeanor from her father.

In all fairness, it wasn’t like Logan had asked her to lunch. He had actually talked to her about the project at the chapel. Their conversation was all business, but it was better than nothing.

She did notice how Kaylie had a way of getting past her father’s grumpiness. When he interacted with her, there was a warmth and gentleness about him that was surprising. Too bad he didn’t act that way when he was dealing with her.

Now that she’d seen a glimmer of how he could be, she longed to see more of that warm part of him. Not that she was interested in him. She just wanted him to be friendlier because it would help their working relationship; she planned to oversee this project from the beginning until the end.

When Clara asked her to keep an eye on the renovations, Brooke knew she wanted to make some sort of contribution. She didn’t want to just sit around, watching Logan and Henry work on the place. She wanted to do something extra special for Clara and Andrew. She just didn’t know what that project might be. She would have to give it some more thought.

After yesterday’s lunch, she’d been called away to deal with a problem at an upcoming wedding venue. A water pipe had burst, and the damage was beyond the timeframe they had before the ceremony. Luckily, they kept a list of backup sites available. And the first one she’d shown the bride had done the trick. Crisis averted.

Today, she had to stop at the office in the morning. She dressed in her usual business attire. She took a change of clothes to switch into before she headed over to the chapel at lunchtime. She didn’t let on to Logan, but her clothes from yesterday had gotten a couple of stains that she wasn’t sure she would be able to get out.

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