Page 59 of Off-Limits Love
He’d made it clear he was interested in her. And truthfully she was interested in him. She’d be crazy not to be.
Was she letting fear win? Was she letting Brad dictate and control her personal life because of his threats and history with Finn?
She flipped the page and stared down at the image, her mind ravaged by her memories of Finn and those kisses in his truck—and her desperate need to secure a future for herself and her daughter.
She had to do the right thing here. She had to be smart. Think with her head and not her heart. Do what was best for her future and not necessarily what her heart and body desired.
Right?
The person behind the licensing desk had read over her form and even commented on her ability to use the new facility, stating her daughter had held her wedding reception at the venue, and how wonderful it was Mak was able to secure it. The woman had practically guaranteed her license approval then and there.
Now it was only a matter of time and getting the inspection completed because while Finn was obviously approved for his venue, they had to confirm her permission to use it as a formality and check things off the list.
The powerful motor of Brad’s now-familiar vehicle sounded, and she felt her entire body tense and go rigid as she closed her eyes and prayed for patience.
“Daddy!”
“Stay on the porch until he’s stopped and out of the car, please.”
Mak watched as Emi swung her doll from side to side in her excitement, smiling at the man she loved most in the world.
Mak sucked in a breath, remembering how she’d worn much the same hopeful, loving expression for so long, only to be so badly broken in the end by Brad’s behavior.
Please don’t let that happen to her.
Mak knew there would come a day when Emi would eventually see Brad for the man he was, and when that happened, they’d share a heartbreak unlike any other.
No one was perfect. Everyone had flaws. But she’d learned the hard way that a narcissist was more, and she didn’t want that pain for her daughter, though in reality there was no avoiding it. It would happen eventually. Maybe not for a number of years, but the day would come, and when it did, Mak knew her heart would shatter all over again.
“There’s my baby girl,” Brad said as he got out of the low-slung vehicle.
Emi and Max raced off the porch to greet him. Brad squatted down and swooped Emi up, swinging her round and round with an ease that made Mak jealous.
Though small in stature, her daughter was getting almost too big for her carry, and Mak knew the days of holding Emi on her hip would soon be over due to her own petite size. Emi would be too big for her to carry, and it was yet another devastating loss that would come way too soon.
Mak stood and moved to the top of the porch, watching as Brad kissed Emi’s head and cradled her against him as he approached.
Max returned as well after a quick leg hike, and the dog nose-nudged the door to be let back inside. Mak quickly opened it for him and shut it behind.
“Did you bring a car seat for me?” Emi asked as they made it to the bottom step.
“Not today, baby. But next time I will, I promise,” Brad said. “I came to talk to your mama and to see you, though. That’s good, right?”
“So we aren’t going for a ride?” Emi’s disappointment was evident.
“Not today.”
“But you said that last time,” Emi pouted.
“How about I stay here for a bit?”
Mak felt her body go up in flames of irritation. “Brad,” she said in a low voice.
“I know, I know, I can’t stay long,” he said, sliding her a glance. “I just need a few minutes. Surely you can give me that before you make me leave, even though it’s my night with Emi.”
Her hands fisted, and her nails bit painfully into her palms. “It isn’t my fault you bought a car that isn’t appropriate for her, so please do not blame that on me. It isn’t fair to me.”
Brad’s expression tightened, and she knew it was because she had corrected him in front of Emi instead of waiting to do it privately. But she wasn’t sorry.
