Home > Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers #1)(9)

Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers #1)(9)
Author: Claudia Connor

The six of them played in the pool for over an hour. Gracie never tired of swimming back and forth from her to Matt, and the boys begged him to throw them again and again.

“Guys, give Matt a break.” She’d said it a hundred times, but Matt ignored her and the kids ate it up. Except Annie, though she did observe with even a keener interest than usual.

It was impossible not to notice his broad shoulders, the way the muscles in his back and arms flexed when he threw Jack across the pool. At least three women tripped walking past him from the bar. Wrapped up in kid games, Matt gave no hint he noticed.

Even Annie was entertained when he showed them his trick of squirting water from his hands after telling them he held a spitting frog.

They spent a few minutes trying to squirt each other. Abby was a dismal failure. Which was fine, until Matt cupped her hands in his. Her heart skipped as her eyes dropped to where they touched. Heat poured from his body into hers, infusing every part of her. Including her cheeks.

Crap. Please, don’t let him see me blushing.


Matt watched Abby’s throat work to swallow as color crept into her cheeks. Gorgeous. And adorable.

“Um, time for lunch, guys,” she said, and practically ran out of the pool.

Made sense if she was married, though the possibility was growing less and less likely. Abby hadn’t mentioned a husband and neither had the kids. There was no “Where’s Dad?” or “When your dad gets here.”

Jack had said his father was dead, but Matt couldn’t completely ignore the wedding band. If she was married, where the hell was the guy?

He didn’t mess around with married women, ever. Though this didn’t constitute messing around, did it? They were at a crowded pool with constant interruptions from the kids. At the same time, he knew if she was his wife, he would definitely have a problem with this situation. He wouldn’t want another man within ten feet of her sexy curves and heart-stopping smile.

“Matt, if you come to the beach, we can build a sand castle,” Jack said, looking up at him, his brown eyes hopeful. “I can help. And I have my football.”

“We’re going to the room for a little while,” Abby told her son.

“Mom.” Jack strung her name into two unhappy syllables. “I want to build a castle with Matt.”

He’d only come out here to apologize, maybe find out her name. He’d never expected to be sucked in. Never expected to want more.

“We’ll come back out later.” Abby’s eyes flicked to his, then to her son’s. “We have all week to build a castle.”

“I have to go in too,” Matt told him.

Jack’s chin dropped to his bony chest in disappointment. “Okay.”

Matt pulled on his shirt while the kids slipped on their shoes.

Charlie spun around and tripped on the edge of his Buzz Lightyear towel. Man down.

“Whoa, little guy.” Matt picked him up, checking hands and knees. No blood.

Charlie was reluctant to let go, but Abby took him. Matt reached to pick up her bags since her hands were now full.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m helping you.”

“I can do it.” She moved to pull the bag from his hand. “Thank you, but I don’t need help.”

He grinned. “I think you do.”

“Well, you’re wrong.”

“Really?” He didn’t let go of the bag, heavy with wet towels.

“Really. I made it out to the pool all by myself and I can make it back in.”

She stared at him stubbornly, still holding the chunky toddler on her hip, his little leg pulled up over her swollen belly. Matt bet most men backed away when she pushed, but he’d been raised to be a gentleman. There was never a time he and his brothers didn’t hold the door for their mom and sister, or carry their heavy loads. His dad was firm on that.

But in this case he just wasn’t ready to let her go.

“Are you really going to help me build a giant castle?” Jack asked. “Cause we’re not going to stay in our room long. Right, Mom? Like maybe five minutes.”

He and Abby shared a smile over Jack’s misconception of time. And maybe something more?

“We’ll see. If Charlie could sleep for an hour it would make life easier for all of us.” Her eyes fell to the bag he was holding.

Jack peered up at him. “Do you know how to find us? Our umbrella is blue, and you’ll probably see me because I have on this red shirt.” He pulled at his Spider-Man T-shirt. “I’ll look for you. You won’t forget, will you?”

Something about the way Jack said it made Matt think the kid was used to being forgotten. “No, I won’t forget.”

Abby set Charlie on his feet and reached for her bag again. This time he had no choice but to let it go.

He tried to read her expression as Jack cheered. Anger? Skepticism?

Whatever. She hadn’t said no.


Matt rooted around in his condo’s refrigerator and found enough meat and cheese to make one sandwich. If he was going to stay, he’d have to go to the store at some point.

He sat on the couch, flipping through the TV channels, finding nothing and picturing Abby. And the kids— Shit. Had he missed a birthday? Matt tried to think who had a summer birthday as he picked up his cell and called his brother Tony.

“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son,” his brother said into the phone. “You’re in big trouble, little bro.”

   
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