Nancy Robards - Taming A Fortune

“We’ll see her later,” Toby told the disappointed boy.

But the truth was, he didn’t know when they’d see Angie again. Or if Angie would even want to see him after the way he’d been pawing at her this morning.

“Later, huh?” Stacey asked. “I heard the two of you have been spending a lot of time together lately, but I had no idea you guys were at the sleepover stage.”

Toby covered the mouthpiece. “Brian, stir the pancake mix. I’m going to talk to my sister for a sec. But don’t use the stove until I get back.”

After giving all the kids an assignment, Toby walked into the living room so they wouldn’t hear his line of defense.

Not that he’d done anything wrong. Had he? Maybe if he just explained what had happened...

Hey, wait. He didn’t owe anyone an explanation.

When he reached the living room, he asked, “So how’s Piper?”

Everyone knew Stacey adored her nine-month-old daughter, so he figured he’d change the subject to one of toothless grins and sleepless nights.

“She’s fine,” Stacey said. “Growing cuter and smarter every day.”

“And how about Colton?” he asked, hoping he could get her talking about her new fiancé, one of the neighboring ranchers. “Have you guys set a date yet?”

“Colton is doing great, but don’t try those distraction tactics on me. I’m one step ahead of you, big brother. You are not getting out of this one. What’s going on with you and Angie Edwards?”

His sisters, Stacey and Delaney, were protective over all their brothers, but particularly Toby since his family always accused him of being a softy—and a sucker for a sob story. Not that Angie was a sob story.

“Nothing’s going on,” he said. “Angie’s been helping me out with the kids. That’s all.”

“Are you paying her for babysitting services? Because I heard Angie’s always looking for a new job. She never seems to stick with one very long.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I’m not paying her. She’s doing it to be nice and because she likes the kids. And for your information, Angie is a very hard worker. Just because she hasn’t found a career she likes doesn’t mean she isn’t a good person.”

“I never said she wasn’t, Toby. I was just telling you what I’ve been hearing around town. I went to high school with Angie, remember? She used to date a lot back then.”

Toby felt a jostle of jealousy stir up again in his veins.

“What do you mean she used to date a lot? Like she was...” Toby didn’t want to say anything that would be demeaning to Angie, but he didn’t know how else to ask.

“Well, she didn’t have a reputation for being fast or anything like that, but she was known as the Queen of the First Date.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means she would go out with a guy if he asked her, but usually, they never made it to a second date. I don’t know if it was fear of commitment or what, but she never went steady with anyone or took any of the guys seriously. She for sure never had sleepovers with anyone before. Or at least none that I heard about.”

The envy died down a little bit inside him. At least he couldn’t fault Angie for being choosy.

“Listen, last night wasn’t a sleepover. It was just an accident. Nothing, uh, really happened.”

He hoped his sister hadn’t caught the hesitation in his voice.

“Aha!” she said. “Define ‘nothing.’ And ‘really.’”

“I’m not defining anything.” Toby looked back to the kitchen to make sure none of the little ears had made their way within hearing distance.

Stacey clicked her tongue. “You wouldn’t be getting so defensive if your relationship was strictly platonic. So how far have you guys gone?”

Toby couldn’t believe Stacey had just asked him that. “This isn’t high school, Stace. We’re not playing truth or dare. I’m not talking about my sex life with my little sister.”

“So you’re saying there is a sex life to talk about,” she said, a spark of excitement lighting her voice as if she’d tricked a leprechaun into revealing the location of his pot of gold.

Embarrassment was an understatement. Toby remembered holding the wet pillow up to cover his arousal this morning when the kids came into the kitchen. He wished he had something to hide behind now.

He wasn’t going to admit to anything. He’d said too much as it was and figured silence was his only option.

“So,” Stacey said, apparently changing tactics, “the reason I called was to tell you that Mom and Dad are having a family dinner at their house tonight. And we’d like you to bring Angie.”

“Why, so you guys can check her out and pump her for information? No way.”

“Mom told me and Delaney you’d say that when we came up with the idea.”

Great. His family was already plotting and scheming.

“That’s why,” Stacey continued, “Delaney is calling Angie right now and asking her to come over for dinner. Too bad she didn’t pick up the phone a few minutes earlier. We could’ve killed two birds with one stone.”

“I’m not coming to dinner tonight,” Toby said. “And I’m not inviting Angie.”

“Why not? If there’s nothing going on between you two, then why try to keep her away from your family?”

Stacey had a point. Unfortunately, with the sparks that were jumping between him and Angie lately, he doubted a blind man would believe there wasn’t anything going on between them.

And knowing his family the way he did, he was sure they’d figure out something was up the second he, Angie and the kids walked in the door.

Hell.

“Okay,” he finally conceded. “But let me invite her. And I’ll only do it if you guys promise not to interrogate her.”

“My, aren’t you the protector. She’s lucky to have you in her corner.”

Toby didn’t know about that.

“Oops,” Stacey said, “Piper just smeared green beans all over herself. Gotta go.”

Good, Toby thought. He was glad Stacey’s baby had made a mess she’d have to clean up. That was what his sister got for butting into Toby’s business.

He just hoped he didn’t have an even bigger mess to deal with now.

* * *

Angie saw Toby’s name displayed on her caller-ID screen. She’d been too chicken to call him after she said she would. What was the proper length of time one should wait to call the man they’d intimately nestled against all night long? Three days? Maybe there was an article in some women’s magazine she could reference.

Ugh. She needed to get this over with. He was probably calling to tell her that they needed to see less of each other. That he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He’d made that more than clear. The sooner she bit the bullet, the sooner she could get over him. Unfortunately, she didn’t think she’d ever get over the feeling of his fingers stroking their way up her waist. Or his husky voice telling her how good she felt.

She tried to sound more upbeat than the groan stuck in her throat would allow when she said, “Hello?”

“Um, hey.”

Couldn’t he even manage a proper greeting? He must already be experiencing remorse at what they’d done and guilt over what he was about to tell her.

She should make it easy for him and call things off first, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words for him.

“Did my sister Delaney call you yet?” he finally got out.

“Not that I know of. But I haven’t looked at my missed calls since I got out of the shower.”

Why would Delaney be calling her? Had the rumors started already? Was Toby trying to do damage control? Maybe they needed to get their stories straight about her spending the night out at the Double H.

“Good. I wanted to talk to you before she did.”