Tara Taylor Quinn - Cassidy's Kids

“And yet, who more natural for him to come to than the only person who’d ever taken the time to get to know the boy inside the man?” Megan said. “Especially a woman who’s a natural with children.”

“I haven’t held a baby in more than ten years,” Ellie said. And then remembered. At least, not until a couple of nights ago. But one night of baby holding didn’t count.

“Caring for children is not something you forget,” Megan said gently.

“You think I should have told him I’d help?” Ellie asked, feeling like a little girl again, not wanting to disappoint her mother.

“Not necessarily,” Megan replied, surprising her. “I’m just not sure I understand why you didn’t.”

“Because the jerk broke her heart!” Beth jumped up and faced her mother.

“They were friends, Beth. It’s not his fault Ellie fell so deeply in love with him.”

“That’s ancient history.” Ellie stood, too. She wasn’t going to have them all feeling sorry for her again.

“Then why’d you say no?” Megan asked again.

“I don’t have time.”

The excuse embarrassed Ellie even as she said it. She was busy, yes, but if no one else knew that she kept herself busy on purpose, Megan did. Her mother knew how much extra work, over and above her duties, Ellie had been doing at the clinic.

Moving toward the bedroom half of the suite, Megan pulled down her comforter and fluffed the pillows on her side of the bed. “Life’s short, El,” she said.

Ellie’s gaze wandered over to the side of the bed that had remained undisturbed every single night since her father’s death. It was almost as though the empty space offered some kind of comfort to her widowed mother, a testimony to the man who still owned the empty places in Megan’s heart.

“You think I should help him,” Ellie said.

“I don’t,” Beth protested. “At least, not if you don’t want to.”

“I think you should do what you feel is right, Ellie. Just make sure you know what it is you really feel.”

Her mother made it sound so easy.

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