Colton Baby Homecoming. Lara Lacombe

a candy bar was not the most nutritionally sound choice, he could think of no finer meal at the moment. “Man, that’s good.”

      Darcy grinned. “Glad you’re enjoying it. Would you like me to hold the baby so you can sit down?”

      He started nodding before she could finish asking the question. “Yes, please.” His earlier resolve to stand strong and do this on his own crumbled at the thought of being able to sit still for a moment and refuel. Although he thought of himself as an independent man, he wasn’t stupid. He’d come to realize taking care of Sara was a marathon, not a sprint, and he’d be wise to take help when and where it was offered.

      Darcy walked over to him, stopping when she was mere inches away. Moving carefully, Ridge transferred the little bundle into her arms, trying to ignore the little zings of sensation that arced through him every time they accidentally touched. He told himself to step back once she had a secure hold on Sara, but his feet wouldn’t obey his brain’s command. This was the closest they’d been to each other in years, and his body wanted to know if she would still feel the same against him.

      Warmth radiated off her skin and he took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. It was a mistake. She smelled like the rain, and she’d brought the scent of the woods in with her. It was a comforting, familiar smell that made him want to get closer and he had to force himself to move away before he did something he’d regret.

      Darcy looked up at him, her skin damp and shining in the light of the lamp. “She’s a beautiful baby,” she whispered with a smile.

      “Yes, she is.”

      “And she’s very lucky she found you.”

      His chest warmed at the compliment, and the sensation climbed up his neck and into his earlobes, making them burn. Ridge cleared his throat and took a step back. “I think it was actually the other way around,” he said, needing to inject some levity into the moment. “Penny deserves all the credit.”

      They both turned to look at the dog, who had fallen back asleep and was snoring softly, her paws twitching as she dreamed. A swell of affection filled Ridge’s heart, and not for the first time, he wondered what he would do without her.

      “Why don’t you sit down?” Darcy suggested. “I can walk with her for a while.”

      “Thanks,” Ridge said. He sank into the couch with a sigh, surrendering to the comforting support of the overstuffed cushions. Darcy started humming softly as she walked, a sweet melody that made him want to close his eyes and sleep for the next month. Shaking off the fatigue, he took another bite of dinner and focused on chewing.

      “I think it’s finally easing up out there,” she observed.

      She was right. Now that he was paying attention, he noticed the rain did seem to be slowing down. I should check the barn, he thought, stuffing the rest of the candy bar into his mouth.

      Darcy glanced up when he stood. “Do you mind holding her for a few more minutes? I’m building a barn out back and I want to make sure it’s still standing after those storms.”

      “No problem,” she said. “Take your time.”

      He grabbed a flashlight and paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of Darcy holding Sara close. She was the very picture of maternal comfort and the pair of them seemed to give off a golden glow in the lamplight, lending the scene a dreamlike quality. It would be so easy to stand there and watch them forever, but he couldn’t let himself get trapped in this moment. Neither Darcy nor the baby were his, and he’d do well to remember it.

      * * *

      The rain was cold, and Ridge welcomed the splash of the fat drops against the skin of his face and neck. The shock of it helped to clear his head and refocus his mind. He’d come dangerously close to kissing Darcy, which was a mistake he couldn’t afford to make. We had our chance, he reminded himself firmly. And things hadn’t worked out between them. It was silly to think now would be any different.

      He eyed the ground in front of him, trying to pick out the least treacherous path to the barn. His formerly green yard was now a lake of mud interspersed with large puddles of standing water, making the once familiar place look like an alien landscape. There was no help for it—he was just going to have to get dirty.

      Resigned to his fate Ridge trudged forward, his boots squelching in the mud. They would be hell to clean, but he had to see if there was any damage that needed to be repaired. The barn was more than halfway complete, so he wasn’t worried about the walls falling in. But it would be good to see how the roof had held up under the onslaught.

      He ducked inside and passed the beam of the light along the walls, pleased to find there were no damp spots that would indicate a leak between the boards. Then he checked the floor. Not so lucky here. There were several small puddles, which meant he was going to have a lot of patching to do on that roof once the sun came back out.

      He glanced around the space one final time, imagining it as a completed barn. The mower would go in the left corner, along with his other yard equipment. There was space for his tools in the far right corner. And then there was some room left over, space he now thought could be used for a bicycle or two. He closed his eyes, picturing it—two large bikes and one small one parked and ready to be used on those lazy summer nights when the fireflies rose up from the grass like living sparks.

      The yearning for a family hit him hard, and he leaned against the doorjamb for a moment, his hand to his chest. Where had that come from? Was it being around the baby that made him think this way? Or perhaps seeing Darcy again? Maybe both, he admitted to himself. Truth be told, Darcy was the only woman he’d dreamed of having a family with, and after she had dumped him he had given up on the dream ever becoming a reality.

      But maybe it was time he took a second look. Holding Sara had rekindled the desire to have his own children. Over the years he had forgotten just how much he wanted a family of his own, one where his children would grow up with both parents and wouldn’t be subjected to the whims of the foster care system the way he and his siblings had. He pictured his youngest sister, Josie, and a fresh pang hit him as he recalled the last time he’d seen her, when she’d told him not to visit her again. She’d gone from a sweet girl to a distant, hardened young woman, all thanks to the system. He shook his head. Their lives would have been so much better if they had had someone—anyone—else as their father.

      But life didn’t work that way.

      The patter of raindrops began to change, the cadence becoming faster and louder as the rain picked up again. Time to go back inside and check on the girls and get himself dried off. His wet boots were starting to feel tight, and he knew from experience it was only going to get worse if he didn’t take them off soon. He cast one last look around the barn before closing things up, then put his head down and took off for the house, trying to dodge the worst of the puddles as he went.

      He’d made it about halfway across the yard when a woman’s scream pierced the air and froze his blood.