Erin had been with one and a half men in her lifetime. Well, two men to be exact, but she only counted the first as a half because he’d gotten so drunk during their date that he’d fallen asleep kissing her. Talk about a blow to the ego, and her ego hadn’t been much of a force in the first place. But the jerk ex-boyfriend Melody had referred to was the final nail in Erin’s confidence coffin.
She and Greg Dellinger had dated for six months, and their relationship was fine. Fine. That should have been her clue to run away as fast as she could. She’d watched enough rom-coms to know that falling in love was supposed to be better than fine.
It had been Greg who’d broken up with her, blissfully explaining that he’d fallen in love with a woman who was beautiful, sexy and exciting. Tacitly implying that Erin was none of those things. Not a big shock, but it stung.
Maybe she owed Greg a thank-you, though, because it had been while reevaluating her life—halfway through a carton of Chunky Monkey—that Erin decided she wanted more.
Deserved more.
Changing up her love life was a daunting project, so she’d started her be-more-than-ordinary makeover by contacting Olivia Travers. Ever since she was a girl, Erin had wanted to be a teacher—to help kids learn but also give them a chance to discover all their potential and coax it out.
The same way she’d wished for someone in her life to notice her. With Crimson’s ever-expanding population and changing demographics, she was afraid that the neediest kids in the community were getting overlooked. Lost in the shuffle or with families that didn’t want the stigma of coming forward for assistance.
Olivia, who’d founded the community center two years ago, had the best of intentions but funding was often difficult to come by for free programming. Erin had outlined her plan for Crimson Kidzone, scheduled a meeting and pitched her idea, offering to volunteer her time to start the program and also work on grant writing to gain additional support.
Her friends at school had encouraged her, while her mom wondered why she’d want to spend more time with children than she already had to for her job. Maureen MacDonald was a quiet, keep-to-herself type of woman. She loved Erin and had done her best after Erin’s father died of a sudden heart attack when she was in kindergarten. But Maureen dedicated more of her time to her psychology practice than she did to motherhood, and she and Erin had little other than genetics in common. Her mother was content to remain in her introverted bubble and that’s how she’d raised her only daughter.
Erin was stepping out of that bubble, even if the encounter with David made her want to jump right back into it.
Her nerves disappeared as soon as she walked into the community center. Her personal life might be a hot mess, but she knew in her heart that the after-school project would be a success. She wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Olivia was waiting at the reception desk for her, a chubby-cheeked baby cradled in her arms.
“I hope you don’t mind an audience for our meeting,” she said apologetically. “The babysitter called in sick.”
“Any opportunity to get my dose of snuggles.” Erin shifted her backpack so she could reach for baby Molly, who was the most scrumptious five-month-old she’d ever seen.
The little girl was a perfect mix of her mom and dad. She had eyes the same striking green as her mother’s. But instead of Olivia’s dark hair, she was a towheaded baby with wispy blond hair the same color as Logan Travers’s, Molly’s doting daddy. Erin wasn’t part of the Traverses’ wide social circle, but she’d seen the group of friends around town enough to know that Logan, while big and brawny on the outside, was absolute putty in his daughter’s hands.
“You’re a natural with kindergartners and babies,” Olivia said as she transferred her daughter to Erin. Coming from Olivia, who was naturally beautiful and had the gentle spirit to match, Erin was grateful to receive the compliment. “Did you grow up in a big family?”
A little pang of disappointment passed through Erin as she shook her head and pressed a kiss to the baby’s soft forehead. “I’m an only child, but I always thought it would be fun to have a big family. I love babies.”
“You were meant to be a mother.”
The other woman’s words made something go soft and melty in Erin’s heart. She wanted to be a mother, to have someone—or even better, multiple someones—to call her own. The thought of a baby with David McCay’s big blue eyes made her chest flutter.
“I have a gut feeling,” Olivia continued, “just like I did when you contacted me about the after-school program.” She leaned in closer. “Any potential suitors or shall I put the word out? I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”
“Praise the Lord for your instincts,” a deep voice said, “or you never would have taken a chance on me.” Erin glanced over her shoulder to see Olivia’s husband, Logan, standing right behind her. And next to him...David McCay.
Molly let out a little squeak as Erin squeezed a bit too tightly. She rocked the baby and Molly immediately grinned and tugged on the ends of Erin’s hair.
“That’s right,” Olivia said, leaning into her husband when he moved around Erin and draped an arm across her shoulders. “Can you blame me for wanting everyone to be as happy?”
“I’m happy,” Erin whispered, even though it wasn’t quite the truth. She could feel David’s eyes on her, and although she didn’t meet his gaze, the intensity of his stare made the hair stand up on the back of her neck.
“How about you, David?” Olivia lifted a brow. “You’re single, right?”
“Yep,” came the rumbly answer.
Olivia smiled. “Crimson is the perfect place to find true love.”
“David is here to talk about the beer for Oktoberfest,” Logan said, dropping a kiss on the top of Olivia’s head. “Although I’m sure he appreciates your matchmaking efforts.”
Erin risked a glance at David, who shrugged. Suddenly she was terrified he might reveal what she’d asked him. It was crazy, but she couldn’t stop the fear coursing through her. He opened his mouth but before he could answer, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, even though it was an obvious lie. “I’ve got a boyfriend.”
Olivia looked disappointed. “Well, I guess I wasn’t meant to be a matchmaker after all.”
“We’ll have to find other ways to keep you busy,” Logan said.
“Right now, Erin and I need to go over the last-minute details for her after-school outreach project. The program starts Monday.” She scooped the baby out of Erin’s arms and handed her to Logan. Molly gurgled happily, curling a fist in the soft denim of her daddy’s shirt.
Olivia moved toward the hallway that led to the community center’s classrooms. “You coming, Erin?”
Erin realized she was staring at the baby, her arms strangely empty without the lotion-scented bundle. “Right.” She darted a glance at David, who arched a brow in response.
One small brow arch she felt all the way to her toes.
An imaginary boyfriend. That should end things before they even got started.
Forcing a smile, she looked from David to Logan. “See you both later,” she called, and hurried after Olivia, ignoring the regret that surged through her as she walked away.
David waited outside the community center’s front door, watching groups of people take to the streets of Crimson on this beautiful fall Friday night. The temperature was quickly cooling,