The Daughter He Wanted by Kristina Knight

motioned for her to continue.
    “—the reward is an extra fifteen minutes of television, and then she expects that same return with everything. But life isn’t like that. We don’t all get the fluffy unicorn at the checkout counter just because we put strawberries and apples in our shopping cart rather than chocolate-chip cookies and potato chips.”
    “She’s only four, and it’s only a way to get her to try something new.”
    “And then she’s fourteen and then twenty-four, and then she’s still living at home when she’s thirty-four because she’s never learned that there are things you do—like hold down a job and pay rent and buy groceries—even though you don’t like those things.” Paige huffed out a breath. “I’m not saying I have meaningful conversations about the benefits of vegetable consumption every night after dinner, and I have wavered when we’re in the grocery store and she won’t be quiet about a new package of cookies. But you’re the new person. You have to be careful or she’ll figure out the reward system starts and stops with you.”
    Alex scowled and then his expression softened. “I didn’t think of it like that. I just read the book and it made sense.”
    “The books always make sense until you’re in the middle of a meltdown because your child was good walking through the aisles and wants one of those little plastic dolls at the checkout. And you say no.” Paige shrugged. “Sometimes ‘eat your vegetables’ or ‘no’ or ‘don’t pick your nose’ just have to be enough.”
    “And she’ll eat her vegetables when she’s ready?”
    Paige nodded. “Or I’ll make her a smoothie later with all her least favorite veggies juiced into it.”
    “Sneaky.”
    She pointed her thumb at her chest. “Mom. There’s a difference.”
    “So about dinner—”
    “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
    Alex cocked an eyebrow and that smooth smile spread across his face, pulling the scar at his mouth until it disappeared. “If you have dinner with me I’ll wash your car.”
    Paige laughed. “I already told you the reward method doesn’t work.” But she was tempted. Oh so tempted, and that was definitely a bad thing. Temptation had a way of wrecking her life.
    “You said it doesn’t work on four-year-olds. You’re not four.”
    This time Paige blushed. The intimate tone of Alex’s voice and the dark look that came into his eyes when he said the words were too much. Too interested.
    Too daring.
    He reached his hand toward her face and Paige backed up, her hip hitting the corner of the counter.
    “No, I’m not four and—”
    A crash from the pantry interrupted Paige’s train of thought. She hurried across the kitchen, pulled open the door and gasped.
    Alison and Tuck were wrapped around each other, kissing. Her hands were under his shirt, her ball cap on the floor and his hands forked through her thick, auburn hair. A couple of soup cans fell from the shelf when Tuck backed Alison up another step, joining the collection of canned green beans and packages of dried pasta already on the floor.
    Alison opened her eyes and pushed against Tuck’s broad shoulders.
    “Um, hi,” she said, putting an inch of space between them. “We were, uh...”
    “Checking the expiration dates?” Alex’s voice was filled with laughter at the twin expressions of embarrassment on Alison’s and Tuck’s faces. “Having a little dessert?”
    Tuck took Alison’s hand and led her into the kitchen. “Getting to know one another better,” he said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
    Paige had seen plenty of kisses and she had talked about the dirty details of even more, most of the time with Alison. Something about this kiss was different. Maybe because Alex seemed to want to test the boundaries they’d agreed on just a couple of days before. Seeing Alison wrapped around the handsome ranger tied Paige’s stomach into a knot. Made her clench her hands and take another step away