Free Sinful by Joan Johnston Page A

butterfly kiss, but Connor’s chest ached with the joy of having his son close, longing for the day that his children would love and trust him again.
    “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” he said to his son.
    “Mommy used to say that,” Brooke said accusingly, as though he wasn’t allowed to use phrases that Molly had used.
    Connor turned to find his daughter’s bright eyes on him. “I know.”
    “Mommy’s dead,” Sawyer said.
    He met his son’s sober gaze with one of his own. “I know.”
    “I miss Mommy,” Brooke said.
    “Me, too,” Sawyer said.
    “I do, too,” Connor choked out. He brushed a lock of hair off Sawyer’s forehead. He remembered Molly saying it was the lock of dark hair that fell on his own forehead that had caused her to fall in lovewith him. “I could never marry a man without flaws, because I could never measure up to such a God,” she’d said with a laugh. “You’d be absolutely perfect,” she’d said as she looked into his eyes after making love with him, “except for that ornery lock of hair.”
    “Will you read us a story?” Sawyer asked.
    “It’s late. You need to get to sleep.”
    “Mommy always read us a story,” Brooke said, a wistful tone in her voice as though he should know these things. He did. He simply hadn’t realized how important such familiar routine was to his children. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
    “I will tomorrow night,” Connor promised. “Time now to sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
    “Doing what?” Brooke asked.
    “Lots of fun things,” Eve said when Connor couldn’t think of what to reply.
    “Will you be coming with us?” Brooke asked.
    “I don’t think—” Eve began.
    That was as far as she got before Connor interrupted. “I’ll do my best to try and talk Aunt Eve into joining us.”
    He could see that the idea pleased both children.
    Eve got to her feet and headed for the bedroom door, and Connor jumped up to follow her.
    He stopped at the door and said, “All right if I turn out the light?” He suddenly realized that he hadn’t asked either child earlier, he’d simply tucked them in and darkened their rooms.
    Both kids snuggled down under the covers.
    “Okay,” Brooke said.
    “Okay,” Sawyer echoed.
    Connor breathed a silent sigh of relief and turned out the light. He left the door open a crack so he could hear if either child called to him during the night. Then he hurried after Eve, hoping she wouldn’t rush off before he had a chance to speak to her.
    She already had her coat on by the time he got to the living room.
    “What’s your hurry?” he said, feeling panic at the thought of being alone with his kids again. “Take your coat off and stay awhile.” Brooke and Sawyer were calm now, but he wanted Eve there until he was sure they were asleep. “Can I offer you something to drink? It’s the least I can do to thank you for coming to my rescue.”
    He saw her hesitation and said, “Please, Eve. I owe you one. I was a dead man walking until you showed up.”
    “They would have settled down eventually,” she said as she slipped her coat off and dropped it back onto the rocker. “They were pretty much cried out by the time I arrived.”
    “If you say so.” He wasn’t so sure. “What would you like? A glass of wine? A beer? Something stronger?”
    She smiled. “Hot tea?”
    He smiled back at her and felt all the tension leave his body for the first time since he’d gotten his children back. “Sure.”
    He was grateful there was no hot water dispenser at the ranch house. She’d have to stick around long enough for him to boil some water, which gave him a few minutes to get her to drive all the way back out here tomorrow.
    “You’ve really fixed this old house up nice,” Eve said as she perched on one of the stools at the granite breakfast bar.
    “I added a modern bathroom for the kids and upgraded the kitchen, but I kept the old clawfoot tub, the log walls, and the