Free Perfect Partners by Carly Phillips

shattered.
    “Exhaustion,” she said with a forced smile. “Every once in a while, my schedule catches up with me. I’m okay. You’ve got enough to worry about without adding me to your list.”
    She swallowed hard, determined to ignore Griff’s furrowed brows and blatant look of disbelief. But the masculine scent of his cologne made ignoring him impossible. The woodsy fragrance heightened her senses. His mere presence obliterated her memory until she almost believed the past didn’t matter. But it did . There wasn’t a man out there who’d think otherwise, Griffin Stuart included. Alix was his niece, not his flesh and blood. He would want his own children. Though Chelsie could offer many things, she could never give him that.
    Flustered, she glanced down and busied herself closing the baby shampoo and wrestling a rubber duck out of Alix’s playful hands.
    “You sure you’re okay?” he asked.
    “Absolutely.” She’d survived the past five years by making the best of whatever life brought her way. No sense in changing things now. Moments like this were rare. She ought to cherish them. Heaven knew, she wouldn’t have many more in her life.
    Ignoring Alix’s thrashing, Chelsie scooped her up and out of the tub, wrapping her in a large bath towel. “Someone looks like a prune,” Chelsie said, tickling the little girl and drying her off at the same time.
    “Why don’t I take over? I’m sure she’s worn you out by now.”
    “She’s a handful, that’s for sure.”
    Alix greeted that pronouncement with a giggle and an aborted attempt to dive back into the tub.
    “Proof that not only do children understand everything, they live up to our expectations,” Chelsie murmured.
    “Amen. Must have learned those tricks from her daddy. Jared knew how to con me into letting him do just about anything.”
    Chelsie smiled, grateful that he’d spoken of his brother with fondness and not despair. Griff had devoted his life to Alix, but deserved to move beyond the boundaries imposed by his grief.
    “Sounds like you were the typical big brother.”
    “More like the typical father.”
    “Really?”
    He nodded. “But now’s not the time to get into those stories. Wouldn’t want to bore you,” he said. “Pajamas and bedtime, squirt.”
    Alix ran for her bedroom, losing the towel halfway down the hall. Griff followed, his deep laugh resonating as he walked.
    Chelsie drained the water from the tub and wiped her hands on a towel. She knew for certain she wouldn’t be bored. She couldn’t help but be curious about Griff’s long-standing relationships, Jared and Ryan included. Along with his commitment to Alix, they showed his ability to sustain healthy friendships and maintain emotional bonds, something she hadn’t encountered in a man before. Something she’d forgotten how to do herself.
    But she also understood the importance of respecting a person’s private space. By acknowledging Griff’s right to privacy, she hoped to ensure her own. Chelsie shut off the bathroom light. If she were smart, she’d join Mrs. Baxter downstairs and not watch Alix snuggle against Griff as he tucked her into bed.
    With a knowing sigh, she turned and walked toward Alix’s room instead.

FIVE
    C helsie didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. The scent of lilacs permeated the air, making Griff painfully aware of her presence. He placed Alix in her crib and covered her with her favorite blanket.
    “Puppy,” she said, jumping up and demanding a white ball of fur that lay on the floor. Griff retrieved the stuffed animal and coaxed Alix back into the crib.
    All the while, he sensed Chelsie’s intense scrutiny.
    He drew himself up and leaned against the rail, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the door. Chelsie met his gaze and a feeling of déjà vu crept over him. He found himself unable to look away. Like a recurring dream, he felt as if they were replaying her first night in the house. She drew a deep breath and