Easy For Keeps - Kristen Proby Page 0,2

there are more where those came from.

“Hi there,” I say kindly and look around the quiet store. There aren’t many people in here. “Where’s your mommy?”

“Lost,” she replies, her lip quivering.

Oh, God. Women’s tears, no matter their age, are my Kryptonite.

“You lost her?” I ask and squat next to her, still keeping a good three feet between us. If Mom walks up, I don’t want to look like some kind of creep.

She nods.

“What’s your name?”

She’s adorable, with black hair and blue eyes. Her cheeks are still round, like a baby, but she has to be close to school age.

Then again, I know absolutely nothing about kids, so she could be twelve for all I know.

“Belle,” she whispers and sways back and forth, making her yellow dress swoosh around her legs.

“Okay, Belle, let’s find your mom.” I don’t take her hand, but I lead her to the front of the store to the customer service desk. “Can you please page Belle’s mom?”

“Sure,” the older lady says, winking at Belle. “We’ll find your mama, sweetie.”

She picks up the phone and pages Belle’s mom over the sound system. I glance down at the little girl, who’s now whispering to her bear, and wonder who on earth would bring their daughter to the store this early in the morning. And lose her in a mostly empty store.

After two more pages and no sign of the mother, I’m starting to get antsy. This can’t be one of those situations where the mom just drops the kid off and splits, right?

No way.

Suddenly, a gorgeous woman with dark brown hair and worried eyes comes rushing into the store. “I can’t find my— Oh! Hailey, I couldn’t find you!”

“I thought your name was Belle,” I say without thinking.

“Who are you?” Mom asks, scooping Hailey up and propping her on her hip.

“I’m Adam,” I reply and step back, my hands up in surrender the same way they were earlier when Darcy wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I was helping Belle, I mean Hailey, find you.”

“Oh.” She takes a deep breath and kisses her kid’s head, then offers me a shaky smile. “Thanks. She loves Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. I can’t get her to wear anything but this dress.”

“It’s pretty,” Hailey says with a grin.

“Very pretty,” I reply, smiling back at the sweet little girl. “What’s your mama’s name?”

“None of your business,” the girl’s mom says before Hailey can answer. “Thanks for your help.”

And with that she walks out of the store.

“Well, that was fun,” I mutter and smile at the lady behind the counter. “I can’t remember what I came in here for.”

“I think you were down the drink aisle,” she says with a laugh.

“Yes!” Rather than go back, I pull a bottle of water out of the cooler near the checkout and pay, then walk out to my car. Before I can get inside, I hear an engine trying to start, but it just keeps clicking. It won’t turn over. I poke my head around the side of the building, and sure enough, there’s Prickly Mom trying to start her newer model Honda.

“Having trouble?” I ask and grin when she looks up at me in surprise. Hailey is buckled into the back seat now and waves at me with a big smile, and I wave back.

“It was running fine when I left the apartment and came here.” She sighs and lays her forehead against the steering wheel. She’s a pretty woman. She has curves in all the right places, but doesn’t wear clothes that hug them. Her hair is long and just begging for fingers to thread through it.

And her lips are plump and damn kissable. Especially when she bites them the way she’s doing right now as she lifts her head and looks up at me.

“Sounds like your battery is dead.”

“Great,” she replies and blows out a breath.

“Do you have someone you can call?”

She hesitates and then shakes her head no. She’s not quick to trust, that’s for sure, and for some reason, that makes me want to try to help all the more.

It’s been a while since a woman was a challenge.

“We just moved here,” Hailey informs me.

“Hailey—”

“It’s okay,” I reply. “I can call you a tow truck. I know a guy.”

She nods.

“But I have to tell him your name.”

“Sarah,” she replies. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.”

“Hey, stranger danger. I get it.” I nod and text my friend, then stare at the two girls for a moment. I can’t just