Read Whatever It Takes (Second Chances #2) for Free Online Page B

coffee, any kind as long as it’s hot. Noah adores doughnuts, not so much the coffee. It’s not really in vogue with the three-year-old set just now.” I smiled over my shoulder and set the bag on the secondhand coffee table I’d found at Goodwill. I knew I was babbling but I was still trying to process that Ryan had thought about me before he got here this morning. Having Ryan in my apartment should have felt weird, but it was strangely comfortable. He had yet to ask the questions I knew must be burning up his tongue. I took the coward’s way out and just stopped calling him. He deserved so much better than that now, but at the time . . . well, it was a different time in my life and I couldn’t go back.
    And this? This was just a couple of hours.
    “I hope you know what you’re in for. You might not get anything done with Noah helping, you know.”
    I grabbed the chai latte, something I would never order myself because of the cost, and took a sip. I might have moaned out loud because Ryan’s gaze snapped to my lips. I felt the now-familiar heat climbing up my cheeks.
    “Good choice,” I mumbled, trying to hide the embarrassment.
    Ryan smiled and started toward me. My heart leapt in my chest. “I let the girl at the coffee shop choose.” He stopped just in front of me and I almost choked on my mouthful of chai. Oh, my God, was he going to kiss me?
    Would I let him?
    Was it getting hot in here?
    Maybe it was just me.
    Just when I thought he might lean in, he reached around me and took the black coffee, then stepped back. “Figured this was a safe choice, but on the off chance you like your coffee plain, I don’t mind a good mocha.”
    “Ryan!” a chipper voice called out.
    I watched Noah as he came barreling out of the bathroom, and cringed. He had on a bright orange shirt with a dump truck printed on the front, and red checkered shorts and green socks and . . . his rain boots.
    “Whoa.” I heard Ryan chuckle.
    “Right?” I said with a laugh. But I could see the pride shining from Noah’s face when he came to a teetering stop in front of Ryan. Last night he’d talked about nothing but Ryan. He made sure his toolbox was ready right next to his bed and he even took a bath without a single complaint.
    And he actually slept all night. Ryan was like the toddler whisperer.
    “Hey, buddy. I brought doughnuts.” Ryan grabbed the bag and held it out. “Do you like doughnuts?”
    Noah’s eyes got so big I thought they might pop out of his head, and he nodded vigorously. Doughnuts were a treat. With every single penny going toward necessities, it wasn’t often I splurged, even for something so small. I didn’t want to have to say no the next time Noah asked.
    After Noah pulled out his doughnut, Ryan held the bag out for me. “Doughnut, Danish, or bagel.”
    It had been so long since I’d had a Danish that my mouth was already watering before I even took a bite. How pathetic was that? I took a big bite and, this time, managed to keep my moans to myself. But oh, my God was it so good.
    “We never get doughnuts,” Noah said. He grinned up at Ryan, his mouth covered in glaze. “Thank you.”
    “Well there’s another one if you think you can eat it.”
    “Wow, are you rich?” Noah said, reaching into the bag. “We can’t ’ford doughnuts no more.”
    The last of the Danish turned to dust in my mouth. My face felt like it was on fire. I washed down the Danish with a mouthful of chai and glanced at Ryan out of the corner of my eye. I’m sure he could tell by the apartment and my car that we weren’t rolling in it, but still.
    I waited for the look of triumph on his face. Something that said, Ha, not so successful now, are you?
    Instead, he shifted his feet and cleared his throat. “So, you ready to get to work, bud?”
    “Ready!” Noah grabbed his toolbox, a bright red plastic thing I found at the dollar store last year. It was cheaply made and the handle had broken off a week after he got it.