Moving a Little Heart Read Online Free Page A

The concoction consisted of hot milk, a square of butter, a generous splash of coconut rum and had been stirred with a cinnamon stick. The cookies sent shivers through her body, as well. She tasted a hint of cinnamon in the dough, and it complemented the delicious hot beverage. Tension melted away for the first time in weeks as she finished her snack and sank her shoulders under the silky bubbles. She was starting to drift to sleep when a tapping on the door awakened her.
    "Baylor? Are you okay in there? It's been an hour, and that water has got to be getting cold."
    "Sorry, I dozed off. I'm getting out," she said sleepily, draining the tub. She grabbed the shower hose and rinsed the remaining suds from her body, then carefully stepped out to pat herself dry. She felt like she was moving in slow motion as she slipped Terry's huge t-shirt over her head. Taking a deep breath, Baylor inhaled the delightfully manly scent of the soft cotton. She would never leave the bed if her sheets smelled this good!
    "Feel better?" Hayden asked as she opened the door.
    "I'm fine, just tired. That drink was incredible, and knocked my ass out. I think I had a foodgasm with those cookies. Thanks."
    "Terry is usually the house mother." Hayden chuckled. "Be glad he's not here, or he would have been bathing and dressing you himself. After he put you in a high chair and hand fed you. He's a little obsessive about taking care of little girls."
    "I am not a little girl. As for Terry, I can tell you right here and now that that will never happen; any day or any way."
    "We'll see. You don't know Terry. Are you hungry?"
    "No, thank you."
    "Would you like me to dry your hair?"
    "You would do that?" Baylor could not disguise the surprised expression on her face.
    "We have two girl cousins who used to spend every summer with us while their parents went adventuring," Hayden said, easing her onto the dressing bench. "I was the only one who didn't make them scream when I messed with them."
    "If you're serious, that is the one thing I won't refuse. Especially when I'm this tired."
    "You poor kid. You do look like you're going to pass out sitting up."
    "I'm not a kid. I happen to be twenty-three. And I keep telling you that I'm fine."
    "Of course you're fine," he teased, sounding like he was speaking to a six-year-old. "Let's get you all prettied up and I'll make you some macaroni and cheese. You can eat it in bed if you want."
    "I told you that I'm not hungry. What is it with you and food?"
    "Serious Face." He pointed to his expression. "I know the signs to look for when someone has reached their physical and mental limit. You, young lady, look like you haven't had a good meal in months, so you are eating. Non-negotiable. I am going to tuck you in and bring a bowl of Mac and Cheese right up to you. Don't try to tell me you don't like it, either, because I know these things."
    "Are all the men in your family this pushy?"
    "Yep. Jake and Dad are even worse. Am I pulling your hair?"
    "Not at all. It feels nice," Baylor said, feeling like jelly in Hayden's hands as he gently dried her hair and brushed it to a shine. "I do find it difficult to believe that Jake would allow anyone to eat in his bed. I have never seen such an immaculate room,"
    "He wouldn't mind as long as you were comfortable and taken care of. After you eat, I'll put you to bed."
    "I can put myself to bed. I've been doing it on my own for nearly twenty years."
    "Didn't anyone ever tuck you in?" he asked.
    "There was no reason to. I grew up way before my time. I've always been an adult."
    "We need to change that. You're too young to act so old. Except for the gum. That's got to go," Hayden mumbled.
    "I happen to like my gum, thank you. And now that I know that it bothers you and your brother, I will have to make sure I chew it even more often."
    "Brat," he said and chuckled, quickly finishing with her hair. He brushed it into soft waves upon her shoulders and held out his hand to help her up from the