“The idea is to see a lot more of your date,” she reminded him.
“Right.” He nodded. “But until I find the right woman for me and you find the right man for you, we’re going to help each other sift through the candidates.”
Leslie nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“What time do you want me at your office tomorrow?”
Leslie blinked. “I don’t know. What time is good for you?”
“I could be there in the afternoon around four-thirty or five, if that’s not too late.”
“That would be perfect,” she said, her voice a little breathy. The thought of entering her personal profile in front of Tag made her wonder if she was doing the right thing. Then again, he knew her. Probably better than she knew herself.
Leslie frowned. She’d thought she knew him. The fact that he’d taken dance lessons, and she didn’t know that about him, made her question just how well she knew Taggert Bronson.
“Why have you never married?” she asked.
Tag laughed. “That was out of nowhere.”
“Not really. It would help me to know this information if I’m going to help you find a perfect match.”
Tag shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t ready.”
“Have you ever been in love?” After the words left her mouth, her breath caught and held in her throat. She had to know.
He drew in a deep breath, his brow descending as if he was thinking about his answer. “I fell in love once.”
She leaned toward him, her heartbeat ratcheting up. “And? What happened?”
He slowed for a streetlight, staring ahead through the window. “I wasn’t ready. She was.”
“And she married someone else?” Leslie’s heart pinched in her chest. She reached out and touched his arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He patted her hand. “I think it was meant to be.”
“Did she know you loved her?” Leslie asked.
He shook his head.
She frowned. “Did I know her?”
“Maybe,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago.”
Leslie sensed he didn’t want to talk about it. It had to have been a painful loss for Tag to avoid marriage.
“Maybe she wasn’t the right one for you,” Leslie suggested.
“Oh, she was the right one. I was too immature to realize it until it was too late.” He spoke with a hint of self-loathing that cut straight through to Leslie’s heart.
“Wow.” Leslie shook her head. “She must have been amazing.”
“She is.”
“It was her loss, as far as I’m concerned.” Leslie squeezed his arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll find someone even better. A woman who won’t miss what a great guy you are. You’re going to make the best husband and father.”
“Assuming she wants kids,” he interjected.
“Do you want kids?” Leslie asked. Again, her breath caught and held. Not that Tag’s stance on children had anything to do with her.
“Absolutely,” Tag said. “I want four. Two boys and two girls. But I’d take all boys and all girls, as long as they’re all healthy.”
Leslie laughed. “That’s how many I want. One is so lonely. Two is lovely, but I would adore having a houseful of noise and laughter.”
He smiled in her direction. “You were an only child, right?”
She nodded. “I always wanted siblings to play with.”
“I was number three of four children,” Tag said.
“Your father was military, wasn’t he?” Leslie asked.
Tag nodded. “We moved so many times while I was young, I don’t know what I would have done without my brother and sisters. They were my friends when I didn’t know anyone else.” He smiled. “Life was always an adventure in our family.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Leslie bunched her hands into fists. It might be a mistake, but she wanted him to know.
“Sure. Your secrets are always safe with me.” He glanced her way, his brow furrowing. “You’re all right, aren’t you? No serious health issues, I hope?”
She laughed. “No. Nothing like that. I’m fine. I just…” Was it right to tell him before she even tried? “If things don’t work out with BODS,” she said, “I’m thinking of having a baby on my own.”
Tag’s foot stomped on the brake. “What?”
“Oh, dear.” She pitched forward, grabbed the “oh-shit” handle by the door and righted herself. “I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. Especially while you’re driving.”
“No. No. I’m glad you did. Something like having a baby is a big deal. Talking about it helps with the decision.” He shook his head. “How will you do that without a father?”
She looked down at her hands. “When Randy found out he was terminal, I insisted he save his sperm. We always wanted children. We tried to get pregnant, but,” she shrugged, “it never happened.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” He caught her hand and held it in his. “We both have regrets. But we can’t keep looking back. We have to look forward. Just because things didn’t turn out the way we thought it should doesn’t mean it won’t turn out the way it was supposed to be all along.”
Leslie nodded. “You’re right. Maybe I was supposed to be a single mom, raising a child on my own.” A tear slipped from the corner off her eye. She quickly wiped it away. “No matter what, we have to see this through. I made a promise to give BODS a try. If all else fails, I have a Plan B.”
“Promise me you’ll give dating a shot. You deserve to have all the happiness. That means someone to love, who loves you, and four rambunctious kids to raise the rooftop with noise.”
Leslie chuckled, the sound catching a little. “You’re right. I need to be open to the possibilities.”
“You never know…the person you were meant to be with could be right there waiting for you. You have to keep your eyes open and recognize love for what it is.”
She nodded. “You’re right.” Leslie smiled at him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Tag. You’re the best friend a girl could ever have.”
His lips twisted. “Here we are,” he said, pulling into the driveway of the home she and Randy had built together the year before he was diagnosed.
“Wow, we got here fast,” she said, reaching for the buckle of her seatbelt.
Tag dropped down out of the pickup and hurried around to open her door for her.
Once again, he gripped her waist in his strong hands and lifted her down to the ground.
Now that she knew those muscles were real and he worked for them, she could appreciate how hard they were against her palms. Her heartbeat stuttered, and her insides heated.
Any woman would be excited this close to Tag. He was one hundred percent male, tough enough to take care of a redneck and gentle enough to hold doors for the ladies. Some lucky woman was going to be thrilled to be matched with Taggert Bronson.
Why she wasn’t thrilled with that idea had her stumped.
Tag walked her to the door of her house and held out his hand for her keys. After he unlocked her door and opened it, he handed back the keys, his fingers holding onto the keyring a little longer than necessary.