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“Thanks, Will. Where is Caroline? I’d like to say hello to her.”
“She’s probably upstairs with Rosalyn.” They headed upstairs, and he knocked lightly on Caroline’s door. She sat on the floor playing with dolls and her small brown bear. Rosalyn sat nearby with a book in her hands. Caroline stood up, her gaze on Will although she gave Ava one brief glance.
“How’s my girl?” Will asked, picking her up to hug her and kiss her on the cheek. He turned to Ava. “Looks who’s here. She’ll be staying with us now for the summer.”
When Caroline’s eyes widened, Ava took it for a hopeful sign. She had uncustomary butterflies in her stomach over trying to help Caroline, yet she was hopeful she could do so even in a tiny degree.
Five
“Hi, Caroline,” Ava said, and without waiting for an answer she turned to Rosalyn. “It’s nice to see you, Rosalyn. Will, I’ll go to my room to freshen up and then I’ll go downstairs.”
She turned and left, trying to keep things low-key with Caroline. She knew the child would have to come to her, not the other way around.
She unpacked, giving Will time with his niece. After an hour, she went downstairs to look for him. She finally spotted them outside in the sparkling pool.
Declining to join them, she sat near the pool and watched Will with Caroline. Finally he swam a lap and then climbed out.
Ava drew a deep breath as her gaze ran over his muscled body and the thick mat of dark chest hair that tapered in a narrow line to disappear below his black swim trunks. Her mouth went dry and she could not keep from looking at his broad chest, lean body, long legs. He was tanned, fit and handsome. He raked his wavy black hair back from his face, wrapped the towel around his middle and strolled over to pull a chair close to her. “You should have joined us.”
“I will some other time. Caroline seems to enjoy herself.”
“She loves to swim. It’s easy to tell that she likes the water. She always has, and learned to swim early. My brother Adam swam with her all the time.”
“You said you were closest to your older brother.”
“Yes. I’m getting closer to Zach. There’s a big age gap between Ryan and me. We’re not as close and we have different interests.”
“I’m closer to Trinity, but that’s because of age. Now that she’s in college, I’m getting closer to Summer. Summer is the one who will be the teacher so we’ll probably become even closer later.”
All the time Will talked, he kept his attention on Caroline, as did Ava just out of habit from watching kids at school and on playgrounds. One time Caroline went under; when she didn’t bob right up, Will was almost in the pool before she popped up, splashing and obviously enjoying herself. While he paused at the edge of the pool to talk to her, she splashed around. She played with a ball, and after a few minutes, Will returned to his chair.
“She does that sometimes. It always scares me. So far, I’ve never had to pull her out, but she still scares me.”
“Better to be safe,” Ava said. “How long will she stay in?”
“Probably until I get her out. She loves the water. I told Rosalyn to keep a close eye on her because I always worry about her wandering off and going in without anyone watching. She’s getting big enough now it’s not the worry it was. When we’re not in the pool, we keep the gate locked on the surrounding fence. The gate helps, but I travel, and when I’m away, I don’t want to worry about something happening to her.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said. “I can see why your brother appointed you guardian.”
“I had the gate put up before I became her guardian, way back before she was toddling around. I couldn’t bear to have anything happen to her.”
“That’s good, Will,” she said, thinking it was one more facet of Will Delaney that she had to admire. Her gaze ran over his broad, bare shoulders that had dried. His black hair was still wet.
“I’m going to get her out and start dinner. I’m grilling tonight.”
She smiled. “I’ll watch her so she can stay longer.”
“Okay,” he said, walking away while her gaze raked over his wide shoulders, down his long legs briefly before she turned her full attention to Caroline. Pulling her chair closer to the edge of the pool, she sat watching Caroline, who swam to the edge and gazed back solemnly.
“You’re a good swimmer,” Ava said.
Caroline blinked and swam away and continued playing and splashing. Playing, she looked as happy as any other kid, and it made Ava hurt for her.
Finally Will returned to check on food in an outdoor oven. He walked over to the edge of the pool. “Time, sweetie. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Leave on your swimsuit. After you dry, you can pull on a T-shirt and shorts.”
Caroline climbed out and in minutes she had on a T-shirt and shorts. Slipping on flip-flops, she picked up the small brown teddy bear.
Will held out his hand. “Come over here while I cook. Ava, want to join us?”
She sat near them, aware of Will talking to Caroline, smiling at her, and Caroline gazing back gravely at him.
Through dinner Will talked about trips Caroline had taken to Disney World, things she had seen and managed to include her even though she never said a word.
“You’re a talented man,” Ava said. “This is a delicious steak.”
“Thanks. I’ve had a good teacher. It’s not Caroline’s favorite, so soon we’ll have fried chicken, which is what she prefers. But we’re not eating a steady diet of drumsticks,” he said, smiling at Caroline.
When dinner was over they moved to the edge of the pool while Caroline went back into the water.
“You’re good with her all the time,” Ava said.
“Maybe. I haven’t been able to break through that wall she keeps around herself.”
“Has she ever talked to you?”
“Other than ‘thank you’ and ‘please,’ very rarely. And that was when I first got her. Most of the time it was telling me she wanted her daddy. That’s heartbreaking.”
“Yes, it is,” Ava agreed, watching Caroline splash in the shallow end of the pool. “To watch her now, she looks like any kid having a good time.”
“That’s why I think swimming may be good for her. It’s exercise and may relieve tension in a kid as much as it does in an adult. It’s a healthy, normal activity.”
“You’re paying me way too much, you know,” Ava said.
His dark gaze shifted to meet hers. “If you can bring her out of this, it will be worth every penny.”
“There are definitely no guarantees.”
“I never asked for any,” he replied, turning to watch Caroline again.
Later, Ava went to unpack while Will took Caroline to bed. It was a couple of hours later when she heard a light knock on her door and she opened it to find Will.
“Caroline’s fast asleep and Rosalyn is here. Take a break, come have a drink with me—we have everything from milk and cookies to fizzy drinks to wine or cocktails. We can talk about the coming week.”
“For a short time,” she said, pushing her door wide and stepping into the hall with him. They got tall glasses of iced tea and sat on the veranda. Will pulled a chair close to hers. “I’ll be in Los Angeles this week. You have my cell number. I’ll leave you my secretary’s number because she knows my schedule. You can always get me on my cell. I’ll call during the day and in the evening.”
“Fine. I can’t imagine needing you, and if it’s something with Caroline, Rosalyn will be here.”
“Yes, she will. She can be quiet and blend into the background so she doesn’t intrude. With the staff here, meals will be prepared so you don’t have to worry about anything beyond Caroline. If there are any books you want to get for her, go ahead. Charge them to this card,” he said, withdrawing a credit card from his billfold.
She took it, tucking it into a pocket. “Thank you. Right now, I have plenty of my own material I can use.”
“After the past week and the coming week of staying here and working with Caroline every day, my guess is that by this weekend, you might enjoy an evening out. How about Saturday night?”
Saturday night out with Will Delaney sounded wonderful, but it meant getting sidetracked from the plans for her future even more. He grew more tempting daily and the risk of an affair was constant. Any affair for her would involve her heart and later, it would mean heartbreak, because Will would end it. Yet how tempting it was to think about Saturday night with him.
“I haven’t changed my mind about keeping this job separate from my private life. I’m here to work with Caroline. That’s all.” The words came out automatically, but it hurt to refuse.
He leaned closer, placing his hands on the chair arms on either side of her, hemming her in. Only inches away, his dark eyes consumed her. It was difficult to get her breath and her pulse raced. “You’re scared of life.”
“You got your way about this summer. Stop while you’re ahead. I’ve already explained to you, I don’t want to get tied up emotionally with someone.” She could barely get her breath to talk. “The minute Caroline goes to kindergarten in the fall, I will go back to my plans for my school. Particularly now that I have funds. I’m not getting distracted from my goals. I’m going to achieve what I’ve always dreamed about. And I’m not having a short affair with you, which is what dinner would lead to. Thank you, but we’re not going out to dinner.” Her voice was breathless and she was beginning to lose her train of thought and get lost in his dark eyes. He was too close, too appealing, too persistent. “We need to keep this a professional relationship. Treat me the same way you do Rosalyn or Edwina,” she added.
“That’s not at all the same thing and you know it. I’d be asking this if you hadn’t come to work for me. You’re scared to live again. One dinner and dancing isn’t that big a deal. It’s not an affair.”
“You know that’s not all you’re asking for. It’s a distraction I don’t need,” she whispered while he focused on her mouth.
“You’re a distraction I do need,” he replied, leaning close to cover her mouth with his.
Desire blazed in her. While her pulse roared in her ears, her heart pounded. His arm slipped around her waist then tightened before he lifted her to his lap and settled her against his shoulder. His kisses awakened responses unfelt in years. Heat and need grew vital. His boldness consumed her caution as her resistance crumbled.
The distant moan was her own voice, dim in her ears. He held her tightly while she had her hands against his chest.
When he raised his head slightly, she opened her eyes. Dazed, she wanted to pull him back to kiss her again.
“You’re ready for a night out. Go out with me Saturday night—you’re not making any kind of commitment beyond joining me for dinner away from here instead of eating the way we usually do.”
She slid her arm around his neck. “Yes,” she whispered, pulling his head down to kiss him again.
Surprise flared in his dark eyes before he kissed her. Relishing their kisses, she closed her eyes. From head to toe she tingled while heat pooled low in her body and an ache built.
Desire spiraled, burning hotly. Ava ran her hand over his broad shoulder, down over his chest while he caressed her nape. Slipping his hand down her back, he pulled her shirt free from her slacks. His warm hand caressed her bare back. Sitting up, she slid off his lap to return to her chair.
“You agreed to go out Saturday,” he reminded her and she nodded. She had gone against her own good judgment and plans. Even so, excitement hummed and she couldn’t take back her agreement. Just one Saturday night dinner. A few kisses. Nothing more—she could do that without heartbreak.
“Are you in contact at all with Caroline when you’re away?”
“Yes. Since we have Skype, I call her daily. She is as silent as when I talk to her in person, but with Skype we’re face-to-face.”
“That’s good to keep the contact and let her know you’re interested.”
“For the first time since I became her guardian, I feel better about everything concerning her.”
“You’re reading too much into the one tiny response I got from her.”
“No, that was not tiny. It was monumental. A breakthrough.”
“Will, stop setting yourself up for a big disappointment. I hope I can reach her, but that one response is no indication. We’ll just take it one day at a time.”
He smiled as if she had told him he couldn’t be certain the sun would rise tomorrow. Exasperated by his high expectations, she shook her head. “Does your mother see her often?”
“No. My mother packed and left when she divorced my father. She married again, moved to Chicago where she was originally from and never looked back. We hear from her several times a year, see her about once a year. She’s not excited over becoming a grandmother and really has no interest in Caroline, particularly since Adam’s death.”
“That’s too bad. I adored my grandmother—the one I knew. The other one died when I was small and I never really knew her. I can barely remember her.”
“My mother doesn’t deal well with people who have problems. She is not a patient person. Ironically, she does a lot of volunteer work, but it’s in the arts, the symphony, that type of thing. She’ll be present for the reading of Dad’s will, I’m sure. She’ll expect to inherit a large amount and she probably will. When it came to money, he was always generous to her.”
“He never married again?”
“No. I don’t think he wanted to commit. He was sour on marriage. There were women around, but no more marriages.”
“Will your brothers be here when the will is read?”
“Sure. Even Zach will come home. You’ll meet them all. They already know about you and that you’re going to work with Caroline. Do your sisters know you accepted my offer?”
“Oh, yes. So do my folks. Trinity and I have been together this past week.”
“So tell me about Trinity and Summer.” While she talked he took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He was still, and it would be ridiculous to protest the slight touch, so she talked about her sisters. Words came automatically while most of her attention was on the slight physical contact she had with him. Even though it was almost nothing, she tingled to her toes from it.
Conversation shifted and changed to a variety of topics until the moon was high. Ava stood. “It’s definitely time to turn in.”
He walked inside with her, talking about the coming week. At her door he slipped his arm around her waist to pull her close. This time she didn’t protest, but moved eagerly into his embrace, her arm encircling his neck.
Kisses grew heated, lengthening while he pulled her tightly against him, his hand exploring her back, slipping down over her bottom, up again over her back until she stepped out of his embrace.
“It’s later than ever. Good night, Will.”
Brushing a kiss on her lips, he smiled. “Until tomorrow.”
She closed the door to her suite, moving through the empty room quietly, wondering if she would get to sleep for the few hours left in the night. What had she gotten herself into?
He was quickly becoming irresistible to her.
By the time Ava finished breakfast the next morning, Will had left for his business trip. Ava sat on the playroom floor with Caroline and pulled a box from her tote bag. “I thought maybe you like to play games. I have one I hope you’ll like. We can try, and if you don’t like playing, we’ll stop,” Ava said, getting out a deck of cards. “See, they’re princess cards and each card has a letter on it. First let’s arrange them in the order of the alphabet and you can see the princesses.”
Ava began laying out the cards. “There are two identical cards that each have the same letter. Here are two cards with A and Princess Ann. Here are two B cards with Princess Brianna. Next, Princess Carolyn. And then Princess Dorothy. Now, what card comes next?” she said, spreading out five scrambled cards.
While Caroline sat quietly, Ava remained still, waiting to give Caroline a chance to participate. After five minutes had ticked past, Caroline pulled Princess Eileen and placed it in the row.
“Excellent,” Ava said. “I’ll do the next. Here’s Princess Fiona. We can mix these all up and play a matching game.”
She slowly went through the simple rules as they began to play. She had wondered whether Caroline would play or not, but the girl began to respond, her mind quick and her memory good.
From the game they went to books, and Ava read to Caroline, but once again, she let Caroline turn pages and knew that Caroline was reading along with her. They worked on letters and numbers through books and games until almost noon.
“Want to swim before lunch?”
Caroline was always slow to respond if she did at all. She gazed back at Ava with huge brown eyes and nodded her head.
“Great. I’m ready for a swim. Let’s put on our suits. Do you know where your swimsuit is?”
