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“Of course, and you should.”
“Caroline smiling at me like that—I think you brought that on. She hasn’t done that before with me. I was right about you. You are good with her.”
“Thank you. You may give me too much credit,” she said. “I did get her to read one word aloud today.”
Something flickered in the depths of his dark eyes. “I’m going to do some arm twisting and see if you’ll stay this coming week. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Will, the people I’m recommending will be better than I am in working with her.”
Smiling, he swam away to join Caroline, and she guessed she was in for a struggle with a man totally accustomed to getting his way.
After the swim, they ate dinner with Caroline and then played games until Will took Caroline upstairs to get her ready for bed. After half an hour he reappeared. “I came down to get you. She wants you to read a story to her if you will. I volunteered you, and she nodded.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” Ava said, going with him, gratified that Caroline wanted her to read.
“Rosalyn called and she’ll be here in about an hour. Ava, you’ve gotten closer than anyone else except my brothers and me. Actually, you’re getting more response out of her than my brothers do. Even Rosalyn doesn’t get as much response as you’d think. Rosalyn gets more than my brothers, but not a lot.”
“It’s so slight. Don’t read much into it.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a breakthrough. Her teachers have gotten no responses.”
“I think you’re grasping at straws, Will,” Ava said gently.
“We’ll see.”
They had reached Caroline’s suite to find her sitting on the floor playing with miniature dolls and the small brown teddy bear beside a doll house.
“Time for a story and bed,” Will said. “Get your book for Miss Ava and climb into bed. She’ll read it to you and I’ll be back to tuck you in.”
In minutes Ava lay beside Caroline, reading while Caroline turned the pages again. She noticed that Caroline leaned close this time, pressing against Ava’s side, something she had not done before. As she read, Ava put her arm lightly around Caroline.
They finished. “Do you want another story until your Uncle Will comes back?”
Caroline shook her head no, so Ava stood beside the bed, tucking Caroline with the sheet beneath her chin. “It’s been a fun day, Caroline. I’ll be here one more day. We’ll probably do about the same thing tomorrow. Maybe we can get your uncle to take us to a bookstore and you can get a new book. If you want to.”
Big brown eyes looked up at her as Caroline stared without any response. “Do you hurt?” Caroline whispered.
Caroline asked the question so softly, Ava almost did not hear her. Startled, she guessed the question was not about physical pain at the moment, but about the loss of her husband. “Yes. It comes and it goes, but he’s always there in my heart.”
Caroline looked down at the sheet and twisted it in her small fingers. “I don’t have a mommy and daddy. I used to have Daddy.”
“I know,” Ava said. “It hurts, but there are other people you can love and they love you. Your Uncle Will loves you so, so much.”
Big brown eyes met her gaze again and Ava’s heart lurched over the silent world into which Caroline had locked herself. Ava tried to avoid intruding on Caroline, but at the sight of Caroline’s solemn expression, Ava could not resist leaning down to hug her lightly. “You are so loved, Caroline.”
Caroline slipped an arm around Ava’s neck and held on for a moment. When her arm slipped away, Ava released her. “You’re a brave little girl,” she said.
Caroline looked away and Ava felt the closeness vanish, suspecting Caroline was withdrawing back into her shell.
“Nighty-night time,” Will said cheerfully, entering the room. “One more story from me if you want and then it’s sleepy time. Miss Rosalyn is back and she’ll be here soon.”
“Good night, Caroline,” Ava said with a smile and she turned away with a glance at Will.
Shaken by the moments with Caroline, she went downstairs to wait in the family room. It was another half hour before Will appeared. He swept into the room, crossing the space in long strides to pull her up and hug her tightly. “You are a miracle worker,” he said. “I came into the room when she hugged you. I stepped out and came back because I didn’t want to break the moment.”
“Will,” she said, extricating herself and smiling. “Slow down. A little gain maybe. A baby step.”
He held her arms as he gazed down at her. Her racing pulse was half because of the moments with Caroline and half because of Will standing close and holding her.
“It’s huge, Ava. I’ve tried so many things, so many experts and nobody could get anywhere.”
“I think it’s because she feels a tie since I lost my husband.”
“Maybe, but she’s had people around who have lost someone and kids around who have lost parents and she wouldn’t respond to them at all. It’s more than that.”
“I’m surprised the kids didn’t reach her.”
“They didn’t. Maybe everyone came on too strong. I notice you’re pretty low-key with her.”
“There’s no magic formula and I don’t know why, but she’s responding slightly to me.”
“It isn’t slight. For her to hug you is huge.”
“You’re making so much out of so little, I’m scared to tell you anything else.”
“Now you have to. What else?”
“Just don’t get carried away. She asked me tonight if I hurt.” For an instant he stared at her and she wondered if she would regret telling him. “Will, don’t blow everything out of proportion. I see big hope for your tutor because the woman I have in mind should be wonderful with Caroline.”
“Let’s sit. What did you tell her?” he asked, taking her arm and moving to the sofa to sit close, facing her. Their knees touched and his hand still rested on her arm.
She told him about the brief moment she had had with Caroline.
“You did it. I knew you could,” he said. “You’ve gotten through to her.”
“Will, stop making something colossal out of this. It’s a tiny step, a baby step in the right direction.”
He framed her face with his hands. “We’ve tried so much. You should see the list of people I’ve had work with her and the play groups I’ve put her into.”
“Maybe she just wasn’t ready and time has passed and now she is,” Ava said, her voice breathless. His hands were on her cheeks and he sat close, his eyes blazing with emotion.
“I’m overjoyed, Ava. Maybe I’m clutching at straws, but straws are more than I’ve had in the past. This is real hope. She communicated with you, however briefly. She interacted with you.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and her heart pounded. He leaned down to kiss her hard and she responded to him, knowing he kissed her with emotion and joy over his feelings for his niece. As his kiss changed, he lifted her onto his lap. A half day with him tomorrow. It wouldn’t last, so what did a few kisses hurt? She wrapped her arm more tightly around his neck and kissed him passionately, forgetting everything except Will, who was exciting, sexy, temporarily changing her life.
When she withdrew, his breathing was as ragged as hers. He stared at her as if he had never seen her before, his gaze roaming over her features while he combed his hand through her hair. “You’ll continue to spend time with her tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Yes, but I’ve really learned what I wanted to know—who would make the best tutor for her. I told her you might take us to a bookstore and she can pick out some books.”
“Sounds great. I should go tell Rosalyn that she can have another day off, so if she wants to make plans this evening, she can. I’ll be right back.”
He left and she watched him go, looking at his long legs, remembering him in his swimsuit and thinking about his kisses. Tonight was the last night with him—a good thing. No one-night stands, either. It would take her a long time to forget him and his niece. She was going to miss Caroline. The little girl in her quiet way was lovable.
In minutes Will was back. “She’s glad for another day to catch up on some things, so everyone is happy and I’m sure Caroline will be.” He sat close on the sofa again. “Want anything to drink? Tea, pop, wine, beer, milk, margaritas, rum… I have a full bar.”
“A glass of iced tea would be good,” she said, standing to go to the kitchen with him. She watched as he fixed her a tall glass, gave her some sliced lemon and got out a cold beer for himself. He motioned toward a sofa in the far side of the kitchen where there was an adjoining sitting room.
When she sat on the sofa, Will sat close beside her. He raised his drink. “Here’s to miracles.”
She smiled patiently and touched his glass with hers. “Something to dream about.”
“No dream today. I told you—you have no idea what we’ve gone through with none of the experts getting that much reaction from her.”
“Now that I’ve met Caroline, I plan to contact Becky first because she’s the best choice as tutor. She’s free for the rest of the summer and she lives in driving distance of Dallas so she can stay or drive back and forth, either one. Now I can tell Becky more about Caroline and know what I’m talking about. I think you’ll like Becky.”
“Ava, I’ve thought over who I want to hire,” he said, setting his beer on a coaster on the table. “I didn’t come up with my plans tonight or even earlier today. I promise.”
She set her drink on the nearby table. “You don’t approve of Becky? You read all I sent you, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. One person stands out.”
“And who is that?”
He took her hands. “I’d like to hire you to tutor Caroline this summer.”
Four
Even though Ava had suspected this request was coming, it still surprised her. She thought of Caroline and felt torn.
“Will, thank you for your faith in me. Caroline is adorable and I think she can be helped. She’s a precious child.” Will was desperate, and she had already gotten to know him well enough that she disliked disappointing him. She hated even more hurting Caroline, although his niece would never know about his offer or her rejection.
“If you feel that way, don’t rush to answer me. Think about it tonight and give me an answer tomorrow. You see the situation here, so you know what we’re like and where you’d live and what you’d be doing. Just give it some thought.”
“When we first met I told you my plans. I’ve received my doctorate. I intend to open my own school where I can hire the teachers I want and include some of my teaching methods with my books in the curriculum.”
“I appreciate your ambition. All I’m asking you to do is postpone your plans a little,” he said, leaning slightly closer.
“Opening my own school has been my dream since I was a student aide in high school and helped in a reading program.”
“An admirable dream,” he remarked. His dark gaze consumed her and her heartbeat raced. She had no intention of letting him derail all her plans. She took a deep breath, ready to launch into a refusal.
“You’re perfect to work with Caroline and it’s already June,” he said before she could speak. “It would be the rest of this month, July and only part of August until shortly before school begins. Not quite three full months actually. It would be a three-month delay in your plans at most.”
“I don’t want to put off my dream. I’m really not a private tutor. When you meet and interview Becky, I think you’ll agree that she’s the best person for the job, and I’m sure Caroline will like her.”
He reached in a pocket and brought out a piece of paper, which he unfolded.
She was tempted to refuse to even look at it. She suspected it would be an exorbitant sum of several thousand dollars, like the amount he was paying her for the two days in Dallas.
“I figured you would turn me down, so I’ve thought about what might induce you to stay. Don’t give me an answer now. Promise me you’ll take this and think about it tonight.”
“Will, I know what I want to do,” she persisted. “This isn’t the place for me to get sidetracked, because it’s more than just taking a job for the summer. This involves a child and you—It could be complicated.” The man wasn’t accustomed to hearing no, but he was going to have to adjust.
As if he hadn’t heard her, he continued, “Just remember, a little over three months would not be a big delay in your plans, yet it would give you some finances for your school.” He held the paper out to her. “Here’s what I will pay you if you work through the summer months with Caroline.”
While she could use the money, she didn’t want to look at the amount and be tempted. Will Delaney was temptation in every way. She didn’t want to spend almost three months under the same roof with him, didn’t want to change her plans because it could be a far bigger delay once summer was over and everyone got busy with the school year.
“Will, I’m sorry, but I’ve already commenced several things. I have a real estate agent looking for a location. I’m working on getting grants.”
“Give me half a chance here,” he said quietly. “You can at least look at what I’m offering.”
“It won’t matter,” she said, growing slightly more annoyed because he still held her hand and had the paper in front of her.
“Take it, Ava,” he said in a more commanding tone. “Otherwise you’ll always wonder.”
Certain in another few minutes he would just tell her, she took the paper in exasperation. “Will, this is just ridiculous for you to be so stubborn.”
“I’m not the only one being stubborn. You can at least look at my figures and my offer.”
“Will, I understand how you—” Frowning, Ava held the paper closer to study the figures he had written. Her gaze ran over the amounts several times. Stunned, she looked at one half million dollars to tutor for the summer and another half million if Caroline came out of her withdrawal.
Ava’s astonished gaze jumped to meet his. “You can’t be serious,” she whispered.
“I’m absolutely in earnest,” he replied. “You’ll live here. You’ll be off on Saturdays and Sundays. I can have someone fly you home on weekends if you want. I want you to tutor Caroline so she can go into kindergarten this fall and fit in. Hopefully, you might get her out of her shell. You already have a great start.”
“This is an astronomical figure,” Ava said. Her eyes narrowed. “What else do you expect from me?”
“Nothing personal,” he replied, appearing slightly amused by her question. “Although you know I won’t stop flirting, and I’ll ask you out.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it and gave him another questioning glance. “This is way too much money for such a job.”
“I think you can help Caroline. It’s worth that to me if you will try. I’ve already spent a fortune with no results. I’ve had doctors, counselors, shrinks, tutors—all to no avail. I’ve been told no one can work as well with children as you can.”
“Thanks. That’s nice, but I don’t know that it’s completely accurate.”
“Don’t give me an answer now. Think about it and think about what that money can do for you and your school and your students.”
Their gazes locked. Physically aware of him, she was stunned by the staggering amount of money he offered her. Now she had to give his offer consideration. How could she turn down half a million and a chance for a million if all worked out? She wouldn’t have to worry about grants. She could buy land and a building without a struggle for financing.
Anger and dismay churned in her. He had demolished her well-laid plans. He would derail her dreams to try to get what he wanted. He had already admitted he would flirt and ask her out. Her resistance to his charm was almost nonexistent. How much would she complicate her life? If he went to such lengths to get her to work for him, how persistent would he be in trying to get her in his bed?
She stood to break the mesmerizing spell he wove and to get to herself to think clearly, but there was only one answer to give him now.
He came to his feet the moment she stood.
“I need to turn in for tonight. I’ll think about this, of course,” she said, feeling overwhelmed and still stunned. She could not turn him down now, not with this kind of money. But she wasn’t going to capitulate the instant he waved a paycheck at her.
He took her arm. “I’ll see you to your room.”
She didn’t protest because she was lost in thought, but then she realized what he had said and that he walked beside her.
They were silent until she reached the door of her suite, where she turned to face him. “You barely know me. I’ve only known Caroline for one day. You don’t really know whether I’ll be this much help to Caroline or not.”
“She likes you. You made her smile when no one else has. I’m willing to take the chance. It’s worth the risk to me to have you try. I’ll never miss the money, and even if I did, if it helps Caroline, it’s worth it to me.”
“It doesn’t bother you to wreck someone else’s plans?”
“I haven’t wrecked your plans, Ava. The money I’m offering will help you get that school months or years faster than you would without it. Also, you said you would start with only first and second grade because of limited funds. Now you won’t be quite so limited. I’m not tearing up your plans—I’m aiding them. You’re free to make a choice.”
“That I am,” she said. “It’s been an interesting day. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
She was angry with his high-handed methods, stunned by the amount, shaken that she could earn that much money in just under three months. Weighing more heavily were the problems she would have with Will and Caroline. She didn’t want to fall in love with Will, and that’s what an affair would mean. An affair for her would be an affair of the heart that needed commitment and real love.
When Will’s gaze lowered to her mouth, Ava held her breath. Her lips parted, tingled. She wanted his kisses while at the same time she didn’t. “Good night, Will,” she said, turning blindly and stepping into her suite, closing the door swiftly behind her.
She crossed the room and sat on a chair to stare at the figures scribbled boldly on the paper. Half a million to stay and work with Caroline for the next three months. Three months—a brief postponement of her dreams that would be more than made up when she could open a school, fully funded.
She could not possibly turn down the opportunity for the half million. If she connected and Caroline responded to her, there would be another half million. Ava stared at the paper and the figures danced before her. She had never been a therapist, yet she knew she could work well with the girl—academically and emotionally.
If she didn’t succeed, well, she had warned Will about her inexperience in this area. Three months. In those three months if she bonded with Caroline, she might love the little girl with all her heart and it would hurt to leave. And she would leave when the summer ended. She had a life and a career to pursue. Could she resist Will for the entire summer?
She leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. Tell him no, came a small voice in her mind. Just say no and walk away.
Only she couldn’t. The chance for a half million or, if dreams came true, a million, didn’t come along in most lifetimes. If she turned down Will’s offer, she would be looking back forever. Particularly if financing became difficult. She had planned on grants, investors and relying on tuition. Now she would not be dependent on anything.
“Will Delaney, the demanding Delaney,” she said aloud, her thoughts jumping to their kisses until she was hot, tingly and filled with desire.
Impatiently, she stood to get ready for bed. Later, lying in the darkness, the turn of events and the amount of money being dangled before her kept her awake until almost dawn when she fell into a fitful sleep.
Saturday, Ava showered and dressed carefully in a navy shirt and slacks—casual but professional. When she walked into the kitchen, Will sat outside on the veranda at a table. He read an iPad on the table in front of him. He was in chinos, a black knit shirt and Western boots. Her pulse jumped merely at the sight of him and she had one more moment of reluctance. She had to give him an answer, and as far as she could see, there was only one reply.
He stood and smiled, approval lighting his eyes as his gaze swept over her. “Good morning. You look great.”
“Thank you,” she answered coolly, knowing she should be thrilled and eager when he made such a large offer, but she wanted him to know he couldn’t push her around.
He walked up to her and her pulse drummed faster when he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Come sit and I’ll get your breakfast. Want coffee and orange juice now?”
“I can help myself,” she said, picking up a china cup.
When Ava was seated and had breakfast in front of her, Will also sat and sipped black coffee. “Have you thought over my offer?”
“Of course,” she replied, meeting his gaze. “And I accept. It’s an offer I can’t refuse, as you well knew. I think you expect miracles.”
“I think you can do miracles,” he answered quietly, his eyes flaring with triumph. It added to her annoyance that he was so confident and able to get his way easily.
“Go to dinner with me tonight. I want to celebrate hiring you for the summer.”
“Maybe we should make some rules from the first,” she answered. “You said there were no demands on me other than where Caroline is concerned.”
Again, amusement flared in his expression so slightly, yet she had no doubt that’s what he felt. “That’s correct, but I thought you might enjoy a night out and to get to see a little of Dallas.”
“I’ve been to Dallas before,” she answered. “Thank you, but I’d like to keep my personal life separate. I don’t care to go out unless it is something involving Caroline.”
“Whatever you want,” he said smoothly and her insides tightened. She would love to go out with him, but she wasn’t going down that road.
“If possible, I should return home today, get my things in order and make arrangements to be gone for the next three months. I’d like a week to get ready and return a week from tomorrow to begin work. How will that fit with your schedule?”
“Fine, I’ll take you home today. I’d like to tell Caroline the news because I think she’ll be pleased.”
“I think you’re reading much more into a relationship between your niece and me than there really is,” she persisted.
“Time will tell,” he said, smiling at her. He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “Thanks for doing this, Ava.”
The contact made her tingle and the warmth in his voice heightened her reaction to him. Three months in the same house with a charismatic, seductive man. That might turn out to be as big a challenge as working with Caroline.
“There is no way I can turn down your offer, but I can’t give you any guarantees. I’ve never done this before, tutored long-term in a home with a child with problems as deep as Caroline has. I’ll do what I can.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Hours later, when she unlocked the door to her condo, Will stepped inside. He took her arm lightly and turned her to face him.
As she looked up at him, her breathing altered.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with your working for me,” he said in a husky voice. “It’s simply a man and a woman he’s attracted to.” Her lips parted as she drew a deep breath. He leaned down to kiss her, covering her mouth with his before she could answer.
Her heart thudded and she stood still, unresponsive for a heartbeat, and then she melted against his hard frame. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him in return. His fingers wrapped in her hair a few moments as he leaned over her and kissed her passionately.
His tongue thrust deeply into her mouth. His kisses were more devastating than before. Desire blazed, threatening her peaceful world. She stepped back. “This isn’t part of the bargain, Will. It just can’t be. I’ve got my life all lined up and you’ve already turned it upside down for the summer. I don’t want a big emotional upheaval on top of that.”