Father in Training
Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Sandy Walker had come to Glenwood for old-fashioned family values and a place to raise her children. She hadn’t expected to find a tall, dark stranger riding a Harley up her driveway.

She stood alone in front of her newly purchased house, right next to the two-year-old station wagon that had brought her and her three kids safely to the small town. She wasn’t nervous, exactly, she told herself as the man rode closer. She was...curious.

He stopped the motorcycle about ten feet from her car, killed the engine and expertly nudged the kickstand in place. Then he stood, straddling the bike. They grow ’em big in Glenwood, she thought dryly, wondering if she should be concerned. The man was a good head taller than her own five feet seven inches.

He reached up and removed his helmet. She’d half expected to see long hair spilling onto his shoulders, but instead he was clean-cut, with short, dark, wavy hair that would barely fall to the top of a dress-shirt collar. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes. He had a square jaw and a slight smile teasing his lips.

“May I help you?” she asked formally, striving for her let’s-be-pleasant-but-I’m-a-little-busy tone.

“That was my line, Sandy.” The teasing smile broadened. He had a nice mouth and white teeth. He could be in one of those toothpaste ads. He could—

She took a step back. “You know my name?”

He reached for the zipper on his jacket, then pulled it down in one long smooth motion. “It hasn’t been that long, Sandy. Have you forgotten that everyone here knows everyone’s business? Word’s been out since the day you bought the old Michaelson place. Welcome home.”

The man spoke as if he knew her. She supposed he could have. She’d spent five years in Glenwood, from the time she was twelve until she left for college. She’d had lots of friends, although most of them had been female. Still, it wouldn’t have been difficult for this man to find out her name. The shiver of apprehension that slipped up her spine was the result of living in Los Angeles. People did things differently in Glenwood, she reminded herself. Neighbors were friendly, they cared about each other. That was why she’d moved back in the first place.

He’d finished unzipping his jacket. Now he shrugged out of it and swung his right leg clear of the motorcycle. He folded the garment and laid it across the seat, then turned toward her.

Sandy swallowed. Hard. It was a perfect summer afternoon, with the temperature creeping toward eighty. Bright sunlight flooded the front yard of her house, tall oak trees and a couple of pines cast long shadows on the driveway. She could smell flowers and freshly mowed grass. She could hear the chirping of birds and faint snatches of conversation from around back where her kids were exploring the property. It was all very ordinary.

So there was no reason for her heart to start pounding in her chest, her palms to get sweaty or her mouth to drop open. She was a completely rational, thirty-two-year-old woman who had never made a fool of herself over a man. Not even when she’d been a teenager. She’d never swooned over rock stars or guys in the movies. She was far too sensible to dream for what she could never possibly have. She’d never once felt weak at the knees. Until this moment. Until a guy on a Harley took off his black leather jacket and exposed the most incredible body she’d ever seen.

His red tank shirt emphasized the muscles in his arms and chest. He was tanned and broad, with the kind of strength that comes more from hard work than hours in a gym. Worn jeans closely fit the lower half of his body, outlining long legs and powerful thighs. Sunlight glinted off the silver tips of his cowboy boots. He looked like a male model. Better than that, he looked like a female fantasy come to life.

Maybe there was a photo shoot somewhere in town and he’d gotten lost. But that didn’t explain how he knew her name. Or what he was doing walking purposefully toward her.

She panicked and started backing up. “Who are you?” she demanded, clutching her car keys in her right hand and wondering if she should just make a run for it.

The man stopped less than two feet in front of her. He reached up and pulled off his sunglasses. “You don’t remember?” he asked, obviously disappointed.

Remember? He wasn’t the sort of man a woman would forget. Even one who didn’t consider herself the least bit romantic or given to feminine fancies.

Her gaze focused on his. Thick lashes framed impossibly dark eyes. Lines fanned out toward his temples as if he spent a lot of time smiling. He was good-looking enough to melt butter in a snowstorm. And familiar.

She blinked. The sense of horror started low in her belly and spread, like a rash. She’d been a widow for almost two years and in that time she’d never been tempted to look at a man twice. In all her life, she’d never been tempted to look at a man twice. Appearances weren’t that important to her. So why did she have to notice this particular man? Why now? Why him?

“I saw that,” the man said. “You do remember me.”

She blinked again. Lord have mercy. “Kyle Haynes,” she said softly.

“Bingo.” Then before she could move or stop him, he bent down and kissed her cheek. “Welcome back, Sandy Morgan. It’s been, what, fifteen years? You look terrific.”

The brush of his lips against her skin forced all her nerve endings to go on alert. She hated that, so she chose to ignore the sensation. His low, sexy voice made her shiver, as if someone had run a feather across her skin.

“It’s Sandy Walker,” she said firmly, holding out her hand.

What was supposed to be an impersonal handshake turned into something much more when he took her hand in his. His palm was warm, his fingers long. She didn’t know whether to jerk her hand free or jump into his arms.

He grinned. “Sensible Sandy. Walker, did you say? Is there a Mr. Walker?” He glanced around at the front yard, then bent over and stared at the interior of her car. All the while still holding on to her hand.

Heat crept up her wrist to her forearm. Her skin began to tingle, while her heart continued its erratic dance inside her chest. She pulled free of his touch, then casually wiped her fingers against her white shorts. As if she could brush away the lingering sensation of warmth.

“Mr. Walker was killed in a climbing accident two years ago,” she said abruptly. “I’m a widow.”

Instantly, Kyle’s smile faded and his eyes darkened with concern. “I’m sorry.”

He sounded as if he really meant it. “Thank you.” She paused, not sure what to say next. He was still standing close to her. Too close. She moved back a little more, until she bumped into the station wagon. “What are you doing here?”

“In Glenwood or on your property?”

He didn’t smile, but there was no missing the teasing glint in his eyes. Some things might have changed, apparently the Haynes brothers weren’t one of them. When she’d first arrived in town, all those years before, she’d been intrigued by the stories about the four brothers, their father and uncles. No female between the age of fourteen and seventy-five had been immune to the famous Haynes charm. Even Sandy had succumbed briefly, dating Jordan Haynes the summer she turned sixteen. It had been a short romance, not even lasting a month. In the end, she and Jordan had decided they made better friends than they did a couple. After that, she’d gotten to know each of the brothers, including Kyle, who was, if she remembered correctly, a couple of years younger than her.

He’d grown up, she thought, eyeing his chest. He probably broke three hearts a day before lunchtime, just to stay in practice.

“Why are you still in Glenwood?” she asked, going for the safer of his two questions. She wasn’t worried about giving in to the famous Haynes charm. A playboy bachelor was the last thing she needed in her life. Still, keeping her guard up was wise. Her body’s reaction to Kyle’s closeness told her she wasn’t quite as immune as she would like to be.

“I work here,” he said. “I’m a deputy. My brother Travis is the sheriff.”

“Like father, like son,” she said, remembering Kyle’s father had once been sheriff of the small town.

Kyle’s dark eyes clouded, as if she’d brought up a painful memory. “Not exactly,” he said, then smiled slightly. “What about you?”

“I’ll be teaching at Glenwood Junior College. Business English and Business Communications.”

“How come my teachers never looked like you?”

She wanted to put her hands on her hips and mutter, “You’ve got to be kidding,” but she resisted. Instead, she offered him a tight smile and wondered how long she was going to have to stand there listening to her hormones sighing in appreciation of his perfect male form.

“Don’t you want to know what I’m doing in your driveway?” he asked.

She would rather know what he was doing standing so close. It was getting difficult to breathe regularly. Damn it all, she thought crossly. She didn’t need this aggravation. She’d come to Glenwood to get away from her problems, not to create new ones.

“You’re part of the local welcoming committee,” she said hopefully as a hideously awful thought occurred to her. It couldn’t be true, she told herself firmly. She wouldn’t let it be true. Fate wasn’t that unkind.

She was wrong. Fate might not be unkind, but it had an interesting sense of humor. She knew it the moment Kyle turned and pointed back the way he’d come. She peeked around him. At the end of the long, tree-lined driveway was a small four-room gatehouse—a rental unit that she now owned. The real estate agent had told her the leasee was a police officer. She closed her eyes briefly and prayed he hadn’t really meant a deputy.

“I’m your tenant,” Kyle said.

Sandy swallowed a groan. It didn’t matter, she told herself. It couldn’t matter. “You live there with your wife?” she asked, daring to have one last flash of hope.

“Nope.” His grin broadened. “I’m not married.”

She noticed something in his eyes as he held her gaze a second longer than was comfortable. A brief flicker of interest. Sandy folded her arms over her chest. Even as her heart continued to flutter in her chest, and her palms grew damp, she firmly squashed any romantic thoughts her foolish hormones might want to generate.

Kyle wasn’t interested in her. She was sensible enough to know the truth about herself. She didn’t need to wear a paper bag over her head, but she’d never once stopped traffic. She was okay-looking, nothing more. Kyle was gorgeous. The kind of man who made a woman forget how to breathe. His not-so-subtle come-on was simply reflex. Not interest. She wasn’t his type. More important, he wasn’t hers.

She nodded at him, then smiled impersonally. “It was very nice of you to welcome me back to Glenwood, but I don’t want to keep you from whatever you have planned.” She waved toward the motorcycle. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other from time to time.”

He didn’t take the hint. Instead, he moved closer. “When the real estate agent told me you’d be arriving today, I made sure I was available. I figured you’d need some help getting the old place ready.”

“I have everything under control. The furniture doesn’t arrive for several days. Between now and then, the children and I will be able to clean the house. I’ve made a list.” She nodded toward the front seat where she’d left her clipboard.

Instead of glancing that way, Kyle stared at her intently. “Children?”

Finally, Sandy felt she was gaining control of the conversation. Most single men lived in fear of a woman with children. If she couldn’t calm down her hormones, at least she could drive away the object of their desire. “Yes. Three of them. My daughter Lindsay is twelve, Blake is ten and little Nichole is eight.”

“I love kids,” Kyle said, and looked around the yard. “Where are they?”

Her heart sank. Actually, her spirits sank and her heart increased its lovesick pounding in her chest. She sighed. It was not turning out to be a great day. She should have guessed when Nichole started the morning by eating too many pancakes for breakfast, then throwing up in the car.

“I’d really like to meet them,” he said. “That way, when they start to bug you, you can send them down to my place.”

Sandy resisted the urge to snort with disbelief. No doubt Kyle had a revolving door at his house, and attractive young women circled through with the regularity of the tide. He wasn’t the sort of man she wanted influencing her children.

“That’s very kind,” she said politely.

“I mean it. My brother Travis has two girls. I—”

He was interrupted by the clatter of running feet. Sandy turned toward the sound as her eldest came skittering around from the back of the house.

“Mo-om, this place is awful. Did you know there’s a field behind our house?” The twelve-year-old’s mouth twisted in disgust. “A field! Like we’re pioneers, or something. I haven’t even seen one store or movie theater. What are we supposed to do—” Lindsay stopped talking at the exact moment she stopped walking forward. She glanced from her mother to Kyle. Her mouth opened, then closed.

Sandy watched Lindsay and bit back a sigh. She recognized the look of wonder in her daughter’s brown eyes. It had probably been shining in her own the first moment she’d seen the grown-up and improved version of Kyle Haynes. But she was a mature woman, able to control her instinctive reaction. Lindsay was caught between girlhood and a world she didn’t understand. Her daughter flushed and clasped her hands in front of her. The awkward beauty of a coltish preteen became simply clumsy as she shuffled her feet and stared at the ground.

Sandy had known Lindsay was growing up fast, but she hadn’t expected to get a demonstration of the fact. Yet here it was. Lindsay’s first awareness of someone of the opposite sex.

“Lindsay, this is Mr. Haynes,” Sandy said. “He’s our neighbor.”

“I live in the gatehouse,” Kyle said as he approached her daughter. He held out his hand. Lindsay glanced at her, then the man. She stuck out her hand and giggled when he took it in his. “Nice to meet you, Lindsay. I knew your mom when she was just a couple of years older than you are right now.”

“Really?” Lindsay stared at her as if she couldn’t ever imagine her mother being young. “What was she like?”

“Pretty much the way she is now. We used to call her Sensible Sandy.”

Lindsay rolled her eyes. “Figures. She still wants to organize the world. I guess she hasn’t changed at all.”

“You’re right. She still looks—”

“There’s Blake,” Sandy interrupted, not wanting to let Kyle continue. She had no idea what he planned to say. Probably some unrealistic compliment about how great she’d looked in high school. “Blake, come and meet our new neighbor.”

Her son came around the side of the house. As always, when she saw him, she bit back a sigh. Blake was physically the most like his father. He had dark red hair, freckles and wore glasses. But while Thomas’s light brown eyes had gleamed with humor and a zest for life and adventure, Blake’s expression was serious, as if the weight of the world rested on his slim shoulders. He preferred to read rather than play outside, and he didn’t make friends easily. Sandy wondered if all parents worried about their children as much as she worried about hers. She was doing the best she could to make them feel safe and secure after losing their father, but she wasn’t sure her efforts were enough.

“This is Mr. Haynes, Blake,” she said, smiling at her son and nodding for him to shake hands with their neighbor.

“Call me Kyle.”

Blake mumbled something that could have been a greeting, then dropped his arm to his side and stared at his shoes. Before Sandy could think of something to say that would include him in the conversation, Nichole came running toward her.

“Mommy, Mommy, there are flowers and birds in the backyard.” Wide green eyes tilted up at the corners as the eight-year-old grinned. “I saw a bluebird.”

Lindsay planted her hands on her hips. “That wasn’t a bluebird.”

“Was too.” Nichole spotted the stranger. She ducked behind her mother, then stuck her head out shyly and smiled. Dimples appeared on both cheeks.

Kyle crouched down next to her. “Hi there. You must be Nichole.”

“Uh-huh.” Her youngest nodded.

“I’m Kyle. I live right there.” He pointed to the gatehouse, then rose. “This one’s going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older.”

“I know. Killer dimples,” Sandy said.

Kyle winked at the little girl. “I’ve always had a thing for green eyes.”

Sandy fought the instinctive urge to point out her eyes were green, too. What was it about this man that got to her? Maybe it was spending the last two years living alone. Since Thomas had died, she hadn’t been on a date. She wasn’t interested in getting involved. So why was she so completely aware of Kyle?

Lindsay leaned against the station wagon and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. She gave them what Sandy called her “I’m so sophisticated” look.

“Is there anything fun to do in this hick town?” Lindsay asked.

Kyle glanced at her. “You don’t like Glenwood?”

“I’m from L.A. It’s like this is a different planet.”

Kyle grinned. Lindsay swallowed. Sandy ruffled Nichole’s red curls and knew exactly how her daughter felt.

“You’ll like it here,” he promised. “Life’s going to seem a little slower, but there’s lots of fun stuff for kids to do. There’s softball and soccer.” He glanced at Nichole. “There’s a team for girls just your age. And my brother Travis has a daughter who’s eight.”

“That’s fine for the children,” Lindsay said, her tone pointing out how much more mature she was than the other two. “But what about me?”

“We’ll find something,” Kyle promised.

“It’s really not your problem,” Sandy said. “I appreciate the welcome and all that, but we’ve got work to do. Children, say goodbye to Mr. Haynes.”

Blake muttered something under his breath, while Nichole just smiled winningly. Lindsay gave her mother the hate stare, then said, “Goodbye, Kyle. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

“I’m sure.”

He turned and started toward his motorcycle. Lindsay noticed the bike for the first time.

“Way cool,” she said and started after him.

Sandy grabbed the girl’s arm. “Another time.”

“But Mom—”

“We’ve got to get the house ready.”

Kyle picked up his jacket, then turned toward her. “Have you been in the place yet?”

She glanced at the house. “No. We’ve just arrived.”

He hesitated. “Maybe I should take a look around first.”

“Why?”

“The house has been closed up for a while. You don’t know what could be inside.”

If she hadn’t been afraid he would think she was as immature as Lindsay, she would have rolled her eyes. Couldn’t he come up with a better line than that? “The roof and plumbing have just been replaced. We’re not afraid of a little dirt or a few spiderwebs.”

“I hate spiders,” Nichole said.

“I know, honey. I’ll take care of any we find.” She returned her attention to Kyle. “We’ll be fine. I promise.”

Sandy grabbed Nichole and Blake by the hand, then started toward the house. “Come on, Lindsay,” she called as her daughter stood there staring foolishly at Kyle. Lindsay’s attraction to the older man was understandable. He was incredibly good-looking. Handsome, tall, strong, with a smile that could— She forced herself away from the specifics. He had everything a girl could want in her first adolescent crush. But the idea that Lindsay had just discovered the opposite sex made Sandy feel old. Lindsay had just taken her first steps into womanhood. Sandy felt as if that part of her life was over. She was only thirty-two. According to women’s magazines, she was entering her sexual peak. Unfortunately, she had no plans to find a man and take advantage of her condition.

“See you around,” Kyle called.

“Bye.”

As she reached into the pocket of her white shorts for the house key, she realized that Kyle hadn’t been scared off by her children. If anything, he’d seemed genuinely interested in them. That was unusual. Most men couldn’t run fast enough in the other direction.

So what, she thought as she fitted the key into the lock. Maybe he was pretending. Of course, it didn’t matter if he wasn’t. He wasn’t going to be interested in a woman like her, and she sure didn’t want to get involved with a man like him. Or any man. She was very happy being single and in control of her life.

“You guys ready?” she asked as she pushed open the door.

None of their responses were very enthusiastic. Sandy felt a twinge of guilt. She’d uprooted her kids from everything they’d ever known. It was the right decision, she reminded herself. They would adjust. Being raised in a small town like Glenwood was better for them than a big city like Los Angeles. Still, the guilt persisted. She knew it would be hard on them. The move was going to be hard on her, too. But doing the right thing usually was.

She stepped into the house. The foyer was huge, larger than their old living room had been. The house was dark. Dust covered the hardwood floors and cobwebs hung from the ten-foot ceiling. But the structure was stunningly beautiful.

Sunlight filtered through a crack in the drapes, highlighting the fancy molding and the curved staircase that led to the second story. The old place needed a good cleaning and a coat or two of paint. They could easily get that done before the movers arrived with their furniture.

“Mom?” Blake said, tugging on the sleeve of her red T-shirt. “What’s that over there?” He was pointing to a far corner of the foyer where something small and dark moved.

“I’m not sure.”

“I’m getting out of here,” Lindsay said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sandy said. “It’s nothing.” She started walking toward the small shadow. “It’s just—”

The shadow moved toward the light. Sandy, Nichole, Blake and Lindsay screamed in unison.

Chapter Two

Kyle was halfway up the front-porch stairs before they finished screaming. He raced across the porch, flung open the door. Four people turned toward him—four pairs of eyes begged for help. As he hurried toward Sandy and her kids, he instinctively went for his pistol. There was nothing at his hip except for his jeans. Damn.

“What is it?” he asked. Everyone answered at once.

“That thing there,” Sandy said, pointing behind her. She shivered.

“Totally gross,” Lindsay agreed.

Nichole moved closer and clutched his leg.

“It’s coming toward us,” Blake cried.

The four of them shrieked and descended upon him. Sandy pressed against his left side. Lindsay huddled behind his back. Nichole kept a hold on his right leg, while Blake held on to Sandy.

Kyle almost didn’t mind. Having Sandy plaster herself against him gave him a nice warm feeling in his belly...and a few inches farther south. She stared up at him with her big green eyes. Mascara darkened her lashes, but other than that, she didn’t seem to be wearing any makeup. He liked the freckles scattered on her nose and the way her normally firm mouth quivered at the corners. She smelled nice, part floral fragrance, part something a little more sensual. He could feel her breasts, and one hipbone. Her legs brushed against his and he wished he were wearing shorts instead of jeans.

But there were children present, he reminded himself. So he turned his thoughts from the very enticing Sandy Walker to the large empty room in front of them. Aside from a few cobwebs and some dust, he couldn’t see anything to get excited about.

“What are we hiding from?” he asked.

Sandy pointed toward the corner. “That...that thing!”

He squinted, trying to see into the shadows. One of the shadows moved. “It’s a mouse.”

“Oh, God, I know. The place could be infested with them. I hate rodents. Mice, rats. Yuck.”

Yuck? Sensible Sandy had said yuck? He liked that.

Kyle tried to take a step, but they wouldn’t let him. “I want to go check it out,” he said, trying to free himself from Nichole. She just held on tighter. Her small hands clutched at his jeans as if she would never let go.

“Why?” Sandy asked. “I’ll have to call an exterminator.”

“You can’t kill it, Mom,” Lindsay said from behind him.

“Fine, then it can live in your room,” Sandy snapped.

“Mo-om!”

Nichole glanced at her mother. “Mommy, don’t hurt the mouse. Please.”

“Honey, you don’t understand. We can’t live with it running around. Mice are dirty. They get in the food and they could make us all sick.”

Nichole’s eyes, so like her mother’s, darkened with tears. “You can’t kill it.”

“Ladies,” Kyle said. They ignored him.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Sandy said.

“That means the mouse is going to die for sure,” Lindsay grumbled.

“Ladies,” he repeated.

“You don’t know everything,” Sandy said, her voice strained. “There are humane ways to get rid of mice. I don’t want to see it killed any more than you do, but it and its friends cannot live here with us.”

“The mouse has friends?” Nichole asked.

Kyle raised his right hand to his face, stuck his thumb and index finger in his mouth, then blew hard. The piercing whistle silenced them instantly.

“Now that I have your attention,” he said, “will everyone please take one step back and let go of me?”

Sandy stared up at him for a moment, blushed, then quickly moved away, brushing her hands against her shorts. “Sorry,” she mumbled, obviously flustered. “I guess we overreacted to the mouse.”

He wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to apologize. He’d liked her pressing up against him. It did him good to know she wasn’t as completely in charge as she wanted the world to think. It also evened the score a little. She’d been tying him up in knots since the first time his brother Jordan had brought her home sixteen years ago.

Something about her had set his adolescent heart on fire and he’d never forgotten her. Still, this wasn’t the time or place to review old memories.

Kyle glanced around the empty foyer, then at the small mouse that had returned to its nest in the corner by the stairs. “I want to look over the rest of the house before you get to work,” he said.

Sandy bristled. Her spine stiffened and her hands curled into fists. “I’ve already had the house inspected,” she said, staring at him. “The man told me the building was in excellent condition and that the only problem I should expect would be cleaning up after a lengthy vacancy.”

Kyle tried to remember if she’d always had this much trouble accepting help. He couldn’t say for sure. Maybe it was something she’d learned while she was gone. “Did he say anything about mice?” he asked.

She hesitated. “Well, no. He probably thought they were normal for as long as the house has been vacant.”

“You want to be by yourself when you find out what else this guy considered normal?”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

He grinned. “So you don’t mind if I check out the rest of the house?”

Her hands relaxed. “Um, no. Thanks. I appreciate the help.”

“I’m not staying in here with that,” Lindsay said, pointing at the mouse’s nest.

“Why don’t you kids wait outside while your mom and I check things out,” Kyle said. The children didn’t budge.

Sandy looked from him to her kids, then sighed. “Lindsay, take your brother and sister outside and keep an eye on them, please.”

Lindsay walked to the door without looking back. Blake followed silently. Only Nichole hesitated.

“Go on, sweetie. I won’t be long. It’s warm outside. Why don’t you go and see if you can find that bluebird again?”

“Okay.” Nichole smiled.

She had dimples in each cheek and her mother’s eyes. Kyle felt a slight twist in his gut. Sometimes he got the crazy notion that he should have risked settling down and having kids. He knew better. It was like wishing for the moon. Something to think about when he’d had too much to drink or got lonely, but completely irrational. He wasn’t the type. Long-term relationships didn’t work out.

When the children had left, Sandy turned to him and nodded purposefully. “Let’s begin in the kitchen,” she said, and turned to the right.

“It’s this way.” He motioned to their left.

“But they sent me a floor plan.”

“Then your floor plan was reversed. The kitchen is through here.”

“How do you know?”

“I used to know Kelsey Michaelson. I’ve been in this house before.” He looked at the dust and cobwebs. “But not in a long time.”

“I see.” She started toward the kitchen.

“Hold on.” He caught up with her and took her hand. Her fingers were warm against his. She looked startled when he touched her. Good. He would deal better with Sandy if he kept her off guard. “Why don’t you let me lead the way.”

Her gaze narrowed as she pulled her hand free of his. “Why?”

“In case we run into something creepy or slimy—or yucky.”

“All right.” She stepped back to allow him to pass.

He led her through the empty dining room. The hardwood floors were dirty, but otherwise in great shape. He stopped and bent down. “These will clean up and look terrific,” he said, brushing his fingers against the wood.

She stopped next to him. Close, but not too close. He grinned. If his instincts were correct, he made Sandy nervous. The thought pleased him.

“The realtor told me all the floors are in excellent condition,” she said. “I’ve been reading up on refinishing, in case some of them need a little work.”

“You can’t do that yourself.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Because I’m a woman?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Give me a break. I don’t need a man in my life to make things work. I can do it all by myself, thank you very much.”

He stood up slowly, moving closer as he did. “Not because you’re a woman. Because there’s probably a thousand square feet of hardwood flooring on the first floor alone. It would take you months if you did it yourself, and some of the materials you have to use can smell pretty nasty. You wouldn’t want your children breathing in that stuff for so long, would you?”

She held his gaze, searching his face as if looking for deception. “That makes sense,” she said grudgingly.

“And because you’re a woman.” He grinned, then held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Just kidding, I promise.”

A slight smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Not enough to matter,” he agreed. “Come on, let’s check out the house.”

He led the way to the large bright kitchen. Big windows opened onto the side yard and driveway. The curtains looked as if they’d been lunch for a hungry swarm of moths, while an army of ants trooped across the white tile counters. Sandy checked out the pantry and utility porch behind the kitchen, and Kyle opened cupboard doors.

“I don’t see any signs that your mouse has relatives living here,” he said.

She paused in the doorway to the pantry. “I won’t ask what you’re looking for.” She folded her arms over her chest. “At least there’s a lot of storage space in the pantry.”

Kyle walked over to where she was standing. He put his arm around her shoulder and tried to draw her close. She resisted. He settled on giving her a brotherly squeeze.

“You’re discouraged,” he said.

She shrugged.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’ll help. By the time the furniture arrives, we’ll have the place clean and painted.”

Sandy made a great show of pulling free of his arm, then walking to the other side of the kitchen. “I appreciate your willingness to help,” she said. “But no thanks. The kids and I want to do this by ourselves. We don’t want, or need, a man in our lives. The children and I have everything under control.”

“I could tell by how you all reacted to the mouse.”

She looked away. “Yes, well, that was different. I wasn’t expecting to find a mouse. Now that I know there might be more, I can handle it.”

He glanced around at the dusty cupboards, the trail of ants and the limp, gnawed curtains. “You’re not planning to sleep here tonight, are you?”

“We’re staying at a motel in town.” She took a step toward him, then paused. “Look, Kyle, you’re being really nice and neighborly, but it isn’t necessary. I’m not the sort of woman who needs rescuing. I knew the house hadn’t been lived in when I bought it. It needs a little cleaning and some paint. We’ll manage.”

“The ceilings in most of the rooms are over ten feet high,” he said. “Do you have the equipment to handle that?”

“I’ll buy a ladder.” She pointed back the way they’d come. “I don’t want to keep you.”

She was throwing him out. Okay, maybe putting his arm around her had been a little too much, but she’d looked as if she’d needed a good hug. If she was a widow, she probably hadn’t had a hug in a long time. Unless she was seeing somebody. He frowned.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He stared at her. She wore her wedding ring on her left hand. Was she still in love with her late husband, or did she use the ring to warn men off? From what he remembered of Sandy, it could be either. And he was willing to bet there was no other man in her life.

“Kyle?”

“Hmm? Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking. Okay, Sandy. You win. You want to take care of this by yourself, you go ahead. If you need me, I’m just at the end of the driveway.”

“I’ll remember.”

She escorted him out the door and down the porch steps. Her three children were waiting for them by the station wagon.

“Any more mice?” Lindsay asked.

“None that we saw,” Sandy answered briskly. “So there’s no reason to avoid the cleaning.” She opened the back of the car and started pulling out buckets and brooms. Lindsay and Blake groaned. Nichole grabbed a feather duster and smiled.

Kyle didn’t want to leave them. The job was too big. There was no way they would finish before the furniture arrived. The downstairs had been bad enough. Who knows what it was like upstairs. There could be carpet to tear up and—

Let it alone, he told himself. Sandy had made it clear she wasn’t interested in him or his help.

“See ya,” he said, and started toward the gatehouse.

“Wait,” Sandy called.

He turned toward her.

“Would you mind calling an exterminator about the mice?” she asked. “The phone here won’t be hooked up until tomorrow.” She looked down at Nichole and smiled. “We need one who doesn’t kill the mice, but just traps them and takes them away.”

“No problem,” he told her. “If you need anything else—”

“I know. I’ll let you know. And thanks for calling the exterminator.” She waved, then turned back to the station wagon. The children gathered around her, Lindsay and Blake grumbling about their chores.

Kyle walked over to his motorcycle and slipped on his leather jacket. After pulling on his helmet, he settled onto the seat and started the engine, then slowly drove back to the gatehouse.

He parked the bike by the back door, next to the small garage where he kept his Camaro. Ever since he’d found out Sandy had bought the Michaelson place, he’d been eager for her to arrive. He could have walked the twenty or so yards between their two houses, but he’d taken the bike, because, dammit, he’d wanted to impress her.

Sandy had been so impressed she couldn’t wait to get rid of him. He’d come on too strong. He shouldn’t have teased her. Impatiently, Kyle grabbed his jacket and helmet and headed for the back door. When had he started second-guessing himself about his behavior with women?

He unlocked the gatehouse door, then stepped into its compact kitchen. His entire place would fit into about a third of Sandy’s downstairs, but it suited him fine. The living room was large, as was the master bedroom. There was a small study alcove off the dining room, and the bathroom had an oversize shower. He lived alone, he didn’t need any more room. He liked his house, even if it was a little quiet sometimes.

After dumping his jacket and helmet on the kitchen table, he crossed the floor to the refrigerator next to the window. He pulled out a soda and popped the top. Before he could turn away, a faint sound of laughter caught his attention. He looked out the window. Sandy and her three kids still stood by their station wagon. Blake was carrying a bucket full of cleaning supplies. Lindsay was loaded down with brooms and mops. Sandy wrestled with a ladder that was taller than she was but that would never reach the high ceilings. They were all looking at little Nichole, who held the feather duster behind her like a tail. She pranced around the yard, scratching like a chicken looking for worms. Sandy said something and they all laughed again. Then they started toward the house.

Nichole climbed the stairs and went inside last. The yard was empty, the laughter gone. He was alone. He told himself he should be used to the silence. But he wasn’t. He glanced at the phone. There were any number of people he could call. Any number of women. They would spend his afternoon off with him, and the night, if he asked. He didn’t, as a rule, bring women to his place. He preferred visiting them at theirs. That way, he could leave when he wanted to. He preferred to be in control. A little like Sandy.

Had it really been fifteen years since he’d last seen her? He remembered her leaving as though it had just happened. She’d been going off to college. In his heart, he’d known she wasn’t coming back. She’d never suspected how he felt about her. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared. She had been seventeen—almost eighteen and already graduated from high school. No one had known how he’d dreamed about her.

Kyle turned away from the window and walked into the living room. He grabbed the book he’d been reading and carried it over to the leather recliner in front of the small, stone fireplace. But instead of reading, he closed his eyes and pictured Sandy as she’d been all those years ago. What was it about her that appealed to him? She wasn’t all that pretty, at least not in an obvious way.

Someone had once figured out that between the four of them, the Haynes brothers had dated every cheerleader in town for ten years straight. When Kyle had been old enough, he’d carried on the family tradition. He’d dated the prettiest girls, the most popular ones. But not always. Once he’d dated the class brain, just because she always tried to look superior whenever they spoke. He’d sensed something else lurking behind her glasses and quick answers. It had taken him the better part of a semester to get her to go out with him, but it had been worth it. In fact, next to his crush on Sandy, dating Melinda had been the highlight of his high school years. She’d gone off to MIT and was now working for NASA. They still kept in touch at the holidays.

But Sandy had eluded him. He’d just been a kid of fourteen. He hadn’t known what to do with his feelings, how to tell her or what would happen if he did. And then she’d left. But he’d never forgotten. Now she was back.

He took a sip of his soda. All this time later, the two years difference in their ages didn’t seem to matter so much. But she still wasn’t for him. She’d chosen her life, had married and had three kids. She was a widow. No doubt the next man she picked would be just like her husband. Kyle had heard that Sandy’s husband had been a professor at a prestigious Los Angeles university. Kyle knew he couldn’t compete with that. He was just a deputy in some hick town. He loved his job and he didn’t want to change it. Not that anyone was asking him to. Sandy hadn’t given him a second look. He grinned. Maybe her eyes had widened a little when he’d taken off his jacket, but so what? He knew he was good-looking. All the Haynes boys were. That and fifty cents could buy a cup of coffee. A woman like Sandy wouldn’t care about that. She would be more concerned about what was inside a man. About his character. She would want guarantees and that was one thing he’d never been able to give anyone.

* * *

Three days later, he stood outside washing his car. The white finish gleamed in the bright morning sunlight. He moved slowly, his brain and body not working well together after pulling a sixteen-hour shift. His replacement had gotten food poisoning, so Kyle had volunteered to stay through the night. He fought back a yawn. It didn’t used to bother him, but since hitting thirty, he hadn’t been able to pull all-nighters with the same ease. The worst part about the double shift was relaxing enough to sleep when he got home. Usually his mind was cranking along at fifty miles an hour, while his body was so tired he could sleep standing up. He’d learned that performing an undemanding physical chore allowed him to unwind so that he could get to sleep.

He tossed the soapy sponge back in the bucket, then reached for the hose. He turned the nozzle, adjusting the spray to a light mist, when he heard voices behind him. A quick glance told him Lindsay, Blake and Nichole were walking down the driveway. Kyle continued rinsing his car.

He hadn’t seen his neighbors since they’d first arrived. He’d been working a lot and generally trying to stay away. Sandy had made her feelings clear. If she didn’t want his help, far be it from him to impose. But he’d thought about her a great deal. And when she’d left after that first day of cleaning, he’d gone by the house to make sure the doors and windows were locked.

“Hi, Kyle,” Lindsay said when the kids reached the split in the driveway that led to his garage. “That’s a cool car.”

He glanced at the Camaro. “Thanks. How’s the housecleaning coming?”

Lindsay wrinkled her nose. “Mom’s driving us crazy.”

“Mommy’s blowing her mission,” Nichole said and smiled at him. “She said a bad word, too.”

“Her mission?”

“Children,” Lindsay said, then patted Nichole on the head. “You’ll have to forgive her. She’s very young.”

Kyle thought about pointing out that Lindsay wasn’t that old herself, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “What does she mean?”

“The moving company left a message that they would be late delivering the furniture. The truck blew its transmission.” She moved closer to him and lowered her voice. “Mom called them and said she was going to blow more than a transmission if they didn’t get our stuff up here.” She glanced at him and swept her lashes up and down several times. “So we’re stuck.”

“When do they think the truck’s going to arrive?”

“In another three or four days. I don’t think it matters that much. The house is still a mess. We’re not getting a lot done.”

“I am,” Nichole said. “I’ve got three stars.” She held up the right number of fingers. “When I get five stars, I get to buy a new book.”

“Stars?” he asked, confused.

“One of Mom’s attempts to keep us as organized as she is,” Lindsay said. “She’s got a chart up on the wall. Everyone has chores listed. When you complete a certain number of chores, you get a star. After so many stars, you get a reward.”

“What’s your reward?” he asked Blake.

The boy looked up, obviously startled that he’d been noticed. Light brown eyes peered at him through thick glasses. Except for the freckles across his nose and the shape of his mouth, Blake didn’t look anything like his mother. His slight shoulders hunched forward. “I haven’t picked one yet.”

“Oh, he’ll get another game for his silly computer. He sits in front of it all the time.”

Blake glared at his older sister, but didn’t defend himself.

“What about you?” he asked Lindsay, then wished he hadn’t. She moved even closer and stared up at him intently.

“I want clothes. Something pretty.”

“Uh-huh. That sounds, uh, nice.” He cleared his throat.

If his brothers could see him now, they’d all roar with laughter. Any of them could handle a flirtatious woman with no problem. But a vamping preteen was out of his realm of expertise. He wished Sandy would show up.

“So you guys are having trouble with the house?” he asked.

Lindsay rolled her eyes. Nichole giggled, and even Blake nodded.

“It’s too big,” Nichole said. “I washed the kitchen cupboards forever and they’re still not done.”

“We haven’t even started on the upstairs,” Lindsay said. “Mom wants us to get the painting done, too. She’s crazy. This isn’t how I planned to spend my summer.”

“I know it’s hard,” Kyle said. “But your mom really needs your help. This is hard for her, too. Moving to a strange town, and all.”

“No one asked her to drag us to this dumpy place.” Lindsay’s brown eyes snapped with anger. Her posing was forgotten as she drew her eyebrows together and glared. “There’s nothing to do. There are no kids around here, no beach, nothing. I hate it. I don’t care if the house never gets finished.”

“Glenwood isn’t so bad,” he said. “There’s a mall on the other side of town.”

“Wow,” Lindsay said sarcastically. “A mall. Gee, now I love it here.”

Nichole skipped over the hose and motioned for him to bend over. “Lindsay’s being a brat,” she whispered loudly. “Mommy says it’s just a stage.”

He crouched down and smiled at the child. She had curly red hair, but her mother’s beautiful green eyes. “You’re a pretty little girl.”

Nichole dimpled. “I know. Mommy told me.”

Kyle grinned.

“There you are,” a voice said. “I’d wondered where you’d run off to. I told you not to bother Mr. Haynes.” Sandy stood at the end of his driveway. Like her children she was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Unlike his noncommittal response to their clothes, he found her outfit intriguing. Her red shorts exposed long tanned legs. Her round hips drew his eye toward her waist, then up to her breasts. She wasn’t overly curvy, she was...just right.

He stood up slowly. “I’d rather they call me Kyle, and they weren’t bothering me. I heard about the truck.”

She wouldn’t—or couldn’t—meet his gaze. “Yes, well, I just got off the phone with the moving company. The truck will be here Monday for sure.”

“But it’s Friday,” he said. “What will you do until then?”

“Stay at the motel where we’ve been staying. The kids don’t mind. It has a pool.”

“By the time we get back there, we’re too tired to go swimming,” Lindsay grumbled.

Her mother shot her a warning look. “The extra time will give us a chance to finish the house.”

Lindsay groaned.

“How’s that coming?”

She stared at his car, then at the ground, finally her gaze landed on his knees and settled there. Kyle wanted to believe she was having trouble looking at him because he was wearing cutoffs and nothing else. He wanted to believe the sight of his bare chest and legs left her speechless. He wanted to believe he would one day win the California lottery. Right now they seemed equally likely.

“Fine,” Sandy said shortly. “Just fine. We’re cleaning and soon we’ll start painting.”

“We’re never going to finish,” Lindsay said.

“Nonsense. I’ve come up with a new plan. It will allow us to work more efficiently.”

“Mo-om.” Lindsay planted her hands on her hips. At that moment, she looked exactly like her mother. “We’re kids, not slaves.”

“And just an hour ago, you were trying to convince me you’re all grown up. You’ll have to pick one, Lindsay, you can’t have it both ways.”

Kyle opened his mouth to offer his help, then thought better of it. He didn’t want to give Sandy another chance to shoot him down.

Sandy glanced at his car, then at him. “We’d better let you get back to work. Have fun. Come along, children.”

She took Nichole’s hand and started down the driveway. Lindsay followed slowly. Only Blake hesitated. He stared at the car for a moment.

“Do you like Camaros?” Kyle asked, suddenly curious about the quietest member of the Walker family.

Blake nodded. “Does it go fast?”

“Pretty fast.” He grinned. “I’m a deputy in town, so it’s not right for me to break the law. I keep her at fifty-five.”

“Blake, come on, honey,” Sandy called.

“Maybe you and I could go for a drive someday,” Kyle offered.

Blake stared up at him, nodded, then ran off to join his mother.

As Kyle picked up the chamois, he watched Sandy and her kids enter the big house. He remembered how dirty it had been. Yesterday, the exterminator had come by to drop off his traps, so the mouse problem was being handled. Still, there was the whole upstairs that Lindsay said they hadn’t even started on. And painting. How would they get that done?

He wiped off the roof of the car. Maybe he shouldn’t offer to help. Maybe he should just take care of it. She would hate that. Of course, if he didn’t give her a chance to refuse, she would have to hate it silently.

He looked at the oversize home again, then tossed the chamois down and went inside his house. He knew exactly how to take care of Sandy’s problem. He had brothers, and they all owed him.

Chapter Three

It was like being descended upon by locusts. Tall, handsome, male locusts. There were only three of them, but that was enough.

Sandy stood at her front door Friday afternoon and stared at the men in front of her.

“We’re here to help,” Kyle said.

“But I don’t—”

He pushed past her into the house. “Sure you do. Be polite, say thank-you, then show us what needs to be done. We’re not going away.”

Lindsay came running down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she stared at the three men. “Wow.”

Yeah, wow, Sandy echoed silently. There was enough testosterone in the room to float a football team.

“She’s speechless,” the tallest of the men said. They all had dark hair, but this one had cool gray eyes and was wearing a gold earring.

“Sandy?” Kyle said, coming up and putting his arm around her. “Not her. She’s just mentally organizing her next attack. Sandy always has a plan.”

She usually had a plan, she admitted to herself. She just didn’t have one right at this minute. Besides, how was she supposed to think when Kyle was standing so close? She told herself she should pull away, but her legs weren’t listening. It had been bad enough when she’d walked over to his place that morning. He’d been wearing shorts and nothing else. Just the thought of his bare chest was enough to make her hyperventilate.

“Maybe you should introduce us,” the third man said. He was obviously one of Kyle’s brothers, but Sandy couldn’t remember which one. He had the same dark hair and warm brown eyes. He was handsome as sin. They all were.

“Good idea,” Kyle said. “This is Lindsay.” He pointed to the preteen still standing on the bottom stair, gaping at them. “And this is Sandy.”

Kyle’s brother waved at her daughter, then nodded at her. “Hi, Sandy. I’m Travis. The second oldest of the Haynes brothers. You dated Jordan, right?”

She shook the hand he offered and grinned. “I’m amazed you could keep any of us straight,” she said. “Girls came and went through your lives with the speed of light.”

Travis chuckled. “Maybe, but a few were memorable.”

Sandy felt herself blush at the compliment.

The man with the earring moved toward her. “I’m Austin Lucas.” His gray gaze met hers. He was almost as handsome as Kyle, but there was something dark about him. Dangerous. She noticed a ring on his left hand and wondered who’d been brave enough to tame this man.

“Hey, enough of that,” Kyle said, stepping between them. “You’re married, she’s not interested, let’s get to work.”

“I picked up the paint you ordered from the hardware store,” Travis said, stepping out onto the porch.

“We’ve brought a decent ladder, too,” Austin told her.

Sandy barely heard them. She couldn’t seem to notice anything, not even when Blake and Nichole rushed into the room to see what was going on. All she could do was stare at Kyle, at his dark brown eyes and that lock of curly hair that fell over his forehead. He’d almost sounded...

She shook her head and told herself to quit being silly. He hadn’t sounded anything. It wasn’t possible. A man like Kyle wouldn’t be interested in a woman like her. And even if he was, she wasn’t. She wanted a mature, responsible man, not a handsome hunk who probably had women lined up for miles. None of which explained why Kyle had ended the conversation between herself and the other man. Or why he’d specifically told her that Austin was married. Kyle wasn’t jealous. Was he?

It was a dangerous train of thought. Mostly because her heart hadn’t recovered from its earlier aerobic workout when she’d gone to find her children and had also found Kyle practically naked.

His chest had been as big and broad as that tank shirt had promised three days ago when she and her kids had arrived. His tan went clear to the waistband of his shorts, and probably lower. The sprinkling of dark hair, the faint outline of impossibly firm muscles and the heat radiating from him had made her palms itch to press against him. She’d wanted to touch and taste and—

“Mom, how long are you going to stand there staring into space?”

Lindsay’s question jerked her back to the present. She landed with an emotional thud, then blushed hotly as she wondered if everyone knew what she’d been thinking about. She glanced around frantically. No one seemed to have noticed. Austin and Travis trooped past her carrying ladders, paint cans and drop cloths. Kyle was standing next to her, studying the list she’d posted to the wall detailing the chores that had yet to be done. Only Lindsay stared at her, exasperated.

“Mom?”

“I was thinking,” she said quickly, then cleared her throat. “Kyle, this is very nice of you and your brothers, but I really can’t—”

He turned and smiled. Her heart rate increased. Thank God he was wearing a T-shirt so she didn’t have to deal with his chest again. “Of course you can. Just say `Gee, Kyle, you’re a nice man. Thanks for your help.’”

“Kyle, you are a nice man, but—”

He turned and touched his finger to her lips. Electricity shot through her body, starting at her mouth and jolting clear down to her toes. Her blood heated as an unfamiliar longing stirred to life deep inside her belly.

“No buts,” he ordered. “You can’t do all this work by yourselves, Sandy. We both know that. You can give in gracefully, or you can fight me and look like a stubborn fool. The choice is yours.”

His eyes were an impossible color. Not black, just a deep, dark shade of brown. Long lashes framed his eyes. He had a straight nose with a small bump on one side. She wondered if it had once been broken. From what she remembered, the Haynes brothers weren’t afraid of a good fight.

She forced her thoughts away from the man and back to the task at hand. Her children stood around her, gazing up at her hopefully. They’d worked hard these last few days. Unfortunately, Kyle was right. They couldn’t do it all themselves. They’d barely finished the downstairs. There was still the upstairs to clean out, not to mention the painting. Her body ached, her muscles screamed in protest every time she even thought about climbing the stairs. This was supposed to be their summer vacation, and they needed a break.

“Thank you,” she said at last.

Lindsay and Nichole cheered.

“Just because we’re accepting help doesn’t mean we’re not going to work,” she said. “Girls, you know the routine. Start upstairs with the bedrooms. Blake, you come with me and we’ll tackle the bathrooms.” She looked at Kyle. “Travis and Austin are painting. What are you going to do?”

He winked. “Supervise.”

* * *

By five that afternoon, the smell of paint drifted through the house and all of the upstairs had been cleaned. Kyle had done more than supervise. He’d taped off windows, painted the wooden window frames and all the downstairs baseboards. Travis and Austin had finished painting the kitchen and then had moved into the dining room.

Lindsay dumped the last of the dirty water and leaned against the bathroom counter. “Now what?” she asked, her voice tired, her face flushed.

Sandy gave her a weary smile. “Now we take a break. There are sodas in the ice chest. Take Blake and Nichole, and go outside and rest.”

“Can you carry me down the stairs?”

“I think you can make it.”

Lindsay started out of the bathroom, then paused. “What about dinner? I’m starved.”

“I thought about ordering pizza.”

“Really?” Lindsay’s brown eyes widened with surprise. “But whenever we ask for it, you always say it’s expensive and has no nutritional value. You never order pizza. I only get to eat it when I’m staying with a girlfriend.”

“I’m ordering it tonight.”

“Okay, cool.” Lindsay walked down the hall. “Blake, Nichole, come on. Let’s go get a soda. And guess what?”

Nichole came running out first. “What?” she demanded.

“We’re having pizza for dinner.”

Nichole clapped her hands together. “I want three slices.”

“You can’t eat that much.”

“I can too.”

Blake joined his sisters, but didn’t speak. The three of them went downstairs and their voices faded.

Sandy stood in the doorway of the guest bathroom and stared after her children. Was pizza that big a deal? She tried to remember if she’d ever ordered it for them before. She shook her head. She’d always preferred to cook. It was more economical and nutritious. She’d known Thomas could be counted on to eat junk food when given a chance, and the children didn’t always spend their lunch money wisely, so she’d felt it was her duty to provide a good, wholesome meal at dinnertime. But she didn’t think she’d been so strict about food that ordering pizza was an event worth noting on the calendar.

Besides, she needed to pay back her helpers, and she was reasonably sure they would accept food while they would be insulted by an offer of money. Thinking of which, things had been quiet downstairs for some time.

She followed the children down to the first floor. All the windows were open and a sweet breeze blew through the house. Cans of paint had been neatly stacked in the foyer. The drop cloths were folded next to them, and a ladder lay on the floor of the dining room. The house was silent.

“Kyle?” she called.

“In the study,” he answered.

She went down the long hallway beside the stairs. There was a small bathroom behind the living room, then a set of double doors that opened onto a study. She stepped into the room.

An old stone fireplace with bookshelves on either side filled one wall. Opposite were more bookshelves. Large windows let in sunlight. The room smelled of lemon-scented furniture polish. She and Blake had cleaned all the wooden shelves and paneling the previous day. Only the wall containing the windows was painted. Kyle was on his knees at the windows, finishing the baseboard.

“Where is everyone?” she asked.

“Austin and Travis left already.”

“But they didn’t say goodbye.”

“They’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I was going to order pizza.”

Kyle stood up. “Good, I’m starved.”

She glared at him. “It’s not just for you. I wanted to say thank-you.”

“You can thank them tomorrow morning. They’ll be here about eight. With all of us working together, we should be able to get all the painting finished.”

“Why is everyone being so nice to me?” she asked, convinced Kyle was trying to pull something on her.

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” He frowned. “You know, I never understood what that meant. Who’d want to look in a horse’s mouth, anyway?”

“Why am I sure you’re purposely changing the subject?”

“Because you have a suspicious mind.” He crouched down and put the top on the paint can. After tapping it back in place with a hammer, he grabbed the can and his brush and headed for the kitchen. She trailed after him.

“Travis and Austin left because they both have families who are expecting them for dinner,” he said. “They’re going to come back tomorrow because I asked them to. I’ve been helping Travis remodel his house for the last year. Before that, I spent hours working on Austin’s loft. So stop thinking the worst of me.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.” He set the paint can on the counter and stuck the brush under the faucet. “If you’re still ordering pizza, I prefer sausage to pepperoni, and I like mushrooms. Or have you changed your mind?”

She still felt there was something he wasn’t telling her, but she couldn’t be sure what. “I don’t want to keep you if you have plans,” she said. “It is Friday night.”

“I’m available.”

For what? she almost asked.

She stared at his broad shoulders, his narrow hips and long legs. He was the most tempting man she’d ever seen, and she was just staring at the back of him. If he was to turn around and smile at her... She sighed. She wasn’t sure exactly what she would do, but she was pretty sure it would be embarrassing.

Sometime when she was alone, she would figure out why she was reacting to Kyle this way. He wasn’t her type. She didn’t have a type. She’d only dated a little in high school and college. Then she’d met Thomas and they’d gotten married right away. She’d been so positive when she’d met him, confident that she’d found her soul mate. Someone kind and responsible, willing to share life’s burdens. How was she to have known that this tenured philosophy professor was just an adolescent in disguise? She’d learned one thing from her marriage—that she didn’t want to be the only adult in a relationship. When she got involved again—if she got involved again—it was going to be with someone who understood life wasn’t a game. It was going to be with someone who took things seriously and lived up to his commitments.

It was not going to be with an overgrown playboy who had a body that sent her stomach plummeting to her toes. And never with someone like Kyle.

“You’re looking fierce about something,” he said, turning to study her.

“What? Oh, I was just thinking. I’ll order the pizza now.” The phone had been installed the previous day. She walked over to the phone books that had been delivered and flipped to the right page. “Which place do you recommend?”

He set down the wet paintbrush, leaned over her shoulder and studied the list. The scent of him—male sweat, paint and something else, something subtle but compelling—drifted to her. She inhaled deeply, savoring the aroma. It made her think of tangled sheets on a Sunday morning. Of croissants and coffee after great sex.

The clear visual image startled her so much, she tried to back away. But Kyle was right behind her. She bumped into him, her head hitting his chest as her heel came down on the toe of his athletic shoes. At the moment of contact, she jerked forward and her hipbone rammed against the counter. She yelped.

“You okay?” he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. She could feel his fingers through her T-shirt. The heat surprised her. As well as the way her muscles turned to liquid. She cleared her throat. “Ah, which place?”

He slid one of his hands down her arm and onto the page of the phone book. “That one,” he said, pointing. “Why don’t you tell me what you want to order and I’ll call? They’ll have to deliver it to my house, anyway.”

“Your house? Why?”

He stepped back. She didn’t turn around. It didn’t help. She could still hear the smile in his voice. “You don’t have any plates here. Not to mention chairs. Don’t worry, Sandy. There’s nothing to be frightened of.”

“I’m not afraid.”

* * *

Sandy managed to get through dinner without embarrassing herself. She was thrilled. By the time all three kids had gotten cleaned up and they’d walked over to Kyle’s gatehouse, it was almost time for the pizza to arrive. Between sorting out who wanted what to drink, picking off mushrooms for Blake and mopping up Nichole’s spills, she’d even forgotten to be nervous. Until now.

Sandy grabbed the last of the plates from the table and carried them to the counter.

“I’ll do that,” Kyle said, but he didn’t move from his chair in front of the window.

“I’ll wash the dishes. I insist. It’s the least I can do.” She put the stopper in the sink and started running the water. From the living room came the musical introduction to a familiar cartoon video. “I’m a little surprised that you have videos for kids,” she said without turning around.

“What did you think? That the house would be done in red velvet and paneling, with X-rated movies and mirrored ceilings? I live here, Sandy. It’s my home.”

Mirrored ceilings? She certainly hadn’t thought that. But she had assumed there would be some signs of the seductions that must have taken place here. If the walls could talk.

She glanced around the small kitchen. Everything was clean and in its place. The floor looked swept, the only items on the counter were a pile of mail and the hat from his uniform.

“I didn’t expect to find naked women in the closets, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said. “I would hate for us to cramp your style. It is Friday night.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that. You’re really hung up on which day it is, aren’t you?”

“No. It’s just that, well, you are a single man.”

“And you’re a single woman.”

She swallowed. “No, I’m not. I’m a single mother. There’s a big difference.”

“Bull.”

She risked glancing at him over her shoulder. He’d propped his legs up on the chair to the right of him and leaned back against the wall. His arms were raised, his hands tucked behind his head. A slow, lazy grin tugged at his mouth. He was six feet two inches of fed, satisfied, hunky male.

She forced her thoughts away from his body and back on the conversation. “If I’ve learned one thing in the two years Thomas has been gone, it’s that most men don’t want a woman with children.”

“You mentioned that before, too. I happen to like kids.”

“You’re in the minority.” She reached for the dirty plates and lowered them into the soapy water, then turned off the faucet. “It’s been very enlightening to be single again. Things have changed since I was young.”

“Because you’re so old now?” he teased.

“I’m mature.”

“You were born mature.”

“Maybe.” She rinsed the plates and slipped them into the dish rack. She hadn’t been born mature, but she’d grown up fast in her house. She hadn’t had a choice. Painful memories threatened, but she pushed them away.

“Do you miss him?” Kyle asked. His voice was quiet. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

She picked up a glass and placed it in the soapy water. “Thomas, you mean? I do. Sometimes. I see him in the children. Blake looks a lot like his father. So does Nichole.”

“But she has your eyes.”

She almost dropped the glass. He’d noticed? Why? What did it mean? Nothing, she told herself firmly. After all, he was Kyle Haynes and she was just an ordinary person. Or she would be as soon as she got her body’s reactions to him under control.

“I heard somebody mention he was a professor, right?”

“Uh-huh. Philosophy.”

“You’re kidding?”

She finished washing the last glass and pulled the plug. As the water swirled down the drain, she reached for a dishcloth and wiped her hands. “You sound horrified,” she said, glancing at him.

“I am. Philosophy? Why would anyone do that on purpose?”

“Thomas was a very good professor.”

“I bet he was. Is there a more boring subject?”

“Some people like intellectual pursuits.”

Kyle didn’t look convinced. “Did you guys, you know, talk about philosophy a lot? Is it something you discussed over pizza?”

“We didn’t have pizza very much.” Ever, she reminded herself. Maybe that’s what had gone wrong in her marriage. There hadn’t been enough pizza. Sandy shook her head. That was crazy. What had gone wrong in her marriage was that Thomas had refused to grow up. He’d left her in charge of everything while he’d run off to play. She’d spent most of her marriage being a single mother.

“I didn’t mean to bring up unhappy memories,” he said.

Sandy took the seat opposite him and rested her forearms on the table. “They’re not unhappy in the way you think. It’s been two years. I’ve gotten used to the fact that he’s never coming back. The children and I have started a new life together. In many ways, it’s better.”

He shifted on his chair and leaned forward. Before she knew what he was going to do, he reached out his hand and touched her fingers. Sandy told herself to pull back. Except she couldn’t. Sparks leapt between them. She was surprised when she didn’t actually see them arcing across the table. A warm feeling of lethargy moved up her arm, heating her blood and making her yearn for something more. Something...dangerous.

The cartoon video played on in the background. She could hear her children talking. Beyond the house were the sounds of the night. A car driving by, crickets chirping. She felt caught in some powerful force. Slowly, she raised her gaze from the table to Kyle’s chest, then higher to his face.

Stubble shaded his jaw. There was a dab of paint on one cheek. His eyes darkened to the color of a midnight sky. Her gaze dropped to his mouth and the shape of his lips. She wondered what it would be like to be kissed by that mouth. Kyle had probably kissed hundreds of women. She’d kissed about five men. No doubt she would be completely out of her league. Still, the thought had merit.

Tension crackled around them. She wanted to lean closer, but the table was too long. She thought about getting up and walking over to him. Would he pull her close and kiss her? Would he hold her in his arms and—

He yawned.

Sandy straightened, blinking frantically as if she’d just been doused with a bucket of cold water. “I hope I’m not keeping you up,” she snapped.

“No.” He covered his mouth with his hand and yawned again. “It’s not you. I pulled a double shift last night. Normally it doesn’t bother me, but I didn’t get any sleep today. Sorry.”

“You haven’t had any sleep since the night before last?”

He shook his head. “It’s catching up with me.”

Now that she looked closer, she could see faint shadows under his eyes. There were lines of weariness around the mouth she’d been admiring.

“I should have realized,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ll get the kids and we’ll go.”

“They can finish their movie.”

“Nonsense. They’ve seen it before. You need to be in bed.”

She hoped he couldn’t tell what image had sprung to her head at the word bed. It was too embarrassing. She’d been sitting there having incredibly erotic thoughts, and he’d been struggling to stay awake. Figures.

“Okay,” he said, standing. “I’m pretty tired. But I’ll be back tomorrow to finish the painting.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“But, I—”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Kyle did a whole lot of touching, she thought, wondering if she should step back or just plain give in. Her body was already humming. Jeez, she’d spent the last two years without a single sexual thought, but since arriving in Glenwood, she couldn’t get sex off her brain.

“You talk too much,” he said lazily. “In my experience, women who talk too much are generally hiding something.”

“I’m not one of your women.” She jerked her hand free, but didn’t step back. “I don’t have anything to hide and I don’t want anything, so don’t waste any of your smooth, practiced lines on me.”

“I promise.” He made an X over his chest, then stared down at her. “You have the most beautiful eyes.”

“I thought you just promised you weren’t going to try any of your lines on me.”

“It’s not a line, it’s the truth. Green is one of my favorite colors.”

She stared up at him, immobilized. She told herself to run. This wasn’t happening, and if it was, it was happening too fast. She couldn’t get involved with Kyle Haynes. He would use her and dump her. He was irresponsible, immature. She didn’t need any more children in her life.

But the feelings he aroused in her were far from maternal. She felt trapped by the heat of his gaze. Or maybe it was her own stupidity that kept her standing so close to him, staring into his dark eyes and praying he would just kiss her and get it over with.

“Kyle, this is a mistake,” she said desperately as his head lowered toward hers.

“Tell me about it. But I’ve been waiting sixteen damn years for this, so either run or pucker up.”

Chapter Four

“Sixteen years?” Sandy asked, staring at him. He couldn’t have meant what he’d said. Kyle had been waiting to kiss her? “What are you talking about?”

“It’s not important.”

Nothing in his expression gave away what he was thinking. His mouth was still impossibly tempting, his gaze steady. She must have misunderstood him. But for a brief moment, she desperately wished it had been true. That Kyle had thought of her and longed for her all this time.

Get a grip on reality, she told herself. Kyle had no more spent the last sixteen years missing her than pigs had suddenly sprouted wings and taken flight.

So why was he staring at her so intently? And why were they still standing close enough for their bodies to generate the heat required to start a bonfire?

She told herself she was a fool, but that wasn’t new information. She’d suspected it for a long time. She continued to stare at his face, then lowered her gaze to his mouth. With every bit of energy she could summon, she willed him to kiss her.

He bent forward, lowering his head until their lips nearly brushed. She could inhale the masculine scent of him, feel his sweet breath on her cheek. She could almost—

“Mommy, can we go get some ice cream?”

Nichole’s voice cut through the silence in the kitchen. Sandy stepped back at the exact moment Kyle shook his head and straightened. She glanced over her shoulder, but the doorway to the living room was empty. Nichole hadn’t seen anything.

“Ah, sure, honey,” Sandy called.

She walked around Kyle and stepped into the other room. All three children were sitting on the floor facing the television. They didn’t know what had almost happened. Relief swept through her, leaving her a little shaky. At least she told herself it was relief. The tremors in her legs couldn’t possibly be the result of her having just been so close to Kyle.

“Let’s go now,” she said.

Lindsay glanced up at her. “The movie isn’t over yet.”

“I know, but you can finish it another time. It’s getting late, and Kyle needs his rest. He was up working all last night.”

Lindsay grumbled something under her breath, then stood up. Blake joined her without saying a word. Nichole turned off the video and the television, then bounced to her feet. “I want chocolate ice cream.”

“No problem,” Sandy said. She pushed the children through the kitchen, barely stopping long enough to thank Kyle for his help that day. Once outside, she took a deep breath and sent off a brief prayer of thanks that nothing had happened. If she was this nervous and shaky after almost kissing him, imagine what she would have been like after the real thing!

* * *

Sandy was avoiding him. Kyle dipped the brush into the can of paint, then wiped off the excess. There was no denying the truth. If he walked into a room, she walked out. Aside from mumbling a greeting to him that morning, she hadn’t said a word to him. Not even to ask him how he liked his coffee. She must have asked Travis, because shortly after he’d started work, she’d silently handed him a cup, then disappeared before he could say anything. He’d taken a sip of the steaming liquid. Black, two sugars. Yup, she was avoiding him.

He glanced around the bedroom he was painting. He was about finished with the windows and the trim. Next, he would use a roller on the walls. Conversation and bits of laughter drifted up from downstairs. He knew Travis was still working down there, as were Sandy and her kids. Austin was up here with him, but in another bedroom. Kyle didn’t mind the quiet, but it gave him too much time to think. About Sandy and about last night.

He shouldn’t have tried to kiss her. He wouldn’t have except she’d been looking at him the way a woman looks at a man she’s attracted to. He was familiar with the look. He’d been getting it from women since he’d turned sixteen. It had never been anything but a convenience before. Yet last night he’d been glad Sandy was attracted to him. He’d wanted to kiss her, even knowing her kids were in the other room. Not his brightest idea. From what he remembered—and it didn’t look as if she’d changed all that much—Sandy wasn’t the type to fool around. Besides, she’d only been back a week. What did he really know about her?

Kyle pushed open the window, then painted over the smudge mark his fingers had made. A breeze blew into the room, chasing out the paint fumes. He set his brush on the newspaper that covered the floor and poured some paint into a tray. After screwing the extension into the roller, he started painting the ceiling.

The smooth back-and-forth movements relaxed him and freed his mind to wander. Last night, Sandy had filled his senses. Even after she’d left his house, he’d been able to inhale the scent of her body and feel her close to him. There was something about her that got to him. In sixteen years, that hadn’t changed. He still remembered the first time he’d seen her. Jordan had brought her home one day after school. Kyle had been sitting at the kitchen table working on his algebra homework. The door had opened and the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen had walked into his life.

It had been spring, and warmer than usual. She’d been wearing a green dress, the exact color of her eyes. Even now, he could remember every detail about that moment. The way she’d hesitated before stepping into the kitchen, the brush of her light brown hair against her shoulders, the curiosity shining from her eyes, the way the neckline of her dress had dipped slightly, exposing nothing, but making him think about her body. He had reacted to his thoughts in a painful and embarrassing way. When he’d wanted to politely stand and greet her, he’d had to stay seated.

She’d carried her books in her arm. His brother had been holding her other hand. Kyle remembered staring at their joined hands and feeling as if he’d been punched in the stomach. The most beautiful girl in the world belonged to his brother. It was hopeless. Then she’d smiled at him. A warm, wide smile that had made him forget to breathe. After that, he hadn’t cared about anything but her.

He was sure Jordan had introduced them, although he couldn’t remember the conversation. He’d recognized her name. She was known as “a brain.” Sensible Sandy. Travis had teased Jordan about dating her, asking if she organized his kisses the way she organized everything else. Kyle hadn’t paid attention to the good-natured ribbing. He’d never understood his brother’s interest in girls. Until that day.

He dipped the roller in the tray, then continued working on the ceiling. It had all happened a long time ago, yet that afternoon had been one of those significant moments that had changed his life. He’d never looked at girls the same. He’d started returning some of the teasing smiles sent his way. He’d stolen his first kiss, his first embrace, had wished for his first lover, although that hadn’t happened for a few more years. But through it all, he’d dreamed of Sandy.

All this time later, he still wasn’t sure what it was about her that got to him. To him, she was beautiful, but he knew most people didn’t share his opinion. Her strength and intelligence had scared off lots of guys. He’d wanted to tell her it didn’t scare him; he’d admired her. But she wouldn’t have cared. He was two years younger than her. Now it didn’t matter, but when she’d been sixteen and he’d been fourteen, those two years had seemed like an uncrossable barrier. When he’d finally gathered the courage to speak to her, she’d been friendly but not interested. He was just her boyfriend’s kid brother.

He drew the roller across the flat ceiling toward the corner. He’d used the brush to paint along the edges and now he blended the paint to make a smooth coat. He grinned as he recalled how happy he’d been the day Jordan had announced he’d broken up with Sandy. The woman of his dreams was now available. He’d quickly realized not only was he too young to ask her out, but now she would stop coming to the house and he wouldn’t get to see her at all. He’d spent the next few months standing outside the high school hoping for a glimpse of her.

It had been a year later that he’d walked into his kitchen and found Sandy talking with Jordan. His heart had thudded wildly in his chest, his face had flushed and his voice, which had changed two summers before, had started cracking again. For a horrible moment, he’d thought they were back together again. He quickly found out they were just friends. For reasons he could never understand, Sandy had preferred his house to her own. She’d spent much of her senior year hanging out with the Haynes brothers. By then, Kyle had been fifteen, and a high school student. By taking inconvenient routes to classes, he caught glimpses of Sandy during the day. She was nice to him, friendly but never encouraging. No matter what he did, she never really saw him as anything but Jordan’s kid brother.

One night, when his mom had gone to a parent-teacher meeting, Sandy had volunteered to cook dinner. While she’d watched over a pot roast, he’d wrestled with an essay for English. Sandy had sat next to him and helped him. She’d leaned close, pointing out the awkward construction and mismatched sentences. He’d barely been able to write, with her right next to him. The scent of her body had driven him wild. He’d wanted to kiss her, to touch her, to do anything to let her know how he felt. He could still remember the freckles on her nose and the light in her eyes as she’d smiled at him.

Their arms had brushed together. Electricity had raced through him, from his head to his toes. When the paper was finished, he’d waited for her to move away, but she hadn’t. He’d stretched his arms wide, yawning exaggeratedly, then he’d casually dropped his arm over her shoulders. He’d hugged several girls by then, but with Sandy he felt as if he were doing it for the first time. He couldn’t think of anything to say. His mouth had gone dry, his tongue twisted up. She’d turned slightly toward him, her smile soft and knowing.

“I think you’re a great guy, Kyle,” she’d said. “You’re going to make some girl very happy.”

She should have just shot him and been done with it. Not even the brief kiss on his cheek was enough to make up for the humiliation of that moment. He’d tried and he’d failed. He didn’t have a chance with her.

Kyle started on the walls of the bedroom. The hell of it was, after all this time, he still hated the way she’d dismissed him. Years later, he could still taste the defeat.

Was that what this was about? he wondered. Was he just trying to prove something to himself and maybe to Sandy? Or had those long-ago feelings simply been lying dormant, waiting for her to return?

He shook his head. That was crazy. He hadn’t been waiting for her to return. But he sure wished he’d kissed her last night. The thought of holding her in his arms had kept him awake until after midnight. Maybe what he should do is—

“You’re almost done in here.”

He turned toward the voice and saw Lindsay walking into the bedroom. The preteen gave him a winning smile, then tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.

“It’s going pretty fast,” Kyle said, dipping the roller into the tray. “Whose room is this going to be?”

Lindsay moved close to him and fluttered her eyelashes. Obviously she hadn’t gotten over her crush. “Mine.”

He was sorry he’d asked. Still, he didn’t say anything to her. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He, of all people, knew what it was like to be dismissed by the object of his affection. Yet he didn’t want to encourage her, either. The situation made him damn uncomfortable.

Lindsay crossed the room to the window. “We’re going to put up a wallpaper border.”

“That’ll look real nice.”

“You think so?”

She stared at him earnestly, as if his answer mattered more than anything. Kyle finished the wall opposite the window and nodded. “Yeah, sure it will. Did you come up to see how I was doing, or did you want something specific?”

“Oh, Mom’s ordering sandwiches for lunch. What would you like?”

“Lean roast beef with everything.”

She wrinkled her nose. At that moment, she looked just like her mother. Kyle grinned. “You don’t approve?”

“I hate onions.”

“Then I won’t make you eat any.”

Lindsay laughed. Kyle couldn’t figure out if he was making it better or worse. Before he had a chance to decide, Travis poked his head into the room.

“Lindsay, your mom’s looking for you,” he said.

“Okay.” She glanced at Kyle. “I’ve got to give her the orders. You can come downstairs if you’d like. Everyone is taking a break.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that.” He waited until she left, then grimaced at his brother. “What am I going to do about her?”

Travis came into the room and laughed. “I can’t help you, little brother. Lindsay is way out of my league.”

“Thanks for nothing.” Kyle slipped the roller into the tray, then turned toward the last unpainted wall. “When you were first dating Elizabeth, did you have any problems with her daughter, Mandy?”

“Mandy was six at the time. She only ever saw me as a substitute father. Can’t you just tell Lindsay you’re too old for her?”

“Sure. But then I’ll hurt her feelings and humiliate her.”

“I wish I had something better to tell you.”

Kyle shrugged. “Me, too.” He raised his arms and moved the roller up and down above the closet door. “I’ll think of something.”

Travis grinned. “I don’t understand why there’s a problem in the first place. You’re usually so good with kids.”

“It’s different this time.”

“Why?”

Because I think I care about Sandy. Except he didn’t want to admit to that. Not yet. Just thinking about it was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. He knew better than to care. It was dangerous. If his brothers, father and uncles had taught him one thing, it was that Haynes men didn’t make good husbands and fathers. They’d been failing at it for several generations. He frowned. Except for Travis. His brother had been married for over two years. He and Elizabeth had had a daughter. They were happy. So Travis had escaped the Haynes family curse. That didn’t mean Kyle was also going to get lucky.

“Maybe you should think about settling down,” Travis told him.

“I’m not the type. My relationships don’t last.”

“That’s because you leave the women before they can leave you.”

“What am I supposed to do about it? Stay, and let them leave me?”

“How about trusting they might want to stay?”

Kyle put down the roller and stared at his brother. They were about the same height, with the same dark hair and eyes. Travis was four years older. His marriage had softened his hard edges and made him a happy man.

“What if they don’t stay?” Kyle asked.

Travis’s smile faded. “What if they do? It seems to me you’re already changing things.”

“What does that mean?”

“We’re here.” He moved his arm out to indicate the room, then the house beyond. “You’ve never involved your family with one of your women before.”

“Sandy’s not one of my women. She’s—”

Travis waited, his eyebrows raised.

“Forget it,” Kyle mumbled and turned back to the painting. He concentrated on moving the roller down the narrow strip of wall between the closet and the corner. “Don’t you have work to do?” he asked.

“Not really. We’re taking a break until the deli delivers the sandwiches. You could come down and join us. Or you could continue to hide up here.”

Kyle grunted. “I’ll be down when I’m done.”

“Sure.” Travis started out the door.

“And I’m not hiding,” he called.

Travis laughed.

* * *

Kyle knew he hadn’t been hiding, but Sandy was still sure avoiding him. All through lunch, she sat at the far end of the living room. Sunlight streamed through the bare windows. Someone had swept the hardwood floor, then mopped it until it gleamed. With no furniture in the large house, they’d each pulled up a piece of floor when the meal had arrived. Nichole had passed out sodas, then taken a seat near Austin. The gray-eyed pirate always had a way with the ladies, Kyle thought, watching Nichole charm the quiet man. Mercifully, Lindsay had stayed near her mother. Instead, it had been Blake who’d sat near Kyle. The boy hadn’t said anything, despite Kyle’s attempt to bring him into the conversation. In the end, Kyle had given up and instead, had watched Sandy not look at him.

He studied her, trying to figure out what it was exactly that got to him. In denim shorts and a red tank shirt, she was hardly dressing to be seductive. If he took her features apart, there wasn’t anything special about her. Wide green eyes drew his gaze. He liked the way she wore mascara and no other makeup. Her nose was straight, her mouth turned up slightly at the corners, her chin was pointed, but not too pointed. Her body was well proportioned for her height, her breasts neither too large nor too small, her hips rounded, but not obvious. So why did she drive him crazy? Was it hormonal? Was it the result of too much reminiscing and not enough sleep?

Austin stood and stretched. “Back to work, everyone. We should be able to finish the painting today if we get going now.”

Sandy scrambled to her feet. “I’ll clean up,” she said.

“I’ll help.” Kyle grabbed the wrapping from his sandwich, then picked up Blake’s. The boy gave him a quick smile. The curve of the child’s lips and flash of white teeth reminded him of Sandy. For a moment, he stared at the boy, wondering what it must be like to have a child of one’s own. A fierce longing swept through him, shocking him with its intensity. He shook his head slightly, then continued to collect trash.

Everyone stood up and slowly left the room. At last, he and Sandy were alone.

“I can handle this,” she said, not looking at him.

“I don’t mind helping.”

“I don’t want to keep you from your painting.”

“Are you afraid I’m not working hard enough?” he teased.

She’d bent over to pick up Nichole’s half-eaten sandwich. Now she turned her head and looked at him. Her loose, shoulder-length hair shielded part of her face. “Not at all. I know everyone is doing a lot for me, and I really appreciate it.” She tucked her hair behind her ear as she straightened. “We all do.”

“I know.” He walked toward her. “I was just kidding. I’ll help you clean up here, then I’ll go back upstairs and paint. Fair enough?”

She nodded. He wanted to think she was staring at his mouth, but he figured it was just wishful thinking on his part. No doubt about it, the lady turned him on. Unfortunately, he doubted his feelings were returned.

She continued to stare at him, then flushed slightly and looked away as if she’d just realized what she was doing. He watched the color climb up her cheeks to her hairline. The house was quiet, despite the number of people inside. He couldn’t hear anything except his heart pounding in his chest and the faint whisper of Sandy’s rapid breathing. At least he told himself it was rapid.

She twisted her fingers together. A paper napkin drifted from the trash she held and fluttered to the ground. He bent and grabbed it, then thrust it toward her. His fingers brushed her arm. She jumped.

“Kyle, I don’t think—”

“Good,” he said, cutting her off. “I know you’re upset about last night.”

She swallowed and stared at the center of his chest. “Last night should never have happened.”

“Which part? The pizza? You and your kids eating at my house? Or what happened later?”

“What happened later.”

Her voice was soft and low. He had to lean forward to hear her. She continued to stare at his chest. He wondered if she was afraid to look him in the eye because of what she would see or because of what she would reveal? He wanted it to be the latter.

“What exactly did happen?” he asked, deliberately taunting her.

She raised her gaze. He saw something hungry flash through her eyes, then she blinked and it was gone. “Nothing. Nothing at all. And I want to make sure nothing happens again.”

Nothing except he’d almost kissed her and she’d almost let him. She wanted to make sure it happened again? Did she mean nothing or did she mean the kiss? “Are you sure?” he asked and moved closer.

“Yes.” Her voice was a mere whisper. She trembled.

He touched her bare arm, just above the elbow. She pulled back. “I mean it, Kyle. I don’t want there to be anything between us. I’m not interested.”

He’d once played football with a sprained ankle and never let on until the game was over. He’d been cut pretty bad breaking up a fight and had finished his shift before going to the hospital. He’d been dumped once, a long time ago in college, and never told a soul. So it wasn’t hard to continue to stare at her and not let her know what he was thinking. But inside, he reeled from the blow. As simple as that. She wasn’t interested. Thanks but no thanks.

“No problem,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

She sighed. “I don’t mean to be cruel or rude. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Bringing Travis and Austin to help, working around here, all of that. It’s been great. But you and I have nothing in common. It would be best if we were just neighbors.”

“Sandy, I understand. You don’t have to give me a reason.”

“But I want to. I want you to know it’s not personal.”

It felt pretty damn personal to him. She was calling the game on account of rain and he hadn’t even got to bat.

She walked over to the trash bag by the entrance to the foyer and dumped the deli papers inside. “I’m not your type, and you’re not mine,” she told him.

What was her type? Someone like her late husband? Thomas, the philosophy professor. Someone intellectual. Someone who preferred opera to football, thick nonfiction books with footnotes to the latest spy thriller. Someone steady and dependable. Someone not like him.

“I hate for you to feel responsible for us. You don’t have to keep coming over here and taking care of things. I’m really okay on my own.”

In other words, get lost.

“I think you’re right,” he said.

“You do?” She looked doubtful.

“Sure. We’ll be neighbors. Friends. We can look out for each other, but pretty much stay out of each other’s lives. It’s a good plan.”

“Great.” She smiled.

He thought his heart might start bleeding right then and there, but he didn’t let on. Instead, he headed for the stairs. Friends. Neighbors. He’d sure lost his touch. He’d been thinking romance and she’d been putting him in the same class as the neighborhood golden retriever. Friends. What would Sandy say if she knew he’d been thinking, as well as friends they could also be lovers?

Chapter Five

He kept his word. Once the house was painted, Kyle disappeared from their lives as completely as if he’d never been there in the first place. He took his ready smiles, his quick wit and that way he had of looking at her that made her feel as if her bones were melting.

Sandy told herself she was pleased. It would be easier for both of them if they didn’t risk getting involved. As she’d told him three days ago, he wasn’t her type, she wasn’t his. So what if she went up in flames every time she was near him? She would get over it. And she had. Which didn’t explain why the house seemed so quiet without him and his brothers around helping.

Sandy stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked around. Her kids has been so good about helping—despite a few complaints—she’d given them a break and called in a service to clean the windows. Sunlight shone brightly through the freshly washed glass. All the rooms had been painted, the bathrooms scrubbed. Nichole and Blake had even weeded the rose garden out back. All they needed now was for their furniture to arrive.

She walked into the kitchen, then through the utility room and out the back door. Her kids were sitting on the back porch drinking sodas. They were much too quiet.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Lindsay studied the toe of her right athletic shoe. “Nothing. We finished papering the kitchen cupboards.”

“Thanks.”

Sandy took a seat next to her oldest. With Kyle no longer a daily fixture in their lives, Lindsay hadn’t bothered to wear her nicest summer clothing. Today she’d pulled on a torn pair of shorts that had once been light blue but that had faded to a sort of institutional gray. Her T-shirt wasn’t much better. There was a juice stain over the pocket, and one sleeve was coming off at the shoulder. Even her brown hair seemed limp, just lying on her back instead of bouncing with each step.

As usual, Blake sat off by himself, over in a corner of the porch with his back pressed against the house. Her son was playing with one of his hand-held video games for the first time since they’d moved. As she watched, his fingers moved nimbly over the buttons, destroying electronic bad guys and making his private world safe once again. His glasses slipped down his nose. Absently, he pushed them into place, then took a sip of his drink before returning his attention to his computer game.

Nichole scooted over to lean against her. “I’m hot, Mommy,” her youngest told her. “Can we go swimming?”

Sandy shook her head. “We have to wait for the movers, honey. They called and said they would be here later today.”

“If they don’t break down again,” Lindsay said.

“You’re grumpy all of a sudden. What’s going on?”

“I hate this place,” Lindsay told her. “There’s nothing to do. There are no kids my age, or anything. I can’t believe you moved us here.”

Mutinous brown eyes glared at her. Lindsay had Thomas’s eyes. She had her father’s sense of adventure. Unfortunately, she had her mother’s temper. Sandy recognized a lot of the unfocused adolescent rage from her own youth in her daughter. Her little girl was growing up fast.

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