FATHER IN TRAINING Read online

  Sandy hadn't known what to do. Before she could decide, Nichole, who hadn't seen the adults, pressed the bell. Elizabeth and Travis had separated, then Elizabeth had smiled as her husband had whispered something in her ear.

  Sandy suspected it had been a promise to continue what had been interrupted.

  Sandy walked into her bedroom. The furniture was in place and most of the boxes had been unpacked. Except for the stack of pictures still waiting to be hung on the wall, no one could tell she'd only moved in a month ago. She changed her T-shirt for one that hadn't been stained by coffee, then pulled off her headband and reached for her brush. A shaft of sunlight spilling through the open window caught the diamond in her wedding band and made it sparkle. She put the brush down and stared at her ring. She still remembered the day Thomas had slipped the simple gold-and-diamond band on her finger. She'd had so many hopes for their future.

  What had gone wrong? Where had she made the first mistake? She'd been so sure he was the right one for her. If only she'd known he was more interested in having fun than in being a husband or father. If only she'd known how lonely she would feel years before he'd actually died.

  She touched the ring and remembered the feel of Kyle's hand holding hers. He'd rubbed the ring as he'd asked if she ever felt the loneliness. Maybe, instead of reacting with fear and anger, she should have told him the truth.

  Sandy walked to the window. From the second story, she could see into Kyle's backyard. They'd finished with the car and were now digging in the garden and laughing. Who was this man who stole her children's hearts and made her forget her promises to herself?

  Slowly, she drew the ring from her finger. It came off easily. The thin band of paler skin was the only proof it had been there. She'd thought she would feel naked, but she didn't feel anything at all. The circle of gold rested in the palm of her right hand. Thomas had already been gone two years. Was it time to let go? She didn't know.

  She walked to the jewelry box resting on her cherry-wood dresser. She pulled open the top drawer and placed the ring inside. She would keep it there for today and see how she felt about not wearing her ring. If it bothered her too much, she could always put it back on.

  * * *

  Chapter 8

  « ^ »

  Sandy backed the car out of the garage and turned it in the wide driveway.

  "We gotta stop by Kyle's," Nichole said. "I left one of my dolls there, and I promised Mandy I'd bring her by."

  Sandy stared at the gatehouse up ahead. She wasn't sure where her other two children were, but Kyle was standing in the afternoon sunlight, trimming a hedge. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd been wearing slightly more than a pair of shorts. What was it with that man? Didn't the sheriff's department pay the deputies enough to provide for food and clothing? Or was it just her luck that every time she turned around, he was practically naked?

  She let the car roll forward until it was even with the bend that led to Kyle's driveway, then put the vehicle in Park. "I'll wait here," she said. "Hurry, please, or you're going to be late."

  Nichole flashed her a smile. "I'll be right back."

  Sandy grinned as her youngest raced out of the car and called a greeting to Kyle. "I gotta find my doll."

  "I think you left it in the garage," he told her.

  He put down the clippers and glanced at the car. Sandy clenched her teeth. Please, God, let him stay where he was. She didn't need to be staring at his bare chest right now. Not when she was still in a weakened condition.

  God was busy, or He had a different plan for her life because Kyle started toward her and he didn't show any signs of stopping. She drew in a deep breath and reminded herself she was a mature woman. She could handle this situation. It wasn't going to be a problem. She would remember to keep breathing deeply and focus on something neutral. Like the steering wheel.

  He came around the back of the car. She followed his progress in the mirrors, mentally noting he had the audacity to look great even as a two-inch-high reflection. When he reached the driver's side, he waited until she rolled down the window, then he leaned forward and braced his forearms on the car. His forehead rested against the top of the car, his right elbow bumped against the door lock. She could see his face, the slight sheen of perspiration coating his shoulders and bare chest. She could see the tanned skin, the dark hair curling down to his waistband, the muscles. He overwhelmed her. If she was the fainting kind, she would have been a goner for sure.

  "Hi," he said.

  "Hi, yourself." The words caught in her throat, but she forced them out past stiff vocal cords.

  Kyle grinned at her. White teeth flashed against his tanned face. His dark eyes stared at hers, as if he were reading her secrets. As if he knew she was having trouble remembering to breathe. Damn the man for being such a temptation and damn herself for being so weak.

  It had been nine days since the kiss. She'd waved at him from across the driveway. She'd watched her children laugh and play in his backyard. She'd heard the rumbling engine of his motorcycle as he took off for she wasn't sure where. But she hadn't seen him up close. She hadn't gazed into his face and inhaled the masculine scent of him. She hadn't felt her thighs go up in flames, as they were doing now. At least she was sitting down.

  She looked away from him before she could say or do something stupid. "I'm taking Nichole over to play with Mandy. Do you know where Lindsay and Blake are? I don't want to saddle you with them."

  "No problem," he said. "I was just coming to tell you Blake is down the street playing ball. There's a half dozen boys about his age around here. I know most of them and suggested they stop by. They invited him to come play. I hope you don't mind."

  Sandy stared at Kyle. "Did he want to go?" Her son usually resisted her efforts to get him to join in with other kids.

  "Sure. Why not? Anyway, they'll be a while. Why don't you leave him at the game? I'll be here if anything happens."

  "Thank you." Blake was playing with other boys his age. She was thrilled. More than thrilled, she was relieved. Maybe her son was finally returning to normal. She'd been worried about him for a while. She'd even taken Blake to a counselor before they'd left Los Angeles. The woman had told her it would simply take time for Blake to regain his self-esteem and want to play with other children. For weeks, Sandy had wondered if the woman had been wrong, but now it seemed he was on the road to recovery.

  "I was thinking of a barbecue tonight," Kyle said.

  "Oh?" Was that a statement of fact or an invitation? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

  "I've got steaks and corn on the cob. Lindsay said she'd make a salad. Is six-thirty okay with you?"

  An invitation. That was simple. She would just say no. N-O. It wasn't a difficult word. "Sure, we'd love to." She groaned silently. Apparently, she was having more trouble saying no than she'd realized. Now she had to eat dinner with him. What were they going to talk about? How would she stand it, knowing she'd pushed him away? Not that she wanted to be with him. It was just—

  "You okay?" he asked.

  She needed to have her head examined. "I'm fine. When Lindsay volunteered to make the salad, did she mention who was providing the ingredients?"

  "No. I don't have anything here, but I can go to the store."

  She shook her head. "I'll go. It's only fair. I'll pick up some salad fixings after I drop off Mandy."

  "Great. Ah, Sandy." Kyle shifted. He looked at her, then out the front windshield. "I think I've got a problem."

  "What?"

  "It's Lindsay. Her crush isn't going away."

  Sandy laughed. "Twelve-year-old hormones can be pretty scary. Don't worry, she'll outgrow it."

  He swallowed. "I don't know if I can wait that long. She makes me nervous. I don't know what to say to her."

  "Why do you have to say anything?"

  "I don't mean about the crush. Just in general. Like I told you the night I took the kids to the movies, I don't want to encourage her, and I don't want to
hurt her feelings." He closed his eyes briefly. "She's always trying to be next to me. I'm hiding behind a ten- and eight-year-old." He glared at her. "Don't you even think about laughing at me."

  "I wouldn't dream of it." She bit on her lower lip to keep from grinning. "But I do have one question. Why is this such a big deal? Aren't you used to women throwing themselves at you?"

  His dark eyes met her own. "You're trying to set me up. If I say yes, then you're going to call me an egotistical jerk."

  "I promise I'm not." She gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. "I'm stating a fact. Why is dealing with Lindsay's crush such a problem for you?"

  "She's just a kid. She's sensitive, vulnerable. I would find it easier to confront a woman. Besides, despite what you think, I don't have women lined up for miles."

  She made a show of glancing around the outside of his house. "I can see that."

  "You're not helping."

  "I know. I'm sorry. Let's be logical. You're very good with children. Why don't you treat Lindsay like one of the kids?"

  "I've tried that. She makes it a point to tell me how grown-up she is." He shuddered. "She offered to do my laundry."

  Sandy chuckled. For the first time, she realized being around Kyle made her feel good. As if the world had been set right. "I can't get her to do her own laundry. Why don't you let her do yours, then you can do hers and we'll call it even?"

  He growled her name.

  She held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, no more teasing. If you don't want to treat her like a child, then treat her like a teenager. You were one once. What do you remember?"

  "That having a crush on someone could hurt like hell."

  "Really?" She glanced at him. "You had a crush? On whom?"

  He shrugged. "It's not important. The point is, I don't want her to be rejected like I was."

  "You were rejected? By whom?"

  He touched the tip of her nose. "You're suddenly interested in my past."

  "Why not? It's fascinating. I never knew a Haynes had been rejected in love." She tried to remember back to high I school. "Do I know her? Oh, probably not. You were a couple of grades back, weren't you?"

  "Yeah, you're older than me."

  She grimaced. "Thanks for the reminder. Was it one of the cheerleaders? That foreign-exchange student from Sweden? What was her name? I can't remember. Didn't she date Jordan?"

  "Enough with my past. You're not helping here. What am I going to do with Lindsay?"

  "Wait it out. Maybe something will happen to convince her you're just some guy who's not very interesting at all."

  "Gee, thanks. I can't wait for that to happen."

  She smiled. Their gazes locked and she felt her heart begin beating faster. Tension crackled between them. She hadn't realized how close they were, with him leaning in the car window. They were close enough that she could see the individual whiskers on his cheeks and chin, and the shape of his mouth. That same mouth that had tempted and teased her nine days ago. Suddenly, her lips felt dry and she was compelled to touch them with the tip of her tongue. She could see him follow the movement and he seemed to catch his breath. For a moment, she thought he might lean forward those last few inches and kiss her again. She wanted him to. She willed him to. Instead, he stretched his arm inside the car and grabbed her left hand.

  "You took off your ring."

  She pulled her fingers free of his touch and clasped them together on her lap. "So?"

  "Why did you do it?"

  "I'm not sure. Maybe it was time. I've decided to see how it feels. If it bothers me too much, I'll put the ring back on."

  She wanted to tell him not to read anything into her actions, but that statement seemed like too much of a confession of what she was thinking. He wasn't that interested in her. If anything, he was probably intrigued by a woman who didn't willingly fall into his arms at every moment. Then she remembered the kiss and how she had fallen into his arms, so there went that theory.

  "I found her, Mommy," Nichole called as she raced back toward the car.

  "Good. We need to get going." Sandy didn't care if it looked as if she was running away. "See you later," she told Kyle.

  He straightened. "Don't forget about the barbecue. And the salad."

  "I won't." She waited until Nichole had buckled her seat belt, then hit the gas. The quicker she got away from Kyle, the quicker she would stop making a fool of herself. She was worse than Lindsay, mooning over a man she shouldn't want. If only she could stop thinking about his kisses.

  Kyle stared after the station wagon until it turned onto the main road and disappeared. Then he glanced at the hedge he'd been trimming. The poor plant was about as neat as it was going to get. He should leave it alone. But if he did, that would mean his chores outside were finished and he wouldn't have an excuse to avoid the house. Lindsay was inside, making lemonade. Maybe he was a coward, but he didn't want to be alone with her. She terrified him.

  He put the clippers in the garage, then hesitated by the back door. He was the adult, he reminded himself. He was the one in control of the situation.

  "You're scared," a boy called.

  Kyle whipped around toward the sound.

  "Am not" came the answer.

  He recognized the second voice. It was Blake. A thick hedge and several trees separated Sandy's property from a narrow private road. Kyle pushed through the bushes, ignoring the scratches from the branches, and came out at the top of a slight rise. The grassy slope rolled into the private dirt road. Two boys stood directly in front of him. Three feet away, facing them, was Blake.

  Kyle could see he was scared. His eyes were wide behind his glasses, his body stiff. The taller of the other two boys moved closer.

  "You're scared, and I'm gonna make you more scared. You can't tell me what to do."

  Kyle recognized the neighborhood bully. "Gary Warner, stop that right now."

  Blake looked up at him. Gary took advantage of the boy's distraction and hit him right in the mouth.

  "Damn little brat," Kyle muttered. He started toward the trio. The third boy took off running. Gary hesitated, then darted for home. Blake stood there looking stunned. He touched his hand to his mouth. When he drew it away, he saw the blood. Instantly, tears rolled down his cheeks.

  Kyle reached his side. The other two boys had disappeared, so he put his arm around Blake. "He popped you good. Let me see."

  Blake sniffed and raised his chin. He continued to cry. Tears dripped from his eyes, but he didn't make any sound. The silence tore at Kyle's gut. He wanted to catch that little punk and teach him what it felt like to be bullied by someone. Instead, he stared at Blake's mouth. Carefully, he turned down Blake's lower lip.

  "You've got a cut here," he said. "How do your teeth feel? Are any of them loose?"

  Blake closed his mouth and used his tongue to check. He turned away and spat out blood. "They're okay."

  "Good. Let's get you home and we'll put some ice on your mouth. You're going to swell up like a chipmunk."

  Blake tried to smile, but the movement made him wince. He sniffed. "It hurts," he mumbled.

  "I know, kid. It happened to me a bunch of times. I never seemed to remember the pain before I got in a fight. It'll get better." Kyle bent over and picked him up. Blake wrapped his legs around Kyle's waist and buried his head in his shoulder.

  Kyle could feel the dampness on his skin. He wasn't sure if it was from the tears or the blood. He didn't much care. Instead, he started back the long way, going to the end of the private road, then turning left and walking until he reached Sandy's driveway. An occasional sob shook Blake's skinny body. He held the boy close, patting his back and murmuring soothingly. Poor kid. If this was his first fight—and from the way he'd reacted, it had been—he was scared, sore and defeated. Hell of a way to spend a summer afternoon.

  As he turned down the fork in the driveway toward his house, he saw Lindsay waiting by the back door.

  "Where were you?" she
asked. "I finished the lemonade." She glanced at her brother. "What happened to him?"

  "He got into a fight."

  "Really?" Her eyes widened. "Mom's gonna kill you, Blake."

  Kyle glared at her. "He doesn't need to hear that right now. Why don't you go home while I take care of your brother? When your mom gets back, would you please ask her to come see me?"

  Lindsay glanced at the boy in his arms and shrugged. "Sure. I'll be by later to help you with the cooking, Kyle." She gave him her best smile, then sashayed up the walkway.

  Kyle groaned softly.

  Inside the house, he set Blake on the counter and examined his mouth more thoroughly. There was only one cut and it had almost stopped bleeding. But his cheek was swelling fast. Kyle grabbed a frozen bag of peas from the freezer and had the kid press it against his face.

  Blake touched the bag to his skin, then jumped. "It's cold."

  "It's supposed to be. It'll help take the pain away and make you look a little more normal so your mom might not kill me along with you."

  Blake held the bag with his left hand and pushed up his glasses with his right. "It wasn't your fault. Gary is the one who hit me."

  Kyle leaned against the counter at right angles to where Blake was sitting. He folded his arms over his chest. "I saw that. You want to tell me why?"

  The boy lowered his head slightly. "We were playing ball. I even hit a double." He looked up and tried to smile. "That hurts. Anyway, the next guy to hit was Robby. He's nice. He said I could come swimming at his house."

  "So Gary punched you?"

  "No." Blake sighed. "Robby hit his ball out. Gary was pitching, and he got mad. The next time Robby came up to bat, Gary hit him with the ball. We all knew it was on purpose. But no one would stand up to Gary except for Robby and me. A lot of the boys went home. I guess they were scared."

  Blake looked scared, too, as he told the story. Kyle knew he'd had nothing to do with cultivating the strength of character Blake showed, but he couldn't stop the feeling of pride swelling inside of him. The kid had guts. Standing up to a bully to protect a new friend. Sandy had done a hell of a job with her kids.