a few beats of silence, he cleared his throat. “Did the baby have any trouble going to sleep?”
Lila pulled her knees to her chest and linked her arms around her legs. “No, thank goodness. I actually called Mia for advice. She told me I should put Sybbie down awake and let her coo and squirm until she put herself to sleep. It worked. I couldn’t believe it, but it worked.”
Mia was James’s sister-in-law...Dylan’s wife. She and Lila had become friends three years ago, and fortunately, the friendship had survived James and Lila’s breakup.
It was no wonder the two women had bonded. They were both extremely smart and ambitious.
“You look tired,” he said impulsively.
“Another cheap shot?” Her expression was equal parts wary and defensive.
“Not at all. I suppose that was my way of saying I’m worried about you. This whole situation with your sister’s death can’t have been easy, even if you were estranged. You never told me much about your family when you and I were dating.”
It was Lila’s turn to shrug. “Not much to tell. My dad walked out when I was three. My mother married again and got pregnant right away. But she was a functioning alcoholic and my new stepfather was a recreational drug user, so we lived close to the poverty line. My half sister, Alicia, followed their example.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Alicia and I struggled through the typical sibling rivalries, but as we got older, I did well in school, and she didn’t. I think she may have had a learning disability.”
“So you had a way out of a bad situation, and she didn’t.”
“Yes. I’ve always wondered if I could have done more to help her.”
“People make their own choices, good or bad.”
“I know. Still, it made me sad.”
“And you didn’t know she had named you as Sybbie’s guardian?”
“Not a clue. I was completely shocked.”
“My guess is that she knew you were smart and successful and that she could trust you with the baby.”
“Maybe. Or I could have been the lesser of two evils. My mother is still living, but she has multiple health issues. She wouldn’t be able to handle a small child at her age and in her condition. My brother-in-law grew up in foster homes, so there’s no one on that side of the family.”
“Which leaves you.”
“Yes.”
“You can’t be legally compelled by a will you knew nothing about.”
“I know. My lawyer made that clear. But how can I let her go to foster care and the adoptive system? How would I live with myself?”
“There’s time to think about it. You can’t solve everything in one night.”
When Lila tried to hop down from the counter, he stopped her. “I may not have gotten all the glass. Hold still.” He took her by the waist again, swung her over the sticky area and set her in the doorway. “Do you want me to get you another glass of milk?”
Lila shook her head. “No. I’m good. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I have a housekeeper who comes in at ten. I’ve told her to avoid the guest room and my office for the time being.”
“I’m inconveniencing you. Why won’t you let me go to a hotel?”
“I think I owe you one.” He hadn’t meant to be so honest. Something about her demeanor tonight sneaked past his defenses.
She wrapped her arms around her waist. “You don’t owe me anything, James. Really. We both made mistakes. And it was a long time ago.”
“Okay. Fair enough. But quit worrying about everything so much. You’ll be back in your own house before you know it.”
As it turned out, James’s prediction was wildly optimistic. The day after the milk incident, she barely saw him at all other than the times she peeked out the window and watched him going in and out of her house. He had ordered a Dumpster and had it delivered right outside. It was slowly filling with chunks of Sheetrock and pieces of wallpaper.
He had told Lila she and Sybbie would have to be displaced only two nights, but at dinner that first night—lasagna prepared by his wonderful housekeeper before she left—he sat down at the table and ran a hand through his hair, his expression agitated.
“What’s wrong, James?” He’d never been good at hiding his feelings. “Is it going to take longer than you thought?”
He rubbed his chin and shook his head. “I might have run into a bit of a snag today.”
Sybbie didn’t like having Lila’s attention elsewhere. She wailed until Lila gave her another bite of bread. “Go ahead and tell me,” Lila said. “I can handle bad news.”
“You have termites.”
She blinked at him. “Say that again?”
“Termites.”
“But I have a pest control service.”
“That’s a good thing, because they’ll have to repair the damage at their own expense. You still have termites, though. I can’t work on the renovation until we take care of that.”
Her throat got tight and her eyes burned. She was trying so hard to stay positive, but this was a kick in the stomach. “What do I need to do?”
His gaze softened. “You don’t have to do anything, Lila, except take care of this little sweetheart.” He tickled Sybbie’s neck and was rewarded with a smile. “I’ll handle your house issues. I’ve seen worse.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Too late.” His grin blinded her. “You’ve already hired me.”
“To do a modest renovation, not to rip out all my walls.”
“Don’t be a drama queen.”
She felt her temper rise and had to tamp it down. He was teasing her...that’s all. An old habit. Perhaps the reason she and James had fought so much when they were together was because the making up afterward had been so much fun. But that wasn’t going to happen this time around. Which meant she couldn’t let him press her buttons.
“How long are we talking about?”
“If your termite people are on the ball, not long. They’ll have to do a major treatment. The more pressing issue is whether or not you have termites anywhere else.”
She hadn’t even thought of that implication. “People told me not to buy an old house. I should have listened.”
“Oh, come on, Lila. You know you love the place.”
“I do. But I don’t want it falling down around my ears.”
Having an infant at the table made adult conversation difficult. By unspoken consent, they tabled the termite talk and played with the baby. Wistfully, Lila watched James interact with Sybbie. Maeve Kavanagh had raised seven sons, mostly on her own. She had instilled in them the value of hard work and what it meant to be a gentleman.
To an outsider, the Kavanagh men might seem very different from one another. But under the skin—beneath the superficial differences of physical appearance and career choice—they each were carbon copies when it came to their character. Alpha males one and all. Tough, uncompromising. Committed to doing what was right even when the choice was difficult.
Hence her stint camping out in James’s guest room.
“Tell