on,” she said, her voice uninflected but her insides doing back flips.
“Will you come back? Not forever, but just for tonight? I know you’ve paid for the room, but I’ll take care of that.”
She laughed, more with surprise than anything else. “Are you kidding?”
“No.” He leaned forward and reached out. “Shelby, please. Look, I know I have no business asking you, but I need your help.” He checked Scout and Jem, and they were occupied with the salt and pepper shakers. He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “I’m horribly inept, and to add insult to injury, scared to death.”
“I know you can get through tonight, and by tomorrow, I’m sure you can find someone to help you.”
He nodded slowly. “Fair enough. It was a long shot.”
She felt badly, especially when he gave her an obviously fake smile.
“So what are you reading?” he asked, his cheery tone as phony as his grin.
She turned the book in his direction.
“Romance?”
She nodded.
“I don’t read much of that.”
“Really?” she said, moving toward playful, trying to make the dinner as pleasant as possible.
“I should. Probably would explain a lot about women.”
“I agree. Frankly, they should be required reading for all men over the age of seventeen.”
Little fingers tugged Gray’s attention away. “Uncle Gray?”
“Yes, Scout?”
“Can Shelby read us our story tonight?”
He glanced at her, then at Scout. “Shelby won’t be there, honey.”
“But, you said.”
“I know. But she has other things she needs to do.”
Scout looked at her. “Do you have other children to take care of?”
The arrow went right into the center of her back. “No, Scout. It’s just that… I just…”
“It’s okay,” Scout said.
Her little face looked genuinely disheartened. Could she really say no to that? Could she be comfortable tonight, knowing Gray was struggling with the kids?
“I want my Coke.” Jem stood on the banquette, searching for the waitress.
“Sit down, Jem.” She said the words at the same time Gray said them.
Jem sat.
Shelby smiled at Gray.
Gray smiled back.
“Oh, what the heck.” She shook her head at her own foolishness. “I’ll come. But just for one night.”
Gray’s smile lit up his face and did something awfully peculiar to her insides. What had she done?
He ended up paying for her dinner. They all went to her room, and Jem and Scout watched TV while she packed again. Gray offered to help, but she didn’t need any. He just kept smiling at her, and frankly, she was a bit disconcerted by the whole thing. Finally, he carried her bags down, insisted on paying for her room, and then walked her to her car. The kids wanted to ride with her, and she let them.
The whole way home, they chattered like monkeys while she kept her eyes on Gray’s car in front of her. What on earth was she doing? Driving straight into trouble, that’s what.
HE LISTENED to her read the story, although he couldn’t have repeated a word. He was struck by the timbre of her voice, the way her whole face got involved in the telling. He wanted her to go on forever, even though the kids were mostly asleep. Jem fought it, but even he couldn’t defend himself against her mesmerizing lilt.
Going after her had been the right thing. He hadn’t been sure up until he’d seen her face when it was so clear the children wanted her back. Of the three of them, though, he was the one who’d been most eager.
Besides, she was on vacation, right? It wasn’t as if he was taking her away from a job or her family. He’d pay her, too, in addition to taking care of her hotel bill.
Was it his fault she’d turned out to be a good cook and great baby-sitter? Or that she was so easy on the eyes? He was just lucky, that’s all. Luckiest man in Blue Point.
He stood, and she stopped speaking. The quiet moved in to fill the space, and for a moment he thought about asking her to finish the story in his bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice a low whisper now that the children were finally asleep.
“Nothing,” he whispered back. “Why?”
“You looked as if you’d smelled something terrible.”
“Nope. Just thinking.”
“While you’re thinking, come hold Scout while I sneak out.”
He went to the bed and scooped a limp Scout into his arms and lifted her off Shelby’s lap. It only took a second for Shelby to extricate herself, then push a pillow in her place.
As Gray lowered the little one, he felt a stirring the likes of which scared him half to death.
Longing. Longing for a child. For a baby girl just like Scout. Or a boy. It didn’t matter. The longing was there and it was real and he had to get the hell out of the room. If he were smart, he’d get out of the state. Because it wasn’t the first time this had happened.
He wasn’t ready for children. He wasn’t responsible enough to be a father. Hell, he couldn’t even feed them lunch. Any kids he had would be ruined for life, destined to spend hundreds of hours on a psychiatrist’s couch.
He backed away from Scout’s bed as if the proximity to the child was the reason behind this sudden madness.
His elbow hit Shelby, and he jumped, then turned to face her.
Big mistake. She had great eyes. Even better lips. The sudden desire to explore her mouth, her body, jolted him.
No, no. This was not why he’d asked her back. In fact, if she even guessed at his thoughts, she’d be out of here so fast she’d leave skid marks.
“Is there something else?”
“Hmm?”
She smiled, a little indulgently, he thought. “Is there a reason we’re standing here staring at each other?”
“Staring?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“No, we’re not staring?”
“No, we’re not staring for a reason.”
She arched her right brow. “Okay. I’m leaving now. You can do whatever you like.”
No, he couldn’t. ’Cause what he’d like to do was kiss her. Right here. Right this minute.
Shelby headed toward the door, and before he’d moved a muscle to stop her, she was gone.
He sank down on the edge of Jem’s bed. What in hell was going on? This wasn’t like him. Wanting an attractive woman was pretty much s.o.p. And he did find her attractive. The scars didn’t bother him, which actually was something of a surprise. He’d have figured he was too much of a jerk for that. Wonders never ceased.
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