closed her eyes, still consumed with wanting him, but now, completely sane and knowing that she shouldn’t and that she couldn’t allow anything else to happen. “I’m sorry,” she finally said.
He walked out.
Her night had been a sleepless one. Mostly because of Trev Coleman, but also because someone had followed her to the pizzeria last night, and all night Kait had tossed and turned, worrying over what might happen next—with Corelli, with Lana, with Trev Coleman. But she was up at half past six, sipping black coffee, and rousing Marni at seven. Marni smiled sleepily at her, then sat up like a shot. “Mommy!” she cried.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” Kait said, tousling the child’s dark, curly hair. She had gleaned the fact that Marni had a schedule and Elizabeth kept her to it. She was up at seven and being driven off to school at eight.
Marni was wide-eyed and beaming. “But what are you doing here, Mommy?”
“Helping you get ready for school,” she said, giving her an impulsive hug.
There was a harrumph from the door. Kait knew the sound had been emitted by a disapproving Elizabeth, so she smiled very brightly and faced her. “Good morning.” Her tone was as radiant.
Elizabeth stared, her expression rather unpleasant. “Am I to understand that you will bathe and dress her today?”
Still smiling, but aware now that the older woman had dropped any façade of liking Lana at all, she said, “Yes,” with an elevated set to her chin.
Elizabeth turned and walked out.
“Let’s go,” Kait said cheerfully.
Marni leapt from the bed, babbling a mile a minute.
Kait and Marni were devouring plates of pancakes. Or rather, Kait was devouring hers, as if she had not eaten most of a pizza the night before. Marni was talking about her best friend, Susie, Susie’s dogs, and the fact that apparently she had been promised a corgi puppy by Trev. Jim’s dog was about to become a father.
A back door slammed. Kait didn’t have to be told who was coming into the house, she simply knew. Pancakes turned to balls of glue in her throat. She froze over her plate.
A hot memory of the night before rushed over her. Trev Coleman strode into the kitchen and she simply had to look up. He was in his faded jeans, a beige wool sweater, and a royal blue zip-up shell. He was in his paddock boots, so he had clearly come from the stables, and he was sexier than any man had any right to be.
She tried not to choke as his gaze slammed into her, even as she felt herself flush brilliantly.
His eyes as they met hers were cold. Then he smiled and bent over Marni, his expression changing, becoming impossibly soft and warm and tender. Kait’s heart leapt as she watched him brush his mouth just barely over her niece’s hair. “How’s my best girl in the world?” he asked.
“Mommy woke me up this morning! She helped me with my bath!” Marni exclaimed excitedly. “Look! She picked out the pink ribbon in my hair!”
“Aren’t you the lucky one?” Trev murmured.
Elizabeth slammed a pot down on the stove. Kait finally swallowed the lump of now-tasteless dough. It hurt so, his hating her, especially when she considered herself a kind and considerate person—especially as he didn’t even know her.
Then Trev glanced up at her.
Kait flinched but held his stare.
A small smile twisted his mouth. “I’m taking her to school.” Kait gasped—and so did Marni. “No, Daddy! Mommy’s taking me! You never take me—you school the horses in the morning with Jim!” she wailed.
“Honey, today I am taking you to school.” From his tone, there would clearly be no argument, no debate. Or at least, not from Kait. She got up silently and carried her plate to the sink, where she slid several untouched pancakes into the disposal. Her appetite was gone.
“I want Mommy to take me to school,” Marni said firmly.
Kait turned. Marni had an expression of sheer determination written all over her face, and she could see that a huge
He walked out.
Her night had been a sleepless one. Mostly because of Trev Coleman, but also because someone had followed her to the pizzeria last night, and all night Kait had tossed and turned, worrying over what might happen next—with Corelli, with Lana, with Trev Coleman. But she was up at half past six, sipping black coffee, and rousing Marni at seven. Marni smiled sleepily at her, then sat up like a shot. “Mommy!” she cried.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” Kait said, tousling the child’s dark, curly hair. She had gleaned the fact that Marni had a schedule and Elizabeth kept her to it. She was up at seven and being driven off to school at eight.
Marni was wide-eyed and beaming. “But what are you doing here, Mommy?”
“Helping you get ready for school,” she said, giving her an impulsive hug.
There was a harrumph from the door. Kait knew the sound had been emitted by a disapproving Elizabeth, so she smiled very brightly and faced her. “Good morning.” Her tone was as radiant.
Elizabeth stared, her expression rather unpleasant. “Am I to understand that you will bathe and dress her today?”
Still smiling, but aware now that the older woman had dropped any façade of liking Lana at all, she said, “Yes,” with an elevated set to her chin.
Elizabeth turned and walked out.
“Let’s go,” Kait said cheerfully.
Marni leapt from the bed, babbling a mile a minute.
Kait and Marni were devouring plates of pancakes. Or rather, Kait was devouring hers, as if she had not eaten most of a pizza the night before. Marni was talking about her best friend, Susie, Susie’s dogs, and the fact that apparently she had been promised a corgi puppy by Trev. Jim’s dog was about to become a father.
A back door slammed. Kait didn’t have to be told who was coming into the house, she simply knew. Pancakes turned to balls of glue in her throat. She froze over her plate.
A hot memory of the night before rushed over her. Trev Coleman strode into the kitchen and she simply had to look up. He was in his faded jeans, a beige wool sweater, and a royal blue zip-up shell. He was in his paddock boots, so he had clearly come from the stables, and he was sexier than any man had any right to be.
She tried not to choke as his gaze slammed into her, even as she felt herself flush brilliantly.
His eyes as they met hers were cold. Then he smiled and bent over Marni, his expression changing, becoming impossibly soft and warm and tender. Kait’s heart leapt as she watched him brush his mouth just barely over her niece’s hair. “How’s my best girl in the world?” he asked.
“Mommy woke me up this morning! She helped me with my bath!” Marni exclaimed excitedly. “Look! She picked out the pink ribbon in my hair!”
“Aren’t you the lucky one?” Trev murmured.
Elizabeth slammed a pot down on the stove. Kait finally swallowed the lump of now-tasteless dough. It hurt so, his hating her, especially when she considered herself a kind and considerate person—especially as he didn’t even know her.
Then Trev glanced up at her.
Kait flinched but held his stare.
A small smile twisted his mouth. “I’m taking her to school.” Kait gasped—and so did Marni. “No, Daddy! Mommy’s taking me! You never take me—you school the horses in the morning with Jim!” she wailed.
“Honey, today I am taking you to school.” From his tone, there would clearly be no argument, no debate. Or at least, not from Kait. She got up silently and carried her plate to the sink, where she slid several untouched pancakes into the disposal. Her appetite was gone.
“I want Mommy to take me to school,” Marni said firmly.
Kait turned. Marni had an expression of sheer determination written all over her face, and she could see that a huge
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