“Do you hurt?” Caroline whispered.
Caroline asked the question so softly, Ava almost did not hear her. Startled, she guessed the question was not about physical pain at the moment, but about the loss of her husband. “Yes. It comes and it goes, but he’s always there in my heart.”
Caroline looked down at the sheet and twisted it in her small fingers. “I don’t have a mommy and daddy. I used to have Daddy.”
“I know,” Ava said. “It hurts, but there are other people you can love and they love you. Your Uncle Will loves you so, so much.”
Big brown eyes met her gaze again and Ava’s heart lurched over the silent world into which Caroline had locked herself. Ava tried to avoid intruding on Caroline, but at the sight of Caroline’s solemn expression, Ava could not resist leaning down to hug her lightly. “You are so loved, Caroline.”
Caroline slipped an arm around Ava’s neck and held on for a moment. When her arm slipped away, Ava released her. “You’re a brave little girl,” she said.
Caroline looked away and Ava felt the closeness vanish, suspecting Caroline was withdrawing back into her shell.
“Nighty-night time,” Will said cheerfully, entering the room. “One more story from me if you want and then it’s sleepy time. Miss Rosalyn is back and she’ll be here soon.”
“Good night, Caroline,” Ava said with a smile and she turned away with a glance at Will.
Shaken by the moments with Caroline, she went downstairs to wait in the family room. It was another half hour before Will appeared. He swept into the room, crossing the space in long strides to pull her up and hug her tightly. “You are a miracle worker,” he said. “I came into the room when she hugged you. I stepped out and came back because I didn’t want to break the moment.”
“Will,” she said, extricating herself and smiling. “Slow down. A little gain maybe. A baby step.”
He held her arms as he gazed down at her. Her racing pulse was half because of the moments with Caroline and half because of Will standing close and holding her.
“It’s huge, Ava. I’ve tried so many things, so many experts and nobody could get anywhere.”
“I think it’s because she feels a tie since I lost my husband.”
“Maybe, but she’s had people around who have lost someone and kids around who have lost parents and she wouldn’t respond to them at all. It’s more than that.”
“I’m surprised the kids didn’t reach her.”
“They didn’t. Maybe everyone came on too strong. I notice you’re pretty low-key with her.”
“There’s no magic formula and I don’t know why, but she’s responding slightly to me.”
“It isn’t slight. For her to hug you is huge.”
“You’re making so much out of so little, I’m scared to tell you anything else.”
“Now you have to. What else?”
“Just don’t get carried away. She asked me tonight if I hurt.” For an instant he stared at her and she wondered if she would regret telling him. “Will, don’t blow everything out of proportion. I see big hope for your tutor because the woman I have in mind should be wonderful with Caroline.”
“Let’s sit. What did you tell her?” he asked, taking her arm and moving to the sofa to sit close, facing her. Their knees touched and his hand still rested on her arm.
She told him about the brief moment she had had with Caroline.
“You did it. I knew you could,” he said. “You’ve gotten through to her.”
“Will, stop making something colossal out of this. It’s a tiny step, a baby step in the right direction.”
He framed her face with his hands. “We’ve tried so much. You should see the list of people I’ve had work with her and the play groups I’ve put her into.”
“Maybe she just wasn’t ready and time has passed and now she is,” Ava said, her voice breathless. His hands were on her cheeks and he sat close, his eyes blazing with emotion.
“I’m overjoyed, Ava. Maybe I’m clutching at straws, but straws are more than I’ve had in the past. This is real hope. She communicated with you, however briefly. She interacted with you.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and her heart pounded. He leaned down to kiss her hard and she responded to him, knowing he kissed her with emotion and joy over his feelings for his niece. As his kiss changed, he lifted her onto his lap. A half day with him tomorrow. It wouldn’t last, so what did a few kisses hurt? She wrapped her arm more tightly around his neck and kissed him passionately, forgetting everything except Will, who was exciting, sexy, temporarily changing her life.
When she withdrew, his breathing was as ragged as hers. He stared at her as if he had never seen her before, his gaze roaming over her features while he combed his hand through her hair. “You’ll continue to spend time with her tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Yes, but I’ve really learned what I wanted to know—who would make the best tutor for her. I told her you might take us to a bookstore and she can pick out some books.”
“Sounds great. I should go tell Rosalyn that she can have another day off, so if she wants to make plans this evening, she can. I’ll be right back.”
He left and she watched him go, looking at his long legs, remembering him in his swimsuit and thinking about his kisses. Tonight was the last night with him—a good thing. No one-night stands, either. It would take her a long time to forget him and his niece. She was going to miss Caroline. The little girl in her quiet way was lovable.
In minutes Will was back. “She’s glad for another day to catch up on some things, so everyone is happy and I’m sure Caroline will be.” He sat close on the sofa again. “Want anything to drink? Tea, pop, wine, beer, milk, margaritas, rum… I have a full bar.”
“A glass of iced tea would be good,” she said, standing to go to the kitchen with him. She watched as he fixed her a tall glass, gave her some sliced lemon and got out a cold beer for himself. He motioned toward a sofa in the far side of the kitchen where there was an adjoining sitting room.
When she sat on the sofa, Will sat close beside her. He raised his drink. “Here’s to miracles.”
She smiled patiently and touched his glass with hers. “Something to dream about.”
“No dream today. I told you—you have no idea what we’ve gone through with none of the experts getting that much reaction from her.”
“Now that I’ve met Caroline, I plan to contact Becky first because she’s the best choice as tutor. She’s free for the rest of the summer and she lives in driving distance of Dallas so she can stay or drive back and forth, either one. Now I can tell Becky more about Caroline and know what I’m talking about. I think you’ll like Becky.”
“Ava, I’ve thought over who I want to hire,” he said, setting his beer on a coaster on the
