her job would be over and now, thanks to him, she was financially independent. She would go out of their lives. He needed to talk to her about how that would affect Caroline. And he didn’t want her to leave, either.
Finally dressed and ready, he headed to Caroline’s room. When he stepped inside, Ava sat on the floor with the girl. Ava’s hair was caught behind her head in a clip and she wore a simple sundress and sandals. He ached to go pick her up, carry her back to his room and peel her out of the dress.
Desire burned and he clenched his fist, trying to think of something else. Muffy ran up to greet him and he gave the dog a perfunctory pat. “Good morning,” he said, his voice deeper, with a husky note he couldn’t keep out.
Caroline smiled at him. “We’re playing a game before we read.”
Ava smiled. She looked cool, remote and he wondered if she was happy living away from his place.
“You look very nice,” she said. “Are you on your way to the attorney’s?”
“Yes. Zach and Ryan will come back with me and stay tonight. Garrett will join us for dinner. And Caroline can read for them. If you want to,” he added and she smiled and nodded.
“Good girl.” He walked over to pick her up, swinging her up in his arms and kissing her cheek. “You look very pretty this morning in your pink shirt and shorts. Muffy’s pink collar just matches.”
“Muffy had a bath yesterday and she smells good,” Caroline said.
“Good. I’m not picking up Muffy in my dark suit, though.”
Caroline laughed and he set her down, looking at Ava and meeting her gaze. Desire flared in her green eyes and his heart missed a beat. She was not as cool and remote as she appeared. His pulse speeded. “Will you stay for dinner with us and meet Ryan? He wants to meet you because of your work here.”
“Yes, thank you,” she said.
“Great,” he said. “I’ll leave you two to your fun. I’ll be home with the guys as soon as we can get loose.”
He left, his pulse beating faster. She still responded to him. Moving out hadn’t changed much except to make her less accessible. How could he get her back? And keep her here when summer ended? He wanted her back because he could see desire in her green eyes and she was as responsive as ever to him. She should try an affair—for all either one of them knew, it might lead to a long-term commitment. Affairs didn’t have to be short.
He swore under his breath. Reasonable or not, he wanted her back in his house and in his bed at night. He missed her in too many ways. He missed holding and kissing her. He missed talking to her. He missed her teasing and laughter. Her concern for Caroline.
“Damnit, Ava,” he said in his empty car, “come back home to me.”
At twenty minutes before two, Will reached the attorney’s office. He was greeted by the receptionist and shown to a room where he could wait. In minutes both Zach and Ryan arrived. He shook hands first with Zach and then turned to his youngest brother, whose dark looks most resembled his own.
“It’s good to see you both. The others should arrive anytime now.”
“I saw a limo pulling up as we walked into the building,” Zach said.
“It could be Mom or it could be Lauren,” Ryan added.
“It’s probably Mom,” Will said.
Zach studied Will. “What the hell’s happened to you, Will? Business deal gone sour?”
“Not at all. What are you talking about?”
“You look like hell,” he said, and Ryan laughed.
“He’s kind of right,” Ryan said, tilting his head to look at his older brother.
“I’m fine, and thanks for the notice that I look like hell.”
Zach continued to stare at Will. “How’s the teacher doing?”
“Fine. She’ll be there tonight for dinner.”
“She lives there, this summer, doesn’t she?” Ryan asked.
“She did. She’s there all day. She has a nearby condo.”
“Since when? She was living there the last I heard,” Zach said, still studying his brother.
“Since a few weeks ago,” Will said, tiring of the stares and questions. “End of subject.”
“I’ll be damned,” Zach said. “When I was at your house, I recall you telling me about flying her to dinner on your yacht.”
“That was a thank-you for what she has done with Caroline,” he answered. “Here’s Garrett,” Will said with relief, turning to extend his hand to his right-hand man. The four tall men stood quietly talking until a short blonde woman swept into the room.
Will marveled again that she was his mother. He could see little physical resemblance in any of them to her. Short with a lush figure and small waist, Lois Sanderson had platinum-blond hair. Her turquoise eyes had not been inherited by any of them, either. She had married twice since their father, but with no children in any other marriage.
“Mother,” he said, kissing her offered cheek.
His brothers obediently did the same.
As Garrett greeted her, a man they didn’t know entered the room and stood off to one side. He merely nodded at them.
“Your granddaughter is growing,” Will said to his mother.
“Ah, Caroline. I’m sorry I won’t be able to see her this trip. Perhaps the next one.”
“She’ll start kindergarten in September.”
“I always send her cards on holidays, presents on her birthday. I believe she is five now.”
Will kept a smile, but he could only feel annoyance that his mother had so little interest in her granddaughter. He exchanged a look with Zach that obviously conveyed Zach’s ire.
Shortly a white-haired man entered, accompanied by two younger men who bore faint resemblances to Will and Ryan: Will’s uncle and cousins.
The door to an inner office opened and a man stepped out. “Would all of you like to come in.”
They entered a room with chairs set up facing a desk. They took their seats, their mother in the front row with their uncle beside her and his sons beside him.
Will, his brothers and Garrett sat on the next row behind her.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Zach stated. “I’m ready for that swim and juicy steaks tonight.”
More cousins filed into the back of the room and sat. Shortly, Grady Gibson, their father’s tall, thin attorney, entered and greeted each one of them, moving around the room before going to the front to start.
“We’ll
