or they’d come pelting out, and no doubt, tell the entire class about it tomorrow.
When they’d finished and he’d kissed them both, he said, “I have a colleague arriving in a while to discuss some business. I’m going to close the bedroom door and the hall door so we won’t disturb you, okay?”
The little girls nodded uncertainly.
“No fair interrupting,” he said. “You both need your sleep. If you stay up late, I might have to keep you home from school tomorrow.”
Horror showed on India’s face. Diane wrung her hands dramatically. “Oh, no, Daddy!”
He hadn’t expected his threat to cause such alarm. “Go to sleep. You’ll be fine in the morning.”
They dove under the covers. After stepping out, Will stood in the hallway listening and was amazed to hear none of the usual chortling and whispering. He wondered how many kids were afraid of being kept home. Only ones who loved their teachers, or who loved learning, as he had.
In the living room, he took out a stack of medical journals. The field of obstetrics changed rapidly.
When the bell rang at eight, Will gave a start. He hadn’t read a single word of the article in front of him. He’d been too busy rehearsing what to say to Leah.
The effort was a waste of time. As he hurried to answer, he discovered he’d forgotten every word he’d planned.
When he opened the door, Will simply stood for a moment, enjoying the sight of long, shiny black hair and velvet-smooth skin. He got a physical buzz even stronger than he’d experienced at the bar, because now he knew how delicious Leah’s lips would feel beneath his and how her body could tantalize him.
He took a tight grip on his musings, and got the impression she was doing the same. “Miss Morris,” he said. “How punctual.”
“We both want to get this over with, I presume,” she replied coolly.
Will ushered her into the living room. The hard contours of the room softened around her. “Care for a drink?”
“No, thanks.” Leah wore a light-blue dress, belted at the waist and covered with cornflowers that seemed to emit a delicate fragrance. “I brought you something. Are the girls around?” She reached for her handbag.
“They’re in bed. I told them I was expecting a colleague.” He nearly touched her waist to guide her toward a chair but stopped in time.
“Good. I don’t want them involved in…whatever we have to discuss. But I’m sure they’ll enjoy these.”
From her purse, she produced two photographs. One showed India and Nick proudly carrying trays of snacks to their classmates. In the other was Diane pushing the red-haired girl in a swing.
She’d captured both children in moments of uninhibited animation. From his own frustrating attempts with a camera, Will knew how much sensitivity that required.
“I take shots of all the children on their first day,” Leah said. “Usually, I give them out at parent conferences, but I printed yours early.”
“I’ll treasure these.” No exaggeration required. “I should have brought a camera with me this morning.”
After Eileen had started to work for him, she’d rescued the girls’ photos and drawings from assorted boxes and drawers and assembled them into a family scrapbook. Will planned to add to it regularly.
“It’s more important to experience life than to record it.” Leah remained standing, shaking her head when Will gestured toward the couch. “Some parents are so busy viewing everything through a lens that they become emotionally isolated.”
Will remembered the father with the video camera, but didn’t bother to mention him. Instead, hoping to break the ice, he said, “My housekeeper left a coffee cake in the fridge. Would you care for some?”
“No, thanks.”
“At least, sit down,” he blurted.
“We’re not going to pretend this is a social call, are we?” Leah regarded him skeptically. “We both know why I’m here.”
“So we can put this behind us.”
She folded her arms. “Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
The sarcasm raised Will’s guard. “Nice? I should think it’s essential.”
“Convenient, in any case,” Leah muttered.
Irritably, he realized she didn’t intend to simply shake hands on an agreement to keep silent. Then he remembered that he hadn’t yet apologized. “You have a right to be angry. I acted like a jerk.”
“Yes, you did.” Her taut stance eased by a fraction. For heaven’s sake, how had he transformed the welcoming, delightful lady from the Wayward Drummer into this tightly wound challenger?
“I’m sorry. I tend to be self-protective,” Will conceded. “A man in my position…”
“Which, as I recall, was with your pants around your ankles,” Leah quipped tartly.
Amusing as it was, the remark stung. “That’s true. However, knowing practically nothing about you, I had reason to be cautious. Under the circumstances, I believed you might turn out to be unstable.”
A wing of dark hair fell across her temple, partially obscuring her face. “Don’t insult me. You summed up your conduct just fine a moment ago.” She was evidently referring to the comment about acting like a jerk.
“We both screwed up.” Will considered. “May I be blunt?”
“Certainly.” The air in the living room crackled with renewed tension.
Will wished they could sit down and talk, but Leah still showed no inclination to get comfortable, so he forged ahead. “I moved here for a fresh start.”
“That’s why I went to Austin. Ironic, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “My divorce became final this summer and believe me, that marriage was a huge mistake, except for my little girls. I’m not ready for another relationship and I know it. Okay, I acted selfishly. I took what I needed, and you gave it. You have my thanks for that, but you made your own choice for what I presume are your own reasons. You have no right to hold me responsible.”
Her chin lifted. Will wished he weren’t tempted to cup it with one hand and soothe away the tiny distress lines crinkling her eyes.
For a moment, he thought he glimpsed something else in those depths. Disappointment, perhaps. And resolve. He got the sense that he’d missed some subtext to the conversation, but then, he’d never been particularly good at reading people.
“So that’s the bottom line?” Leah said. “You can’t be held responsible for anything, and you don’t want me intruding on your privacy?”
He didn’t like the way that sounded. Maybe he ought to suggest a compromise—perhaps that was what she’d hoped
