Adam. Sort of ‘why are you here and my daddy isn’t’.”
“I don’t think so. She’s just got it all locked inside.”
“Well, I want to do what I can. Let me help pay this Ava Barton. If she gets through to Caroline, it’ll be worth every penny. Ryan will help, too. I’ll talk to him.”
“No need. Zach, I can afford to pay her. We all can. From what Dad told us, we’re inheriting more. But thanks. I appreciate both of you being willing to help. Makes me feel good to know I can rely on you in a crunch.”
“I probably ought to be the one footing the whole bill. You have full responsibility for Caroline, and Ryan stepped up and agreed to let you name him guardian in case something happens to you. I need to do something.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you if I need anything.”
“Well, I’d like to meet Ava and thank her. Glad to hear you’re not getting too close to her because that could complicate your life and her dealings with Caroline. And glad she doesn’t have her eye on you for marriage material. Not that it would do any good, but it could mess up the deal for Caroline.”
“She doesn’t remotely have her eye on me. She keeps trying to hold me at arm’s length most of the time.”
Zach paused as he started to sip ice water. “Most of the time?”
“Stop worrying. She’s absolutely wrapped up in her plans to open a school, and now she’s making enough money to do so. She has no serious interest in me nor do I in her. She is special, though, and I want to get to know her. She’s intelligent, gorgeous and ambitious—I find that irresistible.”
“I believe you do,” Zach said, studying him. “Okay. How’s Garrett? Still acting as your right-hand man?”
“Same as ever. One beautiful woman after another with him. Will you be here for the reading of Dad’s will?”
“Yep. As soon as we know the date. It’ll be good to be together even if it’s for an occasion like that.”
They paused in their conversation while their hamburgers were delivered and then resumed talking about business, baseball and the coming football season.
With a glance at his watch, Zach stood. “Gotta go. It’s time.”
Will stood. “I’ll head back to the office. Mom called me to tell me she’s coming for the reading of the will. I don’t know how she’ll act with Caroline. Mom isn’t the soul of tact with small children.”
“Keep them apart. That’ll suit our mother,” Zach replied.
“Yep, it will.”
“Just another reminder why none of us wants to ever get married. Adam’s wife, our mother… Delaney men are not meant to marry,” Zach stated. He offered his hand to shake Will’s. “See you soon.”
“Sure, Zach.”
The brothers parted for their cars. Will climbed into his and headed to his office, his thoughts on Ava and the evening.
Will had told Ava he would be in town all week and home by five each day. To her surprise, he arrived at half past four—while she and Caroline were in the pool. Had she complicated her own life by asking him to be home with Caroline more than he had been in the past?
He changed to swim trunks and returned to join them. The minute he swam close, Ava treaded water. “Since you’re here, I think I’ll turn her over to you so you two can do a little bonding. I’ll get dressed and see you over dinner.”
“So no hope of talking you into staying with us awhile?” he asked while Caroline splashed at the far end of the pool.
“Not unless you really need me to be here. I would like to get dressed.”
“Go ahead. I’m here now,” he said, causing her to speculate if he thought she meant she was tired of being with Caroline.
“I think it will be good for her to get your undivided attention for a while. This is a chance for the two of you to have a stronger bond.”
“Sure, sure. I’d like to have a stronger bond with you.”
“No, you wouldn’t really. You aren’t interested in any strong bond, any more than I am. We both have other plans for our futures.”
“I didn’t mean a marriage bond.”
She laughed. “I know you didn’t. You’ve made that clear. I must not have made it clear how I feel.”
“Yes, you have, but you’re shutting yourself away from excitement and real living.”
“And you’re willing to provide it all.”
“You’ve made your point. I’ll make mine later. Come back out and join us. She’ll like having you around.”
She smiled at him and swam away to climb out, looking back over her shoulder when she picked up her towel to find him in the same spot, still watching her. She wrapped her towel around her, picked up her T-shirt and headed inside. At the door, she glanced back again to see him playing with Caroline.
Dinner was relaxed, with Caroline saying nothing, yet she was eating better than Ava had seen her eat before. The small brown bear Ava had given her was on a nearby chair.
“Caroline, I want to show you something,” Will said. He got up and left the table to return with a folder in his hand. “We thought you might like to have a puppy.”
Caroline’s eyes opened wide as she gazed at him.
“I brought some pictures of different breeds of dogs. Look at these,” Will said, spreading them on the table. “See if you like one in particular.”
“Caroline, they’re so cute,” Ava said, looking at the pictures.
Will told her the various breeds and mixes, pointing to each of six pictures. “Do you see one you like better than the others?”
Caroline sat quietly studying the pictures, picking up first one picture and then another. She turned a picture over and in a moment she turned the second over to place on top of it. Will sat patiently waiting, as quiet as his niece.
“Will, they are adorable puppies,” Ava said, looking at two that were so cute she couldn’t imagine Caroline wouldn’t pick one of them.
Will nodded. “What puppy isn’t cute?”
Caroline picked up one picture, studying it intently. She held it out to Will. “I want this one,” she said softly.
He flicked a glance at Ava and she could see his joy that Caroline had spoken to him.
“Then I will get you a puppy like that one,” he said, putting down the picture, which Caroline picked up and studied. “Caroline, the puppy is a bichon. That’s what kind it is and why it looks like it does. The little papillon has that name because papillon is French for butterfly, and that puppy has butterfly-shaped ears. Its ears
