Lone Star Legacy

“You barely know me or what I do or how I am.”

“I’m beginning to know you, and I know that much about you already,” he whispered, showering kisses on her temple and cheek, brushing them lightly across her lips. She closed her eyes and in seconds they kissed again until she stopped him.

“I have to say goodbye now, Will. I’ll see you a week from Sunday afternoon.”

He smiled at her, running his fingers lightly on her throat. “See you at three next Sunday.”

She watched him climb back into the limo and leave. Dazed, she moved through her condo, feeling as if she had been caught up in a whirlwind and now dropped back to earth.

She got out her iPad to check her calendar and begin listing what she needed to do before she saw Will again on Sunday. Then she sent a text to her sister. In an hour, Trinity was at the door.

“Tell me what you’re doing and where you’ve been and about William Delaney!” Trinity exclaimed, rushing inside, her sandy curls bouncing. “I brought pizza,” she said, waving boxes with enticing smells.

“It’s good to see you and to be home,” Ava said, smiling, knowing an explosion was coming. “What would you like to drink?” She headed to her small kitchen while Trinity followed and set the pizzas on the table.

“Water. I have veggie blast and artichoke, basil and onion pizza.”

“Thanks. Let me pay you.”

“My treat, and you talk. What’s he like? Does he look like his pictures? Does he have a woman in his life? Is he nice?”

Ava laughed. “Trinity, slow down. One question at a time. He’s nicer than I thought he would be. He is more handsome than his pictures,” she said, remembering his kisses. “As far as I know there’s no woman in his life right now, but I really don’t know for sure. He was nice. He has a little niece whose dad was killed in a plane crash, and he’s worried about her because she’s sort of closed off the world.”

“That’s dreadful and sad,” Trinity said, her smile vanishing. “How old is she?”

“Five.” Ava set two glasses of water on the table and told Trinity about Caroline’s situation.

Trinity looked horrified. “Poor little thing. So is he going to interview the tutors you recommended?”

Ava braced herself. “No. He’s hired me for the summer to work with her.”

“You’re going to work for him and give up all your plans?” Trinity asked, her eyebrows arching as she stared at Ava.

“Yes. He gave me an incentive.”

Trinity squinted her eyes and tilted her head to study her sister. “You didn’t fall in love with him, did you?”

“Of course, not,” Ava snapped, while a twinge of guilt about the kisses she’d shared with him plagued her. “He made an offer I really couldn’t refuse.” She withdrew the piece of paper from her purse. “You might want to sit before you read it,” she added, bracing again for her sister’s reaction.

With one more long look at Ava, Trinity took the paper to read. Her mouth dropped open and she looked up at Ava. “Is this real?”

“Very. I’ll have money for my dream and be able to help you and Summer through school.”

Trinity looked at the paper again and read it aloud, suddenly screaming as she jumped up and down.

Ava smiled and held out her hand. “Now you see why I postponed my plans until fall. Give me back my paper. I want to keep it.”

To Ava’s amusement, Trinity reacted in typical fashion and it was an hour before she calmed. They called their youngest sister, Summer, to tell her the change in Ava’s plans, and then Ava spent the next several hours with Trinity. The only topics of discussion were Will, Caroline and summer plans.

It was almost nine before Trinity left. Ava felt wound up, filled with excitement, trying to ignore the constant simmering prospect of spending the summer with Will Delaney. To tell someone else about Will’s offer, actually show Trinity the amount written by Will, made it seem slightly more real.

At ten, a violin rendition of a Strauss waltz played faintly and she rushed to answer her cell phone to hear Will’s voice.

“Did I call too late?”

“Of course not,” she answered, her pulse speeding simply over the sound of his voice. She sat in a cherrywood rocker, rocking slightly. “My sister Trinity just left a little while ago. She’s very excited about my new job and we called our youngest sister and told her.”

“I hope they’re happy about it.”

“That’s a huge understatement. It’s a wonder you didn’t hear Trinity screaming for joy.”

He chuckled. “I told Caroline. In her own quiet way I think she’s pleased.”

“I’m sure she didn’t say anything.”

“No, but I got a little response because she nodded. That’s more than I usually get, so I took that as a positive sign. She also gave me a long look and I think that was another affirmation.”

“I hope so.” She thought about the little girl and grew somber after the evening with Trinity.

“We already miss you being here” he said in a deeper tone of voice that caused another flurry to her heartbeat.

“I’ll be back soon enough.”

“No, not soon enough. If you wind things up there sooner, give me a call and I’ll send someone to get you earlier. If I can do anything to help you move, let me know.”

“Thank you. It’s just a matter of putting things on hold for the summer.”

“Are there really no guys to say goodbye to?”

“There are really no guys,” she said, smiling. “I meant what I said about that.”

“You’ve been shut out of life long enough.”

“That doesn’t go with the job, remember?”

“This is entirely separate from that. If you’d turned me down on my offer, we would still be having this part of the conversation.”

“Stop flirting and getting personal,” she said, trying to sound good-natured about it, but meaning what she said. “You make it difficult because you’re now my boss, so it’s a little strange to tell you what to do.”

“Then don’t.” She detected the laughter in his tone. “You know I could send someone to help you with the arrangements you have to make.”

“Thanks, but I’ll take care of things here myself,” she said, amused that he would try to take charge of what she was involved in at home.

“Some weekend soon, I’ll fly your sisters here so I can meet them and they can meet Caroline and see where you live and work.”

“They would love that,” she said. “We’re not much alike. I’ll warn you now, Trinity is a little dramatic.”

“She didn’t get that from her older sister.”

“You don’t know me well enough to decide whether I’m dramatic or not.”

“I think I do. I’m not much like my brothers, either.”

They talked easily about their families, and when she glanced at the clock, she was surprised an hour had gone by. “Will, we should end this conversation. Do you realize how late it is? I need to get up early in the morning.”

“I’m enjoying the company. It’s worth losing some sleep.”

“Stop it. I’m saying good-night now. Good night, Will.”

“Good night, Ava. I’d rather kiss you than say farewell,” he said in a husky voice.

Her heart beat faster. All summer with him; he could derail her dreams even more if she wasn’t careful. She inhaled deeply. She had no intention of letting him do that no matter how appealing the man was. Or what he offered her, because he had already promised enough that she could afford to turn him down in the future. Half a million was a fortune beyond her dreams. The wealth would give her independence to do as she pleased about some facets in her life, including Will Delaney.

“Thank you, Will,” she said, remembering his dark gaze on her, trying to avoid thinking about his kisses or his sexy voice as he told her goodbye on the phone.

Will Delaney had just opened a whole new world for her.

Smiling, Will shut off his phone. Before he set it down a tune began to play. He answered the call to hear his brother Zach’s voice.

“Had a moment and thought I’d check with you. I’m in the L.A. airport, but I won’t be coming home. I’m on my way from Australia to Winnipeg. Any luck with tutors for Caroline?”

“Actually, I’ve hired the teacher who gave me recommendations. I wanted to get to know her better, and then when she was here, Caroline responded to her in a small way.”

“If Caroline responded in the least, it’s worth a try. Don’t blame you.”

“Caroline asked Ava if she hurt. Ava is a widow.”

“I’ll be damned,” Zach said. “Caroline hasn’t said a word to me since she lost her dad. That’s something.”

“It’s a small thing, but I’m willing to take it. I just have a feeling about this, and with Caroline asking Ava a question—I couldn’t let that go.”

“Hell, no, you couldn’t. That’s amazing. A widow. That’s nice for Caroline. Our mother isn’t grandma material and our stepmother has never been interested in Caroline.”

“Zach, Ava isn’t exactly grandma material, either. She’s twenty-eight. Widowed in college. They married before they graduated. She doesn’t date though.”

“Okay. I assume she’s good-looking.”

“Good-looking wouldn’t have mattered if I hadn’t thought she’d help.”

“I know. Well, that’s good news. I’ll pray for Adam’s dear Caroline and this tutor. What’s her name?”

“Ava Barton.”

“I’ll meet her next time I’m home. Whenever that may be. Let me know how things go. When does she start work?”

“Next Monday.”

“Good deal. And good job, Will. Hey, they’re calling my flight.”

“So long, Zach. Take care.” Will broke the connection, staring into space, but lost in thought about Ava.

After a busy week, Ava wound everything up by Saturday. She’d taken Trinity for a goodbye dinner, then woke up early and excited on Sunday. She dressed with care, in blue linen slacks and a matching shirt, and wound her hair into a bun, fastening it with a clip. She made some last-minute phone calls, did some research and waited for Will.

Promptly at 3:00 p.m. her doorbell rang.

When she opened the door, her breath caught. Tall and handsome, Will smiled at her and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His brown eyes swept over her, stirring tingles. The impact of seeing him was greater than ever, and she locked her fingers behind her back.

“Hi. You look gorgeous,” he said in a husky voice.

“Thank you. Is it possible for you to keep this a purely business arrangement?” she asked, hating the breathless sound of her voice.

“No,” he said, smiling at her, an irresistible smile showing snow-white teeth and creases bracketing his mouth. “I don’t think it is for you, either, only you won’t admit it. I’ll bet your pulse is racing right now because, all business aside, we react to each other.” He reached out to place his fingers lightly on her throat to feel her pulse. She twisted away from him.

“You’ve proven your point,” she remarked dryly. “I’m ready.” She turned to pick up her things, but he stepped past her to shoulder the carry-on and gather her other bags.

She locked up, and when they stepped out, the chauffeur standing by the limousine came forward quickly to take her luggage.

“I’m glad to get you back to Dallas.”

She smiled at him. “So I might as well save my breath on telling you to keep all this impersonal?”

“Now you’re catching on. If you didn’t react to my flirting and remarks and kisses, I would back off, but you do respond.” He leaned down by her ear. “You set me on fire with your responses.”

“Stubborn, stubborn,” she said before stepping into the limo.

Looking relaxed, Will sat facing her.

“Rosalyn is with Caroline until we get home. Then she is taking tonight off. Tomorrow I’ll be home since it’s your first day. Did you get everything taken care of to your satisfaction?”

“Yes. With money in the bank, it gets easier.”

Will nodded. “Good. I don’t want you to have any regrets. Far from it. We’ll be home in no time.”

In what seemed a short flight to Ava, they landed at Love Field in Dallas. As soon as they were in his mansion, Will turned to her. “I’ll have your things put away.”

“Thanks, Will. Where is Caroline? I’d like to say hello to her.”

“She’s probably upstairs with Rosalyn.” They headed upstairs, and he knocked lightly on Caroline’s door. She sat on the floor playing with dolls and her small brown bear. Rosalyn sat nearby with a book in her hands. Caroline stood up, her gaze on Will although she gave Ava one brief glance.

“How’s my girl?” Will asked, picking her up to hug her and kiss her on the cheek. He turned to Ava. “Looks who’s here. She’ll be staying with us now for the summer.”

When Caroline’s eyes widened, Ava took it for a hopeful sign. She had uncustomary butterflies in her stomach over trying to help Caroline, yet she was hopeful she could do so even in a tiny degree.

Five

“Hi, Caroline,” Ava said, and without waiting for an answer she turned to Rosalyn. “It’s nice to see you, Rosalyn. Will, I’ll go to my room to freshen up and then I’ll go downstairs.”

She turned and left, trying to keep things low-key with Caroline. She knew the child would have to come to her, not the other way around.

She unpacked, giving Will time with his niece. After an hour, she went downstairs to look for him. She finally spotted them outside in the sparkling pool.

Declining to join them, she sat near the pool and watched Will with Caroline. Finally he swam a lap and then climbed out.

Ava drew a deep breath as her gaze ran over his muscled body and the thick mat of dark chest hair that tapered in a narrow line to disappear below his black swim trunks. Her mouth went dry and she could not keep from looking at his broad chest, lean body, long legs. He was tanned, fit and handsome. He raked his wavy black hair back from his face, wrapped the towel around his middle and strolled over to pull a chair close to her. “You should have joined us.”

“I will some other time. Caroline seems to enjoy herself.”

“She loves to swim. It’s easy to tell that she likes the water. She always has, and learned to swim early. My brother Adam swam with her all the time.”

“You said you were closest to your older brother.”

“Yes. I’m getting closer to Zach. There’s a big age gap between Ryan and me. We’re not as close and we have different interests.”

“I’m closer to Trinity, but that’s because of age. Now that she’s in college, I’m getting closer to Summer. Summer is the one who will be the teacher so we’ll probably become even closer later.”

All the time Will talked, he kept his attention on Caroline, as did Ava just out of habit from watching kids at school and on playgrounds. One time Caroline went under; when she didn’t bob right up, Will was almost in the pool before she popped up, splashing and obviously enjoying herself. While he paused at the edge of the pool to talk to her, she splashed around. She played with a ball, and after a few minutes, Will returned to his chair.

“She does that sometimes. It always scares me. So far, I’ve never had to pull her out, but she still scares me.”

“Better to be safe,” Ava said. “How long will she stay in?”

“Probably until I get her out. She loves the water. I told Rosalyn to keep a close eye on her because I always worry about her wandering off and going in without anyone watching. She’s getting big enough now it’s not the worry it was. When we’re not in the pool, we keep the gate locked on the surrounding fence. The gate helps, but I travel, and when I’m away, I don’t want to worry about something happening to her.”

“I don’t blame you,” she said. “I can see why your brother appointed you guardian.”

“I had the gate put up before I became her guardian, way back before she was toddling around. I couldn’t bear to have anything happen to her.”

“That’s good, Will,” she said, thinking it was one more facet of Will Delaney that she had to admire. Her gaze ran over his broad, bare shoulders that had dried. His black hair was still wet.

“I’m going to get her out and start dinner. I’m grilling tonight.”

She smiled. “I’ll watch her so she can stay longer.”

“Okay,” he said, walking away while her gaze raked over his wide shoulders, down his long legs briefly before she turned her full attention to Caroline. Pulling her chair closer to the edge of the pool, she sat watching Caroline, who swam to the edge and gazed back solemnly.

“You’re a good swimmer,” Ava said.

Caroline blinked and swam away and continued playing and splashing. Playing, she looked as happy as any other kid, and it made Ava hurt for her.

Finally Will returned to check on food in an outdoor oven. He walked over to the edge of the pool. “Time, sweetie. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Leave on your swimsuit. After you dry, you can pull on a T-shirt and shorts.”

Caroline climbed out and in minutes she had on a T-shirt and shorts. Slipping on flip-flops, she picked up the small brown teddy bear.

Will held out his hand. “Come over here while I cook. Ava, want to join us?”

She sat near them, aware of Will talking to Caroline, smiling at her, and Caroline gazing back gravely at him.

Through dinner Will talked about trips Caroline had taken to Disney World, things she had seen and managed to include her even though she never said a word.

“You’re a talented man,” Ava said. “This is a delicious steak.”

“Thanks. I’ve had a good teacher. It’s not Caroline’s favorite, so soon we’ll have fried chicken, which is what she prefers. But we’re not eating a steady diet of drumsticks,” he said, smiling at Caroline.

When dinner was over they moved to the edge of the pool while Caroline went back into the water.

“You’re good with her all the time,” Ava said.

“Maybe. I haven’t been able to break through that wall she keeps around herself.”

“Has she ever talked to you?”

“Other than ‘thank you’ and ‘please,’ very rarely. And that was when I first got her. Most of the time it was telling me she wanted her daddy. That’s heartbreaking.”

“Yes, it is,” Ava agreed, watching Caroline splash in the shallow end of the pool. “To watch her now, she looks like any kid having a good time.”

“That’s why I think swimming may be good for her. It’s exercise and may relieve tension in a kid as much as it does in an adult. It’s a healthy, normal activity.”

“You’re paying me way too much, you know,” Ava said.

His dark gaze shifted to meet hers. “If you can bring her out of this, it will be worth every penny.”

“There are definitely no guarantees.”

“I never asked for any,” he replied, turning to watch Caroline again.

Later, Ava went to unpack while Will took Caroline to bed. It was a couple of hours later when she heard a light knock on her door and she opened it to find Will.

“Caroline’s fast asleep and Rosalyn is here. Take a break, come have a drink with me—we have everything from milk and cookies to fizzy drinks to wine or cocktails. We can talk about the coming week.”

“For a short time,” she said, pushing her door wide and stepping into the hall with him. They got tall glasses of iced tea and sat on the veranda. Will pulled a chair close to hers. “I’ll be in Los Angeles this week. You have my cell number. I’ll leave you my secretary’s number because she knows my schedule. You can always get me on my cell. I’ll call during the day and in the evening.”

“Fine. I can’t imagine needing you, and if it’s something with Caroline, Rosalyn will be here.”

“Yes, she will. She can be quiet and blend into the background so she doesn’t intrude. With the staff here, meals will be prepared so you don’t have to worry about anything beyond Caroline. If there are any books you want to get for her, go ahead. Charge them to this card,” he said, withdrawing a credit card from his billfold.

She took it, tucking it into a pocket. “Thank you. Right now, I have plenty of my own material I can use.”

“After the past week and the coming week of staying here and working with Caroline every day, my guess is that by this weekend, you might enjoy an evening out. How about Saturday night?”

Saturday night out with Will Delaney sounded wonderful, but it meant getting sidetracked from the plans for her future even more. He grew more tempting daily and the risk of an affair was constant. Any affair for her would involve her heart and later, it would mean heartbreak, because Will would end it. Yet how tempting it was to think about Saturday night with him.

“I haven’t changed my mind about keeping this job separate from my private life. I’m here to work with Caroline. That’s all.” The words came out automatically, but it hurt to refuse.

He leaned closer, placing his hands on the chair arms on either side of her, hemming her in. Only inches away, his dark eyes consumed her. It was difficult to get her breath and her pulse raced. “You’re scared of life.”

“You got your way about this summer. Stop while you’re ahead. I’ve already explained to you, I don’t want to get tied up emotionally with someone.” She could barely get her breath to talk. “The minute Caroline goes to kindergarten in the fall, I will go back to my plans for my school. Particularly now that I have funds. I’m not getting distracted from my goals. I’m going to achieve what I’ve always dreamed about. And I’m not having a short affair with you, which is what dinner would lead to. Thank you, but we’re not going out to dinner.” Her voice was breathless and she was beginning to lose her train of thought and get lost in his dark eyes. He was too close, too appealing, too persistent. “We need to keep this a professional relationship. Treat me the same way you do Rosalyn or Edwina,” she added.

“That’s not at all the same thing and you know it. I’d be asking this if you hadn’t come to work for me. You’re scared to live again. One dinner and dancing isn’t that big a deal. It’s not an affair.”

“You know that’s not all you’re asking for. It’s a distraction I don’t need,” she whispered while he focused on her mouth.

“You’re a distraction I do need,” he replied, leaning close to cover her mouth with his.

Desire blazed in her. While her pulse roared in her ears, her heart pounded. His arm slipped around her waist then tightened before he lifted her to his lap and settled her against his shoulder. His kisses awakened responses unfelt in years. Heat and need grew vital. His boldness consumed her caution as her resistance crumbled.

The distant moan was her own voice, dim in her ears. He held her tightly while she had her hands against his chest.

When he raised his head slightly, she opened her eyes. Dazed, she wanted to pull him back to kiss her again.

“You’re ready for a night out. Go out with me Saturday night—you’re not making any kind of commitment beyond joining me for dinner away from here instead of eating the way we usually do.”

She slid her arm around his neck. “Yes,” she whispered, pulling his head down to kiss him again.

Surprise flared in his dark eyes before he kissed her. Relishing their kisses, she closed her eyes. From head to toe she tingled while heat pooled low in her body and an ache built.

Desire spiraled, burning hotly. Ava ran her hand over his broad shoulder, down over his chest while he caressed her nape. Slipping his hand down her back, he pulled her shirt free from her slacks. His warm hand caressed her bare back. Sitting up, she slid off his lap to return to her chair.

“You agreed to go out Saturday,” he reminded her and she nodded. She had gone against her own good judgment and plans. Even so, excitement hummed and she couldn’t take back her agreement. Just one Saturday night dinner. A few kisses. Nothing more—she could do that without heartbreak.

“Are you in contact at all with Caroline when you’re away?”

“Yes. Since we have Skype, I call her daily. She is as silent as when I talk to her in person, but with Skype we’re face-to-face.”

“That’s good to keep the contact and let her know you’re interested.”

“For the first time since I became her guardian, I feel better about everything concerning her.”