When Mom Meets Dad Read online

  She wasn't disappointed, she told herself, as she squeezed lemons to make a pitcher of lemonade.

  She was plucking the seeds from the lemon juice when a sharp rap at the back door startled her. A second later, Alex stood in her kitchen.

  "Sorry I'm late," he said with a crooked smile that she guessed was supposed to make up for his lack of consideration.

  "And just how late are you?"

  The tone of her voice made him frown. "I had an appointment with a couple working out a divorce settlement. It got complicated."

  "Too complicated for you to call?"

  "As a matter of fact, it was. I didn't want them going for each other's throats. And if I had excused myself to phone, I was afraid my client's husband's attorney would take advantage of my absence. Is there a problem?"

  "Yes. You didn't tell me you'd be this late."

  He looked around the kitchen, then at her attire--an old pair of shorts and a many-times washed top, and asked, "You had plans?"

  "That's not the point. Did you ever think Kristy might be worried?"

  "She knows I sometimes work irregular hours. She's used to it. I hope you didn't put irrational fears in her head."

  "Of course, I didn't. But here on out, if you want Kristy to stay here, I expect a call if you're going to be late."

  "Maybe you should reconsider your offer," he replied, his jaw tense, his attitude suggesting no one was going to tell him what to do.

  How had she gotten mixed up in this anyway? Because she'd wanted to be nice? Her niceness had encouraged her to believe her husband when he'd said he was going away on business, and it had also led her to accept his long work hours and minimal nights of intimacy. "Nice" meant not rocking the boat. It meant not arguing. It meant being taken advantage of.

  "Maybe I should reconsider." Wiping her hand on towel, she said, "I'll tell Kristy you're here."

  As she went through the doorway to the living room, she realized Kristy and Heather were sitting on the floor, playing a game they'd set up on the coffee table. She hoped they hadn't heard the exchange in the kitchen. It would be up to Alex to decide where his daughter would stay.

  ***

  "They were mad," Kristy said into the phone in a hushed voice on Saturday morning, worrying that her plan and Heather's to become real sisters might have gotten derailed. "I think Dad's looking for somewhere else for me to go."

  Ever since Heather had moved to Cedar Grove last summer they'd been soul-mates. She didn't want to stay anywhere else, and she wanted to see her dad and Mrs. Carson looking at each other like they had the night they were stuck on the Ferris wheel.

  "Mom hasn't said anything," Heather responded to her friend's anxious tone. "All we have to do is get them in the same place again. They like each other. I can tell. And I've told her how your dad takes you horseback riding and skating, and he's home every night. My dad was never around. Sometimes, he didn't even remember my birthday! Mom sent me a Christmas card last year with his name on it. She thinks I couldn't tell. But I could. I'd love having your father for a real dad."

  "And I'd love to have your mom for a real mom. I've never had one." She and Heather had talked often about being sisters and having two parents. With determination, Kristy added, "Your mom knows I want to be with you. Just tell her that again. And I'll tell Dad again what a great time I had with you and your mom."

  "Can you come over today?" Heather asked.

  "Nope. We're going over to Grandma's to check the house and water the plants, then Dad said something about driving to the mountains. But tomorrow I can get him to take me swimming. How about you?"

  "No problem."

  "Just look for the orange towel. If it rains, I'll call you and we'll think of something else. We'll fix it. We'll get them liking each other again."

  ***

  Half of the population of Cedar Grove seemed to gather at the community pool on hot Sunday afternoons. Amanda and Heather emerged from the women's dressing area, their duffel bags in hand, and looked for a spot to sunbathe.

  Heather pointed to a narrow area of grass next to an orange towel. "Over there, Mom." After she ran ahead, she plopped down her bag and spread out her towel.

  Amanda threaded her way across the grass with more care than Heather. Dropping her duffel bag, she flicked open her towel to lay edge to edge with her daughter's.

  Settling on the terry-cloth, she found her sunscreen in her bag and poured some into her hand. When she noticed Heather doing the same, she rubbed it onto her legs.

  "Uh...Mom?"

  Amanda looked over at her daughter and saw the man standing behind her. The one person she hadn't expected to see. The one person she didn't want to see. Especially the way he was dressed. Rather, wasn't dressed. His red swim trunks left nothing to her imagination. And all that tan skin--

  "Hello, Amanda."

  She nodded, "Alex," then decided more explanation was in order. "I didn't know that was your towel."

  "I guess you didn't," he replied.

  The drops of water nestled in his chest hair glistened in the sun. She couldn't help but be fascinated by it, by his flat stomach, by...

  "Mom, we're gonna swim. See you in a bit," her daughter informed her as she jumped up.

  "Be careful," Amanda warned. Even though the life guard kept a close watch, she usually kept an eye on her daughter herself.

  "You, too, Kristy," Alex called as the girls hurried to the pool.

  Left alone with Alex, Amanda focused her attention on applying sunscreen to her arms. Peeking at him, she watched as he sat on his towel and took an e-reader from his carry-all. He seemed oblivious to her presence. She could pretend he wasn't there just as well.

  But when she fished in her bag for a mystery novel she'd tucked in, she knew he was watching her. When she raised her head, their eyes met. Alex didn't look away.

  The sun beat down on Amanda's head, but that heat she didn't seem to mind. Aware of the cleavage her one piece black suit allowed, the French cut legs, and the way Alex's eyes slowly traveled over her, she could only manage one coherent thought and spoke it aloud. "I'm going to cool off with the girls."

  The flick of his brow was his only response.

  Summoning up every shred of composure inside her, she stood and walked to the pool, sensing Alex watched every ripple of her fanny as she moved. Damn the man for making her feel so self-conscious.

  Once in the water, she relaxed. It was cold but felt great on her hot skin. She found an open stretch of water and dove underneath, coming back up to swim a few strokes. After swimming back and forth a few times, she looked around for the girls. To her dismay, she spotted Alex playing pitch and catch with them with a small sponge ball. Just dandy!

  Heather and Kristy motioned to her to join in the game. She couldn't refuse without a good reason and she didn't have one. She couldn't tell Kristy, "I don't want to be around your dad because he makes my skin tingle," nor could she admit to her own daughter that in some ways, Alex Woodsides reminded her of Heather's father. Not that her ex-husband had ever shown the kind of caring with Heather that Alex obviously felt for Kristy.

  Wading over to her daughter, she plastered on a smile. Before she'd stopped, Kristy tossed the ball. "Catch, Mrs. Carson!"

  Instinctively, Amanda raised her hands, and the ball smacked into her palm.

  "Good catch, Mom. Let's get it going really fast."

  After a feigned toss to Kristy, Amanda instead threw it hard at Alex. But he must have expected her ploy because he was on guard and had no problem catching it. The swiftness with which he pitched it back threw her off balance, but she managed to catch it and pass it to her daughter.

  The tosses came faster, the ball hit the water harder, and Amanda had to dive for Kristy's last throw. But apparently Alex thought his daughter had aimed at him because he went after the ball at the same time. Amanda first felt the impact of a hard shoulder against hers. Coming to the surface quickly for a breath, she bumped into Alex's chest as she tried
to tread water. His extra six inches of height allowed him the freedom of standing on the bottom of the sloping pool.

  Obviously thinking he was helping, he held her by the waist and lifted her into more shallow water. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, concern evident in his green eyes. Today she noticed amber flecks in them, making them more intense, more mesmerizing.

  "I'm fine." His hands, still on her waist, burned through the thin fabric of her suit. Water dripped down her face from her hair and she wanted to wipe it away, but somehow in their collision her hands had ended up clasping his forearms.

  Alex's wet hair fell over his brow, the sun glimmered on the reddish highlights, and the nerve along his jaw worked. Then two teenage boys splashed beside them, and Alex released his hands from her waist and brushed his hair back.

  Waving to Kristy and Heather, he called, "We're getting out for a while." Then he found the ball floating beside him in the water and tossed it to Kristy.

  Unsettled though she was, Amanda still had the presence of mind to realize he was making a decision for her. "Maybe I'm not ready to get out."

  "I'd like to talk to you, Amanda."

  It wasn't a demand but a very firm request that meant if they didn't talk now, they would eventually. "All right," she acquiesced, deciding it was the only reasonable, adult tactic to take.

  She let Alex lead the way so she could get a good view of his backside. But as he glanced over his shoulder, and his lips twitched, she had the distinct feeling he'd guessed her motive. And when she watched him stride ahead of her...

  Blushing was becoming a new hobby.

  At her towel, she reached into her bag for a smaller version and dried her hair. When she finished, Alex's gaze was on her. "What?" she asked.

  He shrugged. "You did that so unselfconsciously. As if I weren't here. Most women I know wouldn't get their hair wet in the first place and if they did, they'd hide in the ladies room until it was in place again."

  She laughed and combed her fingers through her hair to push it away from her face. "I'd be in the ladies room all the time instead of swimming! Believe me, teaching third graders puts it all in perspective, as well as having a daughter of my own and just wanting to have a little fun."

  "Were you? Having fun?" he asked, dropping his towel on the grass.

  "Didn't I look like it?"

  "Not at the beginning."

  She thought back to their disagreement.

  "Look, Amanda. I've been thinking about what happened."

  He came closer. Close enough to touch. She waited.

  Alex's frown made the lines around his eyes deeper. "My parents and Kristy are used to my working irregular hours. When you said you'd watch Kristy, I really didn't think about how my day would affect you. I'm sorry if you worried. I apologize if I took advantage of you."

  "You'd like me to still watch Kristy?" she asked, wondering if his apology was simply the expedient thing to do.

  "That's not the reason I apologized," he said with an edge to his words, then stepped away from her toward his towel.

  Jeff had made her suspicious--of motives--of pretended sincerity. She shouldn't transfer her feelings about her ex-husband to Alex. Biting her lip, she clasped his elbow. "I'm the one who's sorry. Can we start with a clean slate?"

  As Alex towered over her, she stood perfectly still. He glanced at her hand and she let go.

  "A clean slate sounds good," he finally said, then smiled. Amanda's heart skipped a few beats and she smiled back.#

  In the pool, Heather nudged Kristy. And they smiled, too.

  ***

  Rain, rain and more rain. Amanda had never seen so much. Not only did she have scattered puddles in the basement, but Kristy and Heather were restless after being cooped up for two days. So she decided to take them shopping on Wednesday in Camp Hill about twenty miles away. She'd told Alex her intentions when he dropped off Kristy that morning. He'd had no objections.

  Alex Woodsides was taking over entirely too many of her thoughts. After their truce at the pool, he'd told her a little about his law practice, and she'd related a few anecdotes about her years teaching, all the while too aware of his muscular physique and the sexual tension zipping between them. She didn't need a man in her life. She didn't need complications, she reminded herself again and again. But when she stared into those green eyes and he tilted his head and really listened to her--

  His full attention was even more seductive than the idea of his kiss. Not that she was thinking about that, either!

  So...she decided the shopping excursion was a good idea for all of them.

  As Amanda led Heather and Kristy into Camp Hill's largest department store, they asked if they could try out the perfumes on the glass counter. Amanda agreed and all three of them ended up smelling like a parfumerie. But what could make a woman feel more feminine or a young lady more grown up than perfume?

  Except maybe lingerie. Amanda was tagging along behind Kristy and Heather through the department when she spied a beautiful ice-blue teddy hanging on a mannequin. She couldn't help but stop and think...

  "It matches your eyes, Mrs. Carson. You oughtta buy it," Kristy said when she glanced over her shoulder and saw her eyeing it.

  "Yeah, Mom. It looks like it would fit."

  Amanda lifted the price tag and grimaced. After a wistful sigh, she smiled. "Let's go look at the new fashions for fall." Although it was still June, Amanda would start building Heather's wardrobe with sale items.

  At only age nine, Kristy and Heather still knew exactly what they liked. "Does your dad take you shopping for clothes?" Amanda asked Kristy.

  Kristy bobbed her head. "With Grandma. We do it two times a year. All at once. He says that's efficient."

  Amanda laughed.

  "But I like to look and look and look and he just wants to buy, so it's great coming here with you. I don't know what he'll do when I have to get a bra. Let Grandma help me I guess. He gets so funny about that kind of stuff."

  "I imagine it's hard for him to think about you becoming a pretty young lady and growing up."

  "I guess. Sometimes, I just really miss having a mom. Dad and Grandma and Grandad are great, but...it's not the same."

  Her heart went out to the nine-year-old. Amanda had never really known her father. And when her mother had died during her sophomore year at college, she'd never experienced such devastation. She'd married Jeff to have a family again. Only it hadn't worked out. Fortunately, she did have Heather.

  Draping her arm across Kristy's shoulders, she said, "Maybe when it comes time to buy a bra, you and Heather and I can shop."

  Kristy gave Amanda a surprise hug. "That'd be great, Mrs. Carson."

  Amanda glanced at Heather to see how she was reacting to Kristy's gesture. But she was smiling, and Amanda suddenly felt as if she'd gained a daughter.

  ***

  Mid-afternoon, Alex was sitting in a meeting with a client when his cell phone beeped.

  Afraid Amanda and the girls had been in an accident on the wet roads or something just as serious, he took the call. It was Kristy.

  "What's wrong, honey?" His heart pounded.

  "Mrs. Carson's basement is flooded. She checked it when we got home and everything is all wet. She has to try and move all the boxes and doesn't have anywhere to put them. She needs help, Dad."

  Alex checked his watch and glanced at his client. "Give me a half hour and I'll be there."

  "Great!"

  Alex hung up, picturing Amanda standing in a foot of water.

  Exactly a half hour later, he parked his car at the curb and ran to the front door. The rain had let up, but the drizzle was enough to dampen his hair and shirt. No one answered the bell, and the door stood open, so he walked in. In the kitchen he heard sounds from the basement. That door stood open, too.

  As he descended the steps, he realized he heard chatter and laughter. And when he reached the bottom step, he saw his daughter splashing water at Heather and Amanda with a huge rag mop! All three of
them wore flip flops and water came above their ankles. Open cartons stood everywhere. Apparently Amanda was emptying the wet boxes and the girls were playing at mopping up the mess.

  Some disaster!

  Amanda spotted him before the girls did. "What are you doing here?" She set aside a photograph album on top of the hot water heater.

  "Hey, Dad. Just in time to help." Kristy tugged on Heather's arm and added, "Let's go to the garage to get more dry boxes for your mom."

  In a flash the two girls had brushed by him and scampered up the steps.

  Amanda came over to him and stood on the bottom step beside him, out of the water.

  "Kristy called me." He couldn't seem to keep his gaze away from Amanda's water-spotted cotton blouse and the outline of her lacy bra. "She said you needed help."

  Consternation passed over Amanda's face. "I had no idea she called. Everything's fine. Really."

  He motioned to the water-filled basement and water-logged boxes. "It doesn't look fine. You need a sump pump. Did you know the basement took in this much water when you bought the house?"

  Amanda's shoulders squared, and her blue eyes became a deeper blue. "No, I did not know. The disclosure statement stated 'occasional puddles,' and I'd like to believe that's true. I'll get this mess cleaned up and wait till it dries out. Then I'll put my stored items on orange crates or something."

  The bid for independence in her stance, the damp tendrils of her blond hair curling along her cheek, her blouse plastered against her breasts sent a surge of desire through Alex and he knew only one way to appease it.

  He kissed her.

  Chapter Three

  Amanda's breath caught in her chest as she came up against Alex. All of him. His lips were hot, his arms were strong, and his kiss stirred up feelings, and sensations, and excitement that she hadn't felt in years--maybe never. His tongue breached her lips, and before she could protest about the invasion, she got caught up in that, too. His taste bore the richness of coffee, and his scent was male mixed with spice. The heat of his body against hers created a sexual steaminess that surrounded them. Her hands slid into his hair, and as he changed the angle of his mouth on hers, the need to be joined to him shook her.