LITMIR.BIZ

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the rigors of second grade.”

      She had the sense of something suppressed, something he didn’t want to say about his son, and thought again of Aunt Maida’s worries about the boy.

      “He used to be such a happy child. But his mother went away, and then Alex was in the accident and in the hospital all those weeks. Jason’s changed. He’s all curled up inside himself, and I don’t know how to help him.”

      “I’m looking forward to seeing him.” She tried to keep the words casual. “Does he really want a fast-food burger, or did you just make that up?”

      “Believe it or not, he does. Maida and I try to educate his palate, but he’s very much a seven-year-old in his tastes.” The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I think you gave him his first trip to get fast food when you took care of him, didn’t you?”

      “I’m afraid so.” She remembered it as if it were yesterday. Jason’s excitement at ordering from the counter, the awed look on his face as he sat across from her in the booth. The feelings that welled up at how much he resembled his father. That emotion struck her again, as strong as if someone had hit her.

      Lord, what’s happening to me? I thought I was over this.

      Alex’s dark, intent gaze penetrated the barrier she’d so carefully erected to shield her errant emotions. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

      “Nothing.” She looked up and summoned a smile that felt tight on her lips. “Everything’s okay.”

      She’d like to convince him. She’d like to convince herself. Alex couldn’t know that, thanks to the accident, for nearly two years she hadn’t been able to remember the crash or the months that had preceded it.

      He didn’t know that the memories of the time she’d spent in this house had fallen out of the hidden recesses of her mind a week ago, as fresh and as emotional as if they’d happened yesterday.

      And prominent among them was the fact that the last time she was here, she’d fallen in love with Alex Caine.

       Chapter Two

       “D ad, is Maida going to come back?”

      The forlorn note in his son’s voice touched Alex’s heart. What did Jason fear? That Maida had gone away and would never come back, like his mother?

      Careful, careful. “What makes you think she won’t come back?”

      Alex glanced across the front seat of the car. Jason, who’d seemed happy enough at the restaurant, now sat clutching the plastic action figure that had come with his meal.

      He frowned down at the figure, then looked up, his small face tightening into the mask that frustrated Alex as much as it did Jason’s teachers.

      Where has he gone, Lord? Where is the sunny little boy Jason used to be?

      He felt almost embarrassed at the involuntary prayer, and his hands tightened on the wheel with determination. He was all Jason had, and he wouldn’t let him down.

      His son shouldn’t have to worry, about Maida or anything else. Naturally he’d had to tell Jason something to explain Maida’s absence, but he’d said as little as possible.

      “She’s just tired,” he said now, trying to sound cheerful. “She needs to rest more. It’s nothing you have to be concerned about. She’ll be back before you know it, and everything will be fine.”

      They passed twin stone pillars and swung into the driveway. Paula, still wearing the jeans and sweatshirt that seemed to be her uniform, was bending over the trunk of a disreputable old car in his garage. She looked up at their approach, and he pulled into the bay next to her. When he got out, she was already explaining.

      “I hope this is okay. Aunt Maida said you wouldn’t mind if I parked my car here.” She glanced down the row of empty bays, a question in her eyes.

      “No problem. I got rid of the other cars after my father died.”

      Nobody needed five cars. His father had insisted on trying to relive the old days, when a full-time chauffeur had taken loving care of a fleet of vehicles, a full-time gardener tended the roses, and Maida supervised a staff of three indoors. Now they made do with a cleaning company and a lawn service, with Maida watching Jason when he wasn’t in school.

      He waited for Paula to make some comment, but her attention was fixed on the small figure coming around the car.

      “Jason, hi. It’s good to see you again.”

      Jason nodded warily, always seeming on guard with strangers. Not that Paula was exactly a stranger, but at his age, two years was a long time.

      “Hey, you got the green Raider.” She touched the action figure Jason held. “Good going. He’s the best, isn’t he?”

      His son’s protective stance relaxed a little. “One of the guys in my class says the orange one’s better, but I like the green one. He can do cool stuff.”

      “He sure can. Did you see the story where he rescued the princess?”

      “Yeah. And when he set all the horses free. That was neat.” Jason’s face grew animated as he talked about the latest adventure of his action hero.

      How had Paula gotten past his son’s defenses so quickly? Alex felt something that might have been envy, then dismissed it. She was a teacher—she should be good with children.

      Paula pulled a duffel bag from the trunk, and Alex reached out to take it from her. It was heavier than it looked, and for a moment their hands entangled.

      “Rocks?” he enquired, lifting an eyebrow.

      “Books.” She made an abortive movement, as if to take the bag back, then seemed to think better of it. “I never go anywhere without them.”

      He glanced into the car’s trunk. One cardboard carton overflowed with construction paper, and a plastic Halloween pumpkin poked improbably from another. “It looks as if you’ve brought everything you own.”

      He meant the comment lightly, but a shadow crossed her face. It told him more clearly than words that how long she stayed depended on him. She shrugged, turning to pull out another bag.

      “Most of this stuff is from my classroom. I loaded it up the last day and didn’t take the time to unload before I left to come here.”

      “I’ll carry that one.” Jason reached for the small bag.

      “Thanks, Jason.” She smiled, surrendering it to him, then hefted a box out and slammed the trunk. “I think that’s it.” She glanced at Alex. “If you’re sure it’s okay for me to leave the car here?”

      “It’s fine,” he said firmly. He’d rather see that poor excuse for a car hidden behind garage doors than parked in his drive. Lifting the duffel bag, he led the way around down the walk toward the rear of the house.

      The setting sun turned the swimming pool’s surface to gold as they neared the flagstone patio. He hadn’t done the water exercises for his injured leg today, and it took an effort to walk evenly carrying the heavy bag. He’d already seen Paula’s expression at the scar on his face. He didn’t want to see more pity if she caught him limping.

      What did she really think about this idea of Maida’s? Had it made her remember what happened between them the last time she was here?

      One kiss, that was all. It was ridiculous to worry about the effect of one kiss. Of course he shouldn’t have done it. She’d been working in his house, and that alone made her out of bounds to him.

      Even if that hadn’t been the case, he’d learned something when his wife’s death, so soon after she’d left him, had made patching up their failing marriage impossible. Even if Karin had survived, even if she’d come back to the small-town life she detested, he’d known then that finding the love of a lifetime was an illusion. Reality

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