LITMIR.BIZ

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Mike hurtled out of the Cherokee, snatched four sacks out of the back and stomped off.

      Tess and Ryan followed. She wanted to protest that she had no desire to talk to him about anything, but since he had come to her rescue she couldn’t very well do that. After hefting each sack for weight, he handed her the two lightest and gathered up the rest. Side by side, they climbed the stairs without speaking, their arms laden. With every step, her dread grew.

      Nevertheless, Tess always faced things head-on. If she had a dose of nasty tasting medicine to take, she swallowed it down quickly and got it over with. The instant they set the sacks on her kitchen counter, she turned to Ryan.

      “You wanted to talk to me, Mr. McCall?” Her face stiff, she stared over his right shoulder, not quite meeting his eyes.

      Ryan studied her, the look on his granite face inscrutable. “I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have said those things to you the other day.”

      The statement caught her by surprise. An apology was the last thing she expected. “No, you shouldn’t have,” she agreed, slanting him a cool look. “So why did you?”

      “At the time, I didn’t know you were pregnant. Mike failed to mention that fact. I only made that discovery when I saw you standing beside your car this morning.”

      Tess stared at him, her jaw slack. “So? What possible difference does that make?”

      “Look, Mrs. Benson—”

      “No, you look. You don’t know me at all, Mr. McCall. Yet you were rude and insulting. Your nasty accusations were un-called for, and most certainly undeserved…whether or not I happen to be expecting.”

      “Okay, okay. Maybe you’re right. I guess I did jump to some hasty conclusions,” he conceded grudgingly. “But women aren’t very high on my list these days.”

      Tess’s eyes widened slightly. Now what did that mean? Before she could ask, Ryan went on.

      “Still, I shouldn’t have said what I did. I apologize.”

      Tess merely looked at him. It would have been a lot easier to accept his apology if he had not sounded as though he were making it under duress. The terse words were correct, but he spoke them as though they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

      Tess sighed. Ungracious or not, it was an apology. She supposed she would have to accept it, if only for Mike’s sake. Besides, she hated strife. And it wasn’t good for the baby. Unless he moved, she was going to be living next door to this man for years, so the prudent thing was to make peace.

      “Very well, Mr. McCall. Apology accepted. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

      Her lips curved in a stiff smile, and she made a subtle move to escort him to the door. Ryan McCall made her nervous. She hadn’t noticed before just how big and overpowering he was. He dominated her small kitchen—with his height and his broad, brawny shoulders, all that brooding, raw masculinity he exuded. He was big and dark and fierce looking, and she was suddenly more anxious than ever to get him out of her apartment.

      “There is one other thing,” Ryan said, thwarting her plan.

      “Oh?”

      “Yes. It’s about Mike. He’s…uh…very taken with you.”

      Unconsciously, Tess’s face softened at the mention of the boy, and her smile turned gentle. “I’m very fond of him, too. Mike’s a good kid.”

      “He’s been upset these past few days. He thinks you don’t like him anymore.”

      “Mr. McCall—”

      “Look, I understand. You’ve been avoiding him because of what I said to you. But…well…” Ryan rubbed his nape and grimaced. For the first time, he looked ill at ease. “It’s been pointed out to me recently that Mike needs some feminine influence in his life. From his reaction to you, it’s difficult to argue with that. So…I just want you to know that I won’t object if you do want to befriend him. That is, if you don’t mind having him hanging around?”

      “Of course I don’t mind. I enjoy Mike’s company. And he is a tremendous help to me.”

      “Good. Then it’s settled.” He nodded brusquely and headed for the door, much to Tess’s relief, but before he reached it, he turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot. I’ll need your car keys.”

      “My car keys? Whatever for?”

      Ryan exhaled an impatient sigh. “So I can drive your car home after I put the tire back on.”

      “Oh, no. Really, Mr. McCall. I can’t let you do that. I’ve been enough trouble already. I’ll—”

      “It’s no big deal,” he said sharply, and Tess could tell she had annoyed him again. “Both tires should be repaired by now. I called my brother from the store. He’s going to drive me to pick them up. I’ll have your car back in less than an hour.”

      With that settled, he stalked out. Tess locked the door behind him, then turned and leaned back against it, shaking her head, her expression bemused. What a strange man.

      After that day, Mike became a frequent visitor. Though too young to be on the payroll, he often accompanied Ryan to construction sites and did odd jobs for his father and uncle. When Mike wasn’t with Ryan or hanging out with his buddies, he could usually be found at Tess’s apartment. On those evenings when his father worked late, she always made a point to invite the boy over for dinner.

      Mike was boisterous and friendly as a puppy. And like a puppy, he was at that gangly stage where he seemed to be constantly tripping over his own feet. Filled with eagerness and boundless energy, Mike never walked; he loped. Nor did he merely sit down; he collapsed. As though he were held together by a single vital pin that someone had suddenly pulled, he would drop onto a chair or sofa like a sack of loose bones, sprawling out, long arms and legs draping over the furniture with all the rigidity of freshly cooked spaghetti.

      Observing him, Tess often had to bite back a smile. She found his awkwardness endearing and viewed his guileless abandon with amused indulgence.

      “If that kid ever grows into those feet of his and gets some meat on those bones he’s going to be one big son-of-a-gun someday,” Amanda commented on more than one occasion. “A big, good-looking son-of-a-gun. Just like his dad.”

      Though it galled her, Tess had to agree. In spite of his perpetual fierce look, Ryan was a strikingly handsome man, and Mike was the very image of him. Unlike Ryan, though, Mike had a happy disposition and a lively sense of humor.

      The boy had a penchant for telling jokes—bad jokes—the cornier and sillier the better. In Tess, who possessed a slightly skewed sense of humor herself, he found the perfect audience. He constantly barraged her and Amanda with awful puns and riddles and knock-knock jokes, and when a punch line drew groans, he clutched his sides and doubled over in a fit of laughter.

      Of Ryan, Tess saw very little, which did not surprise her. Despite his apology, she did not delude herself that they had parted friends. At best, they had achieved a cautious truce.

      Daily, she heard his comings and goings, and once she left the parking lot at the same time he entered it, but the only acknowledgment he gave her was a curt nod as they drove past one another. They didn’t exchange a word or come face-to-face until one evening about a week and a half later.

      Tess and Amanda were almost halfway down the stairs when Ryan, his twin brother and Mike came pounding up them. All three McCall men carried white, grease-spotted sacks that reeked of onions, charbroiled burgers and fries.

      “Hey, Tess! Amanda!” Mike called.

      Ryan’s head jerked up, annoyance flashing in his eyes.

      Reilly grinned. “Well, well. Good evening, pretty ladies.” His twinkling gaze slid warmly over Tess and zeroed in on Amanda. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

      Ryan didn’t look pleased. His

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