by Annie Seaton
“Okay, guys, time for dinner.” Blake held her gaze as he spoke. “Anastasia is going to stay too. Please?” He tilted his head to the side and smiled when she nodded.
Once they’d fed the children and put them to bed, she’d tell him why she was here and then make another appointment to see him later in the week.
Blake’s phone rang in the kitchen and he jumped up to get it.
“Oh, hi, Mike. No, he didn’t show. No message either.” He stood in the doorway and mouthed an apology before continuing with the call. “No, I’m not going to follow up. It doesn’t matter anyway. I haven’t even seen the figures for that side of the business. Something smells a bit off to me. The restoration department will definitely have to go.”
He opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch.
The heat rushed to Ana’s face as she realized Blake was talking about her appointment. He obviously still hadn’t realized what she’d said in the melee of noise and children. And he assumed that his appointment was male.
How typical. Money…profit…mergers.…model…get rid of staff. The words confirmed her suspicions. He’d not changed a bit. Just because she was seeing him in his kindly uncle role, she had to resist being sucked in. He was a hardheaded CEO, he was going to become her boss, and if she didn’t tread carefully, he was about to take their jobs away. There was no way sweet-talking him would work. She was going to have to rethink her approach.
Ana glanced at the children watching television and headed for the kitchen. She’d heard enough. Blake’s voice followed her as she stood at the sink filling a glass with cold water.
“I can’t talk for long. I have a bit of a family situation. Call me back later tonight. Okay?”
And he can still talk to his boss about all this while he’s worried about his brother-in-law and taking care of five kids?
“Penny for your thoughts?” He’d walked into the kitchen and his quiet voice interrupted her brooding.
“I was thinking it’s time to eat and then it’s time for me to go home,” she said tersely.
“It’s Friday…it’s pizza night,” Billy claimed as he walked into the kitchen and stood in front of his uncle.
Blake frowned at her before he reached out and took her hand between his. Her traitorous nerves tingled all the way to her shoulder.
“Where is home, Anastasia?” he asked quietly. “We need to have a little talk after dinner, just you and me. We have a lot to catch up on.” Ana stared past him. Despite hearing him in full business mode, it only took one touch and she caved.
Share my life story and appeal to his better nature. She took a deep breath. She was not going to blow this.
He turned to the children with a grin. “But now, I’m going to order in some pizza.”
“Yes, pizza sounds like a plan, and yes, we do need to catch up.” She pulled her hand from his and bent down to Billy. “Let’s go and play a game while Uncle Blake gets dinner.” She had to get away from him. All it took was a look or a touch and her resolve weakened. She squared her shoulders as she followed Billy to the living room, ignoring the curious glance Blake threw her way.
I’ll find the best way to approach this and give it my best shot when the time is right.
…
Two hours later, after the pizza had been demolished, Blake sat back in the family room off the kitchen, looking out at the dog, whose nose was pressed up against the once-clean glass sliding door. The sun had set and the dog was whimpering.
“All right, you can come in for a little while.” The cleaning service would have their work cut out for them this week anyway, so a bit of fur added to the mess wasn’t going to make much difference. Blake opened the door and the dog bounded in past him, straight into the living room where the children were watching television.
The house had descended into chaos. Toys were strewn around the floor, milk had been spilled on his sofa, and he’d spent the last ten minutes retrieving pizza crusts from the floor. For a moment, he thought back to the cleanups he used to do after the house parties. Strange how those days had stayed so firmly fixed in his memory. He could remember more of the times back in the shared house than all of the places he lived in as he’d climbed the corporate ladder.
Anastasia came in from the kitchen, untying the large apron he had found in a drawer for her. “Remember the old dog we had for a while?” Her face lit up in a wicked grin and he tried to ignore the ache that tugged at the sensitive parts of his body. “He used to eat all the food scraps.”
“You had the dog, not we.” He remembered it well. Anastasia had found a stray on the way home from the coffee shop one afternoon, and the smelly mutt had lived in her room for a few days before he caught her sneaking it out to the garden one night. “And I also remember it didn’t stay very long.” Blake knew his voice was short but he couldn’t cope with the chaos in front of him and deal with memories from the past.
“I lost that argument, didn’t I?” Anastasia turned away from him and threw the apron untidily over the back of the sofa. “And look, he’s eaten all the scraps already. Well, except for the crumbs.”
His mouth tightened as the apron slipped to the floor and she seemed blissfully unaware that her shirt was clinging to her breasts. He looked away to stop the buzz running through him. Not the right time. Not till he knew what she was doing here. “There’s gotta be a broom or something around here,” he said gruffly.
“Are you going to let him stay in or make the poor dog sleep out in the cold all night?”
“He can sleep inside, but he can stay in the kitchen.”
A strange feeling ran through him as Anastasia shook her head. It was as though he was being judged and found wanting.
“Animals have feelings just like us, you know. He’ll be lonely.” She went over to the window, and a trail of drool slid down the glass as the dog moved across to the window and stood beside her.
Maddy looked up from her book. “He’ll have to come into the living room with us. Mommy got him so he made sure Billy stayed safe ’cause he’s special.”
“I’ll make sure Billy is safe, and besides, his nails would scratch the floor,” Blake said firmly.
Anastasia reached over the back of the sofa and tugged the blanket around Billy’s feet. “And that would be the end of the world if he scratched the floor…for you anyway, Blake.” He looked up, surprised, to see a strange expression on her face.
Having her in his house was surreal. She’d stepped in to help without a second thought and it was like the old days again. But with five children thrown in. They’d barely had time to exchange more than a few sentences. He didn’t know children were so demanding.
“This house is more welcoming with a bit of mess, almost like the old days.” Anastasia tipped her head to the side and watched him as he searched for a broom. “You’d have a fit if you saw my cottage.”
“I’ll have to come visit you one day.” At last she’d opened up a little, and the cross expression had left her face.
Anastasia laughed and shook her head. “Trust me. You couldn’t cope with the mess I still live in. Remember how mad you used to get when I left stuff lying around?”
Her face was alight with amusement and he knew she’d been teasing him about the dog. Somehow, she’d always known how to push his buttons. And he had to admit even though his house was a mess tonight, it wasn’t really all bad.
The smell of pizza wafting through the living room, mixed with the clean, soapy smell of the children curled up on the soft chairs overlaid the clinical smell of the air fresheners. Benny and Roddy were asleep already, curled up head to head with their legs entwined. Maddy’s eyelids were drooping as she snuggled back into the chair, both kittens nestled in her lap. Blake leaned over and brushed a kiss over her forehead.
“What about Anastasia? Can she kiss me good-night too?”
“You can call me Ana, Maddy. That’s what most people call me these days.” Ana shot a glance at Blake and he smiled at her
as she walked over and dropped a kiss on Maddy’s hair.
“And will you kiss Ana good-night too, Uncle Blake?”
“Maybe.”
Blake couldn’t help himself. He reached out and caught Ana around the waist as she straightened and brushed a kiss across her cheek. The smell of patchouli oil wafted up and he was pleased the children were there to keep his emotional response under control. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and take up where they’d left off, as though there hadn’t been ten years between then and now.
He looked over the top of Ana’s head. Billy was wide-awake, engrossed in a game on his iPad. Blake cleared his throat.
“I think it’s time to put that away and get some sleep,” he said quietly. “Time for bed, hey buddy?”
“No.”
Ana stepped away from his hold and put her finger to her lips. “Leave him. It’s only seven o’clock. ”
Blake held her gaze for a long moment and smiled at her. She’d gone quiet on him for a while before dinner, but now she seemed more relaxed even though he’d just kissed her. He knew nothing about her life now, but she certainly knew what to do to help him.
“You’re great with the kids. Do you have children of your own?” He probably should have sussed that out before he planted the kiss on her cheek. For all he knew, she could have a husband and children at home. But he didn’t think so. She seemed in no hurry to leave.
“No. I’ve had no time for that. I have a career.” She chewed on her lip as she looked back at him and she seemed preoccupied.
“I’m going to check on Jake,” she added. “He was still asleep last time I went up. You really do have the touch. His clothes were all on the right way. After that I’ll get going.”
Panic filled him at the thought of being left alone with the children. He sat back in his chair and sipped on a can of club soda. He had forgone the glass of red wine he had been looking forward to, since he wanted his full wits about him with a houseful of nephews, a niece, dog, cats, and fish.
“Oh, damn,” he said and jumped out of the chair. He hadn’t fed the dog, who was now scratching at the door to go back outside.
“What’s your dog’s name?” he asked as he walked past Billy and ruffled his hair.
“Jaws,” Billy replied without lifting his eyes or fingers from the iPad.
Following the dog out onto the back porch, he turned the light on and groaned. Jaws was aptly named. Anything that was not secured to the ground or a part of the greenery had been chewed into bits, and now the stupid mutt had the nerve to lick his hand and look up at him with soulful brown eyes.
“I guess it’s my fault. I should have fed you earlier.” Blake pointed at the mess and spoke in a stern voice. “Did you do that? You’d better not chew up anything inside tonight.”
Jaws slunk away, tail between his legs, while Blake filled the food bowl with some dog kibble that Jeannie had packed.
Bless her, he thought. She’d even remembered to pack fish food. God, he hoped Rod was okay. A hollow ache settled in his chest. He knew the wilderness up there around the lodge. If the plane had gone down, it could be days before they found it. He wished he could help in the search, but he was needed here.
He thought his career was busy and used all of his powers of creative thinking. But tonight he discovered that was nothing compared to feeding, bathing, and caring for five children and assorted pets. If Ana hadn’t been here, he couldn’t have managed. But if he was honest, he had to admit it wasn’t just her helping him care for the children that he appreciated. She’d reappeared in his life and all the old feelings had come roaring back.
He looked out over the twinkling lights of the harbor down the hill. If he leaned across to the far edge of the porch, he could just see the lights of the Bay Bridge. There was nothing like San Francisco on a clear night—it was magic. But even as he watched, the night fog rolled in, gradually obscuring the view of the bay. The mournful sound of the foghorns floated up on the still night air. It was good to be home, and even better now that Ana had turned up on his doorstep.
The French door leading out to the balcony creaked and the heady fragrance of her perfume wafted across to him. He turned and held out his hand, but she ignored it and moved to the other side of the post he was leaning against.
“Jake is still asleep,” she said softly. “He stirred a little but I patted him and he went straight back under.” She laughed. “He’s out like a light.”
Blake didn’t answer immediately, surprised by the relief that coursed through him. He stood there trying to think of the best way to ask her to stay longer. There was no way he could cope by himself. Having her close by felt so natural, and they had eased into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.
“Will you stay the night?” He blurted it out and closed his eyes, realizing what he’d just asked. “Look, I don’t mean that like it sounded.” He reached over and took her hand, surprised by the tension in her body. “I hoped you could help me with the children overnight. I know it’s not your responsibility and I know we haven’t had a chance to talk. But I just want to tell you how happy I am that you sought me out and came to visit. Once we get the kids to bed, we can do some catching up.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but he interrupted her before she could speak.
“Honestly, I can’t do this alone. I can run a corporation, but this has got me terrified. There’s no one else I can call on at such short notice.”
She stood there looking uneasy, but didn’t reply, and he wondered whether she was thinking about that last night they’d spent together.
“Look, I know I must have upset you somehow that last night—”
She shook her head. “No, it’s got nothing to do with that. I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you why I’m here—”
Before she could finish, Blake’s cell phone pinged on the kitchen counter. He hurried inside to read the message, then ran back out to the porch to Ana.
“Great news. They’ve found the plane and they’re all okay. Jeannie is still in Anchorage but she’s flying out to the lodge. Apparently the plane bucked on the runway when they were taking off. Rod has a broken leg and that’s the worst of it.”
“Thank God.” She came over and hugged him. He put his arms around her, and her hair brushed against his lips. Her eyes were wide and she held his gaze. A jolt of desire ran through him when he saw his own need reflected in her eyes. Despite the cautious voice nagging in his head, Blake lifted his hands and took her face in them, and he bent his head just as Ana wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her face. He lost himself in the kiss as her lips opened beneath his and for a moment he forgot all about wondering why she had turned up on his doorstep and what it was she wanted. She tasted sweet, just as he remembered. She made a strange little sound and pressed into him for a moment, before he realized what he was doing, and he pulled back. Ana moved to the side of the porch, and she echoed his thoughts when she turned to him with her fingers over her lips.
“I can’t kiss you. We shouldn’t be doing this.” Her voice was bleak and his stomach took a dive.
“Do you have someone to go home to?” He waited for her to answer, clenching his fists as he waited for her to say there was. With her looks and sweet personality, he would be very surprised if she were still single. They’d argued incessantly when they shared the house, but he hadn’t realized how much she’d meant to him until their one night together before she’d left. And now it all came rushing back.
“No,” she said slowly. “I live alone.”
His mind whirled and his fingers itched to do a high five. She’s still single? Things are looking up.
“So will you stay the night? Just to help out, I mean.” He held his hands out in front of him, unclenching his fists. “There are plenty of spare rooms. Please?”
“I’ll help you out tonight, but I’ll have to leave first thing in the morning. I’ve got Sunday off, so I can come back tomorrow night and help
you out for one more day if you really need me to.” She looked up at him, biting her lip. Her brow was creased and she ran her hand through her hair. “If Jeannie isn’t back by then you’ll have to make other arrangements, because that’s all I can do.”
“Can you leave me your phone number…in case anything changes?” he asked. That way he could still get in touch with her later after the kids had gone home. It had been a long time since he’d used a ruse to get a girl’s number, but he wasn’t going to take the chance of losing her this time.
She hurried into the kitchen as though she were pleased for an excuse to get away from him. He followed her and watched as she wrote her number on the small message board on the wall next to the fridge. The overhead light reflected on her silver-blond hair and he had an urge to run his fingers through the soft strands. He was close enough to reach out and touch her.
Whoa. He put his hands down by his side. He was not going to get sucked in. College memories were sweet, but that time was long gone.
She looked up at him. “I thought turning into an important businessman would have taught you how to keep a poker face. Don’t worry, I won’t run away again.”
Confusion filled him as he watched her walk into the living room. Maybe she thought he was trying to come on to her and that he expected them to pick up where they left off. No wonder she was quiet. She’d withdrawn into herself, but she was sending mixed signals to him too. She’d kissed him back and she’d said there was no one else. They both needed to concentrate on looking after the kids and stop mooning about the past.
…
Ana muttered under her breath as she showered and dressed in the guest bathroom downstairs, pulling on the long T-shirt Blake had found for her.