by Annie Seaton
Chapter Five
“No, no, no.” Billy slipped down from the chair and crawled beneath the table. Ana bit back a smile as Blake ran his hand through his hair. It had been sexily mussed since the children had arrived, and she’d enjoyed watching the relaxed uncle in jeans and a stained T-shirt play hide-and-seek with the children before dinner. He was looking even more casual than he had back in their college days. But she had to stay focused on their conversation later. She had to remember he was a businessman first and foremost, and the future of their business and the community hinged on his reaction to her proposal.
Billy had spent the first half of the meal refusing to eat, until Maddy pointed out that his vegetables were in the wrong order. As Roddy and Benny scarfed down their dinner to get to their dessert, Ana had rearranged Billy’s vegetables until she’d hit on the right sequence of colors.
“Orange, white, orange, green.” Ana turned to Blake. “You’d better write that down.”
After dinner, they’d bathed the children together and Jake had obliged by going to sleep.
Blake had grinned at her as a squirt from Benny’s water pistol had soaked her shirt. “At least I have a change of clothes with me tonight.” Then heat surged into her cheeks as she realized that the wet cotton of her T-shirt was transparent and Blake was enjoying the view.
She folded her arms across her chest and frowned at him. “It’s your turn to dry and dress them tonight.”
“Spoilsport.” Blake held her gaze and Ana was the first to look away.
Once they were dressed, the children settled in to watch Dora the Explorer and Jake woke for a quick feed. Ana tidied up the kitchen after she gave him the bottle, and Blake wandered in from the family room. He sat on a stool at the breakfast bar and Ana concentrated on rinsing the dishcloth, aware of him watching her, until he laid his head on his crossed forearms on the counter.
“You look exhausted.” She wiped down the kitchen sink one last time and hung the cloth over the faucet. “I’ll finish up here and then I’d like to sit down and have a talk with you.”
Blake’s grin belied his words. “I am tired. I don’t know how Jeannie does it by herself. Rod spends a lot of time traveling, and she runs a Web design business from home, too.” He lifted his head from his arms and smothered a yawn.
“Superwoman,” Ana replied. “How about a coffee while we talk? I want to have your full attention”
“Great. Now that it’s finally quiet…and tidy—” Blake grinned at her and her heart kicked up a beat. “I’m looking forward to catching up. You can tell me all about your life.”
“I’d probably bore you to tears. Not a lot to tell. I didn’t finish college and I stayed in my hometown and started my own business.”
“You were never boring.”
“Did I tell you how much I like what you’ve done with the house?” Ana pretended to examine the kitchen. Brightly colored tiles edged the huge bay window that hung over the kitchen sink and looked out over the small balcony and garden. If she leaned forward, she could just get a glimpse of the sky.
“I had it all done when I knew I was coming home.” Blake had slipped silently from the stool and moved to stand next to her. Ana turned and his broad chest filled her vision. Her fingertips began to tingle as the urge to run her fingers over the smooth fabric, over his well-toned muscles, filled her. She raised her hand and took a step back but Blake followed her, his warm masculine aroma filling her senses.
He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and she held his gaze, warmth shooting low in her belly as his lips turned up in a sexy smile. Gradually the pressure of his fingers increased and he pulled her closer to him.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll stay. If I want to stay at the top, I’ll have to go back to New York eventually.” He held her gaze and Ana gave in, lifting her hands to run her palms across his chest. Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own. “But I’m really enjoying being home in San Francisco.” Blake’s voice was husky as her fingers ran over the soft fabric and she lowered her eyes to rest on his lips. Grasping his T-shirt between her fists to stop her fingers from moving, she tried to fight the hunger that was overtaking her despite his talk about promotion. She had to tell him why she was here before anything could happen between them that would only complicate matters even more. And when she told him, it would be even more difficult because he would know he was her boss. Her stomach churned at the thought, even as his lips hovered above hers and her mind whirled in turmoil.
“I’m going to be busy over the next few weeks, but I’d like to spend some time with you,” he said in a soft voice.
Should she just blurt it all out?
Oh and by the way, Blake…you hold my future and that of my two best friends in your hands.
If he ran a business the way he’d talked about it in college, the way she’d read in the papers, their jobs wouldn’t matter a hoot to him if they stood in the way of profit. Even if she was dating him…or even just sleeping with him.
“I stuck with all those ideas I had ten years ago.” His warm breath puffed on her lips as his mouth moved closer to hers.
“What?” Ana squawked out the single word and tipped her head back, looking up at him as his eyes stayed locked on hers.
What is he, a mind reader?
“Knocking out walls and adding the back balcony. It’s so much more open than when we were all crammed in here ten years ago.”
“Oh, the house.” She let go of the breath she’d been holding and he looked down at her curiously.
“What did you think I was talking about?”
“I thought you were talking about your business philosophies. The ones you spouted ten years ago.” She stepped out of his arms and moved across to the coffeemaker, trying to steady her hands so he couldn’t see how much his nearness threw her. “We had some humdinger fights, didn’t we?”
“We sure did.”
“Grab a coffee, and we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you what I came to ask you about yesterday.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed and she turned away to switch on the coffeemaker, buying time while she marshaled her thoughts.
Okay, here goes. I can’t mess this up.
“I started a business where I can make a difference in people’s lives.” She held the coffeepot under the faucet. “And the community benefits from my work.”
Blake moved back to the stool and she was conscious of his eyes on her as she sought the right words. Tangling with him on a sexual level was the last thing she’d expected when she’d driven here yesterday. The hardheaded CEO she’d been expecting to meet had morphed into the sexy man who now had his smoldering gaze locked on her. It was so hard to reconcile this Blake with the CEO of a company that was about to destroy not only her life, but that of the town as well. Nebbiton was an aging community, mainly local farmers who’d retired to town, and who didn’t have a lot of spare cash. The work that she and the girls did as an add-on to the restoration business ensured that the tight-knit and elderly community could afford to have their houses maintained.
But then the sexy smile turned to a cynical laugh. “Don’t tell me you are still a soft touch for anyone who comes begging, Ana? Or have you become a social worker?”
Cold iced her veins and she welcomed the anger that filled her, replacing the warmth lingering from his hands
“Yes, Blake. I’m still a soft touch.” She would not let her feelings take over what she had to say to him. She had to get this right. “And I’m proud of it. I already told you I was your appointment yesterday, so you go figure that out while I check on the children.” She tipped her full cup of coffee in the sink and walked to the door, trying to put as much distance between them as possible until she regained her temper. She was not going to blow this talk.
Remember, hardheaded CEO.
“I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Thanks for making the coffee.” Blake nodded at her but she couldn’t read his expression.
W
hen she came back into the kitchen, his coffee cup was on the sink and he had disappeared. Ana rinsed the cups and put them away, waiting for him to come back. The children were all asleep on the sofa in front of the television, and after a few moments she wandered quietly through the house, looking for Blake.
“I’ll be going down to the store for the first time next Friday.” Ana could hear Blake’s voice came from the small study at the end of the hall and turned away to give him privacy but his words followed her. “Don’t worry, Mike, I’ll get it all sorted. I know how many positions have to go. Trust me, I’ve done it before.”
Ana stopped and stared down at her feet, a small sigh escaping her lips. The Blake she’d expected to meet yesterday was back. So now she had some breathing space, until the end of the week to get a watertight proposal to him. She’d been crazy to think she was anywhere near prepared. It was time to deal with big business and the way it operated. Working for Joe had put all that out of her mind.
Facts and figures. No emotion.
She stood in the doorway of the study until Blake saw her and mouthed to him that she was going up to bed. He held up his hand asking her to wait, but she shook her head.
Blake turned back to his conversation.
The problems filling her mind kept Ana awake after she’d gone upstairs, and finally she crept back out to the kitchen. All was quiet and dark, and she made herself some tea, taking it outside onto the back porch before settling into the double swing. Jaws followed her out and jumped up next to her. She smiled and ran her fingers through his soft fur as he placed his head in her lap. The poor dog was banished to the kitchen and was simply one more example of where she and Blake were so different.
She leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sounds of the night and to calm the thoughts scurrying around in her head. A soft shower of rain had just passed by and the muted croaking of frogs drifted up from the back of the garden. Ana sighed and leaned her head back.
There were so many different arguments she could use to try to convince Blake. Even though she’d seen a softer side to him as he cared for the children, she was sure the hardheaded CEO was still there. He had to be hard to do the sort of takeovers he did, where layoffs were a given and people lost their livelihoods.
Eventually she pushed Jaws gently off her lap and headed back upstairs to bed. A little voice muttering caught her attention before she reached the top of the landing, and she turned toward the bedroom where the children were sleeping. She stood in the doorway, but the voice came from behind her in Blake’s room. The door was wide open and she stepped quietly to the entrance. Before she could tap on the door, the little voice muttered again and she leaned forward to peek in.
Blake was sound asleep, the sheet covering him from his waist down. His arms were around Billy, who was nestled into his uncle’s chest with one little hand tightly gripping the fabric of Blake’s T-shirt. As she watched, Billy muttered in his sleep and she stepped back quickly out of sight as Blake made a soothing sound.
Ana’s chest closed and she hitched a breath as tears pricked the backs of her eyelids. Maybe, just maybe, if Mom hadn’t gotten sick, she and Blake may have made a life together and he could have been holding their own child.
She knew she was reading too much into their one night together, but damn it, all the feelings she’d had for him ten years ago had come rushing back and overwhelmed her. But they had both changed since those days. They’d been thrown together in this crisis and she was seeing a side to him that wasn’t real. As soon as he talked business, she could see the hard businessman beneath the soft uncle exterior.
Brushing her eyes impatiently, she tiptoed back to the guest room and looked down into the crib at baby Jake, who was sleeping soundly. Slipping off her robe, she climbed into bed and shook her head. If anyone had told her a few days ago where she’d be tonight, she would have said they were crazy.
Maybe she was…and that was the reason she hadn’t given all the details to Sienna and Georgie. But it was time to come clean with them and rethink their plan.
“Don’t forget the spare diapers—and the wipes,” Ana called out to Blake as he hitched the baby bag onto his shoulder. His brow wrinkled in a frown. Despite the way they’d ended the night last night, he’d been friendly and pleasant to her this morning, but she’d sensed a cooling off and a slight awkwardness between them. She’d obviously upset him by going up to bed last night and not finishing the promised conversation. Maybe he was trying to ignore the physical attraction between them too?
“I’ll never get used to this. How much stuff do kids need?” He let the bag hit the floor, shoved Jake at Ana, and ran up the stairs. “I forgot the wipes.”
Jake gurgled happily in Ana’s arms and she burrowed her face into his sweet-smelling, soft hair. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and Billy had informed them that Sunday was park day, so the children were buttoned up in their coats, and shoes and socks. They all stood in a row on the front porch, still for the first time since breakfast. Even Billy stood calmly while he sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to Maddy, who was doing the hand actions on his arm. Ana lifted her face from Jake’s hair and smiled down at them. She remembered playing house with Sienna and Georgie when they were little, but real kids were very different from baby dolls.
They did things. They made noise. They created messes.
And they required constant supervision.
After Blake returned triumphantly with the baby wipes, they set off for Huntington Park, which was just at the end of the street. Blake led their little group with Billy as he pushed Jake’s stroller. She held each of the twins’ hands as Maddy walked beside them.
Ana giggled and looked up at Blake as Jaws emitted another long howl. “We really should have brought him. He’ll drive the neighbors crazy.”
“Five children aren’t enough to worry about?” Blake walked on, seemingly unbothered by the dog’s mournful cries that accompanied them up the hill.
The park was situated between Grace Cathedral and the famous Fairmont hotel, sheltered from the stiff spring breeze blowing up the hill from the bay. Billy tugged on her arm with his free hand.
“Why has that house got funny windows?” he asked, pointing to the old building.
Ana looked up at Grace Cathedral. “They’re made of colored glass.”
“But why has it got funny windows?” he repeated.
“Ask Uncle Blake.” She inclined her head to Blake and smiled as the light turned green and they crossed the road.
By the time they crossed the next road and walked along the edge of Huntingdon Park, Billy had forgotten about the windows and was reciting the colors of the cars as they whizzed past. They stepped up on the elevated sidewalk that edged the park and Ana herded the children across the grass to the playground. The boys ran around whooping and rolling on the sloping grass, followed by Maddy, who walked along at a more sedate pace.
Ana turned and spoke to Blake. “She’s a serious child.”
He unbuckled Jake’s seat belt, lifted the baby from the stroller, and placed him in Ana’s arms. Warmth filled her chest as the little boy reached up, grabbed her hair, and cooed happily. Blake smiled at her and the warmth spread to her cheeks. She buried her face in the baby’s hair to hide the flush.
“She takes the responsibility of being the eldest very seriously,” Blake replied as he found a place to spread the blanket on the grass. “Although she was always like that, even before the boys came along.”
“Tell me about Jeannie.” Ana decided to keep the conversation focused on Blake’s family as she settled on the blanket, not giving him the opportunity to ask her any probing questions.
Blake eased down onto the blanket beside her and looked at her intently. “Jeannie and Rod moved back to San Francisco when Maddy was born. One of the reasons I took this job on was to spend some time with them. I missed being around family.”
Ana shifted her gaze from his and glanced around. They were surrounded by fam
ilies enjoying the morning sunshine in the park and dog owners who were walking a variety of breeds along the paths. A few clouds were racing high above them and the wind was keeping the fog away.
“So that’s me in a nutshell,” he said. Ana looked back at him and Blake fixed his gaze on hers. “You’ve been putting me off every time I ask you anything personal. I’m starting to think you must have a husband hidden away.” He lightened his words with a smile and Ana bit her lip.
“No, no husband. Now or ever. Just married to a business that takes up all my time.”
Blake tipped his head to the side and waited for her to continue.
“Uncle Blake, Uncle Blake!” Maddy’s cry of distress drifted across to them before she could reply. “Billy’s stuck.”
Blake jumped up and ran across the short distance to the playground where Billy was hanging upside down, his knees curled over the top rung of the jungle gym and a huge grin spread across his face.
Ana settled on the blanket with the baby lying on his back beside her and watched Blake reach up to Billy, who was now at the top of the slide. He stood at the base of the steps of the slide calling up to Billy to come back down, and she shook her head.
Poor Blake. Even the height of a children’s slide had him flustered. He tentatively climbed the first two rungs but Billy sailed to the bottom of the slide with a gleeful scream. Blake looked over at her with a sheepish grin.
Her heart lurched. Just looking at him filled her chest with warmth. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.
Wake up.
It had all been immature mooning over something she would never have. And they were so different, a relationship would never have worked between them. This was getting out of hand. And those kisses they’d shared, well, she should just forget about them. In addition to the complications of those stupid lovesick memories intruding in her thoughts—and that’s all they were, she told herself sternly—she had her own commitments to attend to.
Her promise to help out at the community markets on Sunday had already been broken and she’d had to arrange for Georgie to pick up Thelma and Mitzi, the two elderly ladies she drove to the markets each month with their baskets and crates full of handmade goods. Even though time had been short lately, she hated letting down the local folk. It had been bad luck that Blake had needed her help on the weekend of the community market.