“Are you just looking for gossip?”
“Not really. I’m looking for proof that you’re going to move beyond this funk you’ve been in all year.”
“Lovely, thanks.” His comment was as snarky as he felt. He sipped his coffee and then set the mug back on the table and looked at his sister. “Listen, I know I was an ass. It has been pointed out to me that I’m the one who ruined the relationship we had. After last night, I want to try and fix that.”
Clara’s grin was a full one now. “Really? You’re going after her?”
“If she’ll have me.” He pursed his lips. “Of course when I dropped her off this morning she jumped out of the car and ran into the house as fast as she could. It didn’t seem promising. Somewhere between all the…between falling asleep last night and her getting a call to pick up the kids this morning her attitude changed.”
“You broke a woman’s heart. It’ll take some work to fix it.”
“I know that.” He considered his sister for a moment. “I guess I do have one thing on my side.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m a Keller. Everything eventually works out for the Kellers.”
She shook her head. “C’mon, Warner. Our work here is done. He’s cocky again.”
Christian laughed realizing cocky was more his style.
Victoria spent the afternoon cleaning house. Things were better when she was cleaning—or at least her mind had something else to think about.
The kids had their lunch and settled down for a nap. Even with the dishwasher purring in the background and the washing machine spinning in the other room, the house was too quiet. She’d dusted every room, mopped the kitchen floor and was now scrubbing the toilet.
Her hair hung in her eyes and she blew it away just as the doorbell rang. Victoria stood up, her back aching and her head matching the pain from the night before. With a glance in the mirror she figured she couldn’t look much worse and whoever was on the other side of that door was going to get an eyeful. She could care less that her attire was an old pair of Chris’s sweats that she’d stolen years ago and her T-shirt had a huge hole near the hem.
With the toilet brush in her yellow gloved hand, she pulled open the door to find a casually dressed Christian standing at her door with a grocery store bouquet of flowers.
Her mouth fell open as she stared at this man in his jeans and well fitted T-shirt. He pushed his Ray-Ban sunglasses atop his head leaving a tunnel in his beautifully dark hair.
“Chris!” She blinked and then blew another hair from her eyes. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Now?”
He smiled that smile that accentuated his dimpled cheeks and showcased his perfectly straight, white teeth. “What’s wrong with now?”
She looked down at herself and then back up at him, but he was still smiling. “I’m busy.”
“Any woman in the world would welcome a man at the door over scrubbing a toilet in stolen sweat pants.”
She set her jaw. “Really, Chris, I don’t think…”
“Don’t think.” He stepped inside the door forcing her to take a step back and let him in—uninvited. “It’s quiet. Are the kids gone?”
“Napping.”
“Good.” He’d moved in closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Suddenly she was pressed up against him, her arms pushed out to the side to keep her gloved hands and the toilet brush at bay. “I missed you.”
“Chris, let me go.”
“I want to kiss you.”
She tried to steady her breath. She wanted to kiss him too, but under no circumstance was she going to. Finally, forgetting the gloves and any chemicals they might have on them—or anything else she might have touched—she pushed him back.
“Why are you here?” she demanded.
His face had lost that charming smile and now there was worry in his eyes. “I don’t want last night to be just one night. I didn’t mean that.”
“You said it.”
“I say a lot of things I don’t mean.”
That took the wind out of her sails, but started a fire in her belly.
Victoria turned and walked toward the kitchen. She tore off the gloves with a snap as he followed her. She dropped the gloves in the sink and the toilet brush in the trash can so that it wouldn’t touch anything. Opening the cabinet above the refrigerator, she pulled down a vase and filled it with water.
Turning around she set the vase on the table and tore the bouquet out of Chris’s hands. “Thanks for these,” she said as she shoved the bouquet, wrapper and all, into the vase.
She watched his jaw move and the scar above his eye deepened as if it were an angry dimple. “Let me show you how my mother taught me to do that.”
He stepped up to her and took the bouquet out of the water. He didn’t step away. Instead, he stood right next to her, his body heat resonating off of him and clinging to her sweaty T-shirt. In order to keep her calm she stepped away and walked to the cabinet which housed a cup with scissors in it, high enough to not be touched by little fingers.
Holding them as she’d been taught in preschool, she handed him the handles while the pointed tips remained in her clasped hand.
Keeping her distance, she watched as Chris skillfully rearranged the bouquet until it looked perfect. He’d always had a knack for such things.
“Those are pretty,” a small voice said behind her and it caused Chris to stop what he was doing and look at Ali standing there, her eyes still sleepy.
“Hello, Ali. Do you remember me?” he asked.
Ali’s face contorted as she thought. “You were in the wedding too.”
He nodded, but her answer wasn’t the one she knew he’d been looking for.
“We’ve met before. You were younger, but let’s see…” He considered for a moment and then looked back at her with a smile. “Aunt Tori and I bought you a pink guitar for your birthday one year.”
Her eyes grew big. “I remember you. You played baseball with my daddy.”
Christian smiled now, but she saw his eyes had gone moist at her answer.
Victoria nodded. “Yes he did. Look what he brought us.” She pointed to the flowers and noticed Christian shift a glance her way as she belittled his gift.
He composed his expression and took a daisy from the bouquet. He cut the stem so it had only a quarter of the length. Moving past Victoria, he knelt down in front of Ali, who still wore her Merida dress. “May I put this one in your hair?”
She nodded adamantly and he tucked the flower in her hair, resting the stem behind her little ear.
“Me too?” Another little voice, this one sleepy, said.
Christian turned and his eyes smiled before his mouth did. Victoria wondered if he knew that.
He looked at Sam. “You want a flower?”
Sam nodded.
“One flower coming up.”
Christian pulled another daisy from the bouquet, but Sam protested. “Not dat one. Dat one.” He pointed to a decorative stick accenting the bouquet.
Victoria covered her mouth to conceal the smile.
“You got it!” Christian pulled it from the other flowers and looked at it with its many small branches. Then he looked at Sam. “Do you want it in your hair? Or do you want a wand like Harry Potter?”
His eyes grew wide. “Potter!”
“A Harry Potter wand it is.” Christian cut off a few of the extra pieces and gave him the straightest piece. Sam laughed and pointed it at his sister. “Dabra!” He shouted and Ali giggled as she ran out of the room with Sam chasing behind her.
Victoria bit down on her lip. “You didn’t turn into dust when they touched you.”
“That’s not fair, Tori. I’ve always loved these kids. They’re my godchildren, remember?”
How could she forget, but somewhere she had.
“You can’t just come back into my life you know.”
“I know you have a lot on your plate.
”
“I’m also dating Scott.” She hadn’t really thought about saying that, but she did. Well, it was true. What was he going to do with that?
He nodded slowly. “Right,” he said rubbing his fingertips over his scar. “And you told him about last night?”
She felt that fire he’d lit in her stomach explode. Her fists balled at her side. “Don’t go there.”
“Can’t help it. I wasn’t alone when I woke up this morning.”
She had so much to say to him, but the tears burning in her throat were choking her. As she opened her mouth to speak, her cell phone chimed a text. She cringed as the message displayed on the lock screen and Christian looked down.
“Boarding a plane. Will be home in time for dinner. Can I see you?” He read the text slowly and aloud so she could feel each pinprick against her skin as he emphasized each word.
Quickly she picked up the phone and held it tightly in her hand. “You’d better go.”
“Right. You’ll want to change out of my clothes before the man of your dreams shows up.” He turned and walked to the front door, opening it, and walking away.
Chapter Ten
Scott’s car pulled up to the curb and Victoria watched from the window of her bedroom as he climbed out—and he had a bouquet of roses.
She looked at the flowers Christian had brought her earlier which now sat on her dresser. There was a ball of regret in the pit of her stomach. And the regret was that she had overreacted to Christian. Wasn’t he trying, in his own weak way, to tell her he was sorry for what he’d done?
The doorbell chimed and Victoria realized she’d been staring at the flowers. She hurried down the stairs as the kids ran toward the door, too.
“Who is it?” Ali asked.
“Scott.”
“Cott!” Sam cheered, the wand that Chris had made him was still gripped in his hand.
Victoria pulled open the door to the handsome man who held the bouquet of roses in front of him.
“More flowers!” Ali said enthusiastically.
Victoria bit down on her bottom lip hoping Scott hadn’t focused on what she’d said. He stepped through the door and knelt down on one knee. “Ali, these are for you.” Victoria watched as he took a smaller bouquet of roses and handed them to her. Her eyes grew wide and she smiled up at her aunt, who gave her a nod to remind her to say thank you.
“Thank you, Scott.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Sam moved in closer and watched as Scott reached into his front pocket and pulled out a little car—a Lexus that matched his. He handed it to Sam, who then dropped the makeshift wizard wand in the floor.
“Cool!” He shouted as he ran toward the family room with his new treasure. His sister followed with her own bouquet of roses.
Scott stood up and grinned at Victoria. “And these are for you.” He stepped closer to her and pressed a kiss to her lips.
Victoria felt her breath catch in her lungs. It was a different feeling than when Christian kissed her. Oh, she’d been kissing too many people. She tried to relax against him, but that ball of regret that had settled in her stomach earlier now grew. Her only problem was she didn’t know which man she regretted.
He was still pressed up against her, the roses pressed between them, and he gazed into her eyes. “I missed you.”
“You haven’t been gone that long.”
“I know. I had to see you again. I have to fly back out tomorrow, but I wanted to be with you.”
Tears threatened to fall. What had she done? This man was never going to accept what she did with Christian last night. She couldn’t tell him she’d made an error in judgment. That wasn’t a way to start a relationship.
Well, it was one time and it was just that—an error in judgment. And she and Scott weren’t really dating—yet—or were they?
She took the roses and held them to her chest. “Thank you for these. They are beautiful.”
“They pale in comparison to you.”
That did something funny to her chest. It made it tighten. She gave him a smile and turned toward the kitchen.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat, so I didn’t start anything yet.”
Scott followed her. “I thought I’d take you out to dinner. All of you.”
“You want to take us to dinner?” She gave him a quizzical look. “Three-year-olds are picky.”
“I like pizza.”
The smile was now genuine on her lips. “I know a few kids who like pizza, too.”
She turned and opened the cabinet above the refrigerator for a vase, only to quickly remember she’d put Christian’s flowers in the only vase she had. She shut the door and fast. From another cabinet she took out a pitcher, filled it with water, and set the roses inside.
“I’ll arrange them later.”
“I like the pitcher. Do you need a vase? I know I have a few at my place.”
She swallowed hard. “I have one somewhere,” she said quickly, before anyone else heard and told her where the vase actually was. “Let me get their stuff together.”
She hurried to gather the items they would need for an hour outing.
“Oh, and don’t let me forget to get my seats from your car.”
His nose crinkled up. “Yeah. I’m sorry I forgot them. That’s some of why I came back tonight, too. I knew you’d need them. I probably made your day harder. I’m so sorry.”
She stood there staring at him. Maybe he was Mister Right. A man who took responsibility and said he was sorry was a keeper, right?
They ate pizza and played video games on quarters Scott had gathered from the coin collection in his car. He’d pulled over at a park and pushed the kids on the swings and caught them as they went down the slide. And as if the night hadn’t turned into the most fun night of their lives—he took them all out for ice cream. Somewhere, he’d admitted to never seeing the movie Brave, so Sam and Ali insisted that he watch it with them. Ali donned her Merida dress and wig and Sam curled up on Scott’s lap, but was quickly asleep.
When the movie was over, Scott helped her tuck in both kids, pick up the miscellaneous toys which had been haphazardly strewn through the house, and he stayed to watch a rerun of NCIS.
“Whose you’re favorite on the show?” he asked her as she rested against him on the couch, her feet tucked up under her and her face on his chest.
“Gibbs.”
“Really? I figured you’d be a Tony DiNozzo kind of woman.”
She sighed, “Why do you say that?”
He absentmindedly played with the strands of hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know. He reminds me of Christian.”
“Christian?”
“Sure the good-looking, athletic type that is always in search of something.”
She had to agree, though she’d never thought of him quite like that. “You know that Christian and I have long gone our separate ways.”
“I know. I’m not the jealous type, even if he did keep falling over himself at the wedding.”
If he had, she hadn’t noticed—mostly because she felt as though she’d been the one falling all over herself. But with his comment, she wondered if he knew about them staying at the hotel. Surely he’d say so—or he wouldn’t be there.
When the episode was over, Scott gave her a squeeze with his arm around her shoulders and stood. “I should be heading home. I have to go back for the rest of the week so we know all the details.”
“Wasn’t it just a DUI?”
“So much more. I just can’t talk about it.”
She nodded. “Right.”
Scott gathered her in his arms and pulled her close. “I’ll call you. And maybe next week we can take the kids to a movie.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “When they are more comfortable around me, maybe it won’t be so weird when they wake up and I’m here.”
She inhaled sharply at that as his mouth came down on hers in a warm and passionate kiss.
The next week passed and, jus
t as Scott had promised, they’d taken the kids to a movie.
And it had been another week that she dreamed about the night she’d spent wrapped in Christian’s arms.
Scott’s kisses were nice, but they weren’t Christian’s.
His words were sweet, but they didn’t make her heart race.
Every day that passed, she wondered why she’d walked away so angrily after they’d spent that one night together after the wedding. What would it have hurt to give him an opportunity to prove that he’d changed? He could have. When he’d said those hurtful things to her, both of their lives had been turned upside down.
Scott wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the street with the kids before them. Ali on her bike and Sam on his tricycle. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You look a million miles away.”
She tried to compose her face so he’d believe her. “Guess my mind was wandering.”
As they turned the corner she saw a posted ad on a bus stop.
THE WRIGHTS—New Album!
Pride swelled in her chest. Clara and Warner sure had made a name for themselves. She was so proud of her. She wondered if she was in town and perhaps they could have lunch. When she got home she was going to call her. She really missed her.
But then, again, reality took hold.
Clara was Christian’s sister. She couldn’t just be the sister-in-law Victoria pretended, in her head, that she was. But she and Clara were close, why should that stop? After all, she was one of the women to buy her the dress for the wedding—which had turned Christian’s head.
“You know I was a little giddy when I got to meet Clara Wright,” Scott said pulling her out of her trance. “At the wedding.” He nodded toward the bus stop to acknowledge he’d seen the ad.
“Clara? Why?”
“I really enjoy their music and to think you knew her when.”
Victoria smiled. That’s right. She knew her when.
She thought about the night she met Clara—the night she met Christian. It was a benefit for his Aunt Simone’s charity. She’d been Christian’s blind date. Nothing in her life had been the same since that night.
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