A Child to Heal Their Hearts

by Drake, Dianne

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” she confirmed in her best, and iciest, voice.

  “You’re angry because you’ve got to cook?”

  “No, I’m angry because you decided it was necessary to discuss my cold demeanor with your daughter, who discussed it with the camp cook.” Facing him, she leaned back against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. “Cold! Really? Is that what you think of me?”

  “How about cold by design?”

  “I’m not a cold person, Reid. Maybe reserved but not—”

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Because you didn’t think it would get back to me.”

  “There’s that. But it was something mentioned the first night you were here.”

  “So this is where you’re going to tell me you’ve changed your mind?” she asked.

  If anything, she was blazing hot tonight, and sexy as hell. “Look, you’re not an ice maiden but you do put on this air of chilliness. Which, by the way, I don’t think is the real you.”

  “But why mention it to your daughter?”

  “I was irritated that you’d barged in and disrupted my entire life, not to mention my camp. So I may have spoken in haste, called you a cold...”

  “A cold what?” she asked.

  “It wasn’t meant for little ears. She accidentally overhead.”

  “A cold what?” Keera persisted.

  “And I corrected myself, and left her with the impression you were cold, as in temperature-wise.”

  “A cold what?” she asked again. “Let me hear you say the word.”

  “OK. I called you a cold bitch, because I knew your intention was to leave Megan here and walk away. And I meant it. For a few minutes. Now I apologize, because I was wrong.”

  “Because you got caught?” she questioned, fighting back a smile. He was kind of cute, trying to worm his way out of this one. He definitely looked like the little boy who’d got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to, and she couldn’t help but be more endeared than enraged.

  “Clara’s fine,” he said, trying to change the subject.

  “She doesn’t think I’m cold.”

  “We’re back to that?”

  “We never got off it.” Walking to the fridge to put away the milk, she brushed past him and paid particular attention to their proximity because she didn’t want to touch him, didn’t want another epidemic of goose-bumps. But the intensity between them was suddenly making her nervous. She could feel the heat of his stare on the back of her neck, which was where her goose-bumps began again. Oh, to be cold at this precise moment, because she was feeling anything but.

  How could any man make her so acutely aware of herself? Make her feel so self-conscious? Make her feel so vulnerable to thoughts she didn’t even know he was having? But that she herself definitely was having?

  In truth, he was awakening something in her that was a complete and messy surprise. Did she want this man? In the physical sense she was almost willing to admit she might. She was only human and, God knew, she did come with those needs like everybody did. Only she fought harder to keep them under control. So the really messy part here was how he’d got through the barriers.

  Thankfully, she still had her controls in place so he’d only get so far. Which was as far as goose-bumps and a few straying thoughts.

  “What I think is that you show me exactly what you want me to see, and believe. What I also think is that maybe you kid yourself about what you feel, even about who you are. Don’t know why, not going to guess.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. “But I have a confession of my own to make. I’m attracted to you. And when you talked about men looking at you...I looked.”

  She looked up into his eyes. Swallowed hard. “But we can control the urges, Reid.”

  “Because we want to or because we have to?”

  Nothing in her wanted to because she liked the way he held her—his grip not rough yet not gentle. And she liked his dominance. It was firm but not unrelenting. “Because it’s the only practical thing to do.”

  “Depends on your definition of practical,” he said, pulling her up roughly against his chest.

  Keera looked up, put her hands on the sides of his face to hold him where she wanted him, which was no place but here, in this moment. Then she wound her fingers up through his hair, tugged it slightly and smiled when he started to breathe faster. Breaths to match hers. The edges of their bodies melted into each other.

  Keera’s body ached from a terrible emptiness, one never before filled, and she was so acutely aware of Reid, more than she had ever been of anything or anyone else in her life. The way he looked down over the tops of his glasses at her—glasses that she removed and laid on the kitchen countertop. How his light evening stubble felt under her fingertips. But what made her quiver, as she explored his face, was the slight dent in the center of his bottom lip. And that discovery about him, and about herself was where the exploration stopped and the kiss began.

  In that instant their mouths pressed together hot and tight as his free hand entwined through her hair. Gasping when he eased her head back and kissed down her chin, down her throat, she responded by putting her palms flat to his chest, as if to push him away. Only she gripped the fabric of his shirt, two hands clinging tight to him, feeling the muscles underneath. Hard, smooth... “We shouldn’t,” she gasped.

  “And we won’t,” he agreed, without retreating a step. “In a minute.”

  The growl of his sex-charged voice was heavy and hypnotic to her ears and just the sound of it caused her whole body to ache like she’d never known it could. A betrayal of sense and soul, and she fought to get it back, but as his kisses returned to her mouth, all she could do was kiss him back. And hang on for fear she might drown if she didn’t.

  But all too soon reality overtook the moment, in the form of a jingling cellphone, the jingle being the specific one he’d assigned Emmie, and Reid stepped back, cleared his throat, and assumed the role of daddy.

  “What do you want, sweetheart?” He listened for a moment. “No, like I told you a little while ago, it wasn’t a heart attack. She’ll be fine. I just talked to them at the hospital and she’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. And, yes, I did feed her dog. He’s outside right now, and I’ll bring him in when I go to bed.” Another moment of listening, then, “I love you too, sweetheart. Tell Allie I love her, too. Then turn off the cellphone and go to sleep.”

  Once he’d clicked off, Reid grinned sheepishly. “So, is this where we ignore what happened and go on like we were?”

  “It was a kiss,” she said, her voice sounding wobbly. “Just a kiss.”

  “Just a kiss,” he said, picking up his peanut-butter sandwich. “Between colleagues.”

  Keera nodded, trying to appear practical about the matter. “A kiss between colleagues.” And one that had shaken her to the very core. Which meant what?

  That was the question she didn’t want to answer.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “I DON’T WANT to do this,” Keera said, as the instructor secured her into the zip-line harness. “I’m fine keeping my feet on the ground. Never did have a need to simply go flying through the air without an airplane around me. And I don’t like all this protective gear...” Harness, pads, goggles. “It pinches, and I especially don’t like helmets.”

  “Necessary for safety and insurance. And it sets a good example for the kids. Especially when you’re not fussing and fretting about it,” Reid said, then took a picture of her with all her gear.

  “But I am fussing and fretting,” she said, looking over at Megan, who was sitting under a tree with Sally a good distance away from the rest of the children. “And complaining outright, as it wasn’t my idea to do this.”

  Reid laughed out loud.
“Like I said, you have to set a good example for the kids. They’re watching you, you know.”

  Yes, they were all watching her, so she pasted a smile on her face and gave them a thumbs-up sign. “It’s all a lie,” she said under her breath. “I don’t like this, don’t want to do it.”

  “Role model,” he reminded her, nodding sideways in a gesture toward to the kids. “They have high expectations of you. Even Megan does.”

  “Megan’s too young to understand most of this, and why would the others expect anything from me?” she asked, as the instructor cinched the harness tighter.

  “Because they like you, and trust you.”

  “Then they don’t know me,” she said, scooting her elbow pads into place then pulling her goggles down over her eyes. “And the last thing I want to be is a role model. Too much responsibility, especially when children are involved. They need someone like you, not like me.” And she’d survived perfectly well without a role model in her own life. Or with the worst role model a child could have, depending on how you looked at it.

  “Too late for that. You’ve been thrust into greatness, Keera, as far as these kids are concerned, and there’s no turning back. They trust you, respect you and even look up to you. And your confidence in them learning to take responsibility for themselves has made you more of a role model than you can know, because these kids have never had someone who trusts them that much. Not even me.”

  “It wasn’t trust. It was practicality. And you know how that governs my life. It should govern theirs as well, as far as their health issues are concerned.”

  “But they don’t see it that way. To them, it’s a very personal thing, making you their—”

  “Role model,” she said, tightening the chin strap of her helmet then bending over to adjust her knee pads. Taking a quick look at the kids out of the corner of her eye, she saw the way they were watching her, and realized every last word Reid had said was true. Which made her feel uncomfortable for sure, yet strangely moved. “Fine, I’ll do this, and I won’t make a scene. But I may have to scream, and there’s nothing you can do about that.”

  “I’ll bet the kids will love that.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said, turning to the group of kids now that she was all garbed up and taking a proper bow. Only to be met by applause and shouts of excitement. “And if I die...”

  “You’re not going to die,” he said, walking her over to the platform.

  “But if I do...”

  “Then I’ll be properly put in my place, and you can come back and haunt me, and tell me you told me so.”

  “And I will,” she said, as she began her climb up the wooden ladder nailed onto the post holding up the zip-line platform. “I promise you, Reid Adams, I will haunt you until your dying day.”

  He’d tossed and turned a bit last night, thanks to the kiss. But somehow he’d finally settled down into a sound sleep and had slept like a cozy baby. In two-hour stretches, as he was up and down, gazing across the compound at Keera’s light, wondering if she was sleeping or if the kiss had her tossing and turning as well.

  So far that morning they’d been only colleagues and sparring partners. She’d cooked breakfast for the kids while he’d done morning rounds. He’d cleaned up the kitchen while she’d taught her class on taking vital statistics. Then they’d met to collaborate on preparing lunch, and now this. So far there was nothing personal between them. In fact, it was almost like last night hadn’t happened. But it had, and there was no denying it. Short, intense and unforgettable. The best kiss he’d ever had.

  Looking up, he watched her finally make it to the platform and wave over to Megan, then he pointed his camera up and snapped another picture, and turned it on to video record.

  “Seriously, Reid? Do you have to record every aspect of my total, abject humiliation?” she yelled down to him.

  Laughing, he stepped back to get a better, wider shot of the whole event about to take place. “Total and abject is when you get halfway across the line and can’t go on, and someone has to come and rescue you.”

  “You did that?”

  “No. But I’m just saying...”

  “You’re just saying it to put the onus on me.”

  “But I’ll have a video.”

  She glanced down at all the kids, who were much more eager to do the zip line than she was. “One time, then I’m taking Megan back to camp.”

  “What if you enjoy it?”

  “I won’t!”

  “That sure of yourself?” he yelled.

  “That sure of myself. I will not enjoy this.”

  “Then shall we make a wager? If I win, you take me out to dinner. You win and...well, name your prize. Within reason.”

  “If I win? I’ll have to think about it.”

  “Don’t bother. I’m going to win this bet.”

  “That sure of yourself, are you?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I’m that sure of you.”

  He watched Keera position herself on the platform and take last-minute instructions. Then he saw her hesitation as the instructor hooked her to the line and she inched towards the edge of the platform. It wasn’t such a high wire. In fact, he’d gone zipping on higher, much more extensive wires. Zipped over canopies of trees, skimmed along mountains. Taken an all-day outing once, combining zipping and hiking. All that had been back before he’d become a dad, and had had dad responsibilities.

  Sometimes he did miss that freedom. Wondered what it would be like to share his parental responsibility with someone so he could afford a little time away. Mostly, though, he loved the responsibility, loved everything that came with it.

  Although, after last night, some of the longing had returned—longing he’d put on hold the day he’d made his decision to adopt the girls. Well, it was good to know it was still there. Unfortunately, it was now dusted off and raring to go, and as long as Keera was here, it wasn’t going to go back into storage. The fifty or so photos of her he’d taken already, and now the video, were proof enough of that.

  “Do you seriously think I’m going to step off this platform?” she called down to him.

  “Want me to come up there and give you a push?”

  “What I want is an activity where I can keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. Something sane, like taking a hike. Or jogging.”

  “One step, Keera. That’s the way everything starts in life. With one step.” And she needed that step because she did keep everything so locked up.

  She looked down at him again then looked over at the kids, and shrugged. Then took that step, to the shouts and screams of the children, who were jumping up and down, applauding her. In a few seconds she was on the opposite platform, raising her arms in the air in victory. Waving at the kids. Shouting her own glee at the task completed.

  “I didn’t hear you scream,” he said, showing her the playback of the video.

  “Because it happened so fast. One moment my feet were on solid ground then the next I was flying.”

  “See, I told you.” he said, helping her off with her helmet. “Want to do it again?”

  “Think I could?”

  “We have two hours here. I’ll bet you can do it several more times.”

  “That was...” She smiled. “Pick your restaurant, Reid. You win. You were right. So revel in it now, because that’s all you’re getting from me. One admission and one only. It was fun. I loved it.”

  “One admission leading to one dinner but an admission with so much significance. Because victory is sweet. Trust me, one is all I need from you.” And maybe another kiss at the end of the evening. But he wasn’t going to hope too hard for that. Once was pushing it, twice would be...well, very nice, but also a very long long-shot. Still, long-shots were good to bet on because when they won, they paid off big.

 
* * *

  “I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise he’ll like anything we’ve bought today.” They’d been shopping for two hours, and the clothes were cute. Not traditional, not frilly. More like bright, and fun, lots of colors, lots of layers. And accessories. Oh, my heavens, his daughters were starved for accessories. Apparently their daddy was quite practical in some aspects of his personality, and allowing his daughters to express their true creativity was one of those aspects.

  When they’d hit the accessories aisle of the little girls’ section in the boutique where she’d shopped for Megan, it had been like a whole new world had opened up for Emmie and Allie. Bows and matching socks, purses, belts. And shoes to match specific outfits. These girls lived in basic colors and basic sneakers. Red and pink shoes were entirely new to them, and she couldn’t quit buying.

  In a way, a whole new world was opening to her, too. Partly because of Megan, and partly because of Emmie and Allie. It was so much unexpected fun, like the zip line. It was also all the things of which she’d been deprived when she’d been a girl that were coming back to remind her now, and she was regaining, vicariously, some of what she’d never had. Even now, her own shopping was practical, quick, and of necessity. And always, always basic.

  But this...instead of regretting her past and even parts of her present life, she was enjoying every minute of the outing with Reid’s daughters, and being ever mindful that Megan could be part of this in the near future, if all went well.

  Also wishing Megan could be part of it now. She truly would have liked to include her.

  “Was your daddy like that?” Emmie asked innocently, as she plowed through the section of hair accessories, looking for individual pieces to match each of the six outfits she’d picked out so far. “Like my daddy is?”

  “I never got to know my daddy,” Keera said. “He went away before I was born.”

  “He’s lost?” Allie asked.

  “I suppose you could say he is. But I don’t think he wanted any little girls the way your daddy does.”

  “Would he want you if you were a boy?” Allie asked.