“BE CAREFUL NOT TO scratch it,” Melissa cried out as two hefty guys in blue overalls manhandled the gleaming burled walnut dining table out the front door.
Not that she should care. It didn’t belong to her anymore. A beam of sunlight hit the surface and reflected the deep colors of the wood: brown and amber and a swirl of butterscotch. The rich patina was due not only to the quality of the walnut and the age of the piece—she had to take some credit for the hours she’d spent polishing that table in the years it had been hers.
“What are you doing?” Seth O’Reilly’s unmistakable voice carried through the open door a moment before she glimpsed him hurrying up the front path.
“Redecorating,” she called out breezily. Darn it, she’d especially booked the pickup for midday when everyone from curious neighbors, to questioning kids, to nosy bank managers should be otherwise occupied.
“Hold it right there,” Seth ordered the guy closest to him, who paused and turned inquiring eyes on Melissa.
“Nonsense, keep going,” she said, making forward motions with her hands, and glaring at Seth, who fumed on the other side of the walnut barrier.
“This is crazy. You can’t sell your furniture.” Seth stood in the middle of the steps directly in front of the table.
“Would you keep your voice down?” She checked up and down the street, but Seth’s yelling hadn’t brought curious heads poking out windows. She breathed again. “I’ve already sold it,” she said. And given herself an emergency financial cushion that she’d appreciate a lot more than a dining table she rarely used.
Seth’s face flushed, “You can’t—”
“Look, pal, this thing weighs a ton. How ’bout you kiss and make up after we go, huh?”
After glowering at the man, then at Melissa for another moment, Seth stepped aside and watched in silence as the men eased the table the rest of the way out the door and headed for the truck waiting at the curb.
As soon as the table was clear of the door, he strode over the threshold. “What are you doing?”
“I needed a change. I’m tired of the traditional look— I decided on a more minimalist style.”
Seth glanced into the dining room, where a lone table lamp sat on the floor. China was stacked neatly along one wall. He could see indentations in the blue carpet where the furniture had been. “Minimalist, huh?”
“I decided on a Bedouin dining room. My guests will eat cross-legged on the floor.” She glared back at him, daring him to say one more word.
A reluctant grin tugged at the grim line of his lips. “Maybe you’ll set a new trend.”
“I got five thousand bucks for that dining suite, so if you’re here to evict me, you’ve wasted the trip.”
He smiled, one of those rare smiles of his that made her go weak at the knees. “I came to see if I could take you and whatever kids are in residence to lunch.”
“Oh.” She took a step backward. The hall seemed to have shrunk since he’d started looking at her with that warm expression in his eyes. “Lunch.”
“It’s a common custom to eat something in the middle of the day.” The expression turned teasing. “Even the Bedouins take lunch, I believe.”
She stalled for time. “I’ve only got Alice home today, but she isn’t very good in restaurants.”
“That’s why I had the deli pack us a picnic. It’s such a nice day, I thought we’d eat by the river.”
He’d arranged a picnic lunch. That was so thoughtful of him, but also ambiguous. What did it mean? Was this like a date? How did she feel about going on a date with Seth? While she stood there not knowing how to respond, he said, “I want to talk to you about the girls.”
“Oh. Well, in that case.” She stopped herself and then caught him grinning at her. “I’ll get Alice.”
MELISSA LICKED a dab of mayonnaise from her lip and sighed, lifting her face to the spring sunshine warming her skin. The river burbled its way past the park where they were sitting at a picnic table watching Alice tackle the jungle gym in the adjacent playground.
The weather was surprisingly warm for early March, and, after weeks of rain, it was beyond nice to feel the sun on her face.
Odd to feel so content when she’d parted with one of her prized possessions, but Melissa was a lot less bothered by the loss of her precious dining suite than she’d expected to be. She’d spent months searching for the right furniture, and that suite had fit perfectly into the dining room. It was old and grand, and if she tried hard enough, she could pretend it had been in her family for years.
Stephen had told their dinner guests that once. He always insinuated that Melissa came from a privileged background. She used to believe it was to save her embarrassment. Now she knew better. He’d wanted to impress on their friends and his business associates that he’d won a prize in Melissa. The real Melissa apparently wasn’t enough of a prize.
There was a lightening somewhere in her chest. Maybe getting rid of that table with its twelve matching chairs, buffet and china cabinet was like setting a lie straight. Cleansing.
And she’d save hours in polishing time. She breathed deeply of the soft spring air. “Thanks for bringing us here.”
“I’m enjoying it myself.”
This impromptu picnic was like a miniholiday, as pleasant as it was unexpected. She glanced at her companion and provider of the feast. With his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and his tie loosened, he looked exactly like what he was, a businessman father stealing away from the office for lunch in a park.
Only Alice wasn’t his child, and she wasn’t his wife.
She gazed at him, at his black hair lightly threaded with silver, the straight nose and firm jaw, the deep smile lines in his cheeks. A nice face, an attractive face. She wondered what it would be like if appearance was reality and he was hers.
He sat facing the playground, as she did, his back against the table top. He took a bite of his sandwich and she watched his square hands with their blunt-tipped fingers. Strong hands for a desk jockey. Her eyes traveled to his forearms, muscular with black hairs catching the sun. “How do you stay in shape?” she found herself asking.
He finished chewing and swallowed. “Squash. Four lunchtimes a week.” He turned to her. “I cancelled today.”
Feeling absurdly flattered that he’d cancelled another commitment to be with her, she took refuge in scolding. “I hope you still eat something in the middle of the day. With your stomach trouble, you should eat regularly.”
“Yes, nurse,” he replied with false meekness.
What was she doing? She had no right talking to Seth O’Reilly that way. He was her bank manager and employer, not her child or her lover.
“Alice, why don’t you try the other slide?” she heard him say, and jerked her attention back to where Alice wobbled uncertainly on the bottom rung of the biggest slide in the playground. Melissa half rose and then sank again as her daughter moved to the small slide without complaint.
He’s a good father, a mushy voice crooned within her chest.
With a start she pulled herself away from the direction her thoughts were headed.
“You wanted to talk about your daughters?” she asked tartly.
He turned his head to look down at her, a frown drawing his eyebrows together. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interfere with Alice.”
“Oh, no. It’s not that…I mean…Seth, why did you bring us here?”
Consternation turned to puzzlement. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “I thought about our conversation yesterday. We’re obviously both pretty gun-shy, but…” He gazed off at the river for a long moment. “I wanted to spend some time with you,” he said at last, and she could tell from his tone that he was as surprised to say it as she was to hear it.
Something funny happened in her chest. Like her heart tried to cram about a year’s worth of heartbeats into a nanosecond. “Oh,” she said. Could he possibly be interested in her? Not as a loser bank customer, or as an efficient day-care provider, but as a woman? Even as the possibility fluttered across her imagination, he doused it.
“Oh, hell, forget I said that.”
She was only too happy to forget it. More complications in her life, she really didn’t need. “Consider it done. Um. What about the girls?”
Another age seemed to go by before he answered, and Melissa felt a struggle going on inside him. It must be as tough for him to face an attraction to another woman as it was for her to think that way about another man. She watched Alice taking turns on the slide with an adorable giggling blond boy and listened to their shrieks of laughter. A smile tugged at her lips as the kids shared the instant intimacy of children.
She and Seth were at the opposite end of the intimacy spectrum, forced into closeness by circumstances and doing their best to remain strangers.
She felt rather than saw the movement beside her as he wiped his hands on a napkin and then picked up his soft drink. “Laura’s in trouble at school.”
“What?” Melissa was genuinely surprised. She’d seen enormous progress in the child’s school work and attitude in the months she’d known her. In fact, once she’d realized she wasn’t going to get away with her old lazy habits at Melissa’s house, she’d exhibited a natural curiosity and intelligence that made Melissa as proud as if Laura were her own child. Jessie, who followed her sister in everything, had improved enormously, too.
“She got into a fight at school and the teacher overheard her call some girl’s mother names.”
He recited the facts tersely, and by the end Melissa was furious. “How could any mother be so cruel? Laura’s been doing so well. I hope this won’t set her back.”
“Her teacher’s asked to see me Friday after school. I think it would help if she saw there was an important woman in Laura and Jessie’s life. I want her to meet you.”
An important woman? He thought she was important to the twins? Well, he was right. But she was surprised he’d noticed. And she’d love to tell that teacher a thing or two. Even more, she’d like to have a few words with one very insensitive mother. “I’d love to come.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“But what about the kids? Who’ll look after them while we’re gone?”
“If it’s all right with you, I’ve asked my sister Janice to watch them at my house until we get back.”
“Oh. Janice… Your house?”
“Janice would be more comfortable there. She’s great with kids. Her own are teenagers, so they can fend for themselves.”
“Well, I guess that would be all right, then. If you’re sure your sister won’t mind.”
“She’ll love it.”
Friday was her birthday. Oh, well. It’s not like she had anything better to do than attend a parent-teacher interview.
Seth stretched his arms over his head and Melissa’s mouth went dry as she watched the pull of muscles beneath the white shirt. Catching her gaze he held it a moment then said, “How would you like to take a walk along the river?”
“I’d love to.” She raised her voice. “Alice, let’s go for a walk.”
“I’ll get her,” Seth said. As he walked to take Alice’s hand, the three-year-old cried, “Daddy.”
For a stricken moment, Seth and Melissa stared at each other. “She copies the twins in everything,” she said, trying to make light of the comment.
They avoided looking at each other by packing up the picnic remainders. They went for their walk, but the brightness of the day had dimmed.
SETH WEDGED HIMSELF into the child’s chair, feeling like Gulliver in Lilliput. It didn’t help that Mrs. Picard had chosen to sit facing him and Melissa in her adult-sized teacher’s chair.
He didn’t like her. Not only did her ridiculous chair power game annoy him, but her face looked like some giant hand had accidentally squeezed it too hard. All her features were shoved together in the middle of her face in a prissy frown.
There were lots of fabulous teachers, men and women who took pride in their work and inspired kids. He knew that. Well, he couldn’t imagine a better or more dedicated teacher than his sister. So far, the girls had been lucky enough to experience some first-rate educators. But unfortunately, not this year.
It was like going back in time. The room smelled like chalk, old apple cores and the bodies of ten-year-olds. He glanced over at Melissa squeezed into the desk next to him and had to squelch an urge to reach over and pull her hair. Or slip her a note.
As though aware of his gaze, she looked his way and he knew, from the twinkle of mischief in her eyes, that she’d read his thoughts.
Suppressing a grin, he turned to the unsmiling face above him. Mrs. Picard had a file folder open on her lap and was regarding it sternly. She made them wait for a minute while she completed reading.
“Have Laura and Jessica told you why I requested this meeting?” she asked at last, her eyes boring into both of them, as though daring them to come up with the wrong answer.
“Yes.” He bit back the “ma’am.”
She nodded. “Good. I’ve called you in today because this is by no means the first such incident. Laura used foul language about another student’s mother. I feel it is only fair to inform you that the mother in question has also been to see me. She is naturally extremely upset.”
“But she—”
The teacher raised a finger. “Please, Mr. O’Reilly, allow me to finish. You will have your turn.”
Damn, he’d forgotten to take an antacid pill before the meeting. He tried to ignore the pain as anger prodded his gut.
“I believe it would be appropriate for Laura to be taken to Mrs. Moore’s house and forced to apologize for her behavior.”
Seth tried to rise, but he was jammed tightly in the desk. He wanted to be standing above Mrs. Picard when he told her what he thought of that idea. But Melissa beat him to it.
“And will that woman apologize to Laura for her rude comments?” Her voice was strong and clear, and angry. “Laura’s a ten-year-old, a child who’s lost her mother. Mrs. Moore’s comments were cruel and insensitive, and maybe her daughter would have done better not to repeat them to the twins.”
There was utter silence for a moment. If possible, Mrs. Picard’s mouth pursed even more. “You, I believe, are the babysitter.”
But Melissa wasn’t intimidated so easily. Seth watched in admiration as she said, with her quiet dignity, “I’m also their friend.”
Turning her attention to Seth, the teacher said, “I have here a written record of the times one or both of the twins have been reprimanded.”
“You keep a rap sheet on ten-year-olds?” Seth spluttered.
She shot him an acidic glance as though to say, Now I see where the girls get their rudeness from. “Laura is the worst offender, but Jessica follows her lead. I believe the girls are a bad influence on each other. Now, the school cannot force you to make Laura apologize. That is up to you and your conscience. However, I intend to split them up into different classes.”
“Split them up?”
“For their own good.”
“But they’ve always been together. Since their mother died, at least they’ve had each other.” The school bell rang. Idly, he wondered why when all the students had left for the day.
He hated the idea of splitting up the girls. And he was determined not to let it happen. He’d go to the principal, the school trustees, as high as he had to. Once again, he tried to wrestle himself out of the chair.
And once again, Melissa’s voice stopped him. “Mrs. Picard, I’ve noticed a real improvement in the girls’ behavior over the last weeks, would you agree?”
“I would have said that, before this last incident, yes.”
“Perhaps you would consider giving the girls a trial period to see if the improvement continues?”
“Does Mr. O’Reilly plan to make Laura apologize to Mrs. Moore?”
“No,” Seth said.
“Then—”
“Mrs. Theisen is a trained pediatric nurse. She’s an expert on treating children who’ve dealt with trauma. Since she’s been working with the girls, we’ve all seen an improvement. You’ve admitted it yourself. If she believes a trial period would be beneficial, I think it’s worth a try.”
He could see the old biddy’s wheels turning. Did she dare defy an expert? He was still holding back his trump card, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it.
“I’d be happy to work with you on this Mrs. Picard.” Melissa smiled. “I believe at this stage in their recovery, separating them could have disastrous consequences.”
The teacher’s eyes narrowed even more. She was obviously out of her depth. “You have professional credentials and references I assume?”
Melissa’s eyebrows rose. “Of course.”
“They may stay together for the time being, but I’ll be watching them carefully,” she said to Melissa.
Seth finally ejected himself from the desk, and he and Melissa got out of the classroom as quickly as possible. Their steps echoed down the linoleum hallway, past the rows of pint-sized lockers. Once out of sight and hearing of Mrs. Picard, Seth grabbed Melissa’s hand, and bringing it to his mouth, kissed her knuckles. “Thank you.”
She squeezed his hand briefly, then pulled away, and he noticed the delicate color creep up her cheeks. “And thank you for making me into some bogus expert.”
“Not bogus.” He pushed the metal bar on the outside door and held it open for Melissa. As they passed out into late afternoon sunshine, he said, “Even Mrs. Picky had to give you credit for what you’ve done for the girls, especially Laura. Maybe I haven’t said anything, but I’ve noticed it, too.”
She blushed even deeper, and he knew his words had pleased her.
“And thanks to you, I didn’t have to play my trump card on the wicked witch of the west.”
“Trump card?”
“The school principal is one of my squash buddies.”
She laughed, a sweet, sexy laugh. “I’m beginning to see where Laura gets her craftiness.”
“Let’s go get the kids,” he said as they made their way to his car. He’d been careful not to do anything stupid like wish her a happy birthday, but now that it was time for her birthday surprise, he felt as jumpy and excited as the kids had been for the last couple of days. Melissa didn’t say anything, but he had to wonder if she suspected.
“Don’t forget to drop me at my place so I can pick up my car,” she reminded him.
He wanted to drive her to his house. Wanted to prolong their conversation and their time alone together, but he’d make her suspicious if he didn’t drop her off, so he said goodbye in her driveway and roared off to warn the birthday party surprise crew.