Sunday it rained.
Anna was grumpy because of lack of sleep. She’d tossed and turned all night, thinking about Myles. She didn’t want to settle for a companion role, but could see the appeal to a man who might not know much about love. Just to have someone to make a family with would be important to him.
Once she’d fallen asleep, she’d dreamed about Myles. She couldn’t escape the man.
Zack was fussy that morning. He wanted to go to the park, but Anna had said no. Summer rain could be fun to walk through, but it was still early spring and cold outside.
By ten o’clock, Zack had tired of playing in his room, didn’t want to watch cartoons, and yelled at Anna that he wanted Myles to play with.
She put him on time-out for five minutes for yelling at her, but felt sorry for the little guy. She wouldn’t mind Myles stopping by to visit herself.
In desperation, Anna bundled him up, and they went to the grocery store. The closest one didn’t have all the things she wanted, but she bought two full bags of groceries, including chocolate chips. She and Zack could bake cookies when they got home. It beat having him drive her crazy.
“Hello, Anna, dear,” Edith said, coming around the end of the aisle and seeing the Tuckers.
“Edith, how are you?” Anna looked sharply at her neighbor and babysitter. The older woman looked pale.
“Not feeling so well. I’m sure I’ll bounce back and be right as rain tomorrow. Oh, dear,” she said with a slight grimace. “Rain today isn’t so right.”
“I wish you’d told me you needed something from the store—it would have saved you coming out in this nasty weather,” Anna said. “Can I help you home with your things?”
“I bought plenty of soup. Just in case. If I’m not better in the morning, you may need to make other arrangements for Zack. I don’t want him to get sick.”
“Don’t worry about that. You concentrate on getting well. Let me help.”
Anna carried the bag with Edith’s soup cans, plus her own items. Zack was subdued, and Anna hoped he was being attentive to her situation and not coming down with something himself.
“Thank you, dear,” Edith said when they reached her apartment. “I’ll just put the food away and then lie down.”
“No, you go lie down now. I’ll put things away and make you some of this soup. When did you eat last?”
“I couldn’t eat anything earlier. A small cup of soup sounds nice about now,” the older woman said, taking off her raincoat and laying it across the back of her sofa.
Anna knew she was sick. Edith was fastidious about caring for her things. Normally, she’d never put a wet raincoat over her sofa.
Anna hung it up to dry in the kitchen and quickly put away the few items Edith had purchased. She then prepared a cup of soup for her and carried it into her bedroom.
“Here you go,” she said. Edith had already changed into a nightgown and was beneath her covers.
“Thank you. I shall be fine in short order,” the older woman said. She still looked pale.
“Maybe not. Even if you are, you won’t want to watch Zack tomorrow. I’ll see if I can find another sitter, or stay home with him myself.”
The fact her child-care provider didn’t argue showed Anna how sick she truly was.
“Do you need anything else?” Anna asked, resisting the urge to feel her forehead to see if she had a fever.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I’ll check back later.”
“Thank you, Anna, you run along now.”
Her lids were already dropping. Anna waited long enough for her to finish the soup and took the cup.
“You were a good boy, Zack,” she said when she entered the kitchen and found her son gazing out the rain drenched window.
She was proud of how well he could behave when the chips were down.
“Is Edith going to die?” he asked, looking worried.
“No, honey, not for a long, long time. She’s just a little sick. Come on, we’ll head for home and make our cookies. We’ll come back down in a little while to check on her, okay?”
“’Kay,” he said, climbing down from the chair and looking closely at Anna.
“You won’t get sick, will you, Mommy?”
“I won’t. At least I hope neither one of us does. Come on, tiptoe so we don’t disturb Edith.”
A couple of hours later, several batches of cookies cooled on wire racks on her counter. Anna and Zack surveyed them proudly.
“I helped,” Zack said.
“Yes, you did. You were a good helper.”
“Can we give some to Myles? I bet he doesn’t have chocolate chip cookies at his house,” Zack said.
“That would be a good idea.”
And a good excuse to see him, just for a moment. She had his phone number. Would he like them to come and bring him cookies? Probably taking a child to a hotel room wasn’t the wisest move. Maybe he was tired enough of his hotel he’d relish the walk over.
Glancing out the window, she saw the rain had stopped. For how long, she wasn’t sure. It was still gray and overcast.
“And we can give some cookies to Edith,” he added.
“I’m not sure she’ll be up to cookies, but we’ll take her some just in case,” Anna said.
They carefully packed two plates with cookies. Heading out to check on Edith, Anna gave the plate to Zack to carry. He solemnly walked to the elevator and waited for her to press the button.
Edith had grown worse. Admonishing Zack to sit on the sofa and not touch anything, Anna prepared Edith some more soup and brought her a warm washcloth to freshen up. The woman had a high fever and Anna made sure she took some aspirin before giving her the soup.
“Shall I call a doctor?”
“No. Don’t get near me, Anna. You need to stay well for Zack. I’ll ride this out and be better before you know it. Go on now. I thank you for stopping by.”
“When you finish the soup,” Anna said. “We’ll be quiet in the living room. But I want to make sure you’re holding it down before we leave.”
“I’ll be fine,” the older woman said, but she sat up against the pillows Anna plumped up for her and sipped the soup.
It was more than a half hour later when Anna and Zack left. Edith had fallen asleep again. Anna knew the older woman had no one else, so vowed she’d check in on her each day at least once or twice.
When she returned to her apartment, she gave way to impulse and called Myles.
“Riker,” he answered. Her heart began pounding at the sound of his voice.
“Hi. Miserable day, isn’t it?”
“I like it. I walked to a coffee shop this morning in the rain. When you live in a desert most of the time, rain’s a treat.”
“It’s cold and damp and dreary,” she countered.
“But rain keeps that grass in Central Park green. And washes the air. It is clean and crisp outside.”
“So, want to take another walk in that crisp, clean air?” she asked.
“To?”
“My place. Zack and I baked chocolate chip cookies this morning. I wish it was nice enough to take him to the park. That would burn off some of his energy. Be prepared. If you come over, you’ll have to take part in entertaining a rambunctious kid.”
She was talking too fast, as if she didn’t leave an opening for him, he couldn’t refuse.
She hoped he’d want to come over. She wanted to see him.
“Sounds like a plan. I love chocolate chip cookies. I don’t think I’ve had homemade ones since I was a kid. I can be there in a half hour.”
“We’ll be here.” She hung up, feeling breathless with anticipation. He was coming over. Granted, Zack would be a perfect chaperon. But she didn’t care; she’d get to see Myles again. And then it was only a couple of days until he came to see where she worked. And then there was the school meeting on Wednesday evening.
She could use the time until Myles arrived to line up a babysitter for a couple of days.
It was mid afternoon by the time Myles rang the doorbell.
“We made cookies,” Zack announced, beaming up at him.
“So you did. Chocolate chip, my favorite.”
“Come on,” Zack said, racing for the kitchen.
Anna laughed, bubbling with happiness. She was glad he’d come.
“Let me take your jacket, then follow the enthusiastic kid for cookies.”
Myles reached over and brushed his lips against hers. His were cool. The kiss was too brief, but still caused Anna to catch her breath. Her gaze dropped to his jacket. When he took it off, she hung it up, feeling the warmth from his body.
“Here you go,” Zack said, coming out of the kitchen carefully holding a plate of cookies. It tipped dangerously.
“Hey, thanks, buddy.”
Myles moved swiftly to get the plate from the little boy before all the cookies landed on the floor.
“These look great. You made them?” he asked Zack.
The child smiled widely and nodded his head.
“Mommy said I could help.”
“Good for mommy. How are they?”
Myles took one and bit into it.
“Delicious,” he declared, turning to look at Anna.
Anna walked past him, catching a hint of his after-shave. It kicked up her pulse rate. She was glad she’d brushed her hair, put on fresh lipstick and made sure all traces of flour were gone from her dark sweater.
“Zack loves to make cookies so any rainy day, that’s often a project,” she said, feeling suddenly shy and as awkward as a schoolgirl. “Want some milk or coffee to go with that?”
“Do you have hot chocolate?”
“Yes. That’d be good for all of us on such a day,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
Making the hot chocolate would give her something to do until her nerves calmed down.
Myles followed her and put the plate of cookies on the counter.
Zack rushed in and looked around.
“Aren’t you going to eat the cookies?” he asked.
“I had one. I’ll have another when your mom has the hot chocolate ready.”
“I like marshmallows in mine,” Zack said.
In a moment, bored, he left.
Myles leaned against the doorjamb and watched as Anna prepared their hot drinks.
“If I didn’t have to act like an adult,” Myles began, “I’d gobble up all those cookies. But I had better be a good example to an impressionable kid.”
She laughed. “Good idea. How was your walk over?”
“Cold. I think the temperature dropped twenty degrees. But it felt good.”
“I’m ready for summer. It was cold all winter long. Our drinks are ready. Want to call Zack for me?”
“I’ll go get him,” Myles said.
Myles returned a moment later, carrying a laughing Zack.
“Found him.”
“We’ll sit at the table. It’s less chancy for him spilling things,” she said, pointing to the small round table with three chairs that served as her dining area. Sometimes Edith shared a meal with them, so Anna had three chairs.
Myles was the first guest she’d had in the apartment except for Edith.
“We went to see Edith,” Zack said. “She’s sick.”
“Did you take her cookies?”
“Yes. We make the bestest cookies,” Zack said.
“She has the flu…not too interested in cookies,” Anna added.
Myles looked at Anna.
“Will she be able to watch this young man tomorrow?”
“No. She didn’t look so good when we saw her earlier. I’ve been calling around to find someone.”
“Any luck?”
“Two of my backup women already have plans. The third is also sick. Apparently, the flu’s going around.”
“Don’t you get sick,” Myles said.
“Exactly what Zack said,” she replied. “I’ll do my best not to. But Edith has been such a help to me. I need to return the favor and help her out now. She doesn’t have anyone else. I thought I’d go down before supper to make sure she needs nothing more today.”
“Why don’t you leave Zack here when you check on her? No sense exposing him to germs if you don’t have to.”
“Thanks,” she said. “He’s been there, but stayed in the living room. I feel terrible for her—having no one to take care of her when she’s sick.”
“Who takes care of you when you’re sick?” he asked, taking another cookie.
“No one. She’d help, I’m sure. Fortunately, I’m rarely sick.”
“I want to get down. I’m finished,” Zack said.
“I should find a way to burn off some of that energy,” she said, helping Zack to the floor, pushing his empty cup away from the edge of the table.
“If it weren’t so late, we could take him to a museum or someplace indoors and let him run around.”
“But it is late, and it’s started raining again. I wish it’d rain at night and leave the daylight for kids to play outside.”
“Does this mean the preschool is leaking again?” he asked, turning to look out the window.
“I hope not. The roof was repaired. It’s the water damage from the previous leak that needs fixing.”
They finished their hot chocolate and then moved into the living room. Anna asked him to stay for dinner and Myles quickly accepted. He explained he’d never turn down a home-cooked meal.
They talked in between playing with Zack and finally settling in to watch a Disney movie.
When Anna went to prepare dinner, Myles stayed in the main part of the apartment to entertain Zack.
She dashed down before eating to check on Edith. Satisfied the older woman was holding her own, she returned and dished up dinner for the three of them.
Sitting at the table, she remembered meals with Tom. Zack had been too little to eat his meals at the table; he’d still been in a high chair. Looking up, she was startled to see Myles’s dark hair and eyes when she expected to see Tom’s light brown.
By the time dinner was over, Zack was growing sleepy.
“What did you do to my son?” she asked when he yawned again at the table.
“We had races. I remember one foster mother having all the kids race around the yard to wear us out. He loved it.”
“You ran around with him?”
“No, I timed him with my watch. And he got faster and faster, didn’t you, Zack?” Myles said.
“Yes, I can run fast as a superhero,” he said. “Want to see?”
Without waiting for Anna’s answer, he got off the chair and raced down the hall. A moment later, she could hear his footsteps as he ran back.
“Very good. And what a great idea, as long as he doesn’t drive the downstairs neighbors crazy.”
Myles and Zack helped clear the table and then Myles stayed in the kitchen with Anna while she quickly did the dishes. It was cozy, the rain on the window, the companionship of the two of them while she washed and set the dishes in the drainer.
She glanced over at Myles. He was watching her as if he’d never seen a woman washing dishes before.
“What?” she asked.
“Soaking in the atmosphere,” he said slowly.
“Dish washing?”
“Different from the desert. As is being in a proper kitchen. The room where I’m staying doesn’t have much except a small refrigerator and microwave. I order in when not invited for a home-cooked meal.”
“Every night?”
“And lunch, too. Breakfast I usually catch at the local coffeehouse.”
“What do you do when on the job site? Surely they don’t have restaurants on every corner over there,” she asked.
“We usually have a mess tent. No point in fifty men each cooking for themselves if the company can have a cook to prepare meals for everyone. Keeps morale high and men focused on the work they’re hired to do.”
“So that’s kind of home-cooked,” she said, wiping down the counters and turning to face him.
He looked tired. She forgot sometimes he was still recovering from being hit by a land mine. Had Zack worn him out?
“Don’t confuse mess food with home-cooked. Yours is the best.”
Delighting in his compliment, she smiled.
“You’re easy to please,” she said.
She draped the dishrag over the sink edge and wiped her hands on the towel. Hanging it on the rack, she turned. Myles was just inches away.
“I meant it, Anna,” he said, his voice low and sexy.
He reached out to put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her closer. His mouth covered hers and Anna let out a soft sigh as the magic of his kiss took over.
She kissed him back, wanting a closer contact. Stepping closer, she put her arms around his neck and was delighted to have him encircle her with his arms and pull her in for full body contact.
It was the most exciting kiss she’d ever had. Every cell in her body tingled with anticipation. Her mouth grew greedy, moving against his, relishing every press of lips, every sweep of his tongue. His hands splayed on her back, pressing her into him. She could feel the weight of them, wondering what they’d feel like on her bare skin.
Time had no meaning as the kiss continued. Anna could have stayed in Myles’s arms forever.
He moved from her mouth to kiss her cheek, along her jaw line, down her throat.
Anna flung her head back, eyes still closed, as she relished every tantalizing touch of his mouth against her skin. When he kissed the rapid pulse point at the base of the throat, she clung, shivering in pleasure.
“Mommy, why is Myles biting your neck?” Zack asked.
The moment shattered. Anna pulled back so fast she almost lost her balance. Myles’s hand on her arm steadied her.
“I wasn’t biting your mother. I was kissing her,” Myles said.
Anna couldn’t utter a sound. How could she have forgotten her son? What was she doing kissing a man she hardly knew? This was so wrong.
“Why?” Zack asked.
“I like her. When people like each other, sometimes they kiss each other,” Myles said, stooping down to be at Zack’s eye level.
“Know how your mommy kisses you goodnight when you go to bed?”
Zack nodded.
“That’s because she loves you and wants to kiss you to sleep at night.”
Zack looked at Anna, a frown on his face.
“But she doesn’t kiss me so long.”
“Ah, that’s a special kiss between a man and a woman. When you are all grown up, you’ll understand.”
“You need to take a quick bath, get in jammies and get to bed,” Anna said.
She reached out for Zack’s hand, afraid to look at Myles. No telling what he thought of her readiness to return his embrace. She wasn’t sure what to make of it herself.
“Want help?” he asked.
“No,” she said quickly. Taking a quick breath, she tried to smile. “We’ll just be a few minutes.”
She wished he’d offer to leave, but he merely nodded and slid his hands into the side pockets of his slacks.
“I’ll wait, then.”
“Want to give me a bath?” Zack asked hopefully.
“Not tonight,” Anna responded before Myles could.
She needed a few moments away from him.
Twenty minutes later, Zack was in pajamas and ran to the living room to bid Myles goodnight.
“Mommy’s going to read my story tonight. Maybe you can another night,” he said gravely.
“I look forward to it,” Myles said, reaching down to give him a quick hug.
Anna had her emotions under control by the time she returned to the living room a short time later.
“Zack asleep?” Myles asked, rising as she entered.
“Yes.”
She smiled and paused for a moment, then deliberately sat on the sofa. Myles sat beside her.
“I’ve been thinking,” he began.
She almost held her breath. Had he been thinking the same thing she had? That there was something special between them? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to discuss it, but there was no denying it was there.
“If you can’t find another sitter, I could watch Zack for you when he’s not in preschool.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” she said.
So much for her intuition of what he wanted to talk about.
“I have ample time. And I’m going a bit cabin crazy with this enforced inactivity. Unless you don’t think I can handle him. Or you don’t trust me.”
Anna looked at him in surprise.
“It’s not that. You’re recuperating. You need rest. Not to be running after a four-year-old all day.”
“People atrophy if they do nothing. I’m used to working all day almost every day. This sitting around is getting to me.”
“You don’t think he’ll wear you out?”
Myles shook his head.
“If I get too tired, I’ll nap when he does. But how hard can it be to watch a four-year-old?”
Anna grinned.
“Harder than I expect you believe it’ll be.”
She thought about it another moment and then nodded slowly.
“You are a lifesaver. I thought I was going to have to take time off from work to watch him. No one seems available tomorrow. I’ll take you up on your offer only if you promise to call me if things get out of hand.”
“They won’t,” he said confidently.
Anna hoped he was correct. One of the hardest parts of being a single parent was finding child care. The arrangement she had with Edith worked perfectly for the two of them. But when she was ill, it was hard to get someone on such short notice.
Myles slid closer, put his arm across the back of the sofa, and looked at her. His fingers brushed against her hair.
Anna resisted the urge to bolt from the room. She leaned back slightly and tried to relax, which was impossible with her heart racing like it was.
“It’s supposed to stop raining tonight. Would the park be too wet for him to play tomorrow?” Myles asked, his caressing fingers causing her great difficulty in thinking straight.
“I’ll give you a towel to wipe down the slide if you’re the first ones there. After a couple of kids have been on them, they’re dry. Are you sure?”
“About what?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
Anna felt her heart rate increase.
“About watching Zack.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks.”
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to forget there’s a little boy asleep down the hall and a sick woman you need to check and do something that might be construed as moving too fast,” he said in his low voice.
Anna reached out to touch his cheek, moving her fingers to his lips. Myles kissed them, sending a shock of awareness through her.
He took her hand and placed a kiss in the palm, closing her fingers over.
“Go check on Mrs. Wade. I’m going home soon. I’ll stay here until you get back.”
“About moving too fast?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know if I’m even ready to move on. I loved Tom very much.”
“Let’s just see what happens. Tell me if I’m pushing too hard,” he replied, kissing her fingers.
“I like that,” she said softly.
“I do, too,” he said, kissing her again.
“I’d better check on Mrs. J and then let you go home. Thanks for the offer. I really appreciate it.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”
When Anna left, Myles rose and went to see his son again. Zack was asleep, looking angelic. Tomorrow, Myles could spend the entire day with him.
He smiled, remembering some antics and comments the child had made that afternoon. Were all children as endearing or was there a special bond because of their blood ties? He didn’t know or care. He loved this child. Tomorrow they’d build on the memories they were making.
He walked back to the living room, standing by the window to watch the rain. It had been challenging to think up activities this afternoon to entertain with no prior experience.
The visit to the park had been easier. Of course, he’d let Anna take the lead. She knew more about Zack’s likes and activities. Maybe he could get her to show him the pictures of his son from infancy. Myles yearned to learn all he could about Zack.
Myles turned back to look around the room at all the pictures. Thomas Tucker, obviously, he thought, lifting one and studying the man who had adopted his son.
He looked solid, someone to depend upon. Another showed Tom and Anna at the beach, laughing in the sun. There were several with Tom holding a baby and then a toddler as Zack grew.
According to the detective, Zack had just turned three when Thomas Tucker had been killed by that hit and run drunken driver. The police apprehended the man later and charged him with manslaughter.
Did that help at all with Anna’s loss?
He doubted it. She had that constant hint of sadness in her eyes.
Putting the picture down, he surveyed the rest of the room as he went to sit on the chair near the sofa. It was casually decorated, lots of pictures and books. The television sat unobtrusively in one corner. It was a pleasant room for a little boy.
When he heard the key in the door, he turned.
“She’s doing about the same and promised to call her doctor in the morning. I told her you were taking care of Zack tomorrow and that seemed to take a load off her mind.”
“Does she need someone to care for her?” he asked.
“I heated some more soup for her and made some toast. She said that was all she wanted. I made sure she was drinking plenty of fluids. Other than that, I think she wants to be left alone.”
“I do when I’m sick.”
“Most guys do. I remember Tom—” She stopped abruptly. “Never mind. I hope I don’t catch it from her. There’s nothing worse than being incapacitated with a four-year-old running around.”
“What time should I be here in the morning?” he asked, rising.
“I usually leave around 8:30. Want to come a bit earlier to make sure the transition goes smoothly? It’ll be something extraordinary for Zack. I’m sure he’ll be delighted, but just to make sure there are no problems.”
Myles nodded. He wanted to stay, to talk more to Anna, but it was already after nine and she had to work tomorrow.
“See you then,” he said, crossing the room. “Walk me to the door?”
It was only about ten steps, but he wanted one more kiss goodnight.
She went with him and looked up expectantly when they reached the door.
“I enjoyed dinner,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
He’d only wanted to brush her lips with his, but once they touched, he felt desire rise. He wanted more. Anna was willing and opened her mouth at the first hint.
Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her as he had in the kitchen. Ending the kiss too soon, he rested his forehead against hers.
“Thanks again for dinner,” he said.
“Thanks for watching my son,” she replied, her eyes luminescent.
Myles rode the elevator down to the lobby. He wasn’t sure he was going about this the right way. He wanted Anna in a totally different way than merely getting to know the woman who had adopted his child.
And to feel guilty about not telling her about his relationship to Zack.
It was becoming complex when all he’d started out to do was glimpse his son. Now he knew him, knew he was happy and thriving.
Anna had been unexpected. As were the growing emotions and attachment he was feeling for her.
How would she take learning he was Zack’s biological father? Would she send him packing? Become distant but allow him to continue visiting with them?
Or was she beginning to feel something more for him as he was for her? Could it lead to marriage?
Or would telling her end everything?
Could they make a family? It would be the perfect solution. Only she’d said she wasn’t sure she was ready to move on. The bond between her and Tom apparently hadn’t been broken when he died. As evidenced by all the photos all over the flat and her constant references to him. To see how far they could explore this relationship, she needed to move on.
What could he do to help? He didn’t want to feel second best. If their relationship developed, would she ever care for him as much as for her first husband?
Would he end up accepting whatever she gave just to stay near?