“An elementary school teacher?”
“Somebody who sees what kids are going through and helps them.”
His chest loosened and warmed. The feelings that awakened in his system were so foreign he couldn’t have named them if he tried. She really would be a wonderful teacher. But more than that, she was a great person. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”
“So…” she said, dragging out the word as if unsure of how to make her next point and he knew what was coming. She was going to turn in her notice. When the next semester of school started, she’d be done working for him.
“I’m looking into taking night classes.”
He glanced up sharply. “Night classes?”
Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “Well, you don’t think I’m going to leave you with two babies by yourself, do you?”
His heart stuttered. Not because she was staying but because she’d thought of him, considered the kids, as she made plans for herself.
She really was Liliah’s opposite.
The unnamed emotions bubbling through his system expanded and warmed even more. But in a way that scared him. In a few short weeks, he was beginning to have incredibly strong feelings for her.
Because she was nice.
Sweet.
Everything he’d always wanted in a woman.
But he couldn’t have her.
Hell, he shouldn’t even want her. If he didn’t remain wary, he was going to get his heart broken again.
“You don’t have to stay.”
“I love your kids. And I heard what you said the first day I was here.”
His eyebrows rose in question.
“You said the kids had been abandoned by their mom. You wouldn’t leave them too because they needed some continuity. I can be part of that continuity.”
His throat clogged with emotion. Could she really be that selfless, that sweet?
She placed her hand on top of his and smiled. “I like feeling needed. I think being here with you and the kids, being needed, is the biggest thing that’s helping me to move forward.” She pulled her hand back. “Until you guys, I had every intention of spending the rest of my life at home, locked away, not quite feeling sorry for myself, but certainly not wanting anyone to see me. You make me feel good about myself.”
His breathing froze. He made her feel good about herself? She was singlehandedly restoring his faith in humanity. She was so far removed from Liliah it was hard to believe they were in the same species, let alone the same gender of that species. And she believed he was helping her?
He cleared his throat. “You’ve done some good things for me too.”
Her smile widened, but before she could say anything, Sam began to cry.
She bounced from her seat and was at his highchair in seconds. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” He raised his hands for her to pick him up and she did. No hesitation. No thought. She just reached down, undid his highchair security, and pulled him into her arms.
“You want somebody to rock you?”
Sam snuggled into her, but Chance rose. “I’ll rock him. You eat.”
“No. No.” She brushed him off with a quick wave of her hand. “You eat. I think our sweet Sam might just need a minute or two of private time.”
With that she left and Chance sat down again. Cindy gurgled at him. “Yeah. She’s a keeper all right. But we all might be in big trouble because she’s not ready for what my gut keeps telling me I want.” He sucked in a breath. “Hell, she’s not even available for what we want.” And if he didn’t get ahold of himself fairly soon, he was going say or do something stupid again and the next time she really would leave.
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHEN THE KITCHEN HAD BEEN cleaned and the kids were in bed, Tory went to her room. Chance put on his jacket, got into his SUV and drove to his mother’s.
He didn’t knock, just entered the magnificent foyer and headed for her private rooms. There he did knock. She answered immediately.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was engaged?”
Gwen motioned him into her sitting room. “Who was engaged?”
He fell to one of the club chairs in front of the silent television. “Tory.”
His mother’s mouth dropped open slightly as she sat on the chair beside his. “Oh.” She frowned. “Does it matter?”
“Only if making a fool of myself with her matters.”