Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
Lana’s kitchen was about a third the size of Sly’s, but homey. He especially liked the breakfast nook that faced the little backyard. The colorful curtains currently drawn against the night gave the space a cozy feel.
“Do you want another beer?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ll help myself. How about you? Can I get you a fresh soda?”
“You gave up your Friday night to help me out—I’ll get you a beer. Please, sit.” She gestured toward the nook. “I’m going to switch to herbal tea.”
Sipping his beer, he watched her gather the tea fixings. She was facing the stove with her back to him, and he took advantage of the opportunity to look his fill.
Her hair, which hung almost to her shoulders, was every which way, as if she’d just had sex.
They’d come close to that, all right. Her blouse didn’t cover her hips or the sweet curve of her behind.
When she pivoted around to fill a mug with steaming water, he noticed the points of her nipples poking the blouse and swallowed hard.
Hard being the operative word. He wanted Lana with a deep hunger, and fantasized a lot about making love with her again. His lust had a huge hold on him and was the reason he sat at her table when he knew darned well, he didn’t want a real relationship with her.
At last she brought her tea to the nook and sat down across from him. “Now I’m ready.”
Sly nodded, sucked in a breath, and braced for the dreaded talk.
“I think we should get to know each other without sex,” she said in earnest.
Did she mean dating? He could do that and had, lots of times. No big. He let his breath out. “Then you changed your mind about dating? You said we couldn’t because of the situation with your cousin.”
“I don’t want to discuss him right now.” Eyes closed, she rubbed the space between her brows as if the subject gave her a headache.
“You don’t like him much, do you?” She didn’t reply, and he went on, “It’s not as if we’re talking anything serious, Lana. It’s just dating.”
“Are you kidding? If I started going out with you, even casually, my parents would freak out.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “Dating is a great way to get to know each other better. It’s not necessarily long-term, and sure doesn’t mean getting serious,” he repeated. “Seems benign enough to me.”
“All the same, they’d lose it.”
Understanding dawned on him. “You’re scared of them,” he said, marveling that a grown woman would feel that way.
“That’s not it at all. We’re a close-knit family. It’s easier if we get along.”
“Which doesn’t explain why you’re afraid of them.”
“I’m not!” Her chin tilted up defensively. “You don’t understand what it’s like. Let me give you an example. It’s been weeks since I told them about my plans to adopt. My mom continually pressures me not to do it. She’s driving me crazy.”
“Tell her to stop.”
Lana snorted. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”
The woman sounded like a control freak. “You’re saying if we’re seeing each other, even casually, your mom and maybe your dad will give you grief.”
“Big-time, and we both know why.”
And they were back to the lawsuit. Sly took a long pull of his beer and Lana sipped her tea, the silence between them heavy. They seemed to be circling each other like wagons around a roaring fire.
Returning to a life without her was probably for the best, and using her family as a reason to forget each other provided a way out of what could easily become something with strings attached.
He didn’t want that but wasn’t ready to let go, either.
She was the first woman who hadn’t tried to change him, and he liked that.
“We don’t have to date to get to know one another,” she said.
Totally confused now, he eyed her warily. “Then how exactly do we get to know each other?”
“Hmm.”
As she considered the question, the tip of her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth, which was both tempting and cute.
“Here’s an example—while you helped me with the nursery, we talked, and it was both insightful and fun,” she finally said. “That wasn’t a date, it was a friend thing, and proves that getting together as friends means getting to know each other in a nonsexual way.”
“Friends,” he repeated. Dani had a friend like that, a rancher named Nick Kelly she often hung out with.
He was an okay guy, and their relationship was platonic.
As far as Sly was aware, they’d never even kissed each other.
He couldn’t imagine a platonic relationship with Lana, not after their superhot night together and the way they’d fooled around less than an hour ago.
“There’s too much heat between us to settle for friendship. ”
To make the point, he leaned across the table and ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek. Instantly her eyes softened and those tempting lips parted a fraction. He drew away and dropped his hand. “With one little touch, and I turned you on.”
“I know,” she admitted and huffed a frustrated breath.
“Back to the drawing board. Above all else, I want a child. I hope and pray Sophie chooses me to adopt her baby. Even if she doesn’t.
.. For a moment, her face clouded. “If she doesn’t, then I’ll keep trying until I finally have the baby I long for.
I want you to be honest with me, Sly.” She pinned him with her big green eyes. “Do you want a relationship with me?”
He wasn’t about to lie. “I’m not great at those—not the long-term kind. The truth is, I pretty much suck at them—ask my last girlfriend.”
“I heard plenty from Amy Watkins and Sheila Sommers.”
“You talked to Sheila, as well?” He winced.
She nodded. “Her son is also enrolled at the daycare.”
God only knew what the two women had said about him. “Then you know how bad I am at serious relationship stuff.” He shook his head. “Why can’t we just explore whatever this thing is between us and see what happens?”
She looked at him funny. “That’s exactly what two people do when they have a relationship.”
“See, I call that ‘casual dating.’ The R word sounds way too serious.”
“I’m not asking you to fall in love with me, Sly. I’m thinking ahead, to when I adopt.”
That could be a long way off yet. By the time it happened, they might not even be interested in each other anymore. “A baby’s a big deal,” he said cautiously.
“Huge.”
“Having a child will change a lot of things in your life.”
“In ways I can’t even imagine, though believe me, I dream about it constantly.
” Lana smiled to herself as if she couldn’t wait.
Then she sobered. “You and I talked about kids once before, and you said you don’t want any of your own.
But putting the lawsuit aside, can you picture yourself in a stable relationship with me and my child? ”
As badly as Sly wanted her, getting tangled up with her and her adopted baby scared him. “No,” he said.
“That’s a deal breaker.” She let out a sad sigh. “I guess we won’t be seeing each other anymore.”
As bad as he felt, he agreed. The thing was, she really wanted the arrangement with the pregnant teen to work, and he wanted that for her. “I’ll still come over and help with Sophie next Saturday,” he offered.
“I’d appreciate that. I’ll make lunch for the three of us.”
He nodded. “I’ll call you next week to confirm the time.”
“Okay.” She stood up, signaling the evening had come to an end.
At her door, Sly lingered on the threshold. He started to reach for her, but he’d forfeited the chance. Tipping an imaginary hat, he walked out.
“I can’t make it to dinner tonight,” Lana told her mother on the phone Sunday. It was almost noon and she was still in bed. “I have the flu.”
“You poor thing. Are you throwing up?”
“Twice so far.” First at dawn, when nausea had awakened her. She’d barely made it to the bathroom. It’d happened again several hours later. She was still weak and nauseous.
“Have you eaten or drunk anything?”
“I’m afraid to.”
“You don’t want to get dehydrated. Try ginger ale or cola, something easy on the digestive system. If that stays down, nibble a soda cracker and see how it goes.”
“Thanks, Mom. I will.” If she could just get out of bed without heaving. “There’s a flu bug going around the daycare. I must’ve caught it from one of the kids.”
She hoped Sly didn’t get it after those melting kisses… But she refused to spend any time dreaming about that. Except for Sophie’s upcoming visit, she and Sly weren’t going to see each other again.
Which was for the best but depressing all the same. She’d miss him.
“It isn’t the first time,” her mother said. Lana had to stop and remember what they were talking about. “Those children bring in all kinds of diseases. Masks are a good idea.”
Ah, they’d been talking about getting the flu from her daycare kids.
“Why don’t I make you a batch of that chicken vegetable soup you love and bring it over?” her mother went on. “For later, when your stomach settles.”
This was her mother at her best, jumping in to help a family member in need. Why couldn’t she be this caring and supportive all the time?
As appreciative as Lana was of her mother’s solicitude, right now she couldn’t even contemplate food, let alone entertain.
“I probably should mask up at daycare, but I haven’t been sick much because I have immunity to most of the illnesses the kids get.
Thanks for the offer, Mom. That’s sweet, but you really shouldn’t.
I’ll be terrible company, and I don’t want you to catch this nasty bug. ”
“I won’t stay long. I’ll pop in, say a quick ‘hi’ from a distance, and set the soup and a couple bottles of cola in the fridge for you. They’ll keep you hydrated.”
“Thanks.” Lana yawned. “I’m going back to sleep now, so I can hopefully get over this thing by tomorrow.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to call in sick once in a while. You have two very capable assistants who I’m sure could run the daycare just fine without you.”
“Jasmine and Brittany are great, but I love going to work.”
“Stubborn as always,” her mother said. “I’ll be over in an hour or so.”