Charmed (Contemporary Romance) (8 page)

Something in his chest ached at this little glimpse.

• • •

The next day, Jamie tried to resist the temptation to put a little effort into her appearance and made sure she looked the way she did on any given Saturday morning. She pulled on an old pair of khaki shorts and a simple white V-neck.

The idea of having the swing set up filled her with enthusiasm. It would keep the boys entertained and she could catch up with work. But she was no longer sure how she felt about spending the morning with Nick, though it seemed harmless.

As soon as she’d stopped being so uptight around him, she’d enjoyed his easygoing ways. She was lighthearted by nature, but the last few years had changed her.

Being with both Nick and her brother, and sharing in their ribbing, had opened her up to him a bit. It was a battle between wanting to have a little fun and not wanting to enjoy it too much. The fact that Nick was leaving for a year tipped the battle in fun’s favor.

The doorbell rang and Jamie’s stomach dropped like a rock the moment she opened the door. Nick walked in, looking incredibly sexy in a faded T-shirt and jeans.

“Good morning,” she said, a little too cheerfully, wondering if she could keep the physical effect he had on her under wraps.

“I like your bright red door. It really stands out.”

“Well, our townhouse in Lexington had a bright red door, and I thought I’d make it a tradition.”

The twins burst out of the hallway, ecstatic to see him and eager to let him know how they were going to “help” him. The guy didn’t know what he was in for. She doubted he’d make it to lunch, even though she’d promised the kids she’d ask him to stay.

“Are you guys ready to get to work?” Nick asked them. Their enthusiasm level was at about rock-concert high, and Nick got down to business quickly, sorting through everything on the ground.

Jamie turned her head up to the sky, grateful for the mild, sunny weather. Nick began to assign tasks and seemed to really enjoy Michael and Timmy’s curiosity and willingness to learn. He patiently let them take turns at the things they could do while he and Jamie worked the more strenuous tasks.

Just when it was beginning to feel a little too much like a made-for-TV movie, Timmy became bored with the project and started doing something way more fun. He began to pick fights with Michael. A nice, long dose of reality ensued. The twins fought, Jamie was firm, they found alternate forms of entertainment, Jamie continued to work — until the twins got in each other’s way, and the cycle began all over again.

Between trying to keep peace between her boys and occasionally brushing against Nick as she helped him, Jamie was feeling a completely different set of emotions every five minutes.

At one point, she looked over at Nick and tried to guess what he was thinking, wondering if he was regretting the project, when she caught him lifting his shirt up to wipe his forehead.

The man had
abs
… an honest-to-goodness six-pack. She forced herself to look at the sky instead — to ask God what she had done to deserve feeling so out of control over the sight of a male body.

She’d accepted a sinfully good-looking man into her house, that’s what.

After what seemed like an eternity of time-outs, refereeing, and long faces, the twins found something that engrossed them enough to let Jamie and Nick finish without interruptions. Michael pretended to be a rocket scientist entrusted with building Santa Claus’s new rocket-fuel-powered sleigh.

Hiding a smile, Jamie thought this would be the last time Nick would volunteer to spend time with them. She knelt down over Nick’s toolbox and helped him put everything away so he could get going, figuring he was dying to leave.

When she got up, she was surprised to see him looking completely relaxed and at ease as he watched the kids with a faint smile playing on his lips. He looked over at her and caught her gaze.

“Sorry it got so noisy and out of control for a while.”

“You call that noisy and out of control?” He paused. “You
are
aware of the fact that I run a school?”

“Right. Exactly. You probably crave peaceful and quiet Saturday mornings.”

“Trust me, Jamie, peace and quiet are highly overrated.” He gestured to the swings. “Sit down, you need to loosen up.”

Jamie walked over, and sat down. He pulled her back and let her go, then leaned on one of the wooden beams. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze on her face.

He hadn’t minded the noise. It didn’t even seem like he was in a hurry to leave. She opened her eyes just as he was looking away from her. “So, peace and quiet are overrated?”

“You’d be surprised,” Nick answered. He began circling the swing set, examining it.

“How are you going to deal with the extreme peace and quiet when you’re off climbing the Himalayas?”

“The Himalayas?” He stopped examining the swing set to shoot her a quizzical glance.

“Well, isn’t that what you’re taking the year off for? Okay, I guess not,” she answered her own question when it became obvious he was trying to understand what she was talking about.

“Who told you I was climbing the Himalayas?”

“Justin, that’s who.”

“No doubt he’d love that. Probably wishes I’d disappear in an avalanche.”

“He’s not that macabre. I think. I hope. Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t mind if you lost a toe to frostbite, you know, so you lose a bit of your edge on the ice, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want you dead.”

“Well, I’m not hiking up the Himalayas just yet. For now, I’m traveling to sixteen different countries. Emma’s joining me on a few treks in the summer and on one during spring break.”

“That sounds amazing. You must be so excited.”

“Well, I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. It’s the trip I originally wanted to take right after college, before starting real life, you know? The time is finally right, and I’m counting the days.”

Jamie could feel his eagerness. He was now leaning on the beam behind her, and Jamie twisted around to study him. “It sounds like you’re going to have the time of your life. And I’m sure you deserve it. Emma seems like such a wonderful person.”

“Yes, well, I had to grow up fast when she was born.” He hesitated before looking at her again. She simply nodded, not trying to feign surprise. He surely knew the story of his life had been recycled quite a few times in town and at school.

“She’s pretty much been the center of my world and I’ve never regretted anything. Not for an instant. But there were times when I was sitting there, playing Barbies with her or having a tea party, pretending I was having a blast … ” He shook his head and gave the memory a wry smile. Jamie couldn’t help but mirror it. “I decided I needed something more personal to look forward to.”

She was about to tell him she knew what he meant, but the way he was gazing at her, convivially, told her he was aware of that. Instead she said, “Sometimes it feels like your life belongs to others.”

They were quiet for a while until Jamie saw him watching the twins again. Both Timmy and Michael were so completely absorbed in their game that they hadn’t noticed the swing set was completed. “I’ve never really thought about what I’m going to do when the twins go off to college. It seems far away.” Jamie thought out loud.

“Your odd moratorium on dating will expire, remember?” Though his familiar nature was comforting, his brilliant eyes were sending her heart into a tailspin.

“I’m not sure you’re one to talk about dating.” She got up and leaned against one of the poles.

“And why’s that?” Nick walked up to stand in front of her.

“Well, you said you’re not getting asked out much lately, and maybe it has nothing to do with you leaving for a year. Maybe you’re just losing your touch, Nick Grey.” She looked up at him, feigning solemnity. He laughed.

For some reason, Celine Bliss, the woman she’d seen him with downtown came to mind, and she wondered what role she played in his life.

Nick pulled down, hard, on one of the beams, to make sure it was sturdy. The man couldn’t seem to keep still. Jamie looked up and saw the muscles of his arms contract. What was it with her and arms? Her throat felt thick, and she was overwhelmed by the desire to know what those strong arms would feel like around her.

It had nothing to do with his comforting nature. It was purely physical. It had been a long time since she’d had a nice, strong, masculine embrace. Her mouth became dry when she actually pictured him wrapping his arms around her.

She pushed herself away from the swing set as if it were on fire. Why would she ever allow herself to picture that? She called over to the boys. “Who wants to try out the new swings?” The boys looked up in surprise. They instantly dropped what they were doing and ran like wild dogs toward the swings, nearly knocking Jamie down on their way.

• • •

Nick laughed at their excitement, and walked over to pick up his toolbox, figuring it was time to go.

“Are you staying for lunch?” Jamie asked, shooting her kids a quick glance. A moment before, he could’ve sworn she’d wanted to get rid of him, though he couldn’t figure out why. He studied her, wondering if she was just being polite.

He took in her sun-kissed cheeks, the strands of hair falling out of her ponytail, and the twin’s excitement in the background. “Sure, I’ll stay. Do you need help in the kitchen?” Without thinking, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. It had been bothering him for a while. His thumb swept her cheek, and with great effort, he lowered his hand. The pink of her cheeks instantly deepened a few shades. “Or maybe I should just stay out here and keep the peace,” he said, turning away, inadvertently flexing the hand that had touched her.

Jamie went inside and Nick gave himself a much-needed mental slap. What was he doing touching the woman?

“Nick?” Michael tugged at his shirt.

“What’s up, buddy?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, shoot.”

Michael swayed from side to side. “Um, do you know why I get a tummy ache every time Paula Mitchell talks to me? Am I allergic to her?”

Nick bit down on his lip, and tried hard not to smile. He squatted so he could be eye level with his young friend. “Do you think Paula Mitchell is pretty?”

Michael blew out a long, drawn-out breath. “She’s beautiful.”

“And does that make you nervous?”

Michael nodded yes.

“Well, that’s why your tummy hurts when she’s around. It’s because you’re nervous, not because you’re allergic to her.”

“I don’t like it. Will it ever go away?”

Nick thought about that before answering. “I think you’d better get used it.”

Michael’s shoulders slumped, and Nick tickled him. Michael laughed and ran back to his new swings.

After lunch, the boys wanted to show him each and every one of their toys, and they frequently fought over Nick’s attention. Jamie leaned over once, laughing, and said, “I adore them and I enjoy them, but I can’t blame you for not wanting to start over after already seeing this through to college.” Nick tried to smile, but he still felt bad about that whole thing.

The kids went outside again and Jamie offered him coffee. He sat on a stool in Jamie’s kitchen and looked around.

A picture of Jamie and the kids in front of a townhouse hung by the door, and Nick noticed the front door in the picture was black. “Is that the townhouse you were talking about?” Jamie nodded. “I thought you said it had a bright red door.”

“Well … Scott and I didn’t agree on the color. One day I came home and it was black.”

Nick couldn’t help thinking he’d have let her paint the door fluorescent alien green if she’d wanted. But it was unfair to judge the late Scott Sullivan over something as silly as a door.

He finished his coffee, set the mug down on the counter, and started to get up. But the boys came back in when they saw him walking toward the door and begged him to stay. Timmy whispered, “Mom didn’t see me surf down the slide ’cause she was talking to you.” Jamie caught it and bit back a smile.

“She’ll stop the fun if you leave,” Michael warned.

“Now, that is not true! I saw you. I just didn’t think it was dangerous.” Jamie laughed, and the boys giggled. They were a tight little trio. Jamie seemed to have eyes behind her head, always knowing what they were up to, and she really listened when they spoke.

Nick ended up staying a lot longer than he’d originally planned. Jamie had dozens of questions about his trip around the world. It was almost as if she was looking forward to it as much as he was.

Timmy brought out a map to pinpoint every place he was visiting — from Iguazu Falls in Argentina to the Forbidden City in China — and Michael lugged out an enormous atlas where Jamie helped him look up pictures of all the different places.

Nick helped with dinner, and they made
arroz con pollo
. “This is Justin’s signature dish,” she told him.

“Justin knows how to cook?”

“We’re all big on cooking in my family. When my relatives visit from New York, we all end up in the kitchen.”

Nick’s family consisted of Emma, so he didn’t have anything to add there.

A few hours after dinner, Timmy and Michael had fallen asleep on the couch, and the sun had set behind the treetops out front, but he and Jamie continued to find things to talk and laugh about. “Did you ever think about a little brother or sister for Emma?” Jamie carefully ventured after he’d told her he’d often wished for a kid brother or sister growing up.

“Susan, my ex-wife, is the one in a stable relationship, and she doesn’t want to put her body through pregnancy again. And me … ” Nick paused. Jamie was watching him with a quiet, thoughtful quality in her eyes, and he knew she’d understand. “I’m too afraid of feeling like things are out my control again. Some people think it has to do with regrets, but it really has nothing to do with that. I feel I owe to Emma to keep things under control.”

“Well, I don’t agree with ‘some people.’ I can understand not wanting to start over once you’ve regained your sense of balance. I guess it’s different for everyone. I personally would love more children, but that would mean a relationship and
that
I can’t handle. That would throw everything off balance for me.”