Winning Wyatt (The Billionaire Brotherhood Book 1) (19 page)

“I
see that you don’t want him here, but not why.”

Kara
crossed her arms and considered. “I’ve had Sean to myself for so long that it’s
hard for me to think of sharing him with anyone.”

The
pregnant lady studied the picture of Wyatt hanging over Kara’s desk. “That’s a
good reason for not wanting him here now.” Josie returned her gaze to Kara.
“But why didn’t you want him involved from the beginning?”

Kara
nibbled a thumbnail, tempted to pour out the whole sorry tale. She settled on a
small part of the whole. “When I was pregnant, he said he didn’t want to be a
father. I don’t understand why he wants to be one now.”

“Has
he always known about Sean?”

“Not
until recently

“Ah,”
Josie repeated.

“Quit
saying that,” Kara ordered. “You sound like a talk-show therapist.”

“I
don’t know what else to say, and this is really none of my business.” The woman
rested her forearms on her rounded tummy like it was a beach ball floating by
and gave an inviting, motherly smile. “Unless you want to talk about it.”

Opening
up about her personal life didn’t came easily to Kara, but she was befuddled
enough to try. And with Josie’s background, she’d be the perfect choice. “Maybe
part of the reason I chose Wyatt to be the father of my child was because he
lived in California, and I thought he wouldn’t want to bother with a serious
attachment.”

Josie
nodded. “And you didn’t tell him about Sean because...?”

“Because,”
Kara said, drawing the word out before finishing in a candid rush, “I didn’t
want to know for sure if he wanted to be involved or not.”

“And
now that you know he does want to be, you feel...?”

“Guilty.
And angry. And scared.”

“You’re
a patchwork quilt of emotional indecision, aren’t you? What do you plan to do?”

“On
one level, I think, Wyatt’s a wonderful man who will make a terrific father, if
that’s what he chooses to do. I don’t know what I’m so afraid of.”

Her
friend’s expression suggested an all-knowing Madonna who pitied mere mortals
for trying to lie to her. Kara just hoped she didn’t give that understanding
little “Ah” again. She’d hate to have to smack a pregnant woman.

“And
when you stop kidding yourself that way, what do you really think?”

“What
do you mean?”

“Come
on, Kara, we both know what you’re afraid of. The only way to overcome your
fear is by admitting to yourself—and to Sean’s father—that you’re afraid of
losing everything that matters to you, the same way you lost it before.”

God,
Kara hated it when other people saw right through her. It made it so much
harder for her to deceive herself.

The
next day, with Wyatt in the passenger seat and Sean in his car seat behind her,
Kara drove up the long tree-lined driveway and stopped in front of the elegant
colonial mansion. “You live here?” Her voice squeaked with disbelief. “You
bought Whitley Manor?”

“No.”
Wyatt unbuckled his seat belt. “I’m leasing it.”

His
answer irritated her more than it reassured her. “Not planning on a permanent
relocation, right?”

He
got out of the car and opened the rear door. “I have an option to buy.”

Kara
got out on her side and hurried around to release Sean from the safety seat
before Wyatt had a chance to do it. He grabbed the diaper bag, retrieved the
house keys from his jeans pocket, and then led the way up the front steps to
the double doors.

“It’s
not fully furnished yet,” he warned as they stepped into a cavernous foyer that
reminded her of one of the Borgia palaces from the Italian marble floor to the
watered silk wallpaper.

“You
asked us to come over.” She tried hard not to show her awe at the house he
intended to temporarily call home.

“I
know.” He smiled with infectious pleasure. “I couldn’t wait to see Sean here.
He’ll probably enjoy running through the empty rooms more than he’ll like it
after it’s furnished.”

“No
doubt.” She momentarily forgot herself and returned his smile as their
footsteps echoed across the marble. Looking around at the living room, Kara
reminded herself that Wyatt had taken this house for his own benefit and for
Sean’s, not hers. Despite the internal caveat, she couldn’t squelch her
approval at his choice.

“How
much redecorating are you going to do?” The frustrated artist in her ached to
have a hand in the project. Leave it to Wyatt to run across a gem of a house at
the exact moment he needed one. Even unfurnished, she could see all of its
glorious potential.

“Not
much.” He flipped a switch in the spacious dining room. An enormous
upside-down-wedding-cake chandelier scattered prisms of light across the bare
walls and ceiling. “They’ll send some things out from the store, but I don’t
plan to go overboard.”

“Since
this is just temporary.” Why did she keep harping on that?

“Since
I already have two other furnished houses.”

“Oh,
right.” She touched the intricate carving along the chair rail. “What are you
going to do about them?”

“My
friend from Columbia is using the beach house.”

“And
the cabin?” Just mentioning their special place seemed to stir up the feeling
of intimacy between them that always swirled just beneath the surface.

“I
never let anyone else go there,” he reminded her.

“Just
Allie.” Even that teasing comment evoked too many memories for comfort.

“Just
Allie and Xander. And Ryan and Dylan have visited a few times.” Lifting his
hands toward her, his eyes deepened to a familiar shade of desire. She held her
breath, expecting him to touch her cheek or stroke her hair, but he took Sean
from her instead. “Come on, partner. Let’s take off your coat before I show you
your new room.”

“We
haven’t seen all of the first floor yet.” Kara unbuttoned Sean’s jacket and
then her own. “Where’s the kitchen?”

“Through
there.” Wyatt nodded at a door on the far side of the dining room, set Sean
down, and then dropped their coats over the stair rail.

Taking
Sean’s hand, Kara intended to just peek at the kitchen from the doorway, but
her enthusiasm drew her in. “Wow, this is great. Is that the original
cabinetry?”

“So
I understand.”

“How
big is this refrigerator?” She opened one of the double doors and peered into
the empty freezer.

“It’s
huge, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “I think it’s even bigger than the one at
Mother’s. Apparently the Whitleys had a large family and did a lot of
entertaining.”

“What
are you going to do with a kitchen this size?” Kara frowned. “You don’t even
know how to cook.”

“I’ll
do what I always do, hire someone. Know anybody?”

“The
Tagliattis or Olivettis are sure to, if you’d like me to ask.” She bit her lip,
wishing she could take the offer back. Involving herself in his household
arrangements was not conducive to maintaining her emotional distance from him.

“Please
do.” He watched as Sean investigated the cabinets beneath the work island.

Kara
snapped her fingers. “That reminds me.” She removed a brown paper bag from her
purse and handed it to him. “Here.”

“What
is it?”

“A
housewarming gift. Sort of.”

With
a small smile playing around the corners of his lips, he pulled out one of the
shrink-wrapped items. “I repeat, what is it?”

“Baby
guards, but I didn’t know you’d need so many.” She held one inside a cabinet to
demonstrate. “You attach them to the doors and drawers so Sean can’t open them
when you aren’t looking.” She took the bag back from Wyatt and dumped the
contents on the counter, riffling through them. “And here are some socket
plugs, too, to prevent him from sticking sharp objects into electrical
outlets.”

“Thanks,
I guess. No one’s ever gotten me baby guards or socket plugs before.” He leaned
his elbows near hers on the island. “Is this really necessary?”

A
spasm of fear squiggled down Kara’s spine. How could he question her advice
regarding so serious a matter as Sean’s safety? “It is if Sean’s ever going to
come over here.”

“Now
that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Although he lounged casually
forward, he regarded her carefully, his amber eyes highlighted with suspicion.
“Are you going to allow Sean to come over here, Kara? Or anywhere with me, for
that matter? I’ve noticed how you rarely let him out of the house and never
without you.”

“Mommy!”
Sean’s voice broke the tension that stretched between them. “Come find me.”

“Oh
no, Sean, where are you?” Never before had she been so happy to be distracted
by a game of hide and seek.

“He’s
right over—” Wyatt began, but Kara put her finger to her lips, motioning him to
silence.

“Where’s
Sean?” Her voice rose with exaggerated theatrics. “Oh, dear, does anybody know
where Sean is?” She zeroed in on his broom-closet hiding place and pulled him
out for a hug. “There you are.”

“Me
want juice.” His arms circled her neck.

“All
right, but what do you say first?”

“Pease?”

“Good
boy! One mug of juice coming up.”

“Uh,
about juice.” Wyatt rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. “I’m afraid I
haven’t been to the grocery yet.”

Kara
rummaged through the diaper bag for a bottle of juice and a sipper cup. “Don’t
you handle shopping the same way you handle cooking—by having someone else do
it?”

Wyatt
crossed his arms. “Not always.”

With
the sipper cup filled, Kara looked around the magnificently equipped kitchen.
“Where’s your highchair?”

“Highchair.”
He scratched his head for a moment. “I think it’s in here.” He couldn’t have
surprised Kara more if he had emerged from the walk-in pantry with a harem of
dancing girls instead of a big cardboard box. “Hang on a second and let me get
it open.”

“Why
in the world do you have a highchair?”

“For
Sean. Same reason I intended to go to the store. I bought the chair Consumer
Reports recommended. It’s the same brand as the one he has at your house. That’s
how I chose the car seat and crib, too. I hope that’s all right.”

Put
firmly in her place by his thoughtfulness, but more panicked than impressed by
his forethought, Kara returned her focus to Sean, now tugging on one of her
knees. “Cookies, too, pease, Mommy.”

 
As Wyatt assembled the highchair, Kara located
a small box of animal crackers in her well-stocked bag.

“If
you’ll make a list of his favorite foods,” Wyatt said, “I’ll keep them on
hand.” He scooped Sean up and put him in the seat, fastening the belt and
arranging the tray. “Sorry, but the kitchen table and chairs haven’t been
delivered yet. We’ll have to stand or sit on the floor.”

“No
problem.” Kara placed the snack in front of Sean. “It won’t take him long to
polish this off.”

After
a potty break and a face washing, Kara held firmly to Sean’s hand as they
followed Wyatt upstairs.

“Those
are spare rooms.” Wyatt motioned to one side of the upper landing. “Empty,
nothing special.” Heading the other way, they passed a room with an open door.
“That one’s mine, and here on the other side is Sean’s.” Like it was part of a
ceremonial right, he took the boy from Kara. “Are you ready, Sean? Are you
ready to see your room at Daddy’s house?”

With
a flourish, Wyatt opened the door. Decorated in a circus theme, the nursery
looked like a child’s fantasyland filled with a striped tent canopy on the bed
and miniature trains chugging around on a shelf that circled the room.
Whimsical animals and colorful clowns decorated the border and walls. Sean
scrambled down, giggling and running from one new toy to another. “Mine? Trains
are for me?”

“All
yours.” Wyatt met Kara’s eyes over their son’s head and shrugged. “I knew he
liked trains.”

Kara
felt her throat close, which was just as well, because she couldn’t think of anything
appropriate to say. This was much worse than Rosalie’s gifts. That over-the-top
shopping spree had probably been no more personal than placing a call and
ordering some clerk to send one of everything the store had in stock. But Kara
could see Wyatt’s hand in every single item in this room. Every item chosen
with Sean in mind.