Keeping Katie (A Mother's Heart #1) (8 page)

Logic told her things should be easier. After all, he’d been true to his word. He’d left her alone. In fact, he hardly seemed to notice her anymore. At the diner, Lynn took care of him. On Sundays, he was cordial, but nothing more.

She told herself to be glad his interest in her had been so short-lived. She should be grateful—and she was. She had begun to feel safe again. Unfortunately, logic couldn’t account for everything in life, and it certainly had nothing to do with her reaction to Alan Parks.

“You’re late today,” Lynn said, slipping an arm around his. “Busy day fighting crime in greater Wyattville?”

Alan chuckled. “Nothing more than a couple of farmers arguing over a stray dog in a chicken coop. However,” he said, glancing from Lynn to Maureen, “sounds like the two of you could use a little policing. Was that an argument I heard when I walked in?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lynn insisted.

Alan winked at Maureen. “What’s she trying to con you into?”

“I wasn’t trying to
con
her into anything,” Lynn stated. “I simply suggested that she come with me to the festival planning meeting this evening. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Sounds like a rousing evening to me.” Alan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I wouldn’t pass it up if I were you, Maureen.”

“You’re no help.” Lynn gave him a playful punch in the arm. “For your information, we have a good time.” Sliding off her stool, she walked around the counter. “Now, what do you want to eat? Not that you deserve anything.”

“Ouch.” Alan grimaced. “Even after I’ve spent all morning making the streets safe for you women?”

Lynn rolled her eyes and refused to comment. Then she dropped her hands to her hips and managed to look incredibly bored.

“Can I get a hamburger?” he asked, giving her his best lady-killer smile. “With everything on it.”

“I don’t know,” she answered with a shrug. “Can you?” Turning on her heels, she retreated to the kitchen.

“And fries!” Alan called after her.

Maureen laughed at their antics. She couldn’t help herself. Not when Alan sat there grinning like a schoolboy, his eyes dancing as though he’d never had a serious thought in his life.

Then he turned those eyes on her, and for a moment, she lost herself. What would it be like to let go with this man? To know those wonderful caramel eyes saw nothing but her. To run her fingers through the hair tickling the back of his collar. To taste his lips on hers …

“You should smile more often.” Alan’s voice, no longer laughing, penetrated her thoughts. “You have a great smile.”

Maureen blushed. She wanted to turn away, but it was too late. He held her with eyes shades darker than they’d been moments earlier. Thought fled her mind, and she felt the heat. It radiated from him, scorching her, promising her things she shouldn’t want. Then he released her, and she turned away quickly, back to cleaning up.

For a while, neither spoke. Maureen fumbled with mustard bottles, chiding herself for letting down her guard, for thinking—even for a while—that she was safe around this man. Alan sat motionless, his gaze intent on the sugar dispenser he rolled between his palms.

“I don’t blame you for not wanting to go to Lynn’s meeting tonight,” he said, breaking the silence. “Sounds like a real yawner. Especially since you’re new in town.”

Maureen shrugged, refusing to look at him again. “It’s not that.” If he could pretend nothing had happened, then so could she. But it annoyed her how quickly he switched back to light chatter. “I just don’t like leaving Katie in the evening after working most of the day.”

Alan nodded as if he understood. “Hard on kids, having a working mother.”

“Yes, well, we all have to eat.” She meant to sound casual. Instead, her words came out flippant, showing her irritation. At herself. At him. At the situation. Turning away, she grabbed the large mustard jar from the refrigerator and set it on the counter.

“Did you work when your husband was alive?”

Maureen sighed. “Yes, Alan, I had a job.” She was almost used to all the questions. Almost. “This is the twenty-first century, you know. Women have careers, just like men.”

“Whoa! “Alan raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I didn’t mean to step on toes here.”

Maureen took a deep breath and curbed the sharp retort that sprang to her lips.
Get hold of yourself.
Showing Alan just how much he got under her skin wouldn’t do her, or Katie, any good.

“Sorry,” she said after a moment’s pause to regain her equilibrium. “I shouldn’t have jumped on you. I guess I’m just a little tired today. Katie kept me up most of the night.”

“Is she all right?”

“Fine. You know how kids are. They wear you out being sick in the middle of the night. Then the next morning, when you’re dead on your feet, they’re perfectly healthy.”

Alan chuckled. “Well, I don’t know much about other kids, but I know Katie can certainly wear you out.”

“Yes, well, she loves the way you romp with her on Sunday nights.” Another fiasco, trying to keep Katie from attaching herself to Alan. It made no difference how much distance Maureen kept between them, every Sunday he and Katie spent the evening tumbling around Rita’s living room.

“We’ll have to get her on a real horse soon,” he said.

Maureen started to object, but stopped herself. She didn’t plan on being in Wyattville long enough for Alan to get Katie on a horse.

“Here you are, traitor.” Lynn emerged from the kitchen and placed a platter of food in front of Alan. “It’s on the house, if you can convince Maureen to go with me tonight.”

He laughed. “Not a chance. I know better than to get between two stubborn females.”

“Lynn,” Maureen said, her voice sharper than she intended. “I don’t
want
to go.”

“Okay.” Lynn lifted her hands in surrender. “I know when I’m licked. You don’t want to come tonight.” She moved over to the counter and began replacing yellow lids on the bottles Maureen had just filled. “But what about tomorrow? It’s your day off, and we’re going to start gathering everything in the school gym. You can bring Katie.”

“I can’t,” Maureen said. “I’ve got plans for tomorrow.” She regretted the words the minute they were out of her mouth. She kept forgetting where she was. This wasn’t Miami, but Wyattville, Washington, where everyone knew what everybody else was up to. Now she’d have to come up with something pretty quick.

“Plans?” Lynn crossed her arms suspiciously. “What plans?”

Maureen looked from Lynn to Alan and back again. “I’m going to Seattle tomorrow.”

“Seattle?”

Now that she’d said it, Maureen decided it was a great idea. She’d planned to go for weeks now, and this was the perfect opportunity. It would get her out of the festival preparations, plus allow her to access back issues of the
Miami Herald
on the Internet using the library’s computers
.

“Whatever for?” Lynn asked.

Maureen hedged. Forgetting the mustard bottles, she slipped from behind the counter and started gathering salt and pepper shakers from the tables. “I have some personal business to take care of.”

“What kind—”

“Lynn,” interrupted Alan, “she said it was personal. Don’t you think you’re being a little nosy?”

“I’m not being nosy …”

“Yes, you are,” Maureen said, suddenly very tired of this town and all its good intentions. She just wanted to be left alone.

“I tell you what, Maureen,” Alan said. “I need to go that way myself tomorrow. I’d be glad to give you a lift. It’ll save you the bus fare.”

Maureen’s hand froze as she started to grab a salt shaker. “Thanks, Alan, but I can’t—”

“Why not?”

She turned to look at him, meeting his gaze as steadily as her sudden attack of nerves would allow. “I couldn’t impose on you like that.”

“Don’t be silly.” His mouth smiled while his eyes challenged. “I’d enjoy the company.”

“Well …” Maureen hesitated, feeling the trap close around her. She threw a glance at Lynn, who watched the exchange with interest. Looking back at Alan, she saw determination written across his features. “I might take a while,” she said, making one last attempt to get out of this. “Hours.”

“No problem.” His smile broadened. “I’ll need several hours myself.”

Maureen knew she’d lost. She couldn’t refuse Alan’s offer without arousing his and Lynn’s curiosity. Yet how could she let him drive her to Seattle? Even if she could avoid telling him why she needed to go to Seattle to use the library’s computers instead of those at the Internet Café here in Wyattville, and he gave her the time she needed to search online for articles, how was she going to handle spending hours alone with him in a car? She took a deep breath and told herself she’d just have to deal with it. She had no choice. Besides, there
was
the added benefit of saving the bus fare.

“Sure,” she finally said, “that would be great.” Alan caught the frustration in Maureen’s eyes and couldn’t help but smile. She no more wanted to accept a ride from him than she wanted to jump off the nearest cliff.

That was just too bad.

He’d avoided her for weeks, hoping time and distance would bring her around, make her more receptive to the attraction between them. It hadn’t worked. She continued to turn cold and bristly whenever he entered the room.

Of course, he would have left her alone altogether if not for the moments she’d let her guard down. The times when he’d looked into her eyes and seen the heat. The woman wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Getting her away from Wyattville might be the answer.

Alan showed up at Rita’s house at eight o’clock the next morning as promised. Maureen opened the door for him, looking soft and vulnerable, as if she’d just crawled out of bed. Her gaze drifted down the length of him, her cheeks flushing prettily in the morning light.

“ ‘Morning,” he drawled, letting his own gaze linger at a point just above the opening of her blouse, before moving on to her mouth. “You look ready to me.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath and saw the slight quiver of her lips. Taking a step closer, he looked into her eyes. “What do you say? Ready?”

“No.” She took a step backward and her hand sprang forward as if to stop him. “Yes. I mean, just about.”

Grinning, he moved in a little closer, capturing her wayward hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “It’s a great day for a ride.”

That did it. She jerked her hand from his grasp and visibly pulled herself together, closing herself off to him. “Is it?” She raised a questioning eyebrow to him while taking another, larger step backward.

Alan suppressed a chuckle. “Sure looks that way to me.”

He wanted nothing more than to press her up against the nearest wall and kiss her senseless. Sooner or later, he would do it, too. He’d just about run out of patience. But for now, he would let her stiffen her spine and put ice in her voice if it made her feel safer. But he wouldn’t wait forever.

Removing his hat, he decided it was best to change the subject. “Are you going to make me wait out here?”

Maureen hesitated a moment longer before stepping back from the door, allowing him to enter. “Rita made us coffee and sandwiches to take along. And I need to tell Katie goodbye.”

“I thought she was coming with us.”

“Rita offered to watch her.” He saw uncertainty flicker across her features. “I thought it would be better than dragging her along.”

That surprised him—not that Rita had offered, but that Maureen had agreed. He’d never met a more protective mother. But he was glad Katie was staying home. She was a real sweetheart, but he wanted a little time alone with her mother. Maureen Adams remained a puzzle he wanted solved.

A half hour later, laden with a thermos and basket of food, Alan led the way outside.

“I hope you don’t mind the Jeep,” he said, storing the food under a blanket in the back. “It’s a little windy, but I prefer it to driving one of the department’s cruisers into Seattle.”

“That’s fine.” Maureen climbed in without looking at him. “The breeze will feel good.”

Alan nodded and slid into the driver’s seat. “Let’s go, then.” He started the engine and headed west, toward the mountains. As the town fell away behind them, he picked up speed.

Taking a deep breath, he marveled at the perfection of the morning. Maureen was right. The breeze did feel good: clean and exhilarating. Behind them, the sun climbed toward midmorning, casting rays of rose-colored light on the mountains. On a morning like this, everything seemed right with the world.

Stealing a glance at Maureen, he thought how fresh she looked with the wind whipping through her hair. It reminded him of the day in the playground when he’d watched her with Katie. She’d had the same look about her, the same glow.

She caught him looking at her and blushed slightly before turning away. “How long will it take?” she asked.

Alan shifted his attention back to the road. “About three hours to Seattle. But I need to make a stop first.”

“Oh?” She turned sideways on the seat, grabbing her hair in one hand to keep it out of her face.

“Sorry,” he said. “I should have warned you to bring a scarf or something.”