The Best Bride (51 page)

“Really well.”

“I met your kids,” he said, then gave her a kiss on the cheek. “The littlest one has your smile. She's going to be a heartbreaker.”

She was pleased at the compliment. “Thanks. Nichole is a sweetie.”

She looked at her old boyfriend. Time had been kind to him. The new lines around his eyes only made him more good-looking. The Haynes family had an incredible gene pool, she thought, then realized she was standing right next to Jordan, talking to him, staring at his smile and feeling absolutely nothing. Not a twinge of attraction, not a flicker of a faster heartbeat. It was as if he were her brother.

“Before you get too charming,” Kyle said, coming up and elbowing his brother out of the way, “the lady's with me.”

Jordan's dark eyes met hers. “So that's how it is?”

Sandy glanced up at Kyle. Her heart kicked into high gear and her stomach dived for her toes. Maybe it was just the flu, or an allergy. “That's exactly how it is,” she whispered.

* * *

Fifteen children, eight adults and an assortment of pets could go through enough food to feed an army and still have room to argue about who got the largest slice of cake. Sandy looked sadly at the few crumbs that were all that was left of her three-layer masterpiece.

“At least they enjoyed it,” Elizabeth said, coming up and taking the dirty side plates. “This family sure can eat.”

“I'll say. I think that lone pickle floating in the jar is about it for leftovers.”

Elizabeth grinned. “Less work for us.”

“That's true.” Sandy gathered up a handful of flatware and set it on the cake dish, then carried everything into the kitchen. Rebecca and Christina, a petite blonde who was dating Kyle's oldest brother, Craig, were already washing dishes.

“More work,” Elizabeth called. “No rest for the wicked.”

Rebecca glanced at her over her shoulder. “We're not the wicked ones. It's those men who should be in here cleaning.”

“I heard that,” Kyle said, walking in with an armful of plastic glasses. “I'm helping.”

Elizabeth picked up a dish towel and tossed it to Sandy, then grabbed another one for herself. “Kyle, would you please bring in the rest of the dishes. Sandy and I will dry.”

“No problem.” He left the kitchen.

Rebecca grinned. “You notice how well behaved he is all of a sudden. As if he's trying to impress a certain someone.”

“I thought that same thing, myself,” Elizabeth said. “Now, who could he be strutting around for? Is he dating anyone?”

“Not that I know of.” Rebecca looked at Sandy. “You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?”

Sandy could feel herself blushing. “Gee, I haven't seen anyone at his house.”

“Except for yourself, of course,” Rebecca teased.

“I'm just there to collect the children.”

The two women exchanged knowing glances. Kyle
returned with more dishes and conversation became more general. Sandy enjoyed her time with the women. She liked their friendly manner.

“Only two more weeks until camp,” Elizabeth said. “I can't wait. With Mandy gone, we're hiring a sitter every night for the baby, and Travis and I are going to be alone. I feel like it's been years since our honeymoon.”

“It has been,” Rebecca reminded her. “Austin and I are doing the same thing. Paying a sitter to mind the baby is a small price to pay for romantic time with my husband. David is so excited about going to camp. I adore him, but I sure look forward to the peace and quiet.”

“What camp?” Sandy asked.

Elizabeth dried a plate and set it in the cupboard. “Glenwood sponsors a three-night camp for all the children in town. They have to be five or older. It's great. All the parents get some time off and the kids are supervised. The best part is, because they go as a group, they're with people they know, so they don't usually get homesick.” She sighed. “Three whole nights and four days. I can't wait.”

Rebecca looked at her. “Are your three going?”

“I didn't know about it.” Although now that she thought about it, she did remember hearing Lindsay and Blake talking about a camp, but she'd thought it was the park's program they were already in.

“These are the last of them,” Kyle said as he walked in carrying several serving dishes.

“Sandy didn't know about the camp,” Elizabeth said, then raised her eyebrows. “I'm shocked that
you
haven't already mentioned it.”

He surprised Sandy by clearing his throat and shuffling his feet. “The kids know about it and want to go,” he said. “We were, um, discussing the best way to bring it up. Lindsay didn't think you'd want them to go.”

“Why would she think that?” Sandy asked.

“She said you hadn't let her go to camp two years ago.”

“But that was right after her father had died. I thought she was trying to run away from his death and I was afraid of what would happen to her. She'd never been away from home before on her own.”

“Oh.” He looked up and smiled. “They'd like to go.”

“I don't have a problem with that.”

“Good.” His brown eyes darkened to the color of a midnight sky. The air between them seemed charged with electricity and she was having trouble breathing.

“Is it hot in here, or is it me?” Elizabeth asked.

But her voice seemed to come from a long way off. Sandy knew what Kyle was thinking. If the children were gone for three nights, then they wouldn't have any interruptions or excuses. There would be nothing to stop them from taking the next natural step in their relationship.

She bit down hard on her lip. Relationship? She and Kyle didn't have a relationship. They were neighbors. Friends. Nothing else.

But as she stared at him and listened to the other women chuckling at their expense, she knew it was already too late. She and Kyle were involved. There was nothing she could do except wait it out and see what happened. It wasn't as if he was the love of her life. She was far too sensible to fall for a guy like him. It was just about attraction and sex.

She could always recover from a broken heart. What she couldn't recover from was regretting something she hadn't done.

“I'll make the arrangements tomorrow,” she said.

S
he wanted to ask him to pull the car over because she was about to lose her lunch. Not that she had eaten anything. She couldn't. Sandy closed her eyes and leaned back against the passenger seat of her station wagon. While her three kids had inhaled burgers and fries, she'd picked at a small salad. Even Kyle had gotten his lunch down with no trouble at all. Damn him!

She opened one eye and glanced at him. He was driving through the streets of Glenwood, heading back to her house. He looked calm, unconcerned. He was even humming with the radio! Didn't he know what was going to happen? Did he realize what they'd just done? Her three children were on a bus heading to the Glenwood city camp where they would spend the next four days and three
nights.
Nights he had implied the two of them would be spending together. Alone. Making love.

So why wasn't
he
nervous? Were his palms sweating and
his stomach heaving and his body alternately hot and cold? No, not Kyle. He was calm and relaxed. As if he had nothing to worry about. As if they weren't going to do
it.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up straight in the seat. Maybe that was it, she thought grimly. He'd changed his mind. He didn't want to do “it” with her anymore. Or he'd never wanted to. She'd misunderstood everything. He'd kissed her before because…because…

“Stop fidgeting,” Kyle said. “We've got plenty of time.”

She stopped breathing. “Time?” she squeaked.

At the next stoplight, he glanced at her. Something warm and sexy glowed in his dark brown eyes. He grinned at her. “I was going to give you until tonight to let you have your way with me, then I figured why waste a perfectly good afternoon. So don't worry, darlin', we've got four days for loving.”

She sucked in a breath and coughed. “Great.”

So much for being Sensible Sandy. So much for being in control and acting dignified and sophisticated. She felt as prepared as a virgin facing a sacrificial altar. Maybe she could tell him she'd changed her mind. Maybe she should tell him that she wasn't his type. After all, she was just a mom with three kids. Hardly the sultry vixen he must be used to. She clutched her belly as it rolled one more time.

He turned into the driveway. She thought about jumping out of the car, but she figured she would only maim herself, and the thought of trying to make love with skinned knees was just too depressing.

Instead of continuing toward her place, Kyle turned the station wagon into his driveway and parked in front of the garage. He turned off the engine, then got out of the car and walked around to her side. It was her moment to bolt. She didn't. Sandy sat there like a rabbit caught in the
hypnotic stare of a snake. She could do nothing to escape. It was inevitable. She might as well make the best of the situation.

He opened her door and held out his hand. She hesitated before placing her palm on his. Their gazes locked. Instantly, something hot and alive crackled between them. The rolling of her stomach quieted as anticipation took its place. Her body still trembled, but this time from need, not nerves.

“Stop thinking about it,” he told her. “It'll be fine.” He pulled her to her feet and slammed the car door shut behind her, then tugged her along to his back door.

“I'm not nervous,” she lied.

But once she was standing in his living room and he released her hand, all her doubts crashed in on her. It was as if Kyle's touch kept her insecurities at bay, but as soon as she was by herself, she began to question everything.

“You want some champagne?” he asked as he headed for the kitchen.

Champagne? In the middle of the afternoon? “Ah, sure.” Oh, God, she was out of her element. She should have known. She should have never agreed to this.

She crossed the room toward the stone fireplace. There were several photos on the mantel. Kyle with his brothers, Travis and his family, Craig and his kids. Happy pictures. No women who weren't related. That was something.

There was a slight popping sound as the cork was released. Sandy flinched. She continued to stare at the photos as if her life depended on memorizing them.

She sensed the moment he entered the room. He didn't make any noise, or say anything, but she knew he was there. Behind her. Waiting.

“There's something you should know,” she said, touching her finger to one of the wooden frames. She smiled at
the picture of Kyle graduating from the police academy. How handsome and strong he looked in his uniform. “I've only ever done it, you know, the boring way.”

“Okay.”

“I mean, there was this one guy in college, but it was only a couple of times, and frankly I didn't like it very much. It was better with Thomas. At least I figured out what all the fuss was about. Sort of.” She could feel herself blushing, but she had to get it out. It was only fair. Otherwise, he would be disappointed. She wanted him to know up front. So if he didn't want to anymore, she would know why.

“I know that you've been with lots of women,” she continued. “I'm not sure I could, um, keep up. Or do anything strange. I'm not very adventurous. And I've had three children. I've got stretch marks.” She thought about telling him that her breasts were a little saggy, too, but didn't think he would want to know that in advance. Maybe he wouldn't notice. If she was on her back when she took off her bra, it would be hard to tell, wouldn't it?

She cleared her throat. “So I'm sure you're thinking this is a bad idea. I wouldn't blame you. Really.”

She heard a clinking sound. She thought he might be putting the champagne glasses on the coffee table, but she didn't want to turn around and see.

“I thought you were beautiful the first time I saw you and I still think that,” Kyle murmured.

From the sound of his voice and faint puff of breath on her cheek, she knew he was standing right behind her. “But I'm not like them,” she said, staring at the rocks that stretched to the ceiling. She touched their rough surface.

“Like who?”

“Those other women that you've been with. I don't know what you expect of me.”

He put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to turn. She wanted to close her eyes, but she knew that was too cowardly. She would just have to face him and get it over with. She swallowed hard, then looked at him.

His face was taut with an emotion she could only describe as need. The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly, but his eyes burned with fire. He was close enough to touch, close enough for her to see the smooth line of his jaw, close enough for her to wonder if he'd shaved just before leaving with her to drop the kids off for camp. The thought pleased her.

He kept his hand on her shoulder. “What do you expect of me?” he asked.

“Huh? I don't expect anything.” Well, except maybe that it was going to be wonderful between them.

He reached up and pulled the headband from her hair, then slipped his fingers through the loose strands. “I don't have any secret tricks. I won't do anything you haven't done before. There aren't going to be any surprises.”

Ha, she thought grimly. He hadn't seen her naked.

He startled her by frowning. “No doubts, Sandy. They're not allowed. I've been waiting a long time for this moment.”

She searched his eyes. “This isn't just about your crush, is it?”

“Of course it is. It's also about how I feel about you now, today, with both of us adults. I can't forget the past, but that's not all it's about.” He smiled slightly. “Why can't you believe you turn me on?”