Hard Break (Deadlines & Diamonds, #5) (6 page)

“Non-negotiable. Does six work? We can grab some
dinner and catch the latest action flick. I’ve got a thing for superheroes.”

Ian frowned, not liking this at all. “Huh-uh.”

“Huh-uh?”

“Oh, the dinne
r and movie sound great, but I’m not
letting you pay.”

She ro
lled her eyes. “How very misogynistic of you.”

“I prefer chivalrous.” He stood, reached out to take her hand and guide her to join him. “Dinner or movie?”

Her brows formed a V. “What?”

“Dinner or movie?”

“Ah…movie?”

“Great.
I’ll pick you up about six. I’ll pay for dinner and you pay for the movie.” He stuck out his hand. “Deal?”

Her laughter bubbled up, tinkling in the air. Ian found himself laughing along with her.
Wow, it’d been a long time since he’d laughed, since he’d had a reason to.

He really liked Den
ali. She was beautiful, no argument, but her sarcastic sense of humor and easy-going, no drama attitude clenched it. Denali Conrad was the entire package.

She took his hand. “Deal, on one condition.”

His heart thudded and his palms sweated. Damn, it’d been a long time since a woman made him nervous. “Name it.”

“A kiss.” She winked and the corner of her mouth lifted. “I want just one little, itty-bitty goodnight kiss.”

Sucker punch to the gut. She’d surprised him again. He could get used to this. All of it. The surprises. The way she looked at him.

Now he surprised himself. He’d leaned in close, cupped
her cheek with his hand and rubbed his thumb over her freckles. But if that shocked him, that was nothing to when he leaned down to kiss those freckles and whispered, “I think that can be arranged.”

She sighed and the soft breath went straight to his groin. Yes, he could get very used to a woman actually wanting him around.

A bell dinged, announcing the arrival of someone. She looked up at the door, then him. “So, um, I guess I’d better get back to work.”

“Ah, yeah.” Holy shit, he was turned on. It’d been a long damn time
since that’d happened too. “I’ll see you Friday.”

One blond brow arched. “Unless I see you first.”

“You gonna stalk me?”

Another husky giggle. “No. But it’s only Tuesday. You could come back tomorrow.”

An honest-to-goodness grin grabbed hold of his lips. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Seven

D
epression. Technical term? Probably. All Kayla wanted to do was climb into bed, pull the covers over her head and hide away forever. Or drug herself into a stupor. Yes, definitely depression.

The only thing keeping her going was her children. And Ian.

Poor Ian.

The
house phone rang. Again.

She’d gotten tired of all the
I’m sorry
’s weeks ago. Nobody was trying to burden her, she was sure. But every time someone offered the standard
if there’s anything I can do…
she choked on a scream.

There wasn’t anything anyone could do. Short of bringing Leon back from the dead, the rest were fruitless efforts. Plain and simple.

Kayla knew she needed to pick up the pieces of her shattered happily-ever-after and find some way to survive. Because survival was all it’d ever be. Leon had been her everything. Neither of them perfect alone, but oh, so perfect together.

The answering machine took over, fielding the well intentioned annoyance.
Kayla, it’s Dr. Monroe, Scott. It’s Friday afternoon about two o’clock. I heard the news. I’m sorry. I have a proposition for you. Call me.
He finished with his number.

What kind of proposition could a happily married man
, twenty years her senior have for her? She’d enjoyed working for Dr. Monroe. But that’d been a long time ago.

She glanced back down at th
e checkbook register and wanted to holler the house down. They’d worked really hard, she and Leon, to build up their savings account, but at this rate she’d drain it. All those zeros weren’t going to last long.

Reaching for the phone
, she found the last number on the caller id and stared at the ten digits. Thoughts tumbled through her mind, none of them holding any real significance. Since she had no idea what Dr. Monroe wanted, speculation would only drive her crazy-er. She jabbed at the call button and waited. One ring. Two.

“Hello?”

“Dr. Monroe?”

“Kayla!” He sounded so cheerful she thought she might puke. “I’m so glad you returned my call.”

“You said you had a proposition?”

“Yes. Yes.” He took a deep breath. “First of all I want you to know how sorry I am to hear of your loss.”

Yeah. Yeah. Thanks.
“Thank you.”

“I’m
not sure what your situation is—and please don’t be offended by my next statement—I would like to offer you a job.”

Her heart hopped. “A job?”

“My office manager, Barbara—you remember Barbara?—just gave her notice. She’s leaving me after fifteen years. I know you didn’t work up front much, but you knew the system. You could move over into a hygienist position when one opens if you wanted.” He chuckled softly. “Listen to me rambling like a fool. My point is that I have a position and it’s yours if you want it.” He went on to explain he’d pay her a comfortable, more than fair salary and she’d have medical, dental and a freakin’ 401k.

Her eyes burned. The man threw her a lifeline. In response, s
he wanted to throw her arms around his neck and hug him.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

“What, um,” she whispered through a tight throat, “what hours would need me?”

“Ten to six, Monday through Thursday, and noon to four on Fridays.”

Her stomach rolled when her heart dropped into it. “My daughter isn’t in school and I don’t—”

“Do
n’t say no yet. Take a couple weeks. Think about it. Barbara gave me two months notice. She’s retiring. So I’ve got time.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, splashing onto the checkbook register. The numbers smeared. “Thank you, Dr. Monroe.”

“We’ll talk soon.”

The line went dead. She stared at the phone. “I’ll be damned.”

Just when she’d thought the world hated her, the unspoken prayer had been answered. Maybe there was a God. The last six weeks it sure hadn’t felt like it. For all the gumdrops and lollipops that came with the job offer there was one big problem.

“Mooooom!”

Speak of the devil.

“Moooommmmy! I awa
aaake!”

The bellowing would continue until Kayla retrieved the little banshee from her crib. The other two children had been climbers, able to free themselves long before their third birthday. But not Penelope. Their princess didn’t have a daring bone in her body and stayed put, safely inside the bars of her prison.

Kayla jogged up the stairs, thinking of her daughter and the potential of a job. She wanted to take the position, needed to take it. Her family needed the income, but childcare was expensive and Kayla didn’t trust the idea of another person watching her daughter. No one would take care of her as well as Kayla could. But she couldn’t take care of any of her children if they lost their house and had to live in a cardboard box under an overpass.

Ha. N
ow she was just being dramatic.

As long as she were able to make the payment on her
SUV, they’d have a roof over their heads.

Maybe she hadn’t lost her sense of humor. Or maybe she n
eeded more sleep. Punch drunk. Wasn’t that what they called this?

The bellowing c
ontinued. “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy! I awaaaaaake!”

Her genuine smile actually hurt her cheeks. It’d been so long since her dimples had made an appearance. She
hadn’t had much to smile about. But the cheerful announcement from her daughter warmed her heart.

Perhaps she could learn to be happy again.

She cracked the door to find Pene jumping, her chubby hands white-knuckling the railing, her feet springing off the mattress, her curls bouncing wildly. The moment she realized Kayla played witness, she squealed, “Mommy!”

Kayla grinned. Yes,
this
was why she needed to put on her big girl panties and move on with her life. Her children didn’t deserve a catatonic mother. Their family had always been a happy one. Just because Leon’s laughter no longer joined in the party didn’t mean they couldn’t find happily-ever-after again.

Kissing Pene on the cheek, Kayla lifted her over the edge, setting her on the floor. Pene, independent to a fault, raced over to her dresser and went about the task of changing her undies. She put
her shorts on, yelling, “I ready,” on her way out the door.

“Wait.” Kayla hurried after her. “Where are you going?”

Damn, her daughter was fast.

Penelope jumped off the bottom step, racing toward the front door.

“Penelope. Stop.” Kayla jumped from the third step, hurtling the coffee table to beat her daughter to the door. She gathered Pene in her arms. “You know you never go outside in the front yard.”

Penelope frowned.

“Where do you think you were going?”

Her expression said,
Oh please!

“Penelope, where were you going?”

She snorted. “Ian’s.”

“And why were you going to Ian’s?”

Her defiance melted, her tiny body becoming soft and pliable. “I miss him.”

Truth was, Kayla missed him too. Since she’d informed him, in no uncertain terms, her problems weren’t his, he’d left them alone. He’d listened to her. Well, hell. She hadn’t
really meant for him to walk away and never look back. It was true, her problems were hers and hers alone, but she had to admit she kinda liked having him around.

“I visit Ian.” Penelope wriggled in Kayla’s arms. “I be back.” She went about the task of trying to unlock the door, pouting when she couldn’t quite reach.
“Open door, Mommy. I visit Ian.”

She couldn’t very well have her daughter pounding down Ian’s door unannounced. “How about we call him?”

Pene considered that for a second and a half then nodded. She grabbed the phone off the coffee table. “What his number?”

Yeah, she was so
not
going to go there. Pene was a smart cookie. Kayla retrieved her cell out of her back pocket and searched through her contacts.

“There he is!” Penelope screamed, punching her finger at the picture of Ian.

The phone started to ring and Kayla activated the speakerphone. Pene squawked her enthusiasm, jerking the phone away and putting it up to her ear.

“You’ve reached Ian. Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”

“Ian. I miss you.” The sincerity in her voice stabbed Kayla in the chest. “Come see me. Lo’ you. Here, Mommy.” She handed Kay the phone.

With nothing to add, Kayla disconnected the call. “What should we do now? You hungry?”

“Yeah, I hungy.”

“I
miss you.”

Those three little word
s brought Ian to his knees.

Keeping his distance over the last four days had been hell on earth. Although he’d gone to
the gym and flirted relentlessly with Denali, he’d missed the Black family something fierce. To know they’d missed him too, cracked the foundation of the wall he’d erected to protect his heart.

He looked at the clock.
Damn, he’d slept like the dead.

He needed to pick Denali up in two hours, which meant, if he hurried, he had a few minutes to stop next door and give sweet Penelope the hug they both craved.

Twenty minutes, a shower and shave later, he stood on the Black’s front porch. He raised his hand to knock, second-guessing the wisdom of stepping onto the property. His knuckles hovered in front of the door.

You’ve come this far, pussy.
His inner cheerleader had a point. Oh, good hell, what was he afraid of? He’d been invited. Obviously, Kayla knew her daughter reached out to touch him.

Knock, knock, knock.

He blew a breath through pursed lips as a
stomp, stomp, stomp
accompanied Sadie’s, “I got it!”

Her face appeared in the long window next to the door. She squealed in chorus with the release of the lock. The door flew wide and Sadie launched herself at him. “Ian! I’ve missed you!”

He wrapped his arms around the little girl strangling his waist. “I’ve missed you too, Sadie.”

“Ian!” Penelope’s chubby feet slapped against the wood floor.

He freed himself from Sadie’s hold just in time to bend down and scoop Pene into his arms. She death-gripped his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. “I miss you.”

“I know. I got your message.”

Tiny hands clamped onto his cheeks. She got in nice and tight, her expression stern and serious. “I miss you.”

“I missed you, too, honey.”

“I lo’ you.” She kissed his cheek.

He chuckled, smoothing her wayward curls away from her face. “I love you, too.”

“Then why you not come?”

He wasn
’t sure how he knew, but Kayla watched the exchange. He glanced up and met her gaze full-on. He didn’t have a damn thing to be ashamed of. He’d done nothing wrong, except maybe care a little too much.

She didn’t blink
, a challenge in her blue stare.

Maintaining the silent game of chicken, Ian kissed the top of Penelope’s head. “Just giving you guys some space.”

“I no’ want space.”

“Me either, kid.” No blinking.

“Hey girls.” Well, he’d be damned, she
could
speak. “Why don’t you go play in the backyard with Chase?”

Although formed as a question, Kay’s tone made the words a non-negotiable statement.

“See you, Ian,” Sadie said with a wave.

Penelo
pe kissed his cheek. “Say bye afore you go.”

As she slithered down h
is leg, he promised, “Will do, princess.”

When the kids were finally outside, Kayla turned and started toward t
he kitchen. Uncomfortable. Damn. Should he follow her or tuck his tail and run?

She paused at the doorway, huffing a breath. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I’ll just go.”

She shook her head, at least
looking
repentant. Her lips rounded and her cheeks puffed. “I’m sorry. For the other day. For just now. Crap, I’m a freakin’ mess. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on things, I get blind-sided again.” She extended her hand to him, beckoning him to her. “I could use someone to talk to, and I’ve got that beer you like.”

Now that he’d gone clean again, he’d cut beer from his diet. But the sentiment warmed him. “I’ll stick with water.”

She smiled. “I got that too. Give me thirty minutes?”

He glanced down at his
Timex. “If you’re really nice, I’ll give you sixty.”

She ran her finger over heart. “I promise.”

A few minutes later, Ian sat at the head of the table, opposite of Leon’s always empty spot, and Kayla plopped down in the chair to his immediate left. A bottle of Dasani sat in front of him, a can of Coke Zero sweated in front of her.