Whatever You Need (The Haneys Book 2)

by Barbara Longley

  “Thanks for supper and for listening. I’ll do the dishes tonight.” Feeling much more settled than he had before talking things through, he now had a plan. Patience and persistence. The patient-as-stone part he already had down pat. He’d work on the persistence part.

  Being an electrician wasn’t nearly as glamorous as people might think. Wyatt brushed remnants of old particleboard from his shoulders on the way to his truck. He often worked in tight, nasty places where he had to deal with old insulation and years of accumulated dust. Like today. This had been one of those Mondays. He was itchy all over and covered in a fine grit.

  At least he’d finished the job a little early, which meant he had time to hurry home for a shower before meeting his pack at The Bulldog. He gave himself a final shake and brush-off, put his tools away and climbed into his truck to set out for home.

  Kayla’s car was already in its spot when he pulled into the back. Wyatt’s breath caught. Not that he’d see her or anything, but knowing she was there—one floor above his apartment—affected him that much. Wyatt looked at her second floor windows as he strode to the back door.

  He met Floyd and a serious-looking guy carrying a metal clipboard and a camera coming down the stairs to Wyatt’s floor. The insurance adjuster, no doubt. Floyd glared and mouthed the word asshole as he passed. Wyatt ignored him and took the stairs two at a time to Kayla’s apartment. He knocked on her door and waited.

  “Who’s there?” Brady called from the other side.

  The kid must see asking who was on the other side of their door as his life’s work. “It’s Wyatt,” he said, grinning. The door swung open, and heat rushed up his neck to fill his face. Kayla stood with her hands on Brady’s shoulders, a welcoming light filling her pretty blue eyes.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice slightly breathless.

  “Hi back.” Wyatt held out his fist for Brady, but Kayla bumped it first. Her teasing smile weakened his knees.

  “Hey,” Brady protested, scowling at his mom over his shoulder.

  Kayla laughed and held the door open wider. “Come in.”

  Wyatt tousled the kid’s hair as he entered. “Was that the insurance adjuster I saw leaving the building?”

  “It was.” She gave him a once over and frowned. “Wow. Where did you work today, in a crawl space under an old house? You’re a mess.”

  “Close. In a nasty old attic. Did the insurance adjuster say anything?”

  “Let’s sit. It’s been a long day, and I’ve been on my feet for most of it,” she said, leading the way toward the dining room. “The adjuster didn’t say anything, but I sure got an earful from Floyd before the insurance guy got here. He’s pretty pissed at you.”

  “Yeah, I got that impression.” He snorted. “Does it have anything to do with the many complaints I’ve sent about him to the owners?”

  “Yep. Do you want anything? Bottled water or a soda?”

  He pulled out a chair and sat. “No. I’m fine, thanks.”

  Kayla took a seat, and Brady climbed onto her lap. “Citing the many complaints they’ve received—you weren’t the only one to send complaints, by the way—Floyd has been let go. The owners have hired a property management company to take care of our building, and Floyd has to start paying full rent for his crappy basement apartment or move out.”

  “Ah. At least I’m not the only one on the receiving end of his hostility.” Wyatt shook his head.

  “The insurance adjuster took pictures, measured, and wrote a bunch of stuff on an official looking form. Floyd had to take him to see the basement to check out the electrical down there as well. I hope this means something will be done soon.”

  “Me too.” At least he knew for sure why Floyd had been such a jerk. “Did he mention the name of the property management company?”

  “No, but I’m sure we’ll hear soon enough. Someone will come by and leave contact information for us.”

  “Wyatt, will you read me one of your comic books tonight?” Brady slid from his mom’s lap and came to stand before him. “Can he stay for supper, Mommy?”

  “I’d love to, buddy, but I have plans tonight. Maybe another time.” A fierce blush suffused his face, but he forced himself to glance at Kayla anyway. “My brother and sister, Haley and I are meeting at The Bulldog for burgers and beer in a little while. Have you ever been there? It’s not too far from here.”

  “No.” She arched an eyebrow and tipped her head in Brady’s direction with a wry smile. “Other than school, a trip to McDonald’s now and then, and the playground, I don’t get out much.”

  “Maybe Mariah would be willing to watch Brady for a couple of hours.” Gulp. “Would you like to join us?” He’d done it. His heart raced like he’d run a marathon, his mouth turned into a moisture-free zone, but he’d managed to get the words past his lips. He’d asked the Mysterious Ms. M out for burgers and beer, and he hadn’t even planned to.

  Holding his breath, he studied her, trying to gauge her reaction. Her mouth opened slightly, and her eyes widened. He’d surprised her, and it was clear the surprise hadn’t been unpleasant. Yes. Hurdle cleared. He refrained from fist pumping the air.

  “I’d love to, but . . . Mariah is working second shift today. She’s already gone.”

  He rose, disappointment and relief chasing through him simultaneously. She’d said she’d love to . . . Oh, God, she’d said yes. He stood up and held out his fist for Brady to bump, which the kid did with enthusiasm.

  “My turn for a rain check?” Wyatt asked. “Reading another comic book to Brady and burgers and beer out with the gang sometime soon?” Go me!

  “Sure.” Kayla got up and followed him to her door.

  “I have a bunch of teenage cousins who babysit. They’ve all gone through the YMCA’s babysitter-training classes. If you ever want their names and numbers . . .”

  “I’m always looking for backup sitters. That would be great.”

  He nodded and floated into the hall on a fat, fluffy white cloud of euphoria.

  She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. “I’d love to get to know Haley better, your sister and brother too. Being an Iowa transplant, I’m always glad to make new friends in the area.” She flashed him one of her heart-stopping smiles. “Let me know the next time you plan to meet them somewhere, and I’ll ask Mariah to watch Brady.”

  “OK.”

  “G’night, Wyatt.”

  Wyatt nodded, and she closed her door. His fluffy white cloud of euphoria turned to a gray mist of confusion. Kayla had said yes because she wanted to get to know his soon-to-be sister-in-law better? So, did that mean she had no interest in him, or . . . what? What the hell did it mean? Shaking his head, he made his way to his apartment for a much-needed shower, not only to rid him of the grit covering him but to clear his head too.

  An hour and a half later, he walked through The Bulldog’s front doors and scanned the busy bar and grill. Josey waved at him from a table next to the large front windows. He waved back and made his way to her. “No sign of Sam and Haley yet?” He took a seat.

  “They’re right behind you.” Josey jutted her chin toward the door and held up her hand to catch their attention.

  Wyatt glanced over his shoulder as Sam and Haley approached. He’d already talked things through with his grandparents, and it had helped, but, man, did he appreciate the three people joining him at this table tonight. Once greetings and getting settled were out of the way, the server stopped by their table, and they all ordered beer, with the exception of Haley, who always had hard cider instead.

  Wyatt waited until the server left, and then he leaned in. “I asked Kayla to join us tonight.” Haley and Josey squealed and fussed over him, and he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

  “So, where is she?” Sam leaned back in his chair and cocked an eyebrow.

  “She said she’d love to join us, but she didn’t have a babysitter for Brady. The next time we get together, I’m supposed to let her know, and she’ll ask a
friend who lives in our building to watch him.” Wyatt glanced around the table. “I’m counting on you guys to help me out here. Can we schedule another night out soon?”

  “So you managed to ask her out.” Josey shoved his shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Wyatt.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not sure she sees me as anything but a potential friend. When I asked her to join us, she said she’d like to get to know Haley, you, and Sam. I have no idea if she’s interested in me, or if she’s just looking to expand her social circle.” He shook his head. “Half the time I spend with her I have no idea what she means.”

  He launched into the short version of his interactions with Kayla and Brady, including her cryptic “you know” statement. “What do you think?” He looked to Haley and then to Josey. “She’s a widow and a single mom, by the way.”

  Haley canted her head. “She’s probably protecting herself, but I have no clue what she thinks there is to know about you.”

  “Me either. Are you holding out on us, bro?” Josey teased.

  “No.” He huffed out a laugh. “I’m not even a little bit complicated or secretive.”

  Their drinks came, and they put in their food orders. “How’re things coming along with your upstairs remodeling?” he asked Sam and Haley. That started a conversation about the updates, then Josey shared her most recent dating fiascoes and finally they settled into talking about their lives in general.

  Wyatt relaxed. Completely. These were his people, his pack. They had his back and he had theirs, and he thanked his lucky stars every day that he had his brother, sister and Haley in his life. But it wasn’t enough.

  He craved intimacy. He wanted the same kind of closeness Sam had with Haley, someone to call his own and who would see him as her own. How crazy wonderful would it be to go to bed every night with a woman he loved, to hold her in his arms while they slept, and wake up to greet her with a smile and a kiss each and every morning.

  Man, he wanted that more than anything. Could Kayla be that someone? He didn’t know, but he hoped. Patience no longer came so easily since he’d met Kayla—patience with himself or with the situation, because he’d wanted the same thing for so damned long. If it weren’t for his shyness, he might have that life already.

  His mom and dad had been great together and the best parents a kid could have. He was pretty sure his grandparents still had the hots for each other, even after all the years they’d been together. Wyatt didn’t need fame or fortune. He didn’t need to go down in history or make the news. All he wanted was to love and be loved in return. Give him a couple of kids, a house near his extended family, and he’d be a happy man. Yet what he wanted seemed to be the most difficult and elusive goal he’d ever set for himself.

  “Anything going on with your comic books?” Sam asked.

  “Huh?” His attention returned to the present. “Oh. No, not much. Kayla has an aunt who writes children’s books. She says her aunt didn’t get anywhere either until she had an agent. Kayla thinks I should look for an agent, but I haven’t had any time lately. That’ll be my next step.”

  Josey and Haley were deep into a conversation about wedding stuff, and his brother leaned closer. “So, you really like this girl?”

  “Well, I’d really like to get to know her better.” Wyatt picked at the label on his beer bottle. “I’m attracted to her.”

  “We’ll help anyway we can. You know that, right?”

  Affection and gratitude swelled in his chest, and he managed to nod. Their food arrived, and that stopped conversation for a while.

  “Should we try for next Monday? If you tell her right away, that’ll give Kayla a week to arrange for a babysitter,” Josey said. “You can always call one of the second cousins to sit for her, you know.”

  “Or even Grandma Maggie and Grandpa Joe might be willing,” Sam suggested.

  “Sure. Let’s plan on next Monday, and I’ll call one or two of the cousins for backup in case Kayla’s friend isn’t available.” Anticipation surged, and he grinned. He’d asked Kayla out, and she’d said yes. Maybe he could muster up the nerve to kiss her good night after their first date. That thought set off a whole host of erotic thoughts about her, his hands on her soft, generous curves. Kisses that led to touches, touches that led to—

  “Pass the ketchup, Wyatt,” Haley said.

  Heat flooded his face. He passed her the ketchup and focused on his burger. Thank God thoughts and images didn’t appear in bubbles above his head the way dialogue did in his comic books.

  Chapter Five

  Kayla stood in front of her stove, stirring the chicken noodle soup she’d made for supper. Someone knocked on her apartment door. She turned down the flame beneath the pot just as Brady went into his who’s there doorman routine. Chuckling she hurried to join her son.

  “It’s Wyatt,” Brady announced, his eye wide with excitement.

  She opened her door. “Howdy, neighbor. What brings you to our door this fine Tuesday evening?” Hopefully he didn’t notice the way she went breathless at the sight of him.

  “You said to let you know the next time my brother and sister, Haley and I are planning to get together.” Wyatt handed her a sheet of paper, his face tinged with the beginnings of a blush. “We’re getting together next Monday at The Bulldog. Are you free?”

  She gaped at him. “You were serious about my joining you?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” His Adam’s apple bobbed.

  “I thought you were being Minnesota nice.” She stared at the sheet of paper. Names and telephone numbers? “You know, polite, because Brady put you on the spot by asking you to stay for supper and all.”

  “Nope. I meant it.” Wyatt pointed to the list in her hand. “Those are a few of my cousins who said they’d be willing to watch Brady. They’re all experienced, responsible babysitters.”

  “I’m not a baby,” Brady protested.

  “Did I say babysitters?” Wyatt grinned. “I meant Superkid sitters.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “If Mariah isn’t available, I’ll pick up whoever you choose from the list and drive them home afterward.”

  “Oh.” Brilliant response, but her brain had seized up at Nope. I meant it. He’d even put together a list of sitters for her.

  “So? Are you in? We’d love to have you join us.” Wyatt stopped rocking and widened his stance.

  Was he bracing himself for her reply? The “we’d love to have you join us” brought her back to reality. He wasn’t asking her on a date. He was inviting her to join the group. Duh. He’s engaged to Haley. “Sure. I’d love to.”

  Brady tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. She set her hand on his head and looked down at him. “What?”

  “Can Wyatt eat supper with us tonight, and read a comic book to me?”

  Her gaze swung to Wyatt. His eyes met hers, his expression inscrutable, but his face an interesting shade of cerise. “Would you like to stay for supper? We’re having homemade chicken noodle soup and blueberry muffins.” There went his Adam’s apple again, and didn’t that just send her pulse racing.

  “I’d love to. Let me go downstairs for installment number two”—he held up his hands and spread his fingers—“in the ELEC-ELEC-elec TRIC-TRIC-tric SAGA-SAGA-saga,” he said in comic book echo speak. He winked. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Yeah!” Brady jumped up and down beside her.

  Wyatt took off, clomping down the stairs in a noisy rush, probably skipping a couple steps in his haste. Baffled, Kayla stood frozen to the spot. He sure was making it hard for her to avoid him. Perhaps the two of them needed to have a frank discussion. She’d make it clear she wasn’t interested in coming between him and his fiancée.

  Having suffered through that particular brand of brokenheartedness herself, she definitely had an aversion to becoming the other woman—and for dating in general. Her poor heart still hadn’t recovered from the injuries sustained from her sham of a marriage. She might not ever recover. The entire thing had been one colossal,
stupid, painful mistake from the beginning to its catastrophic end.

  Brady had been the only good thing to come out of the fiasco. She ran her fingers through her son’s hair as the two of them waited at the door for Wyatt’s return.

  It could be Wyatt had asked her to join them in an effort to be nice to the new kid on the block. Haley had certainly been friendly when they’d met in the hall that day. Perhaps she’d been the one to encourage Wyatt to include her in their circle. His apartment door shut downstairs, and her tummy fluttered. There wasn’t anything wrong with sharing a meal with a neighbor, was there? Especially when doing so involved another comic book reading.

  Oh. Right. That made sense. Wyatt must love having an appreciative audience for his work. As shy as he was, she and Brady might be his only fans. Whatever the reason, the entire situation was driving her buggy.

  She’d accepted the invitation because she wanted to meet Wyatt’s siblings. Even more important, she was dying to see how he interacted with Haley—his fiancée. Were they openly affectionate with each other? Haley’s face certainly had that “I’m in love” glow the day Kayla had met her.

  Wyatt’s rapid footsteps climbing the stairs back to her apartment sent her pulse racing again. He wasn’t even winded from running up the stairs when he came through her door. She turned Brady toward the dining room and gave him a little push. “Go wash your hands, kiddo.”

  “I already did,” Wyatt said, closing the door behind him.

  “I meant the other kiddo,” she quipped. Wyatt walked through her living room to set his comic book on the coffee table. For a tall man, his movements were easy, fluid, like he was comfortable in his skin, even though he wasn’t comfortable with people. Lean, with nicely formed biceps, narrow hips and long legs, he reminded her of the runners she’d seen on TV during the Olympics. “Do you jog?”

  His brow rose, and fresh color filled his cheeks. “I was in track and field in high school, and I’ve run a few half marathons locally, but not so much lately. Why?”

  “You have a runner’s body. Your legs are so long.” Long enough to outrun trouble. Maybe she should warn him about her acres of emotional crap. Friends warned friends, didn’t they? Brady returned and held up his clean hands for inspection. “You pass,” she said. She took his hand, led him to the dining room and lifted him onto his seat.