by Tara Randel
“To be honest, I’ve been putting off thinking about that.”
“Look, with our combined experience, we’d be awesome together. If you decide to cater for me, you’ll have flexible hours to be with the girls.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“You’ve already gone through huge changes in your life. Why not take it to the next level? Work as well as live here.”
Jenna thought about her agent. She’d been delaying any discussion with Barbara about future work. Intentionally?
“You have to admit,” Nealy nudged her. “This is a fabulous idea.”
“According to you, all your ideas are fabulous.”
Nealy grinned. “I don’t expect an answer right now, but at least think about it. Especially the next time Barbara is nagging you to go back to LA.”
To be honest, the idea interested her. If she and Nealy worked together, essentially she could be her own boss. And she liked the idea of being present for the girls.
Before they had a chance to discuss the topic further, Abby came running over, holding up a red bag. “Look what Lilli bought me.”
Abby pulled a stuffed unicorn out of the bag.
“How cool,” Jenna cooed, repeating the gesture when Bridget showed off her white stuffed kitty. “Did you thank Lilli?”
A chorus of thank-yous filled the air.
Jenna said, “Lilli, you didn’t have to.”
“Are you kidding? We had a blast.” She opened her own bag and pulled out a green stuffed frog. “The girls insisted. They said if I kiss him, he’ll turn into my prince.” She held the frog closer. “He does have eyes like Max.”
“I can’t wait for you to show him your new prince,” Nealy teased.
“He loves everything I love,” Lilli replied.
Nealy rolled her eyes at Jenna.
“Like you should talk,” Jenna countered. “Dane is a pretty good guy.”
“He is,” Nealy said, a dreamy expression flitting over her face.
A stab of longing pinched Jenna’s heart. Happy that her friends were in loving relationships, she couldn’t deny the little blip of hope that someday she’d find her own prince and live happily ever after. Until then, she would love Abby and Bridget with every ounce of her being.
“Fall in, troops,” Jenna said, rising and collecting her shopping bags. “What do you say to a burger before we hit the miniature golf course?”
* * *
WYATT GLANCED AT his watch. “You said seven, right? It’s ten minutes after.”
Max grinned. “When women are shopping there is no time limit. They’ll get here when they get here.”
Okay, it had been a while since he’d had a woman in his life. Even then he’d never grasped the nuances of shopping fever. “There’s five of them. How late will they be?”
Dane laughed. “Chill, man. Nealy texted me. They’re almost here.”
He should have stayed home. Had planned on it until his buddies showed up on his doorstep, tag-teaming him into joining the group for a night out. Suddenly, staying home alone seemed downright depressing and he’d agreed to come along. But as the minutes passed, he grew nervous. After the way he left things with Jenna at the pool earlier, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“In the meantime,” Max said, “what do you guys say to a friendly wager on the golf game?”
“Twenty bucks,” Dane suggested.
“Per couple.”
Wyatt frowned. “I’m not part of a couple.”
“Right.” Max rubbed his chin. “Then it’ll be just us guys.”
“Deal,” Dane said.
“I’m in,” Wyatt replied. “But I gotta say, this will be a piece of cake for you both. I haven’t golfed in years.”
“It’s mini golf,” Dane countered. “How hard can it be?”
How hard indeed? After the swimming lesson today, he hadn’t been able to get Jenna off his mind. For years he’d been solo and now? Now he was interested in a woman. Enjoyed the remarkable sound of her laughter. How could he concentrate on miniature golf? Guess he’d find out when Jenna arrived and he had to choose between playing the game or keeping his eyes on her.
A soft breeze rustled the palm fronds lining the sidewalk. It was high summer now, and the sun still shone brightly in the blue sky. The aroma of grilled steak from a nearby restaurant had Wyatt’s stomach growling. Dinner had consisted of peanut butter slathered on a slice of bread.
Shouts of laughter from the families already on the course distracted Wyatt. Miniature golf. So normal, yet suddenly so foreign to him. He hated how everything in life had altered since Jamie had died. He couldn’t explain the hollowness inside, just knew something was...missing. Memories lurked everywhere, blatant at times, catching him off guard at others. Wyatt knew one day he’d be able to deal with the pain and disappointment of losing his son, but that day wasn’t here yet.
Maybe the few hours spent with Bridget and Abby had caused his current melancholy. He’d enjoyed their company earlier, but standing here in a place filled with happy families made him wonder if he could make it through the evening listening to the twins jabber on about kid stuff. Stuff Jamie should have been enjoying along with them. What had seemed like a good idea thirty minutes ago now had him second-guessing himself.
A white minivan pulled into a parking space a few feet from where the men stood. Doors opened and women of different ages spilled out. His gaze moved to the driver’s side and stopped on Jenna. Her smile slowly disappeared when she saw him. She shot Nealy a decidedly annoyed look.
Although not surprised, he didn’t deny the letdown at her reaction.
“You didn’t tell me Jenna had no idea I was tagging along,” he said to the guys.
“That’s because we didn’t know,” Dane said. “I assumed Nealy would tell her.”
“Yet you failed to mention this possibility to me?”
“Yeah, there is that.”
Wyatt closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. What had possessed him to come out tonight? This was exactly why he preferred to be by himself. No surprises. No acting all pleasant when the only thing he wanted to do was sit on his porch and brood, watching the boats bob in their slots at the marina. He liked hanging out with his dog. Cruiser’s only expectations were food and a walk on the beach.
Simple. Uncomplicated.
He opened his eyes.
Unlike the pack of women headed his way.
“Mr. Wyatt!” Bridget cried out as she ran to him, Abby fast on her trail.
“Hey there.”
“Jenna didn’t tell us you were coming.” Bridget’s excited smile lit up her face. She turned to Jenna. “A surprise?”
“Oh, yeah,” Jenna muttered. “A surprise.”
She didn’t have to sound so unhappy about it.
He directed a raised brow at her. She shrugged, her obvious annoyance mixed with resignation. Yet still, beneath her grumbling, he detected the simmering attraction from this afternoon. Was she fighting it? That would explain her mood. When he caught and held her gaze with his, the powerful flash of interest was undeniable. He wanted to punch the air with his fist in victory, but decided he’d already managed to annoy Jenna enough for one day.
Instead, he smiled, sending the message that he’d figured her out.
She blinked. Her cheeks colored, proving him right. In a sudden hurry, she followed the group to the admission window to purchase their game and pick out a colored golf ball and putter.
“I wanted a purple ball,” Abby announced.
“No way,” Bridget said. “I called it in the car.”
“Calling in the car doesn’t count. You have to be right in front of the window.”
“Says who?”
“Says—”
“Why not?” Abby asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Just get another color,” Bridget told her.
“I don’t want another color. Jenna, can you find a purple golf ball?”
Wyatt caught the frustration straining Jenna’s features.
“Honey, you’ll have to pick another color,” Jenna reasoned.
Abby stomped her foot. “Purple is my favorite.”
“Purple is stupid,” Bridget stated.
Before Jenna could intervene, the girls started an all-out argument on the merit of different-colored golf balls. The tension around Jenna’s eyes had Wyatt butting in before he realized what he was doing.
“You know why they don’t have purple, don’t you?”
The girls stopped mid-argument and turned to him.
“Because it’s a stupid color?” Bridget repeated.
He chuckled. “Because it’s the color of royalty. Only princesses get to use purple.”
Abby frowned. “You’re making that up.”
Wyatt laughed.
“So what if he is?” Bridget smiled up at Wyatt.
“Sorry, girls. They have other colors to choose from.”
“How about pink instead?” Abby said.
Max leaned over the counter and held up a fluorescent pink golf ball. “You’re in luck, kiddo.”
“Yay.” Abby marched over to take her prize from Max while Wyatt produced a bright yellow ball for Bridget. She took it without complaining.
Wyatt waited until everyone, except Jenna, was out of earshot.
“You have your hands full.”
She sighed. “I think maybe today was too much for them. Swimming, shopping and golf? What was I thinking?”
“You wanted them to have a good time.”
“I did.” She grinned and his unease lessened.
“Listen, I didn’t mean to just show up unannounced,” he told her. “The guys failed to mention you had no idea I’d be here.”
“I figured that by all the sly looks passing between the adults.”
“If you want me to leave...?”
“Only to disappoint Bridget and no doubt start another argument? No way.”
Right. No more tension.
She hurried to catch up with the others.
Before long they’d settled into the game. The guys talked trash. The women cheered each other on in their attempt to beat the men. Wyatt watched Jenna’s eyes narrow every time one of her twins hung on his words. He figured a smug smile would turn her off, so he listened to the twins and kept his distance from their guardian.
They’d reached the fifth hole, a tricky layout with a sharp right angle and working windmill, when someone’s phone blared a symphony of clanging chimes.
Jenna pulled her cell from her pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s my agent. I need to take this.”
Wyatt watched her walk a few paces away for a private conversation before turning to the group. “What does she need an agent for?”
Six sets of eyes blinked back at him.
He held his hand out. “What?”
“You do realize she’s on television,” Max informed him.
“Television? Doing what?”
“She’s a chef. Has her own cable show.”
“So she’s a celebrity?”
Max nodded. “I guess you could call her that.”
Great. Just what he didn’t want to know.
His ex had talked endlessly about going to LA to make it big in movies. She had tons of magazines on the film industry scattered around their living room. Went on and on about who was in what movie. She’d even taken acting lessons from a local who had once worked on Broadway. Her aspirations had enticed her away from her husband and young son to the point of becoming a tangible third party in their marriage.
Wyatt ran a hand through his hair. Their last big fight had been over her plan to leave, with her male agent no less, right before they’d lost Jamie. Soon after, Marcie left for good too.
Here he’d been thinking Jenna’s job solely entailed being the girls’ guardian. To be honest, he hadn’t even considered she had a career. If he had, it would have been some normal nine-to-five gig allowing her time at night with the girls. And now to find out Jenna’s career was in the same world Marcie had left him for? Great. “Buddy, I know you’ve been incommunicado for a while, but really? You didn’t know who Jenna was?”
Wyatt glanced at Max. “Not a clue.”
Max chuckled. “Rich.”
Jenna returned a few moments later, slipping her cell into her pocket. “Sorry about that.”
“Everything okay?” Nealy asked. Wyatt didn’t miss the worry in her eyes.
Jenna waved her hand. “Barbara is after me to do a commercial for a sponsor of the show. I’d have to fly to LA and I don’t want to leave the girls, especially with school starting next week.”
The disappointment swimming in Wyatt’s stomach lessened. Okay, Jenna might work in LA, but she had her head on straight when it came to the twins.
“They can always stay with me if you have to go,” Nealy volunteered.
“Jenna, can we stay with Nealy?” Abby asked.
“It’ll be fun,” Bridget squealed.
The girl’s rapid-fire requests soon turned into a chant. “Nealy. Nealy. Nealy.”
Jenna held up her hand to silence the girls. “Enough. We’ll talk about it later.”
The two turned away, but not before exchanging a glance of displeasure Jenna couldn’t miss.
The girls’ slight had to hurt.
“It’s your turn,” Wyatt reminded her in a quiet tone.
“Thanks.” She met his gaze but couldn’t quite hide her distress. “I should enjoy this night before duty calls.” He let the group move well ahead of them, leaving him alone with Jenna so they could talk.
“Are you talking about duty taking you away from your family?”
“To support them, yes.”
“I don’t know if I could have traveled and left Jamie for any length of time.”
She took a step back as if his words had physically struck her. “If it was for his well-being, I’m sure you would have. Besides, you had your wife to help take care of him.”
A bitter smile curved his lips. “You’d think.”
Jenna’s brows rose. “She didn’t help?”
“Let’s just say she had stars in her eyes. The Hollywood film industry kind of stars.”
“Oh.” With a slight frown, she took hold of the putter and stepped up to the tee area to take her swing. Her orange ball rolled down the artificial turf, narrowly missing the moving blade of the windmill and skimming the lip of the cup. Turning to watch, the twins cheered, but Wyatt noticed the tension in her tight shoulders.
When she stepped away, he took his turn. His steady aim sent the putt straight down the green and through the turn, until the golf ball knocked into a moving blade. His shot veered off course, tumbling down the slope at a far distance from the cup. The group milled about at the end of the green as each of them completed the hole.
Jenna lingered behind the others.
“Good shot,” he said as he walked beside her, the soft scent of her floral perfume wafting his way. Even though he’d intentionally isolated himself from others, he hadn’t forgotten how much he enjoyed the femininity of a woman. Her perfume seemed to wake up a side of him he’d almost forgotten.
“I don’t want to brag or anything, but I am good at mini golf,” Jenna said.
“Is that so?”
“And I’m good at my job. If I have to travel, I travel.”
Wyatt ran his hand
through his hair. “I didn’t mean to insinuate you don’t put the girls first.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I think you did since you made it clear you never would have left your son.”
“I guess I’m a little touchy on the subject of the welfare of children.”
“I’m assuming you worked before the accident?”
Her question surprised him. “Yes. But I made sure I took a job that didn’t require traveling.”
“Well I don’t have that luxury.” She pressed her lips together for a moment. “I’m sure if your job did require traveling, you would have gone to benefit your family.”
“I’ll never know, since I worked here in town.”
“Nealy said you ran a fishing charter?”
“Actually, I owned the boat. A number of boats, to be exact. Sold the fleet after Jamie died.”
Jenna’s shrewd eyes met his. “So you were gone for long hours every day?”
“Yes. But I came home every night.”
Jenna’s cheeks flamed red.
“I think we’ve gotten off on a touchy subject here. What do you say we play golf instead of discussing parenting methods?”
“Good idea.”
She moved away, taking her last shot before joining the rest of the group. More than a little rattled by Jenna, Wyatt took three tries to sink the ball. Max and Dane had a field day razzing him, but the only thing that bothered him was the hurt mingled with frustration in Jenna’s eyes. His social skills were worse than rusty. Where was Mr. Suave when he needed him?
The play went on for a few more holes. By the last one, Dane and Max were a single point apart while Wyatt lagged behind by five. Taking the win seriously, Dane got down on one knee to read the line and take full advantage of his putt.
“You do know you aren’t going to make the shot,” Max taunted. “The last one is the hardest.”
“Keep talking, Sanders. I plan on keeping my twenty.”
“Twenty what?” Nealy asked.
“Dollars. We’ve got a wager going.”
“And you neglected to tell me?” She jammed a hand on her hip. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Jenna said, high-fiving her friend.
Lilli shook her head. “You all are way too competitive.”
