As he looked at her now and remembered that she was only there because she was taking care of Harper, he knew he had to put an end to his wishful thinking.
Good thing he was going out of town for the weekend, that his mind would be fully occupied with football.
“I’m about to head out,” he said. Then with a grin, he added, “I’ll expect your complete and honest thoughts on the game when I get back.”
She laughed. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Then her lips quirked up. “My first priority is Harper, don’t forget. I may not even be able to watch the game.”
“Now, that would be a crying shame.”
Shaking her head, she smiled. “Good luck with everything.”
“Thanks.”
She turned and walked toward the kitchen, and he watched her go. Then he thought about the little surprise he’d arranged for her and wished he could be there to see her face.
“A delivery came for you,” Mrs. Stillman said to Mari as she sat down to have lunch with Harper.
Tilting her head in surprise, Mari said, “For me? What is it?”
Mrs. Stillman smiled and shrugged. “There are packages in the entryway.”
Curious, Mari forced herself to wait until after lunch. Once they finished eating, she turned to Harper. “Should we see what came for me?”
Harper nodded, her eyes wide, then the two of them hurried into the entryway. Boxes of varying sizes were piled on the floor. “What could they be?”
“I don’t know,” Harper said.
“Let’s open them and find out.” After grabbing a pair of scissors, Mari opened the largest box and found another box inside, this one clearly labeled as a floor easel. Kind of astonished, when she saw a printed note inside, she pulled it out.
Mari -
I hope these items will suit your needs.
Thanks for all you do.
Hank
Beyond thrilled that he would do this for her, her heart soared. He really was a wonderful man. Not a selfish bone in his body as far as she could tell. What was London talking about? London. Her employer. Hank’s ex-wife. The woman who had the power to drag her away from here and keep her from ever seeing Hank again. At least as long as she worked for her. And Mari wanted to keep working for her.
Joy tempered by reality, Mari opened the other boxes to find a brush holder, large sheets of canvas panels, acrylic paints, and an assortment of brushes. Very good quality brushes.
Excited to get started, she asked Harper to help her carry the items to their art studio where they set everything up. They’d spent the morning playing on the swing set, so Mari hoped Harper was ready to spend some time painting.
“Do you want to paint outside today? We could paint pictures of the trees.”
“And the flowers,” Harper said.
“Yes. And the flowers.”
As she put brush to canvas, Mari’s heart sang with happiness. This was what she loved, and having Hank be so supportive only sweetened the feeling. Harper stood next to her, painting on her own easel. They worked outside, the September day glorious.
Chapter Twelve
The next day when it was time for Hank’s game to start, Mari and Harper snuggled on the couch, bowls of popcorn on their laps and a tray of veggies and dip on the coffee table.
“Have you ever watched your daddy on TV before?” Mari asked as a player on the opposing team kicked the ball.
She shook her head.
Mari kept a sharp eye on the screen as the offense for the Sacramento Vipers took the field. Where was Hank? “There he is!” Mari shouted a little too loudly.
Harper jumped.
Softly laughing, Mari said, “Sorry, sweetheart.”
Harper laughed too. “I got scared on accident.”
That made Mari laugh harder. “Yes. I startled you.”
Looking at the TV, Harper asked, “Where’s my daddy?”
“Do you see the numbers three and one on that man?”
“Yes.”
“That’s him. He’s number thirty-one.”
“I can’t see him.”
“It’s hard to see his face with his helmet on.”
But Mari had no trouble recognizing him, and he looked hotter than ever. Sexy and strong and powerful and…
That’s Harper’s father and London’s ex-husband, so stop noticing how hot he is.
Knowing that would be impossible, Mari instead tried to focus on the game unfolding before her, and whenever the quarterback, Josh Wisner, handed Hank the ball, she couldn’t stop from shouting, “Go, go, go!”
When Mari cheered, Harper cheered as well, and when Mari clapped, Harper clapped.
The only thing Mari didn’t like was seeing Hank get tackled, which happened over and over. But when he made a touchdown, that was about as exciting as it got. The camera zoomed in on him and she could see the grin under his helmet.
When the game was over and the Vipers had won, Mari was beyond eager to give her report to Hank. Okay, she was just beyond eager to see him, to have him standing in front of her. Better yet, to have him standing behind her as he taught her how to play pool.
The thought sent a powerful tingle to the tips of her toes.
That night, anxious to see Hank, Mari put Harper to bed before carrying her eReader down to the family room and settling onto the couch. Hopeful he wouldn’t be home too late, when she heard the front door open, her heart went into a gallop.
Should she greet him at the door or wait for him to find her? What if he went straight upstairs and never saw her, never knew she was waiting for him? Would it be weird for her to approach him? What if he was too tired to talk? He had to be exhausted.
While her mind ran through the possibilities, Hank walked into the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboard. He hadn’t noticed her yet—a large table sat between the family room and the kitchen—so she decided she’d better speak up.
“Great game,” she said, and when he spun around, she laughed. His face seemed to light up, which pleased her beyond measure.
“You watched it, huh?”
She stood and walked into the kitchen, sliding onto a barstool. “Yep. So did Harper.”
Hank hadn’t expected to see Mari that night. Had she been waiting for him? Of course she had. Hmm. What did that mean?
Still on his game-winning high, he grinned as he leaned against the counter, the island between him and Mari. “She did?” Then he laughed. “For about five minutes, I’ll bet.”
Mari shook her head. “She might have lost interest when you guys were on defense, but she was very interested when you were on the field.”
How interested had Mari been? “What did you think of the game?”
“I have to admit, it was a lot more exciting than I expected.” She chuckled. “Then again, I’m sure it helped that I was cheering for your team.”
Just his team? Or him too? Curious, he wasn’t about to ask. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“Thank you for the easel and the supplies,” she said, a shy smile curving her mouth. “That was totally unexpected.”
“You’re welcome.” One of his eyebrows arched. “Have you put them to use?”
“Most definitely.”
“And will you show me what you painted?”
“I’m not done yet, but when I am you can see it.”
He nodded, then downed the glass of water he’d poured.
“What’s your schedule tomorrow?” Mari asked. “I mean, I know Harper will want to see you.”
He hoped it was more than Harper who wanted to see him. “Since we won, it will be a bit easier tomorrow. I’ll be home around one-thirty.”
“Okay.”
Though he enjoyed this time with her, he was exhausted. “I’m beat, but I’ll see you and Harper tomorrow.”
“Of course.” She climbed off the bar stool. “Sorry I kept you.”
Shaking his head, he smiled, “No worries. I enjoyed talking to you.” He decided to say it. “Seei
ng you tonight was a nice surprise.”
Really? Thrilled to hear that, Mari’s lips tugged upward. “I just…I had to let you know I enjoyed the game.”
“I’m happy to hear it.” Then he walked around the counter and motioned upstairs. “Shall we?”
Blushing furiously at the thought that they were going upstairs together, Mari nodded. What was wrong with her? Both of their bedrooms were upstairs. Why was her mind going in any other direction?
When they reached the landing, Hank wished her good-night before turning and walking toward his room. Forcing herself not to stare after him, Mari turned in the opposite direction and walked to her room, her mind jumping ahead to the next afternoon when Hank would return.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day, after Mari and Harper played outside for a while, they headed to their art studio. Mari helped Harper get started on finger-painting, which Harper adored.
“It’s all squishy,” she said with a smile as she ran her paint-soaked fingers all over the sheet of paper laid out on the table.
“What are you painting?” Mari asked.
“It’s just colors.” Her expression was serious, like this was a great art project.
“Well, it’s absolutely beautiful. Your daddy will love it.”
“Can I play with my daddy today?”
Picturing Hank’s smile and handsome face, Mari grinned. “Yes. He’ll be home after lunch.”
“Yay!”
Yay, indeed.
Wanting to know the moment Hank got home, after lunch Mari sat on the couch in the family room with Harper and read to her from a stack of books.
Just before two o’clock, he arrived. Harper threw herself at him, and when he flinched as he picked her up, Mari realized that he must be sore from the game. Of course he was. He’d been tackled by huge men multiple times, and not just by one man at a time. It was usually several burly football players taking him down at once. That would absolutely make him sore.
Hank was sore all over. Just like every Monday after a game. Still, he wouldn’t let that stop him from holding his baby girl.
He set her down. “What do you want to do today?”
“Let’s go swimming!” Harper sang out.
“That sounds like fun.” Then he looked right at Mari. “You’ll join us, of course.” He didn’t want to give her a chance to say no. Not only because he would enjoy her company, but because he kind of wanted to—no, definitely wanted to—see her in a bikini. Was that wrong? If it was, he didn’t care. Then it occurred to him that maybe she didn’t want him to see her in a bikini. How self-absorbed was he? “If you want to,” he added.
“Sure,” she said with a smile. “Okay.”
Glad that was settled, he said, “All right. I’ll meet you ladies out back in a few minutes.”
Harper jumped up and down. “Yay! Daddy’s going swimming with me!”
Ten minutes later, Hank walked outside. Harper and Mari were already in the pool, floaties on Harper’s arms with Mari right beside her. A sense of comfort settled over him. When Harper was with Mari, she was well taken care of. He had no doubt about that.
“Hi, Daddy,” Harper squealed. “Look at me.”
He smiled. “I see you.” His gaze slid to Mari, who was treading water. All he could see of her bikini was bright orange distorted by the water. He would have to wait.
Then he wondered what the heck he was thinking. She was Harper’s nanny. How many times did he have to remind himself of that?
Shoving aside the interest that had been growing from a simmer to a low boil, he went to the deep end of the pool and dove in, staying under the water as he swam towards Harper and Mari. Not meaning to, as he approached them, his gaze slid over Mari’s body, which was clearly visible under the water. He was not disappointed.
Tearing his gaze away, he surfaced beside Harper and focused completely on her while he got himself under control.
Hank looked beyond amazing in his swim trunks. Ripped chest and abs, wide shoulders, and muscular biceps all on display. Whew! Maybe agreeing to play in the pool with him and Harper wasn’t such a good idea after all. Then Mari looked at Harper, who was loving every minute of the attention her father showered upon her. That’s what this was all about. She had to stop thinking about herself. This wasn’t about her, or about Hank. Both of them were there for Harper. She had to put her attraction aside. Especially after her warning from London the other night.
“Let’s play shark,” Hank said to Harper. “I’ll be the shark and you’re the fish. Mari will have to help you get away from me.” He bared his teeth and growled.
Harper screamed with terror and happiness, and Mari grabbed her hands and swam backwards, Hank right behind Harper.
“Go, Mari, go! The shark’s going to get me!”
“I’m coming,” Hank said right behind her.
Harper screamed again, but her wide smile belied the fear in her voice.
“I got you,” Hank said as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
Harper giggled furiously, and Mari hoped he would suggest coming after her next. Heat rushed to her face at the thought. Only a few feet separated her from Hank, and when she remembered the way it had felt to have him right behind her, calling her Marigold, the heat in her face turned blazing hot and she splashed a bit of water on her cheeks to cool down.
“Hi, Hank,” a female voice called from the edge of the pool.
Mari’s head snapped in that direction and she immediately recognized Simone. Tall and slender with blonde hair pulled into a stylish updo, perfectly shaped eyebrows, and thick lashes which emphasized her cornflower blue eyes, Simone was more stunning than she’d been in her online photos.
“Simone,” Hank said, a note of surprise in his voice.
“I had to stop by and congratulate you on your game. As usual, you were fantastic.”
Mari couldn’t miss the pride that slid over Hank’s face.
“It was a good game,” he said.
Simone’s gaze went to Harper. “Hi, honey. How are you?”
Harper tucked her head into Hank’s neck.
Then Simone looked at Mari, her expression less than friendly. “You must be the nanny.”
How did she know that? Oh yeah, Hank had gone out with her the other night. He must have mentioned that she was there taking care of Harper.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m Mari.”
Simone gave her a tight smile before turning her attention back to Hank. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Hank glanced at Mari, wondering what Simone wanted. She didn’t usually show up at his house unannounced. He climbed out of the pool, then grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.
“What’s up?” he asked.
She walked toward the house, most likely so Mari wouldn’t be able to overhear, but stopped right outside the door.
Standing close to him, she glanced over his shoulder toward the pool before meeting his gaze. “Why’s the nanny in the pool with you?” She ran a finger along his shoulder. “Don’t you think she should let you and Harper play by yourselves?”
Did she have a point? Was it wrong to let Mari play in the pool with him and Harper? Not sure, he said, “I suppose.”
“You should give the poor woman a chance to be by herself.”
Guilt sliced through him. Mari hadn’t had any time off since she’d been there. What was wrong with him? “You’re right.”
Simone smiled.
Mari couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she couldn’t miss the way Simone stood so close to Hank, the way she touched his bare chest, the way her body language broadcasted that he belonged to her. Turning her back on them, Mari concentrated on playing with Harper.
“I’m done swimming,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
Harper nodded. “I’m thirsty.”
“Okay. Let’s dry off and we’ll get something cold to drink.”
She guided Harper to the st
eps leading out of the pool and helped her climb out, then she followed. Simone looked her way, and then Hank turned around. Self-conscious in her bright orange bikini, when Mari met Hank’s gaze, which showed frank admiration, she bit her lip and quickly wrapped herself in a towel.
Dang. Mari looked hot in that bikini. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, but when she covered herself with the large towel, Hank managed to break his stare.
“…something fun. Just the three of us.”
Simone was still talking, but he’d completely missed what she’d said. Facing her, he tried to catch up. “Yeah. We can do that.”
“Great! Where do you want to go?”
“Tonight?”
She laughed and touched his chest. “Yes, tonight. Tonight we need to celebrate your win.”
He’d been looking forward to spending time with Mari tonight…uh, Harper and Mari.
“Then Harper’s nanny can have the night off,” Simone said. “I’m sure she’d like a chance to go out on the town.”
He pictured her dancing at a club, men hitting on her, dancing with her in their arms. He didn’t like it.
“Tonight won’t work,” he heard himself say.
Disappointment radiated from Simone’s face. “Why not?”
She never took no for an answer. At least not at first. “I’m still recovering from the game. I don’t want to go out tonight.”
Her head tilted as she smiled. “We can hang out here then.”
The only reason he would agree was if Mari wanted the night off. He didn’t want to make her work twenty-four/seven.
“Give me a minute,” he said. Simone frowned, but he turned and walked over to Mari anyway.
“All done swimming, Princess Pink Rose?” Hank said as he stopped beside Harper. Mari wondered what he and Simone had been discussing, but she didn’t say anything.
Blindsided (Fair Catch Series, Book Three) Page 6
