believe I once thought having him was a good idea.”
“You can’t fool me.” Wyatt held his heart still, so he wouldn’t feel a thing. “He’s the center of your world.”
“Guilty.”
“It’s been good catching up.” He leaned against the fender, not ready to let her go.
“It has. Listen, I don’t want you to feel pressured about the hoop fest thing. Jake’s just excited to know you.”
“No problem. It has to be tough growing up without a dad. I’m glad that’s something I never had to do. Losing Granddad was tough enough.”
“Rumor had it that’s why you left Buffalo suddenly.” She nodded once, remembering. “Your father took over the business in Vancouver.”
“Three days after you told me we were over. I never got the chance to say goodbye.”
“I always regretted that.”
“And the way you yelled at me in the middle of the cafeteria?”
“Did I really yell?”
“No, but it felt like it.”
“I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”
“I’m sure you were right.” His hand covered hers, warm and strong and comforting.
She didn’t want to find comfort in his touch. She never wanted to need a man again. So why did her heart tumble—just a tiny little fall?
“Maybe I should apologize now so we can make a fresh start. I haven’t felt like this since…” He didn’t finish his sentence. His free hand touched on her hair, soft against the side of her face, and the past came to life. She was sixteen again—whole of heart and wishing for the sweetness of his kiss.
His eyes darkened tenderly. His mouth softened, slanting in. Her breath caught, and she was shocked to feel her lips buzz. She wanted his kiss.
A kiss that could never be.
She splayed her palm on his chest, stopping him. His lips hovered over hers, only a breath apart. Her pulse beat wildly in her chest while he squeezed his eyes shut and winced as if with regret.
“I’m sorry.” He broke away.
“So am I.” Sorry that they hadn’t kissed, that she was no longer the girl who’d loved him. She didn’t want to be.
“That came out of nowhere for me, too.” Pain darkened his features. “I didn’t plan it. It just…happened.”
“You mean it almost happened.”
“Yes. It’s a good thing it didn’t. What was I thinking?” He grimaced again, stopped and shook his head. “After my marriage ended, that was it for me. I’ve been through so much loss. My heart was too broken. I can’t go there again.”
He faltered, raw grief showing.
What had happened to him? Mariah wanted to ask, but he moved in and opened her door.
“Drive safe. Make sure Jake contacts me about the hoop fest. I’d like to sponsor him, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sure.” She slipped into her seat, a little dazed and even more confused.
“Take care, Mariah. Thanks for including me tonight. You have no idea the good it did me.” The door closed, shutting him out and her safely in. The man who walked away, as dark as the shadows, a part of the night, took a piece of her with him.
* * *
He fished his keys out of his pocket, unlocked his car door, then the beep beep of a horn snagged his attention. He looked up in time to catch Jake waving behind the window of Mariah’s SUV as it motored by on the street.
A hard squeeze gripped him. Funny kid.
Wyatt dropped into his seat, started the engine and hit the overhead light.
“Well, Sebastian,” he said, cracking open his wallet to look at the picture of a blond, blue-eyed boy. “I’m doing better. I actually had fun tonight.”
Only silence answered. There had been a time when he would have hauled out his cell and hit number one on speed dial. There had been a long string of dark days when he’d automatically reached for the phone, needing to hear the child’s voice and the funny recap of his school day, even knowing it could never happen again. Now it was a habit finally broken. Wyatt tucked his wallet back into his pocket, put the car in gear and pulled out of
“You can’t fool me.” Wyatt held his heart still, so he wouldn’t feel a thing. “He’s the center of your world.”
“Guilty.”
“It’s been good catching up.” He leaned against the fender, not ready to let her go.
“It has. Listen, I don’t want you to feel pressured about the hoop fest thing. Jake’s just excited to know you.”
“No problem. It has to be tough growing up without a dad. I’m glad that’s something I never had to do. Losing Granddad was tough enough.”
“Rumor had it that’s why you left Buffalo suddenly.” She nodded once, remembering. “Your father took over the business in Vancouver.”
“Three days after you told me we were over. I never got the chance to say goodbye.”
“I always regretted that.”
“And the way you yelled at me in the middle of the cafeteria?”
“Did I really yell?”
“No, but it felt like it.”
“I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”
“I’m sure you were right.” His hand covered hers, warm and strong and comforting.
She didn’t want to find comfort in his touch. She never wanted to need a man again. So why did her heart tumble—just a tiny little fall?
“Maybe I should apologize now so we can make a fresh start. I haven’t felt like this since…” He didn’t finish his sentence. His free hand touched on her hair, soft against the side of her face, and the past came to life. She was sixteen again—whole of heart and wishing for the sweetness of his kiss.
His eyes darkened tenderly. His mouth softened, slanting in. Her breath caught, and she was shocked to feel her lips buzz. She wanted his kiss.
A kiss that could never be.
She splayed her palm on his chest, stopping him. His lips hovered over hers, only a breath apart. Her pulse beat wildly in her chest while he squeezed his eyes shut and winced as if with regret.
“I’m sorry.” He broke away.
“So am I.” Sorry that they hadn’t kissed, that she was no longer the girl who’d loved him. She didn’t want to be.
“That came out of nowhere for me, too.” Pain darkened his features. “I didn’t plan it. It just…happened.”
“You mean it almost happened.”
“Yes. It’s a good thing it didn’t. What was I thinking?” He grimaced again, stopped and shook his head. “After my marriage ended, that was it for me. I’ve been through so much loss. My heart was too broken. I can’t go there again.”
He faltered, raw grief showing.
What had happened to him? Mariah wanted to ask, but he moved in and opened her door.
“Drive safe. Make sure Jake contacts me about the hoop fest. I’d like to sponsor him, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sure.” She slipped into her seat, a little dazed and even more confused.
“Take care, Mariah. Thanks for including me tonight. You have no idea the good it did me.” The door closed, shutting him out and her safely in. The man who walked away, as dark as the shadows, a part of the night, took a piece of her with him.
* * *
He fished his keys out of his pocket, unlocked his car door, then the beep beep of a horn snagged his attention. He looked up in time to catch Jake waving behind the window of Mariah’s SUV as it motored by on the street.
A hard squeeze gripped him. Funny kid.
Wyatt dropped into his seat, started the engine and hit the overhead light.
“Well, Sebastian,” he said, cracking open his wallet to look at the picture of a blond, blue-eyed boy. “I’m doing better. I actually had fun tonight.”
Only silence answered. There had been a time when he would have hauled out his cell and hit number one on speed dial. There had been a long string of dark days when he’d automatically reached for the phone, needing to hear the child’s voice and the funny recap of his school day, even knowing it could never happen again. Now it was a habit finally broken. Wyatt tucked his wallet back into his pocket, put the car in gear and pulled out of
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