and he had lain there, not sure of what to say. An awkward silence passed, and Mike took the coward’s path, feigning sleep until Diana nodded off and he could slip out of her bed, leave that note and head back to Alaska.
Which was what he’d do again at the end of this month. Better to remember that than to get caught up in a woman with mysterious green eyes and an easy way with kids.
After a while, conversation began to flow over beers and barbecue. When Luke mentioned the word “work,” Jenny and Ellie both exclaimed, then laughed hard when Luke said, “What’d I say? I just asked Mike how work was going.”
That sent the girls into even more fits of laughter. It was a merry sound, filling the air like church bells, and for a moment, Mike wondered why he’d been in such a hurry to leave.
Six
Diana did her best to keep her attention focused on everything and everyone but Mike Stark. She’d come to the barbecue, intent on her plan of pretending like he didn’t affect her anymore, that she had forgotten all about that night in January and how he’d made her body sing in ways it never had before. If there was an Oscar for faking disinterest, Diana figured she wasn’t even a runner-up. My God, all the man had to do was look at her and her body started to hum. And when he’d said the words
teacher’s pet
. . .
She had nearly melted on the spot. Her brain kept drumming the same
he’s all wrong for you
song, but apparently the message wasn’t making its way south. The rest of her didn’t care that Mike was married to his job. That he had no desire to settle down again and that he came attached to an undependable past as an ex and a father. That he had dated her and wooed her, and like the clichéd ending to a health class life lesson, run from her bed the second he got what he wanted.
But then every once in a while she saw these snippets of another Mike, one who loved his kids and was struggling to build a connection with them. The same man who was playing with the dogs in the yard while his daughters watched from the sidelines. Ellie danced and clapped every time Chance caught the ball, then rushed back to capture Miss Sadie in suffocating toddler hugs.
God, she was a sentimental fool. Just because a guy acted like a grown-up once in a while didn’t mean he was settle-down material. Mike had made it clear six months ago that he wasn’t sticking around. For anything or anyone. Not then, and not now. Tossing a ball to a golden retriever didn’t make him suddenly morph into Ward Cleaver.
Mike looked over his shoulder, caught her watching him, and sent Diana a grin.
Damn.
She told herself she didn’t still have feelings for him. Wasn’t affected at all by seeing him.
Yeah, and it was a major miracle she didn’t go up in flames right that instant. Maybe if she repeated the lies to herself enough, she’d believe them.
She scrambled to her feet and grabbed several dishes. “Let me help you clean up,” she said to Olivia. “I figured I’d go check on the animals in the shelter before I go home. I want to go before it gets too dark.”
And before she got swept up in that grin of Mike Stark’s and began reading things in his smile that didn’t exist.
Olivia put out a hand. “Luke and I can get those. Don’t worry about it. In fact, let me wrap up some leftovers while you’re over at the shelter. Saves you some cooking.”
“Thanks, Liv.” Diana smiled. “You know me too well. I’ll take the easiest cooking route possible. Which means the one where someone else does all the work.”
As Diana turned to go, Olivia laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder. The men were across the yard with the girls and the dogs, leaving Diana and Olivia alone. “Hey, you okay? You seem distracted and distant lately.”
“I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.” Diana forced one of those it’s-all-good smiles onto her face. She had learned long ago that it was best to keep her troubles to herself, rather
Which was what he’d do again at the end of this month. Better to remember that than to get caught up in a woman with mysterious green eyes and an easy way with kids.
After a while, conversation began to flow over beers and barbecue. When Luke mentioned the word “work,” Jenny and Ellie both exclaimed, then laughed hard when Luke said, “What’d I say? I just asked Mike how work was going.”
That sent the girls into even more fits of laughter. It was a merry sound, filling the air like church bells, and for a moment, Mike wondered why he’d been in such a hurry to leave.
Six
Diana did her best to keep her attention focused on everything and everyone but Mike Stark. She’d come to the barbecue, intent on her plan of pretending like he didn’t affect her anymore, that she had forgotten all about that night in January and how he’d made her body sing in ways it never had before. If there was an Oscar for faking disinterest, Diana figured she wasn’t even a runner-up. My God, all the man had to do was look at her and her body started to hum. And when he’d said the words
teacher’s pet
. . .
She had nearly melted on the spot. Her brain kept drumming the same
he’s all wrong for you
song, but apparently the message wasn’t making its way south. The rest of her didn’t care that Mike was married to his job. That he had no desire to settle down again and that he came attached to an undependable past as an ex and a father. That he had dated her and wooed her, and like the clichéd ending to a health class life lesson, run from her bed the second he got what he wanted.
But then every once in a while she saw these snippets of another Mike, one who loved his kids and was struggling to build a connection with them. The same man who was playing with the dogs in the yard while his daughters watched from the sidelines. Ellie danced and clapped every time Chance caught the ball, then rushed back to capture Miss Sadie in suffocating toddler hugs.
God, she was a sentimental fool. Just because a guy acted like a grown-up once in a while didn’t mean he was settle-down material. Mike had made it clear six months ago that he wasn’t sticking around. For anything or anyone. Not then, and not now. Tossing a ball to a golden retriever didn’t make him suddenly morph into Ward Cleaver.
Mike looked over his shoulder, caught her watching him, and sent Diana a grin.
Damn.
She told herself she didn’t still have feelings for him. Wasn’t affected at all by seeing him.
Yeah, and it was a major miracle she didn’t go up in flames right that instant. Maybe if she repeated the lies to herself enough, she’d believe them.
She scrambled to her feet and grabbed several dishes. “Let me help you clean up,” she said to Olivia. “I figured I’d go check on the animals in the shelter before I go home. I want to go before it gets too dark.”
And before she got swept up in that grin of Mike Stark’s and began reading things in his smile that didn’t exist.
Olivia put out a hand. “Luke and I can get those. Don’t worry about it. In fact, let me wrap up some leftovers while you’re over at the shelter. Saves you some cooking.”
“Thanks, Liv.” Diana smiled. “You know me too well. I’ll take the easiest cooking route possible. Which means the one where someone else does all the work.”
As Diana turned to go, Olivia laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder. The men were across the yard with the girls and the dogs, leaving Diana and Olivia alone. “Hey, you okay? You seem distracted and distant lately.”
“I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.” Diana forced one of those it’s-all-good smiles onto her face. She had learned long ago that it was best to keep her troubles to herself, rather
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