her pregnant that summer. And maybe she could change that.
Seeing him this week—the way he had been so worried about her father, how well-respected he was by his employees, how much he loved his animals—she had to acknowledge that he’d grown up to be a very responsible, considerate, warm-hearted man. So it made absolutely no sense for him to keep ignoring the person who should have meant more to him than anyone in his life.
Not talking about it yet, remember?
No, not yet. They’d managed to achieve a good working relationship. Maybe someday soon they’d finally sit down and straighten out the personal one.
Hearing loud, excited barks, Nicole shook off the dark thoughts and glanced toward the side of the house to see a golden retriever bounding toward them. "Oh, my gosh, you still have Winston? I can't believe it!"
She squatted down, holding her arms open for the dog. The animal ignored her and ran right into Wyatt, nearly knocking him down. The dog jumped up on his master's chest and licked at his chin.
"No, not Winston," Wyatt said with a sad smile. "He died about five years ago. He was the best dog ever." Wyatt chuckled as the lab continued the affectionate kissing. "This is Winnie, she's Winston's granddaughter."
"She's a beauty."
"And just as sweet as her grandfather," he said with pride.
The dog seemed to sense Nicole's admiration, because she suddenly turned her attention away from Wyatt. Winnie trotted over to Nicole and nuzzled at her hand. "Look at her face, she looks like she's actually smiling," Nicole said with delight.
After petting the friendly dog for a few moments, Nicole stood to follow Wyatt into the house. Inside the foyer, her eyes were drawn upward, to the high open ceilings stretching up through the second story. "You added height, but did you add any rooms?" she asked with a laugh.
"Oh yes," he said gesturing up to the doors leading off the u-shaped hallway. "Private ones. I always hated feeling like I lived in a men-only commune. Now the upstairs is my part of the house, Brady's got most of the downstairs. Here, in the center, is community property for those not-rare-enough occasions when we have to be together."
Nicole nodded and followed Wyatt across the bricked foyer toward the kitchen.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked.
"Just a huge glass of ice water would be great," she replied as they walked through a door into what Nicole remembered was the kitchen. As they entered, a young woman turned from where she'd been chopping vegetables and said, "I'll get it, sir."
Nicole assumed this was Simone, Maria's niece. Maria hadn't exaggerated the girl's appearance. She was exceptionally pretty, with huge dark eyes and a mass of thick brown hair straining out of its clips. She was young, probably not even twenty, and offered Nicole a shy smile as she filled her a glass of water.
"Thank you," Nicole murmured when the girl handed her the glass. "You're Simone, aren't you?"
"Yes," the younger woman nodded. "And you are Doctor Ross’s daughter from up north."
"That's right."
"I'm very pleased to meet you. Your father has been very good to my Aunt Maria."
"She's been good for him, too," Nicole replied.
"Can I get you something else, Mister Wyatt?"
Wyatt had already filled a large glass of water for himself and shook his head abruptly, "No, thank you Simone."
He leaned his head back and drank the water quickly, the muscular cords in his neck standing out against his tanned, sweaty skin. His tee shirt was damp and stuck to him, molding against his hard body. Nicole could see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and his throat moved with every swallow. A trickle of sweat slid from just behind his right ear, down his neck and disappeared into the cotton collar of his shirt. If she weren't mistaken, Nicole could swear she remembered kissing a trail along that exact path once.
Cursing under her breath, Nicole picked up her own glass and sipped at it, forcing herself to pull
Seeing him this week—the way he had been so worried about her father, how well-respected he was by his employees, how much he loved his animals—she had to acknowledge that he’d grown up to be a very responsible, considerate, warm-hearted man. So it made absolutely no sense for him to keep ignoring the person who should have meant more to him than anyone in his life.
Not talking about it yet, remember?
No, not yet. They’d managed to achieve a good working relationship. Maybe someday soon they’d finally sit down and straighten out the personal one.
Hearing loud, excited barks, Nicole shook off the dark thoughts and glanced toward the side of the house to see a golden retriever bounding toward them. "Oh, my gosh, you still have Winston? I can't believe it!"
She squatted down, holding her arms open for the dog. The animal ignored her and ran right into Wyatt, nearly knocking him down. The dog jumped up on his master's chest and licked at his chin.
"No, not Winston," Wyatt said with a sad smile. "He died about five years ago. He was the best dog ever." Wyatt chuckled as the lab continued the affectionate kissing. "This is Winnie, she's Winston's granddaughter."
"She's a beauty."
"And just as sweet as her grandfather," he said with pride.
The dog seemed to sense Nicole's admiration, because she suddenly turned her attention away from Wyatt. Winnie trotted over to Nicole and nuzzled at her hand. "Look at her face, she looks like she's actually smiling," Nicole said with delight.
After petting the friendly dog for a few moments, Nicole stood to follow Wyatt into the house. Inside the foyer, her eyes were drawn upward, to the high open ceilings stretching up through the second story. "You added height, but did you add any rooms?" she asked with a laugh.
"Oh yes," he said gesturing up to the doors leading off the u-shaped hallway. "Private ones. I always hated feeling like I lived in a men-only commune. Now the upstairs is my part of the house, Brady's got most of the downstairs. Here, in the center, is community property for those not-rare-enough occasions when we have to be together."
Nicole nodded and followed Wyatt across the bricked foyer toward the kitchen.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked.
"Just a huge glass of ice water would be great," she replied as they walked through a door into what Nicole remembered was the kitchen. As they entered, a young woman turned from where she'd been chopping vegetables and said, "I'll get it, sir."
Nicole assumed this was Simone, Maria's niece. Maria hadn't exaggerated the girl's appearance. She was exceptionally pretty, with huge dark eyes and a mass of thick brown hair straining out of its clips. She was young, probably not even twenty, and offered Nicole a shy smile as she filled her a glass of water.
"Thank you," Nicole murmured when the girl handed her the glass. "You're Simone, aren't you?"
"Yes," the younger woman nodded. "And you are Doctor Ross’s daughter from up north."
"That's right."
"I'm very pleased to meet you. Your father has been very good to my Aunt Maria."
"She's been good for him, too," Nicole replied.
"Can I get you something else, Mister Wyatt?"
Wyatt had already filled a large glass of water for himself and shook his head abruptly, "No, thank you Simone."
He leaned his head back and drank the water quickly, the muscular cords in his neck standing out against his tanned, sweaty skin. His tee shirt was damp and stuck to him, molding against his hard body. Nicole could see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and his throat moved with every swallow. A trickle of sweat slid from just behind his right ear, down his neck and disappeared into the cotton collar of his shirt. If she weren't mistaken, Nicole could swear she remembered kissing a trail along that exact path once.
Cursing under her breath, Nicole picked up her own glass and sipped at it, forcing herself to pull
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