"Great," Kelsey said. "I mean, I'm going. Take your time." She flashed Theresa a smile and ran off toward the field.
Before Theresa knew what was happening, Austin climbed in the passenger seat and closed the door.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he said.
She flinched from the violence in his voice. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that most of the women in this town have used every available tactic and strategy to snag my attention. Like vultures circling road kill. Yet none of them have stooped so low as to use my daughter to get to me."
"Is that what you think?" Theresa said, feeling her own temper rising. "Don't flatter yourself. Giving Kelsey a ride has nothing to do with you. You made it perfectly clear what you want from me. And we don't want the same thing, do we?"
"We want the same thing. You're just not willing to admit it."
"You want sex," Theresa said. "I don't think you
want
to know what I want."
Austin's mouth flattened into a rigid line. "I have a pretty good idea. And I told you I have nothing to offer you. That doesn't mean we couldn't enjoy each other as consenting adults."
Theresa shook her head. "I don't want that."
Austin leaned over, rubbing his fingers gently over her forearm, raising the fine hairs. "Do you want me to remind you how much you want it?" he asked softly.
Chill bumps broke out all over Theresa's body. She felt breathless and edgy. A heaviness settled in her lower body, leaving her aching for more of his touch.
Jerking her arm away, she met his eyes. Eyes watching her with promised passion.
"You don't need to remind me. Now, will you please get out of my car? I want to go home." She turned the key and revved up the motor.
"I told you to stay away from me," he said, his voice rough. "If we keep meeting like this, I'll know you've changed your mind." He opened the door.
"In your dreams," Theresa muttered under her breath.
Austin paused before shutting the door. His gaze locked on hers. "Believe me, Theresa. You're already in my dreams. And I don't like it. I don't like it at all."
She watched him make his way toward the field. He never looked back. The man was a living, breathing contradiction on legs. His actions were definitely not consistent with his words.
Theresa's tummy plunged downward as she pulled out of the parking lot.
He was dreaming about her?
CHAPTER FOUR
Austin thought he was imagining things when Theresa Rogers walked across the soccer field carrying a folding chair and blanket. When he had seen her on Wednesday, he assumed he had made the situation perfectly clear. Clear to whom, he didn't have a clue. The woman was driving him crazy, that was for sure.
Theresa paused in front of him for a moment. Looking around, making sure no one overheard, she leaned toward him. "Don't get any ideas," she said. "I haven't changed my mind. I promised Kelsey I'd come see her play.
Before
we had our little discussion."
She marched past him, unfolded her chair and plopped herself down, spreading the blanket over her legs. She waved to Kelsey and some of the other girls . . . and ignored him.
Which suited Austin just fine. He would be doing both of them a favor if he could just ignore his attraction to her. Forget how it felt to hold her, kiss her, feel her body pressed to his. Forget her reaction to his touch.
He plopped down in his own folding chair and watched the teams warming up on the field.
"Hey, Dad!" Kelsey ran up to him, breathing hard, her cheeks rosy from working out.
"Hey, hotshot! How's it going?"
"Great! We're going to cream this team. Whatcha want to bet?" She took a long gulp from her water bottle, set it on the ground, gave him a quick kiss, then dashed away before he could answer.
He frowned when she stopped to talk to Theresa. Austin watched his daughter's animated face as she smiled and laughed with her teacher. He'd always known not having a mother was hard on Kelsey. She was lucky to have a loving grandmother and three aunts who doted on her. Maybe it wasn't enough.
Austin dismissed those thoughts. He and Kelsey were doing okay. They would continue to do okay.
"A penny for your thoughts."
Austin looked up from his chair where new sister-in-law, Gillian, stood smiling down at him.
"Trust me, you would be wasting your money," he said. "I didn't know if you and Ma were going to make it."
"Of course, we made it," Ruth said, as she unfolded her chair. "Scoot down and make room."
Austin moved his chair, only to realize he was now seated close to Theresa. She looked past him and smiled, extending her hand. "Hello. Gillian, right? We met at the Jubilee last summer."
Gillian leaned over Austin and shook her hand. "Miss Rogers. I remember--you and Austin were partners in the races. I'll tell you a little secret. I
never
want to do that again."
"Me neither," Theresa said.
Austin felt her glance at him, then away. He felt Gillian's eyes on him, too.
"Gillian, I'm sure you'll do it again," Ruth said, sitting down next to her daughter-in-law. "It's a family tradition. I don't know about Miss Rogers, though. She and Austin didn't do so well together." Shaking out a huge quilt, she covered both her and Gillian.
Austin heard a stifled gasp beside him. He felt a compelling urge to strangle his mother.
Gillian leaned across him. "Don't mind what Mama Ruth says. She speaks her mind. She doesn't mean any harm."
Ruth leaned over, too. "Did I say something I shouldn't have? Oh well, Gillian's right. Don't mind me. How about some hot chocolate?" She took a large thermos from her bag. "Nothing like hot chocolate on a cold day like today. What did Kelsey say about this team?" she asked Austin, handing him a cup. "Pass this to Miss Rogers."
"She thinks they'll be easy to beat." He took the cup and gave it to Theresa. "Careful, it's hot."
"Thanks." She took the drink, avoiding his fingers.
For some inexplicable reason, that made Austin extremely angry. She had melted in his arms the last time they had been together. He felt himself grow hard thinking about it. He wanted to feel her melt against him again. She was making him nuts.
Wedged between Austin and another parent, Theresa sipped her cocoa. She knew Austin was uncomfortable with the situation, because he was frowning, his body taut. She could see the muscles of his thighs bunched up beneath the worn denim of his jeans.
Moving was an option, but that would be rude to Ruth and Gillian and the other parent. They were probably unaware of the tension flowing around them. Theresa decided to stay where she was and concentrate on the game.
She didn't know much about soccer. Never had watched a game. The teams were taking their places on the field. Kelsey stood near the back, close to the girl in the net-like box.
"What position does Kelsey play?" Theresa asked, clutching her hands around the cup of warm cocoa, snuggling down beneath the blanket. The wind howled around them. The cold stung her cheeks.
"Sweeper."
Theresa glanced at Austin. His eyes were glued on the field. His jaw clenched. A fascinating pulse throbbed in his corded neck. He didn't look like a happy man.
"What does the sweeper do?" she heard herself asking. She knew he didn't want to talk to her, but she couldn't help it. She was drawn to the man. Attracted to him big time.
"The sweeper is one of the fullbacks. They're the last line of defense before the goalkeeper."
"So basically, they try to keep the other team from scoring?"
"Exactly. Watch the game and you'll see."
At first, Theresa had a difficult time keeping track of the ball and plays. It didn't take long until she got into the spirit of the game. She was on her feet with the rest of the parents, yelling encouragement to her students. Kelsey stopped a ball and sent it flying down the field. She looked at Theresa and grinned. Theresa gave her a thumbs up.
"She's good, isn't she?" Theresa said to Austin.
"Yes, she's very good." He stood next to her, engrossed in the game.
Theresa heard the pride in his voice. The man was definitely capable of emotion. His love for his daughter proved it.
When Kelsey's team scored, Theresa clutched his arm joyously, wanting to share in the excitement. "Oh my God! Did you see that kick?"
The words died on her lips as Austin yanked his arm from her grasp. For a moment, their eyes met. His smoldered with anger. Theresa thought she might burn to a crisp, right then and there. He turned and stalked away, going to sit in his truck.
Gillian came closer. "What was that all about?"
Theresa managed a shrug. "I don't think he likes me very much."
"Or maybe he likes you too much," she said. "Hang in there. He needs someone like you. He just doesn't know it yet." Gillian's attention was caught by action on the field.
Theresa glanced back at the parking lot. She could feel Austin's eyes on her. A tingling sensation raced up and down her spine. She had the vague feeling she was caught up in something beyond her control. She was attracted to a man who was devoted to his dead wife. Everyone had warned her about him. Even he had warned her to stay away. But the more she saw of the handsome widower, the more impossible it became to heed those warnings.
****
Austin wished he were any place but where he was right now, which was sitting in the back of a hay-filled trailer full of laughing, noisy kids, being pulled by a tractor around the countryside. And he had Kelsey to thank for it all. She had organized the whole thing.
His daughter. The leader of the pack. The social butterfly. She had convinced her classmates that they were too old for trick-or-treating this year. Instead, they would all get together for a hayride and wiener roast. Everyone was assigned an item to bring. Some brought the hotdogs and buns. Others provided snacks and candy. There was a cooler of soft drinks. Fun was being had by all.
Except Austin. He wasn't having fun. Somehow, he was sitting next to the one person he didn't want to be near. The one person he should be avoiding like the plague. The woman who was upsetting his dull, routine, comfortable life. She was even invading his dreams. Making him extremely uncomfortable and frustrated as hell.
How could he have allowed himself to be bamboozled into coming along? He didn't know if he wanted to strangle Kelsey or applaud her triumph. Most of the parents and kids in her class, as well as her teacher, had shown up for the hayride.
"Dad, could you at least pretend you're having a good time?" Kelsey whispered in his ear. "Smile, why don't you?"
She sat on his right side, Theresa on his left. It was a tight squeeze with so many kids and parents participating. There wasn't enough room for everyone to sit on the stacked bales of hay. Some, like himself, were stuck down on the bed of the trailer. His entire left side burned with awareness. It was difficult to smile when his body was on fire, but he managed.
"You're hopeless, you know it?" Kelsey said. "I'm wondering why you bothered to come."
"Because you asked me." He tried to keep his voice low so they wouldn't be overheard.
He was startled when Theresa suddenly leaned across him. "Why
did
you ask him, Kelsey? You know your father doesn't enjoy things like this."
Kelsey leaned across Austin on the other side. "All the parents were invited. Since I got everyone together, Dad
had
to come."
"Ladies, do you mind?" He pushed Kelsey away, then placed his hand on Theresa's shoulder to push her away, too.
Theresa froze for a moment. She turned her head to look at him, their faces only inches apart. "And how do you know I'm not enjoying myself?" Austin asked her softly. He dropped his gaze to her lips, remembering how it felt to kiss her, taste her. The quick intake of breath, the way she jerked away, told him she remembered, too.
Suddenly, Austin couldn't stand being so close to her. His body was betraying him. Betraying Deborah.
"Change places with me, Kels." His voice sounded rough to his ears.
"But why?" she asked, shooting him a strange look.
He didn't wait to argue. He picked up his daughter, scooted sideways and deposited her between him and temptation.
"Dad!"
"I know I've embarrassed you. Get used to it. It's going to happen a lot."
"Did your parents embarrass you when you were a kid?" she asked Miss Rogers.
Theresa nodded. "It's a fact of life, but it won't last forever. Hopefully, by the time you're twenty-five, your father will have outgrown the tendency."
Kelsey giggled and Theresa laughed softly. Austin gritted his teeth. The sound of her laughter washed over him, making him even more edgy.