Tilting her head to the side, she squinted at him. His top lip curled up, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Raising his eyebrows, he took a step closer, winking at her, more lighthearted than she could remember him being in the past. “Shouldn’t you, Maureen?”
The smell of pine drifted into the space between them. Xander’s lip was still playfully curled up and she felt a thrill run down her spine as she stared back at him, noticing the way his hair was still damp from a recent shower. Her thoughts stopped there. It felt like ages before she responded.
“I’m looking for your brother.” How did Xander manage to keep from perspiring out here in a suit when she already felt like she was melting in a sauna?
Or melting from a different kind of heat.
“Easton’s running late. We were both up late last night with Rose.”
“You two took care of her?”
“Why is that a surprise?”
“I just assumed someone of your means would lean more on the nanny or call her grandparents.”
“My father has passed away and my mother, uh, travels a lot. As for my former in-laws, they can be rather...overpowering. And Elenora needs her rest to be on the top of her game watching Rose while I’m at work. I’m her father. And my brother worried, as well. He also pitched in early this morning when I needed to snag a shower for work. He should be down soon.” Xander gestured toward the pathway leading to the offices. “Shall we go?”
She stepped forward, aware of him in step beside her, his shoulder almost brushing hers on the narrow, sandy path. “That’s admirable of both of you to take care of Rose. How is she doing?”
“Ear infection, according to the emergency room doctor. I’ll be taking her to her pediatrician to follow up today.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Maureen’s thoughts drifted to Rose—the kind of child that adults fawned over. She was sweet, affectionate and filled with life. Maureen had seen testament to that sprinkled all over his office in the form of finger paintings and photographs. A shrine to childhood and a dedicated father.
Maureen’s own interaction with Rose always left a smile on her face. With tiny fingers, Rose would reach up to play with Maureen’s leather bracelet, touching it carefully as if it was a magical totem. Out of habit, Maureen’s own hand flew to her leather bracelet. Feeling the worn leather, she felt assured. This bracelet had been everywhere with her. A certifying stamp of endurance. “Thanks. But I think we’ve got it covered. Although I have to admit, it’s ironic that it took me and my brother to do one woman’s job.”
“And somewhere women are sighing.”
He laughed.
In the pit of her stomach her nerves became bramble-twisted, much like the palm fronds blowing and tangled by the wind. Those damn blue eyes—they disarmed her senses, unsettling her more than any sounds from wild creatures chattering. Especially today as his gaze darted from her eyes to her lips.
A faint tautness pulled at his cheeks.
Warmth crept up her neck, threatening to flood her cheeks with a schoolgirl blush. Get it together, her inner voice scolded. Taking the cue from her sensibility, she drew in a deep breath and straightened her blouse.
“You’re needed here to take care of animals.” Dropping his gaze, he nodded his head. The momentary flicker of attraction melted off his expression. Xander’s tone and eyes returned to their normal bulldog, businessman-slate stare.
“Of course. She’s your child and doesn’t really know me well.” She held up her hands. “I’ve overstepped and I apologize.”
He sighed. “I apologize. You’re being helpful and I’m being an ass. I have a reputation for that.”
She stayed silent.
“Not going to deny it?” His lip twitched upward.
“I wouldn’t dare call the big boss anything so insulting.”
He laughed. Hard. “You are surprising me left and right. Not at all how I’ve perceived you in the past.”
“You thought about me?” Words tumbled out of her mouth before she thought better of them.
“As your employer.”
“That makes things tricky. And you’ve had...a difficult year.”
“Fourteen months. It’s been fourteen months and three days.” His voice lost an octave, felt like a whisper on a breeze.
“I’m so very sorry for your loss.” An ache of deep empathy pushed hard against her chest. She’d seen the love Xander and Terri had for each other, a love she’d hoped to have in her own marriage.
“Me, too.” His eyes met hers as a gust of island breeze carried the scent of flowers and the sound of distant motors. “Rose means everything to me. She’s all I have left of Terri. I would do anything for my daughter but sometimes—” he thrust a hand through his tousled hair, his head tipping back as he looked up toward the sky “—I just feel like I’m short-changing her.”
She touched his arm lightly. “You’re tired, like any parent. And you’re an amazing father, here for her, along with your brother. And Rose truly has a wonderful nanny. Elenora genuinely cares about her.”
“Of course she does. I can see the affection they share.” Was this the kind of thing she was supposed to say to a man baring his heart and acknowledging his pain? Maureen found the familiar spot in her bottom lip and chewed, wishing she could say something—anything—to take the hurt out of his voice.
“I spend time with her every day.”
“I know that, too.” She hadn’t realized how much she’d noticed about his routine before. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s clear you love her.”
“I do. She’s everything to me.”
“She’s a lucky little girl.”
The space between them thinned and now, shoulder to shoulder, she noticed how the pine soap pushed against a symphony of coffee beans and mint.
Turning to face her, his blue eyes sparked. He took half a step toward her, his own lips parted slightly as he searched her expression.
She stopped chewing her lip and tilted her head to the side to stare back at him, stomach fluttering the longer his gaze held hers.
“Thank you for your help last night organizing the gala.”
“Thank you for the dance last night.”
They stayed like that for a few moments until the buses were pulling up and pulling them back into reality. Away from whatever had electrified the air between them.
* * *
A full day in the office left Xander desperate for some salt air and sunshine. He’d worked, taken Rose to the pediatrician and had just settled her down for a nap. He’d read her a story before she drifted off to sleep. With the nanny on-call, he’d decided to take his brother up on his invitation to check the water samples from the nearby swamp.
He tried to convince himself he was only going out on the boat to become better acquainted with the procedures so he’d be of more use at the next fund-raiser. The fact that Maureen also was on the boat was pure coincidence. Xander tried to tell himself that was an accurate representation of reality.
His attempt to delude himself, however, was a hard sell, it turned out. He couldn’t deny he wanted to be there. He’d looked forward to seeing Maureen and finding out if this attraction to her was just an anomaly.
Easton, his assistant, Portia, Maureen and Xander were all in swimsuits as the low-slung boat putted its way through the water. He tried not to notice Maureen’s