“Can Mr. Randall tuck me in?"

Before Katherine could answer, Jared lifted her son into his arms and headed toward the stairs. She could hear Matt whispering as they went, “Will you check under my bed? There's a boogey man hiding there."

Jared turned and winked at Katherine. “I'll be back. Matt and me gotta seek and destroy a boogey man, so he can't ever come back and scare us."

Ten minutes later, and Katherine wondering at the banging she had heard, Jared sauntered back into the kitchen. “We had to exorcise the closets, too."

She looked into his penetrating blue eyes. That familiar pull drew her like a warm, familiar fire on a cold night. “Thanks for doing that for Matt, and please, tell me how you did it-he thinks I don't know how to find them all. It must be a guy thing."

“Glad to.” He explained using the hammer to bang on the bed and doorframes of his room. “See the bangs hurt the boogeyman's ears and he won't want to come back to an unwelcome place. Now for another problem, at the birthday party, Matt said he still wants to go horseback riding. I didn't want to disappoint him, so I told him spending time with his dad wouldn't stop him from going. I hope you don't mind. Paul's welcome to come, too."

She pictured Paul sneezing and galloping his way across open fields one day, parked in the doctor's office the next. She fought back a grin. “Paul's allergic to most animals. That's why Matt couldn't have the puppy he saw in a pet store."

“Did he ever get a puppy?"

She shook her head, feeling ashamed she hadn't remembered he'd wanted one until now. “Matt was two-years old. At that age, they seem to want everything they see, and he wanted this beautiful collie pup. He cried when Paul said no, and Matt forgot about it ten minutes after we left the store."

A devilish grin slowly grew on his mouth.

The same mischievous smile spread across her face. She laughed at the thought that leaped into her mind. “We can't give a puppy to Matt for Christmas. It wouldn't be fair to Paul."

“Why not? You're divorced, so Paul doesn't have to even get around the animal."

“But what if Matt wants to take the puppy with him when he visits his dad?” So many ‘What ifs’ hopped around her mind like hatching fleas. What if the puppy hairs on Matt bothered his dad?

Jared lifted his hands in surrender. “I didn't say I had all the answers. I'm giving you some reasons for doing it. Matt's almost six, I'm sure he'd appreciate the puppy even more now. It would teach him responsibility.” He winked. “Sure is tempting."

“Yes, but I better think about it some more."

He snapped his fingers. “I got it. When we go horseback riding, we could find out if Matt wants a puppy."

“Okay, I'll go that far, but I still need to think about it.” Conspiring with him like this would only increase her sense of girlishness whenever Jared was around. But she wasn't a girl anymore. The woman in her knew that. Despite her attempts to stifle it, she yawned.

Tugging her hand, he stood and headed for the door. She followed close behind him. He turned and looked down at her. “Your eyelids are drooping at half-mast, friend."

Without warning, he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. A butterfly kiss intended from one friend to another, but her breath caught. It had been too long since she'd felt anything for a man and she was in trouble, monumental trouble, or would that be ‘manument’ trouble, particularly around this ‘friend'. She almost sighed out loud. Standing half a foot away from him, her body swayed slightly toward him, and he pulled her up against his chest. His body heat pulsed into hers, and he folded his arms around her, firmly holding her in his warm embrace. Erotic visions of them lying between sheets danced through her mind.

If she had any illusions about what being friends with Jared would mean, they died with that innocent kiss. And she didn't believe any such thing as a harmless affair existed. Someone always got hurt. Crushed emotionally. That someone would be her, if she let it happen.

Handing his coat and hammer to him, she reminded herself that he wasn't a forever man, only a one-night-stand man. Her pride wouldn't let her give into that sexual pull. Making love meant more to her than a cheap, casual affair.

He stepped toward her. His breath lightly fanned her hair. “Sleep well, Katherine,” he murmured, releasing her.


* * * *

At midnight, Jared walked home in the dark, his mind reeling. He could kick himself clear across Texas. Why had he gone to see her?

Hell. He swore he'd never get involved with another divorced woman. Not after what happened with Shannon. Then he met Katherine, and her son Matt-so much like himself-and he'd almost weakened, almost forgotten lessons learned and burned so deep in his heart he would never be free from the pain again.

The minute Katherine's ex stepped back into the picture on that dance floor, Jared should have said, “Adios, been there, done that,” and gotten the hell out of Dodge, for his own sanity.

He didn't want to hear Paul had claimed he'd changed.

He'd bet one of his big toes Paul had been the first man to make love to Katherine. And the last. But Jared had heard her faint gasp tonight and felt her lean toward him when he kissed her cheek, and friendship wasn't what he felt when he held her. Not by a long shot.

She was lonely and it showed. Couple that information with her desire to have Paul back in their son's life, giving Matt the love and attention he needed from his father, and it added up to one thing. Katherine remarrying Paul-and soon.

You're a fool-wanting someone you'll never have. Whoa, did he really want her? Hell yes, else why was he out here talking to himself.

Deep inside he wished things were different.

Chapter Seven

“You have every right to say I told you so. Paul turned out to be self-centered, and I made a mistake marrying him.” Katherine glanced at her mother, who sat beside her on the living room couch the next morning. “You tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen."

Her mother's eyes glistened with compassion and concern. “You won't hear it from me. I'd never gloat over your getting hurt. I hoped you'd prove me wrong.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I really did."

“I should have told you the truth a long time ago. Jared suggested I tell you right away."

Katherine fingered one of the cuffs on her dress. Paul had taken Matt to Sunday School after breakfast, giving the ‘ladies’ a chance to clean up the kitchen and finish getting ready for church. It also gave her time to sit quietly with her mother and finally explain the events leading up to the divorce.

Her mother's hazel eyes sought Katherine's. “When did you discuss Paul's infidelity with Jared?"

The way her mother worded the question put Katherine on the defensive. It hadn't happened like that. She grabbed a cushion from the couch and hugged it on her lap. “He dropped by late last night, worried about Paul being in the house."

Her mother's mouth rounded. “Really? He felt worried?"

Heat flushed Katherine's face and neck. “We talked in the kitchen. Matt came down and we ate ice cream. Jared put Matt back to bed and left. That's all there was to it."

Well, almost, if she didn't count a horseback ride they planned for Matt and an innocent kiss on the cheek that made her want more.

Katherine looked away, but felt her mother's scrutiny.

“I never meant to embarrass you last night. That's the gospel truth."

“I know,” she said, reaching over to pat her mother's arm.

Her mother angled herself on the couch to face Katherine. “If you agreed to let Paul stay here based on my big mouth, forget it."

“I didn't. I let him stay for Matt. I found out last night that you were right. Paul wants me back.” She blushed.

“If you don't want to encourage him, kick him out. He can still come and see Matt all he wants."

“I already did,” she confessed.

“Smart girl. Want to tell me what changed your mind?"

Katherine shook her head.

“I'm so proud of you,” her mother said.

“Proud?” Katherine had to swallow the lump of hurt in her throat before she could get anything else out. The last thing she felt was proud; she'd failed miserably at her marriage. Her self-esteem had dropped below non-existent. And now her mother was saying she was proud? “But I lied to you and Dad for years."

“Katherine, we're talking woman to woman. I understand why you found it necessary to lie. You did it for love, at a time when you thought we had enough of a burden to bear.” She patted Katherine's hand. “I'm sorry you carried your pain alone for so long, but I'm glad we're sharing it now."

They sat in a companionable silence for a moment, when her mother suddenly straightened. Looking up, Katherine saw her lips pressed inward, an angry glint in her eye. “Mom?"

“The lying rat. I wish I could have seen The Salvation Army load your bedroom set and every stitch of Paul's clothes. There's nothing quite as sweet as a woman giving a low-down cheater a taste of well deserved revenge."

Katherine's eyebrows shot up. “Dad?"

A blush rode up her mother's neck. “Oh, heavens, no. That wasn't coming from personal experience. My beautician told me how much pure pleasure she got from seeing a load of horse manure she'd bought delivered and dumped in her husband's Lexus. She showed me a picture she took when he came to pick up the car.” Her mother chuckled. “I believe she said, ‘Have at it,’ and handed him a shovel with a big red bow tied to the handle."

Wish I'd thought of that. Tightening her headband, Katherine pushed a stray curl away from her face. “When my business flight got cancelled, and I walked into our bedroom and heard the two of them moaning under the covers like cats in heat, I lost it. After they dressed, Paul threw some things in a suitcase, and they drove away without saying a word."