Carly Phillips: Hot Stuff

Her eyes opened wide. "You know about that?"

Vaughn shrugged. "Your uncle isn't the discreet type. Anyway, I'm not really sure I can give you an explanation as to what changed except I missed you like crazy."

"I missed you, too."

He glanced into her warm, welcoming eyes and decided she was right. Now was the time to open that vein. "I'm still not sure I believe I'm worthy of you, but you seem to think I am and that's all that counts. Besides, without you, the lodge, my dream-it all meant nothing."

"Oh, Vaughn."

"And now that Nick's tied up with Mara, I had nobody to hang out with after work."

Laughing, she pushed him against the couch so they lay down, their bodies aligned. "I love you, Brandon Vaughn."

Knowing he'd found love and complete acceptance at last, he relaxed. His heart pounded hard in his chest but it was from excitement and desire, not anxiety over the future. Not anymore.

"I want to open up my huge house and fill it with our babies. We can live in the city and make the house our summer home. Or we can sell it and live wherever you want. Because I love you, too, Hot Stuff. And I always will."

YANK GLANCED AROUND the grounds of Vaughn's lodge, which had been open over six months now. The place was destined to be a huge success, filled with kids and laughter and love. Which meant he and his stinking bad mood ought to stay far, far away.

"You need to get your act together, Uncle Yank," Micki said, brushing by him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Nobody likes a sourpuss."

"And I don't like Spencer Atkins all over Lola." He pointed to the blanket they'd spread underneath a huge tree where they sipped champagne and held hands. Made a man want to puke, that's what it did.

"As I recall you let her go. Did you think she was going to crawl into the woodwork and die without you?" Micki pursed her lips. "It isn't too late to get her back, you know. It's not like they're married or anything. At least not yet."

Yank straightened his shoulders. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Micki shrugged. Always the coy one, she treated him to her dimpled grin. "I'm just saying that Vaughn and Annabelle got married this past June and now here we are in July and love is in the air." She swept her arm around to where many couples surrounded them. "You just never know, so if you don't like your life as it stands, you need to do something to change it. Now."

She strode off before he could remind her to do the same. After all, it wasn't like she was coupled off yet. None of the damn men she'd met and none he represented were good enough for his littlest niece. At least none he'd found yet.

And then there was Sophie, his Miss Know It All niece who bombarded him with daily advice and articles on his eyesight, who insisted on being the one to take him from specialist to specialist. She shouldn't be focusing on her uncle, she should be finding a good man to settle down with. But how could she have time for a relationship if she was so busy taking care of him? Yank and his condition were nothing but an excuse for Sophie to avoid a serious commitment.

Just like he was using his eyesight as an excuse not to deal with his feelings for Lola? He shook his head. He didn't want to travel that road, but how could he not when she was cavorting with Spencer, his best friend and biggest business rival, right under his nose?

Before Yank could figure out how to fix his messed up life, the sound of Vaughn's voice over a microphone caught his attention and he joined everyone gathering at a makeshift stage. He stood on the fringe of the crowd and waited.

"It's time to announce the recipient of the first Brandon Vaughn Scholarship," Vaughn said. "The winner will receive a five-thousand-dollar grant to be used at the college of his or her choice."

A round of applause followed.

"Hi, Uncle Yank." Sophie sidled up to him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"Hiya, honey."

"Did you see that Vaughn's parents are here and they're actually smiling?"

Yank scowled. "I still don't like 'em but I admit they're trying to act human," he muttered.

Sophie laughed.

"I'm going to let the person who came up with the scholarship idea announce the recipient," Vaughn said. "So I'm going to ask my beautiful wife to do the honors. Annie, will you join me up here?"

A second round of applause interrupted the action on the stage, then Annabelle spoke.

"The recipient isn't just a fantastic football player and someone who's struggled to overcome educational challenges this year, but he's someone who's had emotional hurdles as well and he's overcome every one. Please give a big congratulations to Todd Murray," Annabelle said, clapping and then hugging the guy who ran up to the podium to accept the award.

"That's the kid whose father damn near burned this place down, isn't it?" Yank asked.

Sophie nodded. "Roy's in a psychiatric facility but Annabelle and Vaughn said Todd's worked hard to make him proud anyway. He really deserves this."

Yank assessed the kid's height and build the best he could judge from a distance and with his sight. "Maybe I'll be representing him one day."

"I sure hope so. Which reminds me. Have you given any more thought to the procedure the doctor told us about? You're at an early enough stage of the disease to be a perfect candidate " Sophie said and he heard the hope in her voice.

Yank patted her cheek. "We'll talk," he promised.

Sophie glanced at the stage and Yank followed her gaze. He couldn't see clearly but he was certain the two shadows sucking face were Annabelle and Vaughn.

"Annie looks so happy," Sophie whispered, sounding completely thrilled for her sister.

One of the things Yank adored about his nieces was how genuinely they loved each other, even if occasionally they fought the good fight. They were wonderful girls.

"I always knew Vaughn was the right man for Annie. They fit each other, you know?" Yank asked.

Sophie inclined her head. "I sure do. Just like you and Lola."

Yank cursed. "Not you, too."

"Forgive me for just stating the obvious. How long before you cave in? The only reason you let so much time go by at all was because she went on a cruise, spent time visiting an old friend in London, and then the three of us agreed to keep tabs on her for you," Sophie said.

"And fat lot of good the three of you did me. Lola ended up working for Spencer Atkins!"

Sophie shrugged. "You only asked us to make sure she was safe and happy. You didn't say anything about keeping her away from other men."

Yank stiffened. "There've been other men?"

Sophie hugged him tight. "You really need to get your act together, Uncle Yank," she said, repeating Micki's advice, then took off to go talk to Annabelle.

Yank looked around for Lola and Atkins but they'd packed up and gone. The woman had him tied up in knots and had since she'd left him. He'd expected her to come back, but she'd stayed away.

Damn women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

His nieces were wise women and they were right.

Yank could no longer put off admitting that he had to make a decision about Lola. And he'd be damned if he'd let Spence Atkins have his woman.