Sara Orwig - Lone Star Legacy

He faced her. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Actually, iced tea sounds delicious.” She stood to follow him into the kitchen. “Can I help?”

“No. Just sit and talk to me. I feel like shouting for joy. Caroline laughed and talked tonight. It’s been a year, Ava. I knew you would be so good for her.”

“I can’t take credit.”

“You should. It’s wonderful. I don’t think she’ll go back to the way she was. At least, I don’t think she will as long as she doesn’t suffer some other kind of loss.”

Ava watched him fix drinks and then they moved to the living area adjoining the kitchen. She took a chair again and he sat facing her.

“I don’t hear the puppy, which surprises me.”

“These walls are thick, and Rosalyn has the puppy with her. Later, I’ll get it and put it in my room where I can keep up with it tonight.”

“Another surprise,” she stated, smiling at him. “I would never have guessed you would give up your peaceful sleep to babysit a new puppy.”

“One, the trainer isn’t here yet. Buck will care for her tomorrow night. Two, I don’t want Caroline to hear her crying and worry about her.”

Ava smiled.

“I feel so good, as if a huge stone has been lifted off my shoulders. Let’s go out and celebrate Saturday night. Early evening. I’ll get you back when you want.”

“All three of us?”

“No. I don’t want to take Caroline out yet. This is too tenuous a thread for me to risk having her retreat back into her shell. She’ll be more relaxed at home. Will you go with me Saturday?”

“You are a persistent devil,” she teased. With a crooked smile he winked at her.

They sat and talked until two, when she said she had to get to bed. Will walked her to her room and kissed her good-night with one long kiss.

“Are you still going to get Muffy?”

“Yes. Rosalyn reads until all hours. She’ll still be awake. I don’t hear any howls or crying. Rosalyn is probably holding Muffy. I think she likes Muffy as much as Caroline does.”

“It’s been a good day, Will.”

“Thanks to you,” he said, brushing her lips lightly with his before he left to get the dog.

The next morning after breakfast, Ava, Will and Caroline went out on the lawn to see the trainer playing with Muffy, who was on a leash.

“Both of them seem to be having a fun time,” Ava said.

“They are. This afternoon, Caroline, you’ll have Muffy with you part of the time and again tonight. This is just for a short time while he gets her trained.”

The trainer picked up the dog and came over.

“Ava, this is Buck Yarby. Buck, this is Ava Barton and here is Caroline.”

“Glad to meet you both. Caroline, you have a good little dog here. She’s going to be a lot of fun for you. I’ll show you what she can do after I get her trained.”

They talked a few minutes while Caroline petted Muffy, and then they headed back inside to start their day—already off to a very good start.

Will arrived home early from work. He entered the room with the same commanding presence as always, plus this time he carried the puppy. He scooped up Caroline with one arm.

“Hello, hello,” he said. “Want to play with your dog?”

“Yes, please,” Caroline answered, smiling at him.

“Ah, that’s a wonderful smile, sweetie. You have fun with Muffy.” He set Caroline down and carefully handed her the puppy. “Hold her gently and be very careful to not drop her because that would hurt her.”

“I won’t,” Caroline said, holding the dog and sitting on the floor to put Muffy in her lap.

Will looked at Ava. “This is good.”

“It’s been an unusually fine day. Caroline read to me,” Ava said, wondering whether her pulse raced over Will’s appearance or over being able to tell him the exciting news.

“Wonderful! Caroline, that’s fantastic,” he said. “Look at Muffy, she likes to have you scratch her ears.” Caroline smiled again.

Will tossed off his navy suit jacket and kicked off his shoes, sitting on the floor with Caroline while Ava began to gather books and games to be put away. She listened to Will talk to Caroline a little, and then he sat in silence while they played with Muffy. Caroline laughed when Muffy caught her shoe and tugged on it.

Will picked up the puppy to get Caroline’s shoe away from the dog. He grabbed a dog toy, squeaked it and gave it a toss. Caroline laughed when Muffy dashed after it.

Thrilled by the change in Caroline, Ava sat in a rocker and watched, remaining quiet.

“Muffy, here Muffy,” Caroline called. The pup ignored her, and Will stretched out his arm to catch the dog and hand it to Caroline.

They played with the puppy for a long time, and Ava was not alone with Will until that night after he came back from tucking Caroline into bed.

He found her sitting out on the veranda. “Tell me about the day. I’ve been wanting to hear since I arrived home and you indicated it had been very good.”

“I think so. The walls seem to be crumbling for her. When I read today, she started reading when I paused and then I gave her a chance. I’ll ask her tomorrow if she’ll read for you, and we’ll see what she says. She’s a good little reader. By the end of summer, Will, she will be more than ready for kindergarten. She should be confident enough to do well.”

“Ava, this is just amazing when I think of all I’ve gone through. You have come in here and quickly healed the terrible hurt that’s kept her wrapped up in herself.”

“I don’t think I can take that kind of credit,” she said, aware he sat only a few feet away. He rested a hand on hers, their fingers linked together. He acted unaware of the touch. For her, it was a smoldering flame she could not ignore. It was tangible, a steady contact that made her want more.

“I think Caroline may have been ready,” she continued. “I think the puppy has been a trigger for release. She is so happy and excited over Muffy.”

“She laughed. She talked to me. She read for you. We’ll go out to dinner Saturday night, but I don’t think we should leave until near her bedtime. I don’t want to skip out on her when all this is happening.”

“Very good idea, Will. We don’t need to go at all.”

“Yes, we do. I want to celebrate and do this as a thank-you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Saturday night. Dangerous for her heart, yet exciting and too big a temptation to turn him down.

Excitement coursed through Will’s veins on Saturday. He wanted to be alone with Ava, to take her out where he could hold her, dance with her. Gradually, their kisses were heating and she was letting down her barriers. He wanted to be with her all the time now. He had never wanted a woman the way he did Ava. She was in his thoughts constantly. She wanted commitment—could he make some kind of commitment? Since when had he ever given a thought to commitment? With Ava, the idea seemed different than it had before. He wanted her in his life.

He wanted to treat her to an evening out as a special thank-you for how she’d helped Caroline. Will’s throat tightened and emotions gripped him when he thought about the change in his niece.

Ava had been all he had hoped for and more. The breakthrough had come sooner than he had expected. She was fabulous with the little girl. Ava was just the person Caroline had needed: not too gushy, not too remote. Lost in thoughts about Ava, he dressed in his navy suit, finished combing his hair and left to wait in the downstairs study.

He heard a faint rustle and the click of high heels on the polished wood floor. He turned and his breath was gone as if he had received a punch in his middle. He couldn’t keep from staring as he walked toward her.