Sara Orwig - Lone Star Legacy - Relentless Pursuit

It wasn’t until almost dinner that he joined them in the pool. Ava didn’t see him coming until he was at the edge of the deep end. Her pulse jumped when she saw him. He was deeply tanned. His broad, sculpted chest tapered to a small waist, tight muscles on his flat stomach. He wore black-and-white patterned swim trunks. He made a flying leap and landed in the water with a loud splash, causing Caroline to smile.

He bobbed up by her, lifting her and then letting her splash down, but he held her the whole time.

“Want to do that again?” he asked her, holding her up again, and she smiled, nodding.

With a surprised expression he glanced over her head at Ava and then lifted Caroline higher to let her splash into the water again.

They played and he gave his full attention to Caroline, glancing once at Ava to say hello.

Later as Caroline splashed nearby, he swam close to Ava. When he bobbed up almost touching her, Ava’s heartbeat sped, a reaction she couldn’t control and one that happened too often with him. “Hi.”

She smiled at him. “Hi.”

“You know why I’ve been giving her all my attention.”

“Of course, and you should.”

“Caroline smiling at me like that—I think you brought that on. She hasn’t done that before with me. I was right about you. You are good with her.”

“Thank you. You may give me too much credit,” she said. “I did get her to read one word aloud today.”

Something flickered in the depths of his dark eyes. “I’m going to do some arm twisting and see if you’ll stay this coming week. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Will, the people I’m recommending will be better than I am in working with her.”

Smiling, he swam away to join Caroline, and she guessed she was in for a struggle with a man totally accustomed to getting his way.

After the swim, they ate dinner with Caroline and then played games until Will took Caroline upstairs to get her ready for bed. After half an hour he reappeared. “I came down to get you. She wants you to read a story to her if you will. I volunteered you, and she nodded.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to,” Ava said, going with him, gratified that Caroline wanted her to read.

“Rosalyn called and she’ll be here in about an hour. Ava, you’ve gotten closer than anyone else except my brothers and me. Actually, you’re getting more response out of her than my brothers do. Even Rosalyn doesn’t get as much response as you’d think. Rosalyn gets more than my brothers, but not a lot.”

“It’s so slight. Don’t read much into it.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a breakthrough. Her teachers have gotten no responses.”

“I think you’re grasping at straws, Will,” Ava said gently.

“We’ll see.”

They had reached Caroline’s suite to find her sitting on the floor playing with miniature dolls and the small brown teddy bear beside a doll house.

“Time for a story and bed,” Will said. “Get your book for Miss Ava and climb into bed. She’ll read it to you and I’ll be back to tuck you in.”

In minutes Ava lay beside Caroline, reading while Caroline turned the pages again. She noticed that Caroline leaned close this time, pressing against Ava’s side, something she had not done before. As she read, Ava put her arm lightly around Caroline.

They finished. “Do you want another story until your Uncle Will comes back?”

Caroline shook her head no, so Ava stood beside the bed, tucking Caroline with the sheet beneath her chin. “It’s been a fun day, Caroline. I’ll be here one more day. We’ll probably do about the same thing tomorrow. Maybe we can get your uncle to take us to a bookstore and you can get a new book. If you want to.”

Big brown eyes looked up at her as Caroline stared without any response. “Do you hurt?” Caroline whispered.

Caroline asked the question so softly, Ava almost did not hear her. Startled, she guessed the question was not about physical pain at the moment, but about the loss of her husband. “Yes. It comes and it goes, but he’s always there in my heart.”

Caroline looked down at the sheet and twisted it in her small fingers. “I don’t have a mommy and daddy. I used to have Daddy.”

“I know,” Ava said. “It hurts, but there are other people you can love and they love you. Your Uncle Will loves you so, so much.”

Big brown eyes met her gaze again and Ava’s heart lurched over the silent world into which Caroline had locked herself. Ava tried to avoid intruding on Caroline, but at the sight of Caroline’s solemn expression, Ava could not resist leaning down to hug her lightly. “You are so loved, Caroline.”

Caroline slipped an arm around Ava’s neck and held on for a moment. When her arm slipped away, Ava released her. “You’re a brave little girl,” she said.

Caroline looked away and Ava felt the closeness vanish, suspecting Caroline was withdrawing back into her shell.

“Nighty-night time,” Will said cheerfully, entering the room. “One more story from me if you want and then it’s sleepy time. Miss Rosalyn is back and she’ll be here soon.”

“Good night, Caroline,” Ava said with a smile and she turned away with a glance at Will.

Shaken by the moments with Caroline, she went downstairs to wait in the family room. It was another half hour before Will appeared. He swept into the room, crossing the space in long strides to pull her up and hug her tightly. “You are a miracle worker,” he said. “I came into the room when she hugged you. I stepped out and came back because I didn’t want to break the moment.”

“Will,” she said, extricating herself and smiling. “Slow down. A little gain maybe. A baby step.”

He held her arms as he gazed down at her. Her racing pulse was half because of the moments with Caroline and half because of Will standing close and holding her.

“It’s huge, Ava. I’ve tried so many things, so many experts and nobody could get anywhere.”

“I think it’s because she feels a tie since I lost my husband.”

“Maybe, but she’s had people around who have lost someone and kids around who have lost parents and she wouldn’t respond to them at all. It’s more than that.”

“I’m surprised the kids didn’t reach her.”

“They didn’t. Maybe everyone came on too strong. I notice you’re pretty low-key with her.”

“There’s no magic formula and I don’t know why, but she’s responding slightly to me.”

“It isn’t slight. For her to hug you is huge.”

“You’re making so much out of so little, I’m scared to tell you anything else.”

“Now you have to. What else?”

“Just don’t get carried away. She asked me tonight if I hurt.” For an instant he stared at her and she wondered if she would regret telling him. “Will, don’t blow everything out of proportion. I see big hope for your tutor because the woman I have in mind should be wonderful with Caroline.”

“Let’s sit. What did you tell her?” he asked, taking her arm and moving to the sofa to sit close, facing her. Their knees touched and his hand still rested on her arm.

She told him about the brief moment she had had with Caroline.

“You did it. I knew you could,” he said. “You’ve gotten through to her.”

“Will, stop making something colossal out of this. It’s a tiny step, a baby step in the right direction.”

He framed her face with his hands. “We’ve tried so much. You should see the list of people I’ve had work with her and the play groups I’ve put her into.”

“Maybe she just wasn’t ready and time has passed and now she is,” Ava said, her voice breathless. His hands were on her cheeks and he sat close, his eyes blazing with emotion.