Page 496 of Summer Heat
She heard the front door open, and thought immediately of her clothes. An old, oversize T-shirt and a pair of sweats that had seen better days. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d brushed her hair. No help for it now.
“In the bathroom, straight ahead,” she called.
Defensively, she smoothed her shirtfront and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. She had to be crazy, even letting him in.
“Hi,” he said, coming around the corner. He’d changed clothes since this afternoon, and wore a pair of button-fly jeans. He’d evidently worn them since time
began, for the color was bleached nearly white, and the fit was practically indecent. The sinfully streaked hair glinted as brightly in the bathroom light as it had in the sunshine this afternoon, but now it had been brushed and his jaw was clean-shaven. His shoulders seemed to fill the doorway.
For one instant, a moment filled with pure, unadulterated longing, Tamara wished she’d never heard his name. Then she’d be free to explore the promise that shimmered around him like an almost inaudible song.
But she had heard his name. All too often. And had learned to hate it.
From the bathtub, Cody chirped a cheery “Hi!”
Lance gave the boy a crooked smile. “Howdy!”
A strange nervousness rolled in Tamara’s stomach, unexpected and worrisome. She looked at Cody. Blond and blue-eyed, his face was baby round, but would one day have the same carved planes as his father. His father, who was proving much harder to hate in person than in her imagination. Tamara hardened her resolve. For her cousin Valerie and the son she’d borne, Tamara could face the devil himself.
She looked at Lance. “That’s Cody,” she said. Would he see anything of himself in the boy? Probably not. You didn’t see what you didn’t expect. There were millions of blond, blue-eyed boys in the world.
“Hey, Cody. I like those tattoos.”
Cody lifted an arm and flexed his thin muscle, making the white Power Ranger figure move his legs. “Lookit what he does.”
“Cool.” Lance hadn’t moved from the threshold of the door, and now half lifted a small grocery bag in Tamara’s direction. “Brought you something.”
There was no amusement in his face now, no secret twinkle in the blue eyes. He looked…worn. Even so, it was the most singularly compelling face she’d ever seen. Strong bones, a beautifully shaped nose, the bright blue eyes made even brighter by the depth of his tan.
“I guess I caught you at a bad time,” he said, and licked his swollen lower lip.
“No worse than any other,” Tamara said. “What do you want?”
“Who are you?” Cody asked.
“My name is Lance.”
“Mr. Forrest,” Tamara corrected.
Lance nodded. “Right. Mr. Forrest.”
“Do you live in the forest?” Cody asked, and laughed at his joke.
“Matter of fact, I do.” The twinkle leapt back to life in his eyes, and Tamara felt a strange sense of relief. “About a million trees all around.”
“Wow .”
Before the delay cost her any more time than necessary, Tamara spoke up. “I have to get him to bed. What exactly do you want?”
Lance sobered once more, and stepped forward to give her the bag he carried. “A steak,” he said with a lift of one shoulder. “First you put it on your eye, then you eat it, and you’ll feel a lot better by morning.”
She took the bag and peeked inside. A thick, beautiful T-bone. In spite of herself, she felt a stab of hunger. Macaroni and cheese worked for Cody, but every so often, it would be nice to eat like an adult.
Nonetheless, she held it out to him. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Oh, come on, what’ll it hurt?”
She glanced at Cody, who listened intently. “Take the steak for a second, will you?” She picked up a towel. “Let me get this child out of the tub.”
