hands on her hips. "That wasn't a bluebird."
"Was too." Nichole spotted the stranger. She ducked behind her mother, then stuck her head out shyly and smiled. Dimples appeared on both cheeks.
Kyle crouched down next to her. "Hi there. You must be Nichole."
"Uh-huh." Her youngest nodded.
"I'm Kyle. I live right there." He pointed to the gatehouse, then rose. "This one's going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older."
"I know. Killer dimples," Sandy said.
Kyle winked at the little girl. "I've always had a thing for green eyes."
Sandy fought the instinctive urge to point out her eyes were green, too. What was it about this man that got to her? Maybe it was spending the last two years living alone. Since Thomas had died, she hadn't been on a date. She wasn't interested in getting involved. So why was she so completely aware of Kyle?
Lindsay leaned against the station wagon and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. She gave them what Sandy called her "I'm so sophisticated" look.
"Is there anything fun to do in this hick town?" Lindsay asked.
Kyle glanced at her. "You don't like Glenwood?"
"I'm from L.A. It's like this is a different planet."
Kyle grinned. Lindsay swallowed. Sandy ruffled Nichole's red curls and knew exactly how her daughter felt.
"You'll like it here," he promised. "Life's going to seem a little slower, but there's lots of fun stuff for kids to do. There's softball and soccer." He glanced at Nichole. "There's a team for girls just your age. And my brother Travis has a daughter who's eight."
"That's fine for the children," Lindsay said, her tone pointing out how much more mature she was than the other two. "But what about me?"
"We'll find something," Kyle promised.
"It's really not your problem," Sandy said. "I appreciate the welcome and all that, but we've got work to do. Children, say goodbye to Mr. Haynes."
Blake muttered something under his breath, while Nichole just smiled winningly. Lindsay gave her mother the hate stare, then said, "Goodbye, Kyle. I'm sure we'll run into each other again."
"I'm sure."
He turned and started toward his motorcycle. Lindsay noticed the bike for the first time. "Way cool," she said and started after him. Sandy grabbed the girl's arm. "Another time."
"But Mom—"
"We've got to get the house ready."
Kyle picked up his jacket, then turned toward her. "Have you been in the place yet?"
She glanced at the house. "No. We've just arrived."
He hesitated. "Maybe I should take a look around first."
"Why?"
"The house has been closed up for a while. You don't know what could be inside."
If she hadn't been afraid he would think she was as immature as Lindsay, she would have rolled her eyes. Couldn't he come up with a better line than that? "The roof and plumbing have just been replaced. We're not afraid of a little dirt or a few spiderwebs."
"I hate spiders," Nichole said.
"I know, honey. I'll take care of any we find." She returned her attention to Kyle. "We'll be fine. I promise."
Sandy grabbed Nichole and Blake by the hand, then started toward the house. "Come on, Lindsay," she called as her daughter stood there staring foolishly at Kyle. Lindsay's attraction to the older man was understandable. He was incredibly good-looking. Handsome, tall, strong, with a smile that could—
She forced herself away from the specifics. He had everything a girl could want in her first adolescent crush. But the idea that Lindsay had just discovered the opposite sex made Sandy feel old. Lindsay had just taken her first steps into womanhood. Sandy felt as if that part of her life was over. She was only thirty-two. According to women's magazines, she was entering her sexual peak. Unfortunately, she had no plans to find a man and take advantage of her condition.
"See you around," Kyle called.
"Bye."
As she reached into the pocket of her white shorts for the house key, she realized that Kyle hadn't been scared off by her children. If anything, he'd seemed genuinely
"Was too." Nichole spotted the stranger. She ducked behind her mother, then stuck her head out shyly and smiled. Dimples appeared on both cheeks.
Kyle crouched down next to her. "Hi there. You must be Nichole."
"Uh-huh." Her youngest nodded.
"I'm Kyle. I live right there." He pointed to the gatehouse, then rose. "This one's going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older."
"I know. Killer dimples," Sandy said.
Kyle winked at the little girl. "I've always had a thing for green eyes."
Sandy fought the instinctive urge to point out her eyes were green, too. What was it about this man that got to her? Maybe it was spending the last two years living alone. Since Thomas had died, she hadn't been on a date. She wasn't interested in getting involved. So why was she so completely aware of Kyle?
Lindsay leaned against the station wagon and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. She gave them what Sandy called her "I'm so sophisticated" look.
"Is there anything fun to do in this hick town?" Lindsay asked.
Kyle glanced at her. "You don't like Glenwood?"
"I'm from L.A. It's like this is a different planet."
Kyle grinned. Lindsay swallowed. Sandy ruffled Nichole's red curls and knew exactly how her daughter felt.
"You'll like it here," he promised. "Life's going to seem a little slower, but there's lots of fun stuff for kids to do. There's softball and soccer." He glanced at Nichole. "There's a team for girls just your age. And my brother Travis has a daughter who's eight."
"That's fine for the children," Lindsay said, her tone pointing out how much more mature she was than the other two. "But what about me?"
"We'll find something," Kyle promised.
"It's really not your problem," Sandy said. "I appreciate the welcome and all that, but we've got work to do. Children, say goodbye to Mr. Haynes."
Blake muttered something under his breath, while Nichole just smiled winningly. Lindsay gave her mother the hate stare, then said, "Goodbye, Kyle. I'm sure we'll run into each other again."
"I'm sure."
He turned and started toward his motorcycle. Lindsay noticed the bike for the first time. "Way cool," she said and started after him. Sandy grabbed the girl's arm. "Another time."
"But Mom—"
"We've got to get the house ready."
Kyle picked up his jacket, then turned toward her. "Have you been in the place yet?"
She glanced at the house. "No. We've just arrived."
He hesitated. "Maybe I should take a look around first."
"Why?"
"The house has been closed up for a while. You don't know what could be inside."
If she hadn't been afraid he would think she was as immature as Lindsay, she would have rolled her eyes. Couldn't he come up with a better line than that? "The roof and plumbing have just been replaced. We're not afraid of a little dirt or a few spiderwebs."
"I hate spiders," Nichole said.
"I know, honey. I'll take care of any we find." She returned her attention to Kyle. "We'll be fine. I promise."
Sandy grabbed Nichole and Blake by the hand, then started toward the house. "Come on, Lindsay," she called as her daughter stood there staring foolishly at Kyle. Lindsay's attraction to the older man was understandable. He was incredibly good-looking. Handsome, tall, strong, with a smile that could—
She forced herself away from the specifics. He had everything a girl could want in her first adolescent crush. But the idea that Lindsay had just discovered the opposite sex made Sandy feel old. Lindsay had just taken her first steps into womanhood. Sandy felt as if that part of her life was over. She was only thirty-two. According to women's magazines, she was entering her sexual peak. Unfortunately, she had no plans to find a man and take advantage of her condition.
"See you around," Kyle called.
"Bye."
As she reached into the pocket of her white shorts for the house key, she realized that Kyle hadn't been scared off by her children. If anything, he'd seemed genuinely
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