Country Romance - Carolyne Aarsen Page 0,8

satisfy them. Adele decided to put Dean to bed at the same time, and he was too tired to protest.

She was once again surprised at how he seemed to just go with the flow. Adele envied him that. That had never been one of her strengths, although it would've been a good coping skill, given what she’d dealt with in her life.

She took another deep breath, wet her finger, and cleaned out some of the smudged mascara from underneath her eyes, wishing again she had brought something to tidy up with.

Doesn't matter, you're not trying to make any kind of impression on him. You're just here for Dean.

And with that self-talk ringing in her mind, she opened the door and walked down the carpeted hallway to the stairs.

In the kitchen, Wyatt sat at the table, his hands cupping a mug of steaming coffee. Thank goodness he was wearing a shirt this time. The memory of his bare chest could still make her feel a bit swoony.

"Coffee's on," he said with a nod toward the pot that was burbling on the counter.

The smell made her mouth water, so she walked over to a cupboard, grabbed a mug, and poured a cup for herself.

"There's cream in the fridge if you want," Wyatt told her. "I think. Not sure."

"I'm fine. I just drink it black."

She stood a moment, feeling awkward, and figured that now, while the kids were still sleeping, would be a good time to get some of the weird stuff out of the way.

She sat down at the table. "So, I'm sure you're wondering who I am." She looked over at Wyatt, who was staring at her. To her dismay, her heart did a little trip in her chest. Despite his pale and drawn features, he was even better looking in real life that he was in the grainy pictures she’d seen of him on the internet. Solid jaw, shaded with stubble that only added to his appeal. Dark eyebrows over deep-set eyes. Narrow nose and perfect cheekbones. Hair so thick and tumbled it made her want to reach across the table and rearrange it. Run her fingers through it.

And as she looked at him, she glimpsed Dean's parentage. Dean had the same narrow nose, the same eyes. She didn't know if she was being objective or projecting, but regardless, Wyatt was an attractive man.

She pulled herself back to reality. She wasn't there to admire Wyatt's looks or be distracted by them.

"I am wondering who you are," he said, massaging his temples with his fingers. He still looked ill. "How did you get here? How did you know..."

His eyes drifted shut as she sipped on her coffee, trying to corral her thoughts and slow the nervous beat of her heart.

While she was thinking, he waved to the counters that were now sparkling clean. "I suppose I have you to thank for that?"

She nodded, gripping her cup with chilly hands. "When I got here things were pretty much a disaster."

"I'm guessing Maya tried to make eggs?"

"I think that's what she was trying," Adele said, taking a sip of her coffee. She wished her heart would stop pounding. Wondered if he could hear it from across the table.

"Do you mind telling me what happened yesterday? If it was yesterday?" He closed his eyes, massaging his temple with his thumb. "My brain is all mixed up and fuzzy.”

Adele ran her finger up and down the handle of her mug, trying to collect her thoughts. Trying to sort through them and find what to say first.

"I came here yesterday, and the girls answered the door. Things didn't look too great..." Which was the understatement of the year, she thought, but no sense beating him up while he still looked so bedraggled. "The girls were hungry, so I gave them something to eat, and then I cleaned up." Adele bit her lip, smiling a little at the strangeness of the conversation. Again, not at all what she had thought of or what she had rehearsed all the way down here.

"You were on the couch, somewhat delirious," she continued. "You kept talking about cows and some woman named Theresa, and the girls. I could tell you were in rough shape. So I gave you some ibuprofen I had in my purse. Then took you to your bedroom because I figured you would be more comfortable there."

Wyatt shook his head. "I have no idea what happened. All I remember was coming in from chores feeling sicker than I've