Nathan's Child - By Anne McAllister Page 0,54

later, Carin had done the best she could.

Lacey, in pajamas, was tucked into the platform bed. The trundle was made up for Nathan.

“I’ll just slip in alongside Lacey,” Carin told him. At least they would have the two-foot wall between them.

“With your arm?”

Oh, hell. She hadn’t even thought of that. She was so used to her cast by now that she barely gave it any thought. It was an inconvenience to her. But it would be more than that to Lacey, who was a restless sleeper. Lacey would be banging into her all night.

“I’ll pull out the other trundle bed for you,” Nathan offered with a grin.

He did—and lined it up right next to his. The room was now virtually a wall-to-wall bed—with Carin right next to Nathan.

“Isn’t this cozy?” He grinned.

Carin gave him a hard look and didn’t deign to reply.

“I think it’s cool.” Lacey shoved herself up on her pillow and peered over the little wall. “I know you said I was going to get a surprise,” she said to her mother, eyes shining. “But this is so cool. All of us being here together like a real family.” Lacey’s gaze went from Carin to Nathan. “This is the best surprise ever.”

CHAPTER NINE

OF ALL THE WOLFE BROTHERS, Nathan was the born fisherman.

Dominic and Rhys were fast-moving, take-charge, do-it-now men who gnashed their teeth if the fish weren’t biting. They fished, but mostly they argued about where they ought to be fishing, what kind of bait to use, what time to go out, when to come in, and which one had caught the bigger fish.

The fact was, Nathan almost always caught the biggest fish because he was the one with the patience. He was the one who studied the currents, checked the depth, considered the temperature and the time of year and made his plans accordingly.

And then he sat. And sat. And sat.

He always knew what he was after, and he was always willing to wait. A guy didn’t value something unless he worked for it, Nathan figured. And he valued it even more if he’d endured some hardship and frustration along the way.

What was true of fishing was also true of his photography and his books. They were products of much thought, long hours, vast patience and hard work.

So was courting Carin.

And if thought, long hours, vast patience and a fair amount of work had anything to do with it, the way Nathan figured it, he ought to value Carin more than anything or anyone on earth.

Talk about patience, endurance, frustration! God Almighty!

Here he was in bed lying mere inches from her—inches!—and she was sound asleep.

Carin wasn’t frustrated. Not a bit! She had glared at him as if he’d manipulated the whole disastrous sleeping arrangements bit, then she’d brushed her teeth, kissed Lacey good-night, and climbed into the trundle bed right next to his as if she didn’t even notice him.

So what else was new? Nathan thought, grinding his teeth.

He’d done his damnedest to make this evening a success, to make her enjoy herself, to encourage her to feel a part of the family—and what did he have to show for it?

Zip. Nada. Zilch. Not a damn thing.

Unless you counted the fact that she was now comfortable enough around him to fall asleep virtually in the same bed with him as if he weren’t even there! Lots of comfort in that revelation, huh? Nathan practically snorted in disgust.

She’d spent the whole evening basically ignoring him. She’d seemed to enjoy his sisters-in-law. She’d played with his nieces and nephew. She’d chatted easily with his father and Rhys. She’d even gone off into the kitchen and, he hoped, had a heart-to-heart with Dominic. But had it done any good?

God knew.

Nathan certainly didn’t. She was acting as if he wasn’t even here.

Maybe he should have told her he was coming along. Oh, yeah, that would have done a lot of good. She’d have refused to come, point-blank. No, it was better he hadn’t said anything. Better just to go on with events as planned—and hope that she eventually softened toward him, trusted him. Loved him.

But every time he hoped, every time he thought things would go his way, every time he thought he had come up with the perfect bait, Carin looked at it, swam lazily around, daring him to hope. And then…she turned away.

Nathan was a good fisherman. He was a determined fisherman. But a guy had his limits. He didn’t remember Carin being so stubborn.

He didn’t remember her being