Sugar Daddy Wanted: Now Accepting Applications (9 page)

“This is the real me. I had fun playing with them. I haven’t done something like this in a long time. If ever.” Grayson patted down his body. “They’re great kids. You’ve done a fine job raising them.”

Kerry blushed at the compliment, and let out a sigh, gazing up into the twilight sky. “Being a single mom isn’t easy some times.”

“I bet. Does their father help out?”

She shook her head. “He pops in and out of their life from time to time, but on a regular basis—no.”

“Tough for them. And for you.”

“We manage.”

“I see that.” Grayson sat in a chair beside her and toweled his head. “I seem to be winning them over, but I still don’t have a sense if I’m winning the most important person here.”

Kerry frowned. “It shouldn’t be a competition. Just be yourself. If you’re not, we’ll all see through it eventually.”

He fixed his dark gaze on her. “My enjoyment of your company is sincere.”

 She nodded. “Good. We’re all having fun too.”

Grayson set the towel down and reached over to take her hand in his. “I only meant that if you’re considering moving in,” he said, lowering his voice when he spoke. “It seems important we try to convince them together—that living here permanently would be a beneficial arrangement all around.”

His touch sent sparks flying to her nerve endings, making it difficult to think clearly with him in her personal space. Her breathing quickened. “I have to admit, it’s very tempting.”

“Why do I hear a silent ‘but’?” He gave her hand a squeeze.

The heat from his palm warmed her from the inside out. “It’s a lot to consider,” she answered, taking her hand out of his. “I still can’t believe I convinced myself to bring the boys here for a couple of days.” Shaking her head, she went on, “They’ve just met you.
I’ve
just met you. Normally, this kind of life change happens slowly, and shouldn’t be rushed.”

Grayson rubbed his chin. “You have a point.”

“If it was just me…” Her voice trailed away, the silence between them filled with the sounds of frogs and other nocturnal insects.

Grayson spoke first. “Kerry, what is it you really want?” Before she could answer, he held up a hand. “You are more than capable of holding your own in the world with or without a man, and I have to admit I was a little surprised you accepted my proposal to spend the weekend.”

She spoke in a quiet tone. “The idea of an adventure appealed to me. Not to mention, your suggestion has intrigued me. Sad to say, your offer of moving in for the promise of lifelong friendship is the best offer a man has made to me in a long time.”

“That is sad,” he commented. “Because you deserve so much more.”

His compliment caused tears to well up in her eyes, and she blinked them back. She’d always been strong—had to be, not only for herself but for her children. No one had ever seen her vulnerable side. Vulnerability wasn’t something she could afford. The one and only time she’d dared to show it, the guy had run for the hills.
Isaac…

And it’s not fair to paint all men with the same brush.

The low rumble of Grayson’s voice broke into her musings. “What is one thing you’ve always wanted but never had?”

The corner of her mouth tugged up in a half smile. “I’m not sure you want to hear that.”

“Tell me,” he urged. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”

She stared at her feet, chipping blue nail polish off her big toe with her thumbnail. “You’d think it was stupid.”

“Stupid is never a word I’d associate with you.”

His sincere tone made her want to spill her guts. She looked up into his eyes, and her heart leapt toward him.
Trust him
, her brain whispered. What did she really have to lose? If they decided not to go through with their partnership, they’d part ways never to see each other again.

Staring at her toes again, she spoke. “What I want has nothing to do with money or material possessions.” Her tone softened to a near whisper. “I know I can do it on my own. Circumstances have shown me I can handle anything.”

“Go on,” he prompted when she paused.

Kerry stared across the expanse of the pool. “The thing I’ve wanted over anything else is simply…for someone to hold me and tell me everything will be all right. To lend me their strength in those times I feel weak, until I can hold my own again. To know at the end of the day, there’s someone to care how my day went.”

Grayson’s large hand covered the back of hers. Unable to believe she’d spilled her deepest wish to a near stranger, she froze in place. Turning her head slowly to face him, she gazed into his eyes.

He curled his fingers around her palm. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

An uncharacteristic wave of shyness engulfed her. Her cheeks heated, and she tucked a strand of hair back behind one ear. Uncomfortable with the intimate turn their talk had taken, she pushed to a stand, smoothing down the front of her dress. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go change into my bathing suit and take advantage of your hot tub.”

Before he could utter a word, she dashed back into the house.
Foolish...

But even as she chastised herself for giving Grayson a glimpse of her private thoughts, something inside her whispered Grayson Nichols could be what she’d been waiting for, if only she’d open herself up to the idea.

Grayson sank into the hot, swirling water of the Jacuzzi tub beside Duncan. The quiet moment was interrupted by Kerry’s cry for help.

“We better go see what’s up,” he said, addressing Duncan.

The two of them hopped out of the tub, grabbed towels, and dried off on their mad dash into the house.

Bounding up the stairs with Duncan hot on his heels, Grayson’s heart pounded a worried rhythm in his chest upon hearing Kerry calling out for him again.

He burst into the room designated for the boys. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you to call an ambulance. It’s Cohen.” The frantic worry in Kerry’s tone caused Grayson’s alarm to skyrocket.

“Duncan—go to my room down the hall and grab my cell off my dresser,” Grayson commanded.

Duncan gave a sharp nod and sprinted away.

Cohen lay on the bed, moaning and clutching his abdomen, while Kerry stroked his feverish head. 

“What happened?” Grayson questioned.

A worried Kerry turned beseeching eyes on him. “I found him vomiting into the toilet,” she explained. “He says his stomach hurts like someone stabbed him with a knife.”

“Sounds like it could be appendicitis,” Grayson murmured. Duncan ran back into the room, thrusting his cell phone at him. Grayson dialed 911. Turning to Duncan, he said, “I need you to wait outside for them to arrive and direct the paramedics up here.”

A pale Duncan nodded in agreement before bolting from the room. After placing the call to emergency, Grayson eased onto the bed beside Cohen. “It’ll be okay, buddy. We’ll get a doc to look at you ASAP.”

Cohen groaned, nodding bravely. A few minutes later, Grayson cocked an ear at the sound of sirens. Commotion followed in the front foyer. The murmur of voices grew stronger, and then Duncan appeared in the doorway pointing the way for the EMT’s. A man and woman entered with a stretcher carried between them.

The pair asked Kerry questions as they loaded Cohen onto the board, covered him in a blanket, and strapped him on.

“We’re taking him to Children’s,” the male paramedic informed them. “It sounds like acute appendicitis, but a doctor will examine him there to be sure. They’ll do some blood work and other tests. Only one of you can ride with him.”

“Mom?” Cohen moaned his unspoken fear.

Kerry gripped his hand. “I won’t leave your side, little man.” She cast worried eyes at her oldest.

Grayson laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll follow you there and meet you in emergency. It’ll be all right.”

“Okay,” she said, exhaling.

Once the troupe had exited the room, Grayson gestured at Duncan. “Let’s get dressed and head out.”

“Sure.” Duncan hurried over to his bed and rooted around in his bag for fresh clothes.

Just as Grayson stepped out of the doorway, Duncan’s voice halted him in his tracks. “Grayson?”

He turned at the sound of the worried question in the boy’s voice. “Yeah?”

“He’ll be okay, right?”

“Of course,” Grayson assured him, attempting a comforting smile. “Appendicitis is easy to take care of at the hospital.”

Duncan’s dark brows crinkled in worry. “What if it’s something else?”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” Grayson responded. “Let’s focus on one thing at a time. Get dressed and I’ll meet you out in the hall. We’ll get to the hospital and then see what we’re dealing with.”

Duncan nodded, determination to be the man of his family written in the expression on his face. “Okay.”

Grayson hurried to his room to change. This wasn’t exactly how he’d envisioned the weekend, but if he was serious about having Kerry and her sons as part of his life, unexpected emergencies would be part of it. He was determined to show he could be depended on.

* * * * *

Once at the hospital, he and Duncan hurried in through the Emergency room doors of Children’s Hospital. They found Kerry pacing in the corridor by the admissions desk, chewing on a thumbnail.

Grayson made a beeline straight toward her. When she caught sight of them, she opened her arms and Duncan launched himself at her. Grayson dropped his arms, laying a hand on her shoulder, surprised at his automatic assumption that Kerry would have turned to him for comfort.

Placing a kiss to the top of Duncan’s head, she informed them of the situation. “The doctor has already examined him. He’s ruled it as appendicitis and they’re prepping him for surgery now. They think it might have ruptured.” Her voice broke and she sniffed back the emotion threatening to erupt in a barrage of tears.

Grayson watched as she steeled her resolve. She wouldn’t break down in front of him or Duncan.
God, she’s one tough woman.

Her earlier words ghosted through his mind.
To lend me their strength in those times I feel weak, until I can hold my own again. To know at the end of the day, there’s someone to care how my day went.
She might feel weakness, but he’d never use it as a term to describe her. The urge grew strong inside of him to take her into his arms and tell her
he
cared. The words wouldn’t be empty either. He did want to make this situation okay for her. Unable to explain it with logic, he’d promise her anything in order to ease her daily struggles.

If only she’d let me.

He cleared his throat, and fished a few dollar bills from his jeans pocket. “Duncan? Would you mind going down the hall to the vending machines and bring back something for all of us? I have a feeling it’ll be a bit of a wait.”

“Sure.” Duncan nodded, fisting the cash before kissing his mother on the cheek and scurrying away.

“He worries enough as it is,” Kerry murmured. “He didn’t need this.”

“He’s a good kid who thinks of others thanks to your wonderful upbringing,” Grayson commented.

Kerry turned a watery smile on him. “Thanks.”

Taking her by the elbow, he steered her to a more secluded spot in the hall, away from bustle of the emergency station.

“We shouldn’t go where Duncan can’t see—”

He cut off her protest by pulling her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. “It’s going to be okay. Everything will be all right.”

Kerry stiffened in his arms, then attempted to push out of his embrace. “I don’t want pity. I didn’t tell you all that tonight just to hear an empty line.”

Cupping her face in his hands, he stared down into her eyes. “I mean it. I’m here for you, Kerry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Don’t.”

“Kerry…” He stepped closer, the heat from his body reaching out to hers.

She swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes, but she made no attempt to remove herself from his embrace. “You don’t have to stay,” she whispered. “Duncan and I can take a cab home later.”

“I invited you for the weekend. You think I’m going to abandon you because the night isn’t going as planned?”

“As planned?” Suspicion gleamed in her eyes.

Releasing a breath, he hung his head and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “I sure as hell didn’t plan on spending my evening with all three of you at the hospital. I figured we’d be watching a movie, getting to know each other.”

“Oh.” The tension in her body eased a little. “I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go home. This isn’t your responsibility.”

Clenching his teeth together, his jaw worked, eyes zeroing in on her as he wondered how to get through to her. He barely knew her, but something compelled him to stay, and not because it was the kind thing to do.
It’s the right thing. It feels right to stay here with her.
He wanted to sit beside her in silence, or listen if she chose to talk. Hold her hand if she’d let him, hug her, stand by her side. No other woman had evoked feelings of protectiveness in him before. Perhaps it was because she didn’t need him that made him want to prove he could be counted on.

“I’m making it my responsibility to be here for you and your boys.” Lowering his head, he brushed a soft kiss across her mouth. He pulled back, holding his breath, waiting to see how she would respond.

Kerry didn’t respond with words. The remaining tension in her muscles relaxed, and her arms snaked around his waist. She buried her face in his chest, stifling sobs. Grayson held her, stroking back her hair.

“Mom?” Duncan’s curious voice sounded from behind them.

They parted, but stayed in each other’s embrace.

Tentative, eyeing the scene in front of him, Duncan cleared his throat. “I…so… This dude is more than a friend.”

Kerry sighed, and looked directly into her son’s eyes. “Honestly, Duncan—Grayson
is
a friend. How much more…I don’t know.” Craning her neck, she looked up into his eyes. Admiration and trust shone in her gaze.

Grayson smiled, brushing some hair back behind her ear. “We don’t know what we are, but we want to find out,” he said, addressing Duncan. “As long as that’s okay with you. Will you allow me the privilege of getting to know this extraordinary woman you call mom?”