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Chapter Six
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Eric went from dead asleep to awake in an instant, a skill that came with having a toddler in the house. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he heard the door creak.
Georgia. Her name, the memory of her lips touching his, her question—Are you sure?—was front and center in his mind. He’d gone to bed thinking about her, his body still reeling from that simple kiss. He wanted her, had for years, and he couldn’t flip a switch and turn it off, even if that was the right thing to do.
“Uncle Eric?”
Nate’s soft voice cut through the darkness, pushing aside all thoughts of the little boy’s nanny. Eric tossed off the covers, walked over where his nephew stood by the door, and crouched in front of Nate. “What’s up, buddy?”
“My room is dark.” His nephew wrapped his arms tight around Eric’s neck. “And there’s a bear.”
“The bear is back?” Eric stood, lifting Nate with him, and headed for the hall. This wasn’t the first time Nate’s nighttime fears, which often masqueraded as bears, had woken him. But in the past, his nephew had stayed in his room, crying. The sound carried through the monitor, and Eric went in to comfort his nephew. Always. But tonight, Nate had sought him out.
“He is in your room?” Eric asked.
He felt Nate nod.
“OK, buddy. Let’s check it out.” Eric carried Nate up the stairs to the study he’d converted into a child’s bedroom. In the corner, the frog nightlight cast a pale green glow over the blue walls decorated with train stickers.
“Where’d you see this bear?”
“Over there.” Nate pointed to the bookcase. “And there.” His finger moved to the child-size table. He spoke with absolute certainty. Eric nodded, knowing words would not be enough to convince his nephew the room was bear-free. He had to prove it. He gently laid Nate down in his toddler bed and pretended to search.
“The bear’s gone, buddy.” Eric knelt beside Nate’s bed, checking to make sure his nephew still had his stuffed frog.
“Stay with me?” A little hand reached out from beneath the blankets and grabbed his larger one. “The bears might come back. But not if you’re here.”
The words hit Eric square in the chest. This little boy needed him. Tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of his life. Eric didn’t have the luxury of living in the moment with Georgia. Kissing her, touching her, was more than a question of right or wrong. Hearing those words, he was sure of one thing: he couldn’t risk inconsistency in Nate’s life.
“I’ll stay.”
Holding his nephew’s hand, Eric stretched out on the floor beside the small bed and closed his eyes.
“Thank you, Uncle Eric,” Nate murmured. Judging from his voice, his nephew was on the edge of sleep. “I’m not scared anymore.”
Eric gave Nate’s hand a light squeeze. “Anytime, buddy. I’ll keep watch for the bears tonight. I promise.”
And he’d do the same tomorrow.
Lying in the dark, his thoughts drifted back to Georgia. He pictured her standing with her bow drawn, poised to hit her target. She was an irresistible blend of power and beauty, so damn determined.
Are you sure?
Those words, the challenge in her voice, continued to haunt him. Because as much as he knew he should, he couldn’t let her go.
ERIC WOKE TO sunlight pouring in the windows. His back ached from lying on the hardwood floor for most of the night, and he’d lost feeling in h
is left hand due to the fact that he’d held it up, clasped to his nephew’s, for hours. Sitting up, he looked down at the still-sleeping Nate in his small bed. The kid looked so damn content, as if everything was all right in his world because Eric had stayed to protect him from the bears that roamed the house after dark. Eric smiled. Maybe Georgia was right. Maybe he was on his way to being a good father figure for the kid.
“Hey, buddy.” Eric withdrew his hand from Nate’s and reached up to brush the hair out of the little boy’s face. “Time to rise and shine. I think I smell breakfast downstairs.”
Nate blinked. “What day is it?”
“Saturday.” Eric pushed up off the floor. “And you know what that means, don’t you?”
“Pancakes!” Nate bounced out of bed, going from sleep to bursting with excitement in an instant.
