“Jane.”He touched her chin and forced her to look at him.“What are you saying?”
Her eyes, dark now in the stormy night, refused to meet his.“I wasn’t sure you wanted me again.”
“You’re kidding?”
She shook her head.
“Why would you think that?”
“I wasn’t very experienced.”She rested her head on his shoulder.“I wasn’t sure I pleased you.”
“Do you still have doubts?”
He felt her mouth curve against his skin.“No.You took care of them nicely, thank you.”
If only you could take care of mine, he thought.They continued to hold each other.His hands stroked her bare body, loving the feel of her skin.Warm living satin, he thought.He couldn’t leave her.He didn’t deserve to stay.
“I had a problem with Billie tonight,” he blurted out.
“What happened?”
“She played with her softball inside and broke a vase.”
Jane groaned.“Which one?”
“The one in the hall.On that little table.It was completely shattered.There wasn’t anything to save.”
“That little—I’ve told her and told her.What did you do?”
He closed his eyes against the memory.“Gave her a twenty-minute time-out and had her write you a letter of apology.”
Jane squeezed him.“Welcome to the world of parenting.”
“Did I do the right thing?”
“Yes.I especially like the letter.It’s a nice touch.I usually take her ball away for the rest of the day, but seeing as it was so close to bedtime, it’s no big deal.”
He nodded.At least he hadn’t scarred Billie for life, he thought grimly.“She said she hates me.”
Jane raised herself up on one elbow.“What?”
“After I punished her.She told me I wasn’t her father, that she wanted me to leave.And that she hates me.”
“Adam, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Don’t take it too seriously.She’s a kid.She’s just reacting to the situation.You’ve gone from being a friend to being an authority figure in a very short time.It’ll take some getting used to.”
He turned away.“What if she doesn’t get used to it?What if she decides to hate me forever?”
“Billie’s attention span isn’t that long.”
“This isn’t humorous to me.”
“Adam.”She touched his cheek.“Are you upset?”
“Of course.What did you think?That I’d take this lightly?My God, Jane, I’ve known her two weeks and she already hates me.”
