“Noah’s still got his training wheels,” Matt cautioned as Cookie barreled through the swing doors to remove their empty plates.

“That was delicious, Cookie. Thank you.”

The matronly woman’s lined face creased in an answering smile. She’d been with them since Noah was born. “You are welcome, miss. We have ice cream for dessert.”

“Yes!” Noah enthused in his little-boy voice.

Ari laughed and Matt joined her, her humor infectious. She was like a fever heating up beneath his skin.

“I will be right back.” Cookie marched out in her soft-soled shoes. Noah jumped up with his usual enthusiasm and, almost on Cookie’s heels, ran into the kitchen to help.

“Does she live in too?”

“She’s got a huge family, and her husband wouldn’t hear of it.” He didn’t have a maid staff either, just a cleaning company that came in once a week. Which meant it would be just the three of them. All alone. With only Noah’s bedroom between his and Ari’s.

Every cell inside Matt burned hotter.

“It might be fun if Noah met my friend’s little boy sometime. They could play together. Is that okay with you?”

He glanced at the swing door, the sound of Noah’s laughter seeping through the crack. “I should explain a bit about Noah. He’s shy around new kids. He’s a cerebral boy, likes books and building Legos.”

“I loved books when I was a kid. I still do. That’s a good thing.”

“I loved them too.” Books had saved him in a lot of ways. But his bookwormish ways had also left him prey to other kids, and to his father. As a kid, Matt had been belittled for his brainiac ways. It was one of his worst fears that the same thing would happen to his son. “Not all kids understand that.”

“Jorge’s a great reader. They’ll have a lot in common.”

“Yes, but—”

She put her hand on his, as easily as she had when she’d reassured him about the elephant seals. It had the same effect, like a charge shooting through him, lighting up his body. But this was about Noah.

“Did something happen that has you worried?”

Matt had always been careful to hold his cards close to his chest when it came to personal information. But maybe telling Ari about the incident would help her appreciate why he was so intent on protecting Noah.

“It was in preschool last year.” He’d just lost another nanny, and he’d picked up Noah that day. “I thought at first he was reading in the classroom with the other kid since they both had their hands on a book.” He’d hung back out of sight, glad that Noah was making friends. Then, in barely a blink of his eyes, it turned ugly. “The kid slapped the book out of Noah’s hands, making fun of the story he was reading.”

He almost shuddered, remembering the kid’s words. Only sissies read books like that. And he’d heard his father’s voice. Only little weenies keep their noses buried in books.

“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry for Noah.” Ari’s hand was still on his, helping to keep him in the present.

“The worst was the kid’s mom. None of them saw that I was there yet, and Noah”—he had to smile at the memory—“told her that her kid was really mean.” Then he imitated Noah’s big-boy voice. “And that’s not right.”

“Yay for Noah. But how did the mom react?”

“She had the gall to say that if he hadn’t been reading a book meant for girls, it wouldn’t have happened. That was when I finally stepped into the room and she realized I’d seen and heard it all.” He’d wanted to charge in and shake the woman like she was a rag doll, until all her stuffing fell out. It had taken all his control not to yell at her and her rotten little kid. Not to be like his father. Because he never yelled in front of Noah. “I told her I needed a private word with her. And then I made it clear that she’d better never let her kid near mine again. The next day, I found out they’d transferred to another school.”

“You did good, Matt.” When she squeezed his hand lightly and smiled, he was amazed to feel the tension begin to drain out of him at her warm approval. “Although, I must admit I would have liked to see the other kid’s mom trembling in her high heels when you took her down.” She finally removed her hand from his as she asked, “And now you’ve got me really curious—what was Noah reading?”

Trying not to let himself miss her touch, he said, “Purplicious.”

“Noah has good taste in books. And I love how he handled himself.”

Matt’s stress instantly flooded back. “I shouldn’t have let it get that far. He should never feel belittled.”

“Of course not. But he was still pretty amazing, standing up to an adult like that.”

Matt had to tip his head to the side to stare at her, like a movie robot who didn’t understand humans. He hadn’t, not even for one minute, thought of it that way before. “You’re right, he did handle himself pretty well.” And Noah hadn’t exhibited lasting effects, thankfully. So maybe, with Ari’s supervision, a day with her friend’s son might actually be good for him. “You said Jorge likes to read?”

“Voraciously.”

“What about playing with Legos?”

“How do you think I became a master?” she replied with a grin.

Noah pushed through the door with a bowl of ice cream. Cookie followed with two more.

“What do you think, buddy?” Matt asked. “Would you like to meet Ari’s little friend Jorge?”

“Yes!”

Ari’s laugh did things to his insides. It wasn’t just her pretty face or her lovely, lithe figure. It was her liveliness with Noah, her freshness, her love of life, her exuberance, her try-anything attitude.

Then again, those were some of the same qualities that had first drawn him to Noah’s mother.

And that had ended in disaster.

Chapter Four

Matt and Noah gave Ari a tour after dinner, and the house was even more mind-boggling than it had initially seemed. The upper floor overlooked the front hall with a wide balustrade and was ringed by eight bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and sitting area. Matt said he wanted plenty of space for his family when they visited. Ari’s room included a desk and a computer, though she’d brought her own laptop—and, best of all, a whirlpool tub.