Page 44 of The Bachelor's Dilemma

“Zack asleep?” Myles asked, rising as she entered.

“Yes.”

She smiled and paused for a moment, then deliberately sat on the sofa. Myles sat beside her.

“I’ve been thinking,” he began.

She almost held her breath. Had he been thinking the same thing she had? That there was something special between them? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to discuss it, but there was no denying it was there.

“If you can’t find another sitter, I could watch Zack for you when he’s not in preschool.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” she said.

So much for her intuition of what he wanted to talk about.

“I have ample time. And I’m going a bit cabin crazy with this enforced inactivity. Unless you don’t think I can handle him. Or you don’t trust me.”

Anna looked at him in surprise.

“It’s not that. You’re recuperating. You need rest. Not to be running after a four-year-old all day.”

“People atrophy if they do nothing. I’m used to working all day almost every day. This sitting around is getting to me.”

“You don’t think he’ll wear you out?”

Myles shook his head.

“If I get too tired, I’ll nap when he does. But how hard can it be to watch a four-year-old?”

Anna grinned.

“Harder than I expect you believe it’ll be.”

She thought about it another moment and then nodded slowly.

“You are a lifesaver. I thought I was going to have to take time off from work to watch him. No one seems available tomorrow. I’ll take you up on your offer only if you promise to call me if things get out of hand.”

“They won’t,” he said confidently.

Anna hoped he was correct. One of the hardest parts of being a single parent was finding child care. The arrangement she had with Edith worked perfectly for the two of them. But when she was ill, it was hard to get someone on such short notice.

Myles slid closer, put his arm across the back of the sofa, and looked at her. His fingers brushed against her hair.

Anna resisted the urge to bolt from the room. She leaned back slightly and tried to relax, which was impossible with her heart racing like it was.

“It’s supposed to stop raining tonight. Would the park be too wet for him to play tomorrow?” Myles asked, his caressing fingers causing her great difficulty in thinking straight.

“I’ll give you a towel to wipe down the slide if you’re the first ones there. After a couple of kids have been on them, they’re dry. Are you sure?”

“About what?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

Anna felt her heart rate increase.

“About watching Zack.”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

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