Page 33 of Sweet Home

“You would?” West asked, fixing her in his dark gaze, as if he wanted to be sure she was telling the truth.

She felt herself blush and hoped like anything that the soft light of the lamp wasn’t enough for him to notice.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, West,” she said, her voice going a little husky. “I would love to spend the next few weeks with Elizabeth.”

There was a slight pause and she saw him swallow hard.

“Thank you,” he said, before she had a chance to figure out what that pause had meant. “I know you probably don’t have a lot of experience with kids, so I’ll write everything down for you over the weekend and you can call me or my mom anytime you have a question, or if you just want reassurance.”

“I watched my baby sister a lot growing up,” she said, not exactly wanting to say she had practically raised her herself. “She’s a lot younger than me, so I know what to do. I’ll still call if I’m ever not sure about anything though.”

“You did?” he asked, looking a little surprised.

“Yeah,” she said. “It was just the two of us a lot. Mymom passed away when my sister was little, and my dad… He was really sad after that.”

It was true. He was really sad. He was also really drunk and really angry and really not interested in raising two motherless girls. But she couldn’t bear to share something so ugly in West’s sweet home.

In a place like this, it felt almost impossible that the real world could exist or that bad things could happen. And besides, none of that mattered right now—West just wanted to be sure she knew how to keep a child safe.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” West said, his voice a little rough. “Sounds like you had to grow up too quickly.”

“Everyone has to grow up too quickly,” she said, smiling. “Besides, you understand, since you’re taking care of Elizabeth on your own?—”

She cut herself off, feeling terrible for nosing around in his business.

“That’s true,” he said, nodding. “Her mother left fairly early on. But I’ve got so much family around here that we’re just fine.”

“How could she leave?” Dulcie heard herself wonder out loud and cursed herself again.

West frowned like he was trying to find a way to explain it.

“She wasn’t really interested in any of this,” he said finally, shrugging.

“Any of what?” Dulcie asked.

“Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere,” he said, shrugging. “Being a mom…”

He sounded so resigned. It was almost like he agreed with her. But that wasimpossible.

“You’re saying that she didn’t want a beautiful home, a big family, and an adorable little girl?” Dulcie asked. “Whatdidshe want?”

“She wanted to not be my wife,” he said simply.

His eyes sank to his hands and for just a moment, instead of seeing West the doctor, or West the father, Dulcie saw West the man—a man who was hurting.

“Then she’s a fool,” she said softly.

His eyes flashed up to hers at that and for just an instant, she saw an expression of naked hunger cross his face. She felt the weight of his gaze on every part of her, and suddenly her heartbeat was skittering and her skin felt too warm.

Is this real? Does he feel it too?

West stood quickly and cleared his throat, and the moment was gone, as if it had never happened.

I’m an idiot. I all but told him I’m falling for him and now he’s running away.

“I’m going to head up,” he said, his voice a little husky. “Elizabeth sometimes has a rough morning if she’s missed her nap the day before.”

Guilt twisted her belly. Why had she been so greedy, dreaming of falling in love with the man instead of just being grateful to him for taking her in?

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