All I Ever Wanted (11 page)

“We certainly do,” Principal Crenshaw quickly answered. “I include the form with each enrollment just in case opportunities like these come up. Ironically, Kayla is the only one without her permission slip signed. But since her mother is here, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Naomi hadn’t signed for this very reason, but one look at her daughter’s face and she knew saying no was impossible. “It won’t be a problem.”

“Ms. Franklin?” Catherine asked, her grin all teeth.

The oblivious reporter finally stopped drooling over Luke. She didn’t even have the grace to look embarrassed. “They’re not part of the story.”

“I beg to differ,” Catherine said. “In the story, Kayla was trying to find her way back to her family and friends. Her classmates or the other staff members aren’t in the book, but they’ll shape and mold Kayla just the same. More important, her classmates shouldn’t feel left out because they aren’t in a book. They’re just as important.” Catherine glanced down at Kayla. “What do you think?”

“They’re my friends,” Kayla said softly. “Some of them came Saturday to see me. I’d like them to be in the picture.”

“Ms. Franklin, I wouldn’t mind stepping over to Kayla’s classroom and asking the teacher’s assistant with them to let them join us,” Luke said.

The reporter’s frown morphed into a smile. “Would you, Mr. Grayson?” she asked, her voice dropping a husky octave, her hand on his muscled forearm. “It appears Mrs. Grayson has good instinct in other matters as well.”

Luke turned away without comment. The woman’s hand fell away, but her eyes stayed on him for seconds too long before she moved to the waiting photographer. If the woman had seen the expression on Catherine’s face, she would have run for her car.

Instinctively Naomi placed her hand on Catherine’s arm to soothe her. Luke loved her. They made a good team. Together they had effectively put the spin on the article they wanted: that all children mattered. Catherine knew better than anyone that Luke wouldn’t cheat.

Naomi wouldn’t have minded if her ex had cheated. That meant he would have stayed away from her.

Catherine leaned over and whispered, “She bats those eyes at him again, and I might not be responsible.”

Naomi didn’t know what to say. Catherine was always so calm. Naomi would have never thought she’d be possessive—least of all over a man. Catherine must have read her thoughts.

“There are men, and then there are those who pretend to be men,” Catherine said softly. “Some you thank God daily for placing in your life; others you thank Him that they aren’t.”

Naomi shivered. She knew about the latter group all too well.

“You’ve had the bad,” Catherine went on to say in a soft whisper. “Open your heart to the possibility that there are good men out there.”

Naomi didn’t answer as Kayla’s classmates, with huge grins, came out of the classroom down the hallway in single file. However, this was one time she had no intention of taking her friend’s advice.

She didn’t want a man.

If that meant cutting Richard out of her life, so be it. She’d just have to deal with the loneliness that she already felt the best way she could.

* * *

Naomi’s intent to end her friendship with Richard came at half past five that night. As soon as Kayla had eaten her dinner and finished her homework, she’d asked to go next door to tell Fallon about her day at school.

“When I come back, I’ll call Dr. Richard. It’s almost closing time at the clinic and he’s always the busiest now,” Kayla explained, proud that she remembered so much about his schedule.

Naomi might have been equally proud if the situation were different. She didn’t have a clue how to tell her that they’d be seeing less of Richard, so she’d walked her to Fallon’s apartment, then returned. To keep her mind off Richard, she called Sierra. She punched in the phone number without taking her seat.

“Hello,” Sierra greeted, laughter in her voice.

Naomi wrapped an arm around her waist and hoped she wasn’t interrupting anything. “Hi, Sierra. It’s Naomi. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Hi, Naomi,” Sierra greeted, then asked a question of her own. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

“No.” That was the one thing she was certain about. “I’d like to look at homes that need minor repairs. Maybe I could get a better deal,” she said, trying not to recall that it was the idea of the man she planned to cut out of her life.

“Excellent idea. When Luke and Daniel’s cabin was being built in the mountains, I helped,” Sierra said. “A woman can build or repair just as well as any man.”

Naomi thought she heard male laughter in the background. Probably Sierra’s husband, Blade.

Regrettably, Naomi wasn’t one of those women, but it was too late to think about that now. She’d never done any household repairs or renovations except paint Kayla’s room when she was a baby. Her ex had gladly pointed out the glaring spots that needed another coat of paint when the paint dried,
and
the waste of money.

“I’ll have you know that Aunt Felicia, Mama, and me nailed the last nails on the porch and put up the two lanterns on either side of the front door, so there,” Sierra said with a laugh. “Excuse me, Naomi, my husband was trying to be funny.”

More laughter and a woman’s playful squeal, and something like “You’ll pay for that” from Sierra.

Naomi’s hand flexed on the phone. They were having fun, enjoying each other. She and her ex had never been that way. Without thought, a picture of her and Richard at the circus, laughing and having a good time with Kayla, popped into her mind.

“I’ll add that to my data search. Anything else?”

“No.” At least nothing she could think of.

“All right. I’ll call you when I get a lead, but if you’ll remember, I like to show clients more than one option at a time so they can compare. It might take several days,” Sierra reminded her.

It had been the same way with her apartment search. It was easier to judge and make a decision when you saw one after the other. You didn’t forget as much. “That’s fine.”

“Good. I’ll make the appointments after six so Richard can come with us.”

Naomi moistened her lips. “That’s not necessary. I’m doing this on my own.” There was a long pause. Naomi steeled herself for the inquisition.

Sierra spoke her mind. “You’re the client.”

The relief she expected to feel at not being questioned didn’t come. All she felt was an aching loneliness and a sense that she’d betrayed a good friend. “Thank you. Good night.”

“Call anytime. Good night.”

Naomi placed the phone in the holder, easily seeing Blade and Sierra in each other’s arms. They had each found that one person who loved them. Not every woman was as fortunate. She and Kayla were safe. Gordon was out of her life. She wouldn’t be greedy for more. She’d be crazy to even think of letting another man into her life.

She started for the chair at the kitchen table to finish grading papers. There never seemed to be enough time to do everything at school. The ringing phone stopped her. Her pulse raced on seeing
YOUNGBLOOD’S VETERINARY CLINIC
on the readout.

She wanted to ignore it, but that was what had landed her in the present predicament. Her hand trembling, she picked up the receiver. “Hello.”

“Hi. How did your day go?”

Naomi’s gripped the phone, started to ease into a chair, then straightened. She was too nervous to sit still. “Fine.”

“I realize it’s early, but does Sierra have any leads?”

“Not yet,” she answered, reminding herself to keep her answers short.

“She will, and when she does, I’ll help you check the places out.”

Just thank him for his help in the past and tell him you don’t need any assistance,
she told herself, but she couldn’t say the cold words aloud.

“How was the celebrity’s day at school?”

“Wonderful. Thanks for calling, I better get back to grading papers.”

There was a slight pause. “Sure. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Here was her second chance. “I might be busy.”

“Is everything all right?”

Naomi bit her lower lip, shoved her fingers though her hair. She was trying to push him out of her life and he was worried about her. She didn’t want to hurt a man who had the bad judgment to see her as a whole woman, but she didn’t see any other way. “Yes. I really have to go.”

Another pause. “Good-bye. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Like I said, I might be busy.”

“I’ll call. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye.” Naomi hung up. He wasn’t going to take the hint and back off. As long as he thought there was something wrong, he was going to be there for her. It didn’t matter, she wasn’t going to change her mind. This was for him. She couldn’t be the woman he needed.

* * *

This was his fault.

Eyes closed, Richard leaned back in his chair behind his desk in his office. Last night he’d scared her. For that one critical moment he hadn’t been able to keep his emotions under control. He’d let her see his desire for her, and it had cost him.

What the hell had he been thinking?

Too upset to sit, he pushed away from his desk and stood to pace his office. The receptionist had gone and he was alone. He stopped. But how much more alone was Naomi?

He shoved his hand over his head. He couldn’t even be annoyed with her. Her reaction was in response to his. She wasn’t ready to think about a man in her life. The problem was, he wanted so badly to be the man she ran to, the man who banished her fears, the man who loved her so completely she was never afraid for herself or Kayla again.

Love wasn’t always enough. He only had to look at his cousin Lance to realize that. But sometimes it was. He’d been friends with the Graysons almost from the time Mrs. Grayson had moved with her five children from Oklahoma to teach at the university. He and Brandon had been in the same grade. Now all of them were married and as happy as they could be.

He recalled Naomi being concerned about Catherine but, as he’d told her, Luke would find a way to help her, just as he’d helped her care for Hero, the hybrid wolf she’d discovered near his cabin in the mountains. When the animal had been wounded, they’d brought him to the clinic. Coincidentally, their coming had also led to him meeting Naomi.

And now he’d lost her.
Only if you give up,
a small voice chided.

Richard pulled out his cell phone and looked at his contact list. Finding Sierra’s number, he dialed and listened to her outgoing voice message. He tried her private number and listened to another recording that it had been disconnected. He should have guessed as much. Since her marriage to Blade, access to her wasn’t as easy. Now that he had come to a decision, though, he wasn’t giving up. He punched in another phone number he knew by heart.

“The Red Cactus,” answered a cheerful voice.

“Brandon, please. Richard Youngblood calling.”

“He’s in the kitchen, Dr. Youngblood,” came the quick response.

In the kitchen
meant he wasn’t to be disturbed. He might be cooking something you could pull him away from or he might not. Brandon could be temperamental at times, unless it was with Faith. “Never mind, good-bye.”

Disconnecting, he called Casa de Serenidad. The phone was picked up on the second ring. “Faith Grayson, please.”

“May I ask what this is in regard to?” came the response.

“It’s personal. Please just tell her it’s Richard Youngblood. I was one of the guests Saturday afternoon at the restaurant for the Women’s League.”

“Please hold, Mr. Youngblood.”

If Faith wasn’t available, he wasn’t sure of what to do next. He supposed he could drive out to the castle, as everyone referred to Sierra and Blade’s home, and ask to be admitted, but security there was tighter than at the White House. It was iffy at best.

His last resort would be Mrs. Grayson. He didn’t think he could sleep without knowing there was still a chance for him and Naomi. Showing up unannounced on her doorstep wouldn’t help.

“Hi, Richard.”

“Faith.” He rounded his desk and picked up a pen. “I need Sierra’s personal phone number, please.”

There was a slight pause. “We were instructed never to give that out, but if it’s important, I can call her.”

“It is.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I called Brandon but he was in the kitchen. I didn’t even think of asking them to disturb him.”

Faith laughed softly. “Good thinking. It would have been bad for all parties. I’ll call Sierra. Should she call back at this number?”

“Yes.”

“All right. Bye.”

“Bye.” Richard disconnected the call and paced some more until his office phone rang less than a minute later. Caller ID read
UNKNOWN.
“Hello.”

“Hi, Richard, what’s on your mind?” Sierra immediately asked.

He was just as forthright. “I want to be there to help Naomi find a house.”

“Naomi said you were no longer involved,” she said.

Richard hadn’t thought it would be easy. Sierra wasn’t a pushover. With her family background and married to a real estate mogul, she had to be her own woman. “She needs my help. I want to check out the house for her, make sure everything is on the up-and-up.”

“That’s what I and my top-notch inspector will be doing” was her crisp response.

He wasn’t sure if he had insulted her or not. Sierra had a way of cutting a person down and they didn’t even know it until later. “I’m not insulting your capability. It’s just…” He blew out a breath. How to explain it? “I just want to help her.”

“I have to adhere to my client’s wishes.”

His hand flexed on the phone. He’d call Mrs. Grayson. Perhaps she could persuade Sierra to help him. Mrs. Grayson had helped him once with Naomi, but at the time she’d also made it clear the reason wasn’t because of him. She’d assisted Naomi and Kayla through the Women’s League because they were in need.

“However, if I were to call you and tell you where I’d be and you just happened to drop by, that would be an entirely different matter.”

Relief coursed through him. “Thank you.”

“If I hadn’t seen you with her and Kayla, I wouldn’t be helping,” she said. “Sometimes people need a little help in seeing what’s in front of their eyes. Another lesson I learned from my mother. Good night.”