No One But You

it never works.”
    “Forget it.” Elegant as always, she went to push open a heavy outside door.
    “I can’t forget it.” He got the door before she could, and held it for her. He breathed in the faint scent of lilacs as she slipped around him into the late afternoon sunshine. “I really wasn’t trying to take over.”
    “It’s okay, Wyatt. It’s forgotten.”
    “I guess what I say comes out wrong. It always has, as you well remember.” Vaguely, he heard the sound of pounding feet and a dribbling basketball, but he couldn’t seem to focus on anything but her. The wind in her soft cinnamon locks and the sun bronzing the sculpted beauty of her face.
    “I’d rather not recall the lunchroom incident.” She bit her lip, holding back a smile.
    “You mean the time you informed me I didn’t rule the world and I wasn’t your boss?”
    “Yes, that would be the one.” A glint of humor sparkled in her emerald eyes before she flicked her gaze away. “This is our playground. Fenced, so it’s safe for the kids. It’s aging, but we’re getting by.”
    “I like the basketball court.” With a game in session, he noticed. Grade school kids charged from hoop to hoop, shouting, calling, laughing and scoring.
    “I thought you might. Our plans for the new shelter are drawn up and approved, by the way. The inspector wanted a few changes, so the architect has made them, but we’ve got an outside playground and the basement will be a gym so the kids can play in the winter. The land donation, Wyatt…” She swallowed hard, watching the kids. “It’s making an incredible difference for Mary’s Place.”
    “Glad to help.” It was easy to see how much this facility meant to her. He spotted a familiar face on the court. Jake, her son, a whistle dangling around his neck, charged along the sidelines. Clearly, the shelter was a family affair.
    Wyatt didn’t know how much time passed as he took in the other sights. He noticed a swing set full of kids, as well as a network of slides and climbing apparatuses, where squeals and children’s conversations rose and feel gleefully. His chest tightened as he remembered another child who liked to climb and slide.
    “Thank you for taking time out of your workday, Wyatt.” The poised executive director building a relationship with a donor—and not his old girlfriend—offered him a polite smile. “You can see the work we do here.”
    “I can.” He’d expected a depressing place, but not this. The kids playing, forgetting their troubles for a while, carefree and happy, just the way it should be, heartened him. “I’m glad I skipped that boring meeting. This was better.”
    “At least you got some fresh air.”
    “True. I’ve been trying to ease back on my workload for a long time. Maybe this is the first step in turning over a new leaf.”
    “And what leaf would that be?”
    “A better one, at least that’s what I’m hoping.”
    “What was wrong with the old one?”
    “Apparently I work too much. People tell me I’ve turned into a serious workaholic.”
    “And you believe them? The Wyatt I knew didn’t like listening to anyone.”
    “You wouldn’t be wrong. I didn’t want to at first. I was in denial.”
    “It’s good to know some things haven’t completely changed,” she quipped. Including the goodness in him and that charming sparkle in his eye, Mariah thought.
    “True, but it’s time to take a good look at my life. Bet you never thought you’d hear that from me, right?”
    Humor chased the shadows from his eyes, reminding her of the boy she’d loved. The years threatened to melt away and she could glimpse the girl she’d been, full of hopes and dreams, and innocent love. Had he lost his illusions, too?
    “We all reach the point where we have to look at the truths in our lives,” she heard herself say.
    “After my marriage fell apart I completely buried myself in my work. And before you comment, yes, I’m divorced. My wife found me difficult to live with. You’re not shocked, right?”
    “I am sorry. I know how divorce feels. I always thought our problem was with the combination of us, not with you necessarily.”
    “My ex-wife would disagree.” A muscle jumped along his jaw, and he kept his attention on the players. The game had halted and Jake seemed to be offering advice to the kids as he dribbled, aimed and shot. “Hey, Jake’s really good.”
    “That’s what they tell me.” Pride filled her. “He’s a good