Blair’s gaze dropped to where Oz held her hand. Part of her wanted to pull away, to make sure no one noticed. She didn’t want to answer awkward questions. Did friends hold hands like this? But Dr Talbot and Stephanie didn’t have to see her and Oz holding hands to know something had changed between them.
Something had changed.
From the moment he’d kissed her in the hospital hallway, the moment they’d declared themselves friends, the way Blair looked at Oz had changed.
Or maybe it hadn’t.
Maybe she’d just quit fighting the inevitable.
She was attracted to Oz.
Not that she was crazy enough to act on it.
She wasn’t. She’d worked too long and too hard putting together a good life for her family to risk it on a man like Oz.
Only, since coming to Alabama this trip, Oz hadn’t seemed nearly as bad as she’d painted him and she kept forgetting he wasn’t a man to trust with her heart.
Amidst a bevy of laughter, Addy chased a revived Boo-boo around the backyard. Blair caught her daughter in her arms, sweeping her little body off the ground and tickling her until Addy begged for mercy.
His eyes never straying far from Blair, Oz moved a lawn chair near Dr T’s wheelchair. “Stephanie’s still inside,” he told his friend. “She had a few phone calls to make.”
“Are you sleeping with Blair?” His friend’s gaze didn’t waver. Dr T had never beaten around the bush. Getting straight to the heart of a matter was one of the things Oz admired about his friend. Usually.
“No.”
Dr T eyed him for a minute, then rephrased his question. “Have you had sex with Blair?”
Oz grinned. He couldn’t help himself. Dr T in the role of overbearing father seemed inappropriate when the man had once patted Oz’s back for his sexual prowess. Perhaps that had been for an outraged Selma’s benefit. Dr T had loved to tease his wife. Selma had threatened that someday Oz’s womanizing ways would catch up with him and he’d meet a nice girl and settle down.
Oz’s gaze shifted to Blair. Selma had been right about one thing. He had met a “nice girl,” but he had no plans to settle down. Ever. Why would he do that to someone he liked?
He liked Blair. A lot. Too much.
“No. Nor do we have any plans to have sex. We’re friends.”
That was all they would ever be.
Unfortunately.
“Blair’s not like the women you date.”
“She’s not,” Oz conceded. “Which explains why we’re not dating.”
Blair was different. Better. Addictive. He wanted her more than any woman. Which scared him a little. Blair’s lack of experience made her no match for him. He could have her if he wanted her. He knew that. But she’d regret it afterwards. So would he.
He couldn’t—wouldn’t—do that to her.
“You’re the first man she’s let close since Chris.”
Addy’s father. God, he was curious about the man who’d once held Blair’s heart. He was tempted to ask Dr T what he knew, but he held his tongue. Being Blair’s friend didn’t give him the right to pry into her past.
“Women like Blair aren’t the type to play the field. Addy’s father hurt her deeply. Now, she’s put her whole heart into loving that little girl.” Dr Talbot’s gaze went to where Blair played with Addy.
Blair knelt beside her daughter, petting the dog. As if sensing his gaze, she glanced up, smiled tentatively, vulnerability and something more shining in her eyes.
Something more that was meant for him.
Desire?