Unraveled (Unwrapped and Unraveled 2)

Jeff walked out right behind her. "We're going to the Galley for dinner?"

Mitch grinned. "If your mother says it's okay."

Greta slanted a sideways look at him, as if he'd somehow conspired with her kids against her. This time, he was innocent. But it worked in his general plan. "What do you say, Greta?"

"I guess we're going to the Galley for dinner tonight."

Chapter Four

The Galley was a raucous family-style restaurant located on the Front Pier, surrounded by arcades and shops just footsteps away from the sand and the ocean. The kids loved coming here, mainly for the arcades. Greta hadn't brought them here in at least a year.

Great. Another thing to feel guilty about.

She brushed it aside as the kids dragged Mitch by the hand to a table near the window. They'd gotten there before the rush crowd packed the place in, so they were fortunate to get a spot with a view. Once everyone settled in and ordered their dinner, the kids regaled her with the scoop on their surfing for the day. According to her children, they were practically world-class surfers after one lesson from Mitch.

Mitch sat quietly and listened to the kids boast about their skills.

"That good, are they?"

He nodded. "They did great."

"See, Mom, told ya," Zoey said, lifting her chin. "You know how good I am in the water."

Greta smoothed her hand down her daughter's hair. "Yes, I do."

"You should surf with us tomorrow, Mom."

Greta's eyes widened at Jeff's suggestion, then she shook her head. "I have a busy day."

Jeff frowned. "You always say that. Can't you take an hour or two off?"

She cast a pleading look toward Mitch, who only smiled. "Yeah, Greta. Surf with us tomorrow."

Damn him. "The motel doesn't run itself, you know." She looked to her kids and smiled. "And my two best helpers are shirking their duties to play in the surf."

Their smiles died on both their faces.

Zoey sniffed. "We can help you, Mommy."

"I'm sorry, Mom. You're right. We'll help you out at the motel instead of surfing," Jeff said.

Shit. That wasn't at all the reaction she'd been going for.

"Oh, no. I've totally got it covered."

"Are you sure, Mom? Because we don't have to surf. We don't want you stuck doing all the work."

Jeff, always the one to worry about her.

"I have a light day tomorrow. So you can help me out in the morning and then surf with Mitch in the afternoon. How's that?"

Jeff nodded. "Okay. That'll work."

How sad that her children worried about her. Was that the role they'd taken on in life? Shouldn't they be allowed to be children? How could she have missed this?

They ate dinner, then she shuffled the kids out to the arcade, insistent that they take at least a little time to be kids. While they played inside the arcade, Mitch led her outside to the pier overlooking the ocean. She could still keep an eye on the kids, but getting outside in the fresh air was nice.

She needed to think, to figure out where she'd gone wrong.

"You're quiet."

She looked over at him. "Am I? Sorry. I'm not very good company."

"I didn't say that. I just said you were quiet. You have something on your mind?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Greta. Something's bothering you."

Now she turned to him. "Really? You know me so well to know that?"

He gave her a half smile. "No. I don't know you at all. But you have revealing body language, and you went quiet during dinner. What started out fun turned...not so fun all of a sudden. Was it something I did?"

"No. Not at all. It was something I did. Something I've been doing. Or not doing. Never mind."

"What do you think you've been doing, or not doing?"

Why was she even talking to him about this? "It's nothing, really."

He swept an errant strand of hair away from her face. "Tell me. I'm a pretty good listener."

"It's the kids. They just seem so...serious. So worried about me."

He let out a soft laugh. "It's obvious they care a great deal about you."

She tilted her head back, looked in his eyes. "They shouldn't care so much. They're kids. I don't want them to worry about me."

"You can't change that."

"Yes, I can. They need more free time to be children. Which means I need to take on more of the work so they can play."

He leaned against the pier railing. "Just what you need--more work to do."

"I can handle it."

He paused, almost as if he wanted to blurt something out. But he didn't.

"What?" she asked.

"If anyone can handle it, you can."

She didn't think that's what he'd originally wanted to say. "Thanks. I do the best I can."

"Don't forget how important it is for you to play, too."

She laughed. "Me? I don't have time to play."

He grabbed her hand. "Sure you do."

He dragged her into the arcade. The kids waved as Mitch pulled her along, stopped at a racing game for two, and shoved her inside. He popped money in the machine, got in next to her and started the game. In no time flat Greta had forgotten all her problems in her zeal to kick Mitch's butt and race across the finish line. She couldn't recall the last time she'd laughed so hard or had so much fun. They played several games. Eventually the kids came over and they took turns switching out partners.

It was a great family night. The kind of night she needed to have more often with her children. And she had Mitch to thank for it.

After a couple hours, Greta rounded up the kids and they headed back to the motel. Jeff and Zoey were both yawning, so she sent them to the house to get ready for bed while she lingered outside with Mitch.

"Thanks for taking us out tonight."

He leaned against her front door, his nearness making her all too aware of how long it had been since she'd been around a man. A very attractive man, too.

"You're welcome."

Damn, he was good looking. Hadn't the man aged at all? "The kids had a really good time."

He grinned. "I'm glad 'the kids' had a good time."

God, she was really out of practice at this. Not that there was any "this" going on. There wasn't. They'd had a family thing. It wasn't like this had been a date or anything. Still, she felt vibes between them, an awareness that she was a woman and he was a very desirable man. And the way he looked at her told her he felt the same thing. "I had a good time too."

"Good."

She wished she didn't have so many other things on her mind, so much responsibility. It might be nice to ponder that whole man/woman thing with him. She'd had such a huge crush on Mitch when she was a kid.

Some things obviously never changed, because standing out there in the moonlight made her quiver with awareness, with a need she'd thought long ago buried.

He leaned closer. She inhaled, caught the fresh scent of him which only served to remind her how very long it had been since she'd been with a man. And all the reasons she wasn't going to be with one. She couldn't add that kind of a complication to her already very complicated life.

"Well, good night, Mitch. And thanks again."

She slipped inside and grabbed the door. He nodded and smiled.

"'Night, Greta."

Greta closed the door, then exhaled as she leaned against it.

Mitch was a whirlwind, sweeping in with a hurricane force and turning her life upside down. She didn't like it. Not at all. Her life was fine as it was and he'd upset the balance and careful order she'd spent the past few years arranging.

Good thing he wasn't staying long.

Mitch stayed out of sight the next morning, having sensed Greta's tension the night before. He knew she was irritated, but maybe she didn't really know what she was irritated about.

Maybe he didn't really know what she was irritated about, either. It wasn't like he was an expert on women and their emot

ions. Rich men typically didn't need to be. You threw enough money around and the women he hung out with tended to quiet down.

And didn't that speak volumes about his life?

Good thing he wasn't much into self analyzing. He liked his life just fine. It suited him. No attachments, no emotional entanglements. Fun, sex, travel, the women in his life got exactly what they wanted out of the arrangement, and so did he. No one got hurt. He never made promises he didn't intend to keep. At least he was honest that way.

Greta, on the other hand, was an unknown. She wasn't one of his party girls only out for a good time. He didn't exactly know how to handle her, especially since she hadn't jumped on the chance to take his money.

Everyone wanted his money. Why didn't she? God knows she needed it.

But there was still plenty of time. She'd eventually figure out what he was offering. Then she'd come around.