"It's your imagination, sweetheart, because I'm perfectly fine. I guess I just got the wrong impression about the two of us."

She gave him a look that reminded him an awful lot of the look he used to get from his sixth grade teacher. "The last time I saw you, Max, you accused me of deliberately trying to catch you in my tangled web of deceit."

"I merely asked a question. I didn't mean it as an accusation."

"But now suddenly," she said as if he hadn't just spoken, "you're acting as if we have something between us."

He popped to his feet then, and came to stand before her. She smelled like jasmine. "I do seem to recall you straddling me recently," he said into her ear, "moaning as I nuzzled your neck and you reciprocated by-"

"Stop it." She pushed him away. "You're the one who insisted we work together, the one who dragged me up into the hills to seduce me, the one who refuses to believe I tried to contact you about Molly years ago. You're the one who's afraid to trust me...afraid of commitment."

He swallowed his frustration, mostly because she was right. She'd never led him on. And yet, he still wasn't sure what to believe when it came to Molly. "I'll see you when you get home."

"Goodbye, Max."

He didn't like the sound of finality in her voice. He stiffened. "I expect you to be at my house first thing in the morning. I want to finish the training and get it over with. Then we're done. Do you understand?"

She lifted her chin. "Perfectly. In fact, I won't be returning, Max. I already signed the papers clearing you. You're a fast learner. You don't need me. You're free to do whatever you want." Head held high, she walked out the door and out of his life for the second time.

A cool breeze came in before the door clicked shut. Surprise gripped him as he realized how wrong Kari was. He was an incredibly slow learner because he didn't want to let her go...and yet he hadn't stopped her. He still had no idea how to tell her how much he cared, and that he really did love her. He was a fool.

Max stirred, and then rolled to his side when something jabbed at his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

Max opened his eyes. The television was on and Lindsay was hovering over him. At first he thought he was having a nightmare, but then he remembered he was in Kari's house. "What time is it?"

"It's eleven thirty."

"In the morning?"

She smiled. "At night."

He sat up. "I must be getting old."

"Aren't we all? Where is everyone?"

"Molly's upstairs asleep and Kari is out with her new boyfriend."

Lindsay wrinkled her nose. "Are you talking about Richard?"

"Why, how many boyfriends does she have?"

"Apparently zero." The expression on her face served only to confuse him further. "Richard is not her boyfriend. He's had reservations at this la-de-da restaurant for months, before you were even in the picture."

"She's not dating him?"

She laughed. "He's a friend."

Max sat on the edge of the couch, rubbing his face. "I think his feelings for her run a little deeper."

"Maybe so, but why would you care? You don't have feelings for Kari, do you?"

"Of course I do. She's the mother of my child."

"Oh, well, of course...the mother of your child."

Her sarcasm did not escape him.

"Max," Lindsay said, plunking a hand on her hip. "I'm going to do you a favor and put you out of your misery...and that's not something I usually like to do."

He waited.

"Kari likes you...a lot."

"Then why is she out with another man?"

Lindsay took hold of the remote and shut off the television. Then she went to the door and held it open for him. "Because he asked her out to dinner and she likes to eat."

Max stood.

Lindsay sighed and added, "Richard is a diversion, a means to help her get her mind off of you."

"If that's true, why hasn't she told me how she feels?"

"Because unfortunately, she's just as stubborn and pigheaded as you. If you ask me, the two of you are a match made in heaven."

Kari's heels clicked against pavement as she made her way across the parking lot and toward the practice field. Three days had passed since Kari had last seen Max. Dozens of fans stood around the sidelines, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite NFL players. Although Max wasn't the tallest man on the field, he easily stood out from all the other players.

Kari looked back over her shoulder at Richard who waited for her in the car.

He waved.

As she neared the sidelines, she watched Max break out of a drill and head her way. A dozen kids and their mother's pushed and elbowed her out of their way as he approached.

Max signed notebooks and shirts and various other items before he gestured at Kari, telling her to come forward. "Sorry kids," he said, "but I have to talk to someone and then finish my drills." He lifted the ropes for Kari to come through.

She ignored the looks of envy as she weaved through the crowd, ducking under the ropes to get to him. Max took her arm and ushered her away from his zealous fans. "What's going on? Is Molly okay?"

"She's fine." With his pads and full gear he was intimidating as all hell, but she inhaled and reminded herself that it was only Max under all that padding. "Sorry to bother you," she said. "I didn't think you would be allowed onto the field today."

"The coach talked to Dr. Stone this morning for clearance. I told him you had already signed the papers."

"Oh. Then I guess I didn't need to bring these." She felt ridiculously overdressed in her fitted cream colored suit and matching heels that kept sinking into the turf. She reached inside her briefcase, pulled out a stack of bound papers, then held them out for him. "Everything has checked out fine, Max. Your blood work looks good. Your cholesterol numbers are all normal. You're in great shape. I think you can forget all about the family curse and start planning your future."

A tick set in his jaw.

She thought he'd be pleased.

He looked past her to her car. "Is that Richard?"

She followed the direction of his gaze. "Yes. He found Molly and me the perfect home. We're off to look at the house now. If I like it, we'll go to his office and make an offer."

"Moving, huh?"

"It's time. Molly and I need a place of our own."

"Where are you moving to?"

"If we like the house...South Gate."

His brow creased. "I don't think I like the idea of my daughter living in that particular neighborhood."

She wasn't in the mood to argue with him. "Well, I just wanted to give you these papers in person and tell you despite everything we've been through, it was a pleasure working with you." She held out her free hand for him to shake. She might as well be eighteen again because nothing had changed. Max still managed to make every nerve in her body zap and zing.

He scowled and pretended not to notice her hand. "I want to take Molly to the lake this weekend," he said. "My family will be there. Molly wanted me to ask you to come along, so what do you think?"

Kari bit into her bottom lip. "I can't go, Max."

"The entire Dutton clan will be there. Bring Lindsay with you. It'll be fun."

"I don't know..."

He looked past her. "You're not dating that pencil neck, are you?"

"He's not a pencil neck. He's a very sweet man."

"So, you are dating the guy?"

"Not unless you count two dinners and a show as dating."

"You went to dinner with him again?"

"Do you always have to answer a question with a question?"

"Do you?"

She sighed. "Here," she said, trying to give him the papers again.

"Where do you expect me to put those?"

She took a closer look, starting at his cleats and working her way up well-muscled thighs and extremely hard abs, across a thick chest and neck, stopping at his square jaw and firm lips. "I see what you mean." She tucked the papers back into her briefcase.

"I'll get them from you this Friday when I pick you and Molly up at the house," he said. "Eight o'clock in the morning. I want to get an early start. We'll be staying a couple of nights, so make sure you pack enough clothes."

She started to protest.

"The truth is," he said, "I'm having some trouble connecting with Molly and I could use your help."

Kari pursed her lips.

"I think we both owe it to our daughter."

"I'll go," she said, "for Molly."

"Why else?"

"Yes," she said, "why else?"

"And don't forget about the opening game next week," he continued in a cheerful voice. "Just do me one big favor and don't bring your realtor as your guest."

She rolled her eyes.

"If you're real lucky, I'll get another pass into the locker room."

"Lucky me," she said.

His smile made his blue eyes twinkle.

"I better go."

"Yeah, me too."

"If you really want to make points with Molly, call her later and tell her to invite a friend to the lake."

"Thanks," he said, giving her a long hard look she couldn't define. "I'll do that."

She turned to leave, gasping when he swatted her bottom.

His fans loved his macho man attitude and they cheered as Kari shook her head and walked off. She looked over her shoulder, but Max wasn't watching her walk away as he usually did. She stopped and watched him instead.

When she climbed into the car, Richard glanced at the papers sticking out of her briefcase. "He didn't take the papers?"

"No. He said he'd get them from me this weekend."

Richard backed the car up and drove out of the parking lot. "What's going on this weekend?"

"Looks like I'm going to the lake with Molly and Max's family. He's having a hard time bonding with her. I owe my daughter that much. I want to show her that Max and I can be friends. I think it's important for her to know she now has two parents and can count on us both for love and support."

Richard nodded. "Did you see the look he was giving me? Mad Max thinks there's something going on between us."

"You think?"

Richard laughed as they drove off. "It's obvious you're in love with the guy. Why don't you just tell him how you feel? Life is too short to have regrets."