Read FATHER IN TRAINING for Free Online

children and had also found Kyle practically naked.
    His chest had been as big and broad as that tank shirt had promised three days ago when she and her kids had arrived. His tan went clear to the waistband of his shorts, and probably lower . The sprinkling of dark hair, the faint outline of impossibly firm muscles and the heat radiating from him had made her palms itch to press against him. She'd wanted to touch and taste and—
    "Mom, how long are you going to stand there staring into space?"
    Lindsay's question jerked her back to the present. She landed with an emotional thud, then blushed hotly as she wondered if everyone knew what she'd been thinking about. She glanced around frantically. No one seemed to have noticed. Austin and Travis trooped past her carrying ladders, paint cans and drop cloths. Kyle was standing next to her, studying the list she'd posted to the wall detailing the chores that had yet to be done. Only Lindsay stared at her, exasperated. "Mom?"
    "I was thinking," she said quickly, then cleared her throat. "Kyle, this is very nice of you and your brothers, but I really can't—"
    He turned and smiled. Her heart rate increased. Thank God he was wearing a T-shirt so she didn't have to deal with his chest again. "Of course you can. Just say 'Gee, Kyle, you're a nice man. Thanks for your help.'"
    "Kyle, you are a nice man, but—"
    He turned and touched his finger to her lips. Electricity shot through her body, starting at her mouth and jolting clear down to her toes. Her blood heated as an unfamiliar longing stirred to life deep inside her belly.
    "No buts," he ordered. "You can't do all this work by yourselves, Sandy. We both know that. You can give in gracefully, or you can fight me and look like a stubborn fool. The choice is yours."
    His eyes were an impossible color. Not black, just a deep, dark shade of brown. Long lashes framed his eyes. He had a straight nose with a small bump on one side. She wondered if it had once been broken. From what she remembered, the Haynes brothers weren't afraid of a good fight.
    She forced her thoughts away from the man and back to the task at hand. Her children stood around her, gazing up at her hopefully. They'd worked hard these last few days. Unfortunately, Kyle was right. They couldn't do it all themselves. They'd barely finished the downstairs. There was still the upstairs to clean out, not to mention the painting. Her body ached, her muscles screamed in protest every time she even thought about climbing the stairs. This was supposed to be their summer vacation, and they needed a break.
    "Thank you," she said at last. Lindsay and Nichole cheered.
    "Just because we're accepting help doesn't mean we're not going to work," she said. "Girls, you know the routine. Start upstairs with the bedrooms. Blake, you come with me and we'll tackle the bathrooms." She looked at Kyle. "Travis and Austin are painting. What are you going to do?"
    He winked. "Supervise."
    By five that afternoon, the smell of paint drifted through the house and all of the upstairs had been cleaned. Kyle had done more than supervise. He'd taped off windows, painted the wooden window frames and all the downstairs baseboards. Travis and Austin had finished painting the kitchen and then had moved into the dining room.
    Lindsay dumped the last of the dirty water and leaned against the bathroom counter. "Now what?" she asked, her voice tired, her face flushed.
    Sandy gave her a weary smile. "Now we take a break. There are sodas in the ice chest. Take Blake and Nichole, and go outside and rest."
    "Can you carry me down the stairs?"
    "I think you can make it."
    Lindsay started out of the bathroom, then paused. "What about dinner? I'm starved."
    "I thought about ordering pizza."
    "Really?" Lindsay's brown eyes widened with surprise. "But whenever we ask for it, you always say it's expensive and has no nutritional value. You never order pizza. I only get to eat it when I'm staying with a girlfriend."
    "I'm