Read No One But You for Free Online Page B

from accounting. Skip that. A message from his VP. That could wait. An email from Mariah Duncan. He clicked on it so fast his hand was a blur.
    Once again, he was listed in the cc line.
    Ella Jean—hope your week is going well. Thank you for your help in hunting down the appraisal. You’re the best. I owe you lunch after the property had closed. Name the time and place, and I’m there.
    Mariah. The thought of her brought a smile to his face. Always had, always would. Seeing her Monday had put a spring in his step he couldn’t explain. He admired what she’d done with her life, and respected the woman she’d become. That’s all it was…old friends catching up. That’s all it could ever be. Sorry about that, and he really was, he clicked on the next message from his real estate agent.
    If we’re still on for tonight, go ahead and preview these homes. I’ve sent the links. Let me know if this is in line with your expectations.
    He sighed. And so the house hunt continued.
    * * *
    It was dark when Mariah pulled into one of the last available parking spaces in the community center’s lot. Exhausted from a long day of standing in line at the city land office trying to find out the status of their building permit, racing to a women’s entrepreneur luncheon where she was a speaker, and finally sitting through three interviews for a new social worker—with four more scheduled for tomorrow—she was late, late, late. Knowing she’d missed Jake’s practice, she climbed from the car, grabbed her bag and jogged across the lot. With any luck, a kick of caffeine from the snack bar might give her the energy she needed to make it home.
    The community center buzzed with activity. The echoing thud, thud of dribbling balls, the stampede of kids charging down the court and the faint scent of chlorine from the pool were all so familiar. In one of the rooms, a seniors group practiced tai chi; in another aerobics was the activity of choice. She zoomed straight to the concession stand.
    “Mariah. Good to see you.” Bill, the center’s director, closed the cash register. “Decaf mocha, right? I meant to shoot you an email this afternoon. Good news.”
    “I like good news.”
    “Then you’ll be happy with this. Not only did I manage to round up a few more hoops, but a ton of sign-up forms came in. We’re already way above target for the fund-raiser.”
    “That’s a wonderful surprise.” She relaxed against the counter, glad to chat about the upcoming hoop fest tournament for Mary’s Place that the community center was hosting. “The event keeps growing. I’m getting media lined up for it, and I think we’ll have even better coverage this year.”
    “Excellent.” Bill’s machine whizzed and whirred. “That’ll be two-fifty.”
    Mariah unzipped her purse, but a hand settled on her shoulder, stopping her. Recognition jolted through her. She didn’t need to turn to know the identity of the man behind her; would she recognize Wyatt’s touch anywhere. His hand moved away, leaving her breathless. A five dollar bill dropped onto the counter in front of her.
    “I’d like one of those, too, please. It looks good.” Wyatt gave his tie a tug, loosening it. “Hey, are you picking Jake up from practice?”
    “Yes. Perhaps the bigger question is why are you here?”
    “I’m looking at some houses in the area later, so I thought I might as well drop by and check out the league Jake mentioned. See if it was someplace I’d fit.” A sparkle gleamed in his eyes, something that hadn’t been there before. Wyatt seemed happier and more relaxed than last time she’d seen him. It looked good on him.
    “Are you going to join?”
    “Got the sign-up forms right here.” He patted his jacket pocket. “Met two of the team members. They seem like good guys, so it could be fun. The games are on Saturday night, though.”
    “Won’t that interfere with your personal life?”
    “What personal life?” Wyatt thanked Bill, who set two