“Get in the car and I’ll tell you.”

She groaned and allowed him to help her in.

“Are these seats heated? Also, is this a new car?” She looked around at the interior.

“Yes, heated seats. I know it’s ridiculous and yet, I love them anyway. Not a new car. I bought it a few years ago. But I drive the SUV more often when I’m in town to tote kids around.”

He headed toward her house. “Why were you walking just now?”

“Why were you in Tart just now?”

“You’re a difficult woman.”

“You’re a spoiled man.”

He shot her a grin and liked how it made her blush. “I am spoiled and I like it that way. I was in Tart asking Jules where your mechanic was located so I could go pick you up. She wouldn’t tell me so don’t get that face.”

“I told you I’d meet you at the house.”

“Why? Why won’t you let me help you?”

“Because I don’t need help! I can get home from the auto repair shop. I had to stop by a client’s on the way back anyway. Which I did. Believe it or not, I am capable of managing my life.”

“I don’t know why you’re always so eager to refuse my help.” He pulled up her drive and she bounced from the car before he got the keys from the ignition.

“You’re right. You don’t know me.”

“Because you won’t share!”

“Share what?” She opened her front door and went through; he closed and locked it after himself.

“Anything! I hear you had a hard week. And not because you told me, no, that would be too easy. But you didn’t tell me. I want to help you, make your life better!”

She spun, hanging her bag and coat up. “You have some cheek, you know that?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

She heaved a sigh. “I run a business. A successful one. I had a client to see and I don’t think having you wait for me in the car would have screamed able professional, do you?”

“All you had to do was tell me that. We could have met after and I’d have given you a ride. Or, even better, if you’d let me know your car was still having trouble I could have loaned you mine. Which I’ll be doing anyway. You can give me a ride home tomorrow or whenever.”

“No, Adrian, I didn’t have to tell you that. You don’t tell me what you do all day long. I trust that you handle your career in a way that works best for you and that if you need my help you’ll ask. It infantilizes me that you’d assume I need to fill you in when I was just managing my damned job.”

“That’s not the same!”

She blinked at him and he was so annoyed he decided to just forge ahead with the rest. “And in the interest of full disclosure, I came over today not only to see Miles but to let you know a few things. It gave me an excuse to see you.”

“You don’t need an excuse to see your son. You know that.”

“I’m talking about you. Anyway, I set up a college fund for Miles. And I paid off his orthodontist.”

Her brows flew up even higher and she made a noise that would not bode well for him. Though he had to curse his c**k because it knew they’d be burning up the sheets after they worked things through.

“I have a right to pay for his education. In fact, he can go to private school now if he likes. A friend of mine went to the Northwest School in Seattle. It’s an excellent school. I spoke with their admissions people and if Miles wanted to apply, we could put him there in the fall.”

“Oh, we could, could we? And how much would this little program cost?”

“I’ll pay for it. Look, Gillian, I know you’re doing a great job with him, but your resources are limited. Why do you have such a problem with my helping him? I shouldn’t have to ask permission to do things for my son.”

“You promised me we’d talk about this stuff first. That’s how important this is to you? You’d just go do all this without even talking to me, and then you try to make it my fault. I’m not going to play this game with you. I have too much to do.”

“And I won’t let you make me feel guilty for having money.”

“Wha’ are you on about?”

Uh-oh, dangerous ground when she started losing the end of certain words.

“You act like it’s poison when I offer to help. Like my money is dirty. I earned it, Gillian. I can provide for the people I love. And now you don’t have to pay the orthodontist. It’s nothing to me and a lot to you so why fight me?”

“It’s not about that and you know it. For the record, I appreciate the help and I’m glad you set up a college account for him. I think that’s marvelous.” She shot him a look that dared him to try interrupting so he didn’t. “When you do these things you promised to discuss with me first, you’re not respecting me as his mother.”

“Then you respect me!”

“I risked everything to bring him to you, so don’t belittle it.”

He heard the tears then and stepped back, looking at the situation more carefully. She was not the kind of woman who’d manipulate with tears. If she was this close to losing it, she must be really stressed out. And damn it, he wanted to fix it for her.

“I’m sorry. I just want to help. And I live over the water and I go to sleep every night without him. I wake up every day wondering how he’s doing. I miss him. Let me help, Gillian. Damn it.”