“We need to take our seats. The wedding will be starting soon,” a woman said from directly behind Nikkie Jean. “Nik, you can probably find…your date…inside.”
“Thanks, Mel.” Nikkie Jean shot a quick look at Caine. One that told him she was about to escape.
“Nikkie Jean, we will talk later.”
She shot him an innocent look. “Really? I can’t imagine what about.”
The redheaded woman behind her snickered.
Caine just glowered. He wanted to go to her. Touch her for a moment.
But his brand-new brother-in-law was directly in his way.
“I think you know exactly what about. Everett, Keller, let’s go take our seats.”
Everett started inside. But Keller, little turncoat that she was, was too busy preening to pay attention. Nikkie Jean noticed.
“Hi. Are you and your brothers feeling better?”
“You’re Daddy’s girlfriend Nikkie Jean!” Keller practically yelled at her.
“Am I?” Nikkie Jean shot Caine a pointed look. He just sent a benign look right back. Shrugged as best as he could. “That is the prettiest dress I’ve seen today. And your hair! Absolutely gorgeous. Would you like a flower to tie in it? It’ll match those on your dress perfectly.”
Keller was in heaven. Caine just watched as Nikkie Jean slipped a flower free from the arrangement and handed it to his daughter, with a sweet, genuine smile.
Yes. A little girl who looked like Keller but with Nikkie Jean’s smile…he would be beyond thrilled. Of course, he’d be thrilled with a little boy with his Nikkie Jean’s most mischievous grin, too.
Just what that meant for them all was starting to sink in.
The brother-in-law was waiting. Caine followed him to the pew in the middle of the church. “Family is this way. Rafe and Jillian are both in the wedding today. My wife, as well. Her sisters Pen and Zoey are helping watch the children.”
“Thank you.” What in the three hells was he supposed to say to this guy? Caine hid his unease by shifting his youngest son in his arms.
“I get it. My wife spent years alone on the streets. All of this is hard for her. But I don’t think she’d change a thing about the way things are happening. Enjoy the wedding. Say hello and then get out of here if you want. Trust me—they’ll all understand.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Fortunately, the guy had led them to a pew directly behind two dark-haired young women and a bunch of children. Caine settled the twins and slid into the pew. The woman nearest him turned and looked at him.
Caine tensed.
“I’m Zoey. This is Pen, my—our—sister. And this is Mikey, our nephew.”
Caine took a look at the baby she held. He greatly resembled the one in Caine’s own arms, but was about half Dalton’s age. “This is my son Dalton. Everett and Keller.”
Keller had apparently lost all shyness completely. “You look like me, too!”
The teenager turned, as well. She had blue hair and the same shape eyes as Everett.
Caine felt chains of bonds he didn’t really want tightening around him.
The girl smiled at his kids. “Hi. I’m Aunt Pen, if your dad says you can call me that.”
“Daddy?” Keller turned toward him, pleading in her eyes. Keller, who had built huge families out of the few dolls she had for years.
“Of course. Hello, Pen. Zoey. It’s nice to meet you all.”
“You, too.” There was a wariness in the older sister’s eyes. One that told of its own stories. “I’m with the TSP out of Garrity, you?”
“I’m the chief of medicine at Barratt County General Hospital in Value.”
“I’m in college. At FCU,” the young girl said. His sister. He had almost twenty years on this child, yet there she was. Looking at him expectantly. The last thing Caine knew how to be was a big brother to a teenager with blue hair.
She intimidated him almost as much as his own daughter.
“What are you studying?”
“I don’t really know yet. I haven’t made up my mind what I want to do. I’m considering social work. Or maybe something with Luc’s company. Do you know Luc yet? He’s our oldest brother and does all sorts of cool things.” The teenager was a bubbly one, that was for sure. She and Nikkie Jean would probably find a million things to chatter about.
“He’s Daviess Lucas, of Lucas Technologies,” Zoey said quietly. Caine recognized the name and the company and bit back a wince. “He’s in the wedding party. His wife is an attendant, as is Mikey’s mother.”
“I’ve heard of him.” Caine looked at this quieter sister. “Just how many of us are there?”
“At last count, eight. There are possibly four or five more that they are trying to track down. But the birth—our mother—used aliases, we think.”
Dalton babbled loudly, reminding Caine of where they were. “I see.”
“We can talk later. I’ll tell you what I know,” the quieter sister said. She was far more reserved than the younger girl. Wary. Caine understood.
Nikkie Jean often had that same expression in her eyes.
“Thanks.” He hadn’t felt an immediate connection with these people—with the possible exception of his twin—but he did feel pulled.
He couldn’t deny that.
“Daddy, can you put the flower in my hair?” Keller asked. Caine shifted Dalton to the pew beside him.
“Come here.” One skill he had yet to develop was fixing Keller’s hair appropriately. A flower was likely to crumble if he tried. But he did the best he could.
“Where did you get such a pretty flower?” Zoey asked, with a smile an exact match to the one on Caine’s daughter. Keller looked more like her aunt’s child than she did Caine’s.
That was hard to miss.
“The lady at the door gave it to us. Her name is Nikki Jean, and she’s a doctor. Our cousin Katie says she’s really nice and plays with real American Girl dolls. I don’t have one yet. I heard her tell uncle…I don’t remember his name! I heard tell him she wanted him to arrest her and hide her from Daddy for eight months. But that’s weird, because she’s going to be Daddy’s girlfriend.”
“I see.” Zoey shot a look toward the back of the church. Caine didn’t turn around. Of course, that would be something Nikkie Jean would say.
His favorite little scaredy-cat was hiding from him. He’d have to flush her out during the reception.
“Nikkie Jean and I—are involved.” That was all he was going to say in front of his children and to a stranger. “She’s trying to avoid me today.”
“Can he arrest her?” Everett asked, intrigued. He looked toward the back of the church.
“He could. He’s with the FBI. But I don’t think he would.”
“Unless she robbed a bank?” Everett had a fascination with all things crime and law enforcement. He’d been a police officer and a detective for the last two Halloweens.
Zoey smiled again. “Unless she robbed a bank. Then I can arrest her, too. But I don’t think Dr. Netorre would do that.”
“Unless her other boyfriend did it and she’s keeping it a secret,” Everett said, almost with glee. His son did have an active imagination. “He looks like the kind of person who would rob a bank. I’m going to be a policeman when I grow up. With the TSP. I’ll arrest him. Then she can be Daddy’s girlfriend.”
Caine rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“I’m with the TSP.”
“Cool. Can I see your gun?”
“No. I’m afraid not, but…” She reached into a small purse and pulled out a badge. She let his son hold it.
Everett’s face showed his fascination—and a bit of hero worship for this new relative. He reluctantly handed it back to Zoey when Caine prompted him.
“We’ll see if Paige, she’s another aunt, has her badge today, too. She’s with the FBI.”
“That’s awesome. Can we arrest Nikkie Jean’s other boyfriend, though?”
“Not unless
we catch him doing something wrong.”
Caine couldn’t help himself. He had to see who this other boyfriend was.
Allen Jacobson.
Of course.
65
“DON’T LOOK NOW, BUT I think we’re being watched,” Allen said.
Nikkie Jean barely avoided looking toward Caine. “I know. I talked to him a moment when he came in.”
Allen slipped an arm around her and hugged her closer, just for a moment.
Nikkie Jean didn’t tense. When she realized that, she looked at him, elated. Apparently, she really did trust Allen. She shot him a smile, a deep, heartfelt smile. “Thank you. For being my friend. I haven’t had much of them. Especially men.”
“That’s a shame. A good friend will stay with you through thick and thin. You can count on me, Nikkie Jean. I promise.”
“I know. And that is what makes you so great. Did you know, until I came to Finley Creek the second time, I had one close friend? And we had lost touch when I was sick, when I was sixteen. My fault. I pushed her away. I pushed everyone away. And then there were Annie and Izzie. I think they’ll stick with me. If I don’t do something to push them away, too.” She shot a look to where the two of them sat midway back on the bride’s side. They’d made plans to meet up at the reception. There had been no way Izzie would sit that near Allen.
Allen turned toward her. “Listen to me. A true friend sticks even when you push them away. That’s the way it works.”
Tears hit her eyes. She would have said more, but the music changed. The first attendant started down the aisle; she thought the blond may have been one of Caine’s sisters-in-law he hadn’t met yet. She couldn’t remember how many he had now.
Allen held her hand for the longest time. While it was comforting, her skin didn’t sizzle the way it did every time Caine touched her.
Nope.
It was just Caine who made her feel that way.
It would probably always be just Caine who made her feel that way.
She was definitely in way over her head now.
* * *
—
* * *
The children’s reception happened after the cake had been served. The bride’s eldest brother—a billionaire from St. Louis who looked a lot like Caine and his twin, only thinner—had hired a private entertainment company to provide just about anything the child guests wanted to do. There were even care workers for the number of smaller children.
He was reluctant at first to send Dalton, but his son wanted to follow Everett and Keller. Pen had taken Dalton for Caine and promised to stay with him for a while. Technically, she’d told him, she was still a child. She wanted to spend some time with her nieces and nephews, then she’d join the adults for the rest of the reception.
He hadn’t wanted to deny them the fun the other children were going to enjoy. The governor’s daughter had sought the twins out personally.
Without his children as a barrier, Caine had no excuse.
He had to meet his brothers and sisters on his own. Like the adult he was.
But first…the mother of his fourth child was hiding from him. And he was going to change that.
He stalked her around the reception room. It was the finest the Barratt—Finley Creek had; that was evident. The bride, sweetly shy and obviously well-loved by everyone, had made a point of saying hello to him.
That had broken the flood waves—within minutes he’d been introduced to the siblings he hadn’t met yet and their families. His biological mother’s children ranged from a teenage boy, who greatly favored Everett, to the billionaire a few years older than Caine and his twin.
Successful people. No failures among the lot of them. Even his youngest sister, Pen, was a high achiever who’d graduated high school at the ripe old age of fifteen and immediately entered college. Simon, the teenage boy of around thirteen or fourteen, had skipped a few grades and now played varsity basketball.
They spoke politely with him, but no one was too pushy. Caine appreciated it.
Especially since most of his attention was on watching Nikkie Jean—and that damned Allen Jacobson—where she sat three tables away.
Every time he stepped over in her direction, someone else would materialize to talk with him.
It took him a moment to realize that someone was doing it to him deliberately.
He just had no idea who was orchestrating it. Whoever it was, they were very good at it. And enjoying it. No doubt Nikkie Jean’s feminine little hand was at work in it.
Someone nudged him lightly.
He turned and looked into the light-brown eyes of his redheaded sister-in-law. “You keep staring at her, people are going to figure it out, you know.”
“Figure what out?”
“How you feel about her. I’m sorry about my sister Mel, though. She’s been helping Nikkie Jean avoid you, I think. Mel’s evil like that. She gets perverse pleasure from messing with people.”
“I don’t think I’ve met her.”
“I’m sure you will eventually.”
“Nikkie Jean’s been avoiding me. And we have things to discuss.”
A look went through Jillian’s eyes. “Yes, she’s probably avoiding you. You probably scare her to the bottom of her toes, you know. I’m just surprised with her history that you were even able to get close to her at all, let alone make a kid.”
“I know.” Her story hurt him every time he thought about it. Hurt him for her sake.
No doubt she was feeling unsettled after having told him about the assault. Afraid of what his reaction would be. And Nikkie Jean needed to hide from the things that scared her at first. Until she could work her way through them in her own way.
Caine wasn’t so certain he was all that different in that regard. He’d taken off from her that first night like his own shorts were on fire. All because of how immediately she’d made him feel.
The band was churning up. Dancing would start soon.
He was going to get Nikkie Jean in his arms and away from that damned Allen Jacobson no matter what he had to do.
Other boyfriend, his ass. Nikkie Jean was Caine’s. It was just taking her a while to see that.
“Just…take it from one who knows her well—the forceful-hunter routine, one you apparently share with your twin, by the way—will not work. It’ll terrify her. For darned good reason. She’ll run and keep running. It has to be Nikkie Jean’s choice to come to you. Otherwise, you’ll never—”
“I get it.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, big guy. In your own time.” She shot him a wicked grin of her own. Yes, he could see why his brother had gone for her. “I’ll help you out. Allen owes me a dance. Hate to see Nikkie Jean playing the wallflower. Get over there, while you still can.”
Caine did just that.
66
ALLEN KNEW WHEN THE man who looked like Rafe stalked over to their side of the reception hall that Nikkie Jean was in some serious trouble. Alvaro was on the prowl.
Nikkie Jean was the man’s chosen rabbit. “He’s coming for you.”
“I suppose I should probably let him catch me,” Nikkie Jean said. “Otherwise, the man will make a real scene.”
“I could keep him away.” Somehow. When a man looked at a woman like that, keeping him away was probably easier said than done. “You could hide in the ladies’ room.”
“Oh, a sign on the door would not keep him away.”
Nikkie Jean almost sounded glad of that. Allen took a closer look at her face.
Nikkie Jean’s cheeks were pink. She was chewing on her bottom lip lightly—and her eyes were actually sparkling.
She was excited by the fact that Caine Alvaro was hunting her like an antelope. “Unless you want him to catch you?”
The red in her cheeks darkened. “Well…he has caught me before, Allen. And I never thought I would be excited by that. What am I supposed to do?”
Allen just stared at her for a long time. “Do you care about him?”
Nikkie Jean nodded. “Very…much so.”
“And he cares about you.” All one had to do was look at Caine Alvaro’s expression as he watched Allen dance Nikkie Jean around the dance floor to see that.
“I believe he may actually…” Nikkie Jean pulled in such a deep breath Allen could almost feel it. “Yes, Caine cares about me.”
“And you trust him.”
“I…do. Probably more than I have any man in a long, long time. It was fast, sudden, and it was real. I trust him.”
“Then you go to him, and you grab him with both hands, Nikkie Jean. And you make sure he knows exactly how you feel. Don’t risk losing that—for anything.” He spun her lightly.
And then he stopped dancing and passed her off to the man who had come up behind them.
“Dr. Alvaro, I believe this dance may just be yours.”
Allen gave her to the other man then walked off the dance floor.
Alone.
67
IZZIE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH to see Nikkie Jean dancing with Dr. Jacobson and chattering away. She didn’t quite understand why Nikkie Jean was such good friends with him, but she respected that Nikkie Jean was.
Someone came up behind her, and Izzie turned in her chair. “Hey. Welcome back.”
Annie had her foster son, Syrus, riding on her hip. At twenty-two months old, he was the definite baby of Annie’s little family. Annie rocked him gently. She was such a beautiful mother. “He was fussing. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, and he’s tired.”
Annie rocked her son until his eyes drifted close. “Sol and Seeley are having a blast.”
“I’m ready whenever you are.” Ariella was her friend, of course, but Annie needed a break. Her friend just pushed herself too hard sometimes. “I do want to talk to Nikkie Jean first.”
“I think he loves her,” Annie said in a soft voice. “Look at how he’s watching her.”
Izzie looked over at Nikkie Jean. Allen Jacobson held Nikkie Jean close to his own chest. But it was the man behind Nikkie Jean that Annie meant.
Lost in the Wind Page 25
