Callie giggled with delight. Nice to see that all women got that melty feeling inside when he casually called them sweetheart.
"See this?" He held his arms open to give her a good look at the front of his shirt, then he pointed to the logo. Jo couldn't resist taking a peek herself. His chest was broad, the T-shirt just snug enough to show the cuts of well-defined muscles. She remembered the feel of his skin under her hands. The tickle of rough, masculine hair right over his fast-beating heart.
"This is a dynasty, kiddo," he continued to explain, unaware that his hostess's mouth had gone dry and her lower halfhadn't. Oh, boy, she was in trouble. "We can decorate your whole bedroom in Yankee colors, if you like."
"And displace the Pooh Bears I hand-stenciled?" Jo gave him an incredulous look. "You're dreamin', pal."
"Maybe not now," he agreed quickly, but added, "We can wait until after she starts to play tee ball."
Jo set a sippy cup of juice on the tray and laughed at him. "She's not going to play baseball, Cam. She's a carbon copy of her mother who would never endanger the health of a polished fingernail."
"Who knows?" He carefully scooped up a spoonful of applesauce and held it to Callie's mouth, the tiny spoon looking somehow tender and endearing in his masculine hand. "They say environment could be stronger than genes. She might be a master carpenter."
Jo felt her smile fade as she looked down at him. Was that a complimentor a dig?
He winked at Callie, just as she opened her mouth to receive the spoonful like a perfect lady. Like she'd never thwacked a spoon of applesauce in her life. She moaned as she gummed and swallowed.
"She's really beautiful," he said softly, more to himself than to her.
Jo folded her arms and looked at Callie. "She looks so much like Katie, I could cry."
He appeared to study the applesauce closely, then asked, "I was wondering if you had any more pictures? You know, when Katie was younger?" He did a miserable job of sounding casual.
She thought of the two photo albums she and her mother had retrieved from the rubble. Every picture Chris ever took of Katie from birth to "Yeah, I do. Lots of them."
"Maybe later I could take a look at them."
She put her hand on his shoulder, wanting to offer comfort. It had nothing to do with giving in to the urge to touch him again. "I'll show them to you tonight. After our hike."
He glanced at that hand, then looked up at her, his eyes warm, but guarded. "Where do we hike?"
She pointed out the window. "My backyard."
"That's convenient."
"Sure is. I do a couple miles almost every day."
His jaw slackened in surprise, but then he raked her with a long look that sent a hot flash through her whole body. "No wonder you're in such great shape."
The heat wave was punctuated by a flip of her heart that she vowed to ignore.
"I'm going to change, then I'll pack us some provisions," she said, pointing toward the stairs. "Think you'll be okay with her for five minutes?"
He nodded at Callie. "Of course. We'll be fine."
Jo bent down to give the baby a kiss. "I'll be right back, sugarplum."
Callie immediately looked up, that unsure expression on her face.
"Don't worry," she said softly, stroking Callie's silky dark hair. "I'm just going upstairs. You stay with" Uncle Cam?
"Cam," he filled in for her. "She can call me Cam."
"She won't call you anything," Jo assured him. "She can't talk, Cam."
"Ca-ca-ca-ca!" Callie pointed right in his face.
His grin was pure self-satisfaction. "See that? She said my name. You watch. She'll be saying she loves me before I leave."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she admitted, trying to cover the truth with a playful laugh.
But there was nothing playful about it. The hearts of both women in this house were officially put on notice for the following week.
Like everything else she did, Jo hiked the side of a mountain with grace, agility and ease. Callie was comfortably stashed in some sort of carrier around Jo's chest, looking out at the world, babbling and singing contentedly.
Cam easily kept up with Jobut only because he played Softball three times a week and hit the gym at the top floor of his office building on two other days. This was one serious workout.
Was it some kind of endurance test for him or was she just showing off?
From behind he studied Jo's long strides, her square shoulders, her compact backside and long, taut thighs revealed by a pair of beige hiking shorts. She could show off all she wantedthe pleasure was his. He couldn't remember ever being turned on by a woman who was so athletic and sculpted. Typically his girlfriends were bone skinny and delicate enough to blow over in a strong wind.
He tried to imagine Amanda hiking up this mountain, and the thought made him laugh out loud. Followed by a wave of relief that he'd called it quits with her before he left New York.
"Glad to hear you're having fun back there," she called over her shoulder. '"Cause things are about to get hairy."
Hairy ? "Steeper, you mean?"
"Yeah. A little." She stopped and he caught up with her in two strides. She indicated up with one finger. Way up. "We'll go another quarter mile or so, then have lunch at my favorite spot. Unless you're too tired or hungry."
He was basically wiped out and ravenous. "I can go as long as you can," he assured her.
Her smile was half disbelief, half tease. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Cam. Just tell me if you want a break. I do this every day."
"I'm only thirty-five. I work out," he said defensively. "And I play ball."
"Uh-huh." He could have sworn her glance fluttered over his chest, but behind the sunglasses she wore it was hard to be sure. It wouldn't be the first time he'd caught her checking him out. She'd been drooling more than Callie in the kitchen.
"Come on, tomgirl," he tapped her shoulder playfully. "Keep hiking."
"Tomgirl?" She laughed. "Where'd you get that one?"
He pulled his own sunglasses down far enough to be sure she saw the look of sincerity in his eyes. "You're too female to qualify as a tomboy ."
He couldn't see her eyes, but the rush of color to her face had nothing to do with the warm California sun that baked down on them.
She turned around and headed back up the hillside. "Watch your step, then," she said, and whispered something to Callie he didn't catch.
About an hour later they stopped at a wide clearing of grass surrounded by pines so thick they practically obliterated the blue sky. The air was thin and crispy clean, whispering through the pine needles like mother nature's even breathing.
"So this is your favorite spot, huh?" Cam tugged off the knapsack he'd offered to carry, taking in the storybook quality of the view.
"It sure is. In the whole world."
In what seemed like no time, she'd spread a blanket, put out some food and drinks and set the baby in the middle of it all. No matter what she did, Jo had one eye on the child and could grab her before she'd crawled an inch out of her spot.
These two ladies seemed to communicate wordlessly.
A twinge of guilt twisted his gut. It would be a damn travesty to break them up.
He settled onto an edge of the blanket, his gaze torn between the natural beauty of the world around him and the woman in front of him.
"So what's the legal order of events for adoption?" he asked.
Jo looked up from the container of fruit she was opening, shrugging her shoulder to push back a strand of reddish brown hair that escaped her ponytail. "I have a meeting on Friday with Child Services."
"What's on the agenda?"
She held out the container. "Want a strawberry?"
He took one and nodded thanks, then she offered the dish to Callie, who sat cross-legged between them. "Strawberry, Cal?"
The baby grabbed a fat berry and began to gnaw on it, while Cam waited for Jo to answer his question.
"It was supposed to be
the meeting where I presented them with the signed Petition of Relinquishment. But, now" She popped a slice of cantaloupe into her mouth and looked away.
Nowshe had no signature.
"Are they expecting a signed petition?"
She shook her head and answered after she'd swallowed. "They don't know you exist. I wanted to hit them with the news and your formal consent at the same time."
He lay down, leaning on his elbow to watch her wipe some pink slobber from Callie's chin.
"I gotta hand it to you, Jo," he said. "You don't whine. You haven't cried or stomped your foot or pleaded with me to go home."
She smiled wistfully. "I learned a long time ago how ineffective those techniques are."
Somehow, he just knew where she'd learned that lesson. "Katie?"
"She gave a new meaning to a fine California whine."
He laughed at that, and accepted the hunk of French bread she offered to him.
"She does sound like a pain in the butt."
"Yeah, but she was my pain in the butt. So I loved her." She leaned back on her hands and dropped her head back so that the sun washed her face. "And I miss her whining like you can't believe."
He had to fight the urge to reach over the blanket and touch the sliver of silky skin exposed at the V-neck of her simple, white T-shirt. Suddenly he remembered what that skin tasted like, how hot and slick her flesh had been under his mouth. Her thick, auburn ponytail nearly brushed the ground behind her and his fingers ached to get back into that mane of hair.
"I'll go with you." He had no idea where that announcement had come from, but he accepted it as right.
"Excuse me?" She sat straight and looked at him, lifting her sunglasses to peer at him. "You'll go with me to the Child Services meeting?"
"Yep."
"Why would you do that?"
"Aren't you planning to tell them about usabout my familyat that meeting?"
She nodded. "Not that they'll believe the story, but, yes, I have to."
She didn't have to, and he knew it. She could have easily concealed the fact that Callie had living relatives and moved forward with the adoption. The fact that she hadn't, that she'd made a concerted effort to find him and do everything the right way continued to amaze him, and he liked her for the honesty.
"If I'm there to corroborate your story, will that help or hurt?"
"It might expedite things. Either way, they'll launch a full-scale investigation and interview you, and probably your brothers."
He knew why, of course. He'd investigated California adoption laws the minute Jo had left New York. Without a will stipulating custody and care, Callie was legally his or his brothers, because the familial rights were considered stronger than close friends.
But that's where the law got dicey. Callie could remain in Jo's custody, but the consent to give her up for adoption fell to him. There were few cases with similar precedents, but in every one the child had ended up with the living relatives by order of the court. The legal cards were stacked against Jo.
Callie rolled over onto all fours and launched into a speed crawl. At the same time, they lunged for her, their hands and bodies touching as they reached her at the precise same moment. He backed off and let Jo take her.
Which, he knew, was exactly what he should do with the whole adoption process. From the look Jo gave him, she was thinking the same thing.
"The woman we'll meet with is Mary Beth Borrell," she said, easing Callie back and giving her some bread. "What are you going to tell her?"
"I'll tell them I'm here to observe. To make sure Callie is safe and loved."
"And then? Will you" She cleared her throat and smiled at him. "I really don't want to whine when I ask this question. But will you sign the petition, then?"
"I can't, Jo."
He saw her delicate jaw slacken.
"I can't until I've discussed it with my brothers. We each have our tasks this week, then we'll decide what to do."
"Your tasks?"
He nodded. "Colin is talking to our dad, to tell him what happened and, hopefully, to get the truth about the past."
"We already know the truth."
He didn't respond to that. "Quinn is" He hated to tell her this. "Quinn and Nicole are discussing the possibility of taking on another child, since they are already expecting one."
She blew out a disgusted breath. "Great. That's just great. And you're here to test my mothering skills."
He reached over and put his hand on top of hers. "There's nothing to test, Jo. You're a wonderful mother. Callie's lucky to have you."
She surprised him by turning her hand over and lacing her fingers through his. "Tell that to Child Services."
"I intend to."
But Cam knew that Child Services wasn't Jo's problem. It was his brothers who had gone from lukewarm to burning hot on the idea that their sister's baby should be part of the family. That Callie's "destiny" was to heal the hurt caused by their parent's ancient and stupid actions.
He knew what Quinn and Nicole would want to do. And Colin was just rebellious enough to do the polar opposite of whatever Dad thought was right.
Even if he disagreed, his brothers had an equal say in the fate of Callie McGrath.
Jo's fingers felt warm and oddly comforting. They were slender and smooth and strong. The capable hands of a collision-repair expert.
Good thing. Because he could easily be the cause of the next major wreck in her life.
* * *
Chapter Eight
From his comfortable position in the corner of her sofa, Cameron turned to the last page of the photo album, and a grin broke across his face. Even though Jo sat on the floor by the hearth, curled under her favorite blanket while he studied the pictures, she knew why he was smiling. She had added the last shot from her own collection.
The photo had been taken in Reno, just a week before the earthquake. Jo could see it in her mind's eye Katie beaming underneath the famous arched "Reno" sign, holding a pair of strappy black stilettos in one hand and her cowboy hat in the other.
"But she's wearing shoes," he noted. "Why is she holding a pair?"
"The ones she's holding are mine," Jo said.
That got a surprised look. "No way."
"Way." She laughed softly.
A killer smile spread over his face. "I'd pay big bucks to see you in those shoes."
Her whole lower half nearly melted in a puddle at the implication in his voice. "Yeah. Well. I don't wear them often. I bought her the hat and had it monogrammed with her nickname as a birthday present. While we were waiting for the monogram to be done, we went shoe shopping and she picked those for me."
He studied the picture closely. "She looks really happy."
"She was. Things had settled down. Roger Morgan that's Callie's fathermoved away from Sierra Springs. Buff 'n' Fluff was finally starting to make money. Things were good."
"That didn't last long," he noted.
"Nope. Nature stepped in and did a major shake up."
He closed the book with a thud.
Callie had fallen asleep right after dinner, and Jo and Cameron had been talking ever since. For Jo, the night could have gone on forever. He was easy to talk to, funny and smart. Looking at him bordered on sinful, it was so pleasurable. And he teased her just enough to keep her on edge and tingly.
But something had bothered her while he'd studied the pictures, and she decided it was time to ask. "Why don't you make any comments about your mother?"
He shrugged. "What's to say? She looked good. Pretty youthful. She aged better than my dad, I'll tell you that."
"He has guilt on his conscience."
That made him laugh, oddly enough. "Do you think that's funny?"
"No." He shook his head, still smiling. "It's just that that's exactly what my Gram McGrath would have said.
She was always saying things like that about all of us. She had a prediction or a fateful pronouncement for every man in the McGrath family."
"She said Dad's guilty conscience would do him in someday, but only when he wasn't around. He didn't like to hear that."
"And now you know why," she said.
He placed the photo album on the coffee table and leaned back into the sofa. "I guess I do."
"What about you and your brothers? What did your grandmother say?"
"Well, let's see. Quinn is, or was, a pretty serious babe magnet."
"Like you're not."
He chuckled. "Let's just say he elevated it to an art form. Anyway, she used to say he'd find 'the one' and settle down."
"And she was right?"
He nodded. "You should see him with Nic. Happy as a pig inFlorida. She always said Colin was the lucky one, born to get things easily."
"Does he?"
"He has a great girl, a successful company. He made it look easy, even if it wasn't."
"And what about you? What did your Gram say was your fate in life?"
His smile disappeared, and that sent a shiver of worry through Jo. "Tell me," she urged.
He suddenly stood up. "Just an old Irish lass musing, Jo. Nothing to take seriously." He stretched, drawing her attention to that damn Yankee logo again. "I think I'm going to take a shower and turn in. The time change has caught up with me."
Whatever his grandmother had predicted for Cam was going to remain a secret.
"You have to use my shower upstairs," she said. "The bathroom down here is just a powder room."
"What, you haven't installed a shower with your bare hands in your spare time?" He reached down to pull her up, easily lifting her to her feet.
"It's on my to-do list," she assured him, releasing her hand even though she didn't want to.
When they got to the top of the stairs, she pointed to her bedroom. "I'll be in here."
"Getting your pj's on?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
"I don't"
"I know you don't." He winked at her. "That's why I suggested it."
"'Very funny." She tapped his shoulder, pushing him toward the bathroom. "I do make special exceptions."
While he showered, Jo changed into the only sleep-wear she could muster, Sponge Bob SquarePants boxer shorts and a tank top. Then she remembered she should make up the sofa bedor Cam might be tempted to crawl into hers.
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