by Judy Duarte
She followed his instruction and caught a narrow glimpse of the harbor that glistened in the moonlight. It was breathtaking.
Or was it Nick’s touch that caused her wired reaction?
How could a man so out of sync with her idea of a dream mate stir more than memories of their lovemaking?
Instead of the stunning view or the mindless reaction she had to his touch, or the memory that begged for a repeat performance, she tried to focus on their differences. The reason why a long-distance relationship with a man like Nick wouldn’t work.
Stepping away from his touch and his sea-breezy scent, she tried to conjure up an unaffected smile. “You have a beautiful view and an interesting home.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m not sure what kind of sleeping arrangements you’ve got in mind, but I’ll take the sofa.”
Nick studied the pretty brunette who appeared so out of place in his loft apartment. A woman who turned him inside out whenever he looked at her, whenever he remembered being in her arms, in her bed.
But making love to Harry’s daughter once was enough to convince him that no matter how attractive he found her, no matter how much he wanted to give her a lover’s welcome-home kiss, Hailey Conway was strictly off-limits.
His battered conscience wouldn’t allow an instant replay of their last night together. No matter how great it had been.
“I’ll let you have the bed,” he said. “And I’ll take the sofa.”
She glanced across the room to the screen that blocked the king-size bed from the rest of the house. The screen that Carla had purchased and left behind when she’d moved out.
His once-upon-a-time, live-in lover hadn’t liked the one-room place. She’d been insisting upon a home in the suburbs before the last fiery argument had ended their two-month relationship. Nick figured Hailey, too, might be concerned about privacy. “The bathroom door locks.”
She wandered toward the bed and peeked around the screen.
“Sheets are clean,” he added, figuring that would matter to her.
She nodded. “Thanks.”
For changing the sheets? Or for not pressing that they sleep together in a bed big enough for two? He wasn’t sure.
The bedtime stuff was going to be tough. Especially with the memory of the hot, snowy night spent in Hailey’s arms. Never had a past sexual encounter affected him with such longing. Or such guilt.
“Do you mind if I turn in?” she asked. “It’s two hours later in Minnesota. And I’m sleepy.”
“Not at all. We need to get up early and head for the hospital.”
She nodded, then took her black tote bag to the bathroom to do whatever women did in there.
He heard the door lock.
After snatching a spare blanket from the built-in cabinet by the bathroom and taking one of the pillows from the bed, Nick made himself a place to sleep on the couch and lay down—fully clothed, this time. He wasn’t about to take any chances that Hailey’s memories were just as strong as his, that she felt just as aroused as he did.
He glanced at the bathroom door, wondering what she’d wear to bed tonight. The satin nightie she’d had on last time?
Minutes later, when she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a pair of men’s flannel pants, an oversize T-shirt and socks, his curiosity was sated.
Apparently, she’d chosen something safe. But if she could read his mind, she’d know the excess material hadn’t steered his thoughts away from sex. Because Nick already knew—firsthand—the perfect body that lay just beyond the cotton and flannel. Beyond his reach, he reminded himself.
Which was too damn bad.
For him, anyway.
But there was no room in Nick Granger’s life for a woman like Hailey, and the sooner he got that idea ingrained in his mind, the better.
He rolled to his side and faced the large picture window, studied the starry sky and the bright city lights. Looking at anything but the flimsy screen that separated him from Hailey.
It was going to be a long, sleepless night.
Chapter Six
Nick hadn’t slept more than an hour or two all night. He’d counted sheep, plumped his pillow a hundred different ways and just plain watched the clock on the cable TV box, to no avail.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep his mind off the pretty woman who slept in his bed. But in spite of the memories of their last night together, he’d managed to keep his libido in check.
His temporary roommate, on the other hand, had dozed like there was no tomorrow.
Just before dawn, Nick had finally thrown in the towel, deciding to start the day with a shower. Then he walked down to the corner to pick up the news paper and purchase a large cup of coffee. When he returned, he tried to be quiet. Of course, his efforts hadn’t been necessary.
Hailey, it seemed, was dead to the world.
Or at least oblivious to him and the haunting night of passion they’d spent in each other’s arms.
The sun had finally begun to creep above the mountains in the east, where the sky was streaked with muted colors of pink and orange, and Nick grew eager to get Hailey to the hospital before a horde of Harry’s family and supporters arrived to maintain a vigil at his bedside.
Nick wanted her visit with her dad to be as low-key and as private as possible. The two had a lot of ground to cover, and not much time to do so.
Poking his head around the screen that offered very little privacy, Nick saw the petite young woman tucked into his bed, dark hair splayed on the pillow. A flannel-covered leg peeked out from the covers, offering him a glimpse of skin and revealing a small bare foot and toes trimmed with pink polish.
Unwilling to gawk like an adolescent voyeur, he stepped back behind the screen and cleared his voice. “Good morning. It’s time to get up.”
He heard her roll over and mumble something. Then the sheets rustled as she climbed from bed. He watched as she wandered away from the screen and into the bathroom, sleepy-eyed, hair tousled and a pair of fuzzy slippers on her feet.
The toilet flushed, water ran in the bathroom sink. And then silence.
Get a grip, he told himself. Find something to do other than dwell on the woman who’d warmed his bed while he flip-flopped on the couch like a grunion on the moonlit shore.
When Hailey returned several minutes later, her hair had been combed.
“Where do you hide the clean towels?” she asked.
“In the closet to your right.” He studied her over the rim of the plastic foam cup that held his morning brew. “There’s a great coffee bar and newsstand on the corner. Want me to get you something to drink while you shower?”
“Tea, if you don’t mind. Coffee hasn’t been sitting well on my stomach lately.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered a shy smile. “Thank you.”
He nodded, but didn’t make a move for the door. Instead he merely gazed at the woman who looked as sexy as hell in baggy, plaid flannel pants, a University of Minnesota T-shirt and a pair of pink fluffy slippers.
Cripes, he had the urge to take her back to bed. Or to suggest they shower together.
But they had something more important to do, and he was eager to get moving. Eager to take Hailey to see her father and to offer his support to Kay while Harry went under the knife. “Will it take you long to get dressed?”
“Is fifteen minutes too long?”
Nick glanced at his watch, then caught Hailey’s eye. “Fifteen minutes is fine. I’ll go downstairs and get your tea.”
“Do you have a piece of toast to go with it?” she asked.
“I’ll see what I can rustle up.”
When Hailey stepped into the bathroom, Nick strode to the kitchen area to look for some bread. It had been a long time since he’d made a sandwich, but he remembered buying a loaf a while back. Was it this week? Or last?
He found the bread on top of the fridge. But when he pulled the plastic bag down and looked inside, he chucked the whole kit and cab
oodle into the trash. He didn’t suppose Hailey needed a year’s worth of penicillin toasted. Maybe he’d better pick up a sweet roll or croissant at the coffee bar.
Fifteen minutes later, Nick returned with a cup of tea and a brown bag holding a bagel and cream cheese only to find Hailey waiting for him.
Fresh from the shower, she wore a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater. With cheeks flushed, dark hair shimmering, lips looking downright kissable with a light rosy gloss, she appeared ready to go. The only thing missing was a smile.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“A little.” She wiped her hands against her denim-clad hips, indicating she was more than a little apprehensive.
“Harry’s a great guy,” Nick said, trying to reassure her. “And he’s really looking forward to seeing you.”
She grabbed her black purse and slipped the leather strap over her shoulder. “It’s not Harry I’m worried about.”
Her comment took him aback, but only for a moment. The entire Logan family would show up at the hospital today, along with most of the guys Harry had taken under his wing—guys like Nick, who owed the old man a hell of a lot more than words of condolence and support.
And Hailey, whether either of them liked it or not, would be subject to everyone’s scrutiny.
“I was the product of an affair,” she reminded him. “Now that Harry’s looking mortality in the eye, he’d like to see me and appease his conscience. But I doubt the others in his family will feel the same.”
“Kay and Harry have a hell of a marriage. But I guess there was a time when things were kind of rocky.”
“Obviously,” she said.
But Hailey didn’t know the Logans. Not like Nick did. He wasn’t sure what kind of reception she’d get, but he doubted anyone would be rude or treat her badly. They’d been far too accepting and forgiving of too many hard-ass delinquents in the past.
Why not one young woman who would only be in town for a day or so? A woman who hadn’t asked to be born?
“Kay and the boys won’t hold anything against you, honey.”
The sappy endearment had slipped out, surprising him, but Hailey didn’t appear to notice—thank goodness.
She glanced at her wristwatch, a delicate gold bangle, then back at him. “Let’s get this over with.”
“All right.” He opened the door for her. “Come on.”
As they left the building, Nick had the urge to slip an arm around her, but he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans instead.
He might have told Hailey that Kay and the boys would welcome her. But that had been his gut talking, his conscience begging her not to back off or change her mind. Emotions would be running high at Oceana General Hospital today, and he wasn’t exactly sure how anyone, other than Harry, would react to seeing the young woman who’d been born out of wedlock.
But Nick would be there for Hailey.
Whatever that might be worth.
Perched on a hilltop that overlooked the Pacific, Oceana General Hospital was located about twenty minutes north of downtown San Diego. The large white building had an old-world, Spanish style, with a flower-lined walkway and a stone-crafted water fountain bubbling at the entrance.
As Nick walked stoically at her side, Hailey entered the glass doors that opened to the lobby with robotic steps, moist palms and a queasy stomach.
Runaway nerves plagued her unmercifully, and a little girl’s voice urged her to duck and hide…to insist Nick take her back to the airport. But she braced herself for the meeting she’d agreed to.
Nick led her to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. He’d obviously come to visit Harry many times.
Hailey’s tennies squeaked along the tiled corridor as they approached the nurses’ desk, announcing their arrival. A pretty blond RN glanced up and slid Nick a friendly smile.
He nodded. “Good morning, Mary. How’s he doing?”
“I don’t think he slept very well. And he was up early this morning.” The attractive nurse flashed the detective an appreciative gaze, then turned to Hailey.
Nick made a quick introduction, explaining that Hailey was Harry’s daughter.
“Nice to meet you,” the woman said. “You have a wonderful father and a great family.”
As far as Hailey was concerned, she had no father and no family, but she managed a weak smile. “Thank you.”
The cordial response was part of the game plan, part of the act. She would grant Harry the forgiveness he wanted, then head back to Minnesota where she belonged.
“Come on,” Nick said, taking her arm and leading her to Room 436. “I’ll wait outside.”
“You’re not going in with me?” she asked, her voice sounding too much like that of a frightened little girl.
“No.”
Nick opened the door, then with his hand placed against her back, gently urged her inside the small hospital room where an older man lay in bed, his eyes on the door. His eyes on her.
“Hailey,” he said, his voice soft yet gruff. A warm smile spread across his wrinkled face. “I’m glad you came.”
She tried to return the smile—and maybe she did—but her emotions were all balled up inside.
Seeing Harry—once strong and vibrant, now bedridden and pale—struck a sympathetic cord and seemed to ease some of the anger and resentment she’d harbored in the past.
“Hello, Harry.” She made her way closer to the bed, pausing a couple feet away.
He appeared older, a bit tattered and worn, and not anything like the tall, powerfully built man who had lifted her on his shoulders to point out a bird’s nest in the backyard. And his blue eyes, she noted, weren’t nearly as bright and vivid as when he’d shown her the hero’s medal the mayor had awarded him for bravery in the line of duty.
Hailey may not have seen Harry Logan in nearly twenty years, but she didn’t need familiarity to spot a wan complexion and realize his health was shaky—at best.
For some reason she wanted to tell him it was okay, that he didn’t need to worry about explanations or excuses. But she figured he needed to bare his soul.
And as much as she hated to admit it, she was more than a little curious to hear what he had to say, what reason he would give for walking out of her life, for breaking her mom’s heart and spirit.
“You’re so pretty. Just like your mother.”
Hailey stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. Her mother had been an attractive woman. Broken, but pretty, when she managed to comb her hair and smile.
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad you came,” Harry said. “There’s a lot I want to tell you, so much I need to explain.”
Hailey wanted to wave him off, to tell him she’d grown up fine without a father, without him. That the past was over and done. No hard feelings. She’d trained herself to accept her lot in life without dwelling on the pain or disappointment. Isn’t that what she was doing now? Going through the motions? Allowing Harry a chance to absolve himself of guilt?
She took a seat by his bed and pressed her lips together, letting him do the talking. The apologizing. The explaining. She would merely accept his apology, whether she could actually do so or not.
“I met your mother during a low point in my life,” Harry said. “Kay, my wife, had left me and taken Stevie, Danny and Joey with her. I was lonely. And hurting.”
So Hailey hadn’t been the result of a sleazy affair. She supposed that was a bit of a comfort—the fact that Harry was somewhat free to court her mom before leaving her pregnant and alone.
“I cared about your mother. A lot.” Harry’s eyes beseeched Hailey to understand. “She offered me comfort and friendship when I was lonely and missing my boys something fierce.”
Hailey thought of the black-and-white photo taken at the five-and-dime. Grief washed over her, just as it did whenever she pulled the old photograph out from the box under her bed and studied it.
“I have a picture of you two,” she told Harry, “taken at one of those
little photo booths. You were both smiling.”
“I remember. We were in Florida. That’s where we used to live, where I met your mom.” The memory brightened the blue flecks in his eyes. “It was Christmas, and the holidays had done a number on me. I had some vacation time, so your mom suggested we drive down to the Keys. We stopped at an amusement park along the beach. I forgot the name.”
Surfside Park. Hailey hadn’t forgotten; her mom had spoken of the trip and the place often enough. But she doubted the sentimental stuff would mean much to Harry, so she didn’t respond.
“After your mother and I returned, Kay approached me about a reconciliation.” His gaze snagged hers, and his expression grew serious, somber. “You gotta understand, Hailey, I had three boys to think about. And I didn’t know your mom was pregnant. She hadn’t told me.”
A stab of guilt shot through Hailey as she thought about Nick, about her own pregnancy and the urge to keep her condition a secret.
Had her mom faced a similar dilemma, had some of the same worries and concerns? Considered the same options?
“Your mom was pretty broken up about our split,” Harry said, “but she seemed to understand. When I called her a week later, just to check on her, to ask how she was doing, her phone had been disconnected. She’d left town without talking to me. I’m not sure whether she knew or suspected she was pregnant at the time. But either way, I didn’t know.”
His sincerity was hard to ignore, and Hailey found herself believing him.
“Kay and I thought we needed to make a fresh start, so about six months later, I accepted a job with the San Diego Police Department, and we moved the family out here.”
If her mom had taken off without telling him where she was going, and if he moved shortly thereafter, it was no wonder that Harry hadn’t been a part of Hailey’s early years. But there was more to the story than that.
Hailey still held the vivid memories of a six-year-old to prove it.
