Dropping her gaze to the sleeping child once more, Faith let her thoughts drift back to the events of the previous night. Why hadn’t Paula warned her to expect the baby’s father?
“I’ve made such a mess of things,” Paula had said, carrying the stroller and diaper bag inside. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
Faith had swallowed the hard lump of emotion clogging her throat. “The baby’s yours?” She’d felt foolish posing the question, but she hadn’t even known her twin was pregnant.
“Yes, he’s mine,” Paula had confirmed with a heavy sigh, and Faith had heard neither pride nor joy in her sister’s voice. “It wasn’t supposed to happen,” her twin had continued, annoyance echoing in every word. “I forgot to take a few pills...that’s all.”
“That’s all,” Faith repeated, and lifted her gaze to meet Paula’s, wondering if her sister ever thought about the consequences of her actions.
“You’re not going to start lecturing me or anything, are you?”
“No, I’m not going to lecture you,” Faith assured her, suddenly blinking away the moisture clinging to her lashes. “Mom and Dad must be thrilled...” she went on, and immediately caught the look of guilt that flashed in her sister’s eyes.
“Haven’t you told them?” Faith asked as she followed Paula into the living room.
“No, I haven’t told them,” Paula confessed. Dropping into the armchair, she glanced up at Faith. “I haven’t told anybody. I couldn’t—” She stopped abruptly. “Not after what you went through with Erica,” she added, her voice trailing off.
“I see,” Faith responded softly, surprised and touched by her sister’s thoughtfulness.
Glancing at her twin, Faith noted the paleness of her sister’s features, as well as the anxiety tugging at her mouth.
“So, tell me. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?” Faith asked as she lowered herself with the baby into the love seat facing the granite fireplace.
“It’s complicated...” Paula replied, not quite meeting Faith’s eyes.
“When hasn’t your life been complicated? You thrive on complicated,” she added in an attempt to coax a smile from her twin.
Paula flashed her a fleeting grin. “I know. But this time, well...this time I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew,” she concluded with a sigh.
Faith remained silent, knowing from experience it was futile to ask questions. Paula, if she felt so inclined, would explain in her own sweet time.
“How old is the baby?” Faith asked as the subject of her question began to wriggle in her arms. “And if I’m not out of line...who’s the father? Anyone I know?”
“The baby was born September fifteenth.”
“That’s just two weeks ago. And the father?” she prompted.
Paula leaned back in the armchair. “His name’s Jared McAndrew. He’s not an actor, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she added. “Well, his mother was an actress, but that doesn’t count.”
“Not an actor... Now, there’s a twist,” Faith commented dryly.
Paula’s grin appeared again. “He’s a lawyer, if you must know.”
“A lawyer!” Faith pretended to be shocked. “How on earth did you get involved with a law-year?”
“I met him through a mutual friend. At first I thought he was an actor. He’s certainly handsome enough, with gorgeous blue eyes, dark brooding looks and a cleft in his chin that’s very sexy.” She lapsed into silence, a small smile tugging at her mouth.
Faith waited for her twin to say more, but she appeared to be deep in thought. “Has the baby got a name?” Faith finally asked.
“Yes. His name is Nicholas Preston McAndrew. I named him after Grandpa Preston,” Paula answered, her tone softening a little with sentimentality as she spoke of their own beloved grandfather. “He’s much too little to be called Nicholas, so I just call him Nicky.”
“Grandpa would have been proud and pleased,” Faith replied, still finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that the baby in her arms actually belonged to her sister. Marriage and children had always been high on Faith’s list of goals, but nowhere on Paula’s.
“Does the nonactor, not-in-show-business lawyer know he’s a father?”
“Yes. Jared knows,” Paula responded. “Listen, sis, I’m a wreck and too exhausted to think, let alone explain everything. What I need is a couple of hours uninterrupted shut-eye. This mothering routine has worn me out. I’m beginning to think I’m not cut out for it. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since before he was born.”
Faith hid a smile. “Welcome to the real world,” she said. “Go take a nap. The bed in the spare room is always made up.”
“Thanks.” Paula rose from the armchair. She’d taken only a couple of steps when she stopped and turned to Faith. “Uh...it is all right. I mean, you don’t mind looking after the baby, do you?” she asked with some hesitation.
Faith lifted her gaze from the sleeping infant and smiled at her twin. “No, I don’t mind,” she answered, surprised and pleased to discover she was speaking the truth.
She hadn’t as much as looked at a baby, never mind held one, since Erica’s death. In fact, Faith had deliberately made a point of avoiding situations where she might run into anyone with an infant.
But feeling the weight of Nicky in her arms, mingled with his sweet scent, was strangely comforting. Watching his chest rise and fall, she was mesmerized by the miracle in her arms. And holding him seemed to diminish the pain of her loss and restore a small measure of peace.
“Well, Nicky,” Faith said softly, once Paula had disappeared down the hallway. “I guess it’s just you and me. By the way, I’m your aunt Faith.” Nicky’s eyes flickered open in response to her voice, and seconds later he started to cry.
Carrying him into her bedroom, Faith proceeded to change and feed the infant. Afterward, she put him down in the center of her king-size bed for a nap while she tidied her workroom. Just that morning a courier had picked up the children’s illustrations she’d completed for her publisher.
Paula joined her in the kitchen two hours later. After inquiring about Nicky, she filled a glass with orange juice and turned to Faith. “Listen, sis, I have to fly to L.A. tonight,” Paula suddenly announced.
“Tonight?” Faith repeated with a frown. “But you just got here,” she added, disappointment tugging at her because Paula and the baby had to leave so soon.
“It’s really important,” Paula continued. “It could be the turning point of my career. That’s why I had to—” She broke off. “I need to get there as soon as I can. I’ve waited so long for this and I can’t afford to blow it....”
“Blow what?” Faith asked, but Paula merely shook her head and brought the glass to her lips.
Paula sighed. “I don’t have time to explain all the ins and outs. I have to catch a plane. But I need to ask a favor,” she hurried on.
“Anything. You know that,” Faith responded, wondering if Paula would ever tell her the whole story.
“Can I leave Nicky with you?” Paula asked.
Startled, Faith felt her breath catch in her throat at the unexpected request.
“I know it’s asking a lot....”
“What about his father? Can’t you leave Nicky with him?”
Paula hesitated, and avoided Faith’s gaze. “Right now, that’s not an option. And please don’t ask me why,” Paula hurried on. “Look, it’ll only be for a couple of days...a week at the most.”
Faith heard the familiar pleading note in her twin’s voice. Reaching for the towel on the drain board, she dried her hands. “Of course I’ll look after Nicky,” she said. “Take as long as you need.”
Paula’s eyes instantly lit up, her features relaxing in obvious relief. “Do you mean it?” she asked breathlessly.
“When have I ever been able to say no to my baby sister?” Faith teased gently.
Faith suddenly found herself enfolded in Paula’s arms. “Oh, sis
, thanks. This means a lot to me,” Paula mumbled before spinning away. “Oh...can I borrow some clothes? I was in such a hurry when I left, I didn’t think to take any of my regular clothes with me. I’ll hit the stores once I get to L.A.”
“Sure. Check in my closet,” Faith said, only just managing to refrain from voicing the question Left where? “There’s not a lot to choose from, but help yourself,” she added.
Paula had phoned the airline and, after making a reservation, had called for a taxi. While they’d waited for the cab Faith had tried to coax some more information from her twin, but Paula had ignored her questions, and had simply kept repeating that her future depended on the outcome of the trip.
“I’ll know more when I get there,” Paula had said when the cab finally arrived. “I’ll call tomorrow morning, say around ten,” she’d said, and, giving Faith a final hug, she’d climbed into the taxi.
But Paula hadn’t called, at least not yet. Faith set the empty baby bottle on the end table beside her. She glanced at her watch. It was past nine-thirty. Shifting Nicky to her right shoulder, she began to rub his back in slow, circular motions.
Faith’s gaze drifted to the man dozing in the armchair. There could be no mistake. The description Paula had given her of Jared McAndrew the night before fitted him to a T.
Asleep, he looked considerably less threatening. Several strands of jet black hair had fallen across his forehead, affording him a boyish, almost youthful appearance. But she only had to transfer her attention to the dark shadow outlining his jaw to dispel that notion.
Nonetheless, Jared McAndrew’s threat to take Nicky was definitely real. A shiver chased down Faith’s spine. Should she call the police? she wondered. But even if she did, could they do anything to prevent him from taking Nicky?
Paula hadn’t left her the baby’s birth certificate or any documentation to prove she was related to the child. And besides, Paula had said Jared was a lawyer, and in all likelihood that would work in his favor.
Why hadn’t her twin warned her to be on the lookout for Nicky’s father? What had happened between them? Suddenly Faith recalled the comments Jared had made outside earlier, implying Paula had been running away. But why?
It appeared he was unaware Paula had a twin sister, and Faith wondered if keeping that knowledge to herself, at least for time being, might give her a slight edge.
She glanced again at his sleeping figure. The idea of tiptoeing past him and making her escape with Nicky was very tempting, but she sensed if she tried to leave, he would awaken.
Deciding to test her theory, she tightened her hold on the baby and with her pulse starting to race, she carefully eased herself out of the rocking chair.
She’d barely taken a step before the stranger’s dark, sweeping lashes lifted and a pair of piercing blue eyes met hers.
“Going somewhere?” He jerked upright into a sitting position.
“Nicky’s asleep,” Faith told him. “I was going to put him down for a nap.”
“You named the baby Nicky?” Jared asked, rising from the chair to effectively bar her exit.
“Nicholas,” she corrected, taking a step back.
“Nicholas McAndrew...” he said, testing out the name. He glanced at the sleeping child in her arms and a slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Nicholas McAndrew. I like it. It’s got a nice ring to it.”
“I’m glad you approve,” Faith said, fighting to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“But there’s no point putting the baby to bed,” he told her evenly.
“Why not?” Faith took another step back, his nearness making her feel a little claustrophobic.
“Because I’m taking him home to Grace Harbor with me.”
“Grace Harbor?” Faith repeated, never having heard of the place.
“Come on, Paula,” he said, his tone scathing. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it cuts no ice with me. We had a deal, signed and sealed. And if you think you can back out of it now, you’re very much mistaken.”
“A deal? What deal?” Instinctively, Faith tightened her hold on the baby, making him squirm a little in his sleep.
She watched a shadow pass over Jared’s handsome features at her words, and a look of anger darkened his eyes.
“Don’t play the innocent with me. You know damned well what I’m talking about.” His tone was icy as he held out his hands toward her. “If you’ll give me my son, we’ll get out of your life.”
Faith stared in bewilderment at the man’s outstretched hands. Regardless of the deal he’d referred to, a deal she had no knowledge of and one he’d made with Paula, Faith simply couldn’t bring herself to hand Nicky over to him and let him walk out.
She’d made a promise to look after Nicky until Paula returned from L.A.... It was a promise she intended to keep.
“I can’t do that,” Faith stated with a calmness she was far from feeling. “Where Nicky goes, I go!” she blurted out, and had the satisfaction of seeing Jared McAndrew’s blue eyes widen with surprise.
Chapter Two
Jared held Paula’s gaze for several long seconds. Her announcement had caught him off guard, but what he found even more disturbing was the protective, almost possessive way she was holding on to the baby.
“Don’t you have an audition to go to?” he asked. “I thought you were anxious to get back to L.A. and your career.”
“Not at the moment,” Faith responded, yet knowing her twin’s trip to L.A. undoubtedly had everything to do with Paula wanting to resume her acting career. “Besides, how are you proposing to take care of Nicky while you drive? I didn’t see a proper safety seat in your car. Maybe you were planning to toss Nicky into the back seat and let him fend for himself.”
Jared bristled at her sarcastic tone. In his race to reach San Francisco before she disappeared again, his only thought had been to find his son. He hadn’t considered the need for a car seat to transport the baby home.
“And where would I find a car seat?” he asked.
“There’s a baby store in the mall a couple of blocks away. You could drive there now,” she suggested, pleased he appeared concerned with Nicky’s safety.
“And while I’m driving around looking for a store that probably doesn’t exist, you’ll take Nicky and run,” he countered in a cynical tone. “I don’t think so. But nice try.”
Faith shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t lying—the store she’d mentioned was located in a shopping mall only a few blocks away—but his mocking tone left her in no doubt he didn’t trust her...or more accurately, he didn’t trust Paula.
Somehow she’d have to stall for time, at least until Paula called...if she called. Faith bit back a sigh, wishing that Paula had told her more about the mess she was in, and about the angry, cynical and distrustful man who was Nicky’s father.
“You’re not serious about coming back to Grace Harbor, are you?” Jared’s question startled her, and she met his gaze head-on.
“Of course I’m serious,” she responded, anger edging her tone.
“I thought you couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
The baby shifted in her arms as if to remind them both of his presence. “Nicky’s only two weeks old. He needs me.”
Faith saw the pulse throbbing at Jared’s jaw, and knew by the tension emanating from him that he was fighting an internal battle. “How long will it take to get the baby ready?” he asked abruptly. “We have a long drive ahead.”
Relief spiraled through her. “Half an hour, maybe more,” she said, and without waiting for a reply she swept past him into the hallway.
Jared let out the breath trapped in his lungs. He didn’t know what to make of Paula’s behavior. She’d sounded sincere just now when she’d said the baby needed her.
It had to be an act! Giving birth couldn’t possibly have brought about such a dramatic and profound transformation, awakening the maternal instincts she’d assured him she didn’t possess.
A leopard coul
dn’t change its spots. And if he’d learned anything about the woman during the five months she’d spent under his roof, it was that while she might have a conscience—why else had she gone through with the pregnancy instead of aborting the child?—her ultimate goal of becoming an actress remained unchanged.
Jared cursed under his breath. His thoughts drifted back to the first time he’d met Paula. He’d still been living in L.A. then, and they’d been seated next to each other at a dinner party given by one of Jared’s clients. Beautiful and confident, she’d dazzled him with her smile. He’d admired her determination to succeed as an actress.
Though as a rule he avoided dating would-be starlets, he’d accepted her invitation about a week later to partner her to a party. They’d gone out several times after that, but lost touch once he moved to Grace Harbor.
But on a visit to L.A., he’d run into her at one of his old favorite haunts. She was celebrating her birthday with friends and insisted he join them. On impulse he’d invited her back to his hotel room for a nightcap. They’d had several, and later he wasn’t sure who had seduced whom....
When she’d tracked him down to tell him she was carrying his child, he’d asked her to marry him.
She’d laughed and turned him down. He’d quickly realized she had an agenda all her own, an agenda that didn’t include raising a child.
That’s when the lawyer in him had taken over. He’d drawn up an agreement, one he believed was in the child’s best interests, one stating she would give him full custody of the baby once it was born.
The reason he’d wanted to put everything in writing was to protect his son. That desire had stemmed from memories of his own childhood, a childhood spent being dragged around the country by his mother, a struggling actress, who’d been bent on chasing her own dream of stardom.
He’d grown to hate the life-style she’d subjected him to, the instability, the nomadic existence, and he’d been adamant no child of his would suffer as he had.
Paula had seemed relieved at his willingness to assume full responsibility for the child. She’d signed the papers without protest, assuring him acting was all she’d ever wanted to do, and that he needn’t worry about her changing her mind. Under the terms of the agreement, Paula had moved in to the guest room at his home in Oregon to await the birth of the baby.
The Baby Arrangement Page 2
