Adam froze in response to his mother’s voice. He turned slowly, finding her standing in the doorway of the den he’d just entered. She was watching him with an expression that warned him he was in for one of her grand performances.
“Mother. What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to see you. It has been two weeks since you’ve visited me,” she reminded him.
Adam knew exactly why she’d chosen today to drop in unannounced. She’d wanted to check out his new housekeeper.
Jenny, I’m sorry. I should have warned you.
“I take it you’ve met Jenny?” he asked unnecessarily, after perfunctorily kissing his mother’s smooth, scented cheek.
“Yes. We’ve met. I persuaded her to have a cup of tea with me.”
Adam managed not to wince. “And?”
Arlene sighed. “And now I know why you hired her. You’ve taken in another stray, haven’t you, Adam?”
Avoiding her eyes, Adam motioned her toward a chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered as he settled onto the couch after she was seated.
“Now, Adam, you know better than to try to fool me. It was the same when you hired Mrs. Handy. We both knew her medical problems made her totally unsuited for the job, but you knew she needed the money for her medicines until she was old enough for social security, so you hired her.”
“Mrs. Handy was a very good housekeeper,” Adam said defensively. “She was a great cook.”
“You had to hire someone to come in twice a week to help her do the heavy cleaning,” Arlene reminded him.
He shrugged. “That has nothing to do with Jenny.”
“Doesn’t it? She has a baby, no husband, and probably no money. She was very evasive about her family, so I assume she has no one to turn to with her problems. It’s quite obvious that you’ve hired her because you feel sorry for her. Honestly, Adam, someday that soft heart of yours is going to get you into trouble. Someday you’re going to try to help someone who will only take advantage of your generous nature.”
Adam had to bite his tongue to keep from pointing out that his mother had been known to take full advantage of that “generous nature,” herself.
“I hope you were polite to her” was all he allowed himself to say.
Arlene lifted a regal eyebrow. “Of course I was polite to her, Adam. I resent your implication that I would be deliberately rude—to anyone.”
“You didn’t give her the third degree, did you? Jenny has a right to her privacy, Mother.”
“I only asked a few questions, simply trying to get to know her a bit. When I saw that she didn’t like answering questions about her background, I stopped asking them.”
Adam swallowed a moan. “Mother—”
“Now, don’t start one of your lectures. I assure you I said nothing to upset her. She seems like a pleasant young woman,” Arlene conceded. “And her child is very sweet, though I’m surprised that you were willing to bring an infant into your beautiful home. Still, I suppose the baby’s too small to do much damage now, and Jenny assured me she intends to remain here only for a few months.”
Adam didn’t want to talk—or even think—about Jenny leaving. “She has a job here for as long as she needs one.”
“Of course. Still, it might be better if you help her find another place to stay. She is a single young woman, and people might talk. I know, of course, that she is hardly your type, and that your interest in her is purely philanthropic—you’re so like your dear father, bless him. But few people know you as well as I do, darling. They might think—”
“I don’t care what ‘they’ might think, whoever ‘they’ might be,” Adam said crossly. “And stop implying that I’m giving Jenny charity. She will earn every penny I pay her, I assure you.”
He was tempted to ask exactly what she’d meant by saying Jenny was hardly his type—Adam didn’t even know what his “type” was—but he decided to leave that alone. He foresaw all sorts of potential pitfalls in that discussion!
“Stop being so prickly, Adam. I haven’t criticized you for hiring her. I was simply surprised to discover that she’s so young and—well, everything else.”
“Everything else” being Melissa, Adam assumed. He practically bit a hole in his tongue to keep quiet. He’d learned years ago that the best way to end an uncomfortable discussion with his mother was simply to shut up. She didn’t like it when he wouldn’t respond to her. She would soon take the hint.
She did. Arlene had a few other complaints to share with him—someone in her garden club who’d offended her, the problems she’d been having with her new cook, the discomfort she’d been having with her bursitis. Adam made his usual pretense of listening patiently, nodding his head occasionally, while wondering how soon he could get to Jenny to find out how badly his mother had upset her.
“Well, I can see you’re going to be in one of your quiet moods,” Arlene grumbled after another few minutes. “I suppose there’s no reason for me to stay any longer.”
“Sorry, Mother. It’s been a long day and I still have some paperwork to finish tonight.”
“Jenny assured me that she’s made you a good dinner. I’m sure you need it after a hard day at work.”
Adam rose quickly. “I’ll see you out.”
“I do hope the child doesn’t keep you awake at night with her crying,” his mother said fretfully as they made their way to the front door—much too slowly for Adam’s satisfaction. “A busy surgeon needs his rest.”
“The child has a name, Mother. It’s Melissa. And this house is well soundproofed. The—er—Melissa doesn’t bother me at all.”
“Good. Now make sure Jenny sends your suits to Park Lane Cleaners. They’re the only ones I trust with my clothing. And tell her not to use pine-scented cleaners or air fresheners. They always make you sneeze. And don’t forget...”
Adam had his hand at the small of his mother’s back—a gesture of affection, he assured himself. He wasn’t really trying to push her out of the house.
He barely gave her time to get her coat on the way out.
* * *
Jenny was sitting in the rocker with her baby when Adam burst into her room.
She lifted an eyebrow. “You do own the house, Adam, but I still wish you’d knock when you come into my room.”
“Sorry,” he said impatiently, brushing off what he considered a minor complaint at the moment. “What did my mother say to you?” he demanded. “Did she upset you?”
He couldn’t read Jenny’s expression. “No, she didn’t upset me,” she said. “She was very gracious.”
Adam grimaced. He could just imagine how gracious his mother had been. Something along the line of the Queen Mother granting a brief, civil conversation to a parlormaid. “Jenny, about Mother—”
Jenny was looking down at the baby as she continued. “She’s very proud of you. She thinks you’re the best surgeon in the country—the world, probably. She told me how you disdain ‘nip-and-tuck’ surgery, and prefer to specialize in more serious reconstructive surgery, such as after disfiguring accidents. She said you’re considered an expert on making delicate corrections on small children with genetic disfigurements.”
“Yes, well, mothers tend to brag.”
“Mmm. She’s particularly proud of the contributions you’ve made to your community—a Stone family tradition, she told me. Anonymous charitable donations, donating your medical expertise for particularly needy patients. Taking in strays. You—um—never mentioned that Mrs. Handy was practically an invalid.”
Adam was furious—with his mother for running her mouth and with Jenny for listening. “Damn it, Jenny, don’t start this again. I did not hire you out of charity.”
“Didn’t you?” Jenny stood and tenderly laid the sleeping baby in her crib. And then she turned to Adam, still not quite meeting his eyes. “I’ll turn the kitchen monitor on while I serve dinner, in case she wakes up. I’m sure you’re hungry. Dinner will be ready in—”
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He caught her shoulders in his hands. She fell silent and looked up at him with that still-unreadable expression. It was all he could do not to shake her.
“Stop that,” he snapped. “Stop shutting me out.”
Temper that matched his own flared in her eyes. “What do you want from me?” she demanded. “Total compliance? Undying gratitude? Well, sorry, but I—”
He smothered her words beneath his mouth. It wasn’t something he’d planned—or had even considered—but almost before he realized it he was kissing her. And reveling in it.
Jenny went very still. For a moment, she didn’t respond at all.
And then her mouth softened beneath his.
Adam groaned and pulled her closer.
Jenny responded to the kiss only briefly. She pulled away with a gasp.
“Please,” she whispered, turning her face away. “Don’t do this. I can’t— It isn’t—”
Adam kept his hands on her shoulders, this time to steady her. He wondered if she could feel the fine tremors in his fingers. He found that he really didn’t care if she did.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice gravelly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Her face was pale. “Why did you hire me, Adam?” she asked, the words almost too soft for him to hear.
He started to tell her again how badly he’d needed a housekeeper. How he’d planned to hire someone all along. He fell silent when the glib words refused to come to him. Finally he drew a deep, not quite steady breath and admitted frankly, “I don’t know, Jenny. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.”
She groaned.
He dropped his hands, stuck them deep into his pockets to keep them out of further trouble. “Look,” he said bluntly. “Let’s just forget the past ten minutes ever happened, okay? You work for me—and you’ll damn well earn your pay. Starting with dinner. I’ve put in a long day and I’m starving.”
His brusque, bossy tone seemed to steady her. She lifted her chin, ran a hand through her curls and moved another step away from him. “Fine,” she said, a bit curtly. “Go wash up. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”
As he nodded and headed for the door, Adam reflected that Jenny could sound every bit as brusque and bossy as he could when she wanted. He rather liked that.
But then, there was very little about Jenny Newcomb he didn’t like. Including the delectable taste of her.
Damn it, Stone. What the hell are you getting yourself into here?
* * *
Jenny put Adam’s kiss very firmly out of her mind. She didn’t think about it as she put the finishing touches to dinner. She didn’t think about it when she poured herself a glass of cold water and gulped it down without stopping to breathe. She didn’t think about it when Adam reappeared after washing up for dinner.
Since she was not thinking about the kiss, she couldn’t imagine why her face flamed at the sight of him.
“Sit down,” she said, motioning toward his chair at the table. “I’ll serve.”
He frowned suspiciously. “You are eating with me, aren’t you?”
She’d thought about telling him she’d eat in her room. She’d even thought of a good excuse—that she wanted to be close to the baby. But Adam would surely have pointed out that the monitor sat right beside them to pick up the faintest peep from Melissa’s crib, and he would have been convinced that she was avoiding him only because he’d kissed her. He would never believe she hadn’t given the embrace another thought.
“Yes,” she said in resignation. “I’ll eat with you.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “What can I do to help?”
“Just sit down,” she ordered. “I can handle this.”
She was referring, of course, to dinner. Nothing more.
* * *
During the next weeks, Adam and Jenny settled into a routine of sorts. Particularly after his surgery schedule was reestablished, Adam left very early in the mornings—sometimes before eight o’clock. He was usually home around 6:00 p.m. for dinner, and he always called when he would be late.
There were four occasions when he didn’t come home until late. He always told her in advance so she wouldn’t prepare dinner for him. Though Jenny assured him that it wasn’t necessary, he always gave her a brief explanation of where he’d be for the evening. A dinner party at his mother’s house. A medical seminar. A fund-raiser for the local children’s hospital. A professional organization meeting.
He never mentioned whether he was accompanied by dates to any of those functions, and Jenny didn’t ask. She realized to her chagrin that she really didn’t want to know.
She had succeeded so well at putting their kiss out of her mind that sometimes as much as half a day would pass without her remembering it. When the memory did creep back into her unwilling thoughts, she always firmly pushed it away, refusing to dwell on it.
At least, not much.
As Jenny’s strength returned, she put more energy into her housekeeping. The exercise was good for her, anyway, she figured, and she wanted no doubt in anyone’s mind that she earned her pay. She scrubbed floors, cleaned light fixtures, dusted baseboards, oiled and buffed every inch of exposed wood, polished brass and silver.
Adam noticed everything she did. He always complimented her on her work, and then fretted that she was trying to do too much. She brushed his concerns aside, telling him that she was perfectly capable of doing her job.
Her car was repaired and returned to her, and she began to run the errands he’d listed as part of her responsibility—marketing, dry cleaning, and such. At first it was a bit awkward getting Melissa bundled up and loaded into the car seat and stroller, packing a diaper bag for every possibility. Jenny quickly became more adept at it, so that it soon seemed second nature to her to take her daughter everywhere with her.
Adam worried about that, too. “Little Rock traffic can be hazardous,” he warned repeatedly. “Don’t go out at rush hour, or during lunchtime. Don’t wander into the bad neighborhoods—some of them aren’t safe even in daylight.”
He insisted on paying for her gas and car expenses; after all, he argued, she was doing most of this for him.
Again, Jenny managed to soothe him with breezy reassurances, and then proceeded exactly as she wanted to.
On Valentine’s Day, Adam came home bearing flowers for Jenny. Red roses. He’d purchased a fluffy white teddy bear with a cheery red bow for Melissa.
Jenny hadn’t even realized the date. Flustered by his gift, she accepted with stammered thanks. He shrugged, smiled and told her that he’d sent flowers to his mother, grandmother, cousins and secretary. He couldn’t neglect the two ladies in his own household, he’d added casually, dangling the teddy bear playfully above Melissa’s fascinated eyes.
Jenny left him playing with the baby while she put her roses in water. She buried her face in the fragrant blooms, inhaling deeply. She loved roses. How had he known?
Biting her lip, she reminded herself sternly that she shouldn’t read anything more into the gift than what he’d said. He’d bought a lot of flowers for the occasion. Must be something he enjoyed doing.
She wondered how many other women had received Valentine’s Day tokens from the eligible doctor.
And then she had to fight off the wholly inappropriate wave of jealousy that accompanied the question.
Oh, Jenny, you’re headed for trouble again. You idiot.
* * *
The telephone rang on a Friday afternoon in late February. While Melissa sat in the baby seat on the floor of the kitchen, experimenting with the cooing sounds she’d only recently begun to try, Jenny had been chopping vegetables for one of Adam’s favorite dishes. She sighed and wiped her hands on a dish towel.
“I hope he’s not calling to tell me he won’t be home for dinner,” she murmured aloud as she reached for the phone. “Ten more minutes and this will be ready to go into the oven. Stone residence.”
“Jenny? Hello, dear, it’s Granny Fran.”
Jenny smiled in delight. “Why, hello. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. And you?”
“Fine. I’m sorry, Mrs. Carson, Adam isn’t home yet, but I’m expecting him within the hour. Shall I have him call you when he gets in?”
“Actually I called to talk to you,” the older woman explained. “And what’s this Mrs. Carson? I’d so much rather have you call me Granny Fran.”
“If you like,” Jenny agreed, a bit shyly. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes. I wondered how you were settling in to your new job. And, of course, I want to know how my little angel is doing.”
Touched that Granny Fran had been thinking about her, Jenny leaned against the counter and smiled down at Melissa. “Your little angel is growing so fast you wouldn’t believe it. She’s thriving. She’s starting to make a few little babbling sounds, and I’m almost sure she’s trying to smile.”
“How adorable. I must have Adam bring you both down to visit me soon.”
“We would like that,” Jenny said honestly. “And I’m sure Adam doesn’t need an excuse to come visit you.”
“And what about you? Are you feeling well?”
“Yes. I’ve found a gynecologist here in Little Rock, as well as a pediatrician Adam highly recommended. Melissa and I are both scheduled for our six-week checkups next Friday.”
“Adam’s treating you well?”
“Yes, of course. He’s a very considerate employer,” Jenny said carefully.
“Oh.” For some reason, Adam’s grandmother didn’t seem particularly satisfied with that answer. “He calls me from his office once a week, you know. He tells me he’s very satisfied with your work. He says you’re a wonderful cook.”
Jenny was glad Granny Fran couldn’t see her blush. “That’s very kind of him.”
“Adam rarely says anything he doesn’t mean, as I’m sure you know by now,” his loving grandmother said indulgently. “He’s grown very fond of little Melissa. He talks about her often every time we chat.”
That didn’t surprise Jenny. “Yes, he does seem fond of her,” she admitted. “He plays with her every evening before I put her down for bed. He’s very good with children. I hear he’s particularly adept with his youngest patients.”
A Home for Adam Page 15
