The Baby Consultant

by Anne Marie Winston

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” Jack muttered as he tossed back the covers and rolled to his feet, stark naked and apparently not nearly as aware of it as she. He started for the door, then stopped, pivoted and walked back to her side. In one swift motion he bent, lifted her into his arms and set his mouth on hers, kissing her with an expert thoroughness that made her toes curl and her arms come up to clutch at his muscled shoulders. When she was hanging limp and breathless in his embrace, he lifted his head and flashed her that self-assured, cocky grin. This morning, though, it held an element of intimacy, something just between them. “Good morning.”

  Then he set her back on the bed, turned and strode out of the room.

  “Holy cow.” She lay where he had left her for a minute. Being handled as if she weighed no more than Alexa would take some getting used to. In her mind’s eye, she saw his furred chest, bulging biceps, flat belly...and the heavy male sex cushioned in the curling hair at his groin. The only naked men she’d ever seen were her brothers when they were small, and her nephews, so she had nothing to judge by. Jack was a big man. It followed, didn’t it, that he would be...big, all over? Still, she doubted that every man in the world was so well proportioned.

  She shifted her weight to her side and swung her legs to the floor as she sat up. Her body didn’t feel any different, except for the slightest tenderness between her legs. Unbelievable. She felt as though her entire life had been altered by last night; her body should give some sign of it.

  Alexa’s crying had stopped. She glanced at the clock, realizing that it was Wednesday, and that April came in at eight. She’d better warn Jack, or both he and her assistant could get quite a surprise. She grinned as she decided that April wouldn’t mind a surprise like that one little bit.

  But she would. She had never considered herself a jealous person, had had little call to experience the emotion, but she instinctively knew she wouldn’t like it at all.

  She put on a robe and went downstairs to make coffee, wondering if Jack ate a big breakfast. The answering machine was blinking when she passed it on the kitchen wall. How long had it been since she checked it? Not last night, that was for sure.

  She punched the Replay button on the machine, and heard her own voice greeting the callers. Then her friend Jillian’s voice filled the room. “Hey, Frannie, it’s Jill. Got something for you to think about while you stitch. Dee needs to move, and she wants someplace that she can have her shop as well. Keep your ears to the ground and let her know if you hear of anything. Tomorrow’s Wednesday, so I’ll see you at noon. Farewell, sweetie.”

  “Is that Deirdre Patten she’s talking about?”

  The deep voice behind her made her jump, and she turned to face Jack, frowning over the message. “Yes,” she said. “Her marriage fell apart last year but her ex is still hassling her. I imagine that house doesn’t hold a lot of happy memories for her.”

  “Her brother told me her husband was screwing some woman he worked with.”

  The language might be a bit blunt, but she couldn’t have said it better. “That’s about right. Did he mention the jerk hasn’t given her a penny to support his sons since he left?”

  Jack’s eyebrows came together. He rubbed his palm over his chin, then snapped his fingers. “I might know a place that would work for her. It’s an old farmhouse on a couple of acres just up the road—gorgeous if you’re into rustic and historical. The owner’s desperate to sell and she probably could bargain.” Then he frowned. “But I guess that wouldn’t work. She needs someplace where her shop is highly visible.”

  “No, she doesn’t. She makes designer doll clothes. Most of her business is special order by mail. It doesn’t matter where she’s located.”

  “Designer doll clothes? Only in the nineties.” He nodded, as if making a mental note as he set Alexa in her baby seat and settled on a stool to drink his coffee. “I’ll call the guy today and see how low I can get him to go on it.”

  “Thank you.” She came around the end of the bar and put her arms around his neck. “I appreciate it.” When he hooked his arms around her and drew her between his knees for a kiss, she lifted her face and pressed herself against him, opening her mouth and welcoming his tongue, loving the growing bulge against her stomach. He made a sound low in his throat and his arms tightened for a moment.

  Then he grabbed her arms and set her away from him. “If we keep that up, I can tell you I’ll never make it to the office today.”

  She smiled. “Would that be so bad?”

  “At least I’d declare bankruptcy with a smile on my face.” He rose from the stool and drained his coffee cup, one arm loosely around her shoulders. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later.”

  “All right.”

  He stopped and waited until she looked up at him. “Get rid of your little black book, baby. You have my brand stamped on your forehead now.” Then he added, “I’ll burn mine this morning.”

  Her mouth fell open, and he gently closed it with one finger, his gray eyes warm with humor. “I’ll bring a change of clothes along tonight.”

  She gulped and nodded as he left the room and she heard the front door open and close. Relief unfurled within her. Beneath the happiness had been a fear that their lovemaking hadn’t been the same extraordinary experience for him that it had been for her. His proprietary tone reassured her as nothing else could have. Whatever he felt for her, Jack wanted her and only her in his bed.

  As she did him. Forever.

  Alexa was wide-awake, watching her from her little seat propped on the counter.

  “Your uncle’s a charmer,” Frannie informed her. “But I love him, anyway.”

  The morning went smoothly, despite Alexa’s presence in the shop. It was fairly busy, with three final fittings and two potential clients who were planning weddings for the following winter. All of the women had brought friends or relatives along, and many of them drooled over Alexa, carrying her around and cooing at her.

  After the fourth time someone told her she had a beautiful daughter, Frannie gave up trying to explain and simply said, “Thank you.” If only this were her baby. The longing caught her flat-footed and she had to stop and take a deep breath. Where in the heck had that come from? Hadn’t she had enough of babies in her life? Perhaps. But they hadn’t been her own, and it was foolish to deny that little could make her happier than having children of her own someday. Unfortunately, the only man she could envision in that role was Jack, and she refused, absolutely refused, to allow herself to dream of that possibility. She would take each day she got and store the memories away because she knew it wouldn’t last. Once he was firmly on his feet as a father, she’d be less important in his life. And even though he wanted her now, she could never hope to hold a man like Jack.

  April went off to have lunch with her boyfriend at noon, and Frannie flipped the Open sign over to Closed behind her. She had just finished warming a bottle when the doorbell rang.

  Juggling the baby and the bottle, she tossed a cloth diaper over her shoulder and opened the door one-handed.

  Jillian stood on the stoop.

  It was hard to say who was more surprised.

  “Oh, no! It’s Wednesday!” Frannie backed away from the door and motioned Jill in. They had a standing lunch date every week, and this week it had been scheduled for her shop. “I am so sorry. I completely forgot you were coming. I haven’t prepared a thing.” Then she glanced down at the baby. “Unless you like formula.”

  Jillian stepped inside and closed the door herself, then turned and gave Frannie a long, thorough inspection from under lowered brows. “What are you doing with that?” she said in a voice that clearly indicated Frannie was losing her faculties. “Did we or did we not have a long conversation about standing up to one’s family when free baby-sitting was requested? Did we not swear that from now on we would see said family on our terms, and that we would not be at their beck and call?”

  “She’s not family.” It was silly to feel so
defensive, she told herself. “I’m doing a favor for a friend in exchange for some free advertising.” Which wasn’t exactly a lie, although it hadn’t really transpired that way.

  Jillian’s expression lightened. “Good girl! You mean you aren’t letting someone take gross and blatant advantage of your good nature?”

  “No way. This is strictly a business arrangement.” Liar, an inner voice taunted. She ignored it and forced herself to smile at her friend. “So come on in and we’ll scrounge up something for lunch. How long do you have?”

  Jillian checked the elegant little gold watch on her left wrist as they walked into the kitchen. “About an hour and a half. Marina owed me for yesterday, when she went to the doctor.” She hesitated, looked down at the powder blue suit she wore, and muttered, “Oh, what the hell. I’m dying to hold that baby.”

  Frannie laughed. “Be my guest. You feed her, I’ll find something to feed us.” She handed Alexa to Jill and turned to check the contents of the fridge.

  “Now this is the way to go if you want a baby,” Jillian commented as she settled Alexa in one arm. “Borrow somebody else’s and skip the pregnancy part altogether.”

  Pregnant! The thought stopped her cold. Good Lord, she’d never even thought about birth control until now!

  “What’s the matter?” Jill was looking at her curiously.

  “Nothing.” She forced herself to natural actions, sniffed the tuna salad—still good—and scooped rounded mounds of it onto the lettuce she’d arranged on two plates. Deliberately she set her concern in the back of her mind, to worry over when she was alone.

  “This child is beautiful,” Jill said softly, surprising Frannie. “What’s her name?”

  “Alexa.” She’d never really imagined Jillian wanting much to do with children, but she couldn’t have been more wrong, she thought, watching Jill’s face as she rocked Alexa. The naked hunger in her expression squeezed Frannie’s heart. Did Jill want children of her own someday? She didn’t have the nerve to ask. They’d been fast friends from the day they’d met at a business seminar, but Frannie sensed there was a part of Jillian that was deeply reserved, private and hidden from the world. And there was a huge, unmistakable Keep Out sign posted across its entrance.

  She finished setting the table, peeled some kiwi and oranges and divided the fruit between the two plates. Then she garnished the tuna salad with parsley and carried the plates to the table.

  Alexa had finished eating, and Jill slung a cloth diaper over her shoulder before lifting her to her shoulder for a bubble. When Alexa let out a man-sized burp, she laughed and brought her down to nestle in one arm, waving Frannie away. “No, don’t take her. I can eat with one hand.” She proved it by picking up her fork and digging delicately into the tuna.

  Frannie followed suit as she asked, “So what good dirt do you know that I don’t?” It was a standard joke among the two of them and Dee. That led her to her next question. “Have you talked to Dee? I haven’t talked to her since I saw her at a lacrosse game last week.”

  “You were at a lacrosse game?” The idea clearly intrigued Jill. Then a shadow crossed her expressive face. “Dee is Not Good. Very, very Not Good. In fact, she was in tears when I called her last night, so I went over. Nelson was there.”

  Frannie sighed. “That guy is lower than dirt. She should have divorced him years ago when he threw the first woman in her face.”

  “I agree. But she wants so desperately to keep their relationship civil for the sake of the boys.... Did you know he left a threatening message on her answering machine?”

  “You’re kidding. That’s scary.”

  Jill nodded grimly. “She finally agreed to press charges after I told her this is how women get killed. I gave the tape to the cops. They promised to pay him a visit and impress upon him that he will go to jail if he doesn’t stay away from her.”

  “Good.”

  Her friend rose and handed Alexa to Frannie, then began to stalk around the room. “I’ve never been big on vigilanteeism, but I’m rapidly changing my mind. For a minute there, I actually wished I owned a gun. Just to shoot out his tires,” she added when she saw Frannie’s shocked face.

  “You can’t just take the law into your own hands. However—” Frannie held up a finger when Jillian’s brows snapped together and she opened her mouth. “If he ever lays a hand on her or the boys again, I promise you I’ll be right beside you when we break his neck.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Jillian’s fine features. “That’s the spirit.”

  Frannie had always thought of her as a Norse goddess, with her flawless roses-and-cream complexion and her wide blue eyes that shouted out both intelligence and fierce independence. Her policy in regard to men had broken more than one heart. She told them up-front she was out for a good time, and if they got serious about her, it was their tough luck. And she wasn’t kidding.

  Now she said to Frannie, “You’re right. There’s really nothing we can do for now.”

  “Except be there when she needs us.”

  Jill nodded. “Except be there.” Her blue eyes were resigned. “One thing’s for sure, she’s got to get out of that house.”

  “Um, actually, I might have a lead on something.”

  Jill’s face lit up. “Wow! Already?”

  “Well, I had some help,” Frannie admitted. “And it’s only a possibility.”

  “So talk!”

  “Jack—Jack Ferris—knows a place in the country with some land. He’s checking on it this morning.”

  “It’s like Jack to take on something like this,” Jillian said, letting Alexa drag one of her fingers toward her mouth with the zeal of a great white shark on a binge. “He’s a real sweetie, isn’t he?”

  Frannie couldn’t help it. She knew she was blushing. Thank heavens Jill was playing with the baby. Quickly she turned away, folding a length of fabric and storing it back in its place on the wall before turning around. “Yes. He’s nice.” There, that was a neutral answer.

  Unfortunately Jillian had a ear for discerning any prevarication. She eyed Frannie speculatively. “You already spoke to Jack this morning? That was fast.”

  Heat was creeping up her cheeks, and she knew it showed in her face. She couldn’t lie, but she wasn’t ready to share the details of her relationship with Jack yet. Not until she knew them herself.

  Jillian was laughing now. “I’m beginning to get the picture.” Suddenly her eyes sharpened and she looked at Alexa more closely. “Just whose baby is this that you’re keeping in exchange for advertising?”

  “Jack’s,” she admitted.

  “Jack’s? Since when did Jack Ferris become a father? Who’s the mother?”

  So she was forced to explain the whole story. Almost. She neglected to mention the tiny matter of Jack’s sleeping arrangements last night, and she prayed that Jillian couldn’t see the truth in her face. Jack had said he’d branded her forehead; she was afraid maybe it was less of a jest than he’d intended.

  Jill wore a troubled expression when she finished, and Frannie had a feeling she wasn’t thinking of Alexa’s orphaned status. “Be careful, sweetie, please? Jack makes women feel gorgeous and special with just one look from those eyes. But he doesn’t really mean it personally. It’s just his way. Don’t take on this responsibility hoping it’s going to lead to something more. I knew his wife.” She made a moue of distaste as she went on. “And I can guarantee you she ruined him for life.”

  “I’m only helping him until he finds a permanent placement that we—he thinks is right for Alexa.” But it sounded weak, even to her own ears.

  “Well, I’ve delivered my motherly lecture,” Jillian said, making a show of dusting off her hands as she came to hug Frannie, though concern still lurked in her pretty eyes. “Enough with the advice. I have to get moving. Wait until I tell my sister I spent my lunch hour feeding Jack Ferris’s baby!”

  Jack walked in the door at five-thirty that evening. He didn’t knock; he just walked in as if
he’d lived there all his life.

  She was in the kitchen chopping fresh carrots to put in with a pot roast she intended to cook the next day. When she looked up and saw him in the doorway, sheer unadulterated joy ripped her composure to shreds. But even as he started forward, she schooled herself to-act casually. The mere sight of him made her stomach clench and her breath come faster. One day, these moments would come to an end and she didn’t want Jack to walk away thinking he’d broken her heart.

  Then he was beside her, reaching for her, and all coherent thought fled.

  Their evening was much the same as the one before. He carried her up to her bedroom as soon as Alexa was down for the night and loved every inch of her with urgent caresses. The chief difference was that tonight, he held himself back until he’d brought her to a frantic, sobbing climax before he allowed himself release within her body. When he rolled from her, he immediately curled around her as he had the night before, kissed her ear and was asleep with the suddenness of a light winking off. She wanted to stay awake, to savor the sweetness of the moment and the embrace, but his total relaxation affected her, as well, and she fell asleep in the cradle of his arms.

  In the middle of the night, she awakened again to find he’d already turned her to her back and soon he was moving inside her, his hard length stoking the embers of desire within her to a roaring blaze that he patiently fed until finally she flew apart beneath him, burning so hot that she engulfed him, sending him rocketing into his own fierce finish. Afterward, he simply gathered her against him again and she fell back to sleep with his breath playing over her neck and his hand cradling her breast in silent possession.

  And Friday was the same. Later that night, when she thought he was asleep, his voice growled in the darkness, “I wish you were coming with me tomorrow.” He meant the charity tournament Stu had roped him into, and she was pleased all out of proportion to the simple statement. He wanted her with him!

  Aloud, all she said was, “I promised to baby-sit a long time ago.”