“I have no idea. You think he’s playing some kind of game?”
“It’s possible.” Sabrina’s threats and the rest of the messy situation were none of Owen’s business.
The doctor made a harrumphing noise. “I don’t believe Laura would be a party to any nonsense. We went to Harvard Med School together and she’s a straight shooter. As far as I’m concerned, the request is legitimate.”
Alec stood his ground. “I’m sure he’ll understand why I’m not available today. I’ll be happy to take him around tomorrow. Even though it happens to be a Sunday.” He could wield a touch of testiness himself.
Across three thousand miles, he visualized Owen finger-combing his bristly dark auburn hair as he reviewed this declaration. As always, a decision came swiftly. “Since you’ll be seeing Mr. Patron today, you can work out the details with him. I’ll email Laura and let her know.”
“Great.”
Click. No sign-off, but that was fine. When confronted in a reasonable fashion, Owen did occasionally back down. Alec believed his ability to get along with the notoriously abrasive man owed a lot to his refusal to be bullied.
Now, what kind of maneuver was Eduardo Patron trying to pull, and what did it mean for Fiona’s safety? With the momentary sense of triumph fading, Alec went to fill in his security detail.
PATTY HAD GIVEN UP her teddy bear when she was eight. Grandpa hadn’t stated any objection to Mr. Pooh when she and Drew had moved to Safe Harbor, but she’d registered the disapproving lift of the eyebrow whenever he saw her hugging the raggedy toy. After a while, she’d consigned Mr. Pooh to a bottom drawer, and eventually donated him as a dart target at a junior high game night. It had seemed a brave end for the warrior bear she imagined him to be.
Displays of stuffed animals still had the power to halt her in her tracks wherever she ran across them. At Christmas, she loved buying an armful to donate to the Toys for Tots collection at the police station.
Being surrounded by the little figures was sheer bliss. Not to mention the sweet innocence of the children as they raced from station to station, thrusting out their bears and bunnies and cartoon figures to be measured, weighed, bandaged and stitched. It took all Patty’s concentration to stay alert for danger as she stuck close to Fiona.
Around her, everyone seemed merry and relaxed. Alec had explained Mike’s presence by telling the parents about his ex-wife’s tendency to create scenes. Other than that, Mike had advised against issuing a warning because the threat was so vague.
“Aren’t they darling?” cooed Bailey, wearing her nurse’s uniform as she stood at the eye chart. “Okay, what’s this line?”
“A-B-C-D-E-F-G.” A small girl holding a large Mickey Mouse read off the letters in a squeaky voice.
“Perfect vision—twenty-twenty,” the nurse declared.
“Can he have a pair of glasses, anyway?” The child pointed to a display of toy glasses frames.
“You bet.” Bailey twisted a pair to fit over the big round ears. Neither Mickey nor his owner seemed to mind that they settled well above eye level.
“This is a great idea.” Hospital childbirth instructor Tina Torres beamed at Patty, who realized the girl must have been her daughter. “The kids are learning not to be afraid of doctors.”
“It’s the best party I ever had,” announced Fiona, hugging Hoppity.
“It’s the best party anybody ever had,” Patty corrected.
“Yeah!”
By twelve-thirty, all the stuffed animals had completed their physicals. Right on time, the pizza appeared. The half-dozen guests and their parents helped clear the tables for eating, while Bailey and Darlene served punch. Rosita had left before the guests arrived, tired from an early-morning shift spent baking and frosting enough cupcakes for a party twice this size.
Still no sign of Sabrina. “I’m sure she’ll be here,” observed Alec, putting away his wallet after paying for the pizza. “Eduardo went to a lot of trouble to try to draw me away.” That was what they’d surmised to be the purpose of his request to tour the lab. “Maybe their flight was delayed.”
Not likely, in Patty’s opinion, since May was generally a fair weather month all across the country. “Let’s hope.”
She grabbed a slice of pizza and ate standing up, watching for trouble. Nothing materialized before the serving of the brown and yellow cupcakes, one of which bristled with five candles. As Darlene lit them, Alec leaned over his daughter. “Make a wish, sweetheart, and don’t—”
“I want Patty to be my mommy.”
“—tell anybody,” he finished wryly.
“Oh, that’s just an old superstition,” Darlene said. “Blow ’em out, and more power to you.”
A quiver ran through Patty, pleasure mixed with longing and bittersweet regret that Fiona’s wish had no chance of coming true. Once the immediate danger was past, she and Alec would go their separate ways. Twelve years ago, he’d known in his gut that they didn’t belong together, and at some level, maybe she’d known it, too.
She certainly did now.
Fiona screwed up her face and blew so hard one of the candles fell over. The flame extinguished itself, so no harm was done.
“Yay!” the kids yelled, mostly because this meant they could now bite into their own cupcakes.
“If I’d known being around kids meant eating all this good stuff, I’d have done more babysitting,” Patty told Alec.
“Lemon or chocolate?” He held out a serving platter. “Don’t tell me. Both.”
“Not on duty. Got to keep one hand free.” She started with chocolate.
After cupcakes and a lot of hand and face scrubbing with sterile wipes left over from the bear clinic, it was time to open gifts. Fiona took a seat surrounded by friends and a pile of packages.
Darlene handed her the gifts from the other children first. Gleefully, Fiona opened them to reveal games, DVDs, books, dolls and a fluffy bear. As she’d been instructed, she thanked each child and proclaimed the gifts just what she wanted.
“Don’t ever say, ‘Oh, I already have that,’ or ‘I don’t like that.’ You wouldn’t be happy if someone said that to you,” Patty had warned earlier. “Besides, you can always exchange things later.”
Fiona had finished tearing through the first batch of gifts when Mike signaled Alec. “They’re here,” he stated in a neutral tone. “Coming through the gate.”
Through an expanse of glass, Patty spotted a model-thin woman and a tall, distinguished-looking man, both far too well dressed for a children’s party. They stopped partway along the walk, and the man took something from a shoulder bag.
What was he doing? And why was he wielding a lighter?
A sharp series of pop pop pops sent Patty’s heart slamming into her throat. “Everybody down!”
Adults and children hit the floor. Outside, Patty saw a flash of light. As arranged, Alec dialed 911, Mike drew his gun and took cover in the doorway, and she threw her body over Fiona’s.
Whatever might happen, Patty was ready.
Chapter Fifteen
The entire room seemed to hold its breath. “All of you, please stay put.” Mike stepped cautiously outside.
“You, too!” Patty called to Darlene, who’d stood up and was edging toward a window.
“It sounds like…” The older woman peered out. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, they brought sparklers and party poppers.”
With his phone in one hand, still apparently connected to the dispatcher, Alec pulled his mother gently but firmly away. “If you’d been mistaken, you could have been hit by flying glass.” His worried gaze traveled to his daughter. “Everybody okay?”
“We’re fine. People, please remain where you are in case this is a distraction.” After murmuring reassurances to Fiona, Patty stood and surveyed the clubhouse to make sure no one had opened a side door or was behaving suspiciously. Everything appeared normal. A couple of parents had even started joking with the kids, as if this was a game, and a little girl scrambled
to her feet.
“Down, please.” Patty gestured until the child obeyed. “Everybody, treat this like an earthquake drill.” In California, schools and entire towns held drills to prepare for quakes, ranging from duck-under-your-desk exercises to large scale run-throughs that tested hospital, fire department and police readiness. “Remember what Mike said. Nobody moves until we get the all clear.”
“I had no idea nannies took safety this seriously,” said one of the mothers. “Do they train you for this?”
“You bet.”
“Is it going to be okay?” Fiona’s words came out muffled because she had her nose buried in the bunny’s fur.
“Sure. It’s just your mom.” Patty’s heart ached for the little girl, who couldn’t even enjoy her birthday party in peace, let alone count on her mother for support.
The child peeked up at her. “Can I open the rest of my presents now?”
“Later, little one.” Patty continued to observe their surroundings for anything amiss. Outside, Mike had engaged the couple in conversation.
“But—”
“They won’t sprout legs and trot off. I promise.” Patty was glad to see an answering smile. She’d have liked to ease the tension even more, but not yet.
On the phone, Alec was explaining to the dispatcher that the explosions appeared to be harmless. “We’d appreciate having a patrol car stop by, but at this point it doesn’t look like an emergency.”
On the walkway, the tall woman tossed back her mane of dark hair impatiently. The suave fellow at her side, his pencil-thin mustache and gray-tinged black hair giving him a sophisticated air, spoke courteously to Mike.
Finally her boss signaled her, and Patty gave everyone the okay to get up. “That’s just like Sabrina,” Darlene grumbled. “She can’t stand not being the center of attention.”
“Those people certainly know how to make an entrance.” Bailey brushed off her knees.
“Are you all right?” Patty asked Alec as he ended his call.
“Just seriously annoyed.” He reached down to hug his daughter. “Sorry for the scare.”
“That’s okay, Daddy.” Her little arms wound around him. The expression on her face was utterly trusting, and so achingly sweet, it was all Patty could do to tear her eyes away.
When Alec released Fiona, his hand brushed Patty’s and he gave her a short, intense look. Something she didn’t fully understand passed between them—partly a shared sense that they’d both been ready to risk their lives, but something else, too. A kind of belonging that ran so deep it almost scared her.
“I guess I’d better go invite them in,” Alec muttered. “Fiona, you’ll be fine with Patty.”
“I know.” She took Patty’s hand and gripped it tight.
Outside, Eduardo was showing Mike a handful of fireworks that appeared from a distance to be harmless sparklers and noisemakers. All the same, they could burn a child’s skin or cause serious eye damage.
“What a bad idea. Don’t they realize how young these children are?” Tina complained as she and the other guests gathered around the refreshment table. A second helping of cupcakes seemed to soothe everyone’s nerves.
Fiona stuck close to Patty. She didn’t seem eager to greet her mother, and no wonder, Patty reflected, scrutinizing the new arrival through the glass. Sabrina Denny had an intimidating air, like a Thoroughbred horse ready to trample any hapless critter that skittered across her path.
It wasn’t Patty’s job to judge. She was here to protect the child and, secondarily, everyone else at the party.
Besides, Alec had once fallen in love with this woman, and she’d given birth to this precious little girl. There must be something worthwhile about her.
FROM THE TIME he was seventeen and made the decision to put his future ahead of his heart, Alec had embraced being an adult. He’d shouldered every responsibility that had come along, without question. But right now he wished he could act like a kid, tell his self-centered ex-wife where to get off, and send these intruders packing.
When the noisemakers had gone off, he’d felt a jolt of adrenaline and a pang of dread, not for himself but for Fiona. For an instant, he’d feared that all his efforts had been useless to protect the person he loved most in the world.
Then he’d seen Patty, fiercely protective and balanced, ready, trained. His first impulse had been to leap to his daughter’s defense, but he’d been assigned a vital role, calling the police. And he’d been able to rely on Patty to be there, not only standing guard but also comforting Fiona.
She’d done her part. Now he had to paste a smile on his face and move forward to murmur a polite greeting to the woman he wished he never had to see again. And shake hands with a man who might turn out to be his worst enemy.
“Dr. Denny!” Eduardo gripped his hand eagerly. “I am very pleased to meet you.”
“Mr. Patron. Welcome to Safe Harbor.” Alec was glad for Mike’s looming presence, because he didn’t trust this fellow despite his friendliness. “I understand you’re interested in seeing the lab. Will tomorrow be soon enough?”
“Oh, honestly.” Sabrina adjusted a large, undoubtedly very expensive, tooled-leather shoulder bag. “Do you have to talk business?”
Alec didn’t bother to answer, because anything he said would come out sarcastic. The adrenaline still surged in his veins, and the anger… Best not to dwell on that.
“It is an important part of our trip,” Eduardo responded levelly.
Sabrina shrugged. “Where is Fiona, anyway?”
Hiding from you. “In the clubhouse.” From the corner of his eye, Alec noticed a black-and-white pulling to the curb. Good. A police presence ought to put a lid on his ex-wife’s mischief.
Or so he’d believed. “Well, let’s show her some fun!” She reached for a sparkler. “Eduardo, where’s the lighter?”
“Put the fireworks away!” Alec didn’t bother to disguise his irritation.
“We went to a lot of trouble to bring these. We had to ship them by rail,” Sabrina retorted. “As long as we’re here, let’s enjoy them.”
“Clearly, we have caused a problem. Let us save them for another time.” Her companion opened his satchel, allowed Mike to inspect its contents and added the unused poppers and sparklers. “You are very careful about security. I didn’t realize Americans were so cautious.”
“Only if they’re paranoid,” Sabrina griped. When Mike indicated her purse, she glared, but opened it at a gesture from Eduardo. “A gift for my daughter. You don’t expect me to unwrap it, I hope!”
Mike hesitated, then shook his head. To Alec he said, “I’d better go square things with the police.” He strolled off toward the two approaching officers, who greeted him like an old friend.
“Can we go in now?” Sabrina demanded. “You aren’t going to have us arrested, are you?”
“Of course not.” Alec hung on to his temper. Quarreling would solve nothing.
“I wasn’t sure you’d trust us inside without an armed guard.” Sabrina stalked forward. In her mile-high heels, she moved like a runway model, clearly aware of the stunning picture she made. The police officers watched her retreating figure as if willing her to turn toward them for a better view.
She’s toxic, guys. Don’t be an idiot like I was.
Eduardo, however, took more interest in Alec than in his fiancée as they approached the clubhouse. “I hear Dr. Tartikoff thinks very highly of you. Setting up a laboratory, you must be a technology expert.”
“I keep up with the field, yes.” Alec still felt reserved around the guy. “You speak excellent English, by the way.”
“I earned my MBA at Wharton, in Philadelphia,” the man explained. “And I have a second home in New York.”
Far away from your wife and children. How could Eduardo bear to be separated from his three kids, who, according to Mike’s written report, ranged in age from seven to fifteen? True, the report indicated he visited them occasionally, but he must have been miserable in his ma
rriage to seek a divorce. Or madly in love with Sabrina, in which case he might be putting on a suave front to help her steal her daughter.
Inside the clubhouse, the party was breaking up, Alec saw as they entered. While his mother handed out goody bags, the guests and their stuffed animals were wishing Fiona a happy birthday. Hanging on to Patty, his daughter thanked them all for coming, but her gaze kept straying toward the door. Toward Sabrina.
Alec registered the mixture of worry and yearning on his daughter’s face as her gaze met her mother’s. If only he’d chosen more wisely. If only he’d married a woman who valued their child’s needs and emotions above her own.
His ex-wife regarded their daughter with a startled expression. “Good heavens, what have they done to your hair? It used to be so beautiful.”
Did she have to say that? How insensitive.
Fiona went white, as if she’d been slapped. “I got it cut.”
Even Sabrina couldn’t be unaware of the frowns directed her way from around the room. Or maybe, Alec thought, she actually registered the fact that she was hurting her daughter. “Once I get used to it, I’m sure I’ll love it. Come here, sweetie. I brought you a present!” Dropping the purse to the floor, she held out her arms.
After a second’s hesitation, Fiona trotted forward. Her mother clutched her tightly, and when he moved to get a clear view of Sabrina’s face, Alec saw a fiery expression worthy of a tigress.
At some level, his ex-wife did love their daughter, he thought, and it was good for Fiona to experience that. As long as she had him to keep her safe from Sabrina’s unpredictable moods.
Patty hovered nearby, closely watching the pair and their surroundings. In this unwavering sentinel, he saw no trace of his goofy high-school sweetheart. She’d become so much more than he’d given her credit for.
Fiona wiggled away from her mother. “Where’s my present?”
Out of the purse came a gift box wrapped in elegant pink paper traced with a lace design. Although he hated to disappoint his daughter, Alec knew this wasn’t the time. “Fiona, your guests are leaving. You can open it and the rest of your gifts a little later.”
Falling for the Nanny Page 15