The Baby Invasion (Destiny Bay-Baby Dreams)

by Conrad, Helen

  Perfect for what, her conscience demanded to know. Perfect to help you raise your children? And even if he really were perfect and willing to do it, would it be fair to the man to tie him down just for that?

  Why had she married Joey? Because she’d been head over heels in love and had thought he would make her dreams come true. She’d completely brushed aside his dreams. She’d assumed they must be the same as hers, though looking back, she couldn’t imagine why she might have thought so. She’d been so young. She was older now. She knew more about the world and the way it worked.

  She would never again make that painful, naive mistake she’d made with Joey. Scott would make a wonderful father for her children, but he didn’t want the job. So there was no use thinking about it.

  In the meantime, what did Scott mean to her—just to her, with no kids involved? It was hard to think that way sometimes, hard to disengage her thinking from “kids first, me second.” But there still was a person there under the Mom label. A person who would still be there when the kids were grown and gone. She really couldn’t forget about that.

  So the question lingered—what did Scott mean to her?

  Her pulse beat quickly just thinking about it. She knew what he meant to her. He was a promise, a temptation, a seduction. His touch could bring a part of her alive that had been dormant for too long.

  The look in his eyes could make her blood sing. One glance at his strong, virile body could make her feel lightheaded. He was enticement, a physical suggestion of fulfillment.

  The scent of him filled her with a delicious dread. When he was near, whispers of ecstasy tugged at her, coaxing her to turn away from “responsibility” and follow him to a temporary paradise. He was all she could ever dream of, all she must force herself to flee from.

  She laughed softly to herself after that last thought, shaking her head. Boy, was she ever getting melodramatic in her old age! He was attractive, to put it simply.

  He was cute and she dug him. Okay?

  But there was more to him than pure sensual pleasure. He was a man she could depend on.

  He was a man she could fall in love with.

  No! She couldn’t even think that. It was far too dangerous.

  “Here comes the Mammoth Lakes turnoff,” Scott called back. “Anybody hungry?”

  That brought a good response. Cathy climbed back into the front seat and found a comb to try to do something with her hair,

  “What’s this restaurant we’re stopping at?” she asked.

  “The Dutch Kitchen,” he told her. “It’s run by a friend of mine, Charity Ames. I went to school with her brother Mason years ago. She used to run La Mer, one of the nicest restaurants in Destiny Bay, before she moved to Mammoth.”

  “I see.” Cathy looked at him sideways. “An old girlfriend?”

  “Nope.” He sighed heavily. “Much as I loved her cooking, she never returned the favor. I think she had a thing against anyone who was a friend of her brother’s. She considered us all flakes in those days.

  “Anyway, she’s married now, with a baby coming and everything. And she married a Carrington. My cousin Ross.”

  The climb in altitude was abrupt and dramatic. Suddenly they’d left the high desert and were in the mountains. The air was crystal clear, the sky cornflower blue, and the smell of pine drifted in on cool breezes.

  “Here we are.”

  Scott pulled the van into the driveway of a small building designed to look like a Dutch windmill. He drove all the way around to the back of the restaurant and Cathy didn’t ask why. She knew it would be best to lie low, just in case.

  She turned to look at the six expectant faces behind her. “Oh no,” she said with a sinking feeling. “How are we going to do this?”

  “Easy,” Scott returned cheerfully as he switched off the engine. He turned in his seat and looked at the children. “We’ll each be in charge of one little one. You take Pink. Barnaby can take Blue. Beth will take care of Daffodil. And I—“ he turned to grin at his companion in the baby seat next to him “—I’ll handle this little guy. Okay?”

  There was some grumbling, but not enough to gum up the works. Cathy liked Scott’s plan and appreciated not having to be the one to come up with a solution for a change. But even so, Beanie’s grin of satisfaction was almost too much for her to deal with.

  “Don’t spoil him,” she said under her breath to Scott.

  “Why not?” he whispered back, and as the words left his mouth, he realized he was actually sort of partial to the kid. Him! He didn’t do kids.

  She merely shook her head in exasperation and began to herd the entire brood into the restaurant. “Watch them put out the Closed sign the minute they see us coming,” she said.

  But that didn’t happen. They’d barely made it in the door when a shriek of recognition came from the kitchen area.

  “Scott Carrington! Is that really you?”

  Scott turned and into his arms flew a pretty woman with wild blond hair and snapping dark eyes.

  “Char!” Scott said, kissing her soundly and putting her back on her feet. “Let me look at you.”

  She opened her arms wide, laughing. “I’m all here,” she said, showing off her rounded belly. “But what are you doing in Mammoth?”

  Scott turned to draw Cathy into the conversation. “This is Cathy Feenstra. She and I are ferrying a bunch of kids to Lake Tahoe. We may make it. We may not. But we’re giving it the old college try.” He grinned at the woman. “Cathy, this is Charity Ames.”

  “It’s Carrington now,” she interjected, smiling at Charity. “I married a man named Ross Carrington.”

  Scott nodded. “My cousin Ross. I heard. Where is he?”

  “In Australia.” She made a face. “He’s got business there from time to time.”

  “From what I’ve been told, he’s some highfalutin developer these days.”

  Charity grinned. “Something like that. We’re about to have a little boy, and Ross should be back in plenty of time for that.” She smiled at Cathy again, looking over the many little heads they’d brought along. “How many are there?”

  “Too many,” growled Scott.

  “Six,” supplied Cathy. “Three are mine. The others are loaners.”

  Charity laughed. “We’ve got room for you all.” She called to a waitress and gave her some quick instructions.

  Cathy felt right at home with the woman. She liked the way Charity and Scott interacted. There was a genuine warmth between them that could only come from years of friendship and shared experiences.

  Charity turned back to them. “They’ll push some tables together and round up all the high chairs. It’ll only take a minute.” She glanced at Scott. “You look well. Still flying?”

  He nodded. “You look fantastic. I guess married life agrees with you.”

  “Absolutely. You ought to try it.”

  Scott glanced at Cathy and they both reddened, leaving Charity to gasp in astonishment. “Are you two...?”

  “No,” Scott said hastily. “No. We’re just friends. Right, Cathy?”

  She nodded vehemently. “Right. Just friends.”

  Charity’s face took on a wise look. “I see,” she said softly. “I see.”

  The silence stretched a little too long and all three of them tried to say something at once, leaving them laughing once again. Charity excused herself to give further instructions to her waitresses, but she was back right away.

  “Listen,” Scott said as she returned. “How’s the rest of your family? How’s your crazy sister Faith?”

  Charity’s look became mischievous. “Faith has a new thing.” Her eyes gleamed with the deliciousness of this news. “She’s selling used cars in El Paso.”

  Scott chuckled. “I’ll bet she’s the best saleswoman in the state. And how about Mason?”

  “Mason’s still around. He’s doing some hot air ballooning in Arizona, but we expect him back before the last snowflakes flutters down from the sky.” She smiled at
Cathy. “Mason is my playboy brother. He and this one here—“ she gestured toward Scott “—used to tear up the town together, and land in all sorts of scrapes and expect me to pull their little chestnuts out of the fire.”

  “She exaggerates,” Scott said disapprovingly. “It wasn’t that way at all. We were the ones to save her skin a time or two. Remember the Arab prince who thought you were going to marry him on Valentine’s Day? We had to dress you up like a circus clown to sneak you out of town.”

  One of the waitresses appeared and smiled at them. “We’ve got the table ready. Would you like to bring them in?”

  Cathy turned to make sure Beth and Barnaby had their charges and they trooped into the dining area. Two tables had been pulled together. Four high chairs lined one side. Each place had a small toy or a coloring book and crayons by it. Cathy turned to Charity.

  “This is lovely. But I think we’ll need more chairs.”

  “No you won’t.” Charity’s grin was full of mischief. “You and Scott aren’t staying.”

  Cathy wasn’t sure she’d heard right. “What?”

  Another waitress appeared with a huge picnic basket. “You and Scott are having a picnic in the woods,” Charity told them. “Go on. Sally will show you the way to the best picnic area around. We’ll take care of the children.”

  Cathy was floored by the woman’s generosity. “Oh no, I can’t—“

  “You can,” she said firmly. “After the night you two have obviously had, you deserve a little pampering. Now go on, shoo. We’re practically empty. It’s a slow morning. On a day like this we usually don’t get more than a few passing vacationers—and, of course, the local police, stopping by for doughnuts.”

  She grinned. “We’ll have fun taking care of the babies. And you’ll get a nice rest.”

  She stood on tiptoes to kiss Scott’s cheek. “This is to thank you for the clown bit,” she told him merrily. “Now get on with you. And don’t come back for at least two hours. You hear?”

  Cathy looked at Scott. He looked at her. A picnic alone in the woods. A smile began to grow between the two of them. It seemed to be inevitable. Why fight it?

  Sunlight filtered down through the pines. A small crystal lake sparkled in the distance. Pine needles formed the matted bed upon which they lay. The breeze was cool, creating a whispering symphony in the tops of the trees. They were in a secluded place; no one could see them.

  Remnants of their picnic lay around them. Inside the wicker basket Sally had handed them, they had found croissants, a bacon, cheese and egg quiche that had kept marvelously, coffee, orange juice, even a small bottle of champagne, two fluted glasses and a red and white checkered tablecloth with matching napkins.

  They’d eaten. They’d talked. They’d touched. And now they were together, lying in one another’s arms.

  The “friends” theory had been discarded from the first. Neither one of them had said a word about it, but when their eyes met, they both knew. There was no way for them to be merely friends, not when electricity shimmered between them this way, not when every look, every touch, was alive with magic.

  Cathy sighed, her eyes closed, and she let herself dream. What if Scott changed his mind about children? What if he became so crazy about hers that they ceased to be a problem to him? What if... he fell in love with her?

  Impossible dream. That was what it was. But she couldn’t keep it away.

  She had a secret. She hardly even dared to tell herself. But this secret was too big to keep forever. For the second time in her life, she was very close to falling in love. She was very close to loving Scott.

  She knew it was a doomed love. She probably wouldn’t ever tell him about it. In some ways, that made it even more special. It was hers, and hers alone. She wouldn’t let it change anything. She would make sure the children didn’t suffer because of it.

  She had to be careful. She didn’t want it to show in her eyes. And there was also the fear that she was fooling herself. Was it just because Scott was the only man she’d been this close to since Joey had left? Was she letting a little physical attraction go to her head?

  She didn’t want to think that, but she had to admit it was a possibility—though the more time she spent with him, the dimmer that possibility became.

  Her face was pressed to Scott’s chest and she could feel the thump of his heartbeat. His hand was in her hair, stroking, caressing. His long, strong body was against hers and the warmth he created was as seductive as a wood-burning fire on a frosty night. This was heaven. She’d never felt so safe and secure.

  “Cathy,” he murmured into her hair. “You smell like daisies look.”

  She lifted her face and he kissed her, gently nibbling her mouth. She parted her lips, wanting more of him, and he obliged, his tongue rasping against her in a way that inflamed her senses. She stirred, arching her body more tightly into his.

  If she weren’t careful, she knew where this would lead. The feeling between them was explosive now. It was dangerous to tempt it. But she couldn’t stop herself. She needed to feel him against her the way she needed air to breathe.

  His hands rose and framed her face, holding it away so that he could look into her eyes. “Cathy,” he said softly. “I want to be honest with you. Will you let me?”

  Excitement was tingling through her body and she didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to think. She wanted only to feel, feel him, feel them together.

  She gazed at him, her vision blurred by her sensual responses. “Don’t be honest,” she said in return. “Don’t tell me things that are good for me to hear. Don’t warn me. Don’t advise me. Just kiss me again.”

  He laughed softly and kissed her, once on her eager lips, then at the corners of her mouth. Reaching up, she wound her arms around his neck and when his mouth came near again, she captured it and enticed it to stay.

  The kiss went on and on. It grew from simple delight to intense pleasure, a drugging, exotic pleasure that flowered, opening in wave after wave of sensation, each more intoxicating than the last, until finally Scott drew back, and they both gasped with the need to regain their breath.

  “Cathy, listen to me.” He was more firm now, his voice low and rough. He took her by the shoulders and gazed intensely into her eyes. “We can’t do this. Not here. Not now.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide with trust.

  He groaned and tangled his hand in her hair.

  “I told you I want to be honest, and that’s what I’m going to be.”

  His gaze caressed her face, taking in every detail. “Cathy, I want you. I want to make love to you. I want it so badly, it’s like a fire in my guts. It’s driving me crazy.”

  She was shaking, ever so slightly. “I know,” she said softly. “Scott, I know.” Her hand reached up to touch his cheek and her eyes shone with her feelings.

  His hand covered hers and held it to his chest.

  “But this isn’t the right place, the right time,” he went on. “I know you’re vulnerable. I can tell it’s been a long, long time since you’ve...”

  She nodded and waited to hear what else he had to say.

  “You’ve got three children, so this might sound a little odd. But... I don’t think you’re very experienced. Are you?”

  She searched his gaze, puzzled.

  He nodded. “I can tell. And much as I want you, I don’t think you’re ready.”

  Didn’t he know? Couldn’t he tell that she was so close to loving him? She went up on her elbow to look down at him, trailing her fingers down the cords of his neck. How could she let him know it was all right? She knew he didn’t want love, not in the “forever” sense of the word. And after her knowing the man only two days, most people would have said she couldn’t possibly feel that strongly yet. But she knew. She’d only been in love once before, and she was sure.

  Once they got back to real life, this would fade. She knew that as surely as she knew her name. The two of them had different needs, different goals in l
ife. Those differences would pull them apart eventually. There was no hope for a future. If they were to have anything together, it had to be now. There was no tomorrow.

  Could she accept that? No, not really. But she would have to. Could she open herself to him now, give him everything she had to give, take from him all he would offer? She never would have dreamed she could do this sort of thing. It wasn’t in character for her to be so hasty, so careless.

  But it wasn’t carelessness. She knew that. It was caring too much that drove her to want him now, to want to take a part of him with her forever.

  Her fingers curled around the top button of his shirt and began to work it free. “Do you always give women this lecture?” she asked softly, her eyes shining with tamed laughter. “Or do you find me especially virginal for some reason?”

  His eyebrow rose in surprise, and by the time it lowered again, she had three buttons undone and her hand was sliding inside his shirt. His dark eyes glittered.

  “Cathy, are you sure?”

  “Sssshhhh,” Leaning over him, she put a finger to his lips. If he only knew how much his concern touched her. She wasn’t used to this, to having a man think of her before himself. It made her want to please him all the more.

  “Scott, don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

  He reached up and pulled her finger away so he could speak. “But Cathy, I want to make sure you understand this. I mean, you’re a ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ sort of woman and I’m a---”

  She laughed softly, easing herself on top of him, sliding to rest her hips between his legs. “Scott,” she murmured, her voice low and husky, “you talk too much.”

  She didn’t have to tell him again. His mouth sought hers and the desire that had been budding between them from the first time they had seen one another burst into bloom.

  His hands were moving across her back, thrusting under her sweater to loosen her bra. They explored her, journeying down to search beneath the belt of her slacks, going from the top of her backbone to her bottom, as though to claim all of her.

  Dappled sunlight fell on her breasts as he exposed them to the mountain air. More dappled sunlight caressed his naked skin as he revealed his hard, muscular body to her. She gasped and reached for him. He was hers, at least for the moment.