Harlequin Special Edition September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Maverick for HireA Match Made by BabyOnce Upon a Bride

by Leanne Banks

  He stopped abruptly and glanced at Kaitlyn. His father must have made some retort because Adam shook his head and clenched his jaw. “I might be a serial dater, but you’re a serial groom. If you hear from Tina, day or night, anytime, call me. This is important, Dad. I have a group of people here who will help her.”

  His father must have asked him a question.

  Adam answered, “I’m leaving for Thailand in a month. I have no choice. This is a contracted commitment. If that means you have to come back and babysit for a while, that’s what it means.”

  Adam just kept shaking his head at the rest of the conversation.

  After he ended the call, he slowly slipped the phone back into the holster on his belt, looking as if he’d gone far away.

  “It didn’t go well?”

  Adam gave a mirthless laugh. “No, it didn’t. But that’s not unusual with Dad. He’s always been more concerned about his most recent marriage to Tiffany or Anna Mae or whoever comes next. But Tina and I—we were pretty much on our own. We never understood why he and Jade divorced. They never told us.”

  “It seems you watched over Tina a lot when you were younger. Didn’t you mind having a tagalong? That had to cramp your style given the big age difference.”

  “I didn’t have a style. I studied mostly. I ran track, but only so I could get a scholarship.”

  Adam’s pride was almost as big as he was. The stiffness in his voice concealed his true feelings. She imagined they would have been sorrow, loneliness and regret. However, just as she hadn’t confided in him, she could tell he wasn’t going to confide in her. She knew about the arrest he’d had when he was twenty-one...that his younger years hadn’t been all studies and sports, even though that’s what he wanted her to think. He’d been involved in a serious accident that had been his fault.

  However, she didn’t push further. She didn’t want to get more involved than she already was. “So your dad didn’t know Tina was pregnant?”

  “No. I called and left a message for him yesterday after Tina left Erica with me. We’re a pair, the two of us.”

  “But not alike. You haven’t been married four times.”

  Adam gave her a penetrating stare. “No, I haven’t been married four times. But I also haven’t had a serious relationship with a woman for more than a couple of months. Make that one month. I guess I come from a gene pool that can’t commit.”

  “You think it’s in the genes?”

  “I think it’s in the genes, and I think you have to grow up in the right atmosphere. I batted zilch on both.”

  “I don’t agree.”

  When he studied her at her remark, she knew he’d never expected her to contradict him.

  “Just what don’t you agree with?” he asked. “You don’t know what my childhood was like.”

  “No, I don’t. But I do know we do what we want to do—when we’re kids and when we’re adults. Granted, it’s easier if someone teaches us how to get along with other people. But basically, I think if we want a friend, we make a friend. If we want a mate, we look for the possibilities—which could be anything from a one-night stand to a lasting commitment. But we have to want it, Adam.”

  “How do you know what I want? Seems to me, you didn’t stick around to find out.” He sounded regretful about that and she wondered why. After all, he’d just admitted he didn’t date anyone longer than a month!

  “I knew what you wanted that night, just as you knew what you wanted. But I—”

  “You chickened out, and I’d like to know why.”

  Oh, there it was. The conversation that she didn’t want to have.

  Taking the bottle away from the baby, she said calmly, “I have to burp her. Do you want to learn how?”

  “Kaitlyn, you’re cutting it off again.”

  “I’m not here to discuss what happened a year ago. I’m here to figure out what’s best for this baby. Do you want to learn to burp her?”

  Adam’s brow furrowed, his jaw set, and she saw the storms in his eyes. He was used to being in control. He was used to being in charge. And right now, he wasn’t.

  “Show me what to do, and you won’t have to show me how to do it again.”

  Well, those lines were drawn.

  Kaitlyn lifted Erica and took her over to Adam. She said, “Sit up straight. You can burp a baby on your shoulder, but you said that wasn’t working for you. So we’ll try something else. I’m going to sit her on your knee.”

  Kaitlyn knelt down beside Adam so she could more easily help. “Support her back like I’m doing.”

  When Adam transferred his hand to Erica’s back, Kaitlyn’s was still there. She slipped hers away, but not without feeling the warmth of his long fingers.

  “Now you’re going to put your other hand in front of Erica and let her weight rest against your palm.” Kaitlyn was almost between Adam’s knees now, and it was uncomfortable and awkward, yet also an exciting place to be, if she was honest with herself.

  If he brushed his cheek against hers from this vantage point, she’d feel his stubble. She could remember the feel of his lips on hers, the tempting mastery of his tongue, the passion he’d evoked that had almost swept her away.

  Inhaling a deep breath, and along with it his musky scent, she believed this was the worst assignment she’d ever had from The Mommy Club. When she’d learned the person who needed help was Adam Preston, she should have called one of the other docs to help.

  Crazy, but she was feeling a little crazy right now. So close to Adam, yet emotionally removed. At least she was trying to be.

  “Let her lean into your palm, and just rub her back. That’s all you have to do. You can pat it a little, too, but—”

  Erica gave a loud burp, and the formula stayed down.

  Kaitlyn gave a little smile then moved away, now that she felt Adam was more confident in what he was doing.

  They were still too close. She realized the best thing she could do was leave.

  She rose to her feet. “I’d better be going. I have to check on a patient at the hospital in Sacramento.”

  “Leave?” he asked with a pointed look. He nodded toward the boxed swing and the crib. “I suppose I could put those together while she sleeps, if she sleeps. What have you decided about the situation here? Can you send somebody out to help?”

  Actually, The Mommy Club was shorthanded right now. There were several members of the community who needed help. One young mother had had surgery. Another was undergoing chemo for breast cancer, and several women were helping take care of her children and bring in food. Sometimes it seemed like The Mommy Club had a score of volunteers. But when it came down to the nitty-gritty, daily help was hard to find.

  Adam must have seen something in her face. “What? No one’s available? Or are you just going to call a social worker and say I’m not fit to take care of Erica?”

  “That wouldn’t be the truth. But I really don’t know the answer yet. I’ll check back with you tomorrow. You’ll be fine. I know you will.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he agreed. “But I don’t think you’re fine, Kaitlyn, because you’re running. I don’t know why, and you obviously don’t want to tell me, but you’re running. Think about that while you’re driving to Sacramento.”

  Kaitlyn knew she’d think about nothing else.

  Chapter Three

  In the Sacramento hospital, Kaitlyn kept her attention focused on her four-year-old patient who was doing much better. She was grateful for that. The little girl had been mighty sick, and Kaitlyn hadn’t let that worry show to the parents.

  But now as she read Mary Lou’s chart on her electronic tablet, she was hopeful her patient would be going home soon.

  She’d just turned away from the nurses’ desk when she heard her name called. Valerie Tremont waved fro
m the sitting area. She had a cup of coffee beside her and Kaitlyn guessed she was taking a break. A nurse here, Val had been keeping to herself lately, and Kaitlyn suspected why. A divorce. Kaitlyn knew firsthand how that could tear up a person’s life.

  Glad for any distraction from Adam and his niece, Kaitlyn approached Val with a smile. “How are you?”

  “Surviving,” she said with an attempt at cheerfulness.

  “Are Chrissy and Craig okay?”

  “We’re all adjusting. It’s not as if David had been home the past few years.”

  Her husband, David, had been a medic in the marines and deployed several times. Over a year ago, he’d decided to walk away from his marriage. Although Val lived in Fawn Grove, she worked at the hospital in Sacramento because the pay and benefits were better than anything she could find locally.

  “Do you see David?”

  Val shook her head. “After that last deployment, his discharge and the divorce, he said he just needed time for himself. The last I heard, he was taking a hostel trip through Spain. I think he just saw too much in his service, and he’s trying to escape the memories.”

  Kaitlyn sat down beside her. “How’s the apartment working out?”

  “The Mommy Club did a great job recommending one. It’s on the first floor of an old house. I still don’t have an upstairs neighbor, which is nice because the kids have the run of the yard anytime they want it. And I can’t believe how reasonable the rent is. I think my next goal is to find a job nursing in Fawn Grove so I don’t have to commute. Mom and Dad need a life, too, outside of babysitting.”

  “I’ll keep my ears open.”

  “Thank you. How are you?”

  Today she was a bit disconcerted, but other than that... “I’m good.”

  “Are you going to The Mommy Club fund-raiser at Raintree Winery next week?”

  Kaitlyn had to smile. “The bachelor auction? I don’t know. I’ll help Sara and Jase get the word out, but the event itself isn’t quite my cup of tea.”

  Because the thought of a dinner date threw her into a tizzy? She’d never been much of a dater, not with her med school workload and meeting Tom. When she looked back at her marriage, she wondered if she and Tom had settled for each other because it had been convenient, because they’d both wanted a family. But her miscarriage and the reason behind it had ended that possibility in Tom’s mind.

  “Are you going to the fund-raiser?” Kaitlyn asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  “No,” Val returned with a firm shake of her head. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to think about dating again.”

  “You need more time.”

  “And a fairy godmother,” Val said with a laugh.

  Did all women really have dreams of finding Prince Charming? On that score, Kaitlyn’s dreams had dissolved into something much more practical—a thriving practice where she could help the kids she saw every day. She didn’t need anything else.

  However, as Kaitlyn was driving back to Fawn Grove, she felt an inexorable pull toward Adam’s condo to see how he was faring with his niece. After all, she’d told him she’d check in on him. She told herself that picking up some Chinese on the way was mostly for her sustenance. She’d skipped lunch. She’d also told herself as she rang the doorbell, chemistry and a doctor’s busy lifestyle simply didn’t mix.

  That maxim held water until Adam opened the door. This time he was wearing the baby sling with Erica in it, but his niece was wailing again.

  Adam seemed unreasonably glad to see Kaitlyn, yet unsettled, too. Was he pleased she was here to help? Or because...

  Or because he couldn’t forget about their kisses, either?

  Without preamble, he said, “A mother wearing this contraption and me wearing this contraption are entirely two different things.”

  “Do you want me to come in, or do you want me to leave with my Moo Goo Gai Pan?”

  * * *

  “Moo Goo Gai Pan?” The thought of hot food was the one thing that might bring him a little pleasure. Well, maybe there was more than one thing that would, but they’d concentrate on the food.

  “Sweet and sour chicken, too,” she added.

  He had to wonder why she was doing this. After all, she’d run away before. “So now The Mommy Club delivers takeout?”

  “So now a pediatrician with The Mommy Club was hungry and thought you might be, too. I didn’t see much food in your refrigerator.”

  He didn’t have a comeback to that remark because it was true. He simply crossed into his living room where the swing stood, leaving her to close the door behind her. “The swing worked for about fifteen minutes.” As he transferred Erica from the sling to the swing, his gaze found Kaitlyn’s.

  Darn if the room didn’t tilt again. Mini earthquake?

  Although the aroma from the food was making his mouth water, he couldn’t take his eyes from Kaitlyn’s. Whenever she was around, his head practically spun. Or maybe that was just a lack of sleep.

  With a mental shake, he settled Erica in the padded seat and cooed a bit to her as he wound up the mechanism so the swing would swing. For some reason his niece seemed to like cooing and gooing. Babies were as tough to read as women.

  “I hope you brought your magic touch with you,” he suddenly said, “or that food’s going to get cold. I’m paying you, by the way.”

  She looked startled, as if she hadn’t expected the offer. “You can pay me if you get the chance to eat any of it. We can split the cost.”

  That made him straighten from his crouch and study her carefully. “You’re one complicated woman.”

  Her eyes widened a bit. “And you’re an open book? One thing I’m not, Mr. Preston, is gullible.”

  “Mr. Preston,” he scoffed. “After what we almost did, first name basis should be a given. So don’t try to put even more distance than the past year between us.”

  Kaitlyn looked away, obviously not wanting to have that discussion now. But he did. If not now, then soon. He had to know what had made her bolt like a scared rabbit.

  Erica seemed to be quieting with each pass of the swing.

  “If we only have fifteen minutes, we should take advantage of it,” he decided. “I’ll find dishes. Some of each?”

  She raised her hand in a “sure, why not” gesture. As she followed him into the kitchen, she asked, “Did you get the crib put together?”

  “Who do you think I am? Superman?”

  The way she studied him made him wonder if she was imagining him in that superhero getup.

  * * *

  A short while later, they were sitting on the sofa quietly eating their supper, the swing rocking back and forth, easing Erica into sleep, when Kaitlyn asked Adam what was foremost on her mind. “Did you try to call Tina again?”

  He put down his fork. “Three times. I don’t even know if she’s getting my messages. I try not to sound panicked. I try to sound reasonable. But I’m worried about her.”

  “I know you are.”

  It was obvious to see, though she wondered how much of it was worry that he’d be stuck with Erica. She was afraid that’s the way he looked at it. She couldn’t tell yet if Adam was bonding with the baby, or just caring for her. There was a difference.

  As they ate in silence for another few minutes, Kaitlyn took a deep breath. Having dinner with Adam wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. That sizzle in the air...the way he looked at her sometimes...

  “I’m going to drive to Tina’s apartment tomorrow,” he said, breaking the silence. “Maybe I’ll find a clue as to where she’s gone.”

  “You’re taking Erica?”

  “What choice do I have? Besides, I have to learn to handle her in and out of the condo. I can’t be stuck here twenty-four hours a day. No wonder new moms get cabin fever.”
<
br />   “There’s no reason why Erica can’t go where you go. You just have to remember to take along everything you need.”

  “Bottles, diapers and the kitchen sink.”

  At least he was keeping his sense of humor. That could be tough in this situation. She’d liked his sense of humor that night—

  “Kaitlyn, why did you run out on me that night at the winery?”

  Back to that. “Because we didn’t know each other. Because we’d just met.”

  “Did I read the signals wrong? You were flirting back. When I kissed you, you responded.”

  She’d more than responded. Somehow, he’d lit the wick of passion that had been extinguished for two years. Her divorce had become final the week before.

  Yes, she’d realized that Tom would never forgive her for losing their baby. She’d had no doubt the marriage was over. The night she’d gone to the wine tasting, she’d been trying to resurrect her own self-confidence. Whatever her goal that night, she hadn’t expected to meet Adam. She hadn’t expected that kind of chemistry. She hadn’t expected to go up in flames when he touched her.

  But now she could see why he wanted to have this conversation. A dented male ego, maybe, but something deeper, too. He was afraid he’d taken advantage of her.

  “You didn’t read the signals wrong, Adam. I thought I could flirt and have a good time. I didn’t expect everything that happened when you kissed me. After we ended up undressing and I realized what we were doing, I knew I wasn’t ready.”

  Of course, that’s the word he latched on to. “Ready?”

  “That’s all I really want to say about it. You didn’t take advantage of me. I never should have let you kiss me the second time.”

  He cocked his head and studied her hard. “You don’t go to many parties, do you?”

  “No.”

  “You don’t usually flirt with men.”

  “No.”

  “So why that night? Why me?”

  Wasn’t that a very good question? She knew why she’d done it that night, but why she’d done it with Adam was still a puzzle.