Pain ricocheted through her body. She was used to Alex being tough at times, but she wasn’t ready for this kind of scolding. He was her friend, for Pete’s sake. Couldn’t he see she needed sympathy and understanding right now?
Swallowing at the knot of pain in her throat, she reached up and grabbed at the curls blowing into her misty brown eyes. “I’ve got to go, Alex.”
“Not yet. I—”
“You’ve made your point.” She shrugged her shoulder away from his hand. “I’m going home. I’ll see you later,” she said numbly, and before he could stop her she opened the car door and quickly slid behind the wheel.
Throwing up his hands with disgust, Alex stepped back and watched her drive out of the parking lot.
Damn man, Sierra thought as she drove through the residential streets of Red Rock. He could be so pompous at times that she wanted to slap him. But she couldn’t help loving him as a friend. During college Sierra had gone through some rough ground. Alex had always been there to lend her a hand and keep her morale boosted. Then later, after college, when her two older sisters had become estranged from the family and each other, Sierra had been devastated. Being a social worker, she’d always believed she could help the most torn families get back together, but she’d not been able to make her sisters see eye to eye and that had left Sierra feeling even more useless. Alex had been around to promise her that things would get better. And they had.
Gloria and Christina had both come home to stay. Everyone was talking and laughing again. Gloria was pregnant with her first child and planning a June wedding with business magnate Jack Fortune. Christina had just announced her engagement to Derek Rockwell. Both her sisters were happy and in love.
Sierra had believed she would be the next in line. She’d been dreaming of going to her sisters and telling them that she, too, would soon be walking down the aisle. But that likelihood had ended, along with all the rest of her starry-eyed plans for the future.
Five minutes later, Sierra was trying not to think about anything pertaining to marriage as she turned down a neat residential street and parked in front of an old two-story house shaded in the front and the back by spreading live oaks.
A cattleman had built the house back in the 1880s. The story went that his wife had loved throwing parties and the couple had needed a second house in town to accommodate their guests. Down through the years, the owners of the house had changed, and modern bathrooms had been added, but basically the structure had remained the same. The floors were all polished oak and the walls and ceiling intricate tongue and groove.
The place needed a bit of repairs here and there and the board siding was faded to a chalky-white, but since the owner was an old friend of the family, Sierra got a great deal on the rent. And she loved the space and the character of the house, even if the old rooms seemed lonely at night.
Inside, she went straight to her bedroom and changed her printed cotton dress for a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt. After she’d slipped on a pair of loafers and tied her black curls into a ponytail, she went out to the living room to go through the mail she’d left stacked on an end table near the couch.
By now her earlier anger at Alex had dissolved and as she ripped into the envelopes, regret began to settle on her shoulders. Even if Alex had been nasty to her, he’d been doing it out of kindness. She shouldn’t have been nasty back to him. That was beneath her usual demeanor and she hated that she’d lost her temper with him. Maybe she should give him time to get back to his office, then call and apologize, she pondered.
She was still debating whether to pick up the phone, when a knock sounded on the front door. Since she rarely had visitors in the middle of the afternoon, she was fully expecting to see a salesman when she opened the door. The last person she imagined to see standing on the porch was Alex Calloway.
“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly.
With a slight grimace, he ran a hand through his brown hair. “May I come in?” he asked.
Sierra had already forgiven him, but she didn’t want to be too quick in letting him know it. He was always accusing her of being too soft. Maybe now was the time to show him a tougher side of her.
“Why? So you can continue to insult me?”
His brows lifted and fell as he eyed her grim face. “No. And I don’t want to have this conversation standing in the doorway.”
Heaving out a breath, she pushed the screen door wide and gestured for him to come into the house. He walked to the middle of the room and jammed his hands into the pockets of his chinos. The khaki-colored pants were topped with a long-sleeved, dark green shirt and matching green tie flecked with spots of bright yellow. His clothing was far from the high-powered designer suits that were seen on many of the affluent lawyers in San Antonio. But Alex wasn’t into impressions, especially the outward kind. He was more interested in making his clients feel comfortable and gaining their confidence. That was something Sierra had always appreciated about him.
“I thought you had a client to meet with this afternoon. Isn’t he waiting?” Sierra asked.
Alex was a trial lawyer with an office in San Antonio. Since he’d gotten his license to practice four years ago, he’d gone it alone, preferring to have his own business and do things his own way than to be a part of a large firm. Sierra admired his independence, but she often questioned him about the location of his office.
San Antonio was twenty miles away. Alex lived here in Red Rock. His hometown needed him much more than a city that was already full of lawyers.
“I told Pauline to keep him entertained until I got there,” he answered. “She will.”
Pauline was a perky, middle-aged woman who ran Alex’s office single-handedly. The legal secretary was the only woman Sierra had ever met who could put Alex in his place. Yet he was always quick to sing Pauline’s praises. Which was a smart thing on his part. Sierra seriously doubted he could find another paralegal who would put up with his demands.
Sierra went over to the couch and sank onto an end cushion. Since the day was warm but not hot, she’d opened the windows and turned on the ceiling fans. The blades far above Alex’s head were turning in lazy, squeaky circles while beyond the window screens two mockingbirds jabbered at each other. It was a lazy, Texas afternoon, but at the moment every nerve in her body was focused on the male strutting back and forth in front of her.
“So, why are you here?” she asked again.
He paused to look at her. “To say I’m sorry and that I acted like a jerk to you.”
Sierra was swamped with relief and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. “You did act like a jerk, but I forgive you. Actually, about the time you knocked on the door, I’d decided I needed to call you to apologize. I wasn’t exactly nice to you, either.”
His hands still in his pockets, he walked over to the couch and took a seat next to her. “Forget it, Sierra. I just want you to—well, I don’t like seeing you like this. We’ve been friends for years and how many times have I watched some good-for-nothing bum walk all over you? Too many,” he added before she could answer. “Trey is right. You’re a beautiful young woman, you shouldn’t be settling for less.”
Alex thought she was beautiful? He’d never said anything like that to her before! Alex had always had his pick of gorgeous women. To think that he’d even bothered to consider her looks was a shocker.
Feeling suddenly awkward, Sierra’s gaze dropped to a spot on the floor. “Alex, I’ve never purposely set out to pick a loser for a boyfriend. It—it just turns out that way. I guess I just have horrible judgment of men.”
She lifted her eyes to see him shaking his head. “Why do you even need a man in your life, Sierra?”
Gasping, she rolled her brown eyes toward the ceiling. “Are you crazy, Alex? I’m a woman and I have normal, healthy needs just like other women my age. We want affection, love and companionship in our lives. Let’s face it. Living single gets pretty lonely at times. You should know that.”
/> “Look, Sierra, there’s nothing wrong with having a man around now and then. You just don’t need to—well, long so much for wedding bells. I thought you women had moved beyond that old-fashioned notion of marriage, anyway.”
She shook her head in dismay. “Alex, you just don’t understand.”
He arched an accusing brow at her. “It’s your sisters who have you all upset. They’re getting married in the next few months. And now your chance is gone because Chad, the loser, skipped out on you. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”
Feeling as though she were under a microscope, Sierra got to her feet and began to walk around the large, sparsely furnished room. “Maybe. Just a little,” she mumbled. “For five years my sisters were both gone from home. Gloria lived in Colorado and Christina lived in California, but you know all of this. I’ve whined to you about it so many times before. You understand how much I missed them and how awful it was for my parents to lose two of their daughters.”
Alex nodded. “I remember the rift between your sisters was awful—it tore your parents’ hearts out to have the family broken in such a way. And all that time, you stayed behind and did your best to help your parents in any way they needed. Now your black-sheep sisters come home and smooth out their differences. All is well. They’re forgiven. Both of them find the loves of their life.”
“Yeah,” Sierra tacked on with a measure of bitterness. “And me—the boring, good little daughter loses hers.”
The last of her words were spoken in a choked voice and she paused at one of the open windows to compose herself.
Across the room, Alex cursed and jumped to his feet. “Hell’s bells, Sierra! Chad wasn’t the love of your life! You and I both know it!”
She glanced over her shoulder to see him striding toward her. His face was a picture of impatient disgust and she realized their conversation in the parking lot had suddenly come full circle.
“You don’t know any such thing, Counselor.”
His hand closed around her upper arm and as he looked down at her, his features gentled. “Yes, I do, honey. You’ve never had that look of love on your face. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Sierra’s brown eyes widened. “You know how a woman in love looks?”
Suddenly he laughed and patted her cheek. “Is that a trick question, Sierra?”
She started to laugh with him, but the lighthearted moment quickly ended as another knock sounded on the front door.
Frowning, Alex glanced toward the front entrance. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No. It’s probably a darn salesperson. Maybe you should go to the door, Alex. They don’t like to deal with men.”
He flashed her a confident smile. “Sure. I’ll get rid of him real quick.”
While Alex went to answer the door, Sierra decided to go into the kitchen and make a pot of coffee. She was halfway there when Alex turned away from the door and called to her.
“Sierra, I think you need to come here.”
“Coming.”
She joined Alex on the threshold and was surprised when she looked out onto the wide porch to see a teenage girl holding a newborn baby in a plastic carrier.
“Miss Sierra?” she asked in a small voice. “Is that you?”
“Yes.” Sierra pushed the screen door open and stepped onto the porch for a better look at the timid teenager. “Is that you, Ginger?”
The young woman with short, chestnut hair and very pale skin nodded. At the same time Sierra recognized her from one of the families she’d visited as a social worker. Ginger Rollins. Her father had abused her mother and the courts had issued a restraining order against him. Now the mother was doing her best to care for three children. It was the same old refrain that Sierra saw over and over in her line of work. Only this time it was complicated even more by Ginger being pregnant with a child.
“Is something wrong? Has your dad moved back in the house?”
Ginger nervously shook her head. “No. I—see—I’ve had my baby. A boy.”
Sierra stepped forward and peered down at the tiny infant. A fuzz of light, reddish-brown hair covered his head and although his eyes were closed in sleep, Sierra could see he was a handsome child with a sweet little bow mouth and a nose that was just big enough to look boyish.
“He’s adorable, Ginger,” Sierra exclaimed with a glowing smile for the baby. “You must be very proud.”
“Yes, Miss Sierra. I am.”
Sierra looked up at the girl’s anxious face. “So what can I do for you, Ginger?”
Blushing, the teenager looked down at her baby and Sierra felt her heart jerk with sorrow. Mother and child both needed so much help if they expected to make it in this world. And where would they find it? Certainly not from her family, she thought sadly.
“I was wondering if you could babysit for me? Just for a little while,” she added hastily. “You see, my mom’s at work and I—need to go to the hospital. My aunt is there having some tests run and she’s pretty scared and all. I thought I’d sit with her and try to make her feel a little better.”
Sierra didn’t hesitate. She had the rest of the day off. Having a baby in the house might be the very thing she needed to shake the depression she’d been feeling today.
“Why, of course,” she told Ginger. “I’d be glad to watch him for you.”
Smiling with relief, Ginger pushed the baby carrier into Sierra’s arms. “That’d be great! I’ll go get his diaper bag from the car. I’ll be back in a second.”
“You’re a real sucker for a manly face, aren’t you?”
She glanced around to see that Alex had walked out onto the porch and was now peering over her shoulder at the baby.
“Well, I just couldn’t resist this little man,” she confessed. “Isn’t he cute, Alex? Look, he’s got a dimpled chin just like yours.”
Alex chuckled. “Oh, no,” he said wryly. “You won’t ever see a baby with my genes stamped on his face. Kids are a serious responsibility. One that I’m not up to.”
Sierra had never heard Alex say he was opposed to having children and she started to question him about his remark, but Ginger was returning with the diaper bag.
“Thank you, Miss Sierra,” the teenager said with a breathless rush. “Everything that you need is in there. And I’ll—be back as soon as I can.”
“There’s no need for you to hurry your visit, Ginger,” Sierra assured her. “I hope you can help your aunt feel better. And your baby will be in good hands.”
With a sheepish smile, Ginger jumped off the porch and hurried across the lawn to the curb where a rattle-trap, hatchback car was waiting.
Thoughtfully, Sierra watched the girl pull onto the street and drive out of sight. “Looks like I’ve been handed a job for this afternoon,” she said as she turned to go into the house.
Alex grabbed the diaper bag and followed her. “What’s the baby’s name?” he asked.
“Oh. I forgot to ask,” Sierra told him. “But since he can’t answer us, I guess it doesn’t matter.”
Her face glowing with excitement, she carried the baby over to the couch and placed him and the carrier onto the middle cushion. Alex sat down on the opposite side of the sleeping boy.
“He is cute,” Alex admitted as he closely studied the baby. “Kinda bald, but I guess his hair will grow. Are all babies like that? With just a little bit of hair?”
Sierra’s soft laugh was full of disbelief. “It amazes me that you’re smart enough to pass the bar exam but you don’t know anything about a baby.”
“I’m smart enough to know that they’re noisy and wet. And that so far I’ve been careful not to produce any.”
She leaned back from the baby and folded her arms against her breasts. “And why is that, Alex?”
He shot her a tired look. “Isn’t it obvious, Sierra? I’m not married. A kid needs a mom and a dad. Together in the same house. Instead of one living on the north side of town and one living on the south.”
Her eye
s slid over his rugged features as she imagined what a son of Alex’s might be like. Strong, sturdy and handsome. He would raise a child of his with a firm but loving hand, just the way a father should be.
“Well, you’ve had plenty of offers for marriage,” Sierra reminded him.
With a mocking laugh, he stood up. “Marriage is just something to keep divorce lawyers rich. I don’t plan on contributing to their wealth.”
“One of these days we’re going to have to work on that cynical attitude of yours,” Sierra told him.
He grinned. “Yeah. And one of these days you’re going to learn to put some iron in that spine of yours.” With a cocky wink, he started to the door. “I’ve got to get to work. Have a nice afternoon, little mother.”
“I was going to make you some coffee,” she called to him. “Now you’re running off.”
Shaking his head, he stepped onto the porch. “We’ll do that some other time.” He peered back at her through the screen. “You just take care of your little guy, there. And forget about that other one. Hear me?”
Hear him? He’d been giving her advice for years. Maybe it was time she listened to the bossy counselor.
“I’ll try, Alex.”
Chapter Two
Sierra was so fascinated by the baby that an hour passed before she realized she’d been sitting on the couch simply watching him sleep.
After a few more minutes, she forced herself to get up and go to the kitchen and began making that pot of coffee. While she was waiting for it to drip, the baby began to let out soft, intermittent cries.
Back in the living room, she carefully changed the baby’s diaper and then fed him the formula that Ginger had left in the diaper bag. He went back to sleep soon after he drank a portion of the bottle and Sierra lay him on her bed so that he’d be out of the afternoon breeze wafting through the living room windows.
While the baby slept, Sierra couldn’t help wondering about the tot’s name and how Ginger and her mother were going to care for him when they now had five mouths in the house to feed. There were programs for the needy that would help. Sierra was going to make a point to go by the Rollinses’ house and make sure Mrs. Rollins took advantage of the aid. She also wanted to make sure that Mr. Rollins wouldn’t be coming around in a drunken stupor and swinging his fist at anyone who stepped in front of him.
In a Texas Minute Page 2
