Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  The house he pulled up in front of was small and nice. He’d already climbed out of the car and started for the door when it opened. The woman standing on the porch watched him with a hard stare. Becca hurried to catch up with him.

  “Marrilee?” he asked, looking her over. She had green eyes that wouldn’t stop staring at him as if he were the worst person in the world. Her auburn hair was pulled in a ponytail. She stood with a firm stance, feet spaced apart and her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m Hunter, and this is Becca.”

  “That’s me.” She held the same standoffish tone she had with him on the phone, never really acknowledging their introduction. “Come on in. Sienna’s laying down in the playpen, but she’s pretty fussy. She’s been rubbing her ear and she’s running a bit of a fever.” She stepped inside.

  Hunter took Becca’s hand and they walked in together. “Where did Eva go, do you know? Why would she leave Sienna with you and then not come back when she said she would?” The woman’s living room had a warm vibe. Soft colors on the walls. Photos of people set in patterns. A decent sized TV on one wall.

  “This isn’t the first time she’s done it, honestly,” Marrilee admitted. “I’ve been more worried about Sienna’s wellbeing for a couple months.”

  “So what made you decide to contact me now and not before?” Hunter’s voice rose. Months? Was this woman kidding? How long would she have let this shit go on? What more did he need to do to be kept in the loop? The damn courts granted Eva main custody during their divorce. He’d been crushed and concerned. He had to do what he could to win this battle. Eva was not suitable to take care of Sienna on her own apparently.

  “Look, I admit that I probably should have called you before. Eva’s behavior has been a downward spiral. I’m not proud of not hearing both sides of the story. There is a young child here who needs to be better taken care of, so I’m hoping that by calling you I’ve put the ball in the right court.”

  “Damn right you did. It should have been sooner.” His words were louder and harsher than they should have been.

  “Hunter,” Becca pleaded softly. “Remember what you said.”

  Right. Keep his anger under control. Thank God for his voice of reason. He squeezed her hand and mouthed a thank you to her. Her beautiful eyes were filled with concern. “I guess what matters is you called me today. You need to know, Sienna is my baby girl and I’m not fond of being left out of the loop.”

  Marrilee nodded, her eyes on Becca. “Fair enough. I’ll bring her to you.” Without another word, the woman pivoted and headed up the stairs.

  Hunter touched Becca’s shoulders affectionately. “Thank you,” he said quietly, pressing his forehead against hers. What else would she have to witness while she was here? He was about to say something else when the sound of footsteps interrupted them. Marrilee carefully came down the stairs, holding a very tired and unhappy looking Sienna. Immediately, her eyes widened and she raised her head from the woman’s shoulder.

  “Daddy!” she squealed, holding out her chubby little arms.

  “Hey Princess!” He forgot all about Eva and her problems as he pulled his daughter into his arms. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Hunter felt her forehead. Yep, definitely feverish. Poor baby. Hunter patted her back, loving that he finally held her in his arms after a few weeks of not seeing her. “You don’t feel well, sweetie?”

  Sienna pointed to her ear. “Ow.”

  “Okay Princess, we’re going to work on getting you all better.” Looking over at Marrilee, he inhaled sharply. “I need to know all of Eva’s behavior. When Sienna’s welfare is at stake, I want to know it all. Leave nothing out.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I’m going to call her doctor. If I can’t get Sienna in, I’ll take her to urgent care,” Hunter announced after Marrilee filled him in on what she knew about Eva. Hunter’s jaw ticked and a muscle strained in his neck. Becca knew he was holding back his anger. What would possess a mother to act so careless when it came to her child? Hunter should have no problem getting full custody of Sienna.

  “Do you want me to hold her while you call?” Marrilee asked, already reaching out for Sienna.

  “No, I’ve got her,” Hunter said defensively.

  Becca knew he wasn’t about to let go of his daughter right now. With one hand, he reached in his pants pocket for his phone and walked off toward the front door to make the call.

  Awkward. Becca had no idea what to say to this woman. Good thing she apparently didn’t have to. Marrilee turned to her.

  “How do you know Hunter?” she asked.

  “I’ve known him for twenty years.” Becca avoided giving away too much about their history. She didn’t need to know about the accident and how their friendship came about.

  “Oh.” That must have thrown her for a loop. Becca would be willing to bet money that the woman thought she was Hunter’s girlfriend of the week or something. His ex had made him out to be the bad guy. “I see.”

  “Hunter is a good man. He loves his daughter,” Becca stated firmly.

  “I can see that now. Look, I know I came across as a bitch, but when a little girl isn’t getting what she needs … I know I should have looked into it further and contacted Hunter with my suspicions before. I’ve had similar issues with kids I’ve watched where the father really was an ass. The few minutes I’ve seen between Hunter and Sienna, I know Eva lied. Do you know her? Eva, I mean?”

  “No. I haven’t met her,” Becca replied. And she didn’t want to, either. She wasn’t one to get angry often, but Eva had already pushed her buttons just from the things she’d done to Hunter and her daughter. She didn’t want to meet the woman that caused Hunter so much pain. She knew that would be unavoidable. “Hunter and I have recently gotten back in touch after a few years.”

  Hunter walked back into the living room. “The doctor had a cancellation and can get us in, but we have to go now.” His eyes were on Becca.

  “That’s good. I’ll grab her bag. Do you have a booster seat?” Marrilee asked.

  “I never take it out of my car,” Hunter fired back. He was still on the defense, and Becca could understand that.

  “Right. I’ll get her things now.” She retreated up the stairs.

  “Hey Princess. I want you to meet someone very important to Daddy. This is Becca. Wanna say hi?” Hunter smiled, looking from his daughter to Becca. Sienna raised her head from his shoulder to investigate. She had the prettiest piercing blue eyes. From her mother maybe? To her surprise, Sienna held her arms out.

  Becca took her into her arms. Her heart melted when she gave Becca a hug. “Hi Sienna. Your daddy has told me so much about you.” Oh, what a sweet, darling little girl! She loved her already.

  “Now that surprises me. Sienna doesn’t just go to strangers that easily.” Marrilee handed Hunter a large purple diaper bag. “She went to you as if she already knows you.”

  “Becca has that way about her.” Hunter slung the bag over his shoulder and moved closer to her and Sienna.

  Heat rushed to her face. “I love kids. I’m a teacher.” Sienna still hadn’t let her go. When her head rested against Becca’s shoulder, she smiled and patted her back in a soothing way. “She’s precious, Hunter.”

  “She is, as are you,” he said softly against her ear. “Well, we’d better go. I want to get to the doctor’s office as early as possible.”

  “Hunter, I really am sorry about not calling you sooner. I can tell right now you have nothing but love for your daughter. I will help you do whatever you can to get custody. At one time I considered Eva a friend, but she’s crossed the line and taken advantage of me too many times. I don’t understand why she’s been putting you in such a negative light, but I can imagine it’s just another game she’s playing. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything. I love Sienna very much and it’s been wonderful to be her caregiver. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but when it comes to the kids I care for, they are top priority.”


  Hunter nodded. “I get that. I’ll keep in touch and keep in mind what you said. Thank you for calling me and for what you’ve done for Sienna. Ready to go, Becca?”

  She simply nodded, still cradling Sienna.

  “Hunter, one more thing. Eva won’t listen to me on this, but I think Sienna has a few developmental delays, including speech. Now I know everyone develops at their own pace, but I thought you should know. It’s just my observations.” Marrilee moved closer and tousled Sienna’s hair. “Have fun with your daddy and his friend, sweet girl. Feel better.”

  “I’ll look into it,” Hunter promised. “I had no idea.”

  “It’s not always noticeable and sometimes parents aren’t going to pick up on it. It’s nothing you’ve done wrong or anything. Sometimes it’s just the way it is. I wanted you to be informed.”

  “I appreciate it. I’ll bring it up with her doctor then. Eva hasn’t let me see her for our regular times like they’ve been arranged, so I’ve fought like hell to have my moments with Sienna. Things are going to change, that’s for sure.”

  “I hope so. I don’t like seeing a child get caught up in parents’ crossfire.” Marrilee backed away from Becca and Sienna.

  “Neither do I. I’m trying to be civil, but my patience is wearing down. Thank you again.” Hunter put his hand on Becca’s back and kissed her forehead, then gave Sienna a kiss.

  Back by the car, Hunter opened the back door. He reached for his daughter. “That went better than I thought, actually.” He settled Sienna in her booster seat. “I missed you, Princess. We’re going to get you better soon, okay?” He put the bag beside her and closed the door, shooting a smile at Becca. “By the way, I loved seeing you holding her. You’re a natural. She loves you already, but what’s not to love?” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then opened the passenger door. “I’m so grateful for you.”

  Becca returned his smile and settled in the front seat.

  Hunter climbed in and started the car. From behind them, Sienna started to whine. “I know, sweetie. We’re going to make it better.” He peered at his daughter from the rear view mirror. “Aww. She wants you, Bec. She keeps pointing at you.”

  “Stop the car for a second. I’ll climb in back and sit with her.” The feeling was mutual. Becca found herself just as attached to Sienna.

  Hunter tapped the brakes. “Have I mentioned how much I love you? Seriously, you’re amazing. Sienna doesn’t even react to her mom this way. She’s also wary of strangers. That’s a sign.” He slid a smile her way. “Thank you for this.”

  Becca moved from the front to the back, smiling at Sienna as she pulled the door closed behind her. She immediately stopped fussing and kept her wide eyes on Becca, even breaking out in a little gap toothed smile. “You know I’m more than willing to do what I can.” She clicked in her seatbelt and focused her attention on Sienna.

  *****

  After his name was called for insurance and paperwork, Hunter turned to go sit back down with Becca and Sienna. His daughter had definitely taken a shine to Becca. She sat on her lap and they were playing a game of peek-a-boo. Sienna’s infectious giggles mixed with Becca’s laughter warmed his heart. For a while, he let his mind forget about his problems with Eva and everything else as he stood there in the middle of the waiting room watching them.

  Shara had asked the other day if he was in love with Becca and he hadn’t been completely sure. He knew now that he was. No doubt about it. He probably had been for a while and never realized it. He had no idea when it started, but that didn’t matter. They were here together now, trying to figure out their future. That’s what mattered.

  “Excuse me.” A young mother cleared her throat from behind him.

  Whoops. He’d been so busy marveling at Becca and Sienna, he’d gotten in the way of other patients coming through.

  “Sorry about that.” Hunter smiled and moved out of the way. The woman held a squirmy infant in her arms. He hurried to get back to his two favorite girls.

  Becca stopped covering her eyes for a second to look over at him. Her smile was warm and loving.

  “Shouldn’t be too long,” he informed her. “But it looks like you’re keeping her plenty occupied.”

  “She’s a doll, Hunter. I adore her!”

  “The feeling is mutual, it seems. Hey, Princess, don’t forget you’ll have to share Becca with Daddy. I love her too. You can’t keep her all to yourself when I’ve just found her again.” Over Sienna’s head, Becca met his eyes, her face lighting up with a surprised smile.

  “Mine!” Sienna said firmly, hugging Becca again.

  They both laughed.

  “Hmm. Looks like you and I will be losing a lot of sleep. I can’t deny my baby girl, but I won’t deny myself, either. If she won’t share, I’ll find ways of having you all to myself, even for a little while,” Hunter whispered in Becca’s ear.

  She immediately giggled. “You better behave and share,” she teased him.

  Hunter pouted. “Hey! You’re siding with her already? Man, that’s not fair!”

  Becca laughed again. “Oh, you.”

  Hunter slid an arm around her shoulders while they waited to be called. Sienna kept rubbing her ear. Eventually the game playing didn’t distract her from the pain.

  “Sienna Beckman?” A young, petite, red haired nurse in blue scrubs stood at the open door, searching the waiting room.

  Hunter stood. “Here we are.”

  Becca followed, still holding Sienna, who did not want to let her go for anything, even when they wanted to weigh her and check her height.

  One hour and an ear infection diagnosis later, the three left the doctor’s office. True to his word, Hunter mentioned Sienna’s development, and they’d talked about that while her prescription was being written out. He now had a list of numbers for some referrals.

  “Let’s drop her prescription off and grab some ice cream. I bet that’ll make you smile again, huh Princess? Then we’ll go home and you can play with Daddy and Becca.” Becca climbed in the back again. Now with Sienna’s big attachment, what happened at the end of the summer? He wanted Becca to stay permanently, but that was asking a lot in this early stage. He knew he was in love with her, and while he knew she loved him, he had no idea how she’d feel about relocating her life yet. Plus, if she was teaching, she had to have had some kind of contract. It would be wrong for her to cut out too soon. Damn it!

  They’d make it work. If being together was what they both wanted, as he’d said to her earlier, they would make it work. He had to believe that. He needed that to hold on to.

  He wasn’t ready to let Becca go after coming back into her life with these new feelings.

  Just as they finished up their ice cream, Hunter’s phone rang. Shara’s number showed up on the caller ID.

  “Where are you? I thought you’d be home.”

  “I had to pick up Sienna from the sitter. Apparently her dear mother left her and was supposed to pick her up last night, but she never showed. Sienna has an ear infection. We’re coming home now. We had to stop and fill her medicine so we stopped for a treat. Are you at the house already?”

  “Yeah, I just pulled up. I guess some kids lost their remote control airplane. There’s one on the porch.”

  What? How could a-?

  “Shara. Don’t touch anything,” Hunter instructed. No way. Had the person sending notes followed them home?

  “Why? It’s just a-Oh! Oh gross!” Shara shrieked.

  “Shara? What?” Yeah, somehow he knew something had been wrong. Shara’s incessant screaming proved it.

  “Oh, I’m going to be sick. There’s a-a dead animal on the porch. Hunter, what the hell is going on?”

  “Shara, just go inside. I’ll be there to take care of it in a minute, okay? Do you see anything else strange?” Damn it! Hunter kept his tone neutral to not alarm Becca or Sienna. No way could he keep this from Becca when they pulled into the drive, though.

  “Oh what, a dead animal next to
a broken airplane isn’t strange enough? You’d better fill me in. Obviously I’m unaware of something,” Shara snapped. “No, there’s nothing else. I’m inside now, but eww.”

  “I’m ten minutes from home. I’ll explain to you what I think it’s about when I get there.” Hunter hung up the phone and focused his energy on getting there.

  “Hunter, what’s going on?” Becca asked quietly from the backseat.

  “Our mysterious visitor has returned,” he said, not wanting to say much more in order to not scare Sienna. Damn it.

  “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  When Hunter pulled up to the drive and killed the engine, he turned his head to look at Becca. Sienna had fallen asleep, her head resting on the side window of the car. Good. At least he’d have time to clean up the porch before she woke up. “Angel, stay here. I need to clean up the porch and I don’t want you or Sienna to see it, okay? Will you stay here for a few minutes?”

  Becca nodded, her eyes on him filling with worry. “Of course.”

  “I love you. I’ll be right back.” He stepped out of the car and closed the door quietly. This was not the day he’d expected. He ran up to the porch and dreaded what he saw. A broken remote control airplane lay right in the middle of the porch, and at the edge of the right post by the stairs was the animal Shara had referred to. What the hell was it? He looked a little closer, his stomach clenching the entire time. It was a rabbit. A damned bloody rabbit.

  Underneath the plane was a piece of paper. Hunter grabbed it, not really wanting to know what it said. He looked anyway.

  We’ll all be reunited soon. I will find you.

  You’ll remember.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hunter jogged back to the car after fifteen minutes, his expression grim and his face pale. Becca flew out of the car and into his arms.