Taken: A Kept Novella

by Sally Bradley

  Cam let him win.

  While Jordan and Anna whispered together, he crossed to Sophie’s bed and squatted beside her, his arms folded on her blankets, watching her while she slept.

  A soft brown knit cap, the same color as her missing hair, sat askew on her bald head. She looked so pale today. Worn out. Weary. His throat closed. God, please. She needs a donor.

  He and Anna would hear soon if they were a match for Sophie. He hadn’t been holding his breath on that one; they weren’t related after all. But now… What if Anna’s swab showed that fifty-percent match Sophie’s mother would have? He still couldn’t shake that scenario from his mind. Had Sophie been with her birth mom all this time? Did Tony have a third child he never knew about?

  He searched her face, looking for similarities to his brother-in-law, but those blue eyes of Sophie’s—the ones blinking at him now—sure weren’t from Tony’s side of the family.

  Sophie grinned at him.

  Cam grinned back. “Hey, Soapy. You’re awake.”

  She reached for him but didn’t sit up, and he knew immediately how bad of a day it had been. “Unckie,” she said, her voice small, her smile huge. “Unckie here.”

  He held her small, wide palm in his and stroked his fingers across the crease, the way she liked it. “I’m here. Couldn’t go through the day without seeing my favorite girls.”

  She tried to sit up, and Cam rose to help her. She reached both arms for him, and he sat down next to her so she could hug him. So he could hug her.

  She held him tightly and kissed his stomach.

  He kissed the top of her head.

  But her usual enthusiasm, her excessive greeting that warmed him every time, just wasn’t there. She was too tired tonight. And weak. Way too weak. “You have a rough day, Soapy?”

  She mumbled something and leaned against him, eyes closing.

  This just wasn’t her. His poor girl needed sleep. And a donor. Yesterday. He squinted at Anna. “She okay?” he mouthed.

  Anna nodded. “Tired,” she mouthed back.

  “Where Dom?” Sophie asked.

  “Mom’s in her chair. Behind you.”

  Sophie looked over her shoulder, then grinned like she hadn’t seen Anna in a great while. “Dom!” She reached out one hand and waved her over with her chunky little fingers.

  Anna obeyed and settled on the other side of the bed.

  Somehow Sophie managed to get one arm around her mom too.

  “Cameron brought a friend to meet you,” Anna said.

  Sophie looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. “Friend?”

  “Her name’s Jordan. Can you say that? Jordan?”

  “Jor…en,” she tried.

  “Jordan,” Cam repeated.

  And then Jordan was beside him on the bed, her smile for Sophie warming him. “Hi, Sophie. I’m Jordan.”

  “Jordan,” Sophie said again.

  “That’s right. I’m glad I get to meet you. Your Uncle Cam loves you lots. I can tell by everything he’s told me about you.”

  Yeah, he loved Sophie a lot. Jordan too. He traced the dark hair around her temples, the long strands she’d made wavy today. The long, dark eyelashes around those brown eyes. It’d been so hard last night to tell her everything. But what a relief to know that there were no more secrets between them.

  And what a relief that she was still here beside him. Still happy to be his girlfriend. To meet this little girl who’d thrown so much of his life into turmoil.

  “Cam?”

  Jordan was looking at him now—no, laughing at him, her smile struggling to contain itself.

  And so was Anna.

  Clearly he’d been caught mooning.

  Oh well. As if he cared that the two women in his life knew how he felt. “Stop it. What’d I miss?”

  Jordan spoke. “She asked if I’m going to take care of you like Anna takes care of her.”

  “Yes.” Cam’s nod for Sophie was emphatic. “She’ll get to feed me—”

  “Get to?”

  “—and wash my laundry and pick up all my toys.” He grinned at Jordan at that one. “All my Matchbox cars.”

  Jordan laughed and rolled her eyes.

  Anna watched them. “I missed something there.”

  Yes, she had. “Jordan’s got this weird… thing for toy cars.” He shook his head sadly at Sophie. “Isn’t that funny, Soapy? That someone like Jordan would play with teeny, tiny little cars?”

  Sophie nodded. “I like my baby. And my bear.” She suddenly searched her bed, almost frantic in the motion. “Where my bear? Where bear?”

  From the bench in front of the window, Logan held up the bear, his eyes still glued to his book. His rear still glued to the window bench.

  Anna took the bear—a newer version of the one Jordan had seen on the stairs—and gave it to Sophie, who was on the verge of tears.

  “Bear!” She grabbed the stuffed animal and squashed it against her chest. “My bear.”

  A tear glistened on her eyelashes, and again Cam realized how worn out she was. She might have woken up from an early evening nap, but it sure looked like this little girl could use even more sleep. “Sophie, I think your bear needs a nap. Think you can get him to go to sleep?”

  She nodded. “Bear sleep now.”

  “You too?”

  Sophie pursed her lips. “Soapy sleep too.”

  Maybe she’d sleep all through the night and wake up to a much better morning. He hugged her, carefully this time, and pressed his lips to her head again. “Jordan and I will come see you later, okay? You go to sleep and get better.”

  “Bear get better,” Sophie said. “Bear and Soapy sleep.”

  He straightened her cap. “Night night, Soapy.”

  She snuggled down beneath her blankets and held the bear’s head beneath her chin. She closed her eyes and…

  Was she asleep already? He studied her as he stood.

  Eyes still closed, Sophie held a finger to her lips. “Be still. Bear sleeping.”

  There was a hint of his silly girl. He grinned at Jordan, then Anna. “Need anything before we go?”

  Anna glanced at Avery and Logan, then at Jordan. “Cameron, I’m sorry—” she started.

  She wanted to stay with Sophie. Of course she did. Before Jordan, it had been easy, staying home with his niece and nephew. Now… “How about we take the kids back to my place?” he asked Jordan. “You okay with a pizza for dinner?”

  She threaded her fingers through his. “Sure.”

  “Is it safe?” Anna asked.

  Right. He’d forgotten too easily. “We’ll take the pizzas back to the hotel, and I’ll spend the night there.” He turned to Jordan. “Can I drop you and the kids off, then run home and get my stuff for tomorrow?”

  “That works.”

  Anna whispered a thank you to her.

  “Avery, Logan, ready to leave?” he called. “Get some dinner?”

  The kids were off the bench immediately.

  Jordan laughed at their reaction.

  And Cam lost himself in her again. In the sweet, giving nature of this gorgeous woman he was falling deeply in love with.

  ****

  Logan and Avery clearly couldn’t be happier to be out of that hospital.

  Jordan had barely unlocked the door of the hotel room before Logan was inside and running for the TV by the beds. Even Avery kicked off her shoes by the door and dashed after her brother.

  Cam returned quickly with his things, ordered a pizza, and joined Jordan on the couch in the sitting area of the room. The closet and bathroom served as a bit of a divider between the living area and the sleeping quarters, giving them some privacy from his niece and nephew. Cam left some space between them, but faced her, his arm draped across the top of the couch.

  When he said nothing, just sat there and smiled at her, Jordan quirked an eyebrow. “What?’

  “I’m enjoying this. Being with you. Even if we’re not completely alone.”

  Something
slid and rattled back by the beds. “What are they doing?”

  “I think they’re setting up Life, their latest favorite game. If they ask you to play, say no.”

  “Why?”

  He leaned closer. “Because I don’t want to share you.”

  Her cheeks warmed, and she searched for something to say. “You didn’t tell me you called Sophie ‘Soapy.’”

  “Avery gets credit for that. She was two, I think, when Sophie was born. And then Sophie just started using it for herself. It’s pretty cute, isn’t it?”

  “It’s adorable.”

  “Yeah.” He sobered. “She wasn’t doing very well tonight.”

  “She’s usually better?”

  “Lots. I’m hoping she’s just tired and not…” He ran a hand through his hair. There was a place he wouldn’t let himself go. “Her immune system is basically shot. Plus, because of the Down’s, she has a hard time verbalizing where her pain is. I’m hoping she’s not coming down with an infection or something.”

  “I’ll pray she’s just tired.”

  “Jordan?” came Avery’s voice.

  “Say no,” Cam whispered, his lips hardly moving.

  Jordan twisted in her seat.

  The girl’s light brown hair fell across her face, and even though she had to be happy to be out of that hospital room, sadness still lingered on her features.

  “Yes, Avery?” Jordan asked.

  “Do you and Uncle Cam want to watch a movie with us?”

  A movie? “What happened to your board game?”

  A soft growl of disapproval came from Cam.

  Avery shrugged. “We changed our minds. You want to watch Despicable Me?”

  What a fitting movie choice for this poor little family, torn apart by death—and now deception. While Anna was doing everything she could to parent her kids, there was no way the older two didn’t slip through the cracks sometimes. Right now Avery looked like she needed some love.

  Jordan looked Cam’s way.

  His head was shaking, just barely. Just enough for her to notice.

  “After our pizza?” she asked him.

  His eyes widened.

  “Cam,” she whispered and looked back at Avery, then him again.

  This time he really looked at his niece—and she saw the moment he realized how much this little girl was hurting too.

  “Can we wait until after we eat?” he asked her.

  Avery’s face brightened, and she nodded, her hair shaking across her face again.

  “Okay. You guys find something to do until then.”

  Avery ran back to tell Logan.

  Cam groaned. “Am I ever going to get some time alone with you?”

  “She needs love too, Cam. Did you see how heartbroken she looked when she came in here? She looked lost.”

  “Yeah. She did.” He sighed. “Don’t tell Anna. She’ll feel bad.”

  “You don’t think she should know?”

  “What can she do about it? I’m just glad she’s quit working until Sophie…”

  “Gets better.”

  His jaw tightened. “Right.”

  Which meant he was providing so much for them. Jordan laid her arm across the sofa back, her hand on top of his. “Does she look at you as her dad?”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t do any disciplining or anything like that. I mean, they’ve only lived with me for the last six months, since Sophie’s been so sick. I was always just the fun uncle before.” A dry laugh escaped him. “I don’t feel much like the fun uncle these days.”

  “Maybe they don’t need a fun uncle right now. I say we watch the movie out here, squeezed into the same four-foot space on the couch, and give them lots of love.”

  Cam raised an eyebrow. “I’m game for that.”

  ****

  Cam, clearly not born and raised in Chicago, had ordered some national chain pizza. Jordan ate it anyway, sitting beside Logan and trying to outdo his knock-knock jokes during dinner. Avery made up her own jokes—which were bad enough to be funny—and dinner ended up being nothing but average pizza and lots of laughter.

  When the kids had washed their hands and faces, then showered, because it was getting to be that time of night, the four of them curled up on the couch. Cam settled next to Jordan with one arm around her and the other on Logan’s shoulder. Avery climbed onto Jordan’s lap, and Jordan snuggled her close, her damp hair smelling of strawberries and clean skin.

  Partway into the movie, Avery fell asleep, but Logan kept quoting favorite lines half a second before the movie did.

  Cam sent Jordan a faint side smile, then tried to pull her even closer. “Four feet,” he whispered. “Remember?”

  “Fine,” she whispered back, pretending annoyance even as she snuggled into his side.

  His fingers slid through her hair, and his warmth surrounded her even more. He felt solid beside her. Solid, stable, and, yes, super attractive. She gave in pretending to be interested in the movie and rested her head on his shoulder, loving the feel of his chest moving beneath her.

  Cam ran his hand down her hair.

  Would this be them in a few years? In his home—her home?—with kids of their own?

  What would that mean for Anna and her children? Would coming into Cam’s life push the kids and Anna out of his? Did he have that much of himself to go around?

  Avery twitched, and Cam looked down at her. “Why don’t we put her in bed?”

  Jordan nodded.

  Cam whispered to Logan that they’d be back, then stood and scooped Avery out of her arms.

  Jordan followed him and pulled down her covers. She stepped back while Cam laid Avery down and tucked her in, pausing to brush her hair away from her face before standing up.

  He set his arm casually across her shoulders, his gaze still on his niece. “I could see us doing this,” he finally whispered.

  Jordan turned into him, her arm around his waist. “Me too.”

  He didn’t look at her. Only nodded.

  She rested her head against his shoulder. “How tall are you, Cam?”

  “Where did that question come from?”

  “I was planning on shoe shopping tomorrow. I need to know if I should buy heels or not.”

  “Like you aren’t tall enough with your Foster DNA.”

  “This is where you’re supposed to tell me that you like tall women.”

  “Tall women with dark hair and dark eyes.” He peeked at her. “Who are also ten years younger.”

  “Nine years—”

  He silenced her with a kiss. A quick kiss that ended too fast. He swallowed and stepped back. “I have got to stop doing that.”

  Those weren’t her thoughts, exactly, but clearly he meant it. She stepped back a bit so he’d be less tempted. All of which was exactly the opposite of what she wanted.

  “Jordan. I just realized you don’t have a car here.”

  She shrugged. So far every time he’d kissed her, he’d immediately decided it was time for them to say goodnight. Maybe kissing him wasn’t the best idea right now. “We’ll figure it out. What about the kids in the morning? When do you have to go to work?”

  “Anna will come here early. Get cleaned up and take them back with her.”

  And they’d spend another day in the hospital? How much time had they spent there already?

  Suddenly shoe shopping didn’t seem all that important. “What if I came here and stayed with them?”

  He squinted at her. “What do you mean? Like all day?”

  “Sure. I don’t have a job yet. I’ve got no plans for tomorrow that can’t wait—”

  Cam grabbed her and hugged her close.

  Didn’t let go.

  Jordan wrapped her arms around his back and rested there in his arms, feeling him swallow, listening to his deep breathing, enjoying the way his hand tangled in her hair.

  When he finally relaxed his hold, his eyes looked suspiciously moist. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice cracking a bit. “Y
ou know you don’t have to.”

  “I know. But I want to. They’re your family. So I want to help them—help you—however I can.”

  He kissed her again, slowly, deeply this time.

  Jordan wound her hands around his neck, her fingertips in his hair, lost in the tenderness that was Cam Winters.

  When he pulled back—and Jordan swayed a bit on her feet—he stayed close and gazed into her eyes. “Why did I wait so long?”

  “For what?”

  “To be honest about how I felt about you. To think that we could have had more time together—”

  “Well, we’re together now. So quit sending me home every time you kiss me, and let’s enjoy the rest of our evening.”

  He gave her one last kiss. “Deal.”

  Chapter Ten

  Wednesday morning Cam greeted Jordan at the hotel room door with a kiss. “Since I’m leaving in a sec,” he teased before letting her inside.

  She swatted his arm. “Where are the kids?”

  “Still sleeping. They may sleep all morning, and I say let them. They’re probably catching up.”

  “Sure.”

  He looked good, dressed in a pale blue dress shirt and gray pants.

  “You dress up for work.”

  “Goes with the job. The VP of marketing can’t come in looking casual.”

  “You’re the VP of marketing? Since when?”

  Surprise flashed across his face. “For over a year. You didn’t know that?”

  “A year ago you were just Dillan’s friend.”

  “Well, don’t be too impressed. There’s a VP for everything at work. On the other hand…” He surveyed her a moment, a smile creeping across his face. “It really is my charm she’s fallen for.”

  “No, it’s the kisses. If you want me to keep hanging around…” She cocked an eyebrow.

  He obliged with another sweet but short kiss. “Don’t try to get me in trouble, Foster. Clearly there are plenty of things we need to talk about so we know each other better.” But he pulled her close for one last kiss. “I like saying goodbye to you before heading off to work,” he whispered before releasing her. “See you at singles group tonight.”

  The kids slept until just after Anna, looking worn and rumpled, walked in at nine, almost like they sensed her arrival. She showered, dressed, and ate the continental breakfast in the room with the kids.