“You’re probably imagining how many homeless people you could fit in here, right?”
“It crossed my mind,” she admitted.
“You don’t have to live on the streets to be homeless,” Van gestured through to an archway. “Come through here and meet Imelda. She’ll give you two something to eat before showing you the house. Don’t worry about your things. Jacob will bring them in shortly.”
“Van?”
He paused in the archway, father and daughter perfectly framed and driving home to her just how much her life and Sienna’s would change from this day forward.
“I’m sorry for being such a bitch.”
He shrugged and didn’t say anything, but his eyes never left her face. She felt her cheeks heat under his perusal. He and Sienna looked perfect together, both dark haired and green eyed. No one seeing them could doubt their fundamental connection to one another. Again, she felt as though she was the outsider, peripheral to everyone’s needs. The sensation lasted until Sienna thrust out her chubby little arms and said, “Mamma!”
It galvanized Kayla into action and she reached for her daughter. Her daughter, she reminded herself, no matter the little girl’s biological ties to the man holding her. Sienna was the child of Kayla’s heart, as was the baby steadily growing inside her. She didn’t need a legal agreement to know that. She took Sienna in her arms and felt a sense of rightness, of spiritual balance, ease through her.
Van continued to watch her. “I realize this is upsetting for you, Kayla, but it’s for the best. For everyone.”
“Sometimes it’s just a bit hard to see that,” she admitted, nuzzling the top of Sienna’s head and immediately regretting it as her nose filled with the scent of the baby’s shampoo. She swallowed back the fresh wave of nausea that threatened.
* * *
It was ridiculous to suddenly feel bereft when Sienna transferred to Kayla’s arms, Van told himself, and yet it gave him some insight as to how she was probably feeling about having someone else step in to be Sienna’s parent when she was used to having her daughter to herself.
“Yeah, well, we both have a lot of adjusting to do,” he commented.
For him, everything so far had been about the logistics of getting them here. The legal agreement, getting confirmation that Kayla had indeed relinquished the lease on her apartment and given notice at her work. None of those were things he could ultimately control, and despite what he’d said, he found that now that the shock of discovering he was a father had worn away, he had no desire to make Kayla’s life truly difficult. He simply had to do what was best for his children.
In the kitchen, he introduced Kayla to Imelda, who cooed over the baby with glee. He could see Kayla begin to relax by increments.
“Isn’t she just a love?” Imelda said with a doting smile. “And so like her daddy. Oh, that reminds me. Mr. Murphy, your Little Brother will be here tomorrow morning as arranged. He rang to confirm while you were outside.”
“Little brother?” Kayla asked, looking at him in surprise.
“Well, not his real little brother,” Imelda continued without missing a beat before Van could reply. “He’s involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization as a mentor. Young Alex has no dad and when he started to get into trouble at school, his mom knew he needed a strong male role model to help her guide him. Alex’s gone from being a truant to an A-plus student since he’s been matched with Mr. Murphy. You should see them together. You’d think they were both twelve year olds when they’re in the pool. I swear my Jacob has to top it up every time Alex comes to visit.”
“I can imagine,” Kayla murmured absently.
“And Alex is just going to adore this young lady, here,” Imelda continued, chucking Sienna under her chin.
Van felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, reminding him he still had work to attend to.
“Imelda, could you give these two ladies something to eat and then show them their rooms? I need to check in with the office but I’ll be down for dinner.”
Before he could leave the kitchen, however, Kayla bristled again.
“Rooms? Sienna has always slept in the same room as me. I don’t want her to be more unsettled than necessary,” Kayla remonstrated.
He sighed. Did everything have to be a battle with her?
“Your rest is vitally important. Annabelle is scheduled to take on night duties as required. Honestly, Kayla, have you seen yourself lately? You look like you could do with a decent night’s sleep. How about you see if Sienna will settle in a room of her own first? If it distresses her, we’ll move her in with you.”
Kayla stared back at him and for a moment he thought she might argue, but then she seemed to weaken, her entire body drooping as if she’d had all the wind taken out of her sails.
“That sounds reasonable,” she answered woodenly.
He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Kayla. I mean that.”
He knew how much it must have cost her to give in to him on any point, especially on something that meant she’d have less time with Sienna. But he was adamant. She really did look worn out and it made him feel guilty, even though he’d checked on her frequently by telephone. He should have been following up with her face-to-face this past month, but due to having to personally oversee a security installation overseas, he hadn’t had an opportunity to visit her—and he hadn’t made one, either, a little voice reminded him.
So what if he was trying to avoid conflict? She’d insisted everything was going fine, that she was fine, that the baby was fine—it had gotten to the stage where if he heard the word fine one more time, he thought he’d tear his hair out. But it was clear everything was not fine. She was pale and thinner than he remembered and exhaustion shadowed her eyes. If he’d had any qualms about coercing her into staying here with him, they flew out the window now.
“Can I offer you anything to eat, Ms. Porter? And what about Sienna? You’ll need to let me know what foods she likes.”
At the mention of food, Kayla went distinctly green around the gills. A stricken look passed over her face and her blue eyes sought him out, silently beseeching him for help. Sudden understanding dawned. He took Sienna from her arms and quickly handed her to the surprised housekeeper.
“Call Annabelle down to meet her charge,” he said to Imelda quickly before taking Kayla’s hand and leading her to a downstairs bathroom.
She barely had time to utter a brief thanks before she began to dry heave. Not knowing what else to do, and reluctant to leave her when she was obviously in such distress, Van rinsed a small hand towel under the cold tap and wrung it out before lifting her hair from her neck and gently placing the towel against her skin. He then continued to hold her hair to one side while she knelt on the tiled floor. After what felt like forever, she appeared to settle down.
“Thank you,” she said shakily as he helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“It’s hardly the first time I’ve seen you throw up,” he said, remembering all too vividly Kayla’s first highly illegal and disastrous encounter with alcohol when she was still a teenager. He and Sienna had taken turns looking after her that night so she wouldn’t get in trouble with her parents. “Is this what happened to make you late on the way down, too?” he asked.
It was deeply concerning to realize she’d probably been driving while feeling so ill. It couldn’t have been good for her concentration, let alone her and Sienna’s safety.
“I didn’t expect it to be so bad today. Honestly, it’s been getting better, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“Kayla, really, you need to learn to accept help. It’s clear you can’t manage on your own. At least not until this has passed.” If it passed, he reminded himself. The literature he’d read on the subject said some women struggled with hyperemesis gravidarum the
ir entire pregnancy. Even beyond it.
“Well, you’ve seen to it that I don’t have a choice in that now, haven’t you,” she snapped. She sighed again and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Van. I’m being evil today. This situation...it just makes me feel as if I’ve lost all say in my own life.”
He studied her. This was the most honest she’d been with him since breezing into his office a couple of months ago and dropping her bombshell into his carefully ordered world.
“This affects me, too, Kayla,” he said gently. “I appreciate it’s caused the most upheaval for you, and I am sorry about that, but you can’t do this alone.”
“I managed okay last time.”
“You weren’t caring for an almost one-year-old at the same time, though. Cut yourself some slack. For Sienna’s sake if not for your own. Look, I’ll show you to your room—you can have a nap secure in the knowledge that Sienna is being well cared for. When you’re up to it, come down and have something light to eat.”
He could see she wanted to fight him on his suggestion but exhaustion obviously won out.
“Fine, take me to my dungeon,” she said with a theatrical sigh.
He arched one brow at her. “Dungeon? Really? That’s what you think of me? Like I’m your jailer?”
She remained silent.
“Never mind,” he muttered. “Come this way. You have your own en suite bathroom, so you’ll have privacy if you’re feeling unwell again. If you need help, though, you can dial one on your house phone and it’ll connect you to Imelda straightaway.”
“And Sienna?”
“Will be competently cared for by my staff. I’ll check on her again after I’ve been in touch with my office. Don’t worry—she’ll be fine.”
* * *
Kayla wanted to disagree. Putting Sienna in day care had been one thing, but now that she wasn’t working, she wanted to be the one seeing to Sienna’s needs. Even so, she felt so wrung out right now that if she didn’t lie down soon, she’d probably fall down. And Van had already seen her brought low enough. It really would just be simpler, while she still fought the insidious nausea that lingered no matter how many times she was sick, to give in for now.
She followed him through the house to the main stairs and noticed that he slowed his pace to match her more lethargic gait. He’d been like that as a boy, too. Whenever her shorter legs couldn’t keep up with him and Sienna as they’d headed off for an adventure together, he’d always slow and allow her to catch up. Of course, he’d never missed an opportunity to tease her about it. Even so, the memory was bittersweet. Back then, neither of them would ever have imagined they’d be where they were right now.
Determined not to give in to the hormones that threatened to bring tears to her eyes at the memory, she blinked furiously and almost bumped into Van’s back when he stopped at a doorway.
“This is your room. You should find everything you need here. The bathroom is through there.” He gestured to one side.
“Some dungeon,” Kayla commented with a wan smile as she walked over to the open French doors and private balcony.
Gauzy sheer curtains drifted in the ocean breeze, making the room look like something out of a movie set. A king-size bed was positioned so the first thing she’d see each morning was the view out over the sea. Everything was tasteful and elegant with clean and simple lines and yet it still managed to be welcoming at the same time.
Van remained just inside the door, a strange expression on his face. “You’re not a prisoner here, Kayla. You can come and go as you please.”
Yes, she thought as she bent her head in acknowledgment, and also no. She might not have been a prisoner, but he still most definitely controlled her life. Now and for the foreseeable future. And no matter how beautiful her cage, she didn’t like it one bit.
Seven
Kayla woke to find a small bottle of club soda and a plate with a few crackers on it on the bedside table. She felt embarrassed that someone had obviously come in and found her sleeping. Not only sleeping, but sleeping so deeply she hadn’t even heard the person enter.
Her mouth was dry, so she took a sip of the soda and sat back on her pillows, relieved when it stayed down. After a few minutes, she swung her feet to the floor and slowly rose and moved over to the open French doors. Below, she caught the glimmer of sunlight on the water of a pool. She wondered where Sienna was and who had her, but she didn’t have to wonder for long. On the grassy area near the pool, she saw a tall, leggy brunette bent over Sienna, holding her hands and helping her to walk. That was Annabelle? The woman looked too young to have the kind of experience that Van had alluded to, or maybe her experience came in other areas, as well?
Kayla forced herself to change the direction of her thoughts, putting them down to the fact that she just felt so uprooted. She’d never been the jealous type and she wasn’t going to start now. And certainly not over Van.
It was weird. She’d spent the better part of her adult life traveling and experiencing new things. Until she’d lost her sister, it wouldn’t have bothered her in the least to have had to move to a luxury home for a visit. The thing was, she’d grown used to the apartment she’d had in Lakeshore. It had become home from the second she’d brought Sienna back from the hospital. She’d worked hard to afford it, to make the money to pay the rent and put food on the table. It had been hers—she’d earned it. This place, though? It felt as if she was living inside someone else’s dream.
That said, none of it was the nanny’s fault, she reminded herself. It was childish to form a dislike for someone she’d never met based purely on a glimpse of them in a garden while they were doing their job. The fact that Van approved of her was also no reason to dislike the other woman even if she did seem to be particularly gifted when it came to grace and good looks. From the grass, Sienna gurgled and laughed, the sound bringing a faint smile to Kayla’s face.
Her smile quickly died, though, when she saw Van join them and reach for Sienna. The baby went happily into her father’s arms. The nanny touched Van’s arm with a lingering hand, the caress surprising Kayla and making her wonder just how long he’d known Annabelle before installing her in the house to assist in Sienna’s care. And hadn’t he been on the verge of getting engaged to some other woman? Dani something-or-other? It seemed women came out of the woodwork to hang on his arm, Kayla thought sourly. Sienna, of course, was oblivious to the interplay of the two adults with her. Never one to be overly shy of strangers, Sienna settled easily with Van and didn’t appear to be missing her mother at all. Watching the trio, Kayla felt again as though she was completely superfluous.
Van chose that exact moment to look up and he waved to Kayla and called out. “Are you feeling a little better? Come down and meet Annabelle.”
Embarrassed at being caught spying on them, Kayla gave him a brief wave in response and rushed to her bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes later, showered, dressed in clothes that were less travel stained and with her hair brushed and pulled back in a ponytail, she made her way downstairs, wondering how to find her way to the lower terraced level where the pool was. Imelda bustled out from the kitchen and gave Kayla a smile and an approving nod when she saw Kayla carried the bottle of club soda.
“Mr. Murphy said for you to go down and meet them by the pool. I’ll show you the way.”
“Thank you,” Kayla said with a smile in return. “And thank you for the snack and the soda water, too.”
“Mr. Murphy asked me to leave it with you. He’s very concerned for your health, and the baby’s, too.”
Imelda’s words should have given Kayla some comfort but they made her feel more as if she was being managed—as if she was incapable of looking after herself. The housekeeper gave her a reassuring pat on the arm.
“Don’t let him overwhelm you. He’s just scared and isn’t used to feeling that way—not
to mention not being able to control what’s happening. You and little Sienna are going to be good for him.”
“Good for him? How?” Kayla blurted the question before stopping to think about it.
“He’s locked himself up emotionally—I’m guessing that’s something he taught himself to do a long time ago. It’s why his engagement to Ms. Matthews worried both Jacob and me. He didn’t need someone like her. He’s a man who needs warmth and care. Like a plant that requires gentle coaxing and nurturing.”
Kayla frowned. Nurturing? Van?
“Oh, and listen to me. Bombarding you with conversation when you probably just want to check on your wee girl. Follow me.”
Imelda turned and led the way to another staircase that stretched to a lower level of the house. Kayla noted the mostly open-plan layout of the downstairs section, with its gaming room complete with full-size pool table, what looked like a home theater and, from what she spied through an open door, a guest suite, as well. Kayla followed Imelda out onto a patio and saw Van and Sienna playing on the grass, Annabelle standing to one side and watching.
“Before I go, let me know what you’d like the little one to have for dinner and what time you’d like her to eat.”
Kayla gave Imelda a list of foods that Sienna ate and what to avoid. Imelda took it all on board.
“I’ll get onto it now, then. See you up in the kitchen later, perhaps? Or would you prefer to eat on the balcony outside, where you won’t have to deal with too many different aromas?”
“The balcony, please. Just for today.”
“Not a problem. Ah, it looks like Sienna has spied her mama,” Imelda commented with an indulgent smile.
Sure enough, Sienna, who by the look of things had been rolling on the grass with her father, was now crawling at high speed across the manicured lawn. Kayla quickly moved forward and bent to swoop her baby girl up in her arms, relishing the feel of Sienna’s little body pressed against hers and the sensation of rightness now that she held her again. Van followed close behind.
One Heir...or Two? Page 7
