by Kristi Gold
“Just take one arm at a time.”
Kevin was surprised that it wasn’t as difficult as it looked. Of course, Carly was totally cooperative, as though she’d done this before. Probably because she had. After he had the garment in place, he went to work on the snap maze that ran up one leg and all the way to her neck. He only missed a couple at first but before long, he had his daughter dressed. “All set, kiddo. You did good.”
“So did you,” Leah said, her smile fully formed.
“Thanks. I hope I’ll get faster with practice. What now?”
“You can feed her if you’d like.”
Kevin looked down at his chest and then back up again. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly equipped for that.”
A touch of sadness crossed Leah’s face. “I stopped breast-feeding this past week. I rarely found the time to pump while I was at work and my milk production was basically next to nothing. She’s on formula now, and I hate that.” Her tone indicated exactly how much she hated it.
When Leah glanced away, Kevin asked, “When a new mother comes to you with the same predicament, how do you respond?”
She sighed. “I tell her that the breast is best, but formula is a healthy alternative if it doesn’t work out.”
“Do you tell them they should feel guilty?”
“Of course not.”
“Then you need to practice what you preach. You gave her that all-important colostrum, and you hung in there a lot longer than a lot of women with your schedule would have, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“How do you know about colostrum?”
“I’ve read up on it and a lot of other baby-rearing aspects.”
Finally, her smile returned. “Have you ever given a baby a bottle before?”
“No, but I’m a quick study.”
“I’ll be right back.”
After Leah left, Kevin gathered Carly into his arms, stood, and sat in the padded rocker across the room. She studied his face a moment before lifting her fist and bopping him twice in the chin. “Okay, I probably deserved that for a number of things, including not being there the day you were born.”
She smiled as if to say, That’s okay, Dad. You’re excused. He bent and kissed her forehead, drawing in the scent of the lavender baby shampoo that had soothing properties, according to Leah.
He saw very little of his Irish father in Carly and a whole lot of his Armenian mother, right down to her dark eyes and hair. But then he, too, was a chip right off Lucine O’Brien’s genetic block. And he couldn’t discount Leah’s Venezuelan heritage on her great-grandfather’s side, either.
He continued to marvel at his daughter’s features and recognized that every new dad most likely felt the way he did—that their kid was flawless. But as far as he was concerned, Carly was the portrait of perfection. Perfect face. Perfect hands. Perfect sweet disposition.
Without warning, Carly screwed up her face, stuck out her bottom lip and let out a scream that could rival a car alarm. Feeling helpless, Kevin held her against his shoulder and rocked the chair rapidly, patting her back. And when that didn’t work, he got up and paced the room.
Thankfully, he saw Leah appear, bottle in hand, and saying, “That’s her hungry cry.”
“I gathered that,” Kevin replied as he took the bottle and sat back down in the rocker.
Miraculously, the minute he stuck the nipple in Carly’s mouth, she fell silent, aside from some serious sucking sounds. Yeah, she was definitely hungry.
Leah hovered above them, watching Kevin’s every move. “Make sure you keep the bottle tilted up so she doesn’t get much air in her tummy. A gassy baby is not a happy baby.”
“Am I doing it right?” he asked.
“Yes, you are.”
“Do you plan to watch me until she’s done?”
“I do.”
Talk about the consummate mother hen. “I promise I’m not going to screw this up, so in the meantime, why don’t you go put the whirlpool to good use?”
“I don’t think that’s such a great idea.”
Frustration hit him full-force. “Listen, Leah, I supervise ten junior reporters and I have a master’s in journalism. I’ve even rebuilt a transmission and I made my mother a curio cabinet in high-school shop class. I’m capable of giving a baby a bottle on my own without—”
“I meant I’m not sure taking a bath is a great idea. I might never want to get out.”
Okay, so he’d engaged in some severe conclusion-jumping. But in light of her attitude, and lack of trust in him, who could blame him? “If you’re not out in thirty minutes, I’ll check on you.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Leah bent and kissed Carly’s forehead. “I’ll be back in twenty.” When she looked down at where her palm rested on Kevin’s forearm, she jerked her hand away, as though she’d touched a radiator.
Her reaction prompted Kevin to say, “It’s going to happen.”
She pulled her arms tightly around her middle. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“We’re going to touch each other every now and then, even if it’s only when we hand the baby to each other. You don’t have to make such a big deal of it and act like I have some communicable disease.”
“I’m not making a big deal of it, and I won’t, as long as you understand that’s the only touching we’ll be doing.”
She sounded to Kevin as if she might be trying to convince herself. “Understood.”
She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m going to take my bath now. Again, I won’t be long.”
“Take your time. The towels are in the linen closet and Mallory stocked the shelf with aromatherapy stuff. Use whatever you’d like.”
She began backing to the door. “Be sure to burp Carly after she’s finished. I’ll be back in time to put her to bed.”
Once Leah had left the room, Kevin regarded Carly, who had already drained almost half the bottle. She paused long enough to smile at him.
“What’s so funny, kiddo? Me giving you a bottle or your mom putting me in my place?”
She reached up again and this time tweaked his nose. He took her hand and kissed it softly, watching as her eyes closed briefly and slowly opened again.
Several times he’d heard his siblings talk about the joys of parenthood, but he’d never given it much thought until now. He never would’ve believed that holding a baby would be so satisfying. That he could feel such strong emotions for a child he’d only recently met. At least now he understood why his sister was such a daddy’s girl.
Damn, if he hadn’t become a certified sap. But that was okay. He’d trade all his machismo for these moments with Carly, and enjoy them while he still had the chance—before her mother took her away for good.
SHE’D SPENT way too much time in the bathtub. Dressed in the worn pink-cotton robe she’d owned since her freshman year of college, Leah wrapped her hair in a towel and hurried into the bedroom. She heaved one suitcase onto the mattress and rifled through it for something comfortable to wear, only to come across the animal-print pajamas Kevin had asked about during their phone conversation a week ago. And, like a practiced liar, she’d deceived him again. Although she’d intended to toss them during her packing, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Silly, considering she hadn’t worn them since she and Kevin had called it quits. Correction. Since Kevin had quit on her. But then, she’d done some fairly inane things of late.
She remembered several memorable nights when Kevin had taken them off her, slowly. Nights when he had taken her beyond the limits of lovemaking, using his hands and his mouth and his body. She shivered just thinking about the way he’d spoken to her in that deadly low and patently sexy voice of his. How easily he could draw every ounce of pleasure out of her until she thought she had nothing left, only to have him lead her right back into a sexual realm she’d never known existed….
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
At the sound of his voice, Leah whipped around toward
the door, clutching the presumably trashed lingerie behind her back. Kevin stood in the open space, one arm braced on the frame, the other dangling at his side. He looked so imposing, so gorgeous, she wanted to shield her eyes before she did or said something stupid. “You might try knocking next time.”
“Kind of hard when the door’s open.”
She wasn’t particularly fond of his logic, or her lack thereof. “I was listening for the baby. By the way, where is she?”
He streaked a hand over his whisker-rough jaw. “She found my keys and went for a joyride. I tried to stop her but she’s faster than she looks.”
She wasn’t fond of his attempt at humor, either. “Could you be serious for just a moment?”
He slid his hands into his jeans pockets and attempted to look contrite. “She fell asleep so I put her to bed.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
Amazing. “Did you put her on her back?”
“Yes, I did. Like I told you, I’ve read the books.”
He was trying hard to impress her, and he was doing a fairly credible job. “Just remember, she rarely stays down the first time you put her down.” Otherwise, Leah might be upset over not having the opportunity to say good-night to her daughter. “I’ll go check.”
“I would’ve heard her if she wasn’t still asleep, and so would you.” He pointed toward the nightstand and a silver object resembling a remote control set next to the alarm clock. “That’s a wireless monitor. I have one in my room, too. The receiver’s in the nursery. It’s portable so you can carry it with you.”
Evidently he’d thought of everything. “Great. That will come in handy. Now do you mind leaving so I can get dressed?”
“Sure, just as soon as you tell me what you’re hiding behind your back.”
“None of your business.” Infuriating, nosy man.
He took a step toward her. “Did you buy me a gift?”
She took a step back. “No, I did not.”
“If it’s your panties, I’ve seen them before. Many times.” He inclined his head and leaned forward. “But that’s not what you’re keeping from me, is it?”
Before Leah could react, he was on her like a moth on a porch light, grabbing for the pajamas. She managed to play keep-away by sidestepping out of his reach, but he didn’t let up. She retreated and he stalked her until he had her backed up to the bed. The same bed where they had made long hot love more times than she could count. Dangerous, dangerous territory.
Everything seemed to come to a standstill except the rapid beat of Leah’s heart. He was so close she could reach up and trace the line of his lips. Better still, she could kiss him. She could once more experience Kevin’s thoroughly gifted mouth. When his gaze drifted to her lips, wisdom won out, causing Leah to concede that if she didn’t give in and let him see the pajamas, she could be giving in to something much more unwise.
She held up the silk garment for his inspection. “Are you happy now?”
He had the gall to grin. “I thought you tossed those out.”
She balled them up, dropped them onto the bed, then moved around him and away from his overwhelming magnetism. “I thought I’d gotten rid of them. I discovered I was mistaken when I started packing my clothes.”
He sported a totally cynical look. “I didn’t think you’d throw them away. They’ve always been your favorite.”
She tightened the sash on her robe. “They were your favorite, not mine.”
“I won’t argue that, but I liked taking them off you, too.”
Darned if that didn’t make her quiver all over. “I’ve warned you about this kind of talk, Kevin.”
“Sorry. I’m just being honest.”
Leah pointed toward the door. “Please leave before I…” The power of his gaze stole the last remaining shred of coherency from her brain.
“Before you what?” he asked.
Before she did something that qualified as too stupid to live. “Please go so I can get dressed and then go check on my child. Be sure to close the door behind you.”
He shrugged. “Fine, I’ll meet you in the hall and we’ll check on our child together.”
After he left, Leah collapsed back on the bed and blew out a long breath. If she didn’t get her head and hormones on straight, she’d find herself in the same predicament with a man she’d often found too hard to resist. This time, she would resist him, even if it meant avoiding him whenever possible. Unfortunately, he wasn’t easy to ignore.
IF HE DIDN’T keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself, Kevin was in danger of driving Leah away before she even had a chance to settle in. He’d have to remind himself frequently that she’d agreed to the arrangement for the sake of convenience, and that she had a boyfriend. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Or he wouldn’t. At one time, he might have tried, but not now. Not if he wanted to prove to Leah that he still had a scrap of honor left.
Yet all his good intentions began to wane when Leah came out of the bedroom wearing a white T-shirt and an old pair of faded jeans with a strategic rip at the thigh.
A series of chants went off in his brain. He had to be strong. He had to ignore the urge to run his finger along that tear. He had to forget backing up her against the wall and…
“Is she still asleep?” she asked as soon as she reached him.
“I haven’t heard a word out of her, but we can confirm that together.”
Kevin pushed open the partially ajar door, allowing a stream of light from the hallway to spill into the room, illuminating the crib. With Leah by his side, they quietly made their way to the crib to find Carly lying motionless, her eyes fluttering slightly beneath closed lids.
Leah placed two fingers against her own lips then pressed them to the baby’s cheek. He wanted to say, Look what we’ve made, Leah, but remained quiet until they left the room and reentered the hall.
Kevin wasn’t ready to tell her good night, and that led to him spontaneously asking, “Do you want some wine?” although he fully expected a refusal.
“That sounds good,” Leah answered, surprising the hell out of him. “As long as it’s just one glass. I do have to work in the morning.”
Silently they made their way into the kitchen, where Kevin retrieved a bottle of chardonnay—Leah’s favorite—from the refrigerator. He popped the cork, poured two glasses and offered her one. “Let’s take it onto the deck.”
She frowned. “What if Carly wakes up?”
He pulled the monitor from his back pocket. “This has enough range to carry outside. We’ll be able to hear her.”
“Okay, I guess. As long as I can get to her quickly if she needs me.”
Kevin could already tell Leah was going to err on the side of being overprotective, much like his own mother. But since Carly was Leah’s first, he could understand her attitude to a point and opted to cut her some slack. He had to admit, he wasn’t innocent when it came to worrying about his daughter. But he wasn’t going to smother her, either.
When they walked onto the deck, Kevin pulled out a chair for Leah at the patio table and took the seat opposite her. The night was clear and relatively quiet with the exception of a chorus of locusts and the occasional passing car.
They both remained silent for a time before Leah said, “I love the smell of freshly mown grass. I love summer, period.”
“I remember.” And he did. Many times she’d mentioned she would take hot weather over cold any day. “We used to talk a lot about your fondness for the beach. We talked about a lot of things.”
She released a humorless laugh. “Oh, sure. Aside from the weather, most of our conversations consisted of what sports superstar you’d interviewed and I’d issue a few complaints about my schedule, then we’d go to bed.”
A direct attempt to depersonalize their former relationship, Kevin realized. “That’s not true. We used to have lengthy conversations over dinner.”
“Then we’d go to yo
ur apartment and go to bed. In fact, during the eight months we were involved, I don’t remember one time when we were together when we didn’t make love.”
Yeah, and what a chore that had been. Not. “And your point?”
“I’m just saying we never developed a solid friendship.”
“You’re wrong, Leah. I valued your friendship almost as much as I appreciated you as a lover.”
She pushed her glass aside and slid one hand through her damp hair. “I beg to differ. I still don’t know everything about you, Kevin, and what I do know I practically had to drag out of you. Specifically your problems with Kieran.”
That much was true, but then he hadn’t wanted Leah to know all the questionable aspects of his past. “I did eventually tell you the details of why the relationship broke down.”
“I know. He’d never liked the way you’ve lived your life and you didn’t appreciate his tendency to judge you. But you haven’t told me how and why you’ve settled your differences.”
Now would be a good time to reveal the truth, but he couldn’t force himself to do it. He didn’t want to face her wrath over his dishonesty while they were rebuilding a relationship. A friendly relationship. “We reconnected about six months ago, not long after he met Erica, his fiancée.” A good segue into a subject change. “By the way, Kieran’s going to be a dad, too. Erica has an eleven-year-old daughter named Stormy. According to Kieran, that name fits her personality.”
Leah smiled. “Nothing like jumping into fatherhood with a preteen female.”
“A preteen female who was born with a heart condition,” Kevin added. “But Stormy’s okay now. In fact, she’s one heck of a good softball player. And that reminds me of something. I’ll be right back.”
Kevin pushed away from the table and sprinted through the double doors and into the den housing his trophies. He opened one cabinet, retrieved the gift for his daughter, and returned to Leah.
He reclaimed his seat and laid the glove on the table. “I want Carly to have this. It’s signed by a member of the U.S. Olympic softball team.”
Leah picked up the mitt and inspected it. “Don’t you think it’s a little premature to be planning her softball career? She’s still five years away from T-ball.”
