by Debra Webb
Making his way to the TV room, he drew up short as he rounded the corner.
“Whoa, almost had ourselves a head-on collision,” he said to Shannon O’Shea, who’d practically run him over.
O’Shea was one lady who could likely do it, as well. She was every bit as tall as Joe, six feet at least. And she was strong, good-looking and athletic as hell. All anyone had to do was ask Nubs, the last firefighter she’d beat at arm wrestling. O’Shea wasn’t called Biceps for nothing.
“Hey, Cap’n,” she said breathlessly. “Didn’t expect to see you here today.” She averted her gaze and seemed anxious to be on her way.
Joe blinked. Was she acting suspicious or was it just his imagination? “What about you? I didn’t think I’d find you hanging around here today, either. What’re you up to?” Actually, Joe wasn’t surprised to see O’Shea here. She was as bad as he was about dropping by on her off-duty days.
She made an attempt at a shrug. “I dunno.”
Joe had a bad feeling that her evasiveness had something to do with Lisa. Why else would she be acting so strangely around him? Hadn’t she been the one to give him down the road when he and Lisa parted ways? Yeah, she had. And it was old Biceps who was always telling the squad that her fiancé, FBI agent John Forester, had shown her how a man was supposed to treat a woman—a lesson the male squad members could benefit from. Hell, Joe had known with complete certainty that those barbs were intended for him. O’Shea hadn’t liked him calling it quits with her good friend. That fact had never once affected their working relationship, but on a personal level, he knew O’Shea was gravely disappointed in him.
His gaze narrowed. Did she know about the pregnancy?
Had Lisa shared with O’Shea what she wouldn’t share with him?
He swore under his breath.
O’Shea gave him a look. “Don’t get your boxers in a wad. I just came by to talk to some of the guys.” She jerked her head toward the TV room. “So what’s up with you today, Cap’n?” she asked, purposely diverting the conversation. Her defenses were fully in place now. She wasn’t giving anything away.
Oh, he’d been right.
She knew something.
He folded his arms over his chest and looked her dead in the eye. “How did lunch go with Lisa yesterday? She doing okay?”
O’Shea was the one blinking to hide her emotions this time. “She…uh…she’s doing great.”
“Really?” Joe shot her a doubtful look. “No lingering headache from the concussion? No aches and pains?”
God knew he had enough of his own. Nobody could accuse him of not being in shape. Hell, he ran five miles every morning, worked out in the weight room right here at the station house during his on-duty downtime, as well as most of his off-duty days. But even a person in great shape came away from a rescue like Lisa’s with a few aches and pains. Even a bruise or two.
O’Shea gave another one of those indifferent shrugs. “She didn’t mention anything. She looked great.” She gave him a knowing look, glee suddenly dancing in her eyes. “She looked glowing, even.”
Joe’s annoyance morphed into panic. What the hell did she mean by that? And why the sudden about-face? Two seconds ago she’d clearly been hiding something. Now she seemed ready to flaunt whatever she knew right in his face.
“Great,” he snorted. “Glad she’s okay.”
He wasn’t about to give O’Shea the pleasure of whatever smart-ass comeback she had planned for him next. Let her keep her little secrets. An uneasiness he couldn’t explain had him anxious to move on.
“See ya around, O’Shea,” he said as he gave her his back. Let her play this game with somebody else. It wasn’t like her to gloat, but, admittedly, she was only human. If Lisa had chosen to share her news with her friend and not him, there was nothing he could do about that. He would have his time soon enough. Like today.
“Guess you didn’t hear,” O’Shea called to his retreating back.
Later, when he had cooled down enough to think about it, Joe wouldn’t be able to say precisely what it was that made him turn around and face that challenging remark when every instinct warned him to keep walking. He only knew that something in O’Shea’s voice wouldn’t let him do that.
“Guess I didn’t,” he retorted.
“Lisa’s getting married,” she said, the smile lacing the words only making them sharper, cutting right to the bone. “Next week. She and Greg don’t want to wait a minute longer.”
Joe didn’t remember leaving the station house. He only had one goal in mind. Getting the truth out of Lisa.
There was no way in hell she was going to marry Greg Seaborn. That had to be a bad joke she and O’Shea had come up with to play on Joe.
He gave the key in the ignition of his truck a violent twist and the engine roared to life. No way would Lisa marry a loser like Seaborn. Hell, she’d always treated the guy like a brother. Not that Joe had missed the way Seaborn looked at her. He thought she was amazing. Wanted her something bad. But Lisa had never given him anything but professional respect and friendly affection.
No way would she marry him.
As Joe maneuvered his truck into the morning traffic, another reality broadsided him.
She was pregnant with his child.
That made it impossible for her to consider marrying anyone else at this stage…didn’t it?
Maybe not.
Panic slithered up his spine.
That might even be the reason she’d decided to do such a fool thing. Maybe she didn’t want to have this baby alone. Maybe she thought she could marry Seaborn and pass the child off as his. O’Shea wouldn’t lie. No way. If she said Lisa was getting married, then she was. Why hadn’t he realized what this really meant?
As Seaborn’s wife, Lisa wouldn’t have to worry about Joe interfering. She and Seaborn would raise the child. Joe’s son or daughter would call Seaborn Daddy.
Like hell.
He gunned the engine, forgetting the traffic cop’s advice. No way in hell could he take the time to be cautious right now. Not when another man was trying to take his place with his own kid and the woman…the woman carrying his child.
An alien emotion, something teetering between fury and jealousy, ripped through Joe’s chest. No one was going to take his place.
That baby was his. He wasn’t about to let Lisa make this kind of rash decision.
What was she thinking?
Seaborn might be a nice, steady guy…
And there it was in a nutshell.
Nice. Steady. All the things a woman like Lisa looked for in a man.
Joe gritted his teeth. He wondered if the guy could make her scream his name the way Joe had? Wondered if he could make her beg for more the way Joe had? Joe would bet everything he owned that Greg Seaborn had never even kissed Lisa, much less made love to her.
Not the way Joe had, anyway.
He’d been there. Remembered the way she came apart in his arms. The way her body responded to his.
Greg Seaborn didn’t deserve Lisa and he damn sure wasn’t going to raise Joe’s child.
Not as long as Joe was still breathing.
Joe might be thankful for a nice, steady guy like Seaborn if he were to die before he could do the job himself—before he could raise his child. But Joe was here, ready and willing. No one was going to take that privilege away from him.
This was his kid.
“EASY NOW,” Lisa said cajolingly to the big collie. Naomi, as her nine-year-old owner called her, had managed to get herself into a fight with a stray dog that wandered into her territory. Thankfully her shots were up to date. Still, she would need to be quarantined for a few days. Since Lisa knew the family well, she had agreed to let the dog be quarantined at home. No going outside without a leash. But right now, she had a couple more stitches to add before she could send the collie home.
“I betcha there won’t be any more strays coming into our yard,” Timmy said as he stroked Naomi’s back.
“M
aybe not,” Lisa said. The humane society had picked up the stray, but Lisa intended to go by and check him out herself. He might turn out to be a good dog that needed nothing more than a loving family like Timmy’s to care for him. She made it her business to find that very kind of family for animals in need.
“Mom said Naomi was protecting me,” Timmy told her, as if his mother weren’t standing right behind him. “Maybe that stray would have bitten me.”
“Maybe,” Lisa agreed. “It’s best to avoid animals you’re unfamiliar with.”
Timmy nodded. “Mom said I did the right thing by running into the house when I saw that dog.”
Lisa glanced at his mother and smiled. “Your mom’s a smart lady.”
The sound of raised voices interrupted whatever Timmy would have said next.
Lisa frowned. Who on earth…? Male. Loud. It couldn’t be Greg. He was on a house call this morning. Besides, Greg never yelled like that.
Then the voices sounded closer, and recognition hit her as if she’d slammed, full speed, into a brick wall.
“I want to see her now!”
Joe Ripani.
Timmy’s mother looked startled, and Naomi made a distressed sound.
“Who’s yelling?” Timmy asked, staring toward the closed door of the treatment room.
Lisa didn’t have time to answer his question before the door burst inward and Joe’s towering form filled the opening.
“We’re a little busy in here,” Lisa said to him with a pointed glare. Naomi growled deep in her throat, so Lisa stroked her soothingly.
“I’m sorry, Lisa,” Nancy said, peeking around Joe’s broad shoulder. “He insisted on seeing you now.” She looked apologetic and utterly flustered.
“It’s okay, Nancy.”
Shaking her head, the receptionist headed back to the front desk.
Joe’s face was beet red and he appeared ready to do battle. With Lisa most likely. One glance at Timmy and his mother, and he relaxed his fighting stance just a little.
“I need to talk to you,” he told her between clenched teeth. “Now.”
Doing her level best to stay calm on the outside, Lisa met that savage glower and said, “Give me about ten minutes and I’ll be with you. You can wait in my office, Mr. Ripani.”
She said his name with all the disdain she could muster. Thankfully he did as she asked, closing the door behind him. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the business at hand. How dare he storm into her clinic like this! He had no right to behave in this manner.
The baby.
No. He couldn’t know about the baby. No one other than Greg did. She hadn’t even told Shannon. She’d wanted to. God, she wanted to talk to someone besides Greg. But she just couldn’t bring herself to talk about it yet with anyone else.
The wedding.
Her eyes rounded. God. He’d likely heard about the wedding.
Confusion made her head ache, reminding her that she had not fully recovered from the concussion just yet. Why would he care if she married Greg?
It didn’t make sense.
Joe didn’t want commitment or marriage. He’d walked away from her three weeks ago easily enough. Why would he care if she married someone else now?
Forcing the whole business aside, Lisa finished up with Naomi. “There,” she said softly to the old dog. “What a good girl you were.” Lisa turned to Timmy’s mother. “Keep the sutures clean and dry, and bring her back in about ten days for the follow-up.” She mussed Timmy’s hair. “And don’t worry, Naomi’s fur will grow back as she heals.”
Lisa scratched Naomi behind the ears and then helped her down from the table. The dog had been so cooperative a sedative hadn’t been necessary. Just a local anesthetic. All repairs should be this easy.
Lisa accompanied the little entourage to the reception area, where she asked Nancy to give her a few minutes. While she tidied the treatment room and washed up, Lisa readied herself for the coming confrontation with Joe. She didn’t know why she had to do this, but she did. He had no claim on her, as far as he knew. And he definitely had no right sticking his nose in her social life. The two of them were no longer an item. Whatever had put a burr under his saddle was his problem.
Lisa paused outside the door to her office and took a deep breath. This shouldn’t take long. Joe would say whatever he had to say and then he’d go.
Men like Joe were like that. All bluster when it came to staking claims. He didn’t really want her on a permanent basis. He was probably just miffed that she’d apparently gotten over him so fast.
If only he knew.
She stepped into her office and closed the door behind her. Hands braced on hips, Joe turned to face her.
“Why the hell are you marrying Seaborn?” he demanded with all the gruffness of an injured lion.
Lisa didn’t say anything right away, choosing instead to tidy her desk and check her messages. She desperately needed to proceed with caution.
“Damn it, don’t ignore me,” he growled, planting both hands firmly on her desk and leaning toward her in a blatant act of intimidation.
She set her messages aside and met his furious gaze. Lord, his eyes were as dark as midnight when he was angry. Chasing the foolish thought from her mind, she said what had to be said. “We were over weeks ago, Ripani. What I do and with whom I do it is none of your business. Greg and I have been close for some time. We’ve simply decided to take it to the next level.”
Something flickered in Joe’s eyes, making her heart gallop with remembered heat. “Has he made love to you the way I did?”
Now, that made her angry. How dare he call it making love! “You mean, have we had savage sex?” And that’s what it had been, barbaric almost. Even knowing that it had been purely physical, Lisa felt a bolt of searing desire just at the thought of him driving into her.
The smoldering sensuality in his eyes blazed into all-out fury. “You don’t want to marry him and you know it.”
Her mouth dropped open. The gall of the man. “And how would you know?”
He reached across the desk and wrapped his long fingers around her neck, pulling her face close to his. Traitorously, her heart rate tripped as a rush of fire raced deep into her belly. The feel of his hot breath on her lips made her want to tilt her mouth toward his…made her long for his kiss.
“Because I know you—all of you,” he murmured silkily. “So don’t try any funny business with me.”
Railing at herself mentally, she jerked away from him. “You are so full of yourself, Ripani.” She was doing the right thing. If she’d had any second thoughts, they’d all disappeared. “I’m getting married next week whether you like it or not.”
Joe straightened to his full height and squared those awesome shoulders. “I’ve played this your way long enough. I gave you every opportunity to come clean with me and you haven’t. Now we’re going to do this my way.”
Panic flooded her. He couldn’t know about…
“That baby you’re carrying is mine. I know it and you know it.” He stabbed a finger in her direction. “You should have leveled with me, Lisa.” This time there was something more in his voice, something wounded. But how could that be? This was Joe Ripani. He didn’t feel that kind of pain. And how had he found out about her secret?
“You could have told me when we left the hospital, but you didn’t. Then I gave you time.” He took a breath and visibly struggled to keep his voice civil. “Still you didn’t tell me. Then I hear about this wedding. What am I supposed to think?”
She shook her head, causing pain to shoot in a dozen directions inside her skull. “First I want to know how you found out.” The words came out almost as a shout. She hadn’t meant to lose her grip, but he wasn’t making it easy.
“I heard Winslow tell you,” he said quietly, those wide shoulders sagging in resignation.
Why did he seem disappointed? It didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. Oh, yes, it did, she suddenly realized. Responsibility. How could she
have forgotten? He would see this baby as his responsibility. The idea of another man taking his place would be unthinkable.
“Don’t do this, Joe,” she warned, suddenly weary. “You know you don’t want to be tied down. Just let me handle this the best way for the baby.”
Renewed anger flamed in his eyes. “My baby,” he reminded her none too gently. “No way am I going to let Seaborn be a daddy to my kid. No way, Lisa. Forget it!”
Lisa collapsed into her chair and braced her elbows on the desk. “And what would you have me do?” she asked. “Raise a child alone? Deprive him or her of the kind of stability you and I both enjoyed growing up?” She didn’t have to go into the details. He would know what she meant.
He didn’t answer right away. Shoving his fingers through his hair, he paced the small area in front of her desk for what felt like a mini-eternity. She could almost see the wheels turning in that handsome head. There was just no telling what kind of solution he would come up with.
Then he stopped and aimed that determined gaze back on her. “This is my baby, too. I have some say in the matter.”
She didn’t bother disagreeing. The baby was his. To lie to him would only make bad matters worse, and she knew she couldn’t bring herself to go that far. She’d known she would have to tell him the truth eventually.
“I’ll give you that, but why would you want any say?” She spread her hands out in genuine bewilderment. “Joe, you love being single. Why would you want to be tied down with a child?”
He blinked, clearly startled by her simplistic analysis. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
The reality of that statement shook her. This was about more than responsibility. She couldn’t say how much more, but there was something he wouldn’t let her see.
Please don’t let me be fooling myself, she prayed. Her heart so wanted to believe that he cared about her on a deep enough level that this was about her, too. Not just the baby.
“So what do you propose?” she asked.
Even as she posed the question, Lisa could not imagine what his answer would be. She’d considered several scenarios in the time since she’d learned about the pregnancy, always coming back to the one that had him popping in to see his child whenever he felt the urge and her being left in the cold by his heroic reputation and formidable possessiveness.
