Their Baby Bond

by Karen Rose Smith

  “Why did you really stop by?” Jake asked.

  “Because I wanted to feel you out and see where your head was. As I said, good men are hard to find. Especially those with your experience.”

  “I’m happy with what I’m doing.”

  “If that’s really true, that’s terrific. But if you ever want more than that, give me a call.”

  After he handed Jake a business card, he followed the sidewalk to his car and climbed inside. Moments later, he drove away.

  Jake stuffed the card into his back jeans pocket and retrieved his saw. He wouldn’t be calling the chief. He would make the rest of his life work—without a career in law enforcement.

  Chapter Eight

  When Jake arrived at Tori’s house on Friday evening, Loretta let him in. “Tori’s giving Andy his bottle. Apparently he’s been pretty fussy since around six. He’s only settled down in the past half hour or so.”

  “Maybe she won’t want to leave him.”

  “The best thing for that girl right now is a break. If you’ve ever been with a crying baby longer than thirty minutes, you know how draining it can be.”

  Jake remembered one particular weekend when Ryan had had an earache, and he’d rocked the little boy while Nina had gotten some much-needed rest. Taking care of a child was exhausting when every thing went as planned, let alone when it didn’t.

  In the hall, Jake could hear Tori singing softly to the baby. He found her in Andy’s room, sitting in a glider rocker. She set the bottle on the small table next to the chair when he walked in.

  “Loretta said you had a rough evening. If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand.”

  Tori looked down at her son, then back at Jake. He could see she was torn. “Let me put him in his crib and see if he stays asleep,” she said. “If he does, an hour or so out of the house might be good for me. Especially if he’s fussy again when he wakes up. I can’t imagine how Nina handled twins.”

  “She had Mom. And Frank was home more at the beginning of their marriage.”

  When Tori lay Andy in his crib, he didn’t stir, just made a contented baby noise.

  She smiled. “I moved him in here now, knowing that’s best for both of us. Yet sometimes in the middle of the night I just lie in bed and listen to him on the baby monitor. It doesn’t make any sense when I should be getting sleep, but his little sounds are reassuring. I know he’s okay, and everything seems right in the world.”

  Leaning down, she kissed the baby’s forehead and then joined Jake in the doorway.

  “So far, so good,” he said in a low voice.

  “I’ll finish getting ready. If he’s still sleeping in five to ten minutes, then we’ll slip out.”

  Jake didn’t think Tori had anything to finish about getting ready. She was wearing a black dress with a mandarin collar and tiny little buttons that started at the neck and went to the hem at her knees. Her black pumps showed off her legs. He could imagine unfastening those tiny buttons, running his hands over her curves…

  “You look ready now,” he said with a casualness he wasn’t feeling.

  “I want to run a brush through my hair and put on some lipstick.”

  His gaze went to her lips and he thought about nibbling on the fullness of the lower one, about tracing the upper one with his tongue. Why couldn’t he keep his thoughts in line whenever he was around Tori?

  “I’ll wait for you in the living room.” At least with Charlie and Nina along—they’d be meeting Tori and him at the club—he wouldn’t have to worry about saying or doing something that would get them both into trouble.

  Fifteen minutes later, Jake pulled into the parking lot of the Southwestern Grille and Dance Club. As he led Tori inside, the aroma of steak and onions was potent, but not as potent as Tori’s perfume. He’d turned on the heater in the truck to ward off the evening chill, but her flowery scent had filled the cab, along with the heat. Now as they found a table for four in the restaurant adorned with Western paraphernalia—from sheriff’s badges to wanted-outlaw posters to the chaps hanging on the wall near the corner of the table they chose—Tori slipped off her sweater-coat and hung it on the back of her chair.

  She didn’t wait for him to seat her and smiled at him as he lowered himself across from her. “I spoke to Father Gerard this morning. He scheduled Andy’s christening after mass the weekend Mom’s coming. I’d like you and Nina to be there, too. We’ll have a get-together at the house afterward.”

  “That sounds nice. Will your mom help you?”

  “I hope so. Since she’s bringing Mr. Brady, I won’t have as much time with her.”

  “You’re disappointed, aren’t you.” He could tell from the tone of her voice.

  “I guess I am. I was thinking she’d be around to talk to during evening feedings, that we’d catch up on things that we haven’t had time to talk about. But I’m happy for her, too. I just hope…”

  “What?”

  “That she doesn’t get hurt again.”

  “Maybe you’ll have a better read on that after you meet the man.”

  “Maybe. Has your mother dated since your dad died?”

  “No way, no how. She’s happy with her life. She likes her freedom and not watching what she says. She enjoys taking care of Nina’s kids.”

  When Tori studied Jake, he almost got lost in the blue-green depths of her eyes. “You really believe marriage is a trap, don’t you?” she asked.

  “I grew up knowing it.”

  “What about love?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, Tori. Maybe I don’t believe in it. Maybe I don’t believe anyone can care that much about another person to make forever vows, to make sacrifices. It seems men and women are just too selfish to keep lifelong commitments, to care about somebody else as much as they care about themselves.”

  Tori seemed to think about what he’d said, then she murmured, “That’s why men leave.”

  “It’s not only men,” Jake insisted, trying to keep the edge from his voice.

  “I would have stayed in my marriage. My mother would have stayed in hers. And I suspect your mother never would have left, either. It’s because of the kids. Now that I have Andy, nothing is more important to me than his welfare. Women just don’t decide one day they’ve had enough and go follow a dream or marry somebody younger.”

  “You’re generalizing.”

  “No. I’m a mother now. And stability is going to be the most important aspect of Andy’s life. I’ll do everything in my power to make him feel secure.”

  “Nina and I probably would have been better off if my mother had left.”

  “Possibly. But you’re viewing what happened with twenty-twenty hindsight. What if she’d been forced to put you in foster care? I’m sure she stayed awake more than one night considering everything.”

  Maybe Jake had always looked at his parents’ marriage too simplistically. Had his mother believed they’d be torn apart if she left his father?

  Before their discussion could go any further, Charlie and Nina walked in, and Jake was relieved.

  Then he saw the expression on Charlie’s face. Something was brewing, and Jake had a feeling he might know all too well what it was about.

  As Nina congratulated Tori again on becoming a mom, she hugged her. Jake could see that Tori was pleased and touched. The two women had evidently tumbled back into a comfortable friendship. His gut told him that Tori could talk to anyone easily and had found her place in social circles he’d never be a part of. Yet she didn’t seem to have many close friends. Was trust an issue in all areas of her life? She seemed close to her mother. Maybe she didn’t feel she needed anyone else to confide in. Tori was a fascinating mix. So fascinating she was taking up too many of his waking moments, as well as his sleeping ones.

  Nina and Tori seemed to have endless things to talk about—Andy, car seats, plans to visit the Georgia O’Keefe Museum together. He tried to make conversation with Charlie, which was what tonight was all about. �
�Have you ever been here before?” he asked him.

  “Once or twice.”

  “I hear the band playing tonight is supposed to be good.”

  Charlie shrugged.

  As the band took their place on the stage, Jake tried again. “I never could get a handle on line-dancing. What about you?”

  Charlie sat up straighter, his shoulders rigid. “I can two-step. That’s about all I’ll need to do here tonight.”

  Yep, the man had a burr under his saddle. “I’m just trying to get to know you better, Charlie.”

  “Well, you’re going about it the wrong way.”

  Hearing the edge in her date’s voice, Nina’s conversation with Tori stopped in midsentence. She glanced back and forth between the two men. “Is there something going on here I should know?”

  “Ask your brother,” Charlie instructed her.

  “Jake?”

  “What’s on your mind, Charlie?” Jake asked, knowing they had to clear the air.

  Charlie set his sights on Nina now. “Did you know he was checking up on me? Did you put him up to it?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Nina was obviously perplexed, and Jake could see Charlie’s relief that she was. Nevertheless, the man’s anger was still evident as he told her, “Your brother turned up at the car lot when I wasn’t there. He acted like he was looking for a car, but he asked questions about me. Enough questions that my manager asked if I was in some kind of trouble. He thought a PI was on my tail. When I asked for a description of the man asking the questions, I knew it was you.”

  “Jake?” Nina’s eyes were filled with hurt and a demand for an explanation.

  He wasn’t about to apologize for looking out for her. “I didn’t want you to make another mistake. You thought you knew Frank and you didn’t. If I had done a background check on him, we would have learned that his credit cards were maxed out, that he had loans to repay, and that he had a gambling habit he didn’t want to break.”

  “Charlie isn’t Frank,” she began, “and—”

  Charlie cut in. “You did a background check on me?”

  The band started playing, and couples began to make their way to the dance floor.

  “I didn’t do it myself. A friend did it for me.”

  “And you asked Charlie’s manager questions about him?” Nina prodded.

  Leaning forward, Jake made himself heard over the band’s introduction to a country-western classic. “I wanted to make sure his story was consistent with his background. Frank’s gambling left you with a legacy of debt, instead of an insurance policy that could fund part of the boys’ education.”

  Tori had been quiet, taking in the family tiff, but now she gently touched Nina’s arm. “Jake was just trying to protect you.”

  Swinging toward her, Nina shook her head vehemently. “You might see it as protection. I see it as interference. He has no right to interfere in my life when his is a disaster.”

  She took Charlie’s hand and stood. “Charlie isn’t Frank. And until you decide to accept my decisions and accept the fact that he’s going to be part of my life and the boys’, you can find somewhere else to go for Sunday dinner.”

  Negotiate, Jake’s common sense told him. But he was too close to this one, and his pride forced him to say, “If that’s the way you want it.”

  His sister looked close to tears, but her pride was as sturdy as his. “I want you to stop treating me like a baby sister. I’m old enough to know what I want.”

  “Years don’t always make a difference. Especially when you’re trying to grab a dream that got away from you once before.”

  Nina shook her head. “You’ve lost your hope, Jake. That’s what’s wrong with your life. I still have mine.”

  Charlie curved his arm around Nina’s shoulders and urged her toward the door. “Come on. I think we’d better have our night on the town somewhere else.”

  As the band played their opening number, Nina and Charlie left the club.

  Tori’s gaze was sympathetic as Jake ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. “I sure made a mess of that.”

  “Did you really think Charlie wouldn’t find out you were the one asking questions?” Tori asked.

  “I didn’t care if he did. I thought it would give him a warning that I wouldn’t let him take advantage of Nina.”

  Tori leaned closer to him so he could hear her above the music. “It is Nina’s life.”

  He blew out a breath. “I know that. But ever since she was a kid I’ve been making sure she doesn’t fall out of trees or dive into the deep end alone or play in the street. I’ve always looked out for her, and I don’t see that changing.”

  “How are you going to look out for her if you’re not invited to Sunday dinner?”

  “She won’t cut me out of her life.”

  “She will if she wants Charlie in her life and you won’t accept him. Don’t underestimate the bond a man and woman can have when they think they belong together.”

  Music played for a few beats. “Did you and your husband have that kind of bond?” Jake asked. The information was suddenly very important to him.

  “I thought we did before the accident. But since Dave left, maybe we never really had it. Maybe I just wanted it so badly I thought we did.”

  The notes coming from the guitars and piano twined into a slow ballad. Jake decided they needed a break from the tension still in the air, as well as this conversation. “Do you want to check on Andy?”

  Tori glanced at her watch. “If I call too soon, Loretta will think I don’t trust her.”

  “She knows you’re going to be anxious about leaving him. I don’t think she’ll mind.”

  After Tori went to the foyer to make the call, she returned with a smile on her face. “He’s still sleeping. I guess he got all of his fussing out of his system while I was there.”

  Before Tori seated herself again, Jake stood. The band drifted into a second slow song. “Would you like to dance?”

  Her hesitation was slight, but he caught it. Still, she said, “Sure. That would be nice.”

  As they walked to the dance floor, Jake realized he didn’t give a damn about dancing with Tori; he just wanted to hold her in his arms. How long had it been since he’d held a woman that way? How long had it been since his job had dominated his life? Directed the course of it? Left room for nothing else?

  Now he had the room, but he and Tori wanted different things. She was all about permanence and stability and raising her son. He just wanted to slake some of the need he felt whenever he was with her. He wanted to feel alive again.

  Tori felt fragile in his arms as they began to dance. He’d taken her right hand and engulfed it in his. She seemed to be keeping a polite space between them, and for now, that was okay. As his gaze met hers, he felt adrenaline rush to every important body part. He brought her a little closer and saw a flush steal into her cheeks. The pulse at her throat beat faster, and her eyes took on a shimmering quality that spoke of a woman’s deepest secrets and desires.

  Her hand tightened on his shoulder. “Jake, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

  He tried to keep the atmosphere light. “I don’t have a better one right now.” When he passed his hand down her back, he felt her tremble. “Don’t we deserve a little pleasure?”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “I want to concentrate on the moment. Not on what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow.” Folding their hands into his chest, he murmured, “Relax and just enjoy it.”

  Following his own instructions, Jake gave himself up to the scent of Tori’s perfume, to the sweet temptation of her hair so close to his jaw, to the pleasure of the warmth of her body as his heart beat faster and so did hers. When she didn’t pull away or resist, he guessed she’d given herself over to the rhythm of the music and the sweet emotion of the lyrics. However, the desire that danced between them sought a broader stage to perform. He was ho
lding on tightly to the hunger and need and want. If he turned them loose, there’d be hell to pay. He knew that and she did, too. Yet giving primitive needs a little satisfaction tonight seemed like an excellent idea.

  When the rhythm of the music overtook them, when Tori pressed tightly against him and he knew she could feel his arousal, kissing her seemed like an even better idea.

  In fact, kissing her was necessary.

  When the side of his chin brushed her temple, she looked up. He saw a depth of passion in her eyes that he’d always known was there. Years ago, she’d been too young for him to take advantage of it. Now…

  When he bent his head, her gaze didn’t waver. She knew what was coming and welcomed it. He remembered their other kisses and prepared himself for the rush he knew would propel his desire. As his lips hovered tantalizingly close to hers, he taunted them both with anticipation of it. She lifted her chin higher, and he smiled as his mouth found hers. Tori’s response wasn’t hesitant tonight. When his tongue slid into her mouth, she accepted him, met him stroke for stroke, played and aroused. His groan vibrated through them both.

  As her arms went around his neck, Jake was oblivious to the other couples on the dance floor, to the band, to the lights, to the reasons he should pull away, take her home and leave this life in Santa Fe for something different in Crested Butte.

  Suddenly there was applause all around them. Jake loosened his grip on Tori, lifted his head and heard the leader of the band say, “For the couple who hasn’t come up for air for at least five minutes.”

  There were more cheers and applause, and Jake felt himself flush. Apparently everyone else had stopped dancing. He and Tori had still been swaying to the music and kissing at the same time. As Jake protectively kept his arm around Tori, he saw that her cheeks were red, too.