Walker leaned against the counter, legs braced, arms folded. He looked ready to attack and kill, if necessary. Elissa was glad he was on her side.
She was still having trouble getting her mind around Derek’s confession of his client. “Bobby’s still a kid,” she said, not sure she believed her brother was trying to get in touch with her.
“He turned eighteen on his last birthday. He starts at UW next week.”
Her brother going to the University of Washington? The last time she’d seen him, he’d just gotten braces. Of course that had been eight years ago.
Thinking about her brother made her want to ask about her parents, but she knew better. They’d made their position clear.
“He wants to talk to you,” Derek said as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here’s his cell number. He’d really like you to give him a call.”
She supposed it meant something that her brother had spent his money to find her. She took the paper and stuffed it in her own pocket.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” she said, not sure how she felt about contact with him after all these years. “Tell him I’ll give him a call in the next few days.”
“And nothing else,” Walker added.
Derek looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“You will not give out any personal information on Elissa. Not her address, or phone number, not the name or location of her place of employment. I don’t care what your contract with the kid says. If you put her in any danger, you will answer to me.”
It was like watching a rabbit try to face down a tiger. Derek folded instantly. “I won’t tell him anything.”
“If I find out you have, I will hunt you down. Are we clear?”
Derek put down the iced tea and nodded vigorously. “I, ah, should probably go.”
“Excellent idea,” Walker said. “I’ll see you out.”
Elissa stayed in the kitchen and sank into one of the chairs. When Walker returned, he sat next to her.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. This is so weird. I haven’t talked to Bobby since I found out I was pregnant.” She drew in a breath. “I ran away when I was seventeen and I never called my parents to say I was okay. I felt bad about that later. It was selfish and stupid, but that pretty much defined my existence. Then I let myself forget about them. I was busy holding down an exciting job. When I got pregnant and Zoe’s father turned out to be an asshole, I left him. I also called home.”
His dark eyes hid his thoughts, but she wasn’t worried about him judging her. Walker wasn’t the type.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
“I got Bobby. He said the folks were still pretty pissed off, but he’d check with them to see if they were willing to talk to me.”
“Did you tell him about Zoe?”
She shook her head. “I figured calling after all this time was enough of a shock. Besides, I still had enough pride not to want their pity. That came later.”
“They weren’t interested,” he said, not asking a question.
“Apparently not. He said they didn’t want anything to do with me. That I’d made my decision and now I had to live with it. So I did.”
“Are you sure he was telling the truth?”
Elissa nodded. “I thought about that, too, but only for a minute. Bobby was always a great kid and we got along really well. My mom had trouble getting pregnant the second time, which is why there’s such a big age gap between us. I could have hated him for being the favorite after he was born, but I loved him too much. We had fun together. I couldn’t imagine him lying to me about that.”
“You gonna call?”
“Probably. I need a couple of days to get used to the idea of having contact with him again, but then I will. I’d like Zoe to know her uncle.”
“Want to come with me to my sister-in-law’s baby shower?”
The question wasn’t quite as shocking as finding out her brother was trying to get in touch with her, but it was very close.
“What?”
“Penny’s shower is tomorrow. I thought about asking you before, but then I wasn’t sure you’d want to come. It’s just family. You’d like Dani and Penny. The food will be good.”
His voice trailed off. For the first time since meeting him, Elissa had the idea that Walker was nervous.
“You’re asking me to go with you to your sister-in-law’s baby shower?”
“Zoe, too,” he said. “It’s not a date.”
“Good to know.”
“I bought a car seat. She registered at a baby store, so that’s what I got. They wrapped it. I can put your names on the card.”
They weren’t dating but he was willing to share the gift?
Elissa didn’t know what to think. She believed him when he said he didn’t want to get involved, and if he was strong enough to ignore the sexual attraction between them, then she could, too.
She knew they would both face a lot of questions, yet she couldn’t resist finding out more about Walker’s private world. What was he like with his family and who were the people who knew him best?
“What time?” she asked.
“Four. Penny’s cooking. It’s her party and she shouldn’t, but she’s a chef and who else would she trust with the food?”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Sure. We’ll go. Oh, and I’ll bring my own present.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind adding you and Zoe.”
“We’re good.”
“Then I’ll pick you up at three-thirty.”
“Sure.”
She walked him to the door, where they stood awkwardly for several seconds. Then he turned and headed up the stairs.
Not a date, huh? If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, what else could it be?
WALKER’S CAR still smelled new. Elissa inhaled the rich scent of expensive leather and eyed the complicated-looking console. In the car world, money could really buy happiness.
“So you’re one of four,” she said, knowing it was more important to learn about his family than wallow in car-envy.
“Right. Cal, Reid, me and Dani. Cal’s married to Penny. Reid may or may not bring a date. He tends to go through women quickly. Dani is in the middle of a divorce.”
“When’s Cal and Penny’s baby due?”
Walker hesitated. “Cal’s not the father.”
“Oh. That’s interesting. Will the biological father be there, too?”
“No. Penny used an anonymous sperm donor. She had always wanted a family and the traditional route didn’t seem to be working for her.”
“I admire a woman with initiative.” And one who volunteered to be a single parent. Elissa loved Zoe, but sometimes it was tough being the only grownup around.
She glanced back at her daughter, who bounced along with the music from Walker’s portable CD player.
“I’m guessing your high-tech CD player has never heard a Disney sing-along CD before,” she said as she faced front again.
“Not my style.”
“Some of the tunes are catchy. We put that kind of music on when we’re cleaning house.”
He smiled. “Interesting choice.”
Not that she could imagine him singing along as he dusted. Of course she couldn’t imagine him dusting. Or doing anything mundane. She could picture him with a rifle or even a hunting knife. Better yet, bare chested with a hunting knife. Yum.
Her personal fantasy carried her through the next couple of miles, right up until Walker turned right at the base of a street and drove what felt like straight up.
“They live here?” she asked as she took in the old, elegant houses and the incredible views of both the city and the water.
“Uh-huh.”
“Queen Ann Hill?”
“Uh-huh.”
Figures. While she knew in her head that Walker obviously came from some kind of money, his current lifestyle allowed her to forget. “Where do Reid and Dani live? Ne
xt to Bill and Melinda Gates?”
“Reid has a houseboat. Dani’s currently staying in Penny’s old place.” He glanced at her. “Why are you upset?”
“I’m not. It’s just…” She shrugged. “I’m fine,” she said, not willing to admit the obvious wealth freaked her out. She’d read about the houseboats in Seattle. The crappy ones went for a million, while she’d had to pay off a fifty-dollar tire five bucks at a time.
They pulled in front of a pretty brick-fronted two-story house. While Zoe turned off the CD player and unfastened her seat belt, Elissa followed Walker around to the back where she collected the two boxes she’d brought and he grabbed the wrapped car seat.
“Ready?” he asked.
She was starting to question her judgment in accepting his invitation. What if his siblings were more like Gloria than like him? What if they resented her or looked down on her because she worked in a diner and hadn’t finished high school? What if—
The front door opened and a petite, pretty woman with hazel eyes and a fabulous haircut stepped out to greet them.
“Walker,” she said with a smile, but her gaze locked on Elissa and Zoe. “You made it.”
“Hey, Dani.” He paused and urged Zoe in front of him, then put his hand on Elissa’s back. “This is Elissa. She lives in my building. And her daughter, Zoe.”
Dani’s smiled widened. “Wow. Okay. Nice to meet you. Come in. Everyone else is here. Hey, guys, it’s Walker. And he brought a friend.”
Elissa groaned, then elbowed Walker in the ribs. “You didn’t tell them you were bringing me?”
“Penny always makes more than enough food,” he said, obviously confused about her dismay.
“It’s not about food,” she muttered, wondering if it was good news to realize that in some things, Walker was just as clueless as every other man on earth.
He escorted her and Zoe into a large open living room filled with presents and trays of food. Two men stood by a table. They looked enough like Walker for her to guess their identity.
A very pregnant auburn-haired woman waddled in. “A friend,” she said, then stopped when she spotted Elissa and Zoe. “How nice.” She smiled. “I’m Penny Buchanan. Oh, goodie. You brought me presents.”
Despite her nerves, Elissa found herself laughing. “Congratulations on the baby,” she said as she handed over her two boxes.
“Thank you.” Penny eyed the box Walker held. “That looks big enough to be a car seat.”
“You said it’s what you wanted,” he said, sounding slightly uncomfortable.
“And it is. Come on,” Penny said, taking Elissa’s arm. “You met Dani already. This is Reid,” she said, pointing to the man on the right. “And Cal, my husband. This is Elissa and Zoe. Walker’s friends.”
“So we heard,” Cal said pleasantly and shook her hand. “Welcome.”
“Thank you.” Elissa turned her attention to the other man and froze. He looked familiar. Incredibly familiar. The name clicked. “Oh my God. You’re Reid Buchanan.”
The Reid Buchanan. A Seattle native who had pitched major league baseball for ten years. He’d quit last season because of a blown shoulder. She still remembered—
“Hey, baby,” he said smoothly.
Eek! She’d worked at a restaurant long enough to recognize that particular tone of voice. It came from a man who assumed a woman was interested. Uh-oh.
She carefully took a step back and leaned against Walker. “I’ve always been a bit of a baseball fan,” she said. “This year I’ve been too busy to follow the season much, but usually I’m right there on my sofa, cheering.”
Cal chuckled. “Nicely done, Elissa. Good deflection, quick recovery.” He lightly punched Reid in the arm. “You gotta get over yourself, guy. Not every woman wants to be with you.”
Reid shrugged good-naturedly. “Most of them do.”
Elissa looked at Zoe, who was listening intently, and held in a groan. Hopefully her five-year-old would miss the nuance of the conversation.
Penny bent down to Zoe. “I’ve made margaritas for everyone else. They’re a grown-up drink I don’t think you’d like. But I also made these really cool berry slushies. I thought I was going to have to drink them all by myself, but maybe you could try one and if you like it, you’ll have some.”
Zoe nodded tentatively.
Penny straightened and held out her hand. “Why don’t you and your mom come into the kitchen and you can have a taste?”
“Okay.”
Zoe took Penny’s hand. Elissa followed them and everyone trailed along behind.
Dozens of delicious smells filled the bright kitchen. While Penny poured a bright red drink from a blender into a glass, she glanced at the stove.
“Dani, give the front two pots a stir, will you? Cal, honey, check the bread in the oven. It should be toasted by now. Pull it out and put in the pastries. Reid, I need fifteen minutes on the timer. Elissa, are you up to zesting? I need one orange and three limes zested. Everything is in that bowl. Walker, there’s a couple of big flank steaks on the counter. Could you cube them, please?”
In a matter of seconds, everyone was hard at work. Elissa zested her limes elbow-to-elbow with Walker.
“She really knows her way around a kitchen, huh?” Elissa said in a whisper.
“She could have been an Admiral,” Walker murmured back. “Penny knows how to be in charge.”
Elissa glanced at the pregnant woman who sat at the small table with Zoe. They were both sipping their bright red drinks. Zoe giggled at something Penny said.
This was nice, Elissa thought. Walker’s family might be wealthy, but they were just like everyone else. No one seemed to be in competition with Gloria for an evil witch award, which was comforting. She was having a good time and even more important, Zoe was getting out and seeing a big family in action.
Elissa thought of her own family. They’d been on her mind ever since she’d found out Bobby was trying to get in touch with her. Sometimes she understood why her parents had made the decision they had, and sometimes she wondered why they couldn’t love her enough to give her a second chance. They were missing out on their own grandchild. Zoe was growing up and these years could never be recaptured.
It had been their decision, she reminded herself. Their loss. Only now, watching the love and affection in Walker’s family, she understood it was her loss, too.
“SHE’S NICE,” DANI SAID, coming up to stand behind Walker as they watched Penny open a huge box her friend Naomi had sent.
“I think so.”
“I like her daughter, too.”
He looked at Zoe, who sat at her mother’s feet watching intently as the presents were opened.
“She’s a good kid.”
“I’m glad you’re dating,” Dani said.
“I’m not.”
His sister leaned close. “You can pretend all you want, big brother, but you have it bad.”
“At the risk of sounding like an eight-year-old, do not.”
“You can lie to yourself all you want, but don’t lie to me. It’s all there. The way you watch her, the way she watches you. We can all feel the heat.”
He didn’t bother to tell her that heat wasn’t a relationship. Of course he wanted Elissa—what man wouldn’t? She was an irresistible combination of sweetness, intelligence and caring. Plus, he’d kissed her and now he knew how good it could be between them.
“There are complications,” he said, hoping to deflect Dani.
“Such as your reluctance to make a commitment? Why is that? If you let this one get away, you’re a fool.”
There was so much she didn’t know, he thought. So much she would never know. They were, as Penny had said, a family of secrets and he certainly had his share.
Penny picked up the two boxes Elissa had brought. “You don’t even know me,” she said. “You really didn’t have to do this.”
Elissa grinned. “I’ve tasted your cooking now. Think of them as gifts of worship.”
&
nbsp; Penny laughed. “Okay, that kind of praise I can handle.”
She opened the smaller box first. Inside were a pair of dangling earrings. Walker recognized them as Elissa’s work. Penny gasped. “I love them.”
Dani pushed past them and bent over the jewelry. “Me, too. Where did you get them?”
“I made them,” Elissa said with a small shrug. “It’s sort of a part-time job.”
“I want them,” Dani said.
Penny snatched them out of reach. “Get your own.”
“I’d like to.” She looked at Elissa. “Can you make a pair like that?”
“Ah, sure. Or I can do something different. I have a lot of designs.”
Dani plopped down next to her. “Good. We’ll talk when this one is done with her presents.”
Penny reached for the second box. “I would like to point out that Elissa was the only one sensitive enough to bring the expectant mother a gift just for herself.”
Cal patted her arm. “The baby is your present.”
“Ha.” Penny ripped the wrapping paper, then opened the white box. She reached inside and held up a small blanket in shades of yellow. “It’s lovely. Did you crochet it yourself?”
“I wish,” Elissa said. “My neighbor makes them. Doesn’t she do beautiful work? I love how soft the yarn is.”
“Mrs. Ford made me a blanket,” Zoe said. “It’s pink and has gold trim.”
Penny leaned forward and touched the girl’s nose. “It sounds like the perfect blanket for a princess.”
Zoe beamed. “It is.”
“We should have brought her,” Walker said. Maybe with the old lady along, people would get off of him about dating Elissa.
“She’s on one of her day trips to a casino,” Elissa told him, then looked back at Penny. “My neighbor is fabulous. She’s in her nineties and does exactly what she wants. She’s sweet and feisty and I adore her.”
“Sounds like everything Gloria isn’t,” Dani muttered.
“Elissa met her,” Walker said.
Dani patted her arm. “You have my sympathy.”
CHAPTER TEN
WHILE THE WATERFRONT was all about light and air and the view of the water, Buchanan’s was about old-world atmosphere and intimacy.
Irresistible Page 12
