Sweet and Sassy Baby Love

by Alicia Street

  “Actually it must be ours.” She’d smiled up at him, squinting a little in the bright light. “We were working on how to get this home when you miraculously appeared.”

  He’d turned off the idling truck and opened his door to hop out. Going around back, he opened the tailgate with a flourish. “My white steed,” gesturing towards the pick-up which made Jessica giggle, “and myself, are at your service, my ladies.”

  He bowed and then clutched at his back, which sent Jess into another peal of laughter. He’d loaded the furniture into his truck and driven them home, placing it on Sara’s old porch—where it looked every bit as perfect as she’d pictured it.

  Toying with a loose piece of wicker, Sara wondered what Tess was up to. If she wanted stuff done on her properties, Ty would most likely have been happy to do it for her. She was good at picking up strays. They were proof of that. Maybe Mr. Kelley—Nick—was down on his luck and she was helping him out. She liked that better than the other scenario she could come up with.

  Matchmaking.

  She and Grace were infamous for their matchmaking endeavors. Sara wanted nothing to do with that, no matter how nice the man looked.

  Jessica came skipping up the walkway, the dog following close behind. “Hi, Mom, we were over at Aunty Tess’s house. She made cookies.”

  Sara tried to maintain a serious face, but it was hard. Jake had one of her gardening hats flopping off the side of his head, and Jessica had chocolate streaks on the side of her mouth. “Young lady, what did I tell you about leaving the yard?”

  “I know, Mommy, but it was only for a minute, and Jake’s daddy said we could.” Her hazel eyes pleaded. She looked so worried she’d done something wrong that Sara capitulated, holding her arms out for a hug.

  As she held her baby in close to her body, she breathed in the sweet smell of strawberry shampoo and green grass. All too soon, Jess pulled away and went running inside, screen door slapping shut behind her.

  Jake padded over for his share of some loving, settling at her feet with a heavy groan. She bent over and rubbed his sides, frowning when she felt a raised welt along his right hip. It was under his fur, so not recent, but still. Nick had mentioned he and Jake had been through a lot. So were the injuries connected, then? What had caused them? It bothered her to think of either of them lying hurt somewhere, needing aid.

  “Oh, you poor boy. You need a bed for those old bones, don’t you? We’ll have to see what we can do. You’re such a sweetheart, yes you are.” His ears perked up, and his wavy tail swished the floor.

  She didn’t like the reaction thoughts of her new neighbor caused. Picturing him earlier, sitting across from her. Smiling at her. Her pulse fluttered. The very last thing she needed was to get mixed up in someone else’s problems. She had more than enough of her own and appreciated her luck in having found this quaint town. They’d traveled across the country in search of a safe haven, as far from her estranged husband as they could get. She didn’t want to even think what would happen if he managed to find them.

  Chapter Three

  For spring, it’d been unseasonably warm the last few days. Nick pulled a cloth from his back pocket and glancing up at the bright sun, swiped his forehead. His plan was to repair the back deck on Sara’s house today. He envied Jake, lying in a cool patch of shade. Oh well, it was his own fault. He’d offered to do the job, and truthfully, he was glad. It gave him less time to stew over his past.

  “Can I help?”

  Startled, Nick swung the hammer prematurely, almost nailing his thumb to the board. After a little creative cussing beneath his breath, he turned to see Jessica standing a few feet away. Always so solemn, a miniature replica of her momma.

  “Sure kid, can you hold this tape measure for me? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

  Jessica gripped the measure and walked to the other end of the post where he pointed. “I’m not in school right now,” she mumbled, carefully holding the tape against the wood.

  He scanned her expression, and then looked away. “That’s good. Yep, right there.” He took the pencil from behind his ear and jotted down the measurement on a scrap of paper. “Why’s that?”

  “It’s spring break, there is no school,” she stammered, walking back to him, the tape whistling as it re-spooled into its case. “Besides, we’re hiding.”

  His pulse picked up the pace, competing with the spiraling tape. “You’re hiding? Like from the bogey man or what?”

  “No silly.” She giggled. “Me and my mom's playing a long game of hide and seek with my dad. She says it's an adventure.” Jess’s bottom lip jutted as she shuffled her sparkly pink shoes in the grass, staining the toes green.

  So, there was more to the story. He’d been afraid of that. Nick had been an only child himself—thank Christ, with how messed up his home life had been. School had always been nothing more than a trial, filled with too many embarrassing questions. He knew the teachers were worried, but the carefully worded queries, “How did you fall, son?” or his personal favorite, “Would you like us to talk to your parents?” only served to widen the gulf between him and the other kids who were more than happy to pick at the scabs of anger and embarrassment he wore like a mantle. Now it sounded as if this little girl and her mother might be going through something similar. It pissed him off.

  Jake ran up and stole the gloves from his back pocket and proceeded to kill them, growling and shaking his head, the leather dangling lifeless from between his sharp teeth. The two of them stood together smiling while they watched the goofy dog. A rare feeling of serenity slid over Nick. Most of his friends were single like himself, so he was surprised with how comfortable he felt with half-pint here.

  He turned when Sara called out from the back porch, “Hey, you guys. How about taking a break for a cold glass of lemonade?”

  She looked pretty, decked out in a bright yellow T-shirt that lovingly outlined her full breasts. White denim shorts hugged her hips and led the way down to a set of perfect shaped legs. His stomach clenched when he got to her bare toes painted a heart-stopping flame red.

  Turning away, he said, “Sure, leave it on the step. We’ll be over after we get this piece nailed together.” How in the Sam hell had he gotten himself into this mess? He had a feeling Mrs. G was finding him make work projects at the Reed house. He knew what she was up to, but hadn’t the heart to turn her down. He needed his head examined.

  “Jess isn't getting in your way, is she?” Her warm voice coming from over his shoulder made him jump for the second time this morning. He was going to give himself a blackened thumb yet.

  “Mo-om, I'm helping Nick.”

  “It’s Mr. Kelley to you, young lady. If he doesn't mind, that’s fine. I don't want you interfering with his work though.”

  “It's Nick, and she's not in the way. She's a good little worker.” The words came out as if put through a meat grinder. Jess wasn’t the problem, his attraction to her mother was.

  Jessica's eyes shone at the compliment. “See Mom, I can help.”

  “Well, make sure you listen. I don’t want you getting hurt out here.”

  When Sara turned to go back to the house he noticed she hadn’t bothered with shoes before walking outside. He opened his mouth to warn her to watch her step just as she let out a little yelp, bouncing around on one foot. Hearing the commotion, Jake came trotting over from his game of chase the tail and circled them, jumping and barking, loving the new entertainment.

  “Mommy, what happened? Are you okay?”

  Nick hurried over and wrapped his arm around her slender waist to support her before the silly dog knocked her other foot out from under her. “Why in the he…ck were you out here with no shoes on?” he growled. Boosting her into his arms, he ignored her flinch and headed for the open screen door. “Hold still, before I drop you.” She was squirming around like a fish on a hook.

  “Put me down, you big oaf. I can walk.” Then seeing the blood, she completely ruined the tough girl routine by shudd
ering and turning her head into his shoulder.

  He tried to ignore the way she smelled of fresh air and vanilla. And how soft her skin looked, or how silky her hair was where it brushed his chin.

  “Mom, mommy, are you okay?”

  Jessica's agitated tones as she followed right on Nick's heels made him grimace. He hated the fright he could hear in her quivery voice. “Don’t worry, kid; your mom’s built tough.”

  “Oh, gross!” she exclaimed, spotting the bloody foot. “Now I see why you always say to put your shoes on before you go outside. Guess you should have listened to your own advice, huh?”

  “All right, miss smarty pants; your Mom probably doesn't need your two cents worth right now. Can you find me a first aid kit, maybe some warm water, and clean towels? You can be my nurse.”

  “Cool. You sure you’re okay, Mom?” At Sara's carefully neutral smile, Jessica ran down the hall for the requested items.

  “You’re not going to faint on me, are you?” Glancing down, he noticed she’d turned an interesting shade of green. He set her down on the kitchen counter to get a better look at the injury. Lifting her small foot into his hand, he was glad to see a clean cut, not too deep. She’d been lucky.

  “Well, the good news is, you'll live. We’ll get you cleaned up and you’ll be good as new. I don’t suppose you’ve had a Tetanus shot recently?” he asked, grabbing ahold of some paper towel and applying pressure to the wound, relieved it was superficial.

  “Ouch, you could have given me a warning.” She cried, her eyes flashing liquid fire at him.

  “Yeah well, you’re welcome. For future reference, you make a lousy damsel in distress.” Exasperated, he released the foot he’d been holding, letting it thump down lightly against the cupboard. Even irritated with her, another part of him remained all too aware of her. Her long legs dangled over the edge of the old countertop. Mouth-watering breasts stretched her sunny t-shirt right at eye level. The more he saw of her, the more she fascinated him.

  Tracing a slow path up her slender throat, he noticed her pulse fluttering just under her skin. Zeroing in on her plump lips, he groaned under his breath as the pink of her tongue flicked out to moisten them. A banquet for him to savor. Just a little.

  “Sara—”

  “Look, I'm fine, Jessica can…” She sputtered to a nervous halt as he stepped forward and nudged her legs apart with his hips.

  His jeans scraped her bare skin, and he caught the awareness in her expressive eyes. At least he wasn’t alone in this. Cradling her hips on the cool countertop, he leaned in, giving her ample time to back away. A few light sips, that’s all he needed. His heart pounded so hard it threatened to leave his chest. The plump softness invited him to taste, to feast. His tongue flicked out teasing her, until with a soft sigh, she opened to him. Ravenous now, he sank deep, indulging in the honey and cinnamon taste of her.

  Sweet, so sweet.

  He forced himself to stop, and leaning back a little, cupped her jaw. His thumb rasped back and forth over her satiny skin, waiting for her beautiful eyes to slide open. And yes, there it was. The same want and confusion and mistrust plaguing him, filled the amber depths.

  “Sara.” Her name a sigh, he moved in just as she backed away, clunking her head against the cupboard door behind her.

  “Stop, Nick—I can't do this. I'm sorry, I just can't.” Her gaze avoided him, a shaky hand rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head.

  Running slightly unsteady hands of his own through his mussed hair, he stepped back with a wry grimace, shifting to find some relief from the pressure behind his zipper. They had to quit meeting like this, she was going to end up with a concussion. Her arms were crossed over her chest while she contemplated the wall over his shoulder. She refused to look him in the eye, so he attempted some damage control. “Look, I’m sorry. I had no business kissing you like that.”

  “No, you didn’t”

  “Mom, which towels should I grab?” Jess yelled from down the hall, and he cursed. He’d been so caught up in Sara he’d forgotten the kid was even there.

  “They’re under the sink.” She called out to her daughter, still not looking at him. “Maybe this isn't a good idea,” she murmured. “You should go. I'm sure Tess can find someone else to finish the repairs.”

  He was about to let her know what he thought of that idea when Jessica came racing back into the kitchen, a towel trailing on the floor behind her.

  “Mom, how could you say that? Nick’s doing a great job.”

  After a very pregnant pause, which had him almost shuffling his feet like an errant child, she reluctantly agreed. “Yes, he is. Fine, you can stay. Unless you’d rather not?” It was more than obvious she hoped he’d turn her down.

  He wanted to. Nearly as much as he wanted to go back to her vulnerable mouth and finish what they’d started. The damn woman drove him crazy.

  Gritting his teeth, he turned to the little girl defending him so vehemently and forced a facsimile of a smile. “Thanks, sweetheart. Glad to hear someone appreciates my carpentry skills. I think your mom is feeling better now.” A quick glance caught her dropping down from the counter. Her pert breasts bouncing under the too thin top had his inner caveman growling. He turned his back before he did something foolish. “I'll let you bandage her up while I get back to work, okay?” With that he stomped outside, slamming the screen behind him.

  Moving around, cleaning up the jobsite—making sure all the damn nails were off the damn ground, he hauled himself over the coals for kissing her. Shivers of excitement still danced along his spine as he recalled the feel of her cool hands stroking his nape. Her tongue playing tag with his. The sweet, tart taste that was hers alone.

  He didn’t want to get mixed up in anyone else’s life. His own head wasn’t screwed on right. He needed to stay the hell away from her.

  Chapter Four

  Sara stood at the kitchen window, hands in dishwater, eyelids closed in simple pleasure, her face lifted toward the warmth of the sun’s rays. She’d always loved the promise of spring with all the fresh scents. Shiny new leaves on the trees. Birds singing as they go about the business of nest building and caring for their young. It felt like anything was possible.

  Voices coming through the screen had her opening her eyes to see Nick at work restoring the garden from Jake, who had managed to dig up all her tulip bulbs. Darn mutt. Jessica and the dog followed behind him pretty much step for step. It’d been almost a week and she still couldn’t fathom what she’d been thinking of to let him kiss her like that.

  It’s not the end of the world, get over it.

  He didn’t seem to be suffering from any such anxiety—not showing by the slightest hint, his tongue had been halfway down her throat. It was almost like it hadn’t happened, except it had.

  Her pulse leapt remembering the hot look in his eyes, and those full lips lowering to hers. Jessica had been right down the hall, but for one, all too brief, exciting moment, she’d forgotten the disillusioned woman staring at her now.

  Fiona, the only person Sara trusted with her whereabouts had called just yesterday with an all too grim reminder.

  “Hi, babe, how are you and that gorgeous God-daughter of mine making out?” Her effervescent personality bubbling through the airwaves warmed Sara’s heart.

  “Fiona. We miss you so much.” She wasn’t sure what she would have done without her friend’s help and encouragement. And now, through her gallery, Sara could provide a living for Jessica by selling her paintings under a pseudonym.

  “And I miss you. Life’s boring around here without you two.”

  There was a slight pause and Sara could feel the tension flowing down the line. “What’s wrong, Fiona? Tell me.”

  “It’s nothing, your dickhead husband showed up here a couple of days ago.”

  Sara sucked in a sharp lungful of air, her hands clenching the dishcloth. “Tom didn't bother you, did he?”

  “The air he breathes bothers me, my dear, but that’s
not the reason I called. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, that’s all. Don't worry about me, just take care of yourselves and I'll be happy.”

  “He’s not going to give this up, is he? I'm so worried.” Tears clogged her throat, turning her voice husky. “When he catches up to us—”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Fiona swore, her voice full of venom. “Sooner or later he’s going to screw up and then we’ll have him. I spoke to a friend of mine in the DEA—don’t worry, she’s solid—anyway, she’s looking into it, Sara. You’re not alone in this. He’s going to jail. And then you guys can come back home.”

  After a bit more conversation, they’d hung up, promising to stay in touch. Sara wished she felt half as confident as her friend. She’d read the file she’d taken when they ran and been shocked by the contents. She’d known it contained valuable information, but hadn’t realized how the same man who dealt in million-dollar drug deals and weapons exchanges, could be the respected one she’d married.

  The sun warmed her chilled skin as her daughter’s contagious laughter floated through the partially open window. Deciding to take a trip down to the Craft Shack for a dose of Annie’s cheerful optimism she phoned over to Tess, who was more than happy to watch Jessica.

  Opening the kitchen window a little wider, she called, “Jess, I'm running out to do a couple of errands. You can stay with Aunty Tess, okay?”

  “Mom, can’t I stay with Nick? I'll be good,” she yelled, shyly grasping Nick’s large hand, and gazing up at him with a severe case of hero worship.

  Nick’s gaze speared Sara’s through the glass, some complicated expression chasing across his face before he dropped down to Jessica’s height. His deep tones easily carried across the small yard. “Actually, squirt, I’ve gotta run and pick up a couple of things myself, maybe you should go to Tess’s for now.”