Finding Summer (Nightwind Book 3)

by Suzanne Halliday

  She didn’t wait for his reaction or possible reply and simply darted from the room.

  He watched her go. Then he turned to look at Ari. Shit. He didn’t know anything about changing a tiny infant. Turning to the commonly recognized encyclopedia of everything, he did a quick YouTube search and found a first-time dad explaining the process in a step-by-step instructional video.

  The first words of advice were way helpful. Check for supplies before putting the baby on the changing table. In short order, he performed an itemized inventory of Ari’s changing station.

  Wedging his phone in a corner where he could see it while the instructional presentation played, Arnie put some steel in his spine, and drawled, “If I can survive traipsing around war zones, I can master changing a baby.”

  Crossing his fingers, he navigated the small room. Gazing into the crib, he marveled at the tiny pink bundle and said a silent prayer for luck as he slid his fingers underneath his daughter’s little body and lifted. She complained but didn’t cry. He found her grunts and squeaks adorable.

  At the changing table, he studied the blanket wrapping and asked his daughter for help.

  “I don’t suppose you could help daddy figure out how to crack the code on this? Do I pull on a corner and unroll you like a cigar?”

  “Goooo.” Startling blue eyes gazed up at him. Her little mouth made a smile.

  He felt the powerful bond of their eternal connection. Was this what his mom felt when she first held him?

  It took a few minutes to deconstruct the blanket wrapping. The dad from the YouTube video called it swaddling.

  She was wearing a girly baby dress with footed leggings. He fumbled a lot and was crazy nervous, but he managed to get them off. Beneath the dress and leggings was a bodysuit called a onesie.

  Finally arriving at the diaper, he crossed his fingers again. There were different procedures for poop and pee—one was simple, and the other was not.

  The heavens smiled on him, and all he had to do was a basic cleanup and dry diaper. He found a cute one-piece pink outfit covered in white snowflakes and put it on her over the onesie garment. It was January, there was a winter chill in the air, and she was but a tiny baby human. Keeping her warm overshadowed fashion. Those were the exact words he planned to use if Summer questioned his choice of baby outfits.

  Another video tutorial was necessary to do the swaddle correctly. Ari thought his fumbling struggles were funny. He had to give it three attempts with the final wrap being the best.

  He waved to the imaginary throngs cheering his accomplishment and cradled her in his arms the way Summer showed him.

  “Kiddo, you’re S-O-L, shit out of luck, if you’re hungry. Daddy doesn’t have the right equipment, and I wouldn’t know what to do with the bags of breast milk in the fridge. Looks like we better go find Mommy.”

  34

  Summer’s anxiety shot through the roof as she, Bud, and Lynda walked through their house, and she explained the unexplainable.

  Mariah made a brief appearance and then sauntered away.

  Two business cards sat on the kitchen counter—one from the guys who cleaned up and the other from the team responsible for fixing the broken window and doors.

  When they stepped outside to view what Todd and his mother did to the landscaping, they ran into Stan and Ned.

  “We can get someone out here within the hour to fix this and even put up a permanent barrier if you want,” Stan told Bud in a reasonable, calm voice.

  While the men discussed what needed to be done, she and Lynda stared mutely at the damage wrought to the established hedge.

  Even though the couple’s anger was directed at Todd and his mother for what they did, it still felt like an indictment to Summer. None of this would have darkened their doorstep if not for her.

  She squirmed a little. Ned took responsibility for bringing Giselle into the picture. Arnie blamed himself for exposing her to his stepmother. She blamed Arnie for everything except the weather and fully expected Bud and Lynda to blame her for last night’s police activity.

  Lynda’s heavy sighs and wringing hands came close to undoing Summer’s fraying confidence and shaky emotions.

  Gesturing at the mangled landscaping, Lynda grumbled and groused up a storm. “Was it necessary to yank out half the greenery? Couldn’t they have squeezed through a smaller opening?”

  Her throat closed. She tried nose breathing, but gathering tears made keeping her shit together impossible.

  “Oh god, Lynda, I’m so sorry.” She sobbed the words with real anguish.

  In the next instant, Lynda had her in a warm hug. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Here, come on. Let’s sit. I have questions.”

  She led Summer to the wicker loveseat on the little private patio. Nobody could see or hear them without their presence being known.

  “So. Your man is back? And he’s who?”

  The direct question gave her an opportunity to concentrate and push past her emotions.

  “Stan’s brother. He’s Stan’s older brother.”

  Lynda frowned. “Oh, dear. I know you said this man was older than you, but sweetie—Stan’s brother is a beer-bellied boomer with bushy eyebrows and a lousy social game.” Her friend made a face. “Yikes.”

  “Wait, what? No, Lynda. I mean, yeah.” She shook her head at the nonsense word salad. “Arnie is Stan’s older brother, yes. But only by a year. The man you met was Arnie in disguise.”

  “Uh, okay but why a disguise? Why the playacting?”

  “Long story short. I’m working on a headache.”

  Lynda nodded. She patted Summer’s knee, and said, “Keep it simple.”

  “He didn’t know about the baby and thought I’d run away for unknown reasons. The fatherhood revelation took him by surprise. The information came from his evil, cartoon character stepmother’s lawyer. He defected when the woman hatched a scheme to kidnap Arianne and hand her to traffickers in a harebrained scheme to keep control of an inheritance.”

  “Good golly.”

  “I know, right?” she said dryly. “Anyway, once they knew about her plan, they let it go forward while they set a trap.”

  Lynda’s perfectly waxed and shaped brows rose into her bangs. “Are you saying these people knew you and the baby were in danger and still used you as a decoy?”

  “It sounds worse than it is. Arnie isn’t the Lone Ranger. He’s part of an elite security force with serious ties inside the government. There was surveillance, and the local police were alerted.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess it’s okay then. So where is this Rambo character?”

  “Right here, Mrs. Gerry,” a deep sonorous male voice declared.

  They looked up in unison to find Arnie standing at the edge of the patio with Ari in his arms. He met Summer’s gaze and offered half a smile. Then he stepped directly in front of Lynda and gave her a dazzling smile.

  The cheeky bastard.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Darnell Wanamaker. Please, call me Arnie. I’m very sorry about the property damage, but as Stan is explaining to your husband, we will take care of everything, and with your permission, we’ll install an unobtrusive, state-of-the-art security system around the property. No more blind spots.”

  He frowned at the destroyed greenery. “I knew this was a problem area the day we surveyed the property. When your house was built, there weren’t the same security issues as there are now, so stopping the block wall to put in a box hedge connected to a gatepost wasn’t a big deal. Left the property vulnerable.”

  Her landlady and friend thawed. Arnie had no trouble whatsoever charming the pants off her.

  She observed the ensuing conversation but did not contribute. There was no way to participate, not when every muscle, tissue, and nerve ending in her body misfired, sending her into an emotional nosedive.

  She’d never lost control of her body before. It was an unpleasant sensation made worse by it happening while people were around.


  Staring at her hands where they rested on her lap, she attempted to redirect her thoughts, but it was too late. The horse was out of the barn or something along those lines.

  A spot on her neck, right below her right ear, tingled. She lifted her shoulder, and a slight shudder made her entire right side pulse.

  Dammit.

  Despite carrying on what sounded like a perfectly intelligent conversation with Lynda, Arnie’s attention was one hundred and ten percent focused on her. She felt him rattling around inside her head. They were going to have to have a wee chat about his habit of breaking and entering her mental state.

  Her fingers tingled, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe, sit still, stay calm, and not start bawling.

  What’s happening?

  Her eyes swung to the baby. She wore a blissful expression and appeared perfectly content in her daddy’s arms.

  Daddy’s arms.

  That was it for her. She was unable to function any longer. It seemed as though all her bones went soft, and any second now, she was going to collapse inward.

  Low-grade panic pumped into her system. What happened to her life? Where was it? Weaving the past and the present together led to a clash of realities with her world taking the brunt.

  It. Was. All. Too. Much.

  Lynda was a charming and clever conversationalist. Arnie enjoyed talking to her. She reminded him a bit of Dottie only cut from Jewish mother cloth. She had an outrageous sense of humor, was certain well-made matzo ball soup contained curative powers, and as a diehard Dodgers fan, she wasn’t shy about calling his beloved Yankees old-school.

  If filling in the potholes and repaving a few crumbling bridges were necessary to move things along, he was happy to do the hard work where Summer’s family of friends was concerned.

  However, while he engaged with Lynda, he kept a close eye on his sunshine girl at the same time. She was being awfully quiet. Arnie studied her face and had no trouble whatsoever deciphering what she was feeling. He also picked up on her physical struggle and knew when she hit the wall.

  Everything had to take a back seat. Nothing took precedence over the baby in his arms and the deathly silent girl trying so hard to keep her shit together.

  Putting his considerable social skills to good use, he swiftly but politely shut down his chat with Lynda. She was good-natured about it, especially after he suggested the baby was hungry even though she was content and quiet.

  Summer appeared dazed as he shuffled her off the patio and herded her toward the guesthouse door. Standing next to the pool with Stan and his dad, Dottie saw them coming. She sprang into action, holding the door open to make it easy for Summer to pass.

  “Is she okay?” Dottie whispered to him.

  “What do you think?” he snarled.

  Following his silent lady, he watched Summer make a beeline for the refrigerator. She yanked twice to get the door open and reached inside.

  Then he watched in astonishment as she sank to the floor and sat with the door wide open.

  He looked at Ari. She looked back. Trying not to overreact, he calmly but hurriedly walked the baby to the playpen and placed her on her back. Then it was time to take care of Summer.

  “Baby,” he softly murmured as he squatted next to her. “Do you need some help?”

  Several silent seconds ticked by. She raised her eyes and looked at him, but he sensed she wasn’t all there.

  “Arnie?”

  Oh, boy. She was on the brink. He debated for a heartbeat and then did what he felt best, damn the consequences.

  Helping her off the floor, he shut the refrigerator and picked her up. She didn’t object. Actually, she barely reacted except to put her head on his shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

  Knowing how she felt about keeping the baby close, he walked her to the sofa, pointed out Ari was within reach, and made her comfortable amongst the cushions and pillows.

  The best way to describe her state was to call it psychic shock. She’d been to hell and back in a difficult situation, and it hadn’t broken her. Until now. Her former life was a memory and her current world a confusing mess made even more difficult by a sudden onslaught of strong personalities crowding her bubble.

  His ladylove was a badass. Without question, Summer stepping in to save him when a gun was pointed at his head had all the markings of a warrior goddess getting her a little justice.

  She was fucking amazing, and he was her slave until the end of time.

  It might seem counterintuitive, considering the big picture, but what she needed from her slave right now was a manly display of alpha dominance.

  Oh, she’d snarl and most likely argue with him at some point—it wouldn’t be any fun if she didn’t—but he knew what was in her heart, even if she couldn’t say it out loud.

  He had to be careful, though. She was reeling from how fast his life and world swallowed up her entire existence. It didn’t matter if she was ready to surrender or not—even though she was. What got her panties in a twist was not understanding her new role in this changing paradigm.

  He knew what it was like to feel as though you were losing yourself to something much bigger.

  Remember who you are. He straightened his shoulders and took in a lungful of air.

  “Summer.” He said her name gently, lovingly.

  She glanced up slowly. Her eyes still reflected shocked bewilderment, but he sensed she was in the moment and could understand.

  Clearing a spot on the coffee table, he sat on the edge so their knees almost touched. He reached for her limp hands and held them on her thighs. Holding her gaze, he spelled things out.

  “We’re done here.”

  Panic filled her eyes. He squeezed her hands and tenderly brought her around to his way of thinking.

  “We’re just in the way, honey.”

  In a shaky voice, she replied bluntly. “I can’t do this.”

  He countered and did it with strength fortified by love. “And I can’t take care of you and Arianne until you let me.”

  A big part of him expected her to engage, to push back and dig in.

  “No, Arnie,” she mumbled. “I mean I can’t do this.”

  And then she fell apart. He felt her energy fall away. She didn’t pass out, but she did give every indication her power cord was unplugged. It wasn’t the reaction he expected and indicated how deeply affected she was. By everything.

  Instinctively, he knew what she needed and what would help arrest her freefall. Slapping a smirky grin on his face, he held her gaze and winked.

  “Have no fear, sunshine girl. I’m the guy.”

  “The guy?”

  He had her. Satisfaction so enormous he thought he might burst filled him up.

  “Yeah, the guy. Your guy. I mean, you said everyone needs a guy, right?”

  Her brows bumped together. “Did I?”

  “Sure, sure,” he insisted. “I’ve got a guy for everything, and right now, you need the ultimate guy, and that’s me. Your ultimate guy. Imma take care of everything, honey. Don’t you worry. Daddy’s on it.”

  She exploded with laughter—full throated, tearing up, rocking back and forth laughter. “Daddy, is it?” Her snorts of laughter filled the air.

  He never felt such happiness. Not ever. It was extraordinary.

  With her blood pumping again and some color in her cheeks, he relaxed a bit. At least she was no longer nearly catatonic.

  Communicating tasks, expectations, and desired outcomes, he told her what was going to happen.

  “The only thing I want you to do is relax and take care of you and the baby. I’m counting on you, though, not to keep your mouth shut. Say whatever pops into your mind. You’re in charge.”

  “In charge of what, may I ask?”

  “Well, for starters, we need to get the ball rolling and pack some bags for you and Ari. The sooner we get you two settled at The Peninsula, the sooner you can catch your breath.”

  “And then what? After I catch my b
reath.”

  She wanted him to spell it out, so he did. The drip-drip-drip method was never going to work with her.

  “We’ll be going to Santa Barbara for a few weeks.”

  “Er, uh, what?” she stammered. “But I thought …”

  Knowing what she thought, he cut her off and set the record straight. As far as he was concerned, they weren’t leaving California until she was ready, and he knew what steps were needed to get her there.

  “Santa Barbara is where we began, and it’s where we need to be now. You, me, Arianne. It’s also where my grandfather calls home. He’s in Montecito. I would like to introduce my family to him. Properly.”

  Awareness flashed in her expression. “Oh.”

  He was going to do a hell of a lot more than just introduce her to his granddad, but one thing at a time.

  While he had her full attention—even if she was still fuzzy—he gave her the rest of it and held his breath as he waited for a reaction.

  “Summer. Last night. Making love to you was out of line. It was the right moment at the wrong time. I don’t regret what we did, but it was stupid.” He kissed one of her hands. “You deserved better.”

  She swallowed, and her cheeks flushed.

  “Baby, we have things to say. I know you have questions, and I promise you, everything is on the table. Whatever you need to know, just ask. Okay? But we’re going to take our time and not rush things. I’m ready to commit right now, but you need space and time to make sure this is what you want.”

  “What I want? Huh?”

  Her confusion was adorable. He touched her cheek.

  “You have to use your words.”

  “Ohh,” she murmured as understanding dawned. “Dottie says Arianne is an heiress. How’s that for using a word?”

  He rolled his eyes. It was a reflex, but when Summer chuckled, he was glad for the moment of unvarnished truth.

  In a dry, semi-sarcastic tone reminiscent of his grandfather, he pointed out a not-to-be-overlooked factoid. “Arianne’s parents have more money than a small country, but she’s got nothing, nada, zilch,” he said with a bite, “unless we say so. Inherited wealth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Girl gotta earn her way.”