by Gina Wilkins
Her arms filled with the work she’d carried home for the weekend, she entered the McCloud and Briley Law Offices Monday morning not sure whether Nathan would even be there. She’d forgotten to ask him whether he’d arranged for day care, but she doubted he’d been able to set up anything that quickly.
Mandy, the latest in a line of receptionists who had come and gone just in the nine months Caitlin had been partner, looked up from her desk with a perky smile when Caitlin walked in. “Good morning, Ms. Briley. I made coffee.”
It was with some effort that Caitlin returned the smile. Mandy made hands-down the worst coffee Caitlin had ever tasted. She couldn’t imagine how Mandy managed that feat, since they bought the coffee premeasured in filter packs that only required adding a specified amount of water, but somehow when Mandy touched the coffeemaker the results were always unfortunate.
But since it was difficult to find good help for an entry-level job at an entry-level salary, and since Mandy had other assets—punctuality being one of them—Caitlin couldn’t complain about the coffee. “Any calls for me yet?”
The offices didn’t officially open for another ten minutes, so she wasn’t really surprised when the receptionist shook her head. “Not yet. But I’m sure there will be a flood of calls starting at eight.”
“No doubt.” When Caitlin was not in court or meeting with clients, she was usually on the phone. “Has Nathan called in?”
“Not since I got here.” Mandy leaned forward and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Is it true Mr. McCloud just found out he’s a father? I heard that little girl who was with him Friday is his daughter.”
Caitlin couldn’t help staring at the younger woman. She was both amazed and dismayed that the gossip mill was already churning out wild fabrications, only days after Nathan returned from San Diego.
Before she could speak, Irene’s chilly voice came from the doorway that led back to the offices. “Mr. McCloud has become the guardian of his young half sister, who was recently orphaned. And I’m sure he would appreciate it if his employees refrained from gossiping about him—at work or away.”
Her usually rosy cheeks going pale, Mandy snapped straight upright in her seat. “I didn’t say anything bad about him. I was just repeating what I heard.”
“Please don’t repeat whatever you might hear in the future.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mandy looked greatly relieved when the telephone buzzed, giving her a chance to snatch up the receiver and escape into her duties. “Good morning, McCloud and Briley Law Offices.”
Without waiting to find out who was calling, Caitlin headed for her office. Irene stayed at her heels, carrying a thick file. “I have all the information for your first appointment this morning. He’s scheduled to arrive at eight-thirty.”
Caitlin unloaded her own heavy burden on her desk. “Thank you. Um, did Nathan explain the situation to you about his sister?”
“I’m afraid my information came through gossip, as well,” Irene admitted a bit sheepishly. “Mr. McCloud’s aunt is in my Sunday school class. She said she had seen him at the grocery store with the child and very quickly figured out who Isabelle was.”
Betty must have called Lenore almost immediately after she’d put the facts together, Caitlin realized, thinking of the expression on Lenore’s face when she had first seen Isabelle. It hadn’t been at all kind of Betty to break the news to Lenore before Nathan had a chance to talk to his mother. Nor to talk about Nathan’s personal life to the ladies of her Sunday school class.
“Was my information incorrect?” Irene asked with an uncharacteristic touch of uncertainty.
“No, you heard correctly. Nathan has taken his little sister as his ward.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have corrected Mandy’s misconception? Maybe it would have been better if I had chided her for discussing her employer without telling her the real story.”
Realizing that Irene must be misinterpreting her frown as disapproval, Caitlin smoothed her expression and said, “No, Mandy and the others should know the facts. Nathan certainly isn’t trying to hide his new relationship with his sister. It all happened so quickly that he hasn’t really had time to discuss the situation with anyone.”
“So this will be a permanent arrangement?”
“Yes, it will. And I’m sure it will require some adjustment on all our parts until he settles into a routine—just as it did last week.”
Irene looked as though she would have loved to further discuss the developments in Nathan’s life, but innate professionalism made her keep her questions and comments to herself, other than to say, “I’m sure we’ll all do our best.”
“Of course. Now, the most pressing matters we need to address this morning are…”
“Having a staff meeting without me?” Nathan asked as he strolled through the door, looking like the model of a rising young executive in his sharply tailored dark suit, his dark-blond hair neatly brushed away from his smiling face. Tagging behind him was a tiny blond sprite wearing a vividly colored plaid jumper and carrying a bulging purple backpack.
Nathan winked at Caitlin, then greeted the office manager more formally before saying, “Isabelle’s going to be hanging out with us today. I figure she can spread out her stuff in the break room while I’m with clients. She brought coloring books and crayons and toys to keep her entertained. I don’t have to be in court today, so I’ll be able to keep a pretty close eye on her.”
“And what about tomorrow?” Caitlin asked. “You are scheduled to be in court in the morning.”
Nathan glanced at Isabelle. “I haven’t quite—”
“Perhaps I should show Isabelle to the break room,” Irene suggested. “I believe there’s some fresh orange juice in the fridge,” she added. “There’s also a TV, if you would like to watch Nickelodeon.”
Isabelle looked questioningly at Nathan, who nodded reassuringly. “Go with Mrs. Mitchell, poppet. I need to talk to Miss Caitlin for a minute. I’ll be right here if you need me, okay?”
“You won’t leave?” she asked, looking at him anxiously.
“I promise I won’t leave,” he said, holding up his right hand in a vow. “Miss Caitlin will tie me to her desk if I try.”
“I’ll even sit on him, if necessary,” Caitlin agreed, making Isabelle smile.
Caitlin’s own smile lasted only until Irene and Isabelle were out of sight. “Well?” she asked then, “what are you going to do tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’ll only be in court tomorrow morning. I suppose Mandy or Loretta could keep an eye on her until I get back. It’s not as if she’s much trouble, after all.”
“Nathan, you can’t bring a little girl to a law office every day. Even if she didn’t interfere with business, it isn’t a good environment for her. What do you expect her to do, color and watch television all day?”
“Okay, I know I have to make other arrangements for her.”
Caitlin reached for the local telephone directory. “You should call some day care centers.”
Nathan shifted his feet on the tasteful carpeting. “Day care?”
“Unless you know someone who’s available for private child care?”
“No,” he conceded.
“Actually, you should find a good preschool program. Isabelle needs to be mentally challenged. After all, she’s already starting to read. She’s obviously incredibly bright for her age.”
“Preschool?” Nathan looked intrigued. “Sounds better than day care.”
“Definitely something to consider. Look in the yellow pages. You’ve got a little while before your first appointment. Mine’s going to be here in just a few minutes.”
“Oh. That was a hint for me to leave, right?”
Caitlin had already opened her client’s file. “You’re so clever.”
“I’ll just go to my office to make some calls.”
“Good idea. See you later.” She kept her eyes on the file until he’d closed the door behind him. And
then she sat for several long moments gazing after him and remembering the way he had winked at her when he’d entered. Not to mention the shivery little feeling that wink had caused to ripple through her. And then she frowned, shook her head and reprimanded herself for letting thoughts of Nathan interfere with her concentration. Again.
Caitlin had made one good friend outside of work since she’d moved to Honesty nine months ago. A neighbor in her apartment complex, Lindsey Newman was a sales representative for a local manufacturer, and she traveled quite a bit. She and Caitlin tried to get together when Lindsey was in town. There weren’t that many single women their age in Honesty, and Caitlin enjoyed spending time with Lindsey.
They met early Monday evening at their favorite restaurant. Without stopping to change, Caitlin drove there straight from the office. Her dark-red hair gleaming in the indirect lighting of the popular, but low-key restaurant, Lindsey greeted Caitlin with a broad smile that pushed shallow dimples into her fair cheeks. “Hey, stranger.”
Setting her purse on the floor beside her chair, Caitlin returned the smile warmly. “It has been a while since we’ve managed to get together, hasn’t it? To be honest, this is the first night in ages that I’ve had a chance to just relax a bit—even though I have a huge pile of paperwork to go through when I get home.”
“I still say you’re a hopeless workaholic.”
“Says the woman who just spent nearly a month on the road selling fishing lures to every little sporting goods store between here and Austin.”
Lindsey chuckled. “What can I say? Apparently fishing is the hottest hobby going right now. Retailers are practically lining up for FlashPopper Lures, and I need to be there to fill the demand if I’m going to bank enough commission money to take that European vacation I’ve always wanted to take.”
“So who’s the workaholic?”
“Ah.” Lindsey held up a finger. “But the difference is that I’m working with the specific goal of taking a long, leisurely vacation. You, on the other hand, are working for the express purpose of attracting more work.”
“When I figure out what you just said, I’m sure I’ll have a snappy comeback.” Caitlin ordered a glass of white wine and a shrimp cocktail from their flirtatious young waiter, then waited while Lindsey selected wine and shrimp toast for her appetizer. “How was your trip?” she asked when they were free to chat again.
Lindsey wrinkled her nose. “Let’s just say there aren’t a lot of hot spots in places like Bald Knob, Arkansas—although I did find a very nice Cajun restaurant there.”
They talked a few more minutes about the off-the-beaten-path places where Lindsey marketed her wares, and then their appetizers arrived. Caitlin had just dipped a fat shrimp into the spicy sauce when Lindsey asked, “So what’s this I hear about your sexy partner adopting a little girl?”
Caitlin dropped the shrimp. Fortunately, it landed on the dish rather than on her lap. She recovered it carefully. “Where on earth did you hear that? You’ve only been back in town since last night.”
“Are you kidding? Everyone’s talking about it. I went to the health club for a workout this afternoon, and two of the aerobics instructors were talking about him at the juice bar. One of them used to date him, apparently. Or wanted to date him, I’m not sure which. Anyway, word has gotten out that he’s adopted a little girl. Some people think she’s his illegitimate daughter. Most believe she’s the child his father had with that campaign worker a few years ago.”
“That’s the correct version. She’s his half sister, Isabelle. He hasn’t adopted her yet, but he is her legal guardian now.”
“I know Stuart McCloud and his wife died in that terrible accident earlier this year, but I thought the mother’s family had taken in the child.”
“Her maternal great-aunt took her, but she’s gravely ill now and can’t take care of Isabelle anymore. There wasn’t anyone else to take her. It was either Nathan or the state of California.”
“Poor little girl. She’s had a tough time of it, hasn’t she?”
“Very. She’s young enough that she doesn’t entirely understand all of it, of course, but it has still been difficult for her.”
“How’s Nathan’s family taking it? The word through the grapevine is that his mother freaked out.”
Caitlin grimaced as she flashed back to that uncomfortable conversation with Nathan’s mother. “She isn’t exactly pleased with him.”
“I bet. I remember very clearly what it was like around here when that scandal broke. It was a media circus, and poor Mrs. McCloud was humiliated.”
“I heard all about the debacle, of course. I had actually planned to vote for Stuart McCloud for governor.”
“You and another 52 percent of the voters polled before the affair with the young campaign worker and the resulting pregnancy hit the news. He probably would have been elected.”
“Very likely.” Caitlin ate another shrimp, savoring the taste even as she concentrated on the conversation.
“So…?” Lindsey prompted.
“So what?”
“So how’s Nathan working out as a daddy?”
Caitlin’s neck muscles tightened. “He’s a very good big brother.”
“It’s certainly going to change his social life. The aerobics instructor has completely lost interest in dating him, even though she thinks it’s sort of sexy that he’s raising a little girl. But she admits to being the high-maintenance type who wouldn’t want to share his attention. And, anyway, she doesn’t do runny noses.”
Caitlin curled her lip. “How honest of her to admit her shallowness.”
Lindsey sipped her wine, then asked over the rim, “How do you feel about runny noses?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lindsey waited until the waiter had replaced the appetizers with their main courses before explaining. “I was just wondering if Nathan’s responsibility for his little sister makes him any less attractive to you.”
Caitlin stabbed her fork into her entree. “Don’t start that again.”
“You’re going to deny it again?” Smiling smugly, Lindsey took a bite of her salmon.
Caitlin set her fork down with a thump. “How many times do I have to tell you that Nathan is my business partner and nothing more? I don’t think of him the way you’re implying. I never have.”
Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure. You spend eight hours a day with a guy who’s certifiably drop-dead gorgeous, and I’m supposed to believe you’ve never even noticed? And then I suppose you have some land you want to sell me?”
Feeling a bit grumpy now, Caitlin picked up her fork again. “Well, obviously, he’s a good-looking man. I’m not blind.”
Lindsey made a show of wiping her brow. “I’m glad you admitted that. I was beginning to worry about your eyesight.”
“Still, my relationship with Nathan is strictly professional.”
“Hmm. I heard you were spotted grocery shopping with him and his little girl.”
Caitlin’s fork hit the plate again. “Where did you hear that?”
“Oh, around.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Caitlin murmured, “This is unbelievable.”
“Frankly, that’s what I thought. I know you’re not all that fond of shopping. At least that’s what I always believed. And then I heard you spent most of Saturday picking out sheets and curtains.”
“Is there no privacy in this town?”
“I had to stop by the cleaners on the way home from the health club. Mrs. Albertson, who owns the cleaners, was shopping in the same department store as you were on Saturday. She was very intrigued that you were taking care of Nathan’s little sister that morning. Mrs. Albertson thinks Nathan’s going to be looking for a wife to help him raise that little girl. And she thinks you two make a lovely couple.”
“I’m losing my appetite.”
“Sorry. Just thought you would want to know what’s being said around town.”
It was probably the re
ason her friend was such a successful sales rep, Caitlin mused. Lindsey could walk into a roomful of strangers and know everyone’s story within the first fifteen minutes. She was the sort of person other people simply enjoyed talking to.
Caitlin usually did, too—until tonight, when the subject was a bit too close to home.
“I’m not romantically involved with Nathan McCloud,” she said distinctively, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t be overheard. “We’re simply business partners. And friends, of course, in a casual way.”
Lindsey smiled in surrender. “Okay, I know there’s nothing really going on. Even though I think you’re crazy not to make a move on the guy. If I’d thought I had half a chance with him I’d have gone after him, myself, a long time ago.”
Caitlin found the mental picture of Lindsey and Nathan together unexpectedly disturbing. It was only because she didn’t think they would make a very good match personalitywise, she assured herself, though she couldn’t think of any specific reason why they wouldn’t get along.
She tried to keep those thoughts hidden when she said, “So, why didn’t you?”
“Well, he did flirt with me,” Lindsey acknowledged. “But no more than he does any other woman within range of his lethal smile.”
Lethal was an apt description of Nathan’s smile, Caitlin mused, especially when he turned on the high voltage. She was no more immune to it than any other woman, though she prided herself on keeping her reactions well suppressed. Most of the time, at least.
“Besides,” Lindsey continued, peering at Caitlin through her lashes as she toyed with what was left of her dinner. “Seemed to me the only woman Nathan’s really interested in is his business partner.”
“You’re delusional.”
“Actually, I’ve often been described as very perceptive and insightful,” her friend responded cheerily. “And there’s definitely something there between the two of you—as I think I’ve mentioned before.”
It was true that Lindsey often teased Caitlin about her sexy business partner. So why was Caitlin feeling more self-conscious and defensive this time? Deciding to prove that she could give as good as she got, she said, “I still say that if you’re so taken with him, you should do something about it.”