Laughing at her retort, he reached over and picked up one of her hands. Sierra nearly gasped out loud as he lifted the back of her hand to his lips.
“I can’t get over how gorgeous you look today. I didn’t know you had it in you,” he teased.
And she never knew that a compliment from Alex could make her feel so feminine or desirable. Through the years, Sierra had always seen herself as lacking in the looks department. Especially when she compared herself to her glamorous sisters. To have a man of the town like Alex imply that she was gorgeous was enough to set her heart to pounding.
“Alex, you don’t have to spread it on. I’m feeling confident about this afternoon.”
Alex’s gaze slid discreetly over her crossed legs. Although she was a petite woman, she was shaped like an hourglass. Even her legs were curvy and smooth, the kind that called for a man to touch and slide his hand against them.
While his covert glance traveled from her calf down to her ankle, he surprised himself by wondering what she would do or think if he were to reach over and place his hand on her knee. The fine-gauged material of her stockings would gently rasp against his fingertips. The warmth of her body would seep into his palm.
“Alex! Didn’t you hear me, or are you off in some courtroom?”
Jerking his wayward thoughts back to the present, he glanced at her and hoped he wasn’t blushing. She might not find his erotic thoughts too funny. Sierra wasn’t a prude, but she abhorred sleaziness.
“Uh—sorry, I was just thinking about something. What did you say?”
“I asked if you’d talked to your parents. If you’d told them about Bowie and what you were doing for me.”
The slow curl of heat that had been coiling around in Alex’s groin suddenly froze. “No. Why would I want to?”
Sierra shrugged before she looked over her shoulder at Bowie. The movement of the car was keeping him sound asleep. His pug little chin was tucked against his chest and hidden beneath the collar of his shirt. His head had drooped to one side and he was sucking intermittently on the pacifier she’d placed in his mouth at the start of the trip. She figured the baby was less than a week old and probably weighed no more than seven or eight pounds. But each time Sierra looked at him, she could easily see a young boy learning to ride a bike, a young man graduating college.
“Why not? They’d be pleased to know that you’re helping a child find a home.”
“Like they did?” he quipped dryly.
“Alex,” she scolded softly as she reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I thought you’d forgiven them for not telling you about your adoption. It’s been so long now since you found out about it. Why does it still rile you so?”
He let out a rough sigh as he braked the car at a red light. “It doesn’t rile me, Sierra. I just—wish they could have been honest with me.”
Regret and a sweet sense of caring filled her as she quietly studied his grim profile. “And would that have made you happy? If they’d started out telling you at a very young age that your mother had deserted you on the steps of a building? I’m not so sure, Alex.”
“Let’s not talk about this, Sierra,” he clipped back at her.
Pressing her lips together, she dropped her hand from his shoulder. She’d always wanted to make Alex see that his being adopted didn’t mean he was any less of a man than the next guy. He’d been raised in a normal, loving household. He’d been blessed and he needed to remember those blessings instead of dwelling on the subterfuge of how he’d come to be a part of the Calloway family.
But now was not the time to dig into him about it. She needed his help and when you ruffled his feathers, Alex was unpredictable. If she made him angry, he just might turn the car around, head back to his office and tell her to deal with Bowie on her own.
“All right, Alex.”
The tight grip he had on the steering wheel eased. “Sierra, Bowie will be a man someday and then he—”
Sierra waited patiently for him to finish, but silent moments continued to tick away until she prompted, “Then he what, Alex? What were you going to say?”
Shaking his head, he said, “It wasn’t important. And here’s the block of Department of Human Services buildings. We’re here.” He pulled into the nearest parking slot he could find and killed the engine. “Let’s go in and get this over with.”
Chapter Four
Three days later, on the Mendoza backyard patio, Sierra stood next to her father as he tested a slab of brisket cooking on the barbecue grill. The scent of the juicy beef was enough to make Sierra’s mouth water. Her stomach growled hungrily as her father closed the lid.
“Dad, it can’t need much more cooking,” she protested. “When are you going to take it off the fire?”
With a chuckle, Jose patted his youngest daughter’s shoulder. “A little more patience, honey. By the time you help your mother get the rest of the food out here on the picnic table, the brisket will be ready.”
Relieved that supper was finally near, Sierra hurried into the house to help her mother gather up the accompanying dishes Maria had prepared earlier in the day.
The two of them were setting everything onto the outdoor table when Gloria and her fiancé, Jack Fortune, emerged from the back door of the house.
“You must have smelled food,” Maria said happily at the sight of her middle daughter. “Do you two have time to join us?”
Jack, a tall man with short black hair and blue eyes, sauntered over to his soon-to-be mother-in-law and placed a kiss on her cheek.
“We’ll make time, Maria,” he said. “Gloria heard through Sierra that Jose was cooking brisket. So we invited ourselves.”
Jack was Patrick Fortune’s son and nephew to Ryan who owned the Double Crown Ranch just outside Red Rock. Up until about three months ago, the powerful businessman had been living and working in Manhattan. But Patrick had decided to send his son down to San Antonio to help Gloria establish her jewelry business.
To the whole family’s surprise, Jack and Gloria had established more than a thriving new business. Their baby was due in early fall and their wedding plans were going at a brisk pace.
“That’s good,” Jose spoke up from his position at the barbecue grill. “We’ve got enough food here to feed an army. Does anybody know if Christina is coming?”
“She said that she and Derek would try to make it,” Gloria stated as she hugged her mother and then her father. “But she wasn’t sure. They’ve been doing a lot of extra work lately at Fortune-Rockwell Investments.”
Sierra put down the handful of utensils she was holding and hurried over to greet her sister. As usual, Gloria was a fashion plate in a pair of white capri pants and a red-and-white striped blouse that tied at the waist and exposed her slightly growing belly. Her light brown hair was twisted into a sexy knot at the back of her head and gold hoops swung from her ears. She was so beautiful it was no surprise that one of San Antonio’s most eligible bachelors had fallen for her. Sierra had always felt dowdy in comparison. But her lack in looks wasn’t really important to her anymore. Especially now that she had little Bowie. He’d made all of her values take on an entirely different direction.
“Sierra, I’m so glad you’re here,” Gloria said as she hugged Sierra tightly. “Mom has told me all about the baby. Where is he? I want to see him!”
“That’s all she’s been talking about,” Jack spoke up with a wink. “Maternal hormones at work.”
Laughing softly, Sierra took her older sister by the arm and urged her toward a door that would take them into the kitchen. “Bowie’s in the house, in my old bedroom. I was just about to go in and get him.”
As the two women walked through the kitchen and down a long hallway, Gloria said, “I was so surprised when Mom told me about the baby. I couldn’t believe the mother just left him like that. Now that I’m going to marry the man that I love and have his baby, it’s made me see my role as a woman in a different light. I don’t have to think twice. My child
and my husband will always come first in my life.”
Sierra glanced at Gloria and couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Even though she’d been blessed with little Bowie, he didn’t officially belong to her. Child services could take him away at any moment. And with Chad now gone with the wind, there was no chance she’d be having a child of her own anytime soon.
“Gloria, you know how happy I am for you and Christina, too. It was so awful when you were both gone. I tried to fill the void with Mom and Dad as best I could. But I wasn’t enough to make up for you and Christina.”
Gloria spared her sister a regretful look. “Christina and I made life terrible for you, Sierra. I don’t know how either one of us can ever make it up to you.”
Sierra quickly shook her head. “Don’t be silly. I just want the both of you to be happy.”
By now the two women had reached Sierra’s old bedroom. The door was ajar and without waiting for her sister’s permission Gloria pushed it aside and hurried into the room.
Thankfully, Bowie was already awake and the happy squeal that Gloria emitted when she saw him lying in the middle of the bed didn’t do anything but catch his attention.
“What a precious! Sierra, he’s gorgeous!”
Unexplained pride surged through Sierra as she watched an enchanted smile spread across Gloria’s face as her sister leaned over the baby for a closer inspection.
“Talk about changing your life,” Sierra said wryly. “Having a little one in the house makes everything different.”
“No late-night dates with Chad, I’ll bet,” Gloria said. Then, as soon as the comment passed her lips, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, Sierra, I’m so sorry! I keep forgetting that you and Chad called it quits. I wasn’t thinking.” Concerned now, she straightened away from the baby to study Sierra. “How are you doing?”
Sierra shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I think I’m better off without Chad Newbern. He wants to play the field. He wants excitement in his life. My wants are more centered on hearth and home. Boring, huh? But that’s just me and I can’t change for anyone.”
Gloria slung her arm around Sierra’s slumped shoulders. “There’s not one boring thing about you. You’re the sweetest sister any girl could have. You stuck up for Christina and me when we were both—well, more than a little misguided.” She wrinkled her nose affectionately at Sierra. “And I’ll tell you something else, you’re going to find someone who’ll be a hell of a lot better for you than Chad Newbern.”
Collecting a clean diaper off the dresser top, Sierra went over to the bed and began to change Bowie.
“You sound like Alex,” Sierra said. “He’s been shouting hallelujah at Chad’s departure.”
Gloria tapped a thoughtful forefinger against her pretty chin. “Mom said Alex signed papers with you so that you could keep Bowie. That was awfully big of him.”
The corners of Sierra’s lips tilted upward. “Yeah. Alex can be wonderful when he wants to be.”
“I’m wondering why he did it. There wasn’t anything in it for him,” Gloria said, pondering out loud.
Sierra frowned at her sister’s remark. “Gloria! Alex isn’t one of those unfeeling lawyers who have nothing on their mind but winning a case and making big bucks.”
Linking her fingers together, Gloria walked over to the bed and sat down facing her sister. “Really? That surprises me to hear you say that. I always remember you saying he was one of the most callous, unfeeling men you’d ever known.”
A rosy color swept across Sierra’s high cheeks. “Well, he can be that way,” she admitted. “But lately he seems to be changing—mostly for the good.”
Gloria’s delicately arched brows inched upward. “Mom says he told child services that you two were getting married. What brought that on? Wishful thinking on his part?”
Sierra laughed heartily as she smoothed the sticky tabs on Bowie’s clean diaper. “Not hardly! Do you honestly think a man like Alex Calloway would take a second look at me?”
“Of course I do,” Gloria answered with conviction. “You’re an intelligent, educated woman who has a wonderful gift for dealing with people. On top of all that, you’re pretty and sexy. What more could a man ask for?”
Sierra rolled her eyes before she turned a sardonic look on Gloria. “Uh, maybe a sister to feed his ego?”
Gloria laughed. Sierra picked up Bowie and carefully rose to her feet. “Come on. Dad’s surely got the brisket off the grill by now.”
By the time Sierra drove back to town and turned onto Austin Street, it was well past dark. She certainly wasn’t expecting to find a vehicle parked in her driveway at this late hour.
Was that Alex’s SUV? She parked next to the black vehicle and as she climbed out to the ground, she spotted him standing on the porch, leaning lazily against one of the carved post. The unexpected sight of him filled her with a sweet sense of pleasure and she knew her smile could be heard in her voice as she called out to him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” He jumped off the edge of the porch and walked across the short driveway to meet her. “I was just about to give up and go when I saw your headlights. Where’s Bowie?”
This was the second time he’d been to her house this week. Alex just didn’t call on her like this. Not unless he had some sort of agenda. But for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what that might be, unless he was here just as a way to show a little concern for their new charge.
Sierra motioned toward the car. “In the back seat. Want to get him out for me?”
“Sure.” He opened the back door and leaned in to unfasten Bowie from the car carrier. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for ages.”
He cradled the baby in the crook of his arm. Sierra collected the diaper bag from the car and the two of them started to the house.
“Why didn’t you call first?” she questioned. “I drove out to my parents’ to have supper.”
They stepped up onto the porch and he held the screen door out of the way while she unlocked the main, wooden door.
As Alex followed her into the house, he said, “I took it for granted that you’d be home. I didn’t think you’d be out gallivanting around with little Bowie. Especially at this hour.”
Sierra laughed with disbelief. “It’s only eight o’clock, Alex. And I was hardly gallivanting. You sound like a jealous husband or something,” she joked.
Alex grimaced as he gazed down at Bowie. He supposed he was getting close to sounding possessive. And to tell the truth, just before Sierra had shown up, he’d been getting downright annoyed that she wasn’t yet home. He’d driven all the way over here because he’d wanted to see her. And he’d wanted to see the baby. Finding them gone had been more disappointing than he wanted to admit.
“All right. Make fun of me. But I’ve had a hell of a long day in the courtroom and I drove all the way over here just to see how you and Bowie were doing.”
The tartness in his voice caught Sierra’s attention and she looked at him with surprise. “Well, I’m sorry, Alex,” she said contritely. “And I am glad you’re here.”
He offered her a halfhearted smile. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”
“Good. Now that we got that out of the way, would you like something to eat? I brought food home from my parents’. Brisket, potato salad, pinto beans and corn bread.”
This time he really smiled at her and she felt that sudden surge of joy rushing up in her like an overflowing fountain. What in the world was going on with her anyway? she wondered. It wasn’t like her to get a bubbly feeling around a man. And especially not Alex. If he knew some of the things she’d been thinking about him lately, he’d have a fit. And she’d be rightly embarrassed.
“You little darlin’,” he crooned. “How did you guess I was starving?”
“You have the look of a hungry man,” she said with a knowing smile. “Just have a seat and I’ll go carry in the food from the car.”
Sierra’s
mother had placed all the covered containers of food into one large cardboard box to make it easier for Sierra to transport into her car. Sierra carried in the load and quickly set about placing everything onto the table.
When she returned to the living room to announce that the meal was ready, she found Alex sitting on the couch with Bowie still cradled in his arms. He was talking to the baby about selecting jurors and how important it was to look into a person’s eyes to gauge their honesty. Bowie appeared to be mesmerized by the legal lesson and, just as Sierra approached the two of them, he gave Alex a toothless smile.
“Look at this, Sierra,” Alex said excitedly. “He’s smiling at me! I’ll bet he’s never done that to you!”
Only two dozen or more times, but Sierra wasn’t about to burst Alex’s proud bubble. It was nice—no, it was more than nice—to have him wanting to be something special to the baby.
“Nope. He must really be impressed with all that law jargon,” Sierra told him.
“He should be. It took years of having my nose stuck in a book to get it.” He glanced up at Sierra. “Supper ready?”
She nodded. “I’ll push Bowie’s bassinet into the kitchen and he can lay in it while you eat.”
The old house had a big, roomy kitchen with high ceilings and a row of windows that looked onto a back porch that was shaded by a huge pecan tree. Beneath the windows was an old white farm table covered with a red tablecloth. In the middle she’d lit a hurricane lamp just to make the room a bit cozier.
Why Sierra had wanted to make things cozy was beyond her. She wasn’t about to set her eye on any man. Like her sisters, she’d sworn off men. Yeah, and look at her sisters now, she thought wryly. Their lives now centered around a special man. But that didn’t mean that Sierra was going to succumb to the opposite sex. No, this last experience with Chad had left her feeling like a complete idiot. She didn’t want to repeat the process. Even with someone as handsome as Alex.
The two of them carefully situated Bowie in the bassinet and then took their seats kitty-cornered to each other at the breakfast table. While Alex dug into the food, Sierra sipped on a glass of iced tea.
Fortune's Heirs: Reunion Page 39