Hot on the Trail

by JoAnn Ross

  Davina pressed her palm against his face. "Nothing's wrong," she hastened to assure him. "It's just that I did something that I'm afraid you might not approve of."

  "It wouldn't be the first time," he mumbled, thinking back on all the times Davina had shown herself to be a very headstrong female. But in all honesty, he had to admit that he wouldn't want her to be any other way.

  "I wrote to your family, telling them about the baby."

  Sam wasn't surprised. Luis's second cousin on his mother's side was the island's postmistress. Emilia had told him about the letter more than a week ago. Sam had been waiting for Davina to work up nerve to drop her little bombshell.

  "And?"

  She eyed him warily, suspicious of his easygoing attitude. Having expected fireworks at her act of subterfuge, Davina was worried that Sam's accepting behavior was merely the calm before a very violent storm.

  "Your grandmother insists that when the baby is born we bring her great-grandchild to Philadelphia for the christening," she blurted out in a nervous rush of words.

  Sam took his time to answer, arranging a stack of envelopes on the corner of his desk with careful precision.

  Davina's nerves were literally screaming. "Sam?"

  "I can't see any problem with that," he said finally.

  She stared, waiting for the other shoe to fall. When it didn't, she flung her arms around his neck. "Just for a visit," she promised. "Then we'll come back home."

  Home. Had ever a word sounded so wonderful? Sam wondered as he drew Davina onto his lap and covered her smiling lips with his own.

  "Home," he agreed.

  "You do like it here, don't you, Sam?" she asked, suddenly needing reassurance that he hadn't altered his life solely for her. "This is your favorite place in all the world, isn't it?"

  "Not really."

  "What?" She stared at him in utter disbelief.

  In response, he rose abruptly to his feet, holding her effortlessly in his arms. "Come with me, sweetheart, and I'll show you my favorite place in all the world."

  Guessing his intention, Davina laughed delightedly as Sam carried her out of the office and down the hallway to the cheery, sun-filled bedroom.