by Lavada Dee
Baylee dug into house cleaning with a vengeance. It wasn’t working. She still couldn’t purge Grant from her thoughts. By five o’clock, she had everything done including the groceries. “Why do I leave things go so long?” she mumbled as she put the last of the food away.
Well, things were going to change. But thinking about what she wanted to do wasn’t getting it done. She still had three hours before Grant’s call, and by that time she wanted to have her thoughts in order.
Grant said he wanted to see her, but that didn’t mean he had changed his mind about helping her with a baby. But then again, what if he had, or at least that he was considering it? Would it be so awful to share parenting with him? She wet her lips and swallowed. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to go to plan B. She let her mind wander for a few minutes and then kicked herself into gear. The attorney side of her brain said, “Be prepared.”
With new determination, she made a cup of tea and settled into getting ready for plan B. “Just in case,” she mumbled as she pulled out a tablet. First on her list was to make an appointment with the local sperm bank. She would choose a donor. It couldn’t be that hard. With determination, she wrote down the physical attributes she wanted. An image of Grant’s handsome face and lean, hard body wedged in her mind. She pushed it away.
Baylee planned to cut down her workload once the baby was born. Maybe work part-time until he or she started school? Monetarily, that wouldn’t be a problem, but could the practice accommodate it? She made a notation on the list.
She had been so lost in her plans, she hadn’t realized the time until the phone rang. Her heart rate increased until she could feel it beating against her breast. One ring, two rings, three rings. Wiping her hands on the legs of her jeans, she picked it up.
Grant’s voice flowed like warm, rich honey. “What were you doing that it took you so long to answer?”
“Uh, actually I’d gotten lost in trying to organize my life.”
She heard a muted chuckle and gripped the phone. Why did she always answer without thinking when she talked to him? She hoped that she didn’t sound like an immature school girl.
“I mean I...”
“You make lists.”
A small gasp escaped. “How did you know that?”
Again, a chuckle sounded through the line. “You look like a woman who makes lists.”
“Yes, I make lists. How about you? Do you write things down, or are you a wing-it kind of guy?” She couldn’t believe the flirty way her words were coming out.
He didn’t answer her question, and she imagined him giving her a wicked look at her teasing, before he changed the subject and said, “I thought about what we talked about last night. Is there any possibility you could meet me somewhere, maybe Seattle?”
Baylee closed her eyes and let the sound of his voice wash over her. “Yes.” She almost breathed the word out. Silence filled the line, even though she’d thought of little else. Her instant reply surprised her.
She cleared her throat. “It’s only a few hours flight from here, so I could leave on a Friday afternoon or early evening and come back Sunday afternoon if that would work.”
“Oh, that would work. That would work real well. How about this next Friday? Or am I rushing you?”
“Let me double-check my schedule with Jeffrey on Monday to make sure? But I ummm...”
Baylee could hear Grant draw in his breath when she hesitated. His voice sounded gentle as he reassured her. “I’ll get either a suite with two bedrooms or double rooms, so don’t worry about things getting out of control before we’re ready for them to. We’ll take things slow and see where we go. I haven’t been to Seattle since college, so it will be a nice place to get to know one another better. We’ll do the city and have a good time.”
Grant seemed able to read her mind, and his words encouraged her. This could be fun, and maybe spending the time with him would allow her to move ahead with her plans for the future, even if it meant one without him. She should know after two days if he would ever consider any kind of a parenting relationship with her.
Baylee lost herself in their conversation, and she was surprised when she looked at her watch and saw they’d been on the phone for almost an hour. “Do you realize what time it is? I can’t believe that we have talked so long.”
He laughed. “That’s a good thing, right?”
She closed her eyes, savoring the sound of his voice. It was time to say good-bye, but she couldn’t make herself say the words.
A half an hour later, she finally said, “We need to get off this phone. I’ll call you tomorrow night and let you know if I can meet you this weekend.”
“No, I’ll call you. Same time.”
Baylee lowered the phone and sighed. She already missed the sound of him, his voice, his laugh, and even the way he breathed.
* * * *
Monday morning, Baylee dressed for court early so she had plenty of time to review the coming week. By the time Jeffrey came in, she was ready to take a break. He breezed past her door with a cheery “Good morning.”
“Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. Just let me grab a cup of coffee.”
Baylee followed him to the coffeepot. “I’d like to take Friday afternoon off. Can you think of anything that could get in the way of doing that?”
Jeffrey grinned. “Hot date?”
She felt the color rise in her face. Would it be a hot date, or would Grant be put off by her inexperience? If they even got that far. He had left it pretty open.
Jeffrey took pity on her and said, “Go. You need some time off, and anything that comes up can wait until next week.”
The week flew, and by Friday morning, Baylee had talked herself out of going a dozen times. Grant had taken to e-mailing her again instead of phoning, and she had mixed emotions about it. Every time she wrote an e-mail, she would add a line canceling their weekend, and then she would delete her words before she sent it. Thankfully, with the e-mails she could do that. If they’d been talking on the phone she knew that she’d have backed out of it by now. Maybe he sensed that and purposely avoided the phone? He seemed to have an uncanny ability to read her mind and tune into her feelings.
Her phone rang, and Bonnie, their new receptionist, announced that Cindy Jenkins had arrived for her ten o’clock appointment. With a sigh, Baylee got up and opened her door. She wanted this case done, the divorce final, and Cindy safely away from her husband. She had bad feelings about the guy from the start and had done everything she could to rush it through.
Cindy smiled as she came in the room. Her quiet cheerfulness always surprised Baylee. That and her size. Baylee doubted the woman weighed more than a hundred pounds. She motioned Cindy to a chair and took the opposite one instead of going back behind her desk.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee or a soft drink?”
Cindy shook her head. She seemed unusually agitated. She shifted in her chair. Baylee waited for her to say something. Finally the woman’s words exploded out. “Joe is getting counseling. He says that he understands himself better now and...”
Baylee held up her hand. “Whoa, you’ve talked to Joe? Cindy, you know there’s a restraining order out that prevents him contacting you as well as seeing you in person.”
Tears filled Cindy’s eyes. “I know, but he sounds so sad and I...”
Baylee again stopped her. “He’s done this before. You know this, Cindy. You are so close. The court hearing to finalize your divorce is this coming Monday.”
Cindy bowed her head and played with her hands. When she didn’t say anything, Baylee went on. “You’re having last-minute nerves. Joe does need help, and I’m glad to hear he’s getting it. Nevertheless, Cindy, you know it’s going to be a long road for him.
She paused, letting her words sink in. Leaning forward, she said, “Remember the therapist you talked to? She said that even with help, Joe wouldn’t change overnight.”
“Yeah,” Cindy mu
mbled. “But...”
Baylee held up her hand. “She also said you can’t help him yourself.” Baylee’s voice was just above a whisper as she tried to take the sting out of her words. She paused, not wanting to say too much. Taking a breath, she continued, “Rebuild your life. If you are ever meant to get back together, it will happen, but by that time you’ll both be healthier.”
Cindy looked up, and the tears in her eyes made her look even more fragile. “I know I need to do this, but it’s so hard. I keep thinking that if Joe hadn’t been deployed that last time. Five tours are so many, and he...”
Baylee resisted the urge to reach over and take Cindy’s hand. She didn’t know Joe and had only seen him a few times, but she’d read articles on returning soldiers. In her opinion, it was one casualty of the war that they weren’t paying enough attention to. “I know, but in your case it’s dangerous for both of you to be together. Joe needs time to heal, and so do you.”
Cindy seemed resigned, but Baylee worried. Either way, there wasn’t anything more to say now. They talked about how Monday would go. Baylee explained that it was routine and shouldn’t take but a few minutes once they were called to present the case.
“Do you have any questions?”
Cindy shook her head.
“So have you decided to move to Wisconsin to be closer to your sister?”
Finally, Cindy relaxed. “Yes, I already have my tickets. I can leave right after we get done with court. It’s an evening flight, but I can hang around in the airport for a few hours.”
Baylee set professionalism aside and embraced Cindy in a hug. “Everything is going to work out. You’ll see. Just hang in there.”
* * * *
Baylee had decided to park her car at the airport rather than take a taxi. Turning off the computer, she grabbed her keys. She had already put her bag in the car, so she didn’t even need to go back up to her apartment. She was ready. Jeffrey hollered at her as she passed his door, and she waved back. As soon as the door closed behind her, her heart skipped a beat. What in the world do I think I’m doing? Traffic was lighter than Baylee expected, and after she had checked in, she had plenty of time to window-shop on her way to the gate. She stopped to buy a mocha and a novel. As she settled down to wait for her flight, she vowed that one way or another, this weekend would be a turning point in her life, and by this time next year, she wouldn’t be alone. Instead, she would have a family. A little someone to love.
The book turned out to be really good, and surprisingly, it had taken her mind off the trip and seeing Grant. Baylee reluctantly closed it when they announced her flight was boarding. As soon as she was seated, she again opened it. Engrossed in the story, she didn’t pay any attention to the man who sat down next to her until she heard him say her name.
Surprised, she looked over to see an old acquaintance. Actually, he was more Jeffrey’s friend than hers and used to drop in at the office at least once a week for a weekly handball session with Jeffrey. “For heaven’s sake, Clyde, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
He smiled over at her. Tall and blond, with perfect teeth that made his smile worthy of a toothpaste ad, he stood out.
“It has been awhile. I’ve been on the high side of busy. It makes me think I should have become a doctor instead of a lawyer.”
“I know the feeling, but now I’m disillusioned. I thought that I’d chosen the wrong type of law when I took on family practice. Now I’m hearing corporate law is just as busy.”
Clyde laughed. “Listen to us. The economy is in the toilet, people are out of jobs and losing their homes, and we’re whining about being busy.”
Baylee nodded. “When you put it that way, I guess I need to take a few days off and be thankful to get back to work.”
The flight seemed shorter with Clyde keeping her company, and in no time, the pilot was announcing their arrival into Seattle.
* * * *
Grant glanced at his watch as he hurried toward the entrance Baylee would exit from. If he didn’t catch her here, the next option would be the baggage claim, assuming she’d had baggage to check.
People were coming through the security point when he got to the exit. He spotted Baylee almost immediately. What red-blooded man wouldn’t spot her? Long legs encased in jeans made her legs look like they went on forever. The red, lightweight sweater shirt and strappy three-inch heels completed the picture and had him sucking in his breath.
He started to raise his hand to get her attention when she leaned over to the man beside her and said something. The guy broke out in a laugh, and Grant felt a growl build up in his chest. Again, the reaction took him off guard. Protective and territorial, he couldn’t really describe the emotion surging through him, but he knew he didn’t like the guy.
With a snarl, he stepped back and waited. They were just past him, and when they stopped, it was obvious that they’d struck up quite a friendship on the short flight. Or had they? Was the guy traveling with her?
The guy bent over and hugged her as they said their good-byes. Grant gritted his teeth until his jaw ached as he watched the man move away. He’d seen enough, and he moved forward so Baylee could see him.
Her hand flew to her neck, and for a second she let her emotions show. From what he had just witnessed, that unguarded response took him by surprise. She looked happy to see him. In fact, if it had been under any other circumstances, he’d have said she looked overjoyed to see him.
Baylee held out her hand, and he reached to take it. At her touch, a jolt of sensation shot through him and without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. She tensed for a second and then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him.
He forgot about the man, forgot that they were almost strangers, and forgot that he’d promised himself he’d take it slow. With a growl, he took her mouth with his.
Grant instantly sailed beyond thought as he deepened the kiss. He honestly didn’t know how far he would have taken it if a man hadn’t accidentally bumped them on his way to the escalator. The guy mumbled a “sorry.”
Grant bit back a curse.
Baylee’s gaze locked with his, and he could see the desire that coursed through him mirrored her eyes. “Come on, let’s get your luggage and get out of here.” His voice sounded rough to his ears, and he smiled to relieve the tension.
He noted Baylee’s flushed face, and suddenly the man she’d exited the plane with faded further into insignificance. He still didn’t like him, but instinctively he knew the guy didn’t present a threat.
Baylee stepped back and looked down at the duffle bag at his feet. “When did your flight get in?”
“I didn’t exactly have a flight.”
“Did you drive?”
“No, I have my own plane, and I got here just before you landed. In fact, I had to rush to get to the gate to catch you.”
Baylee frowned. “You have your own plane? Wow, I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. I don’t exactly live in a high-traffic area. If we need to get to Seattle, it’s the long way around to get flights. The planes are a family business. All my brothers and my father have a pilot’s license. Mom had one when we were little, but she never really enjoyed it. She gave up her license when there were more us who could pilot the planes.”
Baylee picked up on the plural. “Planes? You have more than one?”
Grant laughed and held up his hand. “Guilty. We actually have three. We own a small commuter service with a friend that does the piloting.”
He took her bag and motioned for her to go ahead of him on the escalator. “Like I said, where we live it’s good business to be in air transportation.”
They made small talk, and she told him about the man from the plane and how she knew him as they waited for the baggage carousel to start. Grant felt relieved to be thinking with his head instead of his heart. Yeah right.
He didn’t know what there was about Baylee that attracted him like it did or that brought out a possessiveness he didn’t know
he had. Sure, she was pretty. On second thought, closer to beautiful. She appealed to him, though up to now he usually sought out shorter woman and preferred blondes.
Still, he’d known other attractive, even beautiful women, and his body didn’t react like it did with Baylee. He thought about the next few days and tried to rein in his libido. Would this trip turn out to be a mistake?
He’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed the carousel had started. When Baylee touched his arm and motioned to a bag coming toward him, he jumped.
Her laugh rang out low and sweet. He hadn’t heard it before. He liked the sound.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt you.” Her eyes twinkled. “Though I should be insulted that you were so far away from me.”
Far away from her, hardly. Grant smiled back as he grabbed the bag. The earlier tension had dissipated, and he relaxed. “I wasn’t that far away, just thinking about things to see and do,” he lied. There was no way he intended to tell her what he’d really been thinking about. Not for the first time, he wondered if she shared his attraction, or if she still only wanted him for one thing. The minute he thought it, he rejected it. Bodies didn’t lie, and hers had been saying plenty when he’d kissed her.
They took a taxi to the downtown Westin. On the way, Grant explained that he had intended to get a suite, but it hadn’t worked out. He let her think there wasn’t one available when, in fact, he’d changed the reservation to two rooms and made sure they weren’t adjoining. Now with what had happened at the airport, he was glad he had gone this route. They both needed space, or at least he knew he did if they were going to use this trip to get to know one another better without getting to know each other too well.
Baylee seemed relaxed as she took in the city skyline. “Two rooms will be fine. And easier to pay for than trying to split the bill for the suite.”
Grant again felt a primitive stirring. His voice deepened. “What do you mean? I’ll take care of this weekend.”
She lowered her voice. “No, no you won’t. This is a mutual accounting trip. I intend to pay my share.”