At the sound of the doorbell, Kelly raced to the front door. Mike was in the backyard trimming the oleander behind the pool. It usually took Sammi a while to fall soundly asleep, and Kelly was afraid the noise would startle her awake. Then she would never settle. It would throw her schedule off.
She had a hard enough time keeping her on a timetable, because Mike was forever waking her up to play. It was hard to get mad at him for giving the baby so much attention, though. Especially when she didn’t have a father.
Kelly opened the front door, and her stomach lurched when she saw Doug Hammond standing there.
“Hi, Kel.”
“I told you never to call me that,” she snapped.
“Old habits die hard,” he said, shrugging. Dressed in tennis shorts and a blue golf shirt, he looked the part of up-and-coming attorney on his day off, ready to tee off. The sight of him really teed her off.
She couldn’t believe that she had once been susceptible to his lean, blond good looks. Now that she knew him for the underhanded manipulator he was, she couldn’t stand to look at him. Anyone who would use a baby to get a promotion was pretty low.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Would you believe I want to talk to you about my little girl?”
“No,” she said coldly.
She hoped to God she was right. In her heart she believed the custody suit would fall apart because he didn’t truly care about the baby. Through legal channels he had been notified about Sammi’s birth. She was four weeks old, and he hadn’t called or come to see her until now.
But what if she was wrong about his indifference toward the baby? She and Sammi would never be free of him.
“Well, I do want to talk about her. I’m her father, after all.”
“A fact I’m trying hard to ignore.”
He braced a hand on the doorjamb. “Aren’t you going to invite me in, Mrs. Cameron?”
“No.” She winced at the use of her married name. Did he know the marriage was an act? He couldn’t. Only she and Mike knew.
“Are you going to tell me her name?”
“I figured you already knew.”
He shook his head. “I was only notified of her birth, no other details.”
“And you waited until now to ask?”
“I’ve been busy. Are you going to tell me the child’s name?”
“The child? That has all the warmth of a Sno-Kone, Doug.” Exactly the reason she would do whatever she had to, so that he wouldn’t get his hands on Sammi.
“What did you name her?”
“Samantha Michèle. As if you care.”
“Of course I care,” he said. The words were just this side of sarcastic and definitely lacking sincerity. “I thought I should know my daughter’s name for the court hearing next week.”
Kelly gasped. Then she couldn’t make a sound. She felt as if a boulder the size of a house was crushing her chest. She hadn’t heard anything about a court date. Why hadn’t her lawyer informed her?
“From the expression on your face, I’d guess you didn’t know about it. What kind of lawyer did you retain, Kelly?”
“He’s a friend of Mike’s.”
“Ah,” he said. “A gridiron gorilla with more brawn than brains.”
“You’re wrong, Doug. Tim Sargent is an expert in family law.”
“Maybe. But it hardly does him or you any good if he fails to instruct his client on important court appearances.”
Doug was right. Kelly had no defense for that, so she decided to change the subject.
“You’re not here to point out my attorney’s faults, and you’re not here because you give a damn about the baby. This is all about punishing me because I wouldn’t do what you wanted. You won’t get away with it, Doug. I’ll stop you.”
“Is that what your countersuit is all about?” he asked, blue eyes narrowing.
“Countersuit?” Her forehead wrinkled with confusion.
“Yes.”
That was the second time in as many minutes that he’d shocked her out of her socks, and she was barefoot. Tim had talked about the possibility of a countersuit, but that was the last he’d told her. She took a deep breath and figured she’d bluff her way through, until she could call that lawyer and find out what in the world was going on.
“My attorney says we can throw everything but the kitchen sink at you,” she said.
“You didn’t know anything about that, either.” He held a hand up. “Don’t bother denying it. You’re not very good at hiding your feelings.”
“So I’m told.” She put a hand on her hip. “I’ll find out the details. But I’ll tell you one thing right now— I’ll put up every possible obstacle to block you. Sammi will be out of college before there’s a chance in hell that you’ll get your hands on her. You’ll lose in the long run.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
She lifted her chin a little. “There’s a partnership meeting soon, isn’t there, Doug?”
“There is,” he said, as if it was hardly important to him. “But I’m here to claim my fatherly rights.”
“In a pig’s eye. You tried to use me to get what you wanted. Now you want to use my daughter. I won’t let you get away with it.”
Mike walked up beside her and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his warmth. “Get out, Hammond.”
Only then did Kelly allow herself to shiver. Mike’s strength seemed to flow through her, bracing her. Thank God he was there.
“Aren’t you even going to ask why I’m here?” Doug said.
“I know why.”
“You do?” Kelly glanced up at him. How could he?
Mike squeezed her waist reassuringly. “If you don’t get the hell away from Kelly, you’ll regret it.”
“I should have known you’d resort to violence.” Doug crossed his arms over his chest, but a vein in his forehead began to throb. Kelly knew he was nervous.
“You’d love for me to throw a punch so you could slap me with an assault-and-battery charge. I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction. There are better ways to handle you—legal ways.”
Doug’s eyes widened as if he’d just figured out the mystery. “Maybe you can explain to Kelly about the court date and the countersuit.”
Kelly looked up at Mike again. “What’s he talking about?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Mike said. But he wouldn’t meet her gaze, and Kelly knew he was hiding something.
“Why not now, Cameron? Tell her why the attorney you sent her to has kept her in the dark about what’s going on.”
Mike dropped his arm and glared at the other man. “Don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy here.” He pointed an accusing finger at Doug. “You slept with your client. You violated the canon of legal ethics and breached your fiduciary duty.”
Surprised, Doug raised one dark blond eyebrow. “I was right. You’ve been talking to the lawyer.”
Mike shrugged. “I found out the legal terms, but I don’t need an attorney to put two-dollar words in my mouth in order to tell you you’re scum.”
“Slander, Cameron.”
“The truth, Hammond.”
Kelly knew Mike didn’t get those legal terms from a football playbook. As much as she hated to agree with Doug about anything, she was afraid he was right. Mike had been talking to Tim Sargent. And she had been left off the information chain.
Doug’s lips straightened to a thin line. “You’re behind that countersuit.”
“That’s right, Counselor.” The satisfaction in Mike’s voice was unmistakable.
“What’s he talking about, Mike?”
A muscle in Doug’s cheek contracted angrily. “It’s nothing more than a nuisance complaint. It’ll never go anywhere in court.”
Ignoring her question, Mike stepped toward the other man, who backed up out of the doorway. “Hammond, let’s get something straight. You’re the guy in the black hat. Bad guys finish last. I’m going to bury you.”
&
nbsp; “Not with violation of legal ethics and breach of fiduciary duty.”
Mike walked over the threshold onto the porch, and for an instant fear flashed in Doug’s eyes and his body tensed. When Mike crossed his arms over his chest, the other man let out a small, relieved breath.
Mike moved his shoulders as if he was keeping a tight rein on his temper. “Those are just the grounds for the civil complaint. The criminal charges are emotional battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
“That’s ridiculous—”
“We know we may not get a judgment, but the negative publicity could ruin your reputation or possibly get you disbarred. And make no mistake. There will be a lot of publicity. Local newspapers, which will ruin you in this town. Syndicated newspapers will spread the word in case you decide to look out-of-state for a job. I haven’t decided yet whether or not to call a press conference—”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, I would. And even though I’ve been out of pro ball for a while, I think I could generate enough interest to do what I have to.” Mike stared hard at the other man, letting the import of his words sink in. “At the very least you stand a good chance of losing that partnership you’re manipulating for.”
“Why, you—”
“What happened to all your two-dollar words, Counselor?”
“You won’t get away with this, Cameron.”
“Yeah, I will. The complaint is all drawn up. If you don’t drop the custody suit, my lawyer has instructions to file it. When I get through with you, you won’t be able to get a partnership in a popcorn stand.”
Doug nervously ran his tongue over his dry lips. “And if I do drop my claims to the kid?”
“My attorney has another set of briefs drawn up stating that you relinquish any present and future rights to the baby. If you kill the custody suit and sign the papers stating that you will never contact Kelly or her child, the countersuit will be dropped. No one will be the wiser. And you’ll probably get your partnership. Much as I’d like to put you out of business permanently, my first priority is Kelly and the baby.”
“How noble of you,” Doug said sarcastically.
Mike wanted to put his fist square in the guy’s patrician nose. Doug needed a shot of character. And that was about the only way he would get any. Nothing would give Mike more pleasure than to mess up this arrogant jerk. He glanced over his shoulder at Kelly. One look at her chalk-white face held him in check.
“So what’s it gonna be, Hammond?”
Doug’s face was red as he gritted his teeth. He thought for a few seconds before he said, “You win, Cameron. I’ll sign the papers.”
Mike nodded, satisfied. “I can see you’re not stupid. Just an underhanded, manipulative, shady weasel.”
“Name calling is exactly what I’d expect from a low-class person like you.”
“Now just a minute, Doug,” Kelly said, brushing past Mike to face the other man.
Mike couldn’t hide his grin. He sure didn’t need her to come to his defense, but it made this revenge all the sweeter when she did.
She pointed her finger at the other man, and the way her hand shook told Mike she was fighting mad. “Mike Cameron is a lot of things, but low class isn’t one of them. That’s really the pot calling the kettle black if you ask me.”
Doug’s lip curled distastefully. “You have to stick up for him. You married this has-been jock, and now you’re stuck with him.”
Kelly shot Mike a glance that he couldn’t read. But when she looked back at Doug her balled fists were trembling with anger. “He’s a better man than you could ever hope to be, Doug. He’s kind and caring and everything I ever wanted in a father for my child. He’s everything you’re not, and more.”
Doug stared at her, his eyes widening in shock. “I’ll be damned. And here I thought you just married him to save your job.”
“What are you talking about?” Kelly asked.
“You’re actually in love with this two-bit muscle man.”
Mike expected her to deny it, but she didn’t. Then he’ realized she couldn’t. At least not until he had signed the papers relinquishing custody.
She put her hands on her hips. “We’ve said everything there is to say, Doug. Please go now.”
He nodded. “I suppose there’s no point in prolonging this. Goodbye, Kelly.” He turned away, then stopped and looked back at her. “For what it’s worth, I really do care about you.”
“That and a buck will barely buy me a cup of coffee,” she said quietly.
Mike stood beside her on the porch as Doug backed his BMW down the driveway.
When the engine sounds had died away, Kelly sighed sadly. “He never even asked to see his daughter.”
“He doesn’t deserve her.” He stared down at her. The breeze pushed her hair off her face. Her eyes were narrowed, and he wondered what she was thinking.
Was she sorry Hammond was out of her life? Did she have any feelings for-him? The thought made Mike want to pull her into his arms and make her forget that she’d ever known Doug Hammond. Or was she regretting that Sammi would never know her father? If Mike had anything to say about it, and he would, that little girl would never miss the sorry son of a bitch.
“Sammi’s better off without him.” He turned to her and touched a finger to the corner of her lip. “Smile. Look on the bright side. You don’t have to worry about him anymore, Kel.”
“I don’t feel like smiling.” When she looked up at him, her eyes were blazing. “Don’t you ‘Kel’ me, you traitor. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
“Me?” he said, innocently touching his chest.
“Let’s go inside. I need to listen for Sammi.”
Mike followed her into the house and closed the door. In the family room she started to pace. She was really ticked off. He knew why and almost wished Hammond was still there insulting him so Kelly would jump to his defense. But now he was on his own and had to figure out how to defend himself to her.
“I had to do it, Kel.”
“What?”
“Like Susan said at the wedding, I’m your knight in shining armor, your Sir Walter Raleigh throwing my cloak over the legal swamp—”
“Susan is a romantic—”
“I thought you were, too.”
“I can’t afford to be. Not anymore. I’ve sworn off men.”
“Not permanently.”
“Yes, permanently.”
“Since when?”
“Since today, when I found out I can’t trust my best friend.”
Chapter Ten
Kelly abruptly stopped pacing and stood in front of the fireplace with her arms folded over her chest. When Mike looked into her angry, hurt, green eyes, he wished he could find the words to help him make her understand why he’d done what he had.
He reached out to cup her cheek.
“Don’t,” she said, ducking her head away.
He sighed. In the past he could always tease or charm her out of it when she was mad. If ever he needed to finesse his moves, now was the time. “Let me take a shot in the dark here. I know you’re upset—”
“Upset?” Her eyes grew wide and her voice rose a notch or two. “You can do better than that, Coach. I’m confused, angry, hurt and betrayed. Upset doesn’t even scratch the surface of what I’m feeling.”
“I’m not your enemy.” She made him feel like Benedict Arnold. “I can sort of understand the other stuff. But betrayed?”
“Let’s take that up later. Give me one good reason why you thought you didn’t need to tell me that there was a scheduled court date for a hearing on my baby’s custody.”
“I’ll give you ten—”
“And I’ll bet the first is that you never expected Doug to tell me.”
He couldn’t deny that. Tim Sargent had told him that whatever else Hammond might be, he had a reputation for being bright, and he knew the law. It would be stupid for him to contact Kelly and jeopardize his case. They had overe
stimated him.
“All right. There’s one.”
“What’s number two?” she asked. Her lips were trembling. He could deal with her anger, but if she started to cry, he couldn’t take that
“The ultrasound.”
She stared at him for a moment. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“You joked about it being a religious experience for me, but you weren’t far off the mark. When I saw Sammi inside you, and realized how closely her welfare was connected to yours, it was a sobering experience. Then when you got word that Doug had followed through on his custody threat, and you started having contractions, I knew I had to protect you.”
“And just how did you do that?”
“I told Tim to filter all information through me.”
“Aha.” She nodded once, emphatically. “I wondered why I could never get in touch with him.” Then she frowned. “That doesn’t explain why you kept things from me after she was born. Didn’t you think I had the right to know what was going on?”
“It wasn’t necessary for you to know every little thing.”
“You don’t think a court date and the countersuit are more than little things?”
“Of course they’re not little. But now they’re never going to happen.”
“But what if they had? When were you going to tell me if I had to show up? Or were you going to keep that little thing from me while you and Tim handled it? How would that have looked to the judge when Sammi’s mother didn’t see fit to show up?”
“If it had gotten that far, I would have told you. And I’d have been right there beside you.”
“Cut it out, Mike. Don’t be charming and sweet and all those other things you do to distract me when I’m mad at you.”
“Do you want to hear the rest of my reasons?”
She shook her head. “Just cut to the chase.”
“Tim and I worked out a strategy.”
“And just what was that?” she asked.
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