Live-In Mom

by Paige, Laurie

  “St. Louis has some of the finest restaurants in the world,” Sam assured her. He gave her a sly grin. “I’ll personally take you out on the town your first night there.”

  She flicked an uneasy glance over her shoulder… and met Ty Macklin’s surprised, then furious, gaze. Oh, well, it was only a matter of time before they’d run into each other. Better to face it now and get it over. She gave him a brilliant smile. “Ty. How nice to see you. You too, Tina.”

  Her tone was just right—neutral, friendly but not gushing, conversational without being either cool or warm.

  His eyes flicked from her to her companion and back. With a lowering of his dark eyebrows, he nodded to her, then to Sam.

  Tina wasn’t so restrained. “Carly,” she said warmly, rising and coming to her. She bent and gave Carly a hug. “Who’s this?” she demanded. “A new man in town, and you’re keeping him to yourself?” Tina waited with an expectant smile on her face.

  Carly groaned silently, then introduced them. “Tina Macklin, Sam Jumpers,” she said, refusing to explain who the man was.

  “Hello. Are you from around here?” Tina asked, not at all put off by Carly’s attitude.

  “No, St. Louis,” he replied, “but I wish I were. Beautiful women must grow on trees.”

  “Of course,” Tina said with a laugh. “Have I seen you before? You look familiar.”

  He told her the name of the company. Carly hoped Tina would let it go at that.

  No such luck.

  “Oh, of course. Your family owns more square footage of department-store space than any other chain in the States.” She glanced at Carly, then turned back to Sam. “Are you trying to steal Carly away from us?”

  “I’ve made her an offer,” he admitted. “A very good one.”

  Tina made the connection at once. “Your headquarters is in St. Louis, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he said. They both looked at Carly.

  So did Ty, she noticed. No expression showed on his handsome face, though. She could have been a stranger.

  “What a wonderful chance for you,” Tina said sincerely.

  “Say that again,” Sam requested. “She doesn’t seem to realize it.”

  Tina’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve refused?”

  “No, I’m thinking it over,” Carly stated firmly, feeling that things—her life, her future—were slipping out of her hands. She wanted to be in complete control when she decided her fate.

  “Perhaps she’s holding out for a better offer,” Ty suggested.

  “I’ve already had a better offer,” she informed him. “From ABC Capitalists,” she added when he looked skeptical.

  Tina gasped while Sam Jumpers looked disappointed. “I can see I’m wasting my time,” he said. “You should have told me.”

  “I turned them down, too.” Carly gave Ty a chilly smile. “As I said before, I don’t much care for big cities.” She turned back to Samuel Jumpers. “But perhaps I could learn to like St. Louis.”

  He relaxed and beamed at her. “I’ll do everything I can to ensure that.” His eyes sent out signals of approval and awareness of her as a woman.

  Ty gave a snort. She lifted her chin. It felt nice to be ap preciated, to be looked upon as an attractive woman without a wall of anger hitting her in the face.

  She’d hardly gotten settled, but maybe it was time for her to move on. She swallowed against the depression that threatened to overpower her, refusing to give in to such weakness.

  When their food arrived, she was relieved. Tina returned to her seat after she’d extracted a promise from Carly to come for a small cocktail party the following night.

  During the meal, Sam droned on and on about St. Louis and its many advantages for her. He painted a glowing scenario of her future success. She wished he’d shut up and eat so they could leave. With every bite, she was aware of Ty and his disapproving countenance, which she saw every time she glanced that way.

  When dinner was finally over, down to the last cup of coffee, they rose and departed. She said goodbye to Sam in the parking lot and got in her own car to drive home. She took his card and promised to call within a week.

  Driving to the inn, she saw her life unroll before her like the highway, a vast grayness stretching toward the horizon with no end in sight. Once inside, she roamed the spacious room in restless anger.

  She wished she’d never met Ty Macklin. He only reminded her of all the things that were absent from her life, things she hadn’t missed until she’d opened her heart to him.

  On Saturday morning, she separated her clothes into piles and took some to the cleaners, others to the laundry. Returning, she put the clean clothes away and sighed heavily, then jerked when the doorbell rang three times before she could get to it.

  Her heart knocked against her ribs at the impatient summons. She flew across the room and opened the door.

  “Brody,” she said stupidly.

  He gave her a thorough appraisal, then grunted as if satisfied that she really was all right. “I thought I’d drop by,” he said in his usual gruff manner, and walked in.

  She closed the door and gave him a sardonic smile. “You’re supposed to be in New York. A far drop, isn’t it?”

  His broad shoulders moved in a shrug as he paced like a black panther to the sliding glass doors that led out to a patio. He was a tall, lean man with black hair and a dark, piercing gaze. He rarely laughed, but when he did, it changed his rough features in a manner that startled those who saw it for the first time.

  Not that he became handsome. He’d lived a hard life, and it showed in a nose that had been broken twice. A scar puckered his right temple where a bullet had skimmed the flesh, giving his face a rakish air and the observer the impression that here was a man who didn’t flinch in the face of danger.

  Carly smiled as a rush of affection came over her. Brody wasn’t handsome, but when he smiled, his teeth were a dazzling white in his swarthy face. Like her, he tanned easily and could pass for Hispanic or Native American, if he wished.

  “Coffee?” she offered, then remembered he was always hungry. “I think I have a tin of cookies somewhere.”

  “Fine.” He followed her to the side table where she kept a coffee maker and watched while she prepared the snack.

  “I could go out for sandwiches,” she volunteered.

  He shook his head. “I had lunch on the plane. It was enough. I came to see how you were.”

  She wrinkled her nose at him. “You were always a worrywart.”

  “You always kept everything to yourself,” he snapped right back. “You’ve lost weight.”

  “A little.”

  “He’s not worth it.”

  Her head jerked around as if pulled by a string. “What makes you think there’s a man involved?”

  “Your eyes are sad.” His smile was mocking.

  She sighed. “You see right through me.”

  “So tell me about it.”

  For the next two hours, she did. When the telephone rang and she heard Tina’s voice, Carly felt a wave of relief when she realized Brody gave her a perfect excuse to get out of the party.

  “Come have early dinner with us at six,” Tina said.

  “Oh, I meant to call and tell you I won’t be there at all. I have a guest from out of town.”

  “Bring him.”

  “Uh, he isn’t much for parties,” Carly explained.

  “I’ll go,” Brody spoke right behind her.

  Tina heard him. “Good. We’ll expect you both at six.” She said goodbye and hung up.

  Carly replaced the receiver and gave Brody a scowl. “Why did you do that? It’ll only cause trouble.”

  “Good,” he said.

  She sighed as a sense of foreboding broke over her. It was going to be a difficult night.

  Brody changed from his jeans to a suit before they left for the dinner at Tina’s house. “Nice digs” was his comment on the Macklin home when she pulled into the driveway.

  She stopp
ed by the sidewalk to the ‘Victorian mansion. There were no other cars in the drive. A nervous tremor raced over her.

  Brody looked the place over as they walked toward the front door. His normally wary manner went with his profession of private investigator. A surge of affection for him made her smile. He was here to check out the cause of her unhappiness.

  She hooked her hand through his arm and gave it a squeeze. “Are you going to sock Ty Macklin?” she asked.

  “Do you want me to?” He cocked one black eyebrow at her.

  Laughing, she shook her head, then reached up to kiss his cheek in gratitude for his concern. That was the way Ty discovered them when he appeared from around the corner of the house and bounded up on the broad front porch.

  He took in the scene without comment, but his eyes, when he looked at her, were filled with some emotion she couldn’t read. A tremor shook her when he came forward with a solemn smile.

  “Hello, come on in. Tina is expecting us,” he said. “I’m Ty Macklin,” he introduced himself to Brody.

  “Brody Smith.”

  The men shook hands, then Ty opened the door, and they were engulfed in the domesticity of the older Macklin brother’s home.

  Shane met them in the foyer, the new baby in his arms. Jonathan was with him. “Hi,” the boy sang out. “Guess what, Carly? I’ve been helping with the baby. He likes me.”

  “Of course he does,” she agreed. “He’s lucky to have a cousin like you to teach him all about things.”

  “Who’s this?” Jonathan asked, looking Brody over.

  She introduced Brody to Shane and Jonathan, then Tina when she came bustling out of the kitchen. “Mrs. Perkins has everything under control,” she told them. “Let’s go into the living room and chat. Where are you from, Brody?”

  “Portland.”

  “Oh, my mom and stepfather live there.” She led the way into the living room. Shane and Jonathan put the baby to bed upstairs and rejoined them in a few minutes.

  Picture of domestic bliss, Carly thought wryly, trying not to let her glance stray to Ty too often. Brody had no such qualms. His dark gaze fastened on Ty each time Ty spoke. She realized Brody was drawing Ty out, asking all kinds of questions about his plans for the ranch and his life in general, but doing it subtly, slipping in his queries in a natural manner.

  As the evening progressed, she became increasingly anxious to get away. Each time she looked at Ty, he seemed to be watching her. When she licked her lips, she saw his eyes take in the action. It made her nervous.

  After dinner, they returned to the living room for coffee. Just as she was beginning to breathe easier, Tina left and returned with the baby. “Would you hold him for a minute?” she asked.

  Before Carly could respond, Ian was placed in her arms. She stared down into his tiny face and felt herself melt inside. She hadn’t held him since the night of Jonathan’s rescue.

  “He’s grown,” she murmured.

  “I’ll get the coffee,” Tina said, and left.

  Shane and Brody were talking about guns. They went to the study to look over a collection of antique rifles. That left Ty and Jonathan with her and the baby. Jonathan came over to the sofa and pressed in close beside her.

  “He doesn’t look like much now,” Jonathan explained, “but he’ll be different when he grows some.”

  Ty came over and sat on the other side of her. “But babies are still pretty cute, even if they do have big heads.” He and Jonathan laughed.

  She made an incoherent murmur. Her throat wouldn’t open enough for her to speak. Heat seemed to sear her body. She realized Ty was also pressed against her as he leaned over to admire the baby.

  “Do you like babies?” he asked softly.

  She looked at him. A mistake, for their lips were no more than four inches apart. His eyes seemed to bore into hers. She was held immobile by that probing gaze.

  “Dad and I do,” Jonathan piped up. “Don’t we, Dad?”

  “Yes.” His eyes never left hers.

  Carly swallowed and looked back at the baby, who opened his eyes and peered at the three faces bending over him. He smiled.

  “Look, he likes you, too, Carly,” Jonathan said. He waved a rattle to attract the baby’s attention, then made comical faces to amuse his cousin.

  “It’s probably a gas bubble. I’ve heard that’s what makes babies appear to smile during the first weeks.”

  “No,” Ty said. “I think Jonathan is right. He likes you.”

  His breath played lightly over her temple and cheek, fanning a few loose strands of hair so that they tickled. She brushed her cheek against her shoulder to stop the feeling and touched him by accident. She straightened at once, so acutely aware of his strong masculine presence, it was almost a pain.

  He smoothed the strands back for her. “Are you going to St. Louis?” he asked in a low voice.

  “I don’t know. It’s a good offer… but I haven’t decided.” She couldn’t think when he was so near. Her blood seemed to thicken, and her heart pounded furiously.

  “You didn’t like the venture capitalists?”

  That brought her gaze back to his. “How did you know about that?” she demanded, taking refuge in annoyance. It was amazing how fast news traveled in small towns.

  “I listened to your conversation.” He smiled briefly, then perused her with a solemn expression. “You’d never be happy in Chicago. You weren’t before.”

  “How do you know?” She cast him a defiant glance, then smiled when she realized Jonathan and the baby were both looking at her.

  Ty heaved a sigh as if exasperated with her. “How long is Smith staying?”

  “I’m not sure,” she hedged. “He’s supposed to be in New York tomorrow, so I guess he’ll leave in the morning.” She bounced Ian up and down when he puckered up. “There, there. Don’t cry. Mommy will be back soon.” She hoped.

  Jonathan waved the rattle in front of Ian’s face, but that didn’t distract him. He began to wail. She wondered what to do.

  “Here. I’ll take him up and change him.” Ty slipped his hands under hers and scooped the child into his arms.

  Carly watched him leave the room, Jonathan right beside him, giving advice and offering to help.

  “I’d appreciate that, son,” he told the boy.

  Ty handled children with the same easy grace he displayed while working on the ranch. Nothing fazed him. He was a wonderful father to his son and would be a wonderful uncle to Shane’s son, as Shane was with Jonathan. The Macklins were a tight-knit, loving family for children to grow up in. It would be such a pleasure to be part of it….

  She went to the window and stared out at the night sky until she could once again control the pain that raged through her. She couldn’t afford to let herself think along those lines.

  Ty didn’t trust her. He thought women used men for their own advantage. And of course she had, in a way, when she’d first come to the ranch… to find herself. She hadn’t expected to find a father and son who’d steal her heart. She wondered where the ex-wife was. Maybe she’d be there later.

  Carly decided to give the St. Louis job some definite thought.

  Tina came in with a coffee tray. “It looks like the men have deserted us,” she commented, placing the tray on the coffee table.

  “Ty and Jonathan went to change the baby. I think Shane and Brody are still discussing guns.” She returned to the sofa. “When are your other guests due?”

  Tina looked a little embarrassed. “That was a ploy to get you here. I was afraid you wouldn’t come if you thought it was only a family dinner.”

  “What happened to Jonathan’s mother?”

  “She returned to New York when the kidnapping wasn’t the big story anymore.” Tina wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so cynical.”

  The men ambled back into the room before Carly could think of a reply. She forced down a cup of coffee, then rose and said it was time to go.

  Brody looked rather surp
rised at her abrupt announcement. He and Shane were talking about the latest investigative techniques as if they were long-lost buddies. He looked at his watch. “You’re right. My plane leaves at seven in the morning. I’ll have to drag her out of bed to get me to the airport on time.”

  Carly felt a flush warm her face and quickly looked at Ty. He smiled and gave her a sexy once-over. She knew he was thinking of the times they’d been in bed. Memories of his hands sweeping over her in endless caresses brought the blood to her cheeks.

  She rushed Brody with his thanks and farewells to their hosts. In the car, she breathed a sigh of relief at getting through the evening without catastrophe. Brody had been known to hit first and ask questions later, but he’d been perfectly at ease with the Macklin brothers.

  “Good men, Shane and Ty,” he murmured, reading her thoughts. “You could do worse.”

  She gave him an exasperated glare. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m not doing anything with either of them.”

  “Well, not with Shane, naturally. He’s married. But Ty is okay. He’ll make you a good husband.”

  “I’m not… there’s nothing… I explained all that earlier,” she finally declared, amazed by his obtuseness.

  “Oh, there’s something,” he contradicted. “Be cool and don’t make any commitments to St. Louis right away.”

  She tried arguing with him, but Brody could be as tightmouthed as a miser with solid-gold teeth when he chose. She gave up shortly before they reached her place with its bedroom and tiny sitting room.

  Once inside, she flipped on a lamp. “I’ll make up the sofa. You can have my bed.”

  “I don’t mind bunking out here.”

  “No, you’re too tall. Your feet would dangle over the sofa arm.” She headed for the bedroom to fetch the sheets and a blanket. “Let me get into my pajamas and brush my teeth, then you can have it.”

  She went into the bedroom, changed clothes, washed up and was back in ten minutes.

  “Pretty good,” Brody complimented. “You’re still the fastest female in the bathroom that I’ve ever known.”