“Yeah.” Calder stood close enough that his warm exhales landed near her nose. He smelled so good.
For a split second, she closed her eyes, imagining his sweet taste. And then she dragged herself back to reality.
The old Pandora would’ve ignored Quinn in favor of a frenzied roll in the hay. New-and-improved Pandora forced a deep breath, then, as gracefully as possible when her limbs were oh-so-pleasantly entangled with a hulking navy SEAL and a paintbrush and roller, extricated herself from the situation.
“Duty calls.” She ducked under Calder’s arm to escape to the hall bathroom where she washed paint from her hands. A glance in the mirror showed dilated pupils and flushed skin. The lovely shade of lemon sorbet marked her breasts where they’d brushed against Calder’s chest.
Cheeks superheated, nipples mortifyingly hard, she craved a drink almost as badly as Calder’s touch.
The thought scared her.
Brought her down from the clouds to scurry into Quinn’s room where she addressed the infant’s needs instead of her own.
Chapter Eight
Pushing midnight, with Quinn long asleep, bone-deep exhaustion settled over Calder—only not from the physical exertion of painting, but from keeping his hands off his son’s nanny.
Calder sat on one side of the kitchen floor, leaning against the cabinets. He sat on the floor because Pandora said he was too dirty to sit on the furniture and she was right.
She sat opposite him, daintily plucking green peppers from her pizza and setting them in a soggy pile on the edge of her plate.
“When I ordered,” he asked, “why didn’t you tell me of your apparent green-pepper aversion?”
“If you like them, it’s not a big deal for me to take them off.” Having finally completed her task, she took her first bite and smiled. “Mmm. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
She smiled again as she chewed. A good three hours earlier, her ponytail had gone crooked, and yellow now streaked her cheeks and hair. Yellow overspray from the roller speckled the lenses of her glasses. He had never seen her looking more lovely. And he had never wanted a woman more, yet been so keenly aware he couldn’t have her. Was that the force driving his attraction? The fact that she was off-limits?
“Green peppers aside,” Calder asked after his second slice, “when’s the last time you did something nice for yourself?”
“All the time.” She sipped her cola. He’d offered her a beer, but she’d declined.
“Like what?”
“Last Friday, Quinn and I went to some yard sales again. We had a great time.”
“Yeah, but all you bought were things for my house or Quinn.”
“I grabbed a few books for myself. And those two throw pillows. And I forgot to mention it, but I met one of the neighbors and even joined her club. Quinn and I are now official members of the Neighborhood Beautification Committee.”
“That sounds indulgent,” he teased after finishing his brew.
She rolled her eyes. “You sound like one of those morning talk shows where they have some expert talk about how stressed we all are, and how women should indulge themselves by soaking in bubble baths or frolicking in potpourri.”
I’d like to see you frolic—naked.
That thought sent Calder reaching for another beer.
“For me anyway, all that’s a crock. I wasted a lot of time doing only what I wanted in life and it cost me—dearly.” She shrugged, “May sound cheesy, but now I get more satisfaction from making other people happy.”
“Makes sense.” Whoa. Had the mysterious Pandora Moore actually opened up? He almost asked what specifically she’d lost, but then thought better. Interrogation wasn’t his strongest suit, but he knew enough to recognize he’d learn more from carefully listening to her than pressing for answers. Besides, she was a genuinely nice person. Aside from his team members, he hadn’t met all that many.
“Thank you for my lemon sorbet.” She was back to plucking green peppers. “Once we clean all the drips and put everything back in place, your house will be very pretty.”
It was on the tip of Calder’s tongue to tell her no house could be as pretty as her, but even though the statement would’ve been true, she deserved more than his old brand of clichéd cheese. “I think so, too. Might also make it more homey for Quinn.”
She nodded, then rose to put her plate in the dishwasher. She held out her hand for his.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” She stared at him a moment too long. “You must be exhausted.”
“Trust me, I’ve had worse days.” He joined her in clearing the small dinner mess and putting away what remained of their meal. “Tell me about this club you and Quinn joined.”
“It’s no big deal.” She leaned against the counter and shrugged. “Just a friendly group helping to keep the park and main entrance areas clean. I really like the woman who leads it. Her name’s Lila. She’s a grandmotherly type. Quinn took an instant liking to her, too.”
“Nice.” He wiped down the counter. “He doesn’t get to see much of my mom—which reminds me, we’re invited for a long weekend with her and my stepdad at some resort. Interested?”
“When?” Just like that, her mood turned evasive again. She’d darted her gaze and drew in her lower lip.
“Third weekend in October.”
She took a moment to ponder this, then smiled. “Sure.”
The issue should’ve been no big deal. So why was he back to wondering what she was trying to hide?
*
AFTER CALDER HAD gone to bed and she’d checked on Quinn, Pandora found it impossible to sleep. Her room smelled strongly of paint, but she liked the newness. The scent was faint in Quinn’s room, but she’d cracked his window just in case.
While pacing her room, she could’ve told herself she couldn’t sleep because of excitement over their upcoming trip, and it would be true. After all, she’d never been on a true vacation—not that this was, since she’d technically be working, but just staying at the resort would be a new thrill.
She could also claim insomnia over the sheer wonder of her beautiful new room. She couldn’t wait to hit more yard sales and thrift stores, finding just the right pictures and knickknacks. She’d decorate it as if it were her own. Sort of a practice run for when she and Julia finally had their own home.
The truth behind her inability to close her eyes, though, was a bit more complicated, centered around a certain SEAL whose mere presence raced her pulse.
Never having been big on small talk, she’d expected their day spent together to be agony, yet he was surprisingly easy to talk to. But maybe that was because he’d done most of the talking. He never ran out of stories and she’d very much enjoyed hearing of his many travels.
So why, then, had she opened her big fat mouth during dinner? I wasted a lot of time doing only what I wanted and it cost me—dearly.
Pandora covered her face with her hands.
Had Calder read anything into her statement? Surely not, or he wouldn’t have invited her to meet his mother and stepdad. She was acting paranoid, but spending time behind bars did that to a person.
*
THE NEXT MORNING, Calder watched on while Pandora fed Quinn Cheerios and pinchable-size banana chunks and blueberries. The baby had milk in his sippy cup, but still managed to make quite a mess. He’d learned berries can be smooshed before eating. Each time he popped one on his high-chair tray, he giggled.
Realizing his kid had learned something—no matter how minute—did funny things to Calder’s heart. Not the touchy-feely sort, he couldn’t tell whether he felt parental pride or the same garden-variety affection he would for any cute kid with purple cheeks. But then, that was also significant, because when was the last time he’d even noticed a kid other than his own?
Then there was Pandora. Hair still damp from the shower and her T-shirt clinging to certain curvy areas, he couldn’t help but wonder if this little domestic scene was the real deal. If he
leaned to his right, cupping her left breast, would he earn a swat and a dirty look or the sort of grown-up giggle that led to a steamy kiss?
He exhaled sharply.
This kind of thinking wouldn’t do.
He shouldn’t be consumed by lustful thoughts about his son’s nanny. No doubt a night started at Tipsea’s and ended with a hottie at the motel across the street would heal his horny afflictions.
Only trouble was he didn’t want to go to a bar. He wanted to stay home with Quinn and Pandora. Which made no sense.
“What are your plans for today?” Pandora asked.
“Guess since poor Quinn got stuck watching us paint yesterday, we could do something together today? I mean, if you’re available?”
“Yesterday at Lowe’s, I noticed the pansies were out. If you feel up to it, we could plant a few dozen in the front flower bed. Quinn loves the park sandbox, so I’m sure he’d get a kick out of gardening.”
“Not a half-bad idea. Mom always used to have me help out in the yard. Though it’s been years since I’ve done anything but mow.”
Two hours later, supplies were purchased and unloaded.
Only trouble was, when Calder looked to Pandora for guidance as to how they should proceed, she sat on the pile of three topsoil bags with Quinn on her lap, both of them looking at him.
“What next?” he asked.
She frowned. “Sorry. I’ve never really done anything like this. Always wanted to, but...” She lifted the hood on Quinn’s sweatshirt. Clouds had moved in, turning the September day chilly.
“This whole flower plan was your idea.”
Along with an adorable grin, she said, “It can’t be that hard.”
Calder shook his head then whipped out his phone. “I’ll look it up.” A minute later, he said, “I officially feel like an idiot and you should, too.” He smiled to let her know he was teasing. “Pretty simple. We pluck all the weeds and existing dead crap. Dump on the new dirt. Stick the plants in the ground. If we still have energy, we can go back to Lowe’s for the mulch the sales guy kept pushing.”
“You’re right—” another grin shot his way “—I do feel stupid.” To Quinn, she asked, “Ready to get to work?”
The baby gurgled.
She sat him on the brick garden path where he proceeded to grab for anything green and shove it in his mouth. “Maybe including Quinn in this project wasn’t such a hot idea.”
“How about for the weeding part,” Calder said, “you two supervise?”
When the old-and-married crowd at work occasionally complained about the household chores their wives had them do, Calder had always been sympathetic. He’d assumed he’d never want to be saddled with that kind of boredom. But it turned out the more he worked, the better the yard looked. His yard. Their yard. And for whatever reason, he liked the sound of that. Not cool for a guy who knew he could never handle true commitment.
Finished weeding, he and Quinn broke up the ground a little with the spade they’d purchased. “There you go, buddy,” he urged his son. “Stab it. Get it all nice and loose.”
Quinn shrieked every time he slammed the spade into the dirt.
“Aw, he makes me wistful for when my kids were young.” A woman about his mother’s age approached across the driveway.
“Lila, hi.” Pandora rose, giving the woman a hug. “This is Quinn’s dad, Calder.”
“Nice to finally meet you.” She extended her hand for him to shake, but as he was as dirty as his son, they both laughed and air shook.
“Lila’s the leader of the cleanup club I told you about.”
“Seems like a clean-enough neighborhood.” Calder sat back on his heels. “Is there enough litter that you need a whole group?”
Quinn grabbed a clump of dirt, bringing it to his mouth.
“Hold up, bud.” Calder grabbed his son around the waist, swooping him onto his lap. He turned to Pandora. “Think he’s hungry?”
“For finding trouble,” she teased, taking the infant from him, brushing off the soil he’d gotten on his jeans and T-shirt.
“Sorry,” Calder said to Lila. “Seems like ever since Quinn landed in my life, I’m always a step behind whatever mayhem he’s causing.”
“Comes with the territory.” Lila warmly smiled. “And to answer your question, you’d be surprised how inconsiderate people can be when it comes to improper trash disposal. But trash isn’t our only focus. We also beautify the entries, decorating them for holidays and such.”
“That’s nice.” Not being all that big a fan of holidays, Calder wasn’t sure what else to say. He’d spent last Christmas in Afghanistan. It hadn’t been a good time.
“It means a lot to some of our older neighbors whose families are grown and far away. Reminds them of happier times.”
“Sure.”
“Hard to believe the three of you aren’t a family.” Lila fixed her smile on Quinn, tweaking his sneaker. “You seem so comfortable together.”
“Yeah, well—” Calder thumbed toward his still-to-be-finished job, then the sky “—I should finish. Looks like rain.”
“Of course.” Lila gave Pandora another hug, asking her to stop by for coffee soon.
Once she’d left, Pandora said, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to involve you in my club.”
“Not a problem.” Despite Quinn’s help, he’d spread the fresh soil and now planted yellow flowers. “She seems nice.”
“She is. But I know most men don’t like to be bothered with these kinds of things.”
Once again, alarm bells rang. Not wanting to alert her to the fact he found her statement—her overall behavior—odd, he kept planting. She’d reacted in a similar manner that day he’d met her at the grocery store. As if she’d grown accustomed to appeasing a hothead. Had she once been in an abusive relationship? The thought of a man doing her physical harm made him nauseous. “In case it escaped your notice, I’m not most men. I’m guessing it gets lonely for you, here alone all day with Quinn. I’m glad you met a friend.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.” He glanced her way, pretending not to notice her shimmering green eyes. It took more willpower than he’d known he possessed not to flat out ask her about her past. Instead, he realized no matter what Natalie told him, for his own morbid curiosity, he had to know what Pandora had been through.
*
ON WEDNESDAY, PANDORA tidied the house in preparation for one of Natalie’s regular home inspections. Though Pandora had nothing to be nervous about, she took extra care with scrubbing the backsplash grout behind the kitchen sink.
“Quinn,” she said, “do you think all this cleaning will help your daddy want to keep me around for a nice long time?”
The boy cooed from his walker.
“Yes? Awesome!” She knelt alongside him to kiss his chubby cheek.
By the time her friend arrived, the home fairly sparkled and the air smelled rich from fresh-baked lemon poppy-seed bread.
“Wow,” Natalie said as she admired the kitchen. “I love this color. Your idea or Calder’s?”
Glowing from her friend’s praise, Pandora busied her flighty hands by slicing them each a piece of the bread. “Surprisingly, Calder’s idea to paint, but he let me pick the color, which I thought was awfully nice. Since the windows are a standard size, I’ve got my eye out for curtains. Although I’ve always thought it might be fun to learn to sew. Wonder if the thrift store ever gets sewing machines?”
“Uh-oh...” Natalie drew a chair out from the kitchen table.
“What’s wrong?” Pandora redirected Quinn, who had whined when he’d gotten himself stuck in a corner.
“You’re sounding awfully domestic. I’ve been at this job for a long time, and I’m pretty sure this is the cleanest house I’ve ever seen.” She nibbled her bread.
“And? What’s your point?” With Quinn once again happily touring the kitchen, Pandora joined her at the table.
“I don’t want to see you hurt. I’m afraid yo
u’re falling for Calder and his son. This is a job—not your life. You have Julia to consider.”
Natalie’s words hit Pandora like a slap. “That’s a horrible thing to say. More than anyone, I know my place in this house. And I sure as—” she stopped short of cursing “—I know my first and only priority is my daughter.”
“I didn’t mean to sound cruel.” When Natalie covered her hand, Pandora jerked away.
“You might not have meant to, but you did.” Moving away from the table, Pandora needed to hold Quinn—to remind herself he was the reason she worked so hard to make this house a home.
Really? Then why had Calder’s approval come to mean so much? Why did something as simple as his enjoyment of her meat loaf fill her with a quiet contentment she’d never known?
“I’m sorry.” Though her friend’s tone was sincere, Pandora couldn’t get past her hurt feelings—only not because of what Natalie had said, but because she knew her friend was right but didn’t want to admit it. Though Julia was her top priority, she could no longer deny Quinn and his dad had taken a close second.
“It’s okay.” Rejoining Natalie, she rested her elbows on the table, covering her face with her hands. “Sometimes it’s scary how well you know me. I do like Calder—a lot. But I swear to you nothing inappropriate has happened.”
“I didn’t think for a minute it had, but you know what the funny thing is?” She smiled. “I almost wish it would. Calder’s a good guy. He seems shaky about the whole instant-fatherhood situation he finds himself in, but who wouldn’t?”
“Bite your tongue. You’re right, though. I guess I have been trying to make this place cozier than I should, but Nat, considering where I’ve been, is that so wrong? Jail was...” Refusing to cry, she shook her head. “Jail was a nightmare. The halfway house not much better. Every day here is a dream. Calder is...” How did she begin describing the unexpected role he now played in her life? “Well, Calder’s fast becoming my friend. Aside from you, I haven’t had many.”
“That makes me sad.”
“Up until now, I haven’t deserved any.” But in the almost two months she’d cared for Quinn, she felt transformed. Granted, her current role had come about through plenty of hard work, but she had done it. And now her life was better for it. “But that’s changing. I’ve had a few good talks with a nice neighbor, and in a couple weeks I’ll meet Calder’s mom and stepdad.”
A Navy SEAL's Surprise Baby Page 9