Summer swallowed, looking between Jack and Cyndi. Danny could easily have been the product of these two beautiful people. Is that what Jack saw, as well?
Cyndi looked up just then. “Aren’t you lucky.” Then she laughed again. “I’m sorry. Here I’m carrying on and I’m sure you’re hungry. Let’s go inside and have that breakfast.”
Feeling like the rumpled end of the parade, Summer followed them into the house. As they reached the stairwell, Cyndi turned to Summer with a smile. “I don’t know about you, but car trips get to me. Would you like to go upstairs and freshen up? There’s a ladies’ guest bath at the end of the hall. I keep it stocked with all the necessities.”
Geez, she was nice, too. It would be easier to hate her if she weren’t. But Summer thanked her and headed upstairs. From below, she could hear Cyndi’s and Jack’s voices blending, and the occasional laughter before it drifted out of range.
Summer took in the home’s tasteful decorating as she gingerly made her way down the hall. At the entrance of the bathroom was a full-size mirror. She took one look and groaned. Her hair was worse than she’d expected, and her makeup was horrendous. If it were possible, she would simply hide. Knowing she couldn’t, Summer entered the bathroom.
Once inside, she blinked as she saw the fully stocked counter. Everything necessary to repair her makeup and hair was there. Short of a fresh change of clothes, she could transform herself. Clearly their hostess knew how to take care of guests—even unexpected ones. Summer didn’t know whether to be grateful or resentful toward the gracious woman who had provided for them.
If Jack was interested in Cyndi, Summer could make arrangements to return to Edisto. Her heart syncopated in a dull beat of pain. It shouldn’t bother her so much, she realized. She had known from the start that she was only along for the ride until Jack and Danny reached safety. But her heart wasn’t hearing any logic. Still, Summer reached for the cosmetics. If this was her exit, she planned to look her best.
Sometime later, hair and makeup restored, she wandered downstairs. Following the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Summer found the kitchen. From there, it wasn’t a big leap to locate the breakfast room. Danny had awakened and Cyndi was holding him.
Jack sat across the table, clearly at ease. He glanced up as Summer entered. “Hey!”
Cyndi noticed her at almost the same moment. “Summer, come sit down and have some coffee. Breakfast is kind of casual, I’m afraid. Muffins, fruit, an omelet if you’d like.”
The thought of food made Summer’s stomach revolt. Jack picked up the coffeepot, filling her mug. He had slipped into the role of host, she noticed. “Thank you.”
Jack smiled. “Sure.”
“Smells good.” Summer forced the words past the lump in her throat.
“I was just telling Jack that if he wanted to work here for a while, I can use the help,” Cyndi said, tweaking Danny’s toe. “You’re welcome here forever, as far as that goes. But certainly as long as it suits your plans.”
Summer looked at both Jack and Cyndi and wondered if their plans were changing. “You breed horses?” Summer managed to ask, calling on the manners her mother had ingrained in her.
“Yes. It’s been a family business for several generations,” Cyndi replied. “Hard but rewarding work. Jack can tell you that I was in over my head for a while. In fact, I don’t know what I would have done without him.”
Somehow Summer managed to smile and nod. “I see.”
“This little guy must be a handful,” Cyndi commented.
Belatedly realizing that Cyndi was addressing her, Summer glanced at Danny, her emotions fracturing again. “That he is.”
Seeing Summer’s gaze on him, Danny began wriggling in earnest.
“Looks like he wants you,” Cyndi said with regret, then handed him over to Summer.
“Hey, big guy,” Summer said softly. “You finally woke up, huh?”
Plump fists promptly reached for Summer’s hair. Accustomed to his fascination with her hair, Summer smiled as she gently untangled tiny fingers.
“I guess motherhood teaches you how to deal with that,” Cyndi said, watching them. “Jack is lucky to have found you. No one would know Danny’s not your own.”
Not certain what Jack had told Cyndi and uncomfortable with the line of conversation, Summer concentrated on Danny, offering him a bite of banana as she stalled. “You don’t have children?” Summer finally asked.
A look of unexpected pain crossed Cyndi’s face. “I’m afraid not.” Then she smiled again. “Jack, you remember where your old room is, don’t you? Do you think it will be large enough? It does have the small sitting room.”
“It will be fine,” Jack assured her.
His old room? Summer thought. Somehow that sounded a tad too intimate.
But later she had to admit it was a lovely room. Just as everything in the house was. Just as Cyndi was. Why wouldn’t a man like Jack be attracted to her? She was beaube gracious and warm.
“So you told Cyndi, I was Danny’s stepmother?” Summer asked when they were alone.
He shrugged. “She assumed so.”
So that was how it was. “I see.”
“Are you all right for now? I thought I’d go check out the situation, see what needs to be done.”
Nodding, she watched him leave. Once he was out of the room, she crossed to the window and pulled back the curtain. Within a few moments, she saw Jack walk toward the stables, then pause when Cyndi joined him. Together they headed away.
Slowly Summer allowed the curtain to fall back into place. So this was the safe house Jack wanted to reach. Unfortunately she could see why.
“They couldn’t have just disappeared,” the pale-eyed man replied grimly.
The graying man shrugged nervously. “It’s as though they fell off the planet”
“Since we both know that’s not possible, you’d better come up with a better scenario.”
“I’m running everything in Anderson’s file through another computer scan. Got somebody working on it—a profiler type. Should be able to tell us where Anderson will run.”
“The last expert told us he’d head straight to his relatives, then to the police.”
Thick lips twitched in agitation. “This profiler’s supposed to be more accurate.”
Pale eyes chilled. “You’d better hope so.”
The horse-breeding business was a demanding one, Summer soon teamed. Long hours, hard work—it wasn’t as glamorous as she had assumed after seeing the well-appointed home. But Jack thrived on it.
Taking to the fresh air, the arduous work, he was more at ease than she’d ever seen him. And all of that couldn’t be credited to Cyndi.
Summer realized that Jack was a man of action. He would never be content to sit on the sidelines. He wanted—needed—to make things happen. She wondered how he dealt with the frustration of not being able to do that because of the restraints he’d been placed under.
Summer guessed she was only just beginning to realize how many changes and sacrifices Jack had made in order to live his ideals. Having done the right thing, now he was living with the consequences. How many men had she known who were willing to live their principles despite the cost? Briefly she thought of Tyson, her ex-fiancé. He hadn’t even been willing to commit to a woman who couldn’t further his career. And that was after she had put her life on hold for four years waiting until Tyson felt the time was right.
And ultimately the time had never been right.
Unwillingly her mind raced to compare Tyson to Jack. Quickly she realized there was no comparison. Jack was unlike any man she’d ever known. Commitment, morality, strength—it was quite a combination. And she could see why that combination would appeal to an exquisite woman like Cyndi.
Closing her eyes in pain against that thought, Summer brushed her hair for the second time, wishing she could reinvent herself as a stunning brunette. Sighing, she stopped procrastinating and made her way downstairs.
Cyndi
had wanted an opportunity to play with the baby, and Summer had painfully acknowledged it was probably a good idea. If the woman was going to be a permanent fixture in Jack’s and Danny’s lives, she should become accustomed to the baby.
Taking a deep breath, Summer forced herself to smile as she stepped into the dining room. Danny, normally cheerful and content, was fussing.
Cyndi smiled at Summer in relief. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with Danny. He doesn’t seem too happy, and Jack’s outside looking at Black Star. I’m worried about a tendon strain, and that horse is my prime player. Since Jack’s dad is a veterinarian and he grew up with horses, he’s practically an expert. While Jack was here before, he cut the vet calls in half.
“Really,” Summer murmured. “I had no idea.”
“Yes. I’m pretty good myself with horses, but I haven’t a clue about babies.”
“Hey, big guy,” Summer greeted Danny. “What’s wrong?”
He held out his hands toward Summer, and Cyndi lifted him into Summer’s arms. “Looks like he wants you.”
Automatically Summer felt his forehead and cheeks. They were a touch warm, but nothing to be alarmed about
“Is he okay?” Cyndi questioned anxiously. “Like I said, I’m a total incompetent with babies.”
“I’m sure you’re fine,” Summer said, allowing Danny to cuddle against her. “Maybe he’s just been in too many strange places in too short a time.”
“Trips will do that,” Cyndi agreed, looking relieved “So you think he’s not sick?”
“I’m no doctor, but I think he’s okay.”
“You’re a mother and that’s just as good,” Cyndi protested. “My mother always knew just what was wrong when I didn’t feel well.”
Summer’s throat ached with unspoken words. Knowing they had to remain unsaid, she concentrated on the immediate. “Could I have an ice cube?”
“Oh, of course.” Cyndi disappeared into the kitchen and returned quickly with a glass of ice cubes. “I don’t know how many you want.”
Summer found one small cube and showed it to Danny before easing it into his mouth and then sitting with him in the rocker. “Is it your gums, sweetie? Is there a new tooth trying to come in?”
“Is that what it is?” Cyndi asked in relief. “I was afraid something more serious was wrong with him.”
Jack walked in just then, his gaze jetting between the two women and finally resting on Danny. “Is something wrong with Danny?”
“Like an idiot, I panicked because he’s teething,” Cyndi explained. “Luckily Summer recognized it and she’s already dealt with the problem.”
Jack crossed the room to squat beside Summer’s chair. He reached out to pat Danny’s tummy, then checked his forehead.
“I don’t think he’s warm enough to worry,” Summer murmured. She had learned that teething could cause babies to run a mild temperature.
“Right,” Jack agreed. Then his eyes met hers, and she read the silent gratitude.
“He’s sure a love,” Cyndi sighed. “Teething or not. Such a handsome boy.” Her brilliant smile rested on Jack. “Just like Dad.”
Summer bent her head toward the baby, shading her expression. Yes, just like Dad. And like Jack, Cyndi was one of the beautiful people. People who belonged together.
Feeling like a mutt intruding on the Westminster Kennel Club show, Summer wished she could simply fade into the background. She tried for the second-best solution. “Since Danny’s not feeling that great, I think I’ll take him upstairs for his supper. I suspect he’ll be fussy. I’m not that hungry myself, and we could call it an evening.”
“Do you have to?” Cyndi questioned with what sounded like genuine distress.
“I don’t have to bat—”
“I’d rather you stayed,” Jack inserted quietly, still squatting close by.
“Cyndi’s lovely dinner won’t go as smoothly,” Summer protested.
“It will be wonderful having the interruptions,” Cyndi declared. “I have far too many quiet, undisturbed dinners. A baby is an immensely appealing distraction.”
Jack would have to be comatose to miss that hint, Summer decided. So, Cyndi’s dinners were solitary ones. Apparently there was a vacancy in her life she wanted to fill.
Reluctantly Summer joined them at the table a few moments later. It was especially comforting to have Danny acting so clingy. She cuddled his warm body close. Despite the envy she couldn’t squelch, Summer knew that she would experience lasting pain when she separated from both father and son. However, seeing Cyndi’s concerned glance resting on her, Summer shored up a smile.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have a high chair,” Cyndi apologized. “I don’t have many guests Danny’s age. But I could hold him for you,” she offered. “Then you can eat, too. And if I can’t handle things, you’re right here.”
Jack smiled fondly at Cyndi. Summer watched his easy, relaxed grin as she tried valiantly to ignore the shaft of pain it caused. Because even though the smile wasn’t directed at her, she realized she cared enough about Jack to want to see him smile like that. He deserved happiness. He’d made sacrifices most people couldn’t begin to fathom. Could she begrudge him happiness now? Despite the cost to her?
“Summer,” Cyndi repeated, trying to gain her attention. “Would that be okay—for me to hold Danny while you eat?”
“Sorry. Of course, if you’re certain you want to.”
Cyndi all but clapped her hands together. “I’m afraid I’m a total boob when it comes to babies. But when I’m sure I’m not doing anything to hurt them, I just love being able to take care of one.”
Disguising her reluctance, Summer tried to hand Danny to Cyndi. But Danny chose to be obstinate.
Bless his little heart.
Fists waving, cheeks purpling with agitation, he put up a terrific howl when Cyndi tried to take him.
To her credit, Cyndi was graceful about the rebuff. “I don’t blame him. I suspect I’d feel the same way. I wouldn’t want a stranger taking care of me if I were sick.”
Summer strove for an equal share of graciousness, especially when she saw the yearning in the other woman’s eyes. “I’m sure that by morning Danny would love to be given a second chance.”
Cyndi smiled softly, her voice quiet. “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that when I get back from town tomorrow.” She glanced at Jack, raising her voice a fraction. “What a lovely family you have, Jack.”
Jack met Summer’s eyes across the table. “Yes, I’m a lucky man.”
Startled, she couldn’t force her gaze to leave his.
Cyndi’s warm chuckle broke the intense stare.
Embarrassed, Summer glanced away.
“Young love, how magnificent,” Cyndi said with a trace of longing.
Summer’s eyes seemed to travel back toward Jack with a will of their own. She wished suddenly for a stargazer’s crystal ball so that she could discern the truth behind all the longing in the room. And discover how she fit into the cosmic puzzle.
Stark fingers of dread snaked over her, entrapping Summer in their relentless grasp. Dark, nameless terror attacked. Her head whipped from side to side as she tried to elude her pursuers.
But only a deepening black void greeted her. Summer struggled, trying to force her leaden limbs to move, to run, to escape. But despite her most valiant efforts, she was frozen in place.
Overpowered and outnumbered, she searched for strength and found paralysis instead. A cold sweat drenched her.
Finally her frozen vocal cords responded to the overwhelming terror and she screamed, the sound bouncing off the walls, echoing through the room.
Strong hands clamped over her shoulders, shaking her gently, then with more force. “Summer, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”
Heart pounding so hard that it was painful, she slowly came awake. As always when emerging from a nightmare, it was hard for her to separate reality from the frightening dream that had her in its grasp. “Jack?”
&nb
sp; He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. “Shh, it’s okay. You just had a bad dream.”
Remembering, she shuddered.
Jack drew her close. “It’s not real. It can’t hurt you.”
“But it seemed so real. They always do.”
“I won’t let anything hurt you,” he promised, continuing to run his hand through her hair.
Briefly Summer remembered being in the clutches of her captors, then felt remarkably soothed as Jack held her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Is Danny—?”
“Sound asleep. Guess it was a big day for him. Don’t worry about waking me up. You let me sleep the other night. It’s my turn to pay you back.”
“Could you just stay here with me for a few minutes?” she asked, hating that she still felt so weak and afraid.
He stretched out beside her. “I’m not going anywhere. Why don’t you tell me your dream?”
Embarrassment waged with the desire to be comforted. “You’ll think it’s silly.”
Again he stroked her hair, his thumb skimming over her cheek. “Nothing that frightens you is silly. Come on, tell me.”
She hesitated, then the words spilled out in a rush. “Someone was chasing me ... and they caught me.”
He pulled her even closer. “That’s understandable. We’re fleeing—it spilled over into your dreams.”
Summer’s eyes were troubled as she raised them. “But you don’t understand. I’ve always been plagued by nightmares—it’s as though I never feel truly safe.”
“But your family is so solid.”
“I know.” She hesitated again. “The nightmares began when my father died. I guess I felt abandoned—that I had no protector. Then when my fiancé left... The dreams grew worse.” Appalled at her revelation, she tried to pull away.
Jack drew her closer. “Any man who walked away from you is a fool.”
Startled, Summer searched his eyes, wondering what was hidden in their dark-blue depths.
The Hijacked Wife Page 13