Fancy's Baby

by Pamela Bauer

  “Well, what do you think?” she asked. “Are you going to try the beer cheese soup?”

  “Have you had it before?”

  “Sure. They serve it in Minnesota. It’s pretty good.” She leaned closer to him and whispered, “Wisconsin sports fans are known as cheeseheads.”

  He grinned. “I know. I watch football and I’ve seen the hats.”

  He turned his attention back to the menu. Kika waited for him to say something—anything—but he didn’t. Finally, he closed the menu and set it aside.

  “This is an interesting place,” he remarked, taking an inventory of the wood-panelled room.

  “You said that already,” she reminded him. He didn’t look the least embarrassed. “What else do you find interesting, Nick?” she asked provocatively.

  “Your dress,” he answered, glancing at the low-cut bodice.

  “My sister-in-law calls it a manhunter.”

  “Is that a warning?”

  “You don’t strike me as the kind of man who needs to be forewarned,” she answered, her bruised ego searching for a balm.

  “Depends on the danger.” He held her gaze and her heartbeat increased its pace.

  “I’ve never been called dangerous—at least, not to my face.”

  “Probably because a lot of men like to flirt with trouble.” It looked as if the dimples would reappear, but he held them in check.

  “You think I’m trouble, Nick?”

  His eyes dropped to her bodice and a grin slowly revealed his teeth and the dimples. “In that dress you might be.”

  The waitress returned with their drinks, temporarily preempting their sexual banter. As soon as she was gone, Kika said, “I have to confess. All afternoon I expected you to call and tell me you weren’t going to come tonight.”

  “Now why would I want to do that?”

  “You haven’t been exactly eager to discuss business with me,” she reminded him.

  “You know I don’t like the idea of my daughter being in commercials,” he said honestly.

  “She doesn’t have to make a career out of it. Just this one-shot deal would probably make her enough money to fund her college education.” Once again Kika was the persuasive talent agent.

  “I don’t think you’re going to change my mind,” he warned her.

  “There are still a few days before the auditions begin.” She lifted her wineglass in salute. “In the meantime, thank you—for getting the keys out of my locked car.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled and her stomach fluttered.

  “So tell me. Did you grow up on the West Coast or was it your work that took you there?” She clasped her hands in her lap so he wouldn’t see her fidgeting.

  “I was born and raised in L.A.”

  “And did you like growing up in sunny California?”

  He shrugged. “It was a lot different when I was a kid. Fewer people, fewer cars, less pollution. I didn’t mind leaving.”

  “So you don’t miss it?”

  “Not so far, but then it’s still summer. I suppose once the snow falls I’ll miss the sunshine and mild temperatures.”

  “Does the rest of your family still live there?”

  He shook his head. “They’re scattered across the country. My parents retired to Arizona, I have one brother in Seattle and one in Philadelphia.”

  “I can’t imagine what it would be like to have my family so far apart. I have three brothers and we all live within five miles of each other.”

  “You’re lucky your profession hasn’t demanded that you move away,” he commented.

  “I did live in L.A. for a couple of years.”

  “And what did you think of it?”

  It was a painful period of her life that she really didn’t want to discuss. “It was all right, but I prefer the Midwest. I like being near my family.”

  “Then you’re close to your brothers?”

  “If you’re Italian, you’re close to brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles....” She trailed off with an affectionate grin. “Actually, my brothers are terrific. It’s just that they think they need to protect me.”

  “If you wear that dress very often I can understand why.” His eyes lingered just a little too long on the bodice, and her body grew warm.

  “I don’t need a man to fight my battles,” she stated defiantly. “I can take care of myself.”

  He cracked a half smile. “I believe you can.”

  “To survive in the entertainment industry, a woman has to be tough,” she assured him.

  “And you find it’s worth the struggle?”

  “Most of the time.” She didn’t want to admit to him that there had been times when the headaches of the job overshadowed the rewards.

  That topic came to an end as the waitress returned to take their orders. When she had finished, an awkward silence stretched between Kika and Nick. It was broken by a young boy who approached their table carrying a basket of roses.

  “Would you like to support the Little League of Tyler?” He stopped beside Nick, giving him a chance to appraise the flowers.

  Nick reached in his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a few bills. Although there were several red roses in the basket, he selected a pale pink flower nestled in a sprig of baby’s breath and offered it to Kika.

  “Thank you.” She sniffed it appreciatively. “Pink is my favorite color. Plus it matches my dress.” She held the flower across her chest and Nick thought she had never looked lovelier.

  As they dined by candlelight, he realized that he was falling a little in love with the energetic blonde. The more she told him about herself, the more he wanted to know. Hating to have the evening end, he suggested they go for a walk when they had finished eating.

  She readily agreed and led him down to the lake, where the setting sun cast a peachy glow on the water. Tied to the wooden dock was a white fiberglass canoe.

  “Oh, good. No one’s using it.” Kika walked over to the canoe and squatted down. “Do you know how to paddle one of these things?”

  “I haven’t done it before,” he admitted, watching her carefully climb aboard.

  “It’s easy, especially when the water is this calm.” She held on to the dock and motioned for him to get in. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Nick hesitated for only a minute, then stepped into the narrow boat behind her, careful not to upset the tippy craft. As soon as he was seated, Kika untied the rope securing the canoe to the dock.

  “We need to work together to move smoothly,” she told him as she reached for a paddle. He followed her lead, dipping the other paddle in the water in time with her strokes.

  “You must have done this before,” he observed as they maneuvered the boat across the placid lake.

  “Lots of times. When we were kids my folks often took us up to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, where we’d spend a week canoeing,” she told him.

  Within a few minutes, they were far out from shore. A multitude of colors shaded the western sky, and they were bathed in the amber glow of sunset.

  “Well, what do you think?” Kika asked when they finally rested their paddles across the gunwales and floated for a moment.

  Nick thought the view was spectacular, mainly because Kika was in the center of it. He knew there was no point denying it. She had aroused a part of him that had been sleeping for two years, and it felt good to be alive.

  Out in the middle of the lake, gently bobbing in the canoe, they talked and laughed until all the color had faded from the sky.

  “We should head back before it gets too dark and we can’t see the shoreline,” Kika told him.

  Reluctantly, Nick dipped his paddle back into the water. When they coasted alongside the dock, he climbed out first and offered Kika a hand. She got out gracefully and secured the boat to the dock.

  They stood like statues in the twilight, facing each other without saying a word. A loose tendril of hair had fallen across her cheek. Nick brushed it b
ack with his fingers. As his flesh grazed hers, she trembled and looked up at him with an invitation in her eyes.

  She wanted him to kiss her.

  Slowly, he lowered his head and placed his lips over hers in a kiss that was as gentle as the waves that lapped against the side of the canoe.

  It was like falling into the sunset, Nick decided, his body warm and glowing as they kissed. When his lips parted hers, she rubbed against him in a seductive manner, causing every nerve in his body to vibrate with desire.

  One kiss became two, then three, then four. Hands that had clung to shoulders explored unfamiliar territory, creating sighs of pleasure. How far they would have gone was a question that went unanswered, for just then a trio of yodelers began to sing.

  Whether they were close by or across the lake was impossible to tell in the still night air. Reluctantly, Nick released her, experiencing a sense of loss as she pulled back from him.

  The moon was rising over the lake, casting a silvery sheen on the calm water. Still close to the horizon, it made a stunning statement against the indigo sky.

  “I want to see you again, Kika,” Nick heard himself say.

  “I’d like that, too,” she said softly.

  “I’m taking the kids to Lake Michigan tomorrow. Would you like to come along?”

  She hesitated before answering. “I have a couple of appointments during the day, but I could meet you for dinner.”

  His first thought was that she didn’t want to be around his kids. He was about to tell her that he had plans for tomorrow evening when she said, “Wait. I’ll reschedule the appointments. What time should I expect you?”

  “Nine.” And with one last quick kiss, he left.

  * * *

  ALL THE WAY back to Cece and Jeff’s, Nick debated whether he should call Kika and tell her that tomorrow wasn’t going to work out. But then he remembered how good her lips had felt and he knew he would do no such thing.

  When he arrived he found Melody sitting on her aunt’s lap, listening to her read a story. Nick expected his daughter to come running once she noticed him, but she didn’t. She appeared to be perfectly content in Cece’s arms.

  Seeing them together made Nick realize how much Melody missed having a mother. Cece had the same gentle spirit as Beth, and the way she got Melody to respond was a sad reminder of what was missing in his daughter’s life.

  For the past two years he had been so caught up in his own grief that he hadn’t fully realized the extent of Melody’s loss. Here was a little girl who had never known the woman who had died giving her life. She hadn’t had a mother to sing her lullabies at night or cook her breakfast in the morning. All she had was a father who didn’t know the first thing about mother-daughter relationships. Melody had three males in her life. What she needed now was a mother, a feminine role model.

  Immediately he thought of Kika. She was beautiful, she was vibrant, she was fun to be with. There was only one small problem: she wasn’t maternal.

  “Your daughter’s a night owl,” Cece said affectionately, interrupting his musings. “Beth always liked to stay up late, too.”

  Nick smiled reflectively. “Are you ready to go home, Mel?” He sat down beside the two of them.

  Melody shook her head. “Where are the boys?” he asked, glancing around the room.

  “Still in the tent. They took a couple of flashlights and a stack of Jeff’s old comics and I haven’t heard from them since.” Cece gently eased Melody from her lap. “I’ll call them.”

  As she headed toward the kitchen, Melody scrambled down from the sofa to tag behind her.

  Nick reached for her canvas tote and began picking up her scattered toys.

  “So how was your evening?” Cece asked when she returned.

  “Great,” Nick answered, unsure as to how much he should say about his evening with Kika.

  “The lodge has good food, doesn’t it?”

  “Umm-hmm,” he agreed. “We went canoeing on the lake after dinner. It was very scenic.”

  Cece eyed him curiously. “Kika’s a nice person.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  He was relieved when the boys came barreling into the living room, for he didn’t want to discuss his relationship with Kika. Zach and Patrick begged Nick to let them sleep over in the tent. After a discussion with Cece, it was agreed that they could borrow the tent so that they could sleep outside the following night. Excited, they eagerly climbed into the car. To Nick’s relief, Melody didn’t put up a fuss, either, when he strapped her into her car seat.

  Before Nick got behind the driver’s wheel, Cece asked, “Have you thought any more about letting Melody audition for the Fancy’s Baby ad?”

  “I’m considering it,” he said, surprising himself. Turning his back so the kids wouldn’t hear the conversation, he said, “The trouble is I’ve lived in California and I’ve seen what can happen to kids in show business.”

  “You have to do what you think is best,” Cece said as a vote of confidence.

  Nick knew she was right. On the way home he thought about Beth. He wondered if she would have approved of Melody auditioning for Fancy’s Baby.

  She was still on his mind when he went to bed that night. However, when he finally fell asleep, it wasn’t Beth’s face in his thoughts, but his daughter’s. She needed a mother, and so far the only woman he had been attracted to was Kika, who had said she didn’t want to be around any more babies.

  CHAPTER NINE

  KIKA DIDN’T WANT to analyze what was happening between her and Nick. She had told herself that she was seeing him to try to convince him that Melody was right for Fancy’s Baby, but she knew she was only fooling herself. Last night had been a date, not a business meeting, and the true reason she was seeing him again had little to do with his daughter.

  When he arrived at the lodge the following morning, the top was up on his convertible. Melody’s car seat was in the center of the back seat, nestled between the two boys. All three kids smiled when they saw her, warming her heart.

  Dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a cream-colored T-shirt, Nick looked even more attractive to Kika than he had the night before. When she would have climbed in on the passenger side of the Mustang, he suggested she might like to drive. Delighted, she eagerly slid behind the wheel and listened patiently as Nick explained the instrument panel.

  “This is great!” she exclaimed as the little red car ate up the miles on the highway. “I like it.”

  “We need to take the next exit,” Nick told her, looking up from the map on his lap.

  He guided her to a marina, where row after row of sailboats lined the narrow piers. When he had said they would be going to Lake Michigan, she had expected they would swim and sun on the beach. Nick, however, had other ideas. After a quick stop at a deli, they rented a sailboat and spent the afternoon on the water.

  She discovered that although he had little experience with canoe paddles, he was a seasoned sailor. Kika could hardly believe she had ever accused the man of not knowing how to have fun. By the end of the afternoon they were sunburned and windblown, but Kika couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed herself more.

  When she returned to the lodge, there were several messages waiting. One was from Glenna McRoberts, who had left her home number. “I have good news for you,” Glenna told her when she returned her call. “Melody Miller’s name is on the audition roster.”

  Stunned, Kika asked, “When did that happen?”

  “This morning. I thought maybe you already knew about it.”

  Kika wondered if Glenna knew she and Nick had been out together. “No, I didn’t know, but I’m delighted.”

  “There are more than two hundred names.”

  “That’s great!” Kika said enthusiastically. She made arrangements to stop by TylerTots the following morning.

  As she showered and blow-dried her hair, Kika wondered what it was that had made Nick change his mind about letting Melody try out for the part. And why he hadn�
�t mentioned it when they were together.

  Wanting to talk to him, she drove into Tyler after dinner. As she pulled up in front of his house, she saw Zachary creeping behind the picket fence, a plastic bazooka in his hand. Following close on his heels was Patrick, carrying a toy machine gun.

  Kika climbed out of the car and followed the sidewalk around to the backyard. She could see Melody sitting in the sandbox, a shovel in one hand, a fistful of dirt in the other. There was no sign of Nick anywhere.

  Kika unlatched the wooden gate. It creaked as she slowly pushed it open. Before she had taken two steps into the yard, a deluge of water hit her in the face.

  “Aha! I got you,” Nick called in delight as he leapt out in front of her. The glee on his face changed to a look of horror when he realized his mistake.

  Kika was too stunned to speak. Water ran in rivulets down her face, her hair was plastered to her skull and her clothes clung to her skin.

  “Kika! I’m sorry!” he exclaimed, dropping the plastic bucket as if it were on fire.

  The boys came barreling through the gate behind her, guns aimed at their father. When they saw what had happened, their mouths fell open.

  “You got Kika!” Patrick exclaimed, eyes wide.

  “Zachary, run inside and get a towel,” Nick ordered, then led the drenched Kika over to the picnic table.

  “We were having a water fight.” Patrick announced the obvious.

  “I’m really sorry, Kika. I thought you were one of the boys,” Nick said penitently.

  Kika looked down at her white T-shirt. Because it was wet, not only was her bra apparent, her nipples were as well. When she glanced at Nick, she saw that he had noticed, too.

  Zachary came charging out of the house with a fluffy yellow towel. Nick took it from him and draped it around her shoulders.

  “We weren’t expecting company,” he said a bit sheepishly. “When I heard the gate opening I thought the boys were trying to sneak up on me.” When she still didn’t say anything, he said, “I do believe this is the first time I’ve seen you at a loss for words.”

  “Better enjoy it. It won’t last,” she warned him, running her fingers through her damp curls.