by Pamela Bauer
“What things?” she asked.
“This for one.” He leaned across the seat and pulled her into his arms, covering her mouth with his. It was the kind of kiss Kika had wanted him to give her when she had stepped off the plane. Full of passion, it said that he had missed her just as much as she had missed him.
When it ended they were both breathing heavily. He rested his forehead against hers and fought for self-control.
“As much as I’d like to continue this, I don’t think a Mustang convertible is the best place for this type of conversation.” He straightened, brushing a wisp of blond hair back from her face. “The boys wanted you to stay at the house with us.”
“And what did you want?”
He released her and leaned back in his seat. “I can’t have what I want, Kika.”
“Why don’t you tell me and let me be the judge of that?” She reached over and began toying with the buttons on his shirt.
He captured her fingers in his hand, then brought them to his lips. “I’m sorry about the way things ended between us.”
“Are you sorry that I left or sorry that I spent the night?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
“The only regret I have about that night is that it was over before we had a chance to talk about it.” He didn’t release her hand, but held it tightly within his two large ones.
“You acted as though you didn’t have anything to say in the morning,” she reminded him.
“You didn’t hang around long enough to find out.”
“Because I thought you didn’t want me there. You wouldn’t talk to me.”
“I wasn’t sure what to say. I don’t make a habit of sleeping with women I’ve known only a week.”
“Is that all it was? A week?” she asked wistfully. “It felt as though we knew each other longer than that.”
“Yes, it did,” he agreed.
“There’s such a strong physical attraction between us,” she said quietly. “It’s never happened to me like this before—so fast and so intense.”
“Me neither.” He reached across to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I guess that’s why I didn’t know what to say to you when you came waltzing into the kitchen looking so normal.”
“How was I supposed to look?”
“I liked the way you looked. It’s just that I could barely get dressed that morning and here you were bouncing into the kitchen as if you hadn’t stayed awake half the night making...” He paused, as if suddenly unsure what to call their night of passion.
“We made love,” she supplied quietly.
He stared out over the steering wheel, as if searching in the darkness for his next words. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he asked, “Isn’t it a little too early to call it that?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted honestly. “All I know is that it was too important to pretend it didn’t happen.”
He looked at her then with heavy-lidded eyes and said, “I want it to happen again.”
Then he pulled her close, settling his mouth on hers in a hungry kiss that made her go limp in his arms. His hand sought her breast and she shivered with delight, forgetting everything but the exquisite sensation of his touch.
Nick would have liked to forget everything but the sweetness of her lips, but he knew that no matter how much he wanted to spend the night with Kika, he couldn’t. He had three kids waiting for him at home. With a supreme effort, he lifted his head and removed his hand.
“It kills me to have to say this, but I have to take you to Granny Rose’s. I promised Annabelle I wouldn’t be late,” he told her, trying not to succumb to the temptation to kiss her one more time.
Although she nodded her head in understanding, a tiny sigh escaped her lips. Nick couldn’t resist planting one last kiss on her mouth.
They rode in silence for several minutes before he said, “I’d like you to spend the weekend in Tyler.”
“Want to have more fun, Nick?”
He shot her a sideways glance and saw that same flirtatious look she had given him the first night they had met. “Can you get away for the weekend?”
“I think so. Will it cause a problem with Annabelle?”
“No.”
“You sound awfully certain about that.”
He wasn’t, but he didn’t want to think that anything could go wrong with his plans to be with her. “Don’t borrow trouble,” was what his grandmother had always said, and right now he understood the wisdom of her words.
“Annabelle has a good heart. She just has to get used to seeing me with someone other than Beth,” he told her, ignoring the little voice in his head that said he, too, struggled with the same problem. Ever since he had felt the first stirrings of attraction for Kika, a part of him had protested, made him feel disloyal. For so many years Beth had been the only woman he’d needed, the only woman he’d wanted.
“I’m sure I can stay at the lodge if Granny Rose’s is filled,” Kika told him.
Nick knew that there was only one place he wanted her to stay and that was with him. Yet he couldn’t say that. Not because he worried about what Annabelle would think, but because he was afraid that if Kika moved in with him for even two days he wouldn’t want to let her go again. They needed more time before they made that decision.
“I promised the boys I’d take them swimming during the day, but I can probably get a sitter for Saturday night,” he told her as he turned onto Main Street.
“You want me to bring my swimsuit?”
Images of the string thing with the green triangles popped into his head and caused a certain part of his anatomy to throb. “Do you want to come swimming with us?”
“Sure, but I don’t want to intrude on your family time.”
He thought it was a strange thing for her to say. Did she really worry that she would be intruding or was it that she really didn’t want to be around his children?
It was an issue he would have liked to explore, but as he pulled up in front of Granny Rose’s Bed-and-Breakfast, Joe and Susannah Santori were sitting out on the porch. Any opportunity for private conversation was gone.
A short time later, as Nick drove home, doubts began to creep into his thoughts. Maybe he was only fooling himself to think that someone like Kika would want to be a part of his life—a life that included three kids. She had told him right from the start that she had no intention of being a traditional wife and mother. Although she seemed to get along with the boys, he couldn’t help but wonder if that wasn’t part of her sales pitch as a casting director. She was used to getting people to do what she wanted.
As he pulled the Mustang into his drive, he could see Annabelle looking out the window. He only hoped she wasn’t going to give him the third degree about this evening or launch into another sermon on why Melody shouldn’t be Fancy’s Baby.
To his surprise, his mother-in-law said nothing on either subject. Grateful, he thanked her for putting the kids to bed, kissed her cheek and said goodbye. The only awkward moment came when she reminded him of the barbecue.
“Barbecue?” He didn’t remember her telling him she was planning any cookout.
“Yes. I’ve invited over some of the people of Tyler so you can get to know them. Elaine Jackson will be coming from Sugar Creek. She’s a friend of Brick Bauer, the police chief.”
“When is this barbecue?” he asked, feeling a sudden sinking sensation in his stomach.
“Why, Saturday, of course. See you then!” And with a wave she was gone.
Saturday. No. He would not give up his evening with Kika. He would simply have to tell Annabelle he was bringing a guest—Elaine or no Elaine.
Whenever he held Kika in his arms, Nick felt confident that they could make their relationship work. However, whenever they were apart, the doubts flooded in. The key was to not let her out of his sight.
His hopes for the weekend began to dim as the reality of the situation set in. He was falling in love with a woman who di
dn’t like children and who lived two hundred and fifty miles away. What chance did they have to make a relationship work?
Early the next morning Nick dropped Zachary and Patrick at Adventure Club, then took Melody over to Granny Rose’s to pick up Kika. Any apprehension he’d had concerning leaving Melody in Kika’s care vanished when he saw the way his daughter’s face lit up when Kika climbed into the car.
There was a bond forming between the two of them. He could sense it, and it gave him hope that Kika wasn’t faking her devotion to his daughter.
As they entered the airport, he saw how capable and self-sufficient Kika was as she checked in at the airlines. With the ease of a seasoned traveler, she handed over her small suitcase and Melody’s car seat, got boarding passes and seat assignments, making sure the flight attendants knew she was flying with a toddler. She was so different from Beth, who never would have stepped on an airplane by herself. She hadn’t even liked going to the grocery story alone. But then Kika was a career woman, accustomed to being on her own. The thought brought a frown to his face, a frown that Kika misinterpreted as anxiety over Melody’s trip.
“You can relax, Nick. I promise I’ll take good care of her,” she told him as they waited at the departure gate.
He smiled at the picture the two of them made standing side by side. Without knowing what Kika would be wearing, he had dressed Melody in a denim jumper and a white T-shirt, only to discover that Kika was wearing a similar outfit. As they waited in line to board the plane, they looked like mother and daughter.
It was a picture Nick wanted to carve in his memory, and it made him realize that he needed to confront feelings he had stifled. He didn’t just want Kika for himself. He wanted her for his daughter.
All too quickly the announcement came for all passengers with small children to start boarding. Nick lifted Melody in his arms, hugging her close as he kissed her cheek. “You be good for Kika, okay?”
She shook her head and looked in Kika’s direction, a big smile on her face.
“Do I get a kiss and a hug, too?” Kika gave him an appealing grin.
Still holding Melody, he leaned over and captured her mouth with his in a brief but sensuous kiss that hinted at what would happen when she came back for the weekend. When he would have released her, she reached up and pulled him close.
“I said a kiss and a hug,” she whispered close to his ear, her breath hot on his flesh.
“We have a lot to talk about this weekend,” he said as he handed over Melody and her bear.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Kika gave him one last smoldering look that made him want to buy a ticket and get on the plane himself, then she headed for the departure gate.
He followed, standing to one side as they checked in with the flight attendant.
“This is a new experience for both of us. It’ll be good for us,” Kika told him, giving his arm a comforting squeeze.
As the two of them disappeared down the boarding ramp, Nick was overwhelmed with a sense of loss. He knew it was irrational. They were both coming back. Or were they? He knew that Melody would be with him again, but would Kika want to stay when she returned?
He pushed aside his doubts with a determined shake of his head. Kika was not the kind of woman to simply use him to get his daughter to star in a commercial. Her feelings for him ran as deeply as his did for her. All they needed was some time to get it straightened out.
This weekend. Saturday night, to be specific. He would take her to Annabelle’s barbecue. And afterward... He drove to work with a gleam in his eye. Thank goodness it was Friday and he didn’t have long to wait.
* * *
“THAT’S IT. I’M OUT of here, and not a moment too soon,” Kika told Wendy as she threw several manila folders into her briefcase. They had finished taping the Fancy Baby auditions earlier and had spent the rest of the afternoon taking notes as they reviewed the tapes.
“I think the Miller kid’s a shoo-in,” Wendy commented as Kika slid her feet back into her shoes.
“She is good, isn’t she?” Kika smiled reflectively.
“What would you have done if that Sweeney kid was better?”
“Gone with the Sweeney kid. Why?”
Wendy eyed her suspiciously. “Just wondering. You coaxed the little Miller kid a bit more than you did the others.”
Kika shot her an indignant look. “I did not.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’s perfect. If Fancy doesn’t love her...” She threw her hands in the air.
“He will love her,” Kika said confidently. “She’s exactly what he asked for—cute, sweet, innocent and red-haired.” She glanced at her watch. “I better hurry. I have to go pick her up at Frannie’s and get to the airport.”
“I thought you said your plane wasn’t leaving until nine.”
“It isn’t, but I have a stop to make on the way.”
The stop Kika made was at a toy store. After seeing the wonderful job Melody had done with the audition, Kika wanted to buy her something to play with on the plane going home. She found exactly what she was looking for in the section next to the dolls.
It was a plastic makeup kit complete with lipstick, powder compact and blush—all nontoxic and safe for children under three. Kika paid for her selection and hurried to her car.
Trying to get anywhere in the city on a Friday afternoon was a challenge. This rush hour was no different. A fender-bender on the freeway resulted in a thirty-minute drive taking close to an hour. By the time she arrived at Frannie’s, what little patience she had was gone.
“I was worried you had had an accident. What happened?” Frannie asked as Kika hurried past her into the house.
“Traffic was awful. Where’s Melody?”
“In with T.J. watching the video. I’ll get her.”
While Frannie was gone, Kika called the airline to confirm that their flight was on time. The traffic jam had slowed her down considerably, but she figured she could still make the flight as long as she didn’t waste any time at Frannie’s.
Melody smiled when she saw Kika. Without reservations, Kika scooped her up in her arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. At closer range she could see the little girl’s eyes were puffy.
“What happened? Was she crying?” Kika looked at her sister-in-law as if she had committed child abuse.
“She and T.J. wanted the same truck,” Frannie explained. “It was nothing.”
“Nothing?” Kika echoed indignantly, giving Frannie another glare. To Melody she said in a soothing voice, “It’s okay, Melody. Kika’s here. We’re going to get your things and go back on the airplane. Won’t that be fun?”
The toddler smiled, until T.J. came barreling into the room with a truck in his hands, making motor sounds with his mouth. Seeing the possibility for another confrontation, Kika steered Melody away from her nephew.
Noticing the stuffed white bear sitting in a corner, she told her, “Go get your bear.”
Before Melody had even taken a step in that direction, T.J. raced over to grab the toy. Upset that he had her prized possession, Melody wasted no time in going after him. The bear became the object of a tug-of-war. Frannie shouted, causing T.J. to let go. Startled, Melody flew backward, bumping her head on the floor. Within seconds, the tears began.
Kika rushed to her side. She gasped when she saw the stream of blood flowing from the little girl’s mouth. “Frannie, look! She’s bleeding!”
“She must have bit her lip when she fell.” Calmly, Frannie lifted Melody into her arms and carried her to the bathroom. With a maternal calm she pressed a cold cloth to her mouth. “I think this should get looked at,” she said, examining the cut on Melody’s lip. “It might need stitches.”
“Is it that bad?”
“I don’t know, but we should have it checked just to be safe. We’ll take her to emergency care.” Frannie kept the cold cloth pressed against Melody’s mouth as she carried her toward the front door.
“I’ll drive,” Kika said, hold
ing the front door open.
“It’ll be easier if we take my van. Here.” Frannie handed her the little girl. “You hold her until I get T.J. strapped in, then we’ll move Melody’s car seat into the van.”
Kika looked down at the beautiful little face which now looked as if she had been boxing with another toddler. Melody’s entire lower lip was extended, swollen so badly Kika wondered why she wasn’t crying.
The two-year-old was surprisingly calm. The tears had stopped. She simply looked at Kika with a helplessness that made her heart want to break in two.
I’ll take good care of her. The promise Kika had made to Nick haunted her. She had let him down. In more ways than one, she realized as the true consequences of the accident sunk in. It just might be that she had put an end to any chance Melody had to be Fancy’s baby.
* * *
NEVER WAS NICK so anxious for a day to be over with than he was at five o’clock on Friday. Because Kika’s plane wasn’t arriving until after nine, he had accepted an invitation to have dinner with several of his co-workers. As he cleared his desk for the weekend, the phone rang. It was Annabelle.
“The boys want to know if they can order pizza for dinner.” There was disapproval in her tone. Nick waited for the nutritional lesson to follow, but was surprised when it didn’t come. She simply said, “What size should I get?”
“Better get a large,” Nick answered. “Is everything okay?” He had a feeling that the pizza wasn’t the only reason for Annabelle’s phone call. He soon discovered he was right.
“Everything’s fine. I hope Melody’s all right.”
“I’m sure she is,” Nick said confidently.
“Well, I’m not so sure about that. I heard something today that disturbs me.”
He sighed. He didn’t want to know what she had heard if it was something critical of Kika, yet he found himself asking, “Are you talking about Kika?”
“She’s dishonest, Nick. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. I have proof.”
Against his better judgment he asked, “What proof?”
“She duped all those poor people who took time off from work to have their kids interviewed.”