The Texas Billionaire's Baby

by Karen Rose Smith

  As soon as Hannah left with Daniel, Gina began gathering assessment sheets and toys she’d stacked on the coffee table and the floor around her. She slipped the papers onto her clipboard. The rest went back into that flannel bag.

  She stood, seemed to debate with herself, and then joined Logan on the sofa. “I’ll e-mail your copy of my formal evaluation tomorrow. For now, I’ll give you the highlights.” She looked down at the notes she’d taken. “First of all, Daniel was a preemie. He’s within the normal range of walking, which is fifteen months. I think with encouragement—the right kind of encouragement—that can happen.”

  “What do you mean the right kind of encouragement? I’m always asking him to come to me.”

  “We’ll get into that.” She checked her notes again. Because she didn’t want to look at him?

  “I know you’re doing exercises with Daniel now. We’re going to expand those a little if you decide to put him under my care. I’d like you to do them with him daily in between sessions. In addition, you have to stop carrying him when he can get somewhere on his own. You need to be patient enough to wait for him, encourage him to stand and walk with you. I think he’ll do it if you simply let him lag behind. He won’t like that. He needs motivation to get up and walk. You have to help him develop that.”

  Logan let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “I thought kids learned to roll over, sit up, crawl and walk instinctively. I never expected Daniel to have problems with those things.”

  “He might be slower talking, too—sometimes preemies are. But you can encourage him in that area, also. The more verbal he becomes, the sooner he’ll talk. He already understands more than you think he does. If you bring him what he wants or needs without him asking, there won’t be any reason for him to ask.”

  “So his not walking yet isn’t a permanent problem?”

  “In my opinion, I don’t think it is. In a few weeks, we’ll know better.”

  “In a few weeks, he’ll be walking?”

  “I didn’t say that. Children have their own timetable. But I’ll set up a program where we’ll strengthen his muscles, encourage him and motivate him.”

  Logan made a sudden decision before he thought better of it. “You’ll be able to come here to do it?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “I thought just the evaluation would be here.”

  “I’ll pay double. It will save me time running back and forth to your practice in Lubbock.”

  She thought about it. “I suppose one of my therapists—”

  He cut in, “Aren’t you the most qualified?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Then I want you to handle his care.” Logan couldn’t believe he was inviting Gina back into his home. Judging by her silence, she was just as surprised. But he had to do what was best for Daniel. On the other hand, if he was honest with himself, he also had to admit he wanted to see the woman she’d become…if she felt regrets for leaving the way she had and turning her back on him.

  Why did he even care?

  He cared because when he looked at her…his body responded as it had when he was in his twenties. He resented that fact. He’d been happily married. He still missed the woman who had given her life for their son. Any reaction to Gina came from the past and he had to douse it. Daniel was his only focus now.

  When Gina’s gaze met his, he saw emotion flicker there. He thought he saw the corner of her lip quiver. That used to happen when she was upset or nervous. He was sure she was going to refuse his offer.

  Instead, she straightened her back and didn’t look away. “I can handle some of Daniel’s treatment here, but I’ll need him at Baby Grows for sessions, too. I can’t start a program without you agreeing to that.”

  There was a bit of steel in her tone and an assertiveness she’d lacked as a teenager. She’d obviously grown into a strong woman.

  Just as Amy was strong, an inner voice reminded him. Just as Amy had been unbending in her determination to keep Daniel safe.

  “How often?”

  “That depends on my schedule. I can commit to one evening a week.”

  “That’s fine.” He thought about his busy May schedule…watching Gina with Daniel even on a limited basis…and added, “When I can’t be here, Hannah will be.”

  “Logan, you need to participate in the program I set up. That’s important to Daniel.”

  Something about his name on her lips shook him a little. It cracked the vault of memories he’d carefully sealed and buried. “All right, I’ll make sure I’m available. Is there anything else you need from me right now?”

  She looked as if she was debating with herself but finally answered, “No.”

  “Daniel and I have a routine at bedtime. I don’t want to disrupt that. Hannah will see you out.”

  The room had become stifling with them both in it. Memories seemed to dance between them, muddling the past with the present. He needed to hold his son and forget about what had happened so long ago.

  He headed for the doorway.

  “Logan?”

  When he turned to face Gina again, she looked vulnerable. He almost crossed the room, almost gave in to the instinct to reassure her that everything would be all right, as he might have once done.

  Now he kept silent.

  Appearing flustered for a moment, she finally said, “Call me tomorrow to set up an appointment.” She took a card from her pocket, covered the distance between them, and handed it to him. “All my numbers are on there. If you can’t reach me at Baby Grows, you can reach me on my cell phone or at home.”

  His fingers grazed hers as he took the card, and he willed his body not to record the brief contact. His voice became rough as he responded, “Thanks.”

  Then he left Gina in Daniel’s playroom and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

  On Saturday morning, Gina sat in the small parlor off the living room in the old Victorian house in Sagebrush, tapping her foot, too edgy to admire the chintz material on the love seat, the dragonfly Tiffany lamp sitting on the corner of the library table she and her housemate, Raina, used as a desk. Her heart practically tripped over itself as she waited for Logan to answer his cell phone. She had to change the appointment the two of them had set up for Daniel a few days ago. It just couldn’t be helped.

  “Barnes,” he answered in a clipped voice and she heard machinery in the background.

  “Logan, it’s Gina.”

  “Hold on a minute,” he said to her. “I need to move into an area where I can hear you.”

  She guessed he was at the denim factory the Barnes family had owned and operated for decades.

  Finally he said, “Okay, I’m in my office. What’s up?”

  Anyone listening in would think they knew each other…would think maybe they were friends again. Friends. Could they even come close to that?

  “Logan, I need to change Daniel’s appointment. Can we switch it from Monday night to Wednesday night?”

  He was quiet for a few moments, then responded, “Gina, if you don’t have time to do this, maybe I should find someone else.”

  They were going to have to clear the air at some point and bring everything out into the open…what had happened since she’d left. Not even her parents knew she’d been raped during her first year at college. But now just wasn’t the right time to go into it with Logan.

  “I’d like to help Daniel if I can, but Family Tree set up a meeting for all its practitioners on Monday evening. There are budget and billing concerns and the decision to have the meeting was made just last night. It’s not something I can opt out of.”

  The only sound she heard was her pulse in her temples, then Logan’s deep baritone, a little lower and huskier now. It affected her the way it always had, making her nerve endings come alive.

  “I see. I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion you didn’t want to treat Daniel. But in our situation—”

  “I don’t run from clients who need me.”

  “No, but you mi
ght run from me.”

  Because she had run once before. She couldn’t get into that over the phone. “So will Wednesday at six work for you?” she asked, ignoring his comment.

  After a pause, he agreed, “It will work. We’ll see how Daniel responds at that time of evening. If you think the appointments need to be during the day, I’ll take off work if I have to.”

  “You’re there now?”

  “Yes. A malfunction with one of the machines.”

  “Is it unusual for you to be there on a Saturday?”

  “Not really. If we have orders, we cut the material. That’s the only way to stay ahead these days. Fortunately, denim is as popular as it ever was, all different grades, old ways of making it and new.”

  They could talk about his business or…she could say what was in her heart.

  “Logan, the other night…I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your wife.”

  “Thank you.” His voice was strained.

  “Sometime maybe you can tell me about it. That might help me with Daniel.”

  “You have his medical records. You know he was premature. That’s all you need.”

  She shouldn’t have said anything because he wasn’t going to give an inch with her…even after all these years. He wasn’t going to tell her what his life was about, except for Daniel. Maybe she’d feel the same way if she’d lost her spouse.

  “I didn’t mean to pry. Really. But children are little sponges. Emotions play into their physical development.”

  She could hear Logan blow out a breath. “If there’s anything that I think will help Daniel, I’ll tell you. I’ll see you at six on Wednesday.”

  “Six on Wednesday,” she repeated. She thought she heard him murmur, “Goodbye, Gina,” but she couldn’t be sure.

  When she said goodbye, he was no longer there.

  Chapter Two

  The following Tuesday evening, Gina stirred the pot of soup then tasted it. She wrinkled her nose. Why didn’t her minestrone ever taste like her mother’s?

  She was replacing the lid when she heard the front door slam. Raina called, “I’m home. What smells so good?”

  “Soup. And I stopped for a loaf of bread to go with it. Are you hungry?”

  “For your soup? Yes.”

  Raina Greystone Gibson entered the kitchen. She was a beautiful woman with a Cheyenne heritage. Her hair was long, flowing past her shoulders. Usually she wore a headband or clipped it back in a low ponytail the way it was tonight. It appeared black until she stood in the sun and chestnut highlights gleamed. Gina had liked Raina, a pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor, immediately when she’d met her at Family Tree. She’d learned that Raina had returned to Sagebrush from New York City, where her husband, a firefighter, had been killed on September 11.

  “Is Lily still joining us?” Gina asked, hoping the fertility specialist also practicing at Family Tree hadn’t been held up.

  “Yes, I told her she could drive over with me, but she had errands to run first. She’ll be here in a little while. She was glad we invited her for dinner since Troy had a meeting. I’m not sure how she’ll handle it when he’s deployed to the Middle East.”

  This summer Lily’s husband, Troy, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, would be deployed for pre-mission training. Lily couldn’t even think about later in the summer when he’d be gone.

  “The support group for military families will help her and so will we.”

  Raina went to the cupboard and began removing dishes she could use to set the table. “Speaking of support, I really enjoyed dinner with your family on Sunday.”

  Gina removed the lid from the soup once more and stirred. “My mom said you’re invited again this week. Everyone liked you. Especially my nephew Evan. I think he has a crush on you.”

  Raina laughed. “Since he’s twelve, give him a week and he’ll have a crush on someone else.”

  Shortly after Raina had moved in with Gina, she’d admitted she didn’t date. She’d also confided she intended never to marry again. She understood loving and losing better than most.

  Maybe that was what prompted Gina to ask, “Do you know Logan Barnes?”

  After closing the cupboard, Raina glanced at Gina. “The Logan Barnes? The CEO of Barnes Denim? The mover and shaker who dines with the governor and owns real estate from San Diego to Sydney…the man who set up a charitable foundation to fund cancer research?” She’d listed some of his accomplishments as if to say that everyone, especially in the state of Texas, had heard of him.

  “That would be the one,” Gina confirmed.

  “We don’t exactly move in the same circles,” Raina said, flashing Gina a grin. “Why?”

  “I met Logan the month I graduated from high school. His father hired me to work in the stables on the estate. Logan and I…well, we connected that summer.”

  Raina took the dishes to the table. “How seriously?”

  Gina remembered Logan’s mother’s antique locket that he’d given her after they’d made love for the first time. She’d returned it when she’d said goodbye. “He wanted me to stay and marry him, but I left and went to college,” Gina explained as simply as she could. “I ran into him this week and…it’s obvious he’s still angry with me.”

  Now Raina studied Gina. “Does it matter to you? That he’s angry?”

  If that wasn’t a perceptive question. “Yes, I guess it does. After all these years, I thought maybe he’d think of me less harshly.”

  “Was college the only reason you broke up with him?”

  One of the qualities Gina admired most about Raina was her ability to see deeply into any situation.

  “Lots of reasons.” She thought about Logan’s father, his warning that he’d disinherit Logan if she got too serious about him. She recalled her parents’ advice and her older sister Josie’s practical admonition not to marry too young—because she’d had to. “I had a full scholarship,” Gina explained to Raina. “No one in our family had graduated from college. But mainly Logan’s father had his own ideas about who Logan should marry. I was too insecure to stay and fight for our love. I didn’t think I had a chance. I thought about coming back and marrying him after I got to college, but then something happened that changed my life and I was on a different track.”

  “Changed your life?”

  Even though Gina and Raina had only known each other a few months, Raina was fast becoming a trusted friend. Gina considered telling her about the date rape that had occurred two months into her first college semester.

  The doorbell rang.

  “That must be Lily,” Raina said, halting their conversation with a concerned look.

  “It’s okay,” Gina assured her. “We can talk about it another time.”

  Raina nodded. “Any time you want to.”

  When the doorbell rang again, Raina crossed the kitchen to the living room, unaware of what Gina had been about to disclose.

  Moments later, Gina heard Lily’s voice. As she entered the kitchen, Gina smiled broadly at the bubbly blonde who seemed to bring sunshine with her whenever she stepped into the room.

  Lily held a bag in her arms and set it on the island counter.

  “I told you you didn’t have to bring anything,” Gina protested.

  “I didn’t bring much. Just a couple of deli salads and…” She produced half of a chocolate cake with peanut-butter icing. “I thought we needed a little decadence.”

  Gina didn’t know when she’d last felt decadent.

  “Thank you,” she said, meaning it, glad she’d taken the time to get to know Lily at a practitioners’ cocktail party at the Family Tree. Lily’s specialty practice enabled women to conceive. She was upbeat, always ready with a smile and a hug.

  Lily glanced around the kitchen to the patio beyond. “You two are lucky to have found this place. It’s a great house.”

  “It’s big, but it’s cozy, too,” Raina assured her. “It kind of wraps itself around you. When I first walked into the foyer
to consider living here with Gina, it felt like home. It’s hard to explain.”

  “You have heard the rumor about it, haven’t you?” Lily asked.

  “What rumor?” both women returned.

  “Well, since Tessa Rossi, Emily Madison and Francesca Fitzgerald all lived here and have now gotten married, the rumor is that any woman who lives here will find true love.”

  “I like the rumor,” Gina said. “But I think it’s wishful thinking.”

  “Maybe for me,” Raina decided. “But what about you?”

  Lily looked from one woman to the other. “What don’t I know…besides the obvious million things?”

  Gina felt heat creep into her cheeks. “I…ran into someone I used to date before I left Sagebrush for college.”

  “There’s a story there.” Lily’s blue eyes twinkled.

  “There certainly is,” Gina agreed. “But it will keep. Bring over those soup dishes and we’ll start our meal with minestrone.”

  “An old family recipe?” Lily asked hopefully, apparently aware Gina wanted to change the topic. “One that you can share?”

  “Well, I can share it. Just don’t ever tell my mother that I put canned tomatoes in the pot. She’d be horrified.”

  Gina focused on the soup recipe and the meal she was about to share with her two friends, sure she could prevent herself from thinking about Logan and Daniel.

  Couldn’t she?

  Logan never expected to be in this position…in his house with Gina playing with his son in the family room. His and Amy’s son.

  On Wednesday evening, Gina encouraged Daniel to fall onto the ball that was just his size. She’d brought a mat along, too, so if he tumbled off, he wouldn’t hurt himself.

  “Come on, Daniel. Let’s rock back and forth.” She was holding his hands as he lay over the ball and pushed with his feet.

  Logan knew they weren’t actually playing. They were working. But Daniel would never suspect that, not from the way Gina interacted with him.

  “We never use this room,” Logan said to himself, but it must have been loud enough for Gina to hear.