by Leona Karr
Out of breath, she made it to the front door of the building before she had a horrible thought. She might be exactly on time to meet Mark and Lisa leaving on their date. What a total embarrassment that would be. Disheveled, out of breath, babbling about an ambulance, she’d look like a perfect fool. And what was worse, this kind of impetuous behavior wasn’t like her at all. She cursed herself for giving in to an emotional involvement that had so quickly sent her into such devastating turmoil.
Well, no matter, some stern inner voice reminded her. She was here, and the need to satisfy herself that all was well outweighed any chance of embarrassment. If Cora was trying to cope with an emergency, and Mark had already left with his lady friend, Kerri would be needed.
Armed with this rationalization, she went inside the building. The doors that opened to the foyer and elevator were locked but she turned to the row of intercoms lining one wall in the outer vestibule, and jabbed the button with Mark’s name on it. After waiting for a short minute that seemed like an eternity, she laid on the button again.
Come on. Come on. Maybe Mark hadn’t shown Cora how to work the intercom. Suddenly she heard a click and Mark’s voice saying, “Who is it?”
From his curt tone, she guessed she’d interrupted something. In her mind, she had already sent him off on his date with Lisa, but the curvaceous siren might still be there with him.
“It’s Kerri,” she managed to reply, now feeling the utter fool, wondering how to make a graceful retreat. “If you’re busy—”
Instead of answering, he buzzed her in. Now, she had no choice but to face him and try to explain her melodramatic dash back to his apartment.
His door was already open when she stepped out of the elevator, but she didn’t hear any sounds from the baby or the other children. Were they still there? Had he changed his mind and made other arrangements for them? This possibility brought a spurt of anger, instantly followed by a lurch of fear as another thought hit her. Maybe they’d been hurt and the ambulance had taken them all to the hospital.
With quickened heartbeat, she stepped into the foyer, and a hushed silence that was eerie greeted her. The loft was dimly lit, but she could see Mark was standing at the far end of the room with his back to her. Choking back the impulse to call out to him, she started across the open area, and he must have sensed her presence because he turned around slowly with studied stiffness.
What on earth was the matter with him? He was as rigid as a ramrod. Shocks of unruly hair drifted forward around his face as he looked down at something in his arms as if it were a time bomb about to go off.
The she saw what he was holding—the baby. He took a couple of cautious steps toward her like a desperate man who saw deliverance within his reach.
“Take her,” he ordered in a hoarse whisper.
Kerri had to bite her lip to keep the smile off her face. No warrior in battle looked any more apprehensive than Mark Richards did at that moment.
“And don’t wake her up,” he warned, acting as if he were about to hand her a bundle of spun glass.
Kerri slipped her hands under the sleeping baby, lifted her into her arms and put Pammy gently up to her shoulder. The baby’s head lolled to one side in contented sleep. Kerri didn’t know what her given name was, but Timmy had referred to the baby as Pammy, which Kerri decided might be a diminutive of Pamela.
As Kerri patted the baby’s back, Mark collapsed in his lounge chair and closed his eyes, as if all strength had flowed out of him. Then he leaned his head back on the chair as if he’d gone through an ordeal that had sapped all his strength.
“Shhh,” he warned, when Kerri asked, “Where’s Cora?”
Kerri decided to put the baby down before she asked any more questions. She quietly opened the door to the bedroom and peeked in. Timmy was curled up in the middle of Mark’s bed, sound asleep, and Patti was asleep in the crib that Mark had put together.
She came back into the living area, glanced up at the balcony. Cora must have decided to set the second crib for the baby up there beside the Hide-A-Bed. Cautiously Kerri made her way up the circular staircase and gently laid the baby down on her tummy in the crib.
As Kerri tenderly covered her up, the baby girl continued to sleep contentedly, her head to one side, and her tiny rosebud mouth slightly open. Chubby arms and tiny hands lay in a relaxed position next to her fair head, and a fringe of delicate eyelashes brushed her cheeks. A swell of protective love filled Kerri’s chest as she looked down at her. How could any mother willingly leave this precious baby in the hands of strangers? What circumstances could be so dire that there was no other choice?
An urgency that Kerri had never felt about any case before swept over her. She stiffened her resolve to find Ardie Richards and bring her back to these children as quickly as was humanly possible. Her steps were quick and purposeful as she came back down the stairs and walked to the end of the room where Mark was sitting. So, the children were all here and safely asleep, thank God. But where was the baby-sitter?
Sitting down on the couch across from Mark’s chair, she demanded, “All right, what happened? Where’s Cora?”
He raised his head from the chair rest. “At the hospital.”
“So, the ambulance was for her.”
He frowned. “How’d you know about the ambo?”
Kerri told him about Harry seeing the ambulance. “That’s why I came. Just to check.”
“Thank God you did,” he breathed with pure thankfulness. The last two hours had been a trip to hell. Even now his head was spinning from the most recent catastrophe.
Seeing his troubled expression, she didn’t know what to think. Had someone tried to take the children and Cora been hurt defending them? Something had put her in the hospital. Had she been assaulted, shot or knifed?
“What happened?” Kerri asked, bracing for the worst scenario.
“She fell down the balcony stairs.” He nodded toward the circular wrought-iron staircase. “I knew she was on edge about everything that’s been happening. She told me that she’d answered the phone several times today, but nobody’s been on the line.” He ran a hand through his hair. “She’d put the baby to sleep, and was coming down the staircase when she missed her footing. Fell down a half-dozen steps. I heard her scream and came running.”
“How badly was she hurt?”
“I’m not sure. She broke something. Hip or a leg. Don’t know which. I called 911 right away. They took charge and whisked her away.” Mark leaned forward in his chair. “Before I could decide what to do, all the ruckus with the paramedics woke the baby. She started screaming her head off.”
Once again Kerri smothered a smile. She knew it wasn’t the least bit funny to Mark, but a big strong man like himself humbled by less than fifteen pounds of fury had an edge of humor to it “So, what did you do?”
He looked pained. “I wasn’t sure what was the matter with her, so I did the diaper bit. Bless the person who designed a recognizable front and back with those stick-em tabs. I got the darn thing on even though she was jabbing her feet and legs out in every direction. I was afraid she was going to wake the other two up.”
“How’d you get her back to sleep?” Kerri didn’t know why she was enjoying this so much. Maybe she was guilty of a little feminism, secretly glad that at least one man was learning about the trials of baby tending. She had loved her father, God bless him, but it was her mother who’d carried the full load of caring for their six children. She doubted that Patrick Kincaid had changed one diaper in his whole life.
“I figured if I stuck a bottle in her mouth, she’d shut up. I managed to warm up one of the ones that Cora had fixed and left in the fridge.”
“How’d you warm it?” Kerri asked innocently.
“In the microwave. How else?”
She blinked. “Did you know how much time? I mean, weren’t you afraid of getting it too hot?”
He looked abashed. “That’s what happened the first time. So I just took another bottle
out of the fridge and put it in the oven for half the time. The second one was still too hot, but I got one lukewarm on the third try.” A hint of satisfaction curved his mouth. “The little tyke slurped the milk down like a half-starved kitten. Maybe I’m not too bad at this after all.”
Kerrie smiled. “It’s a good thing you were still here when Cora fell. You could have been gone on your date with Lisa.”
“Oh, that.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “I backed out of going. No way I could leave the way things were here. Who knows whether that guy, Dirk, is really hanging around.”
Kerri stiffened. “You haven’t seen any sign of him, have you?”
“No, but I couldn’t take a chance on leaving the kids and Cora alone.” He massaged his chin in a worrying fashion. “Who knows what in the hell is going on. After Timmy’s bombshell this afternoon about my brother knowing this guy, Dirk, I was trying to figure out what to do with the kids. This is no setup for them. Besides, they’d be safer somewhere else.”
“And out of your hair,” she added, not too charitably.
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I detect a little gravel in that remark?”
“Perhaps,” she admitted.
“Well, what in blazes do you expect me to do? Cora was threatening to leave, and beating the bushes for another nanny could take time. I was trying to plan ahead. What do you expect me to do? Play Dad and stay home with three kids I don’t even know?”
“That prospect is intriguing. Do you take vacation time?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“That isn’t funny,” he said but she laughed aloud anyway.
He got up from his chair. “I’d better call the hospital.” He felt bad about the accident, and putting Cora through such a painful ordeal. She’d been a life-saver. He vowed to make it up to her as best he could.
And when he finally reached someone with information, his worst fear was realized. She’d fractured her pelvis. Mark gave the hospital his name, made arrangements to pay all the bills, and told them to call him if she needed anything at all. Then he called a florist and ordered flowers.
“Well, I guess that’s that,” he said when he turned away from the phone. “Damn, I feel responsible. She was a good soul trying to help out.”
“Accidents happen,” Kerri said quietly. She knew that Mark would make sure Cora didn’t lose financially. In fact, the cleaning lady would probably come out ahead moneywise, but that didn’t help either Cora or Mark at the moment.
“I could use a drink.” He disappeared into the den and came back with a couple of glasses of ice and a bottle of Scotch. “Will you join me?”
At her nod, he handed her a glass, poured a heavy shot of Scotch into it, and then poured the same amount for his own drink. He set the bottle down on the coffee table and eased down on the couch beside her. “What toast shall we make?”
“How about to the quickest successful search on record?” she suggested.
“And to the wonderful lady who’s going to make it happen,” he added.
“And to a happy ending for all concerned.”
They clicked glasses. “Salud.”
As Kerri sipped her drink, she was painfully aware of his physical nearness. Her betraying senses bombarded her with arousing stimuli. She was close enough to feel the brush of his strong legs and thighs as he turned toward her and bathed her face with his warm breath. A spicy masculine scent teased her nostrils and her fingers were tempted to thread through a wave of his hair that lazily drifted down on his forehead. She almost gave in to a protective urge to get to her feet and walk away from him as fast as she could.
“What’s the matter?” He frowned as he leaned closer and touched her arm.
The hot contact made her ease away from him. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re suddenly taut as a bowstring ready to snap.”
She felt utterly foolish and juvenile. In her business, having a drink with a client was almost routine. Why, then, did she suddenly feel so vulnerable? What had happened to the cool, always-in-control Kerri Kincaid, who could deflect any sexual overtones with utter confidence? Not that Mark Richards had made any advances. Fixing her a drink and sitting beside her on a couch didn’t add up to any kind of a romantic come-on. Her own feelings were the ones in question. She felt a strong sexual attraction to the man sitting beside her. Admitting it to herself only made matters worse. The challenges of her business were demanding enough without letting personal emotions interfere. Warning signs flashed inside her head. She knew darn well she couldn’t compromise this case by letting some absurd romantic feelings for her client get in the way.
She drew in a deep breath. “Just concerned about the way things are going.”
“Are you holding something back?” He searched her face. “Have you made some discoveries that you haven’t shared with me?”
“About the case? No.” Grateful to slip into her role as investigator, she brought him up to date on the results of the futile search for a marriage license in California and Nevada.
“Do you have any idea where your brother’s wedding might have taken place besides Reno?” When he shook his head, she sighed. “It will take time to cover all the states. Of course, there’s always Mexico. Did you perhaps get a postcard from him from anywhere in or out of the states about the time he was married?”
He shook his head. “No. He was in California, at the office, when he called me and told he was already married. I guess I didn’t invite any of the details. Knowing Jason’s record with women, I wasn’t overly optimistic about his latest marital foray.”
“Once we get a full name for Ardie, we’ll have all kinds of trails to follow.” Giving him this assurance, Kerri set down her glass and stood up. “Well, I guess I’d better be going.”
“What?” He was on his feet in an instant. “You can’t go. You can’t leave me here with these kids,” he protested vehemently.
“You’ll manage just fine,” she assured him. He looked for all the world like a man who’d just been informed that he’d be shot at dawn.
“What if the baby wakes up in the night? And what about in the morning? They’ll need to be dressed and fed, and heaven knows what else.”
Kerri had never seen a grown man look so panic-stricken.
She was certain Mark would have been less apprehensive facing an advancing enemy legion.
“Kids are adaptable,” she assured him. “You just have to give them what they want, when they want it.”
“Terrific. That solves everything.”
She laughed. “I think it would be a great experience for you. Everyone starts out as a beginner when it comes to child care.”
“Please, Kerri,” he coaxed, smoothly changing tactics. “If you won’t take pity on me, what about the kids? They’ll need some reassurance with Cora gone. You don’t want to turn them over to an untrained recruit when they need someone who knows how to soothe their fears, now do you?”
“You’re not playing fair,” she accused him.
“I know.” His persuasive mouth softened. “But it’s a fact. The children know you. If you’re here when they wake up, things will go a lot smoother. You can’t just abandon them, can you?”
She wanted to reply in a firm tone that the children were not her responsibility, but even as he waited for her answer, she knew he had hit the right chord. She couldn’t just ignore the way those little innocent lives had been completely turned upside down. She thought about her nieces and nephews and how devastated they would be to be abandoned and left with strangers.
“You will stay, won’t you?” He put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a slight squeeze. “Please?”
Later, she wondered if something more than the children’s welfare was really under the surface of her decision to stay. She avoided his eyes. “All right, for the children’s sake.”
“On behalf of the children, I thank you.” He smiled and resisted the temptation to draw her close for a grateful hug. He’d never invite
d a woman to spend the night under these circumstances, and for a fleeting moment, he wished the situation was different. What would it be like to have her body yielding soft and supple, blending with his? He quickly shoved the fantasy aside before his thoughts betrayed him. Something in her expression told him that she’d drawn a line and he’d best not step across it.
“I’ll call home and arrange for an overnight bag,” Kerri said, turning away.
She went into the den and silently groaned as she dialed the number, knowing that she’d have to endure the third degree from her mother. In a way she was glad when her sister answered.
“Oh, Cathy, I didn’t know you and Harry would still be there. I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure, Sis, what’s up?”
“Will you pack me an overnight bag and a fresh blouse for tomorrow? Something’s come up. I’ll be spending the night at Richards loft.”
“You’re going to spend the night where?”
Kerri could picture her sister’s eyes rounding. “It’s not what you think. I need to stay here with the children. Their baby-sitter fell down some stairs and is in the hospital. Mark will need some help with the children.”
“Oh, I’m sure he will,” Cathy agreed pointedly. “The two of you could be up half the night.”
“Pack my flannel pj’s and robe,” Kerri ordered. She didn’t trust her sister not to send the sexiest night-clothes she could find. Parading around in a negligee in front of Mark wasn’t the message she wanted to broadcast. “This is strictly a business operation. Nothing more.”
“Sure it is,” her sister mocked. “Maybe I should pack for a couple of nights? You know, just in case there’s another emergency?”
Kerri ignored the teasing, and arranged for Harry to run the bag over for her. “Let me speak to Mom.”
“Good luck convincing her that spending a night with a handsome client is part of your job description.” Kerri heard her laughing as she put down the phone.
When her mother came on the line, Kerri explained the situation and then took the tack that Mark had used on her. “The children need to have a familiar face here in the morning, and some reassurance that everything’s going to be all right.”