Her Very Own Family

by Gina Wilkins

  Vinnie excused himself after lunch to make a couple of calls, promising he’d be back quickly. Brynn and Joe were left alone at the table, steaming cups of hot tea in front of them.

  Brynn held her handleless cup in both hands and tried frantically to think of something innocuous to say to fill the silence.

  Joe beat her to it. “You did it again today.”

  She eyed him warily. “Did what?”

  “You stopped smiling when you saw me. You opened your door with a big smile for Dad, but it vanished when you saw me.”

  “I was surprised to see you. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Was it such an unpleasant surprise?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Do you dislike me, Brynn?”

  “No,” she answered, shaking her head fervently.

  “Do I intimidate you?”

  She hesitated before she answered that one. Intimidate her? He scared her spitless. “I...”

  “Some people are intimidated because I’m a doctor. I don’t know why, exactly, but they are. Is that it?”

  That was certainly part of it. When she was with Joe, Brynn was painfully aware of their different social and educational standings. He could have bought any car he wanted today, while Brynn had to be painfully conscious of price and payments. She was the nanny for his nieces and nephews. He was the son of a judge, accustomed to dating beautiful doctors, like the woman they’d met when they’d dined together the night she’d moved into Michelle’s guest house.

  When she remained silent for lack of words, Joe sighed and shook his head. “I want to see you smile for me, Brynn. A real smile, not the polite ones you force when you look at me.”

  “I’ll try,” she promised. “Will that satisfy you?”

  “Not by a long shot,” he answered a bit gruffly. “But it would be a good start.”

  Before she could think of anything to say in response, Vinnie returned, looking quite satisfied with his calls.

  “I’ve got a lead on a car for you,” he told Brynn, unaware of her relief that he’d interrupted the unsettling conversation with Joe. “I remembered an old buddy from my police days who started selling used cars when he retired. He said it kept him from getting bored. He told me to bring you by and he’ll set you up with something nice and affordable.”

  Brynn nodded. “All right. I’d be happy to talk to him.”

  “Not just yet.” Joe reached for the little basket that had been placed in the center of their table. He lifted out something wrapped in crinkly cellophane and handed it to Brynn, his fingers lingering on hers for a bit longer than necessary.

  Her pulse skipping from the contact, Brynn stared blankly at what she held. A fortune cookie. It took her a moment to remember how to open it.

  Joe didn’t just intimidate her. He devastated her.

  Vinnie cracked his cookie open while Brynn hesitated. “ ‘Your patience will be rewarded,’ ” he read aloud.

  He chuckled. “Now aren’t you glad we didn’t buy the first car you saw, Brynn?”

  Joe’s cookie broke neatly in his hands. “ ‘Success awaits you in the coming year.’ Well, that sounds promising. What does yours say, Brynn?”

  Brynn’s fingers were slightly unsteady when she broke her cookie and extracted the thin slip of paper. She stopped breathing when she read the printed message: Love finds even the hidden heart.

  “Well?” Vinnie prodded cheerfully when Brynn continued to stare at the words. “What’s it say, carina?”

  She crushed the paper in her hand. “It says I’m going on a long journey. I hope this one doesn’t end as disastrously as the last journey I made almost did.”

  She could tell from the way Joe looked at her that he was suspicious about the fortune she’d claimed. She kept her expression blandly innocent as she pushed her chair back from the table and stood, tossing the crumpled fortune onto her empty plate, which hadn’t yet been cleared away. “Shall we go see if your friend has a car that will satisfy you two?”

  Joe glanced at Brynn’s plate, and she knew the fortune that had disconcerted her was on his mind. But he fell quickly back into his former enthusiasm for the hunt for the ideal car.

  Brynn wished she could put the message out of her mind as easily. No matter how many times she told herself that cookie fortunes were nothing more than obscure homilies penned by fortune-cookie-factory employees, that they had no particular meaning and only gullible fools took them seriously, she couldn’t quite shake the eerie feeling that had gripped her when she’d read those words.

  Love finds even the hidden heart.

  Two hours later, Brynn was the owner of a little blue sedan. Joe and Vinnie had looked over every inch of it and concluded that it was in excellent condition and was well worth the price Vinnie’s old friend quoted them. Vinnie persuaded the man to expedite the paperwork so that Brynn could take possession of the car immediately; he even offered to co-sign the loan, if necessary.

  Joe had met his father at Brynn’s earlier, and they’d left his two-seater parked in front of her house while they’d shopped in Vinnie’s bigger car. “There’s no need for you to drive me all the way back to Tony’s house, Dad,” he said when the transaction was completed. “Brynn can give me a lift in her new car, can’t you, Brynn?”

  There was only one answer she could give. “Of course.”

  Vinnie patted the hood of Brynn’s car. “You’re sure you like it, Brynn?”

  “I love it. It’s an even nicer car than I expected to find today.” On impulse, she rose to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Vinnie.”

  “You’re very welcome, my dear. I hope you enjoy it.”

  “I know I will.”

  “I’ll be heading home, then. Carla will be there soon.”

  “Drive carefully, Dad.”

  Vinnie waved as he slid behind his steering wheel.

  Joe turned to Brynn. “Ready to try her out?”

  Brynn opened the driver’s door. “Ready.”

  She would concentrate on her driving, not on her passenger, she vowed.

  Ten minutes into the drive, Joe spoke for the first time since they’d left the sales lot. “How do you like it so far?”

  “The car? I like it.”

  Joe looked around the tidy interior in satisfaction. “I think you got a good deal.”

  “Thanks to you and your father.”

  He shrugged. “Glad we could help.”

  Brynn shook her head and couldn’t resist saying, “You people are unbelievable.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ever since Kelly and I were in that accident, you’ve all treated us like dear friends. Your parents took me into their house, Tony and Michelle have entrusted me with their children, your dad even offered to co-sign a loan for me, for Pete’s sake. It’s unreal.”

  “You had nowhere else to go the night of the accident, you provided references for Tony and Michelle— and then insisted they verify them—and Dad’s a retired ex-cop-turned-P.I. He wouldn’t offer to co-sign for you without being reasonably certain you’re a good risk. But you wouldn’t let him sign, anyway.”

  “Fortunately, it wasn’t necessary, with the insurance money for a down payment. Still, it’s a wonder someone in your family hasn’t been victimized by con artists.”

  “Who says we haven’t?”

  Something in Joe’s voice made Brynn glance away from the road ahead long enough to study his grim expression. “I’m sorry. Did I hit a nerve?”

  “Not directly. But Michelle’s had her share of problems with fortune hunters and an embezzling attorney she had considered a family friend. Trust me, we aren’t naïve. It’s because we’ve had experience with crooks and cons that we recognize honesty when we see it.”

  “I hate to think of anyone hurting Michelle,” Brynn said with a frown. “She’s such a nice person. And a wonderful mother. Even with all her business responsibilities, she spends as much time with her children as she can. There are times when I feel alm
ost superfluous. But she says it eases her mind to have someone extra keeping an eye on the children. I suppose it’s because of her money that she’s so security conscious with the kids.”

  “That’s exactly the reason. Michelle was kidnapped when she was eight years old, held for three days in a closet until my dad, who’d been hired by her father, found her and brought her home.”

  Brynn’s hands jerked on the steering wheel, causing the compact car to swerve a bit. She corrected quickly, but she heard the strain in her own voice when she asked, “Michelle was kidnapped?”

  “Yes. By a family employee. A man they’d trusted.”

  “Oh, God.” Brynn shuddered, unable to keep herself from picturing a terrified eight-year-old locked in a closet for three long days. “Did he...hurt her?”

  “Not physically. There were emotional scars, of course, but she’s managed to put it behind her. I told you about it to explain her focus on the children’s security—and maybe to remind you of how vulnerable her children are to people who know about the Trent money.”

  Still shaken, Brynn asked, “Have they ever considered hiring bodyguards?”

  “They discussed it briefly when Jason was born, and they decided there was no reason at the time. They want the children to live normal, carefree lives. Having a nanny to watch them while Michelle is busy is as far as they’re willing to go.”

  “I’ll never let them out of my sight while I’m responsible for them,” she vowed fervently. “I wouldn’t have, anyway, but from now on I’ll keep all possibilities in my mind.”

  “There’s no need to obsess about it. There’s never been a threat against Tony and Michelle’s children. It’s just something to be aware of.”

  The large gates to the estate took on new significance when Brynn turned through them. The gates generally remained open during the day but were closed at night. There were other security measures, as well, but none was overly obvious or intrusive.

  Brynn had to admire Michelle’s determination to make sure her children didn’t feel as though they lived in a gilded cage. Given Michelle’s background, Brynn wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d wanted to keep her children in her direct view every minute of every day.

  She turned onto the short driveway leading to the guest house, noting as she passed that Michelle’s minivan and Tony’s sport utility vehicle were both gone. It wasn’t quite 5 p.m. Tony was probably still at work, and Michelle and the children had made several plans for the day.

  She was suddenly vividly aware that she and Joe were alone on the estate, except for the D’Alessandros’ housekeeper, who would be leaving at five.

  She parked the car and turned off the engine. “Would you like to come in for a drink or something before you go?” she felt compelled to ask. After all he’d done, it seemed rude to just send him on his way without making a hospitable gesture.

  “Do you have any cola?”

  “Only diet cola.”

  “That’ll do. I’m having a caffeine craving.”

  Brynn nodded and tried to inject a breezy note in her voice when she said, “Well, come on in, then. We can’t have you going into a caffeine fit right here in your brother’s backyard.”

  It was the way she would have spoken to Shane. Casual. Friendly. Teasing. At least, that was the effect she was trying for—even if she simply couldn’t imagine ever being as comfortable with Joe as she was with Shane.

  Joe responded to her light tone. “It’s not a pretty sight,” he agreed, opening his door.

  Brynn couldn’t resist patting the hood of her new car as she walked past. Just three years of payments lay between her and full ownership.

  There was amusement in Joe’s eyes as he watched her—and something else that made her walk faster toward her front door. Resisting an ignoble impulse to close that door between them, she held it open for him, instead.

  Chapter Ten

  “Have a seat,” Brynn said, after closing her front door and tossing her purse onto a table. “I’ll pour the sodas.”

  Joe settled onto the couch, stretching one arm across the back, seemingly perfectly at home. He looked as though he planned to stay awhile.

  Didn’t the guy have anything better to do today?

  She moved into the kitchen, where she quickly assembled a tray holding two glasses of iced soda and a plate of the oatmeal-raisin cookies she kept on hand for the children. Intending to sit in one of the two living-room chairs, she set the tray on the coffee table in front of Joe, then straightened. “Help yourself.”

  He reached out and caught her wrist, giving a gentle tug that had her tumbling down to the couch beside him. “I was hoping you would say that,” he said, and his smile had turned wicked.

  She gave him a repressive look, though her pulse had begun to race. “I meant help yourself to the soda and cookies.”

  Joe stroked a fingertip along the line of her cheek—very lightly, making her have to suppress a revealing shiver of reaction. “I’d rather hoped you meant something else entirely.”

  What had just happened? One moment he’d acted like an old pal, and now he was blatantly flirting. Brynn couldn’t switch gears that quickly. He’d caught her completely off-guard.

  Had that been his intention?

  “Joe, I...”

  “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?” He smiled as he spoke, and his tone was conversational, but his eyes were very serious.

  Her breath caught in her throat. She tried to speak around it. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

  “That doesn’t matter. This is something that’s been building for a while.”

  “But...”

  “Brynn.” He covered her mouth with his fingers and gazed into her eyes. “All you have to say is that you don’t want me to kiss you, and I’ll back off.”

  She opened her mouth beneath his fingers to do just that. But the lie wouldn’t come out. The truth was, she wanted Joe’s kiss...almost as much as she feared the consequences. “I...”

  When her voice faded, his smile deepened. “I’m going to take that as an answer. Punch me if I’ve misinterpreted.”

  He replaced his hand with his mouth before Brynn could launch into an explanation of why this was such a bad idea.

  But it didn’t feel like a bad idea, she couldn’t help thinking as his lips settled warmly over hers. It felt... incredible.

  Her hands lifted reflexively to his shoulders. Her mouth softened instinctively beneath his. Her eyelids drifted downward, feeling suddenly heavy. He kissed, she thought dazedly, as spectacularly as she had fantasized he would.

  And, just as she’d feared, she knew nothing would be quite the same for her once the kiss ended.

  Joe seemed in no hurry to bring the embrace to a conclusion. His right hand resting lightly against her cheek, he lifted his mouth only enough to change to a new angle, and then he kissed her again.

  Brynn’s hand lifted almost of its own will, her fingers sliding into the hair at the back of his head. His hair was thick, crisp, and curled lightly around her fingertips. Her other hand still rested on his shoulder. He was solid and strong beneath her palm.

  He made her ache in a way no mere kiss had made her ache before.

  She almost sighed in protest when he finally, slowly, drew away, leaving her mouth damp, tender and hungry for more.

  She hadn’t realized she’d begun to tremble until she lowered her hands to rest them in her lap. She could think of nothing to say. Joe’s kiss had emptied her mind of rational thought.

  “We need to talk.” His voice had a hoarse edge to it, proving that he’d been affected by the kiss, as well.

  She bit her lip and ducked her head, hiding her face behind her chin-length bob of hair. She didn’t want him to see the panic she suspected was mirrored in her eyes, the confusion and dismay she knew were there.

  He caught her chin in his hand, lifting her face. “Brynn, I...”

  The shrill beeping that interrupted his words made her j
ump and widen her eyes. It took her a moment to identify the sound.

  Joe muttered something she couldn’t understand and reached for his belt. The sound stopped. He sighed when he looked at his pager. “I have to leave. I’m sorry, this is lousy timing, but it’s very much a part of my job. I never know when I’ll be called to work. That’s something you should probably know about me before we take this much further.”

  This? What “this” was he talking about? There was no “this” between them, and if either of them had any sense, there wouldn’t be.

  She started to tell him just that—a bit more coherently, she hoped—but Joe was already getting up and moving toward the door. He looked regretfully at the cola and cookies as he passed them, and even more regretfully at Brynn when he turned to her at the doorway. “I’ll call you,” he said.

  Still sitting on the couch, she laced her fingers in her lap, not quite trusting her legs to be steady if she rose to see him off. “I think...”

  “I’ll call you,” he repeated firmly, and let himself out, closing the door behind him.

  Brynn fell limply against the back of the couch, covering her still-tingling mouth with her hands.

  Kissing Joe D’Alessandro had been a grave mistake. Doing so again would be inviting heartbreak.

  She sighed and lifted her head. She had things to do. And she needed to keep busy or she would drive herself crazy reliving Joe’s kiss. Something caught her eye as she rose from the couch. She glanced down at the slip of crumpled white paper on the cushion next to her.

  Thinking it looked a bit like a fortune from a Chinese cookie, like the one she’d left on the table at the restaurant, she picked it up and unfolded it with unsteady hands.

  Love finds even the hidden heart.

  This man was going to drive her certifiably crazy.