The Littlest Stowaway

by Gina Wilkins

  Warmed as always that he considered himself her brother despite the fragility of the connection, Casey responded in a softer tone. “Of course I want a family, Edward. And I’ll have one, someday, if I’m lucky.”

  A sudden mental picture of herself holding little Annie while the baby had taken her bottle made her heart ache. She really did want children of her own someday. She had simply been forced to postpone that goal when her father’s untimely illness and death had changed her life so drastically. She shook her head to clear the images. “As you pointed out, I’m still young. There’s plenty of time for that sort of thing when I’ve got everything cleared away at JCS. It’s only been a year since Dad died, and there were so many of his affairs to settle...but I’ve almost done that now. It won’t be much longer before I’ll be able to take some time off for myself.”

  She was bluffing, of course. JCS was still far from being back on solid financial ground, and it wasn’t helping that Steve kept luring her clients away from her. But how could she admit defeat now, when JCS was all she had left of her father and her grandfather? When she was the only Jansen left to ensure its survival? Couldn’t Edward understand how important that was to her?

  No, of course he couldn’t. His own father had died so early that Edward had never known what it was like to work constantly for a father’s approval. Nor did he know how it felt to be always aware of a father’s disappointment. Louis Jansen had always made it clear that he had wanted a son, and had been disappointed that his stepson had shown no interest in the business Louis had nurtured so passionately. Casey had definitely been his last alternative when it was time to turn that business over to someone else, and she’d been aware that he had done so without a great deal of optimism that she would be able to keep it afloat.

  She cleared her throat again. “Really, Edward, everything is fine,” she repeated. “Tell me more about the lieutenant governor’s root canal.”

  Even though she’d rather be enduring a root canal than hearing the minute details of one, she made an effort to concentrate on Edward’s story. Edward’s work was important to him, she reminded herself. And she would show interest in it because he was important to her.

  Besides, she added silently, it gave her an excuse to concentrate on something besides worrying about how Steve was getting along with Annie.

  STEVE HAD WALKED the hallway of his house so many times it was a wonder he hadn’t worn a path into the carpet. Held snugly in his arms, wrapped in a soft plaid stadium blanket, Annie slept soundly and apparently contentedly. She wasn’t fooling him for a minute. No matter how deeply asleep she appeared, he knew if he even tried to lay her down, she’d scream her tiny lungs out. He knew because he’d been trying to put her down for more than an hour now.

  His arms were getting tired, not from her weight, which was negligible, but from being held too long in the same position. He was hungry, since he had intended to eat after he put her to bed. And he needed to go to the bathroom.

  He was sheepishly aware that his entire evening was being controlled by a six-pound infant, but there didn’t seem to be much he could do about it at the moment. He’d told Casey he could handle this, and he was a long way from admitting defeat

  Maybe if he held Annie in his left arm, he could use his right hand to eat a sandwich or something while he paced. As far as going to the bathroom with her—no way.

  His doorbell chimed musically through the quiet house, startling the baby and making her jolt, proving his suspicion that she hadn’t been as soundly asleep as she had appeared. Steve glanced at his watch. Just before 10:00 p.m. He couldn’t imagine who would stop by at this hour without calling first.

  Unless...

  He strode swiftly across the room and, cradling Annie in his left arm, used his right hand to jerk the door open. “Oh,” he said, a bit surprised but hardly disappointed. “It’s you.”

  Her arms loaded with packages, Casey frowned at him. “You were expecting someone else?”

  “When the doorbell rang, I thought maybe Janice had come for the baby,” he admitted.

  Her frown deepened. “No word from her yet?”

  He shook his head. “B.J.’s been looking all evening. He called and said no one has seen her since last weekend.” He moved out of the doorway to give her room to pass him. “Come in.”

  “I brought some things for the baby. I didn’t know if you had a chance to get anything.”

  Annie was still wearing the little white shirt they’d found her in, and he was down to a handful of disposable diapers. He smiled gratefully at Casey, both surprised and pleased by her unexpected gesture. “I really appreciate this. Thanks.”

  Casey set the bags on his oak coffee table, then turned to face him. “You look ragged.”

  Trust Casey not to mince words. “The kid has a way of expressing her opinions.”

  Looking a bit uncertain, she ran her hands down her sides, making Steve realize that she had changed clothes since he’d last seen her. She now wore a thin, sleeveless black top over loose black pants with strappy black sandals. The kind of outfit she would wear on a date, he thought with a quick frown. A frown that disappeared when he realized she must have cut the date short to come check on him and Annie.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

  He promptly took her up on her tentative offer. “You can hold her for a few minutes while I grab a sandwich or something. She hasn’t let me put her down since I got home with her, and I’m starving.”

  “Oh. Okay, sure.” She reached for the baby.

  Standing close to make the transfer, Steve became aware of her subtly floral scent. She’d pinned her long hair up, baring the back of her neck. He resisted a quick impulse to find out if that exposed skin was as soft and silky as it looked. “Your appointment ended early?”

  “It was just for dinner,” she replied carelessly, looking down at the baby, who squirmed for a moment, then settled into her arms. “Have you tried rocking Annie to sleep?”

  “I’ve tried everything. The only way to keep her quiet is to hold her and walk with her. I’ve logged a dozen miles or more up and down my hallway.”

  “When did she eat last?”

  “She took a little formula about an hour ago. Her last full bottle was the one you gave her nearly four hours ago.”

  “Maybe she’ll take a little more now and go to sleep. Where’s the bottle?”

  “I’ll get it.” He turned and headed for the kitchen, aware that Casey followed him. Fortunately the kitchen was fairly neat for a change, he noted in a quick, assessing glance. He popped the bottle in the microwave to knock the chill off, then turned to Casey. “There’s a rocking chair in the living room.”

  “I’ll sit in here with her and keep you company while you eat.” She settled carefully in one of the bow-back chairs at the round oak pedestal table.

  Steve wondered if she really wanted to keep him company or if she was just nervous about being alone with the baby. He handed her the slightly warmed bottle, watching as she offered it to Annie. The baby squirmed and fussed before beginning to nurse—slowly at first, then with more enthusiasm.

  “Apparently, she prefers it when you feed her,” Steve commented, aware only then that both he and Casey had been holding their breath.

  “Maybe she wasn’t really hungry earlier. She’s probably confused and unsettled about everything that has happened to her today.”

  Steve pushed a hand through his hair. “I can certainly empathize with that.”

  “I’m sure you can.”

  He edged toward the door. “If you’ll excuse me just a minute, I have to—um—wash my hands.”

  Casey nodded matter-of-factly, looking more comfortable with the baby now. “Take your time. We’ll be fine.”

  He wasn’t gone long. He was still surprised that Casey had come, which he told her when he returned to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “How did you get my address?”

  “I called Madelyn,” sh
e admitted. “I couldn’t stop worrying that there were things you needed for Annie. You were so adamant about no one else finding out about this that I was concerned you wouldn’t call anyone for help.”

  He set out bread, lunch meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard. “Want a sandwich?”

  “No, thank you. I just finished dinner.”

  He wondered who she’d gone out with. For whom she had changed into the flattering pantsuit, dabbed on perfume and pinned up her hair. “I hope Annie and I haven’t ruined your evening.”

  “No. I had no plans after dinner with my stepbrother.”

  Her stepbrother. Steve smiled and relaxed. “How about something to drink? Soda? Coffee? Tea? I have Earl Grey or herbal.”

  “Herbal tea sounds good. It’s too late for caffeine.”

  He set water on to boil while he assembled his sandwich on a paper plate, dumping a handful of chips on the side. By the time his makeshift meal was ready, so was the tea. He carried everything to the table, where Casey was trying to pat a burp out of the baby. When she had succeeded, she settled Annie back into her arms and offered the bottle again. “She really was hungry.”

  “I swear I tried to feed her,” Steve said, settling into a chair. “She wouldn’t have it.”

  A quick smile curved Casey’s mouth. “Maybe she was waiting to dine with you.”

  “That was very thoughtful of you, Annie,” he said gravely. “But next time, don’t bother, okay?”

  He liked seeing Casey across his kitchen table while he ate. The overhead lighting gleamed in her upswept brown hair, making his fingers itch to pull out the pins and watch it tumble to the middle of her back Her lipstick had faded, leaving her sexy, full lips moist and natural, stirring a hunger in him his sandwich had no chance of satisfying. As often as he’d fantasized about having her here like this, he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

  Of course, his fantasies hadn’t included the baby in her arms. He didn’t try to delude himself that she was here for any other reason. “You were worried about the baby, weren’t you?”

  She glanced at him with a lifted eyebrow. “Of course. Why else would I be here?”

  Why else, indeed. He reminded himself that she saw him as an annoying business rival, not as a friend. And certainly not as anything more. For now. “It was very nice of you to come by and check on us. Of course, I was handling it,” he couldn’t resist pointing out.

  Her smile was wry. “Of course you were. Which is why you’re wolfing that sandwich down as if you haven’t eaten in days.”

  He chuckled. “I didn’t say it was easy.”

  She looked down at the baby again, biting her lower lip and causing him to squirm. After a moment, he asked, “What’s bothering you, Casey?”

  Her eyes were wide when she looked up. “What do you think?”

  “We’ll find Janice. I know a guy I can maybe call to help—a P.I. He owes me a favor. I flew him out of a tight spot once.”

  That got her attention. “You really think he can find Janice?”

  “If anyone can find her, it’s Blake. I’ll call him tomorrow, if we haven’t heard anything.”

  “And the baby?”

  “I’ll take care of her.” He watched Casey swallow, and wished just once she’d look a bit more confident when he said that.

  The telephone rang just as he was about to assure her again that Annie would be fine. Steve snatched the kitchen receiver before the ringing could disturb the baby, who was just finishing her bottle. “H’lo?” he asked, expecting to hear Madelyn or B.J. reply.

  Instead, there was a long pause and then a whispered, “Is the baby okay?”

  Steve froze. He forced himself to answer calmly. “The baby is fine. Where are you?”

  A sob was the only answer.

  “I haven’t called the authorities,” he said reassuringly. “No one outside the company knows I have the baby.” Technically, Casey wasn’t in his company, but since Janice worked for Casey, too, he didn’t see much difference.

  A gasp of gratitude was followed by a choked, “Thank you. I knew you would help me.”

  “I could help you more if you’d tell me what’s wrong. Why don’t you come here? Or if you like, I’ll come to you.”

  “No. I—not yet. Soon. I promise. I’ll come for her soon. Don’t—please don’t call anyone yet.”

  “I won’t turn her in,” he vowed rashly, deeply affected by the desperate misery in the young mother’s voice. “But you have to—”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll call soon. Kiss—kiss Annie for me.” The break in her voice was heartrending.

  “Janice—”

  But she was gone. A dial tone buzzed in his ear.

  “damn.” Steve hung up the phone and turned to find Casey on her feet, the dozing baby clutched to her chest.

  “That was Janice?”

  He nodded.

  “Where is she? What’s happening? Why did she leave the baby? When is she—?”

  Steve held up a hand. “I can’t answer any of your questions. She didn’t tell me anything.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She asked about the baby and begged me not to turn her in. And then she hung up.”

  Casey rocked Annie gently in her arms, her expression so troubled that Steve wondered if she was trying to soothe the baby or herself. “This is crazy. I can’t believe what we’re doing. Annie deserves better than this. She needs a stable home. A mother who is there for her, and can support her and take care of her. Even if Janice comes back, how is she going to get by on the small salary she makes cleaning our offices? Who’s going to take care of Annie while Janice works?”

  “We’ll help her. There’s assistance available for single mothers with financial problems. You know Janice. She’s a hardworking young woman. Once she settles whatever trouble she’s in now, she’ll do the right thing by her baby.”

  Casey sighed and shook her head. “I know you have a reputation for being fiercely loyal to your friends and employees, but I never thought of you as naive.”

  “I’m not naive. I consider myself a very good judge of character, actually. I’ve rarely been burned by someone I trusted.”

  She didn’t seem overly reassured. “You’re impulsive and unconventional and reckless. It’s no wonder Janice assumed you wouldn’t do the sensible thing and call the authorities as soon as you found this baby in your plane.”

  Genuinely amused by her summary of his character, Steve chuckled. “I like you, too, Casey, darlin’.”

  Her cheeks went pink. Abruptly, she turned away from him. “We should try putting Annie to bed. Do you have a place for her to sleep?”

  “Yeah. I borrowed a bassinet from my neighbor. I told her I was baby-sitting for a sick friend.”

  “And she bought that?”

  “Why not? It’s the truth, in a way. For all we know, Janice is sick and that’s why she can’t take care of Annie right now.”

  “I brought a couple of sleepers. Let’s get her changed and then maybe she’ll settle down for the night.”

  Very carefully, trying not to jostle the baby awake, they eased her into a clean diaper and one of the soft, one-piece cotton sleepers Casey had brought with her. The garment was pink, embroidered with tiny flowers on the collar. Digging in the bags Casey had carried in, Steve found three more comfortable-looking outfits, tiny booties, two lightweight baby blankets, a colorful plastic rattle and a whimsical little terry-cloth teddy bear. “You had quite a shopping spree,” he said with a smile.

  “I grabbed a few things in the baby department at the Wal-Mart near here,” she replied with a slightly self-conscious shrug. “I didn’t know exactly what you needed, but this seemed like a good start.”

  “It really was very thoughtful of you.”

  “I did it for Annie.”

  “I never thought anything else,” he assured her.

  She nodded, as if satisfied that she’d made her point. “Why don’t you try p
utting her to bed now?”

  “Why don’t I?” He couldn’t help teasing Casey a bit. Her somewhat bossy attitude didn’t bother him; he knew she reacted that way when she was feeling threatened or uncertain. He picked up the baby with exaggerated care, and tiptoed into his bedroom, where he’d set up the wicker bassinet.

  Casey followed him. “Put her on her back,” she whispered. “The experts say that’s the safest position. And make sure there aren’t any blankets around her face. She’s too little to push away anything that’s impeding her breathing.”

  Moments later, Steve and Casey stood side-by-side next to the bassinet, holding their breath as Annie squirmed and mewed and then settled into sleep. Steve released his breath slowly when it became apparent that the baby was going to stay down this time—at least for a while. He couldn’t resist looping an arm around Casey’s shoulders. “She really is a sweetheart, isn’t she?”

  Casey stepped back a bit too quickly, causing his arm to fall to his side. “Yes,” she murmured. “Um—I’d better go.”

  With one last glance at the sleeping baby, he followed Casey out of his room. “What’s your hurry, darlin’?”

  “It’s getting late. I need to go home. And stop calling me that” she said, her nerves obviously beginning to fray. “We’re competitors, not friends. Just because I’m as concerned about this baby as you are doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten you’re trying to put me out of business.”

  He couldn’t help chuckling a little. “I’m not trying to put you out of business, Casey. I happen to think there’s enough opportunity for both of us.”

  “Then quit stealing my customers,” she snapped. “Find your own.”

  “I’m not actively campaigning to steal your customers. But I won’t refuse them when they come to me, either.”

  She couldn’t seem to think of an appropriate response to that. She snatched up her purse and moved toward the door. “Is there anything else I can do—for the baby?” she added.

  An idea occurred to him, but he knew it would take nerve to ask. Of course, nerve had never been something he’d lacked. “As a matter of fact, there is something you can do for us...”