by Jane Godman
“Talk me through what you’re doing.”
“I’m getting unscented baby wipes, so I can clean her skin. That’s the best way to prevent diaper rash. If a rash does develop, she needs plenty of diaper-free time and some ointment to help her heal.” Abigail placed the pack of wipes next to the mat. “We also need a biodegradable bag so we can dispose of the used diaper.” She looked at him with a grin. “At least she hasn’t pooped this time.”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, you’ll know when she’s pooped.” She leaned over to look Maya in the eye. “Go easy on Griffin. He has yet to encounter you at your stinkiest.”
Maya chuckled and waved her toy keys in a celebratory gesture. It seemed to take Abigail only a few seconds to remove the old diaper, clean Maya’s delicate skin and have her completely changed. Griffin was certain he would not be able to perform the same series of actions on the small, wriggling body so skillfully or quickly.
Once Maya was upright again and seated on the changing mat, she offered Griffin her toy. Touched by the gesture, he reached out to take it, only to have her snatch it away at the last minute. Still holding the keys, Maya clapped her hands and grinned at him.
“That’s another thing she likes,” Abigail told him, as she cleared away the changing accessories. “Playing teasing games.” She sat back on her heels. “How will it work? Us moving into your place?”
“I have plenty of space. I grew up in Heritage Hill and always loved it. When it came to finding a home of my own, I knew there was only one place I wanted to live. Of course, those old houses aren’t really suitable for a man on his own but I found a first floor apartment that needed renovation just a few blocks from the house where Riley still lives and from which he runs Colton Investigations.”
“Those buildings are amazing.” There was a genuine note of envy in Abigail’s voice. “I remember walking around that neighborhood with my mom when I was very small. It was like stepping back in time.”
“Trying to rebuild my place and stay true to the original style has been hard,” Griffin said. “It’s almost finished but it’s been a labor of love. Anyway, I have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garden. There’s plenty of room for Maya to play. There is just one thing I think we should talk about.”
“What’s that?”
“I think it’s important to decide how we’re going to introduce Maya to Lucy.”
Chapter 7
The fact that Griffin had mentioned introducing Maya to someone called Lucy implied that this person was significant in his life. At that moment, Abigail realized she had made an assumption that he was single, based on the attraction between them. That, and the kiss they had shared. But she barely knew him. It was possible he was in a relationship and he cheated on his partner.
She wasn’t comfortable with that image of him. No, it went deeper than that. She had started to develop feelings for him and she felt betrayed. Yet, it was at odds with her instincts and everything she had learned in the time she had known him. Griffin Colton was trustworthy when it came to his work. She knew that. But that left some unanswered questions about how he acted in his personal life.
She may as well start with the obvious one. “Is Lucy your roommate?”
He laughed. “That’s one way of describing her.” He drew out his cell phone and started scrolling. When he found what he was looking for, he held it up. “This is Lucy.”
Abigail studied the picture on the screen. At least it wasn’t a gorgeous woman. Instead, it was a cute creature with a pink nose, a circular blond stripe around its light brown face and teddy-bear ears. “Is it a kitten? No. A mongoose?”
“Lucy is a ferret. Full name Lucy Fur. As in Lucifer. Because she’s a demon.”
She cast a worried glance in Maya’s direction. “When you say ‘demon’—?”
“Oh, Lucy doesn’t bite. She just steals things. And hides. And eats things she shouldn’t. Like shoes and electrical cables.” Griffin rolled his eyes. “There are some states that don’t allow ferret ownership. I’ve told her I’m going to move to one, but Lucy doesn’t respond to threats.”
Abigail laughed. “What made you choose a ferret as a pet?”
“I didn’t. Lucy chose me,” Griffin said. “About two years ago, I found her in my garden. She was only a youngster and she was badly injured. I think she may have been in a fight with a cat or a dog. I took her to the vet, and they took care of her, but they had nowhere for her to go. Unlike cats and dogs, there are few animal rescue centers that welcome ferrets. I couldn’t bear to see such a sweet, healthy animal euthanized, so Lucy came home with me.”
“It sounds like she and Maya will get along just fine.” She chewed her lip nervously. “But don’t ferrets carry disease and bite?”
He looked relieved. “Lucy has a cage. It’s not like she has the freedom of the house all the time. We can introduce them gradually and make sure they are always supervised.”
She stooped to pick up Maya, feeling comforted by the baby’s warm weight on her hip. “I don’t want to disrupt your life, Griffin.”
“Leaving my ferret in her cage for a little longer each day will not have an adverse effect on my well-being.” He grinned. “Quite the opposite.”
The temptation to return his smile was irresistible but she wanted to let him know she was serious. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
He placed a hand on her arm. “I want to do this for you, Abigail.”
She studied his face, searching for something behind the smile. Growing up with Wes Matthews had made her suspicious of everyone’s motives. With her dad there was always another angle, always a reason to turn on the charm. Although she knew there was such a thing as a nice guy, her judgment was skewed by her past experiences. Could Griffin be what he appeared? Strong, kind, dependable and protective? She hoped so, but she had learned to hold part of her trust back. Just in case.
“Why?” The word slipped out, and she winced. Would he think her ungrateful? Questioning his motives wasn’t the best way to start this new relationship.
“Because I think you’re innocent and you’ve had a raw deal. Because I want to make sure that Maya doesn’t suffer because of what is going on.” He took a step closer. “And because I like you.”
Oh, goodness. The warmth in his eyes made her heart develop an extra little beat. Feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush, she gazed up at him. Clearly feeling that the moment had stretched out a little too long without any action, Maya reached out and gave Griffin a punch on the chin. The action broke the mood and, as they started to laugh, Maya clapped her hands.
“We should probably think about getting your things together ready to take to my place.”
She sighed. “That’s going to be such a big job.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” He always managed to sound so reasonable and soothing. “It’s not like you have to do it all at once. Pack enough for a day or two. We can always come back for more.” He hesitated. “I don’t want to pry, but are you going to be okay financially?”
“Yes. I have savings and a small legacy from my mom.” She cleared her throat. “If you need me to pay rent...”
He looked horrified. “That was not why I asked. I was wondering if you needed a loan.”
She started to laugh. “Are you always so sensible?”
“Do you mean boring?”
She shook her head, eager to reassure him. “That is the last word I would use to describe you.”
“Maybe you can do some PR within my family? I could use some help to lose the reverse-rebel label,” Griffin said. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be considered wild. But I’ve been the don’t-know-how-to-party animal among my siblings for too long.”
“If you’re expecting me and Maya to change all that, you definitely don’t know much about babies. I guarantee you’ll be too exhausted to even
think.”
He laughed. “You’re joking, right? How difficult can it be, taking care of one small child?”
* * *
At six o’clock the next morning, Griffin was seated at his own kitchen table. Uncertain whether he was dreaming, he gulped down a mouthful of coffee. It was hot and strong, the way he liked it, but his body was in shock after a sleepless night and he shuddered.
“Okay. I think the fact that my taste buds are working must mean I’m awake.”
Abigail, who was slumped in a chair next to him, slowly turned her head in his direction. The movement seemed to require more effort than usual. “You took over pacing the floor with Maya from me. That was at two-thirty. She finally fell asleep at five. So, yes. Unless you’ve been sleepwalking all this time, you’re awake.”
Griffin rubbed a hand along his chin, feeling the stubble scratch his palm. “You said looking after a baby was exhausting, but last night was beyond anything I imagined. Is it always like this?”
“No.” She sat up straighter. “Most of the time, Maya sleeps through. The only times she has a problem are if she’s unwell, or teething. I think she had trouble settling last night because she’s in a strange place.”
“At least she’s sleeping now,” Griffin said. “I felt so sorry for her. And so helpless. It’s awful seeing her get upset.”
“You did a great job of comforting her,” Abigail said. “It’s distressing because babies don’t know they’re tired. They just know they feel bad. If Maya could just sleep, it would all be okay. But, of course, she cries and that makes her more exhausted and unhappy.”
“I don’t want the change of environment to have an adverse effect on her.”
“She’s resilient,” Abigail said. “And, as you said, she has me to keep things normal for her. I’m sure she’ll be okay.” She smothered a yawn behind her hand. “Although we may be in for a few more sleepless nights before she gets into a routine.”
Although she was pale, and her hair was mussed up, she still managed to look beautiful. Her pajama shorts and tank top showed off her long, tanned limbs and, even though he was so tired that lifting his coffee cup felt like a superhuman effort, her nearness was intoxicating. It was one of the things he hadn’t thought through when he’d proposed this solution to her problems.
His first thought had been that Maya must not be placed with strangers. By offering to foster Abigail’s daughter, he hadn’t considered that mother and child would come as a package. Having them under his roof would bring him more challenges than he could have foreseen. And among them would be the attraction he felt for Abigail.
Or was he fooling himself? When he’d issued the invitation for Abigail to stay at his place with Maya, he’d realized that they would be in close proximity. Hadn’t he been excited at the prospect and the opportunities it would bring? He was torn. Part of him wanted to take things further and act on the attraction between them. At the same time, he was conscious of her vulnerability.
Abigail was in danger. He was certain of that. Someone was trying to ruin her life and that person was so determined to succeed that he, or she, had already committed murder. Griffin was committed to protecting her and helping uncover the truth. Yet he was also part of the team working to find her father and bring him to justice. It would be stepping outside of his supportive role if he began a relationship with a woman in Abigail’s position.
He had always taken such care to safeguard his heart. For the first time, he had an urge to set caution aside and see where his feelings might take him. The irony was that he couldn’t act on it. He didn’t know what the future held, but he’d have liked the chance to find out if Abigail had a part to play in his.
As Abigail tried to hide another yawn, he decided to focus on how he could provide practical help in the present. “Why don’t you take a nap while the baby is asleep?”
“What about you?” Abigail asked. “We’re equally tired.”
“I need to check my emails and messages. I can always rest this afternoon.”
“If you’re sure?” She got to her feet. “Come and get me when Maya wakes up.”
He placed a hand on his heart, pretending to be hurt. “Do you think I won’t be able to cope?”
“I didn’t mean—”
He laughed. “Get some sleep. Maya and I will be fine.”
* * *
When Abigail opened her eyes a few hours later, she was confused by the light streaming through a gap in the drapes and by the strange room. Her first reaction was panic as she wondered why she was sleeping in the day and where Maya could be. As she came fully awake and recalled the events of the past few days, the initial alarm subsided. But the anxiety that had been with her since she had learned about the allegations against her remained.
She was still struggling to come to terms with how dramatically her life had changed. She had stepped outside her comfort zone when she’d agreed to adopt Maya but that had proved to be one of the best decisions of her life. Having lost Veronica, she not only had a permanent reminder of her friend in her life, she also now had a child of her own. The love she felt for Maya was as all-consuming as it had been unexpected at first.
But struggling with the loss of her closest friend, and still getting used to motherhood, she had then been hit with the shocking news about her father’s role in the RevitaYou con. As a child, she’d been dazzled by him. His stories were magical. There was the pet monkey that played checkers with him. The time he smuggled diamonds out of South Africa. His heroic military record. As Abigail grew older, she began to see flaws in his anecdotes. Sometimes, the details changed...
She’d had other questions. Why did he have so many cell phones? Why did people call him by different names? Wes always had an explanation. Finally, just before her mom left, he had confessed. He was a spy, working at that time on a top-secret mission to foil a dangerous enemy plot against the government. Fascinated, and eager to see him in action, she’d followed him out of the house one afternoon. He’d gone to a local bar, gotten drunk and thrown up in the gutter on his way home.
And that was when it had hit her. Everything her father had told her about himself was a lie. Twenty-five years later, she wasn’t surprised that he was still lying and cheating his way through life. What upset her most about RevitaYou was Wes’s complete lack of concern for the consequences while he was taking people’s money, often their life savings. Surely he must have foreseen that packaging a product that contained a poison and labeling it as a vitamin would cause harm to at least some of those who used it? The fact that he had gone ahead anyway was an indication that he didn’t care.
What hurt almost as much was that so many people still believed that Abigail was part of the scheme. Ever since that day when she had realized that her father was a liar, she had been scared of her own genetics. Whenever she was faced with a tough decision, a little voice inside her head always wondered, “What would Wes do?” The answer was straightforward, of course. Wes would take the easy way, not the right way. So far, Abigail had been hand-on-heart happy with her own choices. She didn’t take after her dad. Sadly, the rest of the world didn’t know that.
Except for Griffin. She didn’t know why he believed in her. She just knew he was genuine, and she was glad of his strength and encouragement when everyone else seemed determined to condemn her. His support had become doubly important since the Anthrosyne investigation and Dr. Hardin’s murder. Without Griffin... She sat up abruptly. Fortunately, she had Griffin at her side. Picturing the loneliness and despair of fighting these allegations alone was a waste of time and emotion.
The apartment was very quiet. Too quiet for a place that contained Maya, who must be awake by now. Pushing back the bedclothes, she got to her feet. Still dressed in her shorts and tank, she slipped her feet into sneakers and pulled on a lightweight sweatshirt before leaving the bedroom. Following the central hall, she headed toward the
kitchen.
There was a small closet to one side of the back door, and this housed the cage belonging to Lucy, the ferret. Although Griffin had shown his pet to Abigail and Maya on the previous day, Lucy had proved elusive, hiding in her bed with only the tips of her ears showing. Now, as Abigail passed, the little creature darted up to the bars and watched her with bright, beady eyes.
“Maybe we can hang out later,” Abigail said. “Right now, I need to find my daughter.”
It wasn’t difficult to track Griffin and Maya down. All she needed to do was follow the trail of destruction. In the kitchen, there was cereal, milk and flour—flour?—on the floor. Going through to the den, she found most of Griffin’s books pulled off the lower shelf of his bookcase and thrown onto the floor. Photograph frames were tipped over, cushions thrown from the chairs. Abigail recognized the hand at work. The scene looked like her own home most days.
She heard Maya’s laugh and looked out the window. Griffin was sitting on the small lawn and the baby was wriggling on her stomach toward him. She appeared to be holding a plant.
Abigail retraced her steps through the kitchen and went out the back door. The yard was small and neat and the first thing she noticed was that a row of herbs had been pulled out of their pots and scattered across the steps.
“You should stop her when she goes into destructo-baby mode,” she said.
Griffin greeted her with a smile. “Yeah. You’ll have to show me how you do that. So far, nothing I’ve tried has had any impact.”
When Maya saw Abigail, she dropped the leaves she’d been holding out to Griffin and raised her dirty hands to her mom instead.
“Come here, you.” Abigail scooped her up and swung her round, causing Maya to squeal with delight.
She was conscious of Griffin watching them attentively. It was possible he was enjoying the moment or hoping to pick up some tips on how to deal with a nine-month-old whirlwind. But when she looked up and met his gaze, the heat in the depths of his eyes threatened to burn her up. It also ignited an answering flame deep inside her. A wave of emotion washed over her and she lost herself in that instant.