Читать книгу The Millionaires' Club: David, Clint & Travis - Kathie DeNosky - Страница 9

Three

They shook hands, and Alex’s solemn look disappeared as he eyed David. “Good grief, man! What happened to you?”

David rubbed his whiskered jaw. “I didn’t have time to shave.”

“Yeah, so I see. Try buttoning your shirt right, too.”

“Oh, hell,” David mumbled, looking down at himself. “I just grabbed something to put on.”

“Rough night, huh? Did you have someone over and party after the wee one went to sleep?”

“Alex, you’re pushing your luck now. Hell, no, I didn’t party. I was up all night with her.”

Alex leaned over the sleeping baby. “She’s quiet enough now. I find it hard to believe that this little doll kept you up through the night.”

“You want to trade jobs?”

Alex grinned. “Nope.” He touched the baby’s arm lightly. “She’s a cute little thing.”

“Yeah, well, it was a hellacious night. And don’t you wake her,” David snapped.

Alex grinned, turning to look at David. “Good thing it was you. I don’t have a clue about kids.”

“You think I know anything about them?” David demanded. “I just hired a nanny. Have you heard anything about the mother?”

“No, I haven’t. Here’s our man now.”

Wearing the same clothes he had worn the night before and needing a shave, Clint strode into the room and shook hands with his friends. The waiter returned, bringing drinks and snacks, taking sandwich orders and then leaving.

With a long, purposeful stride, Ryan Evans entered and greeted them, and David shook hands with his quiet friend who, at thirty-two, was a few years younger than the rest of them. All the men clustered around the baby to look at her.

“I’ve got a nanny,” David announced again for the others.

“You may need her for a while,” Clint said solemnly as the men sat in leather chairs and David sat in a chair by Autumn. Curiosity was in Ryan’s brown eyes. “All right, guys, fill me in. Sorry I missed our usual chilifest.”

“I’ll bet you are,” Alex teased. “Who was she this time?”

Ryan grinned and shrugged. “I had a good time. Now, what happened last night?”

“You missed a lot,” David answered, relating the events starting with the woman’s rush into the Royal Diner the night before. When he finished he asked, “Ryan, you didn’t give this woman a Texas Cattleman’s card, did you?”

“Me? No, I didn’t.”

“Just checking. You get around.”

“I’ve been contacting members,” Alex said, “to see if I can find who might have known her and given her the card. So far, nothing.”

“I saw Manny this morning,” David informed them, “and he told me about being interviewed for television last night.”

“That was inevitable in a town this size,” Ryan said. “Anything unusual happens here and it’s all over town within the hour, much less something happening in the Royal Diner.”

“It’ll pass, though,” Alex remarked, taking a swig of pop.

David turned to Clint. “Now you need to bring us up to date on our mystery woman. Is she without a guard right now?”

“No, our Jane Doe has a guard. I called Aaron Black, and he said he could come into town and stay while I meet with y’all. He told me to take a few hours and get some sleep.”

“Aaron’s a good one to call,” David said, thinking of the tall Texas Cattleman’s Club member and fellow rancher.

“That’s the great thing about our members,” Alex said, stretching out his long legs. “They’re always willing to help.”

“That’s what we all want to do,” David added quietly. “Tell us about the woman, Clint. How is she?”

“Her condition doesn’t look good. She’s still in a coma. She’s malnourished and dehydrated. She just gave birth not long ago and she’s had a bad blow to her head,” Clint replied.

“Thank goodness I hired a nanny this morning,” David said, his hopes disappearing that the mother would be able to have her baby returned to her right away. He glanced at Clint, who had one jeans-clad leg propped up with his booted foot on his other knee. “What else?”

“She’s in ICU and they told me they’ll run tests all the rest of the week and probably into next week if she doesn’t come around. They did an EEG, an electroencephalogram, to check her brain because there’s some swelling.”

“It doesn’t sound good,” Ryan said.

“We better say some prayers that she survives,” Clint said, looking grimly at the baby. “That little girl can’t lose her mother,” he added, with worry in his blue eyes, and David was reminded of Clint’s loss of his wife when fire claimed her life. Clint always seemed to have the hurt bottled up inside him, and David knew Clint carried scars from the fire. David looked down at the two crooked fingers on his left hand, knowing that he had his own scars. Perhaps every man in the room did.

“We have to do all we can for both of them,” Alex said, bringing David’s thoughts back to the problem at hand.

“The hospital is concerned. They’re giving the mother a lot of attention, and we have an excellent staff here,” Clint added.

“That’s right,” David agreed. “With all the wealth that people in Royal have poured into Royal Memorial, it rivals big-city hospitals.” He shifted and looked at Alex. “Alex, what’s your report? Any information on her identity?”

“None,” Alex replied grimly. “There was a list of names in the bag she carried and I’ll investigate them. This morning I checked with Wayne Vicente and there’s no one on the missing person’s report who fits her description. So far I haven’t found out anything about her. Except one thing.” His green-eyed gaze circled the room as he looked at each man. “She was carrying about half a million dollars in that bag. Most of it in large bills.”

“Damn, that’s a lot of money,” Ryan remarked.

“I’d say it sounds like she’s in a lot of trouble,” David said, and the others nodded agreement.

“Half a million—what in blazes can she be mixed up in?” Ryan asked, and the men gazed at one another.

“Something dangerous,” Clint said grimly.

They fell silent when Jimmy returned with more drinks and sandwiches on silver trays. Another waiter helped him, and in minutes, the men were alone. As soon as each had what he wanted to drink and eat, David returned to their subject. “Let’s get back to business. Alex, go ahead with what you were saying.”

“I haven’t found anyone who remembers seeing her come into town. Not at the airport or the bus station. I don’t have a picture to show anyone. I can only give them a description, but so far nothing. I’m just beginning to work on that list of names and dates she had in the diaper bag. Since she’s malnourished, I’m guessing that the money hasn’t been in her possession long. Her clothes were bought off the rack. Her nails aren’t done professionally. If that money is hers, then she’s one of those eccentrics who stashes every penny, but she’s too young to accumulate that kind of money. My guess is that she’s on the run,” he said, and the others agreed.

“That means you need to continue to guard her if you can,” David added.

“I can help out when y’all need me. I can spell you at the hospital, Clint,” Ryan offered. He looked at Alex, whose thick brown hair was windblown. “I’ll help you, too, Alex, if you need me for anything.”

“Thanks,” Alex replied as Ryan’s gaze shifted to David.

“You’re on your own with the baby, though.”

“So I guessed,” David replied with resignation. “When are Travis and Darin getting back?”

“I don’t know, but we could certainly use their help,” Ryan answered. “I’ll get in touch with Travis and find out.”

“So where do we go from here?” Clint asked.

“I’ll keep trying to find out our mystery woman’s identity and who gave her that card. I can ask here at the club and everyone will keep things confidential,” Alex offered. “I put the money in the club safe and I’m staying in contact with the police chief.” His green eyes twinkled. “So, David, you’re our surrogate daddy. You just keep taking care of little Autumn. Looks as if she’s happy.”

“She is happy. She’s got a nanny coming soon.”

“Who’s the nanny?” Alex asked.

“Marissa Wilder.”

“I know her sister,” Ryan said.

“Karen Wilder,” Alex agreed. “I dated her once. She’s a hoot. I think she was more of a party girl than her little sister. Karen’s married now and has a passel of kids.”

“So my nanny has a good background?”

“You didn’t check?” Clint asked. “I can run a check on her background, but sounds like we’ve already got enough if you guys know her family. You didn’t check on her?” he repeated.

“Hell, no, I didn’t,” David snapped. “If you’d been up all night trying to get formula down and a diaper on a baby and stop her crying, you’d snap up the first nanny you could find, too. Marissa has a knack with babies.”

“Well, so might have Lucrezia Borgia,” Alex teased.

“You guys. Give me much flak and you can take this baby and then we’ll see who runs out and gets a nanny,” David answered, thinking about the night he’d just spent.

“Just keep it up, Dad. You’ll do fine,” Alex said. He rubbed his forehead. “Seems to me I remember Marissa Wilder being married.”

“She’s not married now,” David said. “I asked her.”

“Yeah, she was,” Clint broke in. “A guy who was a doctor. After his divorce from Marissa, he and his new wife moved to Midland.”

“I don’t care if she’s had five husbands,” David said firmly, and the others laughed.

“I’m going,” Clint said, standing and taking a last long drink of pop. Clint was as solemn as ever, looking worried and concerned. David was sorry Clint was mixed up in this because he didn’t need any more hurt in his life.

“Frankly, David,” Clint remarked, “you look like you had a rough night.”

David merely waved his hand at Clint as if shooing away a fly.

Ryan stood. “I’ll walk out with you, Clint.”

“I better go while she’s still sleeping,” David said. “If she wakes and is hungry, they’ll hear her all over this clubhouse.” David picked up the new diaper bag and the carrier with the sleeping baby. She jumped, her tiny fingers spreading, and then she became still again.

“Looks like you have a peaceful baby,” Alex said, falling into step with David. They walked out into bright sunshine. “I think we’ve got our hands full,” Alex continued. “I just wonder where Jane Doe got that blow to the head. And who is trying to take her baby and why. It could be the father. Or relatives. I have a lot of questions and so far, no answers. Too bad that baby can’t talk.”

“She’s vocal, just not into conversation.”

Alex smiled. “You’ll get the hang of it, and now you have help. From what I remember, the Wilders are a pretty good family. Her folks do some sort of charity work—I don’t recall, exactly.”

“She said they were out of the country. I think we know enough about the Wilders. Keep us posted, Alex.”

“I will. The minute I find out anything, I’ll let you and the others know. Jane Doe didn’t pop into Royal from a void. And somewhere in her background there’s someone from the club. I’ll keep asking. And you keep up the great baby care. This will make you an expert so when you marry and become a dad, you’ll know what to do.”

“Yeah, right.” David snorted. “Marriage has always been out for me—now I’m absolutely sure it’s out. Growing up without a mom and my dad away half the time, I don’t know anything about this family stuff.”

“You’re learning. You’ll let all that knowledge go to waste,” Alex teased. “What a shame.”

“Yeah, right.” David left his friend and hurried to his car.

“This car wasn’t even made for a baby,” David remarked to himself, struggling to get the new carrier buckled into the back seat. He looked down at the tiny baby, who still slept peacefully. He brushed her wispy hair with his fingers. “Darlin’, you’ve been an angel. Now I’ll live up to my promise and we’ll buy a rocking chair on our way home.”

As he closed the door carefully, he saw Clint approaching on his way out of the lot. David flagged Clint down, got the borrowed carrier and hurried to Clint’s car, to ask him to return the carrier to its rightful owner at the hospital.

As Clint drove away, David climbed into the front, starting the engine and glancing into the rearview mirror at Autumn. “Sleep, little one,” he said softly. “’Course, you’re probably resting up for tonight, but that’ll be between you and your new nanny. I’m going to hit the sack and pass out for twelve hours.”

To David’s relief Autumn continued to sleep through his purchase of a rocker and promise of delivery later that day.

Praying that she continued to sleep until he was home, he took the shortest route and sped home, finally turning from the county road onto his own ranch road. Iron gates were opened wide. Pipe-and-wire fencing ran up to two tall posts and a sign on one of the posts read TX S Ranch. He looked at the familiar TX S brand that made up the name. Stirring up a cloud of dust, he raced the car along the gravel drive.

He let out another sigh of relief when the sprawling house came into view. He loved the ranch. This was home, the happiest memories of his childhood had been here. In tight spots in far corners of the world, this was the place he dreamed about.

Made of sandstone, the house was built before the turn of the century in the late 1800s. David had often climbed up its shake-shingle roof, swung from the branches of the tall oaks that shaded the fenced yard and spent hours on the wraparound porch. Now the house was his haven from the world.

Beyond the house stood a barn, a bunkhouse, other outbuildings and a corral. In the distance several other houses could be glimpsed.

As he neared the four-car garage, a brown-and-black shaggy dog came tearing out of the shadows and ran to meet the car, jumping and wagging his tail, staying back a safe distance away from the car.

David parked and climbed out, idly scratching the dog’s head briefly. “Now, General, you scoot. We’ve got a sweet baby who has come to live with us, and she’s too little for you to play with.”

Just then Autumn stirred and blinked, and for a few moments, gazed at the world in silence.

“We’re home, little one. I’ll have you changed and fed in no time. I’m getting to be an old hand at this,” he said, hurrying into his house.

As he passed a rocker on his porch, he eyed it, and half an hour later he went back outside to pick it up and carry it into his spacious kitchen, which had a large living area at one end of the room. He picked Autumn up from her carrier and put her on his shoulder, patting her as he crossed to the counter to get her bottle he had just readied.

“Now, darlin’, your diaper has been changed. We can rock and you can eat and that ought to make you happy.” He sat down and shifted her carefully in his arms, holding the bottle for her as he had seen Marissa do. In seconds Autumn was happily sucking away and David rocked, marveling that he had a baby to care for.

“I’m getting the hang of it,” he said in amazement. “I’ll still be mighty glad to see your nanny arrive.” He glanced around the kitchen. His housekeeper, Gertie, had cleaned his disastrous kitchen from last night. Imported tile countertops were once again immaculate, as was the terra-cotta floor. He looked around the room. It had rich fruitwood cabinets with fruitwood covering the refrigerator. A workstation island separated the kitchen area from the living area, and one end of the room held a large stone fireplace with a sofa and two comfortable chairs. On the other side of that end of the room stood a fruitwood oval table and twelve chairs beside a wide bay window. Practical and comfortable with state-of-the-art equipment, the room was one of David’s favorite places. Now the rocker was in the center of the living area.

David looked at the baby in his arms. Could he have ever been this tiny? Before she died, in those early months, had his mother rocked him? There was a rocker at the Pine Valley house and it was old. He was certain his father had never rocked him. He couldn’t imagine his father dealing with a baby. His father had always hired someone to do that job.

He glanced at the clock. Five until four. Would Marissa be prompt? He didn’t care, as long as she just showed up. He had called home from the club and told Gertie to get a bedroom ready, that he had hired a nanny who was moving into the ranch house.

He heard an approaching car and sighed with relief. When the doorbell rang, David got up, careful to avoid disturbing Autumn, who was still busily drinking from her bottle. He carried the baby with him and swung open the front door, staring in amazement.

He wanted to ask, “Who are you?” Instead, he gazed into the same chocolate-brown eyes and saw the same delectable full lips.

Gone were the strange clothes and makeup. Before him stood a stunning woman who was all curves and long legs with a narrow waist. Shining dark blond hair fell in a silky curtain below her shoulders to frame her face.

Her skin was flawless, with only the faintest pink to her cheeks. She wore a simple blue cotton short-sleeve shirt that was tucked into a navy skirt. David reflected he’d be able to span her waist with his hands. He realized he was staring.

“You don’t look the same,” he blurted, and then wondered what had happened to his finesse.

She smiled, the same adorable, dimpled smile, only now it turned his insides to steam.

“No. I guess we never got around to discussing my clothing this morning. The store had a special sale going and they asked all the employees to dress as Mother Goose characters. I was Little Bo-Peep.”

“Bo-Peep?”

“You don’t know your nursery rhymes—Bo-Peep who lost her sheep?”

“No, I don’t.”

Marissa’s brows arched, but she kept her comments on his lack of knowledge of nursery rhymes to herself. She looked at the baby. “I see Autumn is doing just fine,” Marissa said, and David realized they were still standing at the door; he was still staring, and he had not invited Marissa inside.

Hastily, he stepped aside. “Come in. Are your things in your car?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll help you bring them in. Let me finish feeding Autumn and then I’ll show you around. I was in the kitchen feeding her. I carried a rocker in from the back porch,” he said, wondering at himself. He was babbling—a first in his life. His mind reeled. He had hired what he thought would be a competent nanny. Now he realized he had hired a very appealing woman. How was he going to live with her under his roof and ignore her?

With one hand he pulled the rocker near the fireplace. Between the oval breakfast table and the fireplace was a plaid-upholstered sofa. He motioned toward the sofa. “Have a seat.”

He sat as Marissa sat and crossed her long, shapely legs. He was in a sweat, and he realized he was staring again. He yanked his gaze up to meet her steady look.

“I bought a rocker on the way home today. It’ll be delivered this afternoon. This one belongs on the porch and, frankly, I forgot I had it.”

“Autumn looks more than halfway through that bottle. You might want to stop and burp her,” Marissa suggested.

“Do what?”

“Little babies get air bubbles in their tummies when they take a bottle. Here, I’ll show you. Where do you keep the kitchen towels?”

“In the third drawer by the fridge.”

With a sexy sway of her hips that he could watch all afternoon, Marissa crossed the room, found a towel and returned to stand in front of David. “Lean forward slightly, and I’ll put this over your shoulder.”

He did as instructed and was acutely aware of her bending down to place the towel across his shoulder. He felt her hands flutter over him, caught a whiff of an enticing perfume that smelled a little like roses, and saw silky strands of hair close in front of his face. Her skin was creamy smooth. Damnation, he didn’t want to be attracted to his nanny. That seemed bad business all the way around.

“Now, lean back and put her on your shoulder.”

“I hate to stop her.”

“She won’t mind for a little while and she’ll feel better. It might make her cry less if her tummy doesn’t hurt.”

He took the bottle from Autumn and set it on the floor beside the rocker. He carefully put the baby on his shoulder and she snuggled against him.

“That’s it,” Marissa said, watching him. “Now, pat her back gently.”

Marissa returned to the sofa to sit, and crossed her fabulous legs. He hadn’t noticed her legs in those striped stockings this morning. Now he had to struggle to keep from staring at them.

Autumn gave a little burp that startled him. “She burped.”

“Now you can go back to feeding her.”

“I wish I’d known that last night,” he said with a sigh.

“She probably wishes you’d known it, too,” Marissa told him with a smile.

“You said you’re not married, Marissa. I didn’t ask about a boyfriend.”

Her dimple flashed. “No boyfriends.”

“A friend of mine said you used to be married.”

Her expression didn’t change, but David sensed he had touched a sensitive subject. “I was,” she answered evenly. “To Reed Grambling. He’s remarried and moved to Midland now.”

“I knew him,” David said, recalling a guy who was on the basketball team. “He was a year behind me in school and I remember that he was a popular guy. Sorry it didn’t work out.”

“I fell for his looks and charm, and beneath all that was a man purely interested in himself. And women. After I put him through medical school, he walked. He was through with me. But that’s over, and I have my maiden name back,” she replied.

“You had a rotten deal.”

“I’m forgetting about it,” she stated firmly. “Did you go by the hospital before you came home?” she asked.

“No, I checked with Clint Andover and there was no point in going to the hospital. Clint said the mother is still in a coma. She’s listed as critical.”

“How awful! Oh, my goodness, that poor little baby!” Marissa exclaimed, biting her lip and staring at Autumn.

“We’ll all pray the mother pulls through this. In the meantime, Autumn is in good hands now.” He looked down at the baby. “She’s asleep. If you’d like, I can give you a tour of the house.”

“Sure,” Marissa said, standing when he did. “This is a beautiful kitchen.”

“Dad had it done over several years ago. I was away in the Gulf War, so I didn’t know until I came home. Some of the house has been remodeled and some of it is the original that was built when my great-great-grandpa Sorrenson settled here.”

Marissa listened to David’s deep, husky voice, which was enticing all in itself. Was there a woman in his life? He had said there wasn’t one to help with the baby. It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. He was another man like her former husband—charming, handsome and interested in women who were beautiful and far more worldly than she could ever hope to be.

The house was spacious with large rooms, high-beamed ceilings and polished plank floors. David led her into a wide hallway, where oil seascapes hung along the walls and potted plants stood on the floor.

“Grandpa rebelled when he was young and ran away and joined the navy. He came home after a few years, but he never lost his love for the sea and he collected all these paintings.”

David took her arm lightly and steered her to the right. “In here is the family room—this and the kitchen living area is where I spend most of my time.”

He dropped her arm, yet she could still feel the warm touch of his fingers and she was too aware of him at her side. Since her head barely came to his shoulder, he had to be a foot taller than she was. Tall, handsome, charming. As dangerous to a woman’s heart as her ex-husband had been. Maybe even more so because she had thought David was cute since she was a kid. How was she going to be able to resist him? She was all but drooling on him right now.

Trying to focus on his family room instead of the man beside her, she looked at an enormous room with picture windows that gave a panoramic view of an expanse of ranch land. Bookshelves with books and pictures lined one wall. An immense stone fireplace had an oil painting of a schooner in stormy waters mounted above the mantel. A jumbo-size television screen was at one end of the room. A game table and four chairs stood in another corner. The ceiling was high with massive beams, and she wondered how much stone and lumber it took to build the house.

As she looked around, she suspected she was going to get to know too much about this sexy man—more than enough to fuel that old crush that had been dormant for so long.

They strolled through an elegant living room and large dining room with a long mahogany table that seated twenty easily. She saw the billiard room, the library, his office, and then they walked down the hall to the bedrooms.

“You’ll be in this room,” he said, leading her into a room with a four-poster bed and antique maple furniture. “I haven’t considered where I’ll put Autumn.”

“Put her bed in my room if you want. I’ll be up with her at night. Unless that’s too far from your bedroom.”

“Nope, my room is on the other side of yours.”

“Oh, my!” she gasped.

His head whipped around. “Is something wrong?” he asked, looking at her intently.

“No, of course not,” she answered quickly, feeling her cheeks flush. In the next room. How would she ever get a wink of sleep knowing that he was sleeping so close?

When she had driven to his ranch and had first seen the sprawling house, she figured she might see him only rarely because the place looked so big. But now she realized that wasn’t going to be the case at all. He slept in the next room. There goes my sleep, she thought.

“Fine. The baby bed goes in here,” David said cheerfully, unaware of the effect he had on her. “They promised to deliver it this afternoon.” As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“Give me Autumn and you can get the door,” Marissa said. Brushing his hands again with hers, he handed her the baby and left in long, springy strides.

She let out her breath. “Oh, my!” she repeated softly, and then looked at the sleeping baby in her arms. The little girl was precious, and Marissa couldn’t wait to get her bathed and dressed in some of the things they had picked out at the store earlier.

She sat in a chair and cuddled Autumn, talking softly to her until she looked up and saw David standing in the door watching her.

“The crib is here,” he said in his husky voice that held a peculiar, solemn note. “You can put her on your bed until it’s set up. She can’t roll off yet.”

“I know. But I believe in holding and loving little babies. Even if she’s asleep, I think she likes being held.”

“She can’t possibly know you’re holding her.”

“Oh, I think she does. And if she stirs, she’ll know. This is more comfy than on the bed.”

“I can’t argue that one,” he remarked dryly, and hauled an enormous box into the room. “I was going to put the bed up, but I don’t want to wake her.”

“You won’t.”

“I’ll make a lot of noise,” he said. “I may have to hammer.”

“Babies can sleep through all sorts of noise,” she assured him.

“I wish I’d known that last night,” he remarked.

“Go ahead and set up the bed. If she wakes, we’ll move to another room.”

Marissa watched him work, noticing the play of muscles in his back and arms as he put the bed together. His hands were strong and well-shaped, except she noticed two of his fingers on his left hand were crooked and scarred and she wondered what had happened to him.

“I didn’t sleep any last night, so after supper tonight, it’s la-la land for me.” He slanted her a look over his shoulder. “That okay? Can you manage by yourself this first night?”

“I certainly can,” she said, watching the taut pull of his jeans over his long, muscled legs as he hunkered down to put the pieces together.

“Good! I’ve been dreaming of hitting the sack since midnight last night. And believe me, I’ll be dead to the world. She eats every two hours or maybe more often than that.”

“We’ll be fine. You just go ahead and sleep,” she said, thinking about him sprawled in bed, too aware that her pulse jumped at the mental picture conjured up by her mind. Knowing she better stop finding him so fascinating, Marissa still couldn’t keep from watching every move he made.

Swiftly, he set up the crib and then left to find the bedding they had purchased together. In another few minutes he had a sheet on the mattress, a bumper pad secured inside and a mobile of colorful animals fastened to hang over the crib.

The next time the doorbell rang, he left and returned carrying a large, cherry-wood rocker. “I thought I might as well put this in your room. Where do you want it?”

“I don’t know. Just set it down, and we’ll figure out the best place later.”

“If you’ll give me the keys to your car, I’ll bring it around to the back and unload your things.”

“Sure.” She fished in her pocket and held out keys, and his fingers stroked hers as he took them. It was the most casual touch, yet she tingled to the tips of her toes. He was gone again and back in minutes carrying boxes and suitcases.

He made three trips and then stood with his hands on his hips looking at her belongings. “You don’t travel lightly, do you?”

“You didn’t make it clear how long this job will last,” she said pointedly.

He shrugged. “I didn’t mean to question you about your things. I don’t care if you move your grandma and sisters here and bring the entire household. I’m just so thankful to have a good nanny, anything you do will be fine.”

“I’m here now, and she’s a sweet little baby.”

“When would you like to eat? If it’s all right with you, we can eat while she’s asleep. And later, Gertie leaves. It’ll be just the two of us.”

Just the two of us, spoken in his deep voice that all by itself was like a caress, sent another tingle spiraling in her. She hadn’t been here two hours and she was having reaction after reaction to him.

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

He looked at his watch. “If Autumn is sleeping about seven o’clock, we’ll eat, and then I’m bidding you adieu to sleep.”

“Fine.”

“I’m going to clean up, unless you want me to hold her while you unpack?”

“No. That’s all right. She’s asleep, so I’ll put her down for a little while and get some of my things unpacked.” Marissa moved to the crib, placing Autumn on her back. She stood looking at the baby, brushing her wispy hair with her finger. “She’s a beautiful baby.”

“She’s a little miracle. I don’t know how she put up with me last night,” he said softly. He had moved to the other side of the crib, and Marissa looked up to see him studying Autumn intently. He touched her lightly with his large fingers. His skin was dark brown next to the baby’s pale skin. “She is pretty. I never thought that about a baby before, but then I’ve been around very few babies.”

“It was good of you to take her in.”

He looked up to meet Marissa’s gaze. “Her mother needs all the help she can get. And some prayers. These two are in deep trouble. Well, I’ll leave you alone and see you at dinner. Holler if you want me.”

“Sure, David,” she replied, and watched him go. I’m going to fall for him, she thought. Head over heels. He’s sexy and handsome and he cares. She looked at the little baby again and experienced a rush of tenderness. “Just think about the money,” she whispered to herself. The money would help her fulfill her dream. A dream she had shared with no one else so far, and until today, it had seemed years away. But now, with the money she’d earn from David Sorrenson, she might be able to get her wish.

She touched Autumn’s tiny hand tenderly and then she turned around to unpack.

When she went to supper, David had on a fresh navy T-shirt and jeans. With his hair combed and his jaw clean-shaven, he took her breath away, and he looked more like the David she had always known—only twice as appealing. She remembered him as a slender boy. He was a man now, muscled, tall, handsome. He flashed her a smile that revealed his even, white teeth, a winning smile that accelerated her heartbeat. When he crossed the hall to her to take Autumn from her arms, she caught a whiff of aftershave. “Come meet Gertie,” he said. “She made dinner and tomorrow morning she’ll be back to clean and cook. All you have to worry about here is Autumn.”

Marissa entered the kitchen and faced a tall, thin, graying woman who smiled broadly.

“Marissa, this is Gertrude Jones,” David said. “Gertie, meet Marissa Wilder, our new nanny.”

“Ah, that’s good,” Gertie said, smiling at Marissa. “And you like little ones?”

“I love them,” Marissa replied.

Autumn stirred and began to cry, and the next hour was a busy one as Marissa changed and fed her and David hung around to help. Gertie offered to stay and serve dinner, but both Marissa and David reassured her that they could manage. As soon as Gertie was in the yard, David returned to the kitchen and locked up the house.

Supper was hectic, because Autumn woke up cranky even though she had just eaten and slept. Marissa and David took turns holding her and eating. Afterward, David cleaned the kitchen quickly and efficiently while Marissa soothed Autumn.

“I’m surprised Gertie doesn’t want to care for Autumn,” Marissa said as she rocked Autumn to sleep.

“Gertie knows as little about children as I do,” he replied, drying his hands and crossing the room to kneel down and stack logs in the kitchen fireplace. “She lives here, just across the road on the ranch. Several employees live in their own houses. She worked for my dad. She’s been here since long before I was born.” As soon as he had a fire blazing, he turned. “Give Autumn to me and I’ll hold her.”

“I thought you were headed for bed to catch up on sleep,” Marissa remarked, handing him the baby. David moved a few feet away to sit in a large leather chair, holding Autumn in the crook of his arm.

He shook his head. “Now that I know I can sleep, I’m not so tired. I want to get to know my nanny,” he said, and she smiled, hoping he had no clue how simple remarks like that could send her pulse galloping. He tilted his head to study her. When she had been sixteen years old, she thought he had the sexiest eyes she had ever seen. As she looked at him now, she still thought so. His sea-green eyes with thick, black lashes had always fascinated her.

“You said there’s no boyfriend. How do you spend your time?”

“With my family,” she replied. “I take care of my niece and nephews. I take care of my sisters and grandmother. I jog and swim. Just ordinary things. What about you, David?” she asked. “Didn’t you just get out of the air force?”

“Yep. Enough of that life,” he said, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankles.

“So now you’ll take care of the ranch,” she remarked, trying to keep her gaze from drifting down over him again.

“Not really. I’m taking some time, but eventually I’ll move to Houston and go to work in my dad’s oil company.”

Marissa regarded his air of worldliness and could easily imagine him in a big city. In spite of his boots and jeans, he seemed the type more suited to city life than country life. But maybe that image had been conjured up by pictures in the paper of him with some socialite beauty on his arm.

“Are you going to live in Royal all your life?” he asked. All afternoon and evening he had given her his full attention and she decided he was a good listener. Too good, because he was very easy to talk to.

“I hope to always live here. I like being close to my family.”

“So what’ll you do with your windfall fortune if this nanny job lasts more than a week or two? What do you want?”

She thought of multiple answers she could give him, but then she saw no reason to avoid the truth with David. Their lives were touching only briefly, and then they would go separate ways and never see each other again.

“I haven’t told my family, but I’d like to go to a sperm bank and have my own baby.”

A twinkle came into his green eyes. “There are cheaper and easier ways—and more exciting ones—than to go to a sperm bank.”

She laughed. “But other ways always mean getting involved with a man. I’ve done that and I don’t want to do it again.”

“I’m sorry that you got burned in that marriage.”

“Yes, I did. While Reed went through medical school, I worked all six years of our marriage. As soon as he could stand on his own, he was off with another woman. And I found out that he was cheating on me almost from the beginning. So I’m not interested in dating again.”

“You shouldn’t lump all guys in with your ex.”

“No. If I meet a real saint, I won’t lump him in with Reed.”

“A real saint is a pretty high standard,” David remarked, looking at her so intently she began to regret revealing her deepest, most private wish to him.

“Well, a saint is about all I’m interested in, and the sperm bank sounds like the happy solution. What about you? You’re still single.”

He shrugged. “Marriage isn’t for me. I didn’t grow up in a house where there were good role models. My mom died when I was very young and my dad hired people to take care of me. Then I acquired a lifestyle that definitely wasn’t for a married man. Nope, no marriage in my future.” He grinned. “But I do like to date.”

She smiled at him. “Well, I don’t see another marriage in my life.”

His gaze trailed over her. “I’d bet the ranch that you marry again.”

Her curiosity overwhelmed her. “Why do you say that, David? You hardly know me.”

“You’re too attractive to stay single.”

“Thanks, but loads of pretty women stay single. I think you date some of them.”

“True. But you look like the marrying kind. You love babies, for one thing. You like guys, for another.”

“I’m not touching that one. We really should keep things impersonal, sort of always on an employer-employee basis.”

His eyes gleamed. “I thought that when you arrived, but now I don’t know why we have to remain so businesslike. This may be a short-term employment.”

She shook her head. “There’s a good reason to keep our dealings with each other businesslike. I don’t want another relationship. No, impersonal is much better. So what are your hobbies, David?” she asked, growing hot beneath his blatant scrutiny and trying to get the conversation back to impersonal grounds, still too aware that he had just told her that she was attractive.

He smiled as if fully aware of her abrupt change in topic. “I like to jog and swim and ski and do calf roping and go dancing with pretty women. You like to go dancing, Marissa?”

“Yes, with a saint,” she replied, and his brow arched.

“A mere mortal won’t do? Dancing’s a pleasure. It doesn’t have to lead to binding entanglements.”

“You know the old adage about playing with fire,” she said.

“I think maybe you’re missing out on some enjoyment in life.”

“And you’re ready to fill in what’s missing?” she teased, unable to resist.

He grinned. “Saturday night. Let me take you dancing.”

“Whoa, cowboy! You’re going way to fast. Like you did this morning. No dancing Saturday night, thank you,” she replied, shaking her head but wanting to say yes instead. “David, I’ve been burned badly and I don’t want any kind of relationship.”

“I promise. Just a few hours of dancing. Think about it and I’ll ask you again later,” he said.

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re very accustomed to getting what you want?”

“Sometimes,” he said, giving her a level look, and she wondered when he hadn’t gotten his way.

“For now, we’re better off if we keep this situation very businesslike,” she repeated firmly.

“Whatever keeps my nanny happy is fine with me.” He shifted, placing one foot on his other knee. “What do your parents do?”

“They have a ranch near here for abandoned and mistreated animals.”

“Wow! That’s charitable. Is it a nonprofit business?”

“Yes. They have someone who runs the ranch for them. Actually, a staff of people. My parents spend most of their time either lobbying in Washington or on the lecture circuit.”

“How did they get into saving animals?”

“Dad is a veterinarian. Also, he had some patents that caught on and that gave them the income to start the ranch. The ranch has taken most of their income. Because it’s nonprofit, it’s cost them a lot.”

“That’s commendable, I suppose,” he said, and lapsed into silence.

“Want me to take Autumn now so you can go to bed and get some sleep?” she asked.

“That’s not a bad idea,” he said, coming up out of his chair with a fluid movement. She stood to take Autumn from him. He stood very close, gazing down at her.

“Good night, David,” she said emphatically, and took Autumn, walking quickly away from him to the rocker.

“’Night, Marissa. Holler if you want me, but holler loudly.” When he left the room, she wanted to wipe her hot brow. He was already flirting, and she could imagine that he saw her as an easy conquest and an easy way to pass the time and then go on his way and forget her. Too much like her ex-husband. David had said he had no intentions of ever marrying. No interest in commitment.

She did not stir the heart, soul and passion of men like Reed and David Sorrenson. She looked at the baby in her arms. No, she was the practical, somebody-to-rely-on-for-necessary-jobs person.

“Heart, stop beating so fast,” she whispered. She had to summon more resistance to David Sorrenson. Especially if he hung around the house and flirted, because she knew he meant nothing by it except the most casual fling. Why had she told him about the sperm bank and opened herself up to suggestions? He hadn’t come on so strong until after that tidbit of information.

She looked down at Autumn, who was blissfully sleeping. “Sweet baby, you’ve complicated my life, but I love you, anyway.” For the first time she realized that she might have a double heartbreak. If she had this job very long, she would suffer when she had to give Autumn up, even though she wanted the little baby to be with her mother.

They fell into a routine, with David leaving early in the morning to work on his ranch and coming in at night. But as the days of the first week in November passed and moved into the second week, he began staying at home more, coming in earlier, leaving later in the morning, spending time with Marissa and Autumn.

Under the same roof with David, spending increasing time each day and evening with him, Marissa knew she was attracted more than ever to him. Moments together, casual contacts, all were building banked fires of longing in her that she tried to ignore, yet failed miserably. She found his smoldering gaze on her often and wondered what was running through his thoughts. He flirted, he charmed, he entertained her, and he was becoming more irresistible than ever. Yet she knew she needed to guard her heart against all that sexy charm and appeal, or she’d suffer the same hurt she had before.

Dodging sniper’s bullets, David gritted his teeth and ran through the darkness across the uneven ground, away from the burning house that was a death trap. Even with the firefight going on, he heard the pistol shot ring out. Pain stabbed through him. He couldn’t move his feet, couldn’t breathe. He gasped for breath, wanting to scream, instead just gulping for air.

With a jerk, David sat up in his bed, disoriented for only a second, and then knowing he was in his room at the ranch, not halfway across the world, running for his life, having his heart torn out by the violent death of his best friend. He was sweating, the covers tangled where he had thrashed around during the familiar nightmare. He raked his fingers through his hair and studied the surroundings of his room, trying to get back to the world he was living in now and away from that hell that he couldn’t shake out of his memory. Would the nightmares ever end? he wondered. Then he became aware of a baby crying.

He listened, stretching out again and putting his hands behind his head. Finally silence settled, but images of Marissa, only a room away, scantily clad in a see-through nightie, danced in his mind. Sperm bank. It was more than a week ago that she had told him about her secret wish, but he couldn’t get it out of his mind. She shouldn’t have to go that route at all. Not with her looks.

“Yeah, right,” he said aloud in the dark. “Ready to volunteer?” he said to himself. He’d volunteer in a flash. She was sexy and appealing, and he knew there were times that he’d come on too strong, but he couldn’t resist flirting with her. Yet he had better curb that flirting. If he overcame her reluctance and they started dating, Marissa was looking for a long-term relationship. And he would never marry. He didn’t know how to deal with a family—except the way he was raised—and he would never do that to a wife or child. Some years he had rarely seen his father. That, and his dangerous lifestyle was still too close, too real. He was definitely not marriage material and Marissa definitely was.

Sperm bank—that was ridiculous. More images of Marissa in a nightie in bed in the adjoining room taunted him, and he turned on his side and closed his eyes and willed sleep to come.

After thirty minutes of tossing and turning he heard Autumn crying again and remembered what a time he’d had with the little baby the first night. He was tempted to go see if he could help, but he didn’t want to set a precedent that he would regret later.

Why couldn’t he sleep this past week when that first night all he had dreamed of was sleeping? And why had he put the baby bed in Marissa’s room? Now if he went to see about Autumn in the night, he’d be in Marissa’s bedroom. The thought made him hot.

Then the baby got quiet. Relieved, David stared at the ceiling while visions of Marissa in a nightie, rocking Autumn, plagued him. He tossed and turned for the next hour, finally falling into a fitful sleep. He stirred long before dawn, showered, dressed and left the house to pour himself into work.

Before going, he wrote a note for Marissa that he would return about six for supper.

“Get her out of your mind,” he said, striding across his yard through the early morning darkness.

During the morning and early afternoon, he managed to get her out of his thoughts for a few minutes at a time and finally decided he was going home at three.

He made all sorts of excuses to himself, but deep down, he knew he wanted to see Marissa.

When he entered the kitchen, Gertie had supper in the oven, the table set and she had gone home.

“I’m home!” he yelled, hanging up his hat and coat and feeling his eagerness grow to see Marissa and Autumn. There was no answer, so he went to the family room. Finding it empty, he walked through other rooms.

He climbed the stairs and at the top of the staircase called to her again, “Marissa.”

Wondering where Marissa and Autumn could be, he strolled down the hall. He was dusty from work and as he headed for a shower, he yanked off his T-shirt while he glanced into empty bedrooms.

Marissa’s door stood wide-open and David knocked lightly.

“Marissa?” he called. When no one answered, he stepped inside. Autumn lay on her back in the crib, sleeping, her tiny hands doubled into fists. Marissa was nowhere in sight. He crossed to the crib to look down at the sleeping baby.

“Hey, sweetie,” he said softly, and heard a gasp behind him.

He turned and froze as he faced Marissa.