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“I’m not exactly celebrating,” he said grimly, “but I hadn’t seen Julie in almost a year and a half. She never even told me about Ginny. It wasn’t until today that I learned of her death and Ginny’s existence. I’ve been hit kind of hard.”
Maggie turned her head to stare at the baby, whose warm little body pressed against Maggie. Sympathy welled up in her for the orphan. Her own mother had died at Maggie’s birth. She and Ginny had a lot in common, because the child would never remember the mother who’d given her life, just as Maggie didn’t.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m still hoping you’ll come home with me.”
She studied him under lowered lashes. He was a sexy, handsome man. A lot of women wouldn’t question his intentions if he asked them to come home with him. They’d even be disappointed if he expressed disinterest. Maggie, however, wasn’t surprised by his promise that he didn’t mean anything sexual with his offer.
Kate said she gave off the wrong vibes to single men. Maggie didn’t know if that was true, but she’d found it easier to deal with numbers than real live men. Ginny, however, was another story.
“Where do you live?”
He sat up straighter, a spark of hope lighting his eyes. “I have a condo a few blocks from here, near the Plaza.”
His private investigator business must be successful, Maggie realized, since that was a pricey neighborhood. “Even if I take care of Ginny tonight, that’s only going to delay your problem twenty-four hours.”
“One Day at a Time. That’s my motto.” He sent her a smile that she figured usually got him whatever he wanted from a woman.
“Why did you take her?”
He looked like she’d thrown a glass of cold water in his face. “What?”
“I said—”
“I heard you. Because I’m her father.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why are you asking these questions? What difference does it make to you? I asked you to help care for her for twenty-four hours, not write a biography.”
Maggie stiffened, causing Ginny to shift. “It seems to me that you should be more agreeable if I’m supposed to do you a favor.”
“Ah. We’re wanting to know how much I’ll offer? Is that it?”
Enraged, Maggie slid from the booth. “Here, Mr. McKinley, take your baby and leave. I don’t need insults.” Though she tried to hide how reluctant she was to let Ginny go to her father, she bent toward the man so she could hold on to the soft bundle of joy a little longer.
“Wait!” he protested, panic in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to insult you. And you’d be doing me a huge favor. I don’t mind paying.”
“I don’t think I asked for any money.”
“Maggie, please help me, just until tomorrow.”
She hadn’t intended to agree to his crazy plan. After all, she didn’t know him. Her father may have trusted him with a few family secrets, but he hadn’t said he’d hand over one of his daughters to him for repayment.
But Maggie had no fear that he would be interested in her. And she had a lot of fear about what would happen to Ginny. Not that she herself knew all that much about babies, but she knew a little. She’d taken care of Nathan on occasion.
“Please?” His blue eyes, exactly like Ginny’s she suddenly realized, pleaded along with his word.
“I...I suppose I could help you out tonight. I’ll take Ginny home with me and you can pick her up in the morning.” She cuddled the sleeping baby against her again, aware of how happy she was to do so.
“No!”
Maggie blinked at the man as he jumped to his feet, crowding her in the aisle.
“But you said—”
“I asked you to help me, not take my baby away.”
“But I can’t spend the night at your place. That would—”
“That would be best,” he hurriedly said. “I promise I won’t touch you. Ginny needs to get used to her new home.”
She tried to picture what it would be like to stay in the same apartment as Josh McKinley. He probably had a bachelor pad, completely inappropriate for a baby. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’re not taking Ginny some other place. She stays with me. But I could use your help.”
Ginny smacked her rosebud lips, as if still taking the bottle, and Maggie’s heart swelled with love. She’d heard of falling in love at first glance, but she hadn’t expected the recipient of her emotions to be a baby. “All right. I’ll help you out until morning. I go to work at seven-thirty.”
“Maggie, you’re the best!” he exclaimed, smiling that sexy smile again. “Are you ready to go? We need to buy some diapers and some milk before we go home.”
Josh couldn’t believe his luck. He’d convinced Maggie to come home with him and take care of Ginny.
They’d moved the baby seat to the back and Maggie had strapped Ginny in without waking her. Then they’d driven to one of the few all-night groceries. Josh knew its location because he usually shopped at odd hours.
Maggie had remained in the car while he’d purchased only the necessities. Then they headed toward his apartment.
“I hope you don’t mind not going to your place. But it’d take an hour to go to North Kansas City and back. I bought you a toothbrush.” He glanced her way, not sure what kind of response he was looking for.
“Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as we get the baby settled.”
Her cool tones told him he hadn’t been forgiven for the things he’d said earlier. “Come on, Maggie. I didn’t mean to insult you. I apologized.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll still pay you for the toothbrush.”
He grinned. “I should’ve known you’d be stubborn. After all, you’re Irish, just like your father.”
She didn’t respond to his smile. “I’m not like my father.”
Even as he mentally made a note of her response, he muttered, “You could’ve fooled me.”
Nothing else was said until he wheeled his car into his parking space in the garage attached to his building.
“If you’ll get Ginny, I’ll bring everything else.” There were two suitcases Child Protective Services had given him, as well as the grocery bag.
As their small procession made its way to the door leading to his condo, Josh realized his life had changed. This morning he’d had no idea he had a daughter.
Yep, everything had changed. But he wasn’t going to let it affect him.
Maggie marched along, still disturbed both by Josh’s attempt to pay her and her acceptance of his plea for help. She’d never spent the night with a man, even as a baby-sitter. She couldn’t help being nervous.
When Josh told her they’d arrived, setting down the suitcases and juggling the grocery sack to find his keys, she suddenly wondered what she’d find in his apartment. She’d always heard bachelors were messy. After all, she’d seen Animal House. When he pushed the door open and gestured for her to precede him, she prepared herself for anything.
To her surprise, she discovered a spacious, comfortable living room, with only a few items out of place. “How nice.”
“What did you expect? A hovel?” he asked, grinning again.
“No, but I’d heard—that is, some men aren’t neat.”
“Don’t go putting a halo on my head, Maggie. I have a cleaning woman who comes in every week. She was just here yesterday.”
“Oh. Well, it’s still nice. I like the colors.” The room was mostly done in masculine colors—forest green and tan.
With a nod, he started down the hall. “You and Ginny can sleep in my bed. Bring her this way.”
“But she can’t sleep in a regular bed. She’ll turn over and fall off,” Maggie protested. At least she knew that much about babies.
“She can turn over?” Josh asked, staring at his daughter as if he expected her to perform the miracle right now.
“Yes. They start turning over when they’re about four months. Ginny can probably crawl, too.
“What are we going to do? I don’t have a crib.” He stood there, his hands on his hips, a puzzled look on his face.
Maggie fought the urge to put her arms around him. He looked so concerned for his baby. In fact, in spite of all the questions in her head, she had to give Josh credit. For a tough guy, he was being remarkably sensitive to his baby girl’s needs.
“Maybe we can put pillows around her, build a barrier so she can’t fall off before one of us notices.”
“Good idea. Thank God you came with me, Maggie. I wouldn’t have managed without you.”
Maggie savored his words as she followed him into his bedroom. The king-size bed would provide plenty of room for her and Ginny, that was for sure. “Do you have another bed? Where are you going to sleep?”
“The other bedroom is a home office, right now. I’ll take the couch.” He busied himself lining up the back of a chair next to the bedside table. “I’ll get the other chair from my office.”
Maggie laid Ginny down on the bed and checked her diaper. Just as she’d expected. The baby needed another change. She unfastened the sleeper, taking the little feet from their warm pockets.
“What are you doing?” Josh gasped over her shoulder.
Maggie jumped, unprepared for his sudden return. “I—I’m changing her diaper. She’s wet.”
“Again? Already?”
“Babies are like that. Would you bring me a clean diaper?” She wasn’t sure where he’d left the bag he’d had earlier or the grocery sack.
Without a word he hurried out, returning quickly with a clean disposable diaper. “Aren’t you afraid she’ll wake up?”
“I think she’ll sleep through the change,” Maggie whispered. “All that crying wears a baby out.”
“I’m glad it’s good for something,” he muttered, returning to his construction of a barrier on the other side of the bed.
“Does she have any clean clothes in those bags? She rubbed mashed potatoes into this outfit.”
“I’ll get the suitcases.”
Inside the bags, they discovered numerous articles of clothing and several stuffed toys. Maggie couldn’t help thinking about the woman who’d given birth to this darling baby and bought so many things for her. “Her mother certainly provided well for her.”
“Yeah...except for a daddy.”
She had no answer for his response. Selecting an adorable pink nightgown, she gently dressed the sleeping baby, only rousing her slightly before Ginny settled back into sleep.
“I can’t believe she’s sleeping so soundly,” Josh said in a whisper.
Maggie smiled but said nothing. Josh had lined the side of the bed with chairs and a long king-size pillow. She felt sure Ginny would be safe. She pulled back the cover with one hand before settling the baby on the mattress, breathing a sigh of relief when a tiny snore signaled Ginny continued to sleep.
Maggie slipped carefully off the bed and stood there, staring at the baby.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Josh murmured.
“That wasn’t your attitude when you arrived at the diner,” she reminded him with a weary smile.
“Babies don’t look so good when they’re screaming.” He continued to stand there. Finally he said softly, “Do you think she’ll ever get used to me? Like me?”
The warm feelings that rushed through Maggie scared her. They almost overwhelmed her intentions to keep her distance from Josh McKinley. But in spite of her warnings to herself, she couldn’t help but reassure him. “Of course she will. Little girls always love their daddies.”
“Did you love yours?”
“Of course I did!” She stared at him, wide-eyed, wondering what could’ve made him think she didn’t love her father.
“You seemed upset when I said you were like him.”
“Not upset. But Pop often said I was a changeling, unlike him and Kate.” She dismissed the silly pain that that thought always caused her. “I think I’ll get ready for bed. I usually get up at seven, but I’ll need to make it six-thirty so I can go home and change.” She paused and stared at the sleeping baby. “I hope I’ll know if Ginny needs help. I’m a very deep sleeper.”
Josh grinned at her. “I believe she’ll let you know. After being the recipient of her screams most of the evening, I’m an expert on how loud she can be.”
“I hope so,” Maggie agreed, but knowing her own ability to sleep through alarms, she still worried.
“I’ll get you a T-shirt to wear,” he said, acting as if he had complete faith in her. He took a T-shirt out of the dresser and then went back to the living room to get the toothbrush he’d bought her.
After taking it from him and saying good-night, Maggie went to the master bath and prepared for bed, even taking a quick shower with her long brown hair pinned up on top. She washed out her underwear and hung it on the towel rack. Then, dressed in his shirt which came almost to her knees, she opened the bathroom door and peeked out.
Josh wasn’t in sight. She hurried over to the bed and slid beneath the covers. Just as her head hit the pillows, there was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” she called softly, her heart thudding.
“Do you need anything?” he asked through the door.
“No. We’re fine.” Or she would be if she could forget that Josh McKinley was sleeping in the next room. Had he forgotten his pajamas? Was that why he’d come to the door?
She almost asked if he needed to get anything before common sense warned her to say nothing. She didn’t think Josh McKinley looked like a pajamas kind of guy.
Great. Thinking about what he slept in wasn’t going to make it easier to get to sleep.
Josh called a soft good-night, and Maggie turned on her side and thumped the pillow. But several minutes of peace and quiet, broken only by the even breathing of the baby beside her, and, contrary to her expectations, Maggie drifted off to sleep.
A sudden ringing jerked Maggie from a deep slumber. She reached toward the sound and lifted the telephone receiver. “Hello?” she muttered, her head falling back onto the pillow.
She almost drifted back to sleep because no one said anything. Then a rough voice asked, “Where’s Mac?”
“I don’t know,” she muttered, and started to hang up the phone when the bedroom door opened.
“Maggie? Was that the phone?”
Why was a man in her bedroom? She stared at the shadowy figure, confused. “They want Mac.”
“That’s me.” He crossed to the side of the bed and took the phone from her. “Mac, here.”
Maggie let her eyes close, ignoring the conversation next to her. She wanted to go back to sleep.
“Damn! I’ll be right there.”
Blessed silence and she’d almost lost consciousness when that sexy voice intruded again. “Maggie, I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Umm-hmm.” The door closed again and she was in total darkness. Sleep claimed her.
“Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba!”
Maggie rolled over. What a strange night. First she’d dreamed there was a man in her bedroom, and now someone—or something—was babbling.... Maggie sat bolt upright. The baby!
“Oh, Ginny, are you all right?”
The baby was lying on her tummy, drool running down her little chin, and she actually smiled at Maggie. Suddenly the day seemed brighter.
“I guess you are. Though I’d bet you’re ready for a diaper change and some breakfast. I’ll just have enough time to take care of those things if we hurry. Then your daddy can manage. I hope.”
Maggie slid from the bed and dashed into the bathroom to gather the slacks, shirt and underwear she’d worn last night. She’d have to change while watching Ginny to make sure the baby didn’t fall off the bed.
Once she was dressed, Maggie picked up the baby and opened the bedroom door. “Maybe we should be quiet in case your daddy is still sleeping,” she said softly.
Tiptoeing into the living room, Maggie came to an abrupt halt when she discovered the sofa vacant. Ginny, unaware of Josh’s absence, began to whimper, distracting Maggie from her discovery.
She located the diapers and returned to the bedroom, snatching up a clean sleeper from the suitcase. As she quickly changed the baby, she tried to figure out where Josh was. Maybe he’d gone out to get a paper. Or bagels? Her stomach rumbled at the thought. Or maybe he was in the hall bathroom. She hadn’t heard the water running, but then she was concentrating on Ginny.
“There, now you feel better, don’t you, sweet girl? Let’s go scramble you some eggs for breakfast.”
She surreptitiously checked the hall bathroom on the way to the kitchen, but it was empty. No one in the kitchen, either. How was she going to scramble eggs and hold Ginny at the same time?
Returning to the suitcases in the bedroom, she found a large baby blanket. Pulling the comforter off the bed, she folded it several times and put it on the floor in the living room and spread the baby blanket over it. She put Ginny in the center of it with one of her stuffed animals. The baby seemed content.
Maggie hurried to the kitchen. She might not be the cook her sister was, but she could scramble eggs. Only a couple of minutes later she carried a saucer of scrambled eggs and a hastily refilled bottle to Ginny.
Two hours after that, with Ginny contentedly playing, Maggie sat rigidly on the sofa, staring at the morning news on the television. She’d turned the TV on to see if Josh McKinley had made the headlines overnight. He hadn’t come back from any of the places she’d imagined he’d gone.
Then, as she waited, vague memories of a phone call in the night came to her. And Josh telling her he’d return as soon as possible. She wondered just how long that could be.
Because she had to go to work. She’d been with the accounting firm of Jones, Kemper & Jones ever since she’d graduated from college four years ago. And she’d never missed a day of work.
But today she’d had to call in sick. She figured Josh McKinley would be on TV news tonight because either he’d been the victim of a violent crime, or she was going to kill him when he walked through the door.
Chapter Three
It wasn’t until Josh emerged into the sunshine at about ten o‘clock that morning that he remembered Ginny...and Maggie O’Connor.
And suddenly he was reminded why he’d never considered remarrying and having children.
“Damn,” he muttered beneath his breath.
The man beside him, the one who’d called him in the middle of the night, his best employee, Pete, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the sexy lady who answered your phone at three in the morning?”
“I guess that’s why you’re so good at your job, Pete. You figure things out.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to dismiss any concern.
“Don’t worry, boss. She’ll come back. You know this P.I. stuff makes them think you’re a combination of Superman and Dick Tracy.”
Josh stared at his employee as if seeing him for the first time. “And you play it for all it’s worth?”
Pete must’ve picked up on Josh’s tone of voice, because his own grew more serious. “Only if it’s what they want. You know how women are.”
He’d thought he did. But somehow he didn’t think a certain lady was going to accept his occupation as a reason to abandon his child. What was he going to do?
“Do we have anything else that can’t wait?” Josh asked, his lack of sleep finally hitting him.
“I don’t think so. Want me and Don to handle things for a day or two?”
“Yeah. Take some time off today to catch up on your sleep, but tell Sharon not to call me unless its unavoidable. I’ve got some things to do.”
“Right, boss.”
Josh strode toward his four-wheel-drive vehicle, feeling about ninety years old. He used to be able to pull an all-nighter without a problem. Was he getting too old at age thirty-three? Pete was only about five years younger.
No, it must be the worry about Maggie and Ginny. He already knew what Maggie’s reaction would be. He’d seen his mother limit his father’s. life because she wanted him to conform to her rules.
His father had been a fireman, dedicated to his job. He’d finally given it up when Josh was ten, selling insurance for a living the rest of,his life.
And as unhappy as any man could be.
Josh had married when he was twenty-four. He’d thought he was in love. But he made sure he explained his work and why he wouldn’t give it up. Six months later he’d walked out because she insisted he go to work for her father.
No way, no how.
Then he’d met Julie, Ginny’s mom. She hadn’t liked his job, either. But he’d explained his terms. They’d rocked along for almost a year. Until they both realized the other was convenient for good sex and a fun date—but nothing more.
She’d left, and she hadn’t bothered to tell him about Ginny.
Sliding behind the wheel, he sighed. What was he going to do? As Maggie had pointed out, he had to make some decisions, not just about today but long-term.
But first he had to face Maggie.
When he walked into the apartment, Maggie was on the phone and Ginny wasn’t in sight.
“I’ll be over in a little while, Kate. Mr. McKinley just arrived.”
Josh winced as she hung up the phone. Her sarcastic tone confirmed what he’d expected.
“Sorry, Maggie.”
“How interesting,” she said coolly. “You say that as if you expect your apology to be enough.” She folded her arms over her nicely shaped chest and glared at him.
“I say that because I don’t know what else to say.”
She didn’t respond. He guessed Pete was wrong. Being a private investigator wasn’t winning him many points.
“Look, Maggie, it was an important case for my best client. There was a man who was about to get away with a lot of money.”
“And Ginny? What if I hadn’t been here?”
It struck Josh that she hadn’t complained for herself. Only for his child. And she had a valid point.
“I don’t know.”
“Josh, a baby can’t be—”
He lifted his lids, trying to stave off sleep, wondering why she’d stopped.
“You haven’t had any sleep, have you?”
He shook his head. Frowning, he looked around again. “Where’s Ginny?”
“In bed, taking a nap. I suggest you join her.”
A miracle. He’d discovered a woman who knew what he needed. With a thankful smile, he struggled to his feet and headed to the bedroom. Then he came to an abrupt halt.
She’d also gotten up. And picked up her purse.
“Where are you going?”
“Home. If I hurry, I can change and make it to the office for a half day of work.”
All thought of sleep left him. “No! You can’t go! I need you.”
“Mr. McKinley, in spite of your lack of sleep, I think you’ll have to admit I kept my promise. I told you I had to leave at seven-thirty. It’s now ten-thirty. Enough is enough.”
His tired brain wasn’t functioning at top speed. “But—but what if she wakes up?”
“You change her diaper, feed her and cuddle her. It’s simple.” She started toward the door.
He might be tired, but he could still run. He beat her to the door, leaning against it, making it impossible for her to leave. “Maggie, just a few hours more.”
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to—”
He held up his hands. “I know. You’ve been more than generous. But as soon as I get some sleep, I need to go shopping for all the things she’ll need. And I don’t even know what she can eat. Just help me with those things. Please, Maggie? I’m more than willing to pay you for your time.”
Maggie stared at the man in front of her. The dark circles under his eyes and the slump of his shoulders pleaded for her to be understanding, even more than his words. Josh McKinley had had a rough night.
But Maggie believed that as long as she was his crutch, he would never deal with his baby girl. He wouldn’t change his life to include Ginny.
“Josh,” she began, reverting to his first name instead of the more formal Mr. McKinley, “you can’t stash a baby somewhere and then disappear. You’re going to have to change your life.”
“I will, I promise, Maggie, but give me today. You’ve already missed half a day. What’s another half? I bet you seldom miss work.”
Maggie could have told him she never missed work, but Kate had assured her that wasn’t always an admirable trait. And he was right. Her perfect attendance record was gone, whether she missed a half day or the rest of the year.