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And the humidity had seized control of her hair, making it extra wavy. Each curl was like an individual finger beckoning him closer.
And when she really got into the music, she did some motion with her shoulders that made her breasts jiggle beneath her T-shirt. All in all, being in the Mustang with her was way too dangerous, given that they were on a busy highway and he wasn’t supposed to be noticing her.
If he could think of something to get her talking at least the seat-dancing would stop. If only his brain cells weren’t being hijacked by his—
Thank God, right at that moment she hit a key with a flourish, punched the air and let loose with a little “yeah, yeah, yeeeeah,” before letting out a sigh of what he assumed was satisfaction.
“Ha! Take that you brain-stealing piece of busywork!”
“What were you doing this time? Something for your mom?”
“Nope. One of my other clients.”
“Ah. Another website?”
“Honestly.” This time her sigh held nothing but exasperation. Lucky for him, he could tell it was totally fake. “Author assistants do more than build sites, you know.”
“I know, I know. You set up contests, format ebooks and...other stuff.” He could go into more detail, but he didn’t want her to know how closely he’d paid attention to her work talk.
Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know how much he’d picked up about it, either. It smacked too closely of being...well...too close.
“Very good. You get an A for listening.” She closed the lid on the laptop. “But this time I was planning a social media campaign. Not horribly complicated, but it’s a royal pain. I’ve earned a break. So.” She peered out the window. “Where are we? Belleville?”
“Not quite. We just passed the Trenton exit. About halfway there.”
“Good.” She twisted slightly to look behind her. He glanced her way. Mistake. Between her movements and the grip of the seat belt, her neckline was pulled sideways. He tore his gaze away, but there was no erasing the image of peachy skin and white lace that was now branded into his brain.
Yep. This trip was a serious blunder. Time to remind himself of the real reason she was sitting beside him.
“I think Xander believed the lines we fed him yesterday. About us being—”
“Right.” She sounded surprisingly flustered for someone who had spent the first hour of the drive soothing a wailing child and a howling dog without breaking a sweat. “I have to say, you did a great job. Of pretending, I mean. If the business world ever loses its appeal, have me introduce you to some of my mother’s cohorts. They might be able to make use of you.”
“Given some of the stories you’ve shared, I’m gonna say thanks but no thanks.” Especially because he hadn’t been acting so much as indulging his own needs at that moment—not that he would ever tell her that part. “But at some point we’re gonna have to come clean with him.”
“Yes. We should.”
Huh. She didn’t seem to have any ideas. Not what he expected from Darce.
“It’s your call,” he said slowly. “You’re the one who has the most at stake here. But I’m thinking, once we get back, we should probably be up front with him.”
“Right. I can tell him I was caught off guard by the jail thing, and you picked up on that and wanted to help.”
She was saying the right things, but they weren’t ringing true. But maybe she wasn’t sure how Xander would react. After all, she’d really known him only a few weeks.
“I can explain it to him. He might take it easier from me.” And if not, then Ian would rather any anger be directed at him than Darcy.
“You don’t need to—”
“Yeah, I do. It was my idea, remember? All you did was play along.” And he would forever be glad she had. Even not knowing everything that was happening, it had felt damned right to hold her close, to stand between her and someone who had caused her to look at him with that fearful appeal in her eyes. He might not be able to do a lot for Darce and Cady now—he didn’t have the legal knowledge to give her the advice she needed—but he had given her that.
“Still, I think if I explained things from my point of view, he’ll understand.”
“He probably will. But let me break it to him first, give him a chance to process it. You can go into the details later.”
“I don’t—”
“Darce. Trust me on this one, okay? It’s a guy thing.” Mostly his own thing, but let her think it was Xander’s ego on the line, not his. That would simplify life for all of them. “He’s going to be pissed, and he’s going to want to be sure that it was all for show.”
“And why should he have any say in that? He’s Cady’s father, yes, but that’s as far as it goes. He has no say as to what I do with my life, as long as Cady is safe and happy.”
“He just found out he has a daughter. Yesterday, when you first saw him, your instinct was to give her to me and trust me to take care of her. I took her inside. I fed her. I changed her frickin’ diaper.” And then I went back outside and kissed you, and everything changed, but I’m not going to dwell on that. “Cady is his daughter, but right now I’m the closest thing to a dad that she has. That’s going to eat at him. He’s going to want to know how deeply I’m tied to you two.”
Another reason why they had to end this farce sooner rather than later. The longer it went on, the more Xander would believe in it.
Ian’s own beliefs were totally irrelevant.
“I suppose you’re right.” The laughter had fled from her voice.
“I wasn’t blowing smoke last night when I said he’s basically a decent guy.”
“Except for wanting to take Lulu away from you.”
Crap, was that it? “Darce. He’s not going to try to take Cady away from you. Even if he wanted to, he just met her and he just got out of jail. He has enough to deal with already. Cady is probably the brightest spot in his life right now, but I guarantee you this, he’s smart enough to know he’s not in any position to try to be more than a very part-time dad for a long time.”
“I know. But...everything is happening so fast, and...”
He waited for one breath, then two. “And?”
“I...” She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just me being—”
Three short beeps interrupted her words and had her diving for her phone. Damn it. Of all the lousy timing.
She pulled the phone from her bag, checked the display and frowned. It hit him that she’d been doing that a lot on this trip.
“Someone text-stalking you, Darce?”
“What? Oh.” Her laugh sounded strained. “No, I...well...I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I might have a bit of a problem. With, um, Nonny.”
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means,” she said bleakly, “that I left a message for her last night, but she still hasn’t called me back.”
CHAPTER FIVE
THANK GOD FOR rest areas.
Darcy stepped stiffly out of the car and allowed herself one blissful moment to stretch every possible bit of her body before she had to dive back into Mommy mode. She reached overhead, clasped her hands, lifted her face to the sun and pulled everything she could pull.
“Dang, that feels good,” she said out loud.
She hated being confined. It hadn’t helped that the farther they went, the more she’d started to worry. About Nonny’s silence. And how Ian was going to readjust to his family. And what Xander’s reappearance would do to her family.
The worrying, however, had been almost a relief compared to the other thoughts that had flooded her imagination—thoughts of what would happen if Ian were to stop asking her about things she was already obsessing over. If, instead, he were to lift his hand from the wheel and settle it on her knee and remind her that Cady wasn’t the only one who could benefit from some distraction once in a while.
Between the fretting and the lusting, she had a pretty good idea how it would feel to be a jack-in-the-box, all coiled tight and ready to spring. If she were to take off right this minute, how many laps could she do around the crowded parking lot before Cady started crying?
The thought turned out to be purely hypothetical, for right then her little bundle of joy let loose with an impatient wail. Lulu joined in, setting the entire backseat in chaos.
Darcy glanced across the hood of the car to catch Ian’s eye. “Pay you a hundred bucks to deal with them.”
“You think I’m that easy?”
“Fine.” She huffed out an exaggerated breath and grabbed the handle, giving thanks yet again that Ian had opted for the four-door model. If she’d had to maneuver around a two-door when she was this stiff, she probably would sprain something.
Stifling a groan, she bent and reached for her squirming, wailing daughter. “Shh, Cady Bug. Shh. I know you want to get out of there. Give Mommy a minute.”
A sharp bark from Lulu cut through the indignant cries. Darcy looked up to check on the dog and saw that Ian, also bent over on the opposite side of the car, seemed to be focused on her. Or rather, on the spot where her shirt hung free at the neck, giving him a prime view of Cleavage Central.
“Oh, these stupid straps.” Pretending to fiddle with the buckle, she reached forward so her arm was closer to her body, pressing the shirt against her skin. Movement at the edge of her vision told her that Ian had backed away and was now staring intently at the latch on the crate’s door. She slipped the buckle and pulled her sweaty child free while chattering nonsense to sidetrack anyone who needed it.
“There you go, sweet cheeks.” So he’d been given a free show and he’d taken advantage of it. Okay. There was nothing there he hadn’t seen during the endless months of nursing.
“Are you ready for a diaper change? I bet you are.” It didn’t mean anything. They’d been in an awkward position and he was a man, and God knows, even a monk probably would stop and look if a woman’s shirt gaped open. Biology might not be destiny but it sure held the upper hand at times.
She slung the diaper bag over her shoulder, closed the car door with a quick hip check, jiggled Cady and finally looked for Ian. Luck was on her side. He was bent over and away from her, clipping the leash on Lulu’s collar. Not only did it mean she didn’t have to face him right away, but she also had a prime view of his—
“Crap!”
At that his head jerked around. “What?”
“Nothing. Nothing. The diaper bag started to slip.” Smile. Carefree. Don’t think about his butt. “We’ll meet you back here in a few.”
“Sounds good.”
Was he as eager not to look at her as she was not to look at him?
She popped Cady on her shoulder and aimed for the building.
“Darce?”
So close, so damn close to escaping...
“Listen, if you want to get her changed and bring her back to me so you can have a few minutes alone, feel free.”
Oh.
She made herself turn around.
“Sure. That would simplify things.”
He grinned. “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?”
Yep. Friends. That’s what they were.
“Friends are good, right, Cady?” She glanced back to be sure they were out of earshot. “Friends are wonderful. We all need friends. Looking down someone’s shirt when she’s bending over, that doesn’t mean anything. Neither does noticing that someone has a really great butt.”
Cady twisted, her palm smacking Darcy in the face.
“Ow! You know, you could just tell me I’m being an idiot. There’s no need to get physical.”
Physical.
She dealt with the diaper in record time and returned to the parking lot. Ian held tight to Lulu’s leash while she barked and ran in happy circles.
“Here you go.” She handed the baby over gladly. “There’s a line, so I might be a while.”
“Not a problem. Take your time.”
Damn. Not only did he have a killer butt and arms that were all muscle and sinew thanks to his hours working at the forge, he knew the ultimate way to a mother’s heart: giving her the ability to go to the bathroom alone.
“I hope I see your mom while I’m there.”
“Why’s that?”
“I need to thank her for raising you so well.”
His eyebrows lifted. “It’s not possible that I’m a great guy on my own? There had to be a woman behind it?”
She hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. “I can’t believe you have to ask that. See you in a few. Be awesome, Cady.”
She strolled back to the building, reveling in the moments of freedom that lay ahead. Well, as much as a girl could revel while simultaneously trying not to fret. Or drool. Or remember how right it had felt to snuggle against a welcoming body, even if it was only make-believe.
She pulled her phone from her pocket, checking once again for messages or emails. Nothing.
So much for not worrying.
The line had gone down so it took only a few minutes for her to rejoin Ian and company, now standing, crawling and sniffing around a picnic table in the grassy area off the parking lot. He was on the phone but pointed to her cooler and blanket on the table before taking off toward the building.
She spread the blanket on the ground, set Cady in the middle—yeah, that was going to last—and unpacked food. By the time he returned she was doing her best to get some banana into a child who was determined to spend her precious free time cruising and exploring instead of eating.
“Think you’re fighting a losing battle there, Darce.” Ian tossed a piece of cheese to Lulu, who snapped it up.
“If I were you, I’d focus on helping. Otherwise I’m going to be feeding her while we drive. Do you really want mashed banana all over your car?”
A low blow, she knew, but desperate times and all that crap.
He reached for a tiny square of peanut butter sandwich just as she did. Their fingers tangled in a fleeting caress. For a moment the kiss was back, hovering between them, thick and pulsing and almost visible.
For a moment she couldn’t quite draw a deep breath.
She grabbed the morsel and twisted away. “Come on, Bug. Open up. Let’s see if Mommy can hit the moving target.”
She didn’t dare look at him again. Not yet. Far safer to focus on Cady, to call comments over her shoulder, to keep Ian on the fringe of her awareness instead of in the center.
If only safe didn’t feel quite so much like deprivation...
She was sinking into her own sandwich when he steepled his fingers and tapped his thumbs together. “So,” he said. “I have a confession to make.”
“That sounds ominous. Did you finally decide that you should let me drive?”
“I called Moxie. To, uh, ask about Helene.”
So much for a peaceful few minutes to eat.
“Look,” he hurried on, “I know you two aren’t as close as you used to be, but I’ve known her all my life.”
“So have I.”
“Yeah, but I’ve spent more time with her. And for her to not answer a call from her only grandchild—well, it’s not her. Not at all. I was worried something might be wrong.”
She could give him that. The thought of Nonny, hurt and alone, had crossed her mind more than once in the past hours. She didn’t want her grandmother to be injured. God, no. But in a way that had been better than thinking Nonny was ignoring her.
“I knew that if anything was wrong Moxie would know, or find out fast. So I called. And the thing is, Darce, Helene isn’t home right now. She’s on a cruise. To Alaska.”
“Alaska?” Dang. She hadn’t known her voice could squeak that way.
“’Fraid so.”
“Okay. That certainly puts a new twist on things.” She set her sandwich on her plate and tried to think. “We’re well past the halfway point in the drive, so it doesn’t make sense to turn around.”
“Especially since Xander will be there.”
So much for her plan to put off thoughts of him until tomorrow. “I guess Cady and I can find a place for a night or two and then take the bus back.” Though in a tourist town in summer that might be more than her budget could handle. “Or— Oh, does Moxie have a key? Maybe we could stay at Nonny’s anyway.”
“I asked. Seems Helene was taking advantage of this trip to have some work done in her kitchen. It’s nonstop construction and there’s no water.”
Didn’t it figure? “So, a hotel, then. Maybe Moxie could recommend a place that won’t be too expensive and doesn’t mind a teething baby.”
“She already did.” His smile did nothing to reassure. “Her place.”
It took a moment for his meaning to sink in. “You mean stay with you and your family? I can’t do that. I haven’t seen them since...jeez, since the last time I was up there. High school, probably. That’s a long time, North.”
“Doesn’t matter. Moxie is Helene’s best friend. You were at the house every summer. I’m living with you. Sort of,” he added with an altogether too-endearing blush. “You’re practically family.”
“Well, not to me.”
He sat back, arms crossed, and grinned in a most maddening way—as though he knew something she didn’t.
“What?” Now her stomach hurt.
“What what?”
“You have that look. Like you know something I don’t know and you’re savoring the moment.”
He shrugged and pulled an apple from his bag. “Just thinking.” One eyebrow quirked. “About what Moxie will say to that.”
Her own memories of the formidable Mrs. North, combined with the stories Ian had shared over the years, gave her a moment’s concern. But on the other hand...
“Look, I not only was raised by a diva, I spent most of my adult life making sure she got everything she wanted the minute she needed it. I have out-conned hotel managers, stage managers, agents and, worst of all, other divas. And I can do it in three languages. Four if you count swearing in German. There’s no way Moxie can make me stay at your family’s home.”
But, piped up a sly little voice inside her, if you stayed at the house, it might give you more chances to see Ian and Carter together. See if they need a hand reconciling and all that.
Not a bad point. She’d be more inclined to listen if she could be sure the voice wasn’t being fueled by those sneaky hormones.
Ian bit into the apple, backhanded juice from his chin and let loose a grin. “You know, I think I should call the rest of the family. Maybe sell tickets. This could be the smackdown of the century.”
“What smackdown? I don’t need to get violent. I’ll just say, ‘Thank you very much. That’s incredibly generous, but I can’t possibly.’ Which will be even easier if you drop me someplace before you go home.”
“Are you kidding? That’s like handing my head to her on a silver platter. It’s going to be hard enough going home already. I’m not making Moxie pissed off before I even walk through the door.”
Guilt tugged at her. She’d forgotten that he was walking back into a situation loaded with land mines.
“And that’s precisely why you don’t need me around. You and your family need to get past this on your own without tiptoeing around some stranger—”
“Almost family.”
“—and her baby.”
“Very true. At least, when it comes to you.” He pointed to the child clinging to the picnic bench. “It’s Cady I really want.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“She’s the perfect diversion. If things get too intense, all I have to do is hold her up and make her blow raspberries, and there ya go. Crisis averted.”
“Cute and possibly correct. But my kid is not going to be your auto-distraction.”
“Not even for a day or two?”
She was on the edge of giving him a resounding no when she heard the plea beneath his words. He was only half joking. And being a guy, he probably didn’t even know it.
Just like he probably had no clue that the only one he really wanted to avoid was Carter. She didn’t think it was simply an oversight that had led him to tell her about Taylor and the broken engagement but never once mention Carter’s role.
Unbidden, she remembered Ian walking into the backyard after Xander had dropped his jail bomb. She had never been so happy to see anyone in her life, except maybe the anesthesiologist who administered her epidural. She had desperately needed someone nearby, someone she could trust to keep her steady while the rest of the world swirled around her.
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