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Leo thought about the long drive from Atlanta. He hadn’t wanted to come here at all. And yesterday’s storm damage was his ticket out. All he had to do was tell Luc and Hattie, and his doctor, that circumstances had conspired against him. He could be back in Atlanta by tomorrow night.
But something—stubbornness maybe—made him contrary. “Where is Mr. Kemper in all this? Shouldn’t he be the one worrying about repairing the other cabin?”
Phoebe’s face went blank. “Mr. Kemper?” Suddenly, she laughed. “I’m not married, Mr. Cavallo.”
“And the baby?”
A small frown line appeared between her brows. “Are you a traditionalist, then? You don’t think a single female can raise a child on her own?”
Leo shrugged. “I think kids deserve two parents. But having said that, I do believe women can do anything they like. I can’t, however, imagine a woman like you needing to embrace single parenthood.”
He’d pegged Phoebe as calm and cool, but her eyes flashed. “A woman like me? What does that mean?”
Leaning his back against one of the massive bedposts, he folded his arms and stared at her. Now that he knew she wasn’t married, all bets were off. “You’re stunning. Are all the men in Tennessee blind?”
Her lips twitched. “I’m pretty sure that’s the most clichéd line I’ve ever heard.”
“I stand by my question. You’re living out here in the middle of nowhere. Your little son has no daddy anywhere in sight. A man has to wonder.”
Phoebe stared at him, long and hard. He bore her scrutiny patiently, realizing how little they knew of each other. But for yesterday’s storm, he and Phoebe would likely have exchanged no more than pleasantries when she handed over his keys. In the weeks to come, they might occasionally have seen each other outside on pleasant days, perhaps waved in passing.
But fate had intervened. Leo came from a long line of Italian ancestors who believed in the power of destino and amore. Since he was momentarily banned from the job that usually filled most of his waking hours, he was willing to explore his fascination with Phoebe Kemper.
He watched as she deposited the sleeping baby carefully in the center of the bed. The little boy rolled to his side and continued to snooze undisturbed. Phoebe straightened and matched her pose to Leo’s. Only instead of using the bed for support, she chose to lean against the massive wardrobe that likely held a very modern home entertainment center.
She eyed him warily, her teeth nibbling her bottom lip. Finally she sighed. “First of all, we’re not in the middle of nowhere, though it must seem that way to you since you had to drive up here on such a nasty night. Gatlinburg is less than ten miles away. Pigeon Forge closer than that. We have grocery stores and gas stations and all the modern conveniences, I promise. I like it here at the foot of the mountains. It’s peaceful.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“And Teddy is my nephew, not my son.”
Leo straightened, wondering what it said about him that he was glad the woman facing him was a free agent. “Why is he here?”
“My sister and her husband are in Portugal for six weeks settling his father’s estate. They decided the trip would be too hard on Teddy, and that cleaning out the house would be much easier without him. So I volunteered to let him stay with me until they get home.”
“You must like kids a lot.”
A shadow crossed her face. “I love my nephew.” She shook off whatever mood had momentarily stolen the light. “But we’re avoiding the important topic. I can’t rent you a demolished cabin. You have to go.”
He smiled at her with every bit of charm he could muster. “You can rent me this room.”
* * *
Phoebe had to give Leo Cavallo points for persistence. His deep brown eyes were deceptive. Though a woman could sink into their warmth, she might miss entirely the fact that he was a man who got what he wanted. If he had been ill recently, she could find no sign of it in his appearance. His naturally golden skin, along with his name, told her that he possessed Mediterranean genes. And in Leo’s case, that genetic material had been spun into a ruggedly handsome man.
“This isn’t a B and B,” she said. “I have an investment property that I rent out to strangers. That property is currently unavailable, so you’re out of luck.”
“Don’t make a hasty decision,” he drawled. “I’m housebroken. And I’m handy when it comes to changing lightbulbs and killing creepy-crawlies.”
“I’m tall for a woman, and I have monthly pest control service.”
“Taking care of a baby is a lot of work. You might enjoy having help.”
“You don’t strike me as the type to change diapers.”
“Touché.”
Were they at an impasse? Would he give up?
She glanced at Teddy, sleeping so peacefully. Babies were an important part of life, but it was a sad day when a grown woman’s life was so devoid of male companionship that a nonverbal infant was stimulating company. “I’ll make a deal with you,” she said slowly, wondering if she were crazy. “You tell me why you really want to stay, and I’ll consider your request.”
For the first time, she saw discomfort on Leo’s face. He was one of those consummately confident men who strode through life like a captain on the bridge of his ship, everyone in his life bowing and scraping in his wake. But at the moment, a mask slipped and she caught a glimpse of vulnerability. “What did my sister-in-law tell you when she made the reservation?”
A standard ploy. Answering a question with a question. “She said you’d been ill. Nothing more than that. But in all honesty, you hardly look like a man at death’s door.”
Leo’s smile held a note of self-mockery. “Thank God for that.”
Curiouser and curiouser. “Now that I think about it,” she said, trying to solve the puzzle as she went along, “you don’t seem like the kind of man who takes a two-month sabbatical in the mountains for any reason. Unless, of course, you’re an artist or a songwriter. Maybe a novelist? Am I getting warm?”
Leo grimaced, not quite meeting her gaze. “I needed a break,” he said. “Isn’t that reason enough?”
Something in his voice touched her...some note of discouragement or distress. And in that moment, she felt a kinship with Leo Cavallo. Hadn’t she embraced this land and built these two cabins for that very reason? She’d been disillusioned with her job and heartbroken over the demise of her personal life. The mountains had offered healing.
“Okay,” she said, capitulating without further ado. “You can stay. But if you get on my nerves or drive me crazy, I am well within my rights to kick you out.”
He grinned, his expression lightening. “Sounds fair.”
“And I charge a thousand dollars a week more if you expect to share meals with me.”
It was a reckless barb, an attempt to get a rise out of him. But Leo merely nodded his head, eyes dancing. “Whatever you say.” Then he sobered. “Thank you, Phoebe. I appreciate your hospitality.”
The baby stirred, breaking the odd bubble of intimacy that had enclosed the room. Phoebe scooped up little Teddy and held him to her chest, suddenly feeling the need for a barrier between herself and the charismatic Leo Cavallo. “We’ll say good night, then.”
Her houseguest nodded, eyes hooded as he stared at the baby. “Sleep well. And if you hear me up in the night, don’t be alarmed. I’ve had a bit of insomnia recently.”
“I could fix you some warm milk,” she said, moving toward the door.
“I’ll be fine. See you in the morning.”
* * *
Leo watched her leave and felt a pinch of remorse for having pressured her into letting him invade her home. But not so much that he was willing to leave. In Atlanta everyone had walked on eggshells around him, acting as if the slightest raised voice or cross word would send him into a relapse. Though his brother, Luc, tried to hide his concern, it was clear that he and Hattie were worried about Leo. And as dear as they both were to him, Leo needed a little space to come to terms with what had happened.
His first instinct was to dive back into work. But the doctor had flatly refused to release him. This mountain getaway was a compromise. Not an idea Leo would have embraced voluntarily, but given the options, his only real choice.
When he exited the interstate earlier that evening, Leo had called his brother to say he was almost at his destination. Though he needed to escape the suffocating but well-meaning attention, he would never ever cause Luc and Hattie to worry unnecessarily. He would do anything for his younger brother, and he knew Luc would return the favor. They were closer than most siblings, having survived their late teen and early-adult years in a foreign land under the thumb of their autocratic Italian grandfather.
Leo yawned and stretched, suddenly exhausted. Perhaps he was paying for years of burning the candle at both ends. His medical team and his family had insisted that for a full recovery, Leo needed to stay away from work and stress. Maybe the recent hospital stay had affected him more than he realized. But whatever the reason, he was bone tired and ready to climb into that large rustic bed.
Too bad he’d be sleeping alone. It was oddly comforting when his body reacted predictably to thoughts of Phoebe. Something about her slow, steady smile and her understated sexuality really did it for him. Though his doctor had cleared Leo for exercise and sexual activity, the latter was a moot point. Trying to ignore the erection that wouldn’t be seeing any action tonight, he reached for his suitcase, extracted his shaving kit and headed for the shower.
* * *
To Phoebe’s relief, the baby didn’t stir when she laid him in his crib. She stood over him for long moments watching the almost imperceptible movements of his small body as he breathed. She knew her sister was missing Teddy like crazy, but selfishly, Phoebe herself was looking forward to having someone to share Christmas with.
Her stomach did a little flip as she realized that Leo might be here, as well. But no. Surely he would go home at the holidays and come back to finish out his stay in January.
When she received the initial reservation request, she had researched Leo and the Cavallo family on Google. She knew he was single, rich and the CFO of a worldwide textile company started by his grandfather in Italy. She also knew that he supported several charities, not only with money, but with his service. He didn’t need to work. The Cavallo vaults, metaphorically speaking, held more money than any one person could spend in a lifetime. But she understood men like Leo all too well. They thrived on challenge, pitting themselves repeatedly against adversaries, both in business and in life.
Taking Leo into her home was not a physical risk. He was a gentleman, and she knew far more about him than she did about many men she had dated. The only thing that gave her pause was an instinct that told her he needed help in some way. She didn’t need another responsibility. And besides, if the cabin hadn’t been demolished, Leo would have been on his own for two months anyway.
There was no reason for her to be concerned. Nevertheless, she sensed pain in him, and confusion. Given her own experience with being knocked flat on her butt for a long, long time, she wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone. Maybe she could probe gently and see why this big mountain of a man, who could probably bench-press more than his body weight, seemed lost.
As she prepared for bed, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. And when she climbed beneath her flannel sheets and closed her eyes, his face was the image that stayed with her through the night.
Three
Leo awoke when sunlight shining through a crack in the drapes hit his face. He yawned and scrubbed his hands over his stubbly chin, realizing with pleased surprise that he had slept through the night. Perhaps there was something to this mountain retreat thing after all.
Most of his stuff was still in the car, so he dug out a pair of faded jeans from his overnight case and threw on his favorite warm cashmere sweater. It was a Cavallo product...of course. The cabin had an efficient heat system, but Leo was itching to get outside and see his surroundings in the light of day.
Tiptoeing down the hall in case the baby was sleeping, he paused unconsciously at Phoebe’s door, which stood ajar. Through the narrow crack he could see a lump under the covers of a very disheveled bed. Poor woman. The baby must have kept her up during the night.
Resisting the urge to linger, he made his way to the kitchen and quietly located the coffeepot. Phoebe was an organized sort, so it was no problem to find what he needed in the cabinet above. When he had a steaming cup brewed, strong and black, he grabbed a banana off the counter and went to stand at the living room window.
Supposedly, one of his challenges was to acquire the habit of eating breakfast in the morning. Normally, he had neither the time nor the inclination to eat. As a rule, he’d be at the gym by six-thirty and at the office before eight. After that, his day was nonstop until seven or later at night.
He’d never really thought much about his schedule in the past. It suited him, and it got the job done. For a man in his prime, stopping to smell the roses was a metaphor for growing old. Now that he had been admonished to do just that, he was disgruntled and frustrated. He was thirty-six, for God’s sake. Was it really time to throw in the towel?
Pulling back the chintz curtains decorated with gamboling black bears, he stared out at a world that glistened like diamonds in the sharp winter sun. Every branch and leaf was coated with ice. Evidently, the temperatures had dropped as promised, and now the narrow valley where Phoebe made her home was a frozen wonderland.
So much for his desire to explore. Anyone foolish enough to go out at this moment would end up flat on his or her back after the first step. Patience, Leo. Patience. His doctor, who also happened to be his racquetball partner on the weekends, had counseled him repeatedly to take it easy, but Leo wasn’t sure he could adapt. Already, he felt itchy, needing a project to tackle, a problem to solve.
“You’re up early.”
Phoebe’s voice startled him so badly he spun around and managed to slosh hot coffee over the fingers of his right hand. “Ouch, damn it.”
He saw her wince as he crossed to the sink and ran cold water over his stinging skin.
“Sorry,” she said. “I thought you heard me.”
Leo had been lost in thought, but he was plenty alert now. Phoebe wore simple knit pj’s that clung to her body in all the right places. The opaque, waffle-weave fabric was pale pink with darker pink rosebuds. It faithfully outlined firm high breasts, a rounded ass and long, long legs.
Despite his single-minded libido, he realized in an instant that she looked somewhat the worse for wear. Her long braid had frayed into wispy tendrils and dark smudges underscored her eyes.
“Tough night with the baby?” he asked.
She shook her head, yawning and reaching for a mug in the cabinet. When she did, her top rode up, exposing an inch or two of smooth golden skin. He looked away, feeling like a voyeur, though the image was impossible to erase from his brain.
After pouring herself coffee and taking a long sip, Phoebe sank into a leather-covered recliner and pulled an afghan over her lap. “It wasn’t the baby this time,” she muttered. “It was me. I couldn’t sleep for thinking about what a headache this reconstruction is going to be, especially keeping track of all the subcontractors.”
“I could pitch in with that,” he said. The words popped out of his mouth, uncensored. Apparently old habits were hard to break. But after all, wasn’t helping out a fellow human being at least as important as inhaling the scent of some imaginary rose that surely wouldn’t bloom in the dead of winter anyway? Fortunately, his sister-in-law wasn’t around to chastise him for his impertinence. She had, in her sweet way, given him a very earnest lecture about the importance of not making work his entire life.
Of course, Hattie was married to Luc, who had miraculously managed to find a balance between enjoying his wife and his growing family and at the same time carrying his weight overseeing the R & D department. Luc’s innovations, both in fabric content and in design, had kept their company competitive in the changing world of the twenty-first century. Worldwide designers wanted Cavallo textiles for their best and most expensive lines.
Leo was happy to oblige them. For a price.
Phoebe sighed loudly, her expression glum. “I couldn’t ask that of you. It’s my problem, and besides, you’re on vacation.”
“Not a vacation exactly,” he clarified. “More like an involuntary time-out.”
She grinned. “Has Leo been a naughty boy?”
Heat pooled in his groin and he felt his cheeks redden. He really had to get a handle on this urge to kiss her senseless. Since he was fairly sure that her taunt was nothing more than fun repartee, he refrained from saying what he really thought. “Not naughty,” he clarified. “More like too much work and not enough play.”
Phoebe swung her legs over the arm of the chair, her coffee mug resting on her stomach. For the first time he noticed that she wore large, pink Hello Kitty slippers on her feet. A less seductive female ensemble would be difficult to find. And yet Leo was fascinated.
She pursed her lips. “I’m guessing executive-level burnout?”
Her perspicacity was spot-on. “You could say that.” Although it wasn’t the whole story. “I’m doing penance here in the woods, so I can see the error of my ways.”
“And who talked you into this getaway? You don’t seem like a man who lets other people dictate his schedule.”
He refilled his cup and sat down across from her. “True enough,” he conceded. “But my baby brother, who happens to be part of a disgustingly happy married couple, thinks I need a break.”
“And you listened?”
“Reluctantly.”
She studied his face as though trying to sift through his half-truths. “What did you think you would do for two months?”
“That remains to be seen. I have a large collection of detective novels packed in the backseat of my car, a year of New York Times crossword puzzles on my iPad and a brand-new digital camera not even out of the box yet.”
“I’m impressed.”
“But you’ll concede that I surely have time to interview prospective handymen.”
“Why would you want to?”
“I like keeping busy.”
“Isn’t that why you’re here? To be not busy? I’d hate to think I was causing you to fall off the wagon in the first week.”
“Believe me, Phoebe. Juggling schedules and workmen for your cabin repair is something I could do in my sleep. And since it’s not my cabin, there’s no stress involved.”
Still not convinced, she frowned. “If it weren’t for the baby, I’d never consider this.”
“Understood.”
“And if you get tired of dealing with it, you’ll be honest.”
He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“In that case,” she sighed, “how can I say no?”
* * *
Leo experienced a rush of jubilation far exceeding the appropriate response to Phoebe’s consent. Only at that moment did he realize how much he had been dreading the long parade of unstructured days. With the cabin renovation to give him focus each morning, perhaps this rehabilitative exile wouldn’t be so bad.
Guiltily, he wondered what his brother would say about this new turn of events. Leo was pretty sure Luc pictured him sitting by a fire in a flannel robe and slippers reading a John Grisham novel. While Leo enjoyed fiction on occasion, and though Grisham was a phenomenal author, a man could only read so many hours of the day without going bonkers.
Already, the idleness enforced by his recent illness had made the days and nights far too long. The doctor had cleared him for his usual exercise routine, but with no gym nearby, and sporting equipment that was useless in this environment, it was going to require ingenuity on his part to stay fit and active, especially given that it was winter.
Suddenly, from down the hall echoed the distinct sound of a baby who was awake and unhappy.
Phoebe jumped to her feet, nearly spilling her coffee in the process. “Oh, shoot. I forgot to bring the monitor in here.” She clunked her mug in the sink and disappeared in a flash of pink fur.
Leo had barely drained his first cup and gone to the coffeepot for a refill when Phoebe reappeared, this time with baby Teddy on her hip. The little one was red-faced from crying. Phoebe smoothed his hair from his forehead. “Poor thing must be so confused not seeing his mom and dad every morning when he wakes up.”
“But he knows you, right?”
Phoebe sighed. “He does. Still, I worry about him day and night. I’ve never been the sole caregiver for a baby, and it’s scary as heck.”
“I’d say you’re doing an excellent job. He looks healthy and happy.”
Phoebe grimaced, though the little worried frown between her eyes disappeared. “I hope you’re right.”
She held Teddy out at arm’s length. “Do you mind giving him his bottle while I shower and get dressed?”
Leo backed up half a step before he caught himself. It was his turn to frown. “I don’t think either Teddy or I would like that. I’m too big. I scare children.”
Phoebe gaped. Then her eyes flashed. “That’s absurd. Wasn’t it you, just last night, who was volunteering to help with the baby in return for your keep?”
Leo shrugged, feeling guilty but determined not to show it. “I was thinking more in terms of carrying dirty diapers out to the trash. Or if you’re talking on the phone, listening to the monitor to let you know when he wakes up. My hands are too large and clumsy to do little baby things.”
“You’ve never been around an infant?”
“My brother has two small children, a boy and a girl. I see them several times a month, but those visits are more about kissing cheeks and spouting kudos as to how much they’ve grown. I might even bounce one on my knee if necessary, but not often. Not everyone is good with babies.”
Little Teddy still dangled in midair, his chubby legs kicking restlessly. Phoebe closed the distance between herself and Leo and forced the wiggly child to Leo’s chest. “Well, you’re going to learn, because we had a deal.”
Leo’s arms came up reflexively, enclosing Teddy in a firm grip. The wee body was warm and solid. The kid smelled of baby lotion and some indefinable nursery scent that was endemic to babies everywhere. “I thought becoming your renovation overseer got me off the hook with Teddy.”
Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest, managing to emphasize the fullness of her apparently unconfined breasts. “It. Did. Not. A deal is a deal. Or do I need a written contract?”
Leo knew when he was beaten. He’d pegged Phoebe as an easygoing, Earth Mother type, but suddenly he was confronted with a steely-eyed negotiator who would as soon kick him to the curb as look at him. “I’d raise my hands in surrender if I were able,” he said, smiling, “But I doubt your nephew would like it.”
Phoebe’s nonverbal response sounded a lot like humph. As Leo watched, grinning inwardly, she quickly prepared a serving of formula and brought it to the sofa where Leo sat with Teddy. She handed over the bottle. “He likes it sitting up. Burp him halfway through.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Phoebe put her hands on her hips. “Don’t mock me. You’re walking on thin ice, mister.”
Leo tried to look penitent, and also tried not to take note of the fact that her pert nipples were at eye level. He cleared his throat. “Go take your shower,” he said. “I’ve got this under control. You can trust me.”
Phoebe nibbled her bottom lip. “Yell at my bedroom door if you need me.”
Something about the juxtaposition of yell and bedroom door and need rekindled Leo’s simmering libido. About the only thing that could have slowed him down was the reality of a third person in the cabin. Teddy. Little innocent, about-to-get-really-hungry Teddy.