A Family Come True (15 page)

“Makes sense.”

Was he blushing? Maybe that was just the reflection of the heat she felt in her own cheeks.

“It’s only a few nights. Who knows? After a day or two I might feel ready to come clean with Xander, and then we can stop the farce.”

“We’ll take that as it goes.”

“Right. And I guess we should talk about, um, public displays of affection.”

“If it helps, my family isn’t super touchy-feely. No one will expect to see much.”

That was definitely relief making her sag. Not disappointment. Relief.

“Yes. Good. So, I’m thinking holding hands, a little pat on the arm once in a while, things like that. Enough to get the message across without, well, without going overboard.”

“Yeah, that should do the trick.”

And it would mean no more kisses. Thank God. The touches in public were challenging enough, but those brief kisses kept calling her, whispering to her long-deprived body, keeping her in a constant state of
what would happen if...?

Ian’s kisses were to be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, there could be a jelly roll the size of Lake Superior between them and she still wouldn’t get any sleep.

“I think we’re good,” he said, but she shook her head—and not just because Cady was chewing on his shirt.

“We need stories.”

“Aren’t we telling one already?”

“People always expect a story. You know, how did you guys meet? How long have you been going out? What kinds of things do you do together?”

“Those are easy. We met when I moved in. We don’t go many places because we’re mostly home with Cady, but we go to the park and stuff. We’ve been going out— Okay, we can’t say too long, otherwise Moxie will give me hell for not bringing you here earlier. So, six months?”

Dear Lord. It was so obvious he was a man.

“Six months is okay,” she said. “But the rest needs work.”

“Like what?”

“Like...we take Cady and Lulu to the playground. Cady giggles when you push her in the baby swing. Lulu runs around like a maniac and jumps in and out of the pond when the weather is warm enough.” All those everyday, ordinary family-type moments that she loved.

“That’s not a story. It’s the truth.”

“Which is why it works. Remember what I said to Xander before you—”
before you kissed me and turned everything inside out and upside down; not that it matters all that much, really
“—I mean, just after we started pretending?”

Judging by the way he suddenly couldn’t meet her eyes, his mind had gone right back to the same moment.

“You said something about me helping you, and me spending more time at the house.”

“Right. It was pretty lame, to be honest, but it was all I could come up with on the spot. We need to embellish things. Not much. Stick to the truth as much as possible, but add details to make it realistic.”

He didn’t roll his eyes, but she could tell he was tempted.

“Trust me on this, okay?”

“Whatever.” He turned and stretched toward Cady, who was crawling full speed toward the bathroom. He snagged her by the foot and dragged her back toward him. “Sorry, Bug. You’re not leaving without a grown-up.”

As expected, Cady let out a wail that caused Lulu to raise her head in instant Vampire Slayer mode.

“Oh, poor baby. How ridiculous of us to want to keep you safe.” Darcy slid to the floor and imitated Moxie’s
Eensy Weensy Spider
motions. Cady stared in fascination, one chubby fist in her mouth.

“Ooh, this works well. I’m going to have to get Moxie to teach me more of these.” Darcy wiggled her fingers, eliciting a giant grin. “Now, as for how we got together—”

“Uh-oh.”

“What? Oh.” His meaning came clear the next time she inhaled. Diaper time. “You know, now that we’re together and everything, maybe you should—”

“Go feed Lulu? Great plan. You two have fun.”

“You are such a coward, North.”

“Some call it cowardice. Some call it self-preservation. Later!”

Lulu scrambled to her feet and trotted behind him. The door closed, Cady let out a howl at being left behind and Darcy sighed.

“Just once, I’d like to spin a story that didn’t have a crappy ending.”

CHAPTER NINE

I
AN SLIPPED OUT
through the back door to avoid running into any family members as he headed for the yard with Lulu in tow. Darcy was right. He was a coward through and through. Not because of the diaper—he’d handled more of those than any childless single guy should ever have to deal with—but because Darce had been pushing into conversational areas he didn’t want to explore. Not yet. Not here. Probably never.

How long have you two been together?

She was right. They needed to prepare for the usual questions. But as he whistled for Lulu to follow him toward the river, he admitted that the real reason he hadn’t wanted to create stories with her was because stories had this nasty habit of pulling the truth into the spotlight. Truth was the last thing he wanted to hold up for scrutiny right now.

No, right now he was going to throw a stick for his dog and have a few minutes of solitude to clear his head before the pretense had to begin in earnest.

It was a good plan. So of course it couldn’t last.

No sooner had he located the perfect throwing stick than the whine of a tired engine had him looking toward the road. Sure enough, Xander’s battered old Honda bounced down the driveway. Not a good sign, seeing how the driveway was freshly paved and free of potholes. He would have to take a look at Xander’s car before Cady was allowed in it. Darcy wouldn’t know what to look for.

Neither did he, really, but that was beside the point.

The squeak of the car door as it opened wasn’t very reassuring. Neither was the way it seemed to drop and sag at an angle that he was pretty sure the designers had never intended. But the tightness it caused in his gut was nothing compared to the way his entire intestinal tract twisted as Xander emerged with a nervous smile on his face.

He believed Xander had the right to be in Cady’s life. He truly believed Cady should grow up knowing her father.

But he was slightly surprised to admit he also believed he wanted to make some things very clear to Xander before anything went any further.

“Hey, Ian. How’s it going?” Xander reached for the sky. “Damn, that’s a long ride. I think it’ll take me three days to stop feeling like I’m still in the car. How did Cady do?”

“She’s a trouper,” he said, a little stiffly. “Only cried when she got tired or hungry.”

“She must get that from Darcy, ’cause God knows, I’m the world’s lousiest— Hey, Lulu. Come here, girl!”

Lulu, who had come running the minute the door wheezed open, dropped her stick and stood on guard—eyes narrowed, ears back. There was no welcome in her bark.

Xander stayed behind the safety of the car door. Well, at least it was good for something.

“I always heard that dogs never forgot folks. Guess that was wrong.”

“Or maybe she does remember you.” Ian ran a hand down her back, feeling the tightness of her muscles. “She was a wreck after you left, you know.”

Xander blinked. “What?”

“She spent days sitting by the door, waiting for you to come back. She knew me, she felt safe with me, but she knew that she was your dog. It took months for her to get over you, Xander. Months.”

“Look, I’m sorry about that, but I—”

“Xander.” Ian leaned on the wheezing hood of the car. “Swear to me you’ll do better by Cady than you did by Lulu.”

Xander’s face lost a little of its carefree shine. “You saying you don’t think I’m going to do right by my kid, Ian?”

“I’m saying that, for Cady’s sake, I hope you aren’t starting anything you don’t intend to see through.”

He expected Xander to defend himself. Instead, he looked down at the ground, curling his fingers around the top of the car door.

When he looked up, there was no shame or bluster in his eyes. Instead, Ian saw the one thing he hadn’t seen in Xander for a long time: honesty.

“I screwed up. I know it. But here’s a couple of other things I know. I’m not leaving her. And I’m not going to mess up again.”

Lulu bumped against Ian’s leg.

“And while we’re laying our cards on the table, Ian, let me say this. I get that you and Darcy are together, and I know you’re a big part of Cady’s life. I’m good with that. I don’t have any intention of trying to come between you two.” He fixed Ian with a steadfast gaze. “But I’m not going to take a backseat to you, either. I figure you treat me with respect, I do the same for you, and Cady gets two guys in her corner.”

Well, hell. Maybe Xander really
had
turned things around.

Ian allowed a cautious nod. “I can work with that.”

But Xander’s focus had already shifted to a spot behind Ian and a giant smile erupted on his face.

“There she is!”

Ian didn’t have to turn to figure out that Darcy and Cady must be approaching.

Xander pushed past him. “Cady! How’s my girl?”

His
girl. And damn, but it seemed as though Xander just might possibly be worthy of her.

The car door still hung open, taunting him with its lopsided list. Since his choices were to deal with it or interrupt the family reunion, he opted for the inanimate and gave it a shove. It moved forward a few inches before stopping.

He knew the feeling.

Steeling himself, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started down the pansy-lined path toward the happy trio. One glance at Darcy’s face and he mentally amended his description. She was smiling, but he easily recognized her polite face. Worry stirred with protectiveness inside him.

He reached absently for Lulu, who was hovering near his leg, and sank his fingers into her fur while ordering himself to watch the events unfolding before him. A few steps ahead, at the spot where the path widened and curved out to the house, Darcy curled at the waist, Cady’s fingers in her fists, doing the awkward hunch-over walk that kept Cady upright. And Xander...

Xander watched Cady with a wonder that sent shame flooding through Ian. Wariness and uncertainty were one thing, especially given Xander’s track record, but Ian hadn’t let himself go beyond those. Xander had had a hell of a surprise dumped on him. He could have bolted as far and fast in the opposite direction as possible. Instead, he’d run the other way. Closer to his kid.

Xander deserved a chance.

And if Ian was any kind of friend—to Darcy, Cady or even Xander—he needed to get his butt in gear and help make that chance a fighting one.

* * *

D
ARCY GLANCED DOWN
the path at Ian, willing him closer, but still he hung back, sneaking peeks from the corner of his eye.

Maybe he thought she and Xander and Cady wanted some privacy. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude on daddy-daughter time. All well and good, but they were supposed to be a couple. If he didn’t haul his ever-so-enticing arse over to her in the next, oh, thirty seconds, she was going to have to be blatant and obvious, maybe grab him by the collar and plant a kiss on him that would leave them both reeling.

Hmm...

“So,” Xander said. “I hope you don’t mind me blowing into town, but like I said, you know, loose ends for the next few days. I figured this was my best chance to get to know her.” He nodded toward Cady. “She sure is a cutie.”

“She always has been. Once I— Once we get back home, I’ll put together a collection of pictures from when she was younger.”

“I wish I hadn’t missed that.”

How was she supposed to answer? The truth was, even at the most terrifying moments, she had never wished for Xander to magically reappear and start playing daddy. She had wanted nothing but stability and security for Cady, and there was little in her experience—with either Sylvie’s circle of men or Xander’s own actions—to make her expect him to contribute to either of those qualities.

No, the only one who had surprised her had been Ian. He had turned out to be the most solid rock she could have imagined. But it wasn’t until this moment, sending him mental
come here
vibes, that she saw how much she had let herself depend on him—and not just for rent money and a hand with child care.

Ian was giving her a hand. Being a friend. He was very generously buying her time to ease this transition. That was all. She was grateful, and she would take him up on it, but she couldn’t let herself fall into believing that either he or the situation was anything more. That was the first step down the Sylvie path.

Xander crouched in front of Cady, both hands extended. “Hey, pretty girl. Can I help you walk?”

Cady eyed him and his outstretched hands. Darcy held her breath. Just an hour ago, she had insisted in front of assorted Norths that she wasn’t trying to discourage Xander from knowing his daughter, but now, with the reality upon her, she was having a hard time believing herself.

She lifted her head and scanned the yard once again, realized what she was doing and gave herself a mental slap upside the head. But that didn’t stop her from letting out a small sigh of relief when Ian caught her eye, quirked a brow and hustled down the path.

He stopped beside her, seeming to assess the scene. When he reached and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, she allowed herself one second of leaning into that comfort. Surely she could have that little bit.

Ian let go. His hand hung in the air for a second before he knelt beside Xander, who looked at him with upraised eyebrows.

“It’s easier if you’re standing,” Ian said quietly. “In front of her until she gets to know you. Then you can walk behind her. It’s hell on your back, but she loves it.”

Darcy breathed in, short and fast, as she grasped what was happening. Ian was taking this on himself. He had seen how torn and lost she was, and he was stepping in, stepping up, taking some of the burden from her.

Ian shifted, easing himself back toward Lulu. “The other thing she likes is high fives,” he continued as Xander rose. “Like this.” He held his palm upright in front of Cady’s face. She made a gurgling noise and reached forward to smack the proffered palm with a loud
whee!
She barely seemed to notice when she almost lost her balance. She would have kissed the stones if Ian hadn’t done a fast save with a hand to her tummy.