''I Do''...Take Two! (11 page)

“But think about it,” she urged her skeptical husband. “It's like some sort of cosmic alignment. Callie's currently unemployed. She and Tommy connected instantly via dinosaurs. Ellis needs someone to watch his son for the next few weeks and...”

“And he and Callie are both mature, intelligent beings,” Travis finished. “They don't need you pushing them into your personal version of a cosmic union.”

“I'm not pushing.”

“Sure sounds like it to me.”

Irritated, she twirled harder than she realized.

“Hey!” His hand clamped over hers. “Easy there, champ.”

“Sorry.”

She couldn't tell him about her instinctive dismay when Brian had spotted Dawn and done that double take. Or her sharp stab of guilt for thinking her love-'em-and-leave-'em friend might toss Ellis aside with the same carelessness she did the other men who went all stupid over her. Kate owed her loyalty to her friend, not some stranger she'd met for the first time just a few days ago.

She would never,
ever
disparage Dawn to anyone, Brian Ellis included. But there was no reason Kate couldn't drop a few hints about Callie's warmth and compassion and training as a child advocate. Or enlist her husband's help in said campaign.

Being the stubborn, hardheaded male that he was, however, Travis would agree to share his insider's knowledge of Callie Langston only if Ellis asked about her...and if Callie agreed to let Travis act as an intermediary.

“You know she won't agree to that!”

“Yes, I do.” Rolling her over, he pinned his wife to rumpled sheets. “Which is why this discussion is moot. And why, Ms. Westbrook, I respectfully decline to take part in any extramarital matchmaking. I've got my hands full managing my own.”

* * *

Despite his firm intention to steer clear of potential third-party matchups, Travis got sucked in the very next morning.

As usual, he woke before Kate and found a voice mail from Brian on his iPhone, requesting a return call. Tugging on his jeans, he padded barefoot to the sitting room so as not to disturb his still-unconscious wife.

“Yo, Brian. What's up? Mrs. Wells okay?”

“She was when Tommy and I left her last night.”

“Still planning to fly home with her tomorrow?”

“Actually, that's why I called you. Turns out she's going to need fairly extensive rehab. Her sister wants her to fly straight to California and stay with her during rehab. Which brings me to the point of this call. How well do you know Kate's friends?”

“Almost as well as I do her.” He scrubbed a hand over a bristly jaw as his mind winged back through the years. “I call 'em the Invincibles. They've been tight since the second or third grade. When I married Kate, I knew I was getting a package deal. Why?”

“Tommy and I bumped into the dark-haired one. Callie, isn't it?”

“Right, Callie.”

“We ran into her in the lobby when we came back from the hospital. She was heading out to explore Venice on her own. I convinced her that even though this city is safer than most, it still wasn't smart to wander around on her own late at night. Took some effort,” he added drily. “The woman comes across as cool and serene, but she's got a stubborn streak on her.”

Travis thought of the Callie he'd known for so many years. Quiet. Calm. Indomitable. “I would say she's not so much stubborn as self-sufficient.”

“I yield to your better knowledge. Anyway, I talked her into going back upstairs and joining me for a nightcap after I put Tommy to bed.”

Well, damned if Kate hadn't pegged the situation after all! Or maybe not. The exasperated edge to Brian's next comment suggested the nightcap didn't go well.

“Callie showed up with the other one. The redhead with the cat's eyes and killer body.”

Uh-oh. Travis had heard similar sentiments from other males of his acquaintance. There could be trouble ahead. Big trouble.

“That pretty much describes Dawn,” he said carefully, “on the outside.”

“What about the inside? Is she steady? Reliable?”

He smothered another curse. Talk about a loaded question. He knew damned well that none of the men Dawn had unceremoniously dumped over the years would consider her either steady
or
reliable. He also knew that he himself still ranked pretty close to the bottom of her favorite-person list after the heartache Kate had gone through these past months.

Yet despite the lethal sniper fire Dawn still aimed his way, Travis respected the hell out of her for her fierce loyalty to his wife. He also respected the formidable intelligence too often overlooked by the men she attracted like flies, most of whom never saw past that killer body...including those two losers she'd been engaged to.

“Dawn McGill and I don't always agree,” Travis admitted, “but she's one of two women my wife would trust with her life. And in that regard, I'd say Kate's instincts are 100 percent true.”

“Good to know. But should I trust her with my six-year-old son?”

“Come again?”

“It's crazy,” Ellis said, sounding even more exasperated. “I still can't figure out exactly how it happened. One minute, Callie's asking about the flight tomorrow and whether I needed any help with Tommy or Mrs. Wells. The next, this fiery-haired sex goddess offers to hang with my son so we don't have to cut short our stay in Italy. What's even crazier is that I'm actually considering the idea.”

Just in time, Travis swallowed his instinctive
you gotta be kidding!
Three seconds' consideration produced a more rational response.

“Dawn and Tommy seemed to hit it off pretty well yesterday evening.”

“Yeah, I saw that. And I know how much Tom wants to stay in Italy with me. He's a trooper, though. He'll head home with minimal pouting. But if there's a way I can keep him here...”

“Okay, maybe it'll make you feel more comfortable if I tell you Dawn grew up with three older brothers. I roomed with the youngest in college. Aaron used to brag about what a tough little tomboy his baby sister was. Always climbing trees and insisting she could bait her own hook.”

“She's still baiting the hook,” Brian muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing. What about her work? She's employed, isn't she?”

“She is.”

“So how can she put her job on hold to extend her stay in Italy for an additional week or two?”

Travis made another pass at his whiskery chin. “I'm not up on all ins and outs of Dawn's job. All I know is that she does graphic design for some big health-food company in Boston. She's damned good at it, too, according to Kate. My guess is it may be something she can do long-distance.”

“Maybe.” Ellis blew out an audible breath. “Look, I trust your judgment. Yours and Kate's. I don't take risks where my son is concerned, however, so I've asked my people to run a background check on Ms. McGill. Financials, employment history, criminal record, the works.”

“Makes sense. In your position, I'd do the same.”

Travis hung up a few moments later, hoping like hell he was in the room when Dawn found out Ellis was rooting around in her private life. No way he wanted to miss that fireworks display!

Chapter Ten

T
ravis still had a grin plastered across his face when he walked back into the bedroom and found his wife stretching sinuously amid the rumpled sheets. He stood in the doorway for a moment to admire the view.

Her hair spilled across the pillow in a tangle of tawny gold, and the sparse light sneaking through the drapes tinted her skin to pale cream. Then the sheets slid lower, and Travis's blood went south with them. He glanced up from her dark-tipped breasts to find her surveying him with a lazy smile.

“What time is it?”

“A little after eight.”

“I suppose I should get up,” she said with another languorous stretch. “Unless...?”

The sultry invitation hung on the air. Travis told himself he should grab a quick shower before he climbed back in bed with her. Brush his teeth. Shave off these morning bristles. At the very least, call room service for coffee and the
pagnottini
she'd scarfed down so enthusiastically yesterday.

Coffee and rolls could wait, he decided as he tugged down his zipper. And he'd just have to make sure his whiskers didn't scrape off any of that soft, creamy skin. His good intentions detonated, however, when he stepped out of his jeans.

“Now that,” she purred, “is a sight worth waking up for.”

The throaty murmur hit with the force of a rocket-propelled grenade. Hunger for her grabbed Travis by the throat and sent him across the room in swift strides. As he yanked the sheet the rest of the way down and rolled his wife into his arms, he realized that what he'd said last night was so friggin' true. He'd never really understood how much he needed this woman in his life until he'd almost lost her.

* * *

Despite his best intentions, Travis scraped off several layers of Kate's epidermis before they finally collapsed in a sweaty tangle of arms and legs. She laughed off the irritation on her cheeks, chin and breasts but threatened payback for the angry red patch on her thigh.

He soothed the sore spot with a kiss before flopping onto his back beside her. Only then did his brain unscramble enough to tell her about Brian's call. The news that Dawn had volunteered to supervise Tommy the Terrible for the next week or so snapped Kate's brows into an instant frown.

“I know,” he said. “I had to breathe deep when Brian asked if she was steady and reliable.”

The frown disappeared. Fire ignited in her brown eyes. Rising onto her elbows like an avenging Valkyrie, she skewered him with a metaphorical sword. “What did you tell him?”

“Whoa! Throttle back, Katydid.”

“What did you tell him, Westbrook?”

“That you would trust her and Callie with your life.”

“And?”

“And
I
trust your instincts.”

Mollified, she dropped back down. Travis could almost hear the wheels clanking as she tried to make sense of this turn of events and couldn't resist yanking her chain.

“Remind me. What was that you said last night? Something about how perfect Callie would be for Ellis?”

She punched him in the upper arm. Hard enough to hurt, dammit.

“Hey!” He rubbed his biceps. “Don't take this out on me. If you don't think it's a good idea, talk to Dawn.”

She mulled that over for a moment and shook her head. “I can't.”

“Why not?”

“I understand why Dawn bonded with Tommy,” she said slowly. “He's a mirror image of her when she was young. Adventurous, inventive and utterly fearless.”

“She's still pretty fearless,” Travis drawled. “I've got the scars to prove it.”

“Okay, but she's also...um...”

“Reckless?”

“Maybe a little impulsive.”

“Flighty?”

“Discerning.”

“How about commitment-phobic?”

“You'd run scared, too,” Kate retorted, “if your parents used you as a pawn in a divorce so vicious it sucked every shred of joy from your soul and ripped your family apart.”

“Okay, okay. I get that. What I don't get is whether you think it's a good idea for Dawn to assume nanny duties.”

A pregnant silence followed.

“I don't know,” she finally admitted. “I like Brian. I'd hate to see him end up as another notch on Dawn's belt. On the other hand, he's a big boy. And he's not walking into the situation blind. He's got us to vouch for her.”

“Not just us.”

“What do you mean?”

“He's having his people run a background check. Employment history, financial, criminal activities.”

“You're kidding!” Kate popped up, her face flushed with indignation. “That's a total invasion of her privacy!”

“Wouldn't you want to run a background check before we left our son in someone's care?”

“No! Okay, yes. But...” She shoved back the covers and snatched up Travis's discarded shirt. “This is Dawn we're talking about!”

“What's the big deal? She hasn't embezzled a couple of million or buried any dead bodies in the backyard lately, has she? Kate?”

She turned away, but not before he caught a glimpse of the guilt that flickered across her face.

“Holy Christ!” Rolling out of bed, he pulled on his jeans and stopped her before she could retreat to the bathroom. “What's she done?”

She shook her head, not quite meeting his eyes.

“For God's sake, you can tell me.”

“No, actually, I can't.”

“We're talking about a six-year-old here,” he said grimly. “The son of the man I'll be working with. If you're privy to something that could impact Tommy's health or safety, you need to let me or Brian know.”

Her chin snapped up. “First, I'm talking about the woman who's been as close as a sister to me for over twenty years. Second, Dawn would never do
anything
that might impact a child's health or safety. Which you should damned well know,” she finished fiercely, “considering the fact that she's your friend, too.”

She stomped past him, hit the bathroom and shut the door with an emphatic thud. Travis stood where he was, his jaw working. Two minutes ago he'd been sprawled in mindless bliss beside an equally relaxed and happy wife. Now he was staring at a door panel decorated with a painted hunting scene and wondering what the hell Ellis's people might find in Dawn's background that would put Kate in a panic.

This, he decided grimly, called for coffee. And
pagnottini
. A whole basket of
pagnottini
.

* * *

Kate emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in one of the hotel's luxurious robes. She'd pinned her hair up and swiped on some lip gloss. She'd also recovered from the shock of learning that Ellis was having Dawn investigated.

His people wouldn't find anything. They couldn't.

Settling beside Travis on the sofa, she accepted a cup of coffee and downed a much-needed infusion of caffeine before tackling the elephant in the room. “I'm sorry I got a little huffy a while ago. And I'm sorry my reaction to that business about a background check worried you. I give you my word—Dawn has done nothing that could adversely impact Tommy in any way, shape or form.”

The carefully prepared speech didn't appear to satisfy her husband. Frowning, he studied her with troubled eyes. “We've never kept secrets from each other. Not that I know of, anyway. Makes me wonder what else you won't tell me.”

“And that,” she retorted, “comes from the man who doesn't tell me 90 percent of what he does every day.”

“That's different. It's work.”

“How do you know this isn't?”

The reply surprised him. His frown eased, and curiosity took its place. “Okay, now my imagination's engaged.”

“Travis...”

“What would a graphic designer at one of the world's largest health-food firms want to hide?” He tapped his chin in theatrical deliberation. “She photoshopped four ounces off one of their models? Artificially corrected the color on a Monster drink ad? Or,” he mused, turning more serious, “helped disguise the fact that a vitamin supplement was steroid based?”

“No. No. No. And I refuse to respond to further inquisition.”

“Cm'on, Kate. You can't just leave me hanging. Give me a hint.”

“No.”

To reinforce the point, she popped part of a bun in her mouth. Only after she'd savored its yeasty sweetness for several moments did she reopen communications.

“You were going to take me up to the base yesterday, before we volunteered to watch Tommy. Why don't we go today?”

“We could do that. But this is Saturday. The base will be on skeleton manning.”

“I've driven onto a few air force bases,” Kate reminded him. “Deserted and otherwise.”

“Yeah, you have.” The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Remember the day we arrived at Hurlburt the first time?”

“Like I could forget?”

Kate didn't have to fake a shudder. She'd studied dozens of articles and websites in preparation for their move to the Florida Panhandle. They'd all touted the glorious sunshine, the sugar-sand beaches, the sparkling emerald waters.

For obvious reasons, the glowing chamber of commerce articles neglected to mention the hurricanes that slammed into the Gulf Coast with frightening frequency. Including the one that hit while she and Travis were on the road. It barely reached category two, but its eighty-mile-an-hour winds and angry storm surge had made a believer out of her. That and the fact that the air base had battened down all hatches. Metal storm shutters were rolled down, streets were deserted and runways had been emptied of aircraft, flown out of harm's way.

“Tell you what,” Travis said. “I'll see if Carlo's flying today. If he is...and you're real sweet to him...he might introduce you to some of his
men
. They're tough. Really tough.”

Which, Kate knew, was pretty much the highest accolade her husband could bestow. Anxious to meet the prince who'd exhibited such generous hospitality to her and her friends, she downed the rest of her sweet roll
while attempting to translate her husband's brief phone conversation. She wasn't as familiar with NATO acronyms as she was with USAF terminology, but she was pretty sure
AAOC
stood for Allied Air Operations Center, and NATO 07 was probably the prince's call sign.

“Roger that, Aviano. Thanks.” Travis cut the connection and pushed off the sofa. “Carlo should touch down about 1100. I've asked the AAOC to let him know I want to meet with him after his mission debrief. I'll go shower and shave. In the meantime, you could call down to the desk and have a vaporetto ready to pick us up in thirty minutes.”

Kate made the call as requested and was about to signal for the operator again and ask to be connected to the Gritti when the phone buzzed under her hand. Startled, she lifted the receiver again.

“Pronto?”

“It's me. Sorry to call so early.” Dawn didn't sound particularly apologetic. Then again, she rarely did. “I wanted to tell you I'm making a change in my vacations plans.”

“Good change?” Kate asked cautiously. “Or bad?”

“Good. I think. Oh, hell, I don't know. It's all kind of spur-of-the-moment.”

“With you, it usually is.”

“True,” her friend admitted, laughing. “Anyway, I've decided to extend my stay in Italy and stand in for Tommy Ellis's nanny.”

“Brian called Travis earlier,” Kate told her. “He said you'd made the offer. He didn't mention it was a done deal, though.”

“It wasn't, until a few minutes ago. Ellis and I just talked. Evidently he's decided I'm not a psychopath or registered sex offender.”

And Kate knew the underlying basis for that decision. She started to tell Dawn about the background investigation. Just as quickly, she changed her mind. Ellis's people had obviously forwarded a positive report or he wouldn't have taken Dawn up on her offer. And she certainly sounded enthused about playing nanny. Why throw a wrench in the works at this point?

“What about Callie?” Kate asked instead. “What's she going to do if we both desert her?”

“I've pretty much convinced her to stay in Venice with me, at least until it's time to fly home next week. I suspect she knows I might need backup with this babysitting gig.”

“I suspect she does,” Kate drawled.

But her mind was racing. Her first thought was that Callie and Brian Ellis might connect. Kate still thought they seemed so right for each other, and nothing Dawn had said yesterday or this morning suggested she harbored any particular interest in Tommy's father.

Her second thought took a completely different direction—the antics of a lively six-year-old would fill Dawn's days. Maybe, just maybe, a sexy Italian prince could fill Callie's.

She'd already Googled Carlo Luigi Francesco di Lorenzo, prince of Lombard and Marino. Although his family's antecedents dated back to the seventh century, their ancient principalities had long since been incorporated into other, more modern states. As a result, Carlo's royal title was now purely ceremonial.

Not that the empty title seemed to matter to the paparazzi. They brushed aside the fact that the di Lorenzos had lost most of their domains down through the centuries and focused instead on their business instincts. The family had invested heavily in various agricultural and industrial enterprises over the years. One tabloid suggested the di Lorenzos now sat on one of the largest fortunes in Europe.

The articles Kate had read about the current prince were no less enthusiastic. They portrayed him as a slightly older but no less adventurous version of Britain's Prince Harry. Not surprising, since both men had opted for military careers despite their vast personal wealth and social obligations, at least until Harry resigned his commission last year. The articles also indicated that Prince Carlo thoroughly enjoyed the company of beautiful women but had stated repeatedly that he was in no hurry to marry and settle down.