The Christmas Baby (6 page)

A dinner date? She had a date? What happened to not having time for men? Men being too much trouble? She must have actually listened to him when he’d spouted all that crap the other night.

“Not a problem. Good night,” he told her, thankful she was gone before he said—or did—something he’d regret.

“I
THINK
L
ILY WANTS
her mommy, but she settled down after I gave her the binky and rubbed her back,” Roxy said after checking on the baby. They’d heard Lily fussing and Roxy had insisted that it was her job to go to her.

“What’s a binky?”

“The pacifier. That’s what we call it, anyway. Jason calls it his baby. Nobody knows why.”

Brian looked out the window again but there was no sign of Faith. Will, thankfully, was down for the count. Roxy had tired him out playing with him. It amazed Brian that a twelve-year-old girl was so capable around the babies. Brian wouldn’t have known to give Lily a pacifier, for instance. Will didn’t have one. Or did he?

“Will doesn’t have a pacifier. Is he supposed to?”

“Some babies do and some don’t. You’d have found it with his stuff if he used one.”

That’s true, he realized. Surely Kara Long would have given him one if Will had needed it. He felt somewhat reassured that he hadn’t traumatized the poor kid by losing his pacifier.

“Are you waiting up for Faith, Uncle Brian?”

He turned away from the window and glanced at her. “No, why do you ask?”

“You’ve been looking out the window every ten minutes. That’s what Jay does when Mom’s gone and Jason’s being a pain. But Will’s asleep. You don’t have to worry.”

“I thought she was going to be back early, is all. It’s the first time she’s left Lily at night.” At least, he believed it was since she’d said she hadn’t dated. He figured she’d have been more concerned about leaving her daughter with a babysitter for the first time.

“It’s only nine-thirty and she’s called twice.”

“Once.”

“Nuh-uh. She called to check on Lily again while you were putting Will to bed.” A knowing look came over her face, strangely mature for her years. “You didn’t want Faith to go out, did you, Uncle Brian?”

Busted by a twelve-year-old. “It doesn’t bother me at all if she goes out,” he lied. “I just thought she’d be more worried about Lily.”

Roxy didn’t comment but Brian could’ve sworn he heard her giggle. She started picking up toys and putting them away. “Mom says people like babysitters who clean up. Do you think Faith will ask me to sit for her again?”

“I’m sure she will.” Unable to help himself, he gazed out the window again but there was still no sign of a car. He had a good view of the front porch. He wondered if Roxy would rat him out if he watched Faith and her date say good-night. He shot her a glance. Oh, yeah, she would tell Faith in a nanosecond.

“I get to start babysitting by myself soon. I can take care of Will sometimes, too, if you want me to. When Faith isn’t here, I mean.”

“Thanks, Rox. You’re really good with babies. Will and Lily sure like you.”

She beamed at the praise. “Thanks. I’ve helped Mom with Jason since he was born. Mel has, too, but I’m the oldest so I’m the most help.”

Brian hid a smile. Having finished tidying up the toys, Roxy sat on the couch and tucked her legs under her, prepared to chat. “Are Faith and Lily coming to Aunt Ava’s for Thanksgiving? Mom said she told you to ask them.”

He stopped himself from glancing out the window again. “Faith said they would. She doesn’t have any family to spend the holidays with.”

“She and Lily can share our family. We have a big one.”

“We sure do.”

Roxy looked at him a little anxiously. “Cole’s not really my cousin, though. I mean, he’s not a blood relative. So we’re not like, related or anything. Not really.”

Cole Williams was Ava’s sixteen-year-old stepson. “Technically Cole’s not your family. Why?”

Roxy turned away but not before he saw her color rise. “Oh, I get it. So, you’ve got a thing for Cole, huh?”

She nodded miserably. “He doesn’t even know I’m alive,” she said dramatically.

Poor Rox, he almost certainly didn’t. If Cole was anything like Brian was at sixteen, he would have other things on his mind besides a pseudocousin four years younger than him. “Wait until you’re a little older. Then he’ll notice.”

“I’m almost thirteen. I’m not a baby.”

“No, of course you’re not,” he said soothingly, though to him twelve pretty much sounded like a baby. He didn’t remember much about being her age. But he remembered the year before. When he was eleven, he’d been busy trying to understand why his mother had abandoned him and praying Mark wouldn’t get sick of him and Jay and send them to social services.

Not that Mark had ever given him reason to believe he’d do that, but Brian had worried regardless. But instead of being good, he’d been an incredible pain in Mark’s ass. He wasn’t sure why he’d been that way unless it was because he wanted Mark to prove he’d love him no matter what he did.

“Cole thinks I’m a baby, though,” Roxy continued glumly. “Last time I saw him, he patted me on the head,
exactly
like he does Mel.”

“Cheer up, Roxy. He’s far from ready to settle down and by the time he is you’ll be all grown-up and you probably won’t give him the time of day.”

“But I don’t want to wait forever. I mean, you’re
old
and you haven’t settled down yet.”

Ouch. But to an almost-thirteen-year-old, thirty-two was undoubtedly ancient. “I just haven’t found the right woman.” He wasn’t about to tell her he didn’t believe there was a right woman for him.

“Mom says she wonders if you’ll ever settle down. She says you’re good with Will and that you’re trying real hard with him, though. She said it kinda surprised her at first since you’re such a stud with the women and all.”

At a loss for words, Brian stared at her. “Your mother told you that?”

Guilt washed over her face. “Well, she didn’t exactly tell
me
…. She and Aunt Cat were talking and they didn’t know I could hear them.”

It didn’t surprise him to know his sisters-in-law had been discussing him. They were women, after all. Brian curbed an impulse to ask what else they’d said. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I think I hear a car,” he said, thankful for the distraction. “I bet that’s Faith.”

A few minutes later, she walked in. He’d been with Will before she left so he hadn’t seen her go out. She wore a light pink sweater that hugged her curves and a short black skirt that showed off long, shapely legs. Her hair was down, feathered around her face and she’d done something to her eyes to make them appear even darker and larger. She looked pretty and, more than that, hot, which annoyed the hell out of him for reasons he didn’t care to analyze.

Roxy had bounded up the minute she’d heard Faith. “Lily was fussy earlier, but she’s fine now,” she began telling her as they walked toward the hall.

“I’m sure she is. Why don’t we go check on her again, though? Just to be sure.”

“I’ll take Roxy home when she’s ready,” Brian said. He was tempted to ask Faith about her date, but restrained himself. How lame was that? It was none of his business how her date had gone.

She looked at him for the first time since she’d come in, and smiled. “Thanks, but you don’t need to do that. I’ll do it if you’ll stay with the kids.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“Well, if you’re sure. Let me pay her first. Thanks.”

“So did you have fun?” he heard Roxy ask as they left the room. But despite straining his ears to hear, he didn’t catch Faith’s answer.

T
HERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING
good to eat in here, Faith thought as she rummaged through the refrigerator. What happened to the grapes? She’d just bought them the day before. Surely Brian and Roxy hadn’t eaten all of them. After an exhaustive search, she found them, lodged behind an extralarge jar of applesauce.

“What are you doing?” Brian said.

She jumped and turned around, hugging the bowl of grapes to her breast. “You scared me to death.” How long had he been standing there, staring at her butt? She tugged at her skirt, took the grapes to the table and sat down.

“What does it look like? I’m eating.” She knew she sounded cranky but hunger did that to her.

He took a seat, too, and plucked some grapes from the bowl. “I thought you had a dinner date.”

“I did. I’m…still hungry.” She moved the bowl closer to her. He’d had all evening to eat them. They were hers now.

“Didn’t you like the restaurant?”

“It was fine. I just didn’t eat a lot.”

“Why?” He popped a grape into his mouth while he waited for her answer.

Tapping her fingers on the table, she frowned at him. “Because I was nervous, okay? I can’t eat very much when I’m nervous.”

“Why were you nervous?”

How dense could a man be? “Because it was my first date since I had Lily.” Actually, her first date since long before that. Her first date since Lily’s no-good father had hightailed it out of town.

He reached for another grape, grinning when she snatched the bowl out of his way. “Where did you go to dinner?”

“Pinero’s. It’s in Corpus Christi. Do you know it?” Italian. Her favorite. Too bad she had barely touched her entreé.

“Yeah, I know it. It’s where a guy takes a woman he really wants to impress.” He got up and opened the pantry, returning to the table with a box of gingersnaps.

Her mouth watered. “Could I have some of those?”

He smiled and offered her the box. “Unlike you, I’ll share.” They munched in silence a moment and then he said, “So, did he impress you?”

“I wouldn’t say impress, exactly. He was nice,” she said cautiously. Very nice. Maybe even a little too nice. But then, these days she had a suspicious mind where men were concerned. Allen had been a perfect gentleman, though. He’d kissed her good-night, but he hadn’t been pushy or offensive about it. It wasn’t his fault the kiss had done nothing for her.

“Did you go anywhere else?”

Why was he so curious? “No, there wasn’t time. But Allen mentioned the Ellington. It’s a jazz club, I think.”

Brian laughed but didn’t say anything.

“What?” She picked up another cookie. “Why is that funny? Isn’t it a good place to go?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s good.” His amused gaze met hers. “Very good. Very classy. Very expensive.”

“And? There’s obviously something you’re not telling me.”

He ate another gingersnap before answering. “Soft lights, sexy music, fancy wine list. Atmosphere in spades. It’s the kind of place you take a woman you want to talk into bed.”

She stared at him. “Oh, come on. He wouldn’t think I’d sleep with him just because he took me to an expensive club.”

Brian waved his finger in the air. “Let’s not forget the first part of the date. The classy, pricey,
romantic
restaurant. Yeah, I’d say it’s a move.”

“Maybe he just wanted to show me a nice time? Without an ulterior motive.”

He didn’t look convinced. “All right,” he conceded. “It’s possible.”

“But not likely.”

Brian shrugged. “He’s a guy and you’re a beautiful woman. He might not think it’s a given, but I’ll bet he thinks wining and dining you might get him closer to getting lucky.” He paused and added, “Why, are you going to the Ellington next time?”

The little thrill she’d felt when he’d said she was beautiful faded. She gave him a dirty look. “I don’t see that it’s any of your business.” Scratch that second date.
Men
. “And there’s not going to be a next time.”

“Did you decide that before or after I clued you in?”

His eyes were laughing and she wanted to pinch him. “Before,” she lied. She’d been willing to give Allen another chance. But now she’d be so suspicious of his every move it wouldn’t be worth it. She rose to put the grapes back in the refrigerator.

“I suppose you know all this because that’s how you operate.” She closed the door and leaned against it. “Tell me, Brian, where did you take the casserole lady the other night?” she challenged.

“She wasn’t a casserole lady. She was a flight attendant I met a few months ago. I ran into her again when I was in Corpus Christi the other day.”

“Okay, but you didn’t answer my question. Is that how you operate?”

None of your business,
her mind chanted. But he’d annoyed her and she couldn’t let it go.

He got up and walked over to her. He didn’t speak but reached out to touch her hair, letting the ends trail over his fingers. “Why do you want to know, Faith?”

Tension filled the air. She should know better than to play with fire and Brian Kincaid was an explosion just waiting to detonate.

“I don’t.” She moved away, hoping it didn’t look like the full scale retreat it was. “It’s late, I’m going to bed.”

“Faith.”

She halted at the door and looked back at him. He smiled, a sexy smile that made her wish she was more like one of those sophisticated, gorgeous women he dated rather than plain-as-apple-pie Faith McClain.

“For what it’s worth, I like to think I’m smoother than that.”

“We all need our illusions, don’t we?” She smiled sweetly and left, his laughter trailing behind her. He was smooth, all right. And he damn well knew it, no matter what she said.